Those we influence

I was reading TOP about a missed opportunity to travel with some amazing people. I wonder if the clown knows how much he influenced this casual acquaintance.
Today at work was the senior managers last day. I didn't really work with Maggie too much, but she really helped me at a time when I needed some direction. I am not sure if she realizes how much I appreciate her opening the door for me.
All this got me wondering how much I have influenced those around me. When I help out a customer, even the small jobs, I hope I have made someones life better, or easier in some small way.
What does this have to do with photography?
We each see the world through our own eyes. Often the small details, or even the larger picture is not noticed or appreciated by the mass population (whatever that is). Often we wear blinders, so we can focus on a task, or so we don't get overwhelmed, or even because we don't understand. We don't always see what is around us.
In my photography I try to take these blinders off. To show others what I have noticed, what I have seen, and what has struck me as noteworthy.
Some photographers show us the grand landscape, others show us where we, as human beings, need to improve. But photographers, and artists in general, wish, at maybe a subconscious level, to influence others. to have people remember who we are, and what we have to say.

All in all a very humbling day.

"New" Photos

I was out the other day and found this photo.



















I like it, but is it really my image? An unknown artist left this image under a bridge for all to see. I would like to credit him/her, but the very nature of graffiti art* is anonymous. Great artists have photographed graffiti for ages, often abstracting it. but this image is one I found, and it is making me think of photography as an art.
I have copied artwork, but for some reason, this seems more...
I found the painting above, but I also "found" this image on the same walk.



and it is just as much a recording of what I saw in front of me, but maybe because it was not created by someone else it is fair game?
so what about an image from my archives...



This is a photograph of artwork created by another person. but it is a bit more "arty". Maybe it is the Black & White treatment? But I arguably manipulated this image less than the original graffiti art. (lots of levels, curves and colour correction)
and this image I shot for a calendar...



It is again just a copy of someone else's artwork, a carved Buddha head. When does it become more than (or at least different from) the original? This last image was a studio shot with very controlled lighting, angle of view and background. Does the amount of work put into an image make it? I have some images I have put a lot of work into, that just don't cut it. I can't say I have too many images I have not put a fair bit of work into that work though...

So back to my original conundrum. Is it art? Is the original?
I have no idea, but I like it.


*by graffiti art I am separating skilled painters who wish to express themselves from vandals who just want to mark their territory.

PS. The more I look at the original graffiti, the more I think it is just a recording of a good piece of artwork, but I still think the line linking original art and copied art is quite interesting.

Time

Time....
Mike Johnson at The Online Photographer has some interesting thoughts on our busy lives.
but I gotta run now...

Try explaining technology

I am trying to keep this blog about photography and art, but sometimes I just have to share tangential info.
I read John Nack's views from adobe, and he found this video. I am sure I can sound like that too when explaining photography, or graphic design.
I think one of the skills of the really talented is to be able to see through this kind of talk when someone else is trying to justify themselves.
I am working with Linguacard on their up and coming product, and one of the subcontractors is, shall we say, reluctant to fulfil his end of a contract. He tends to try the technospeak to get himself out of his corner. I don't buy it...
Too bad, as I know these cards are going to be a hit. And it has been a real challenge to learn how to lay out multiple languages...

PS...

Oh, and if you want to get me a birthday present...

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. WooHoo...
Actually, once you turn 21 (which happened to me a little while ago - cough - ) birthdays dont matter as much. But I am sure I will still have a whale of a time. (sorry, I thought it was a cool site, so I had to figure a way to link to it...)

You may not know that I have been playing with linux for a while, specifically Ubuntu for my desktop, and SME for my server. While I really like a lot of things about the way linux works, such as multiple desktops, NO VIRUSES, etc. I have not been able to find a way to edit photos. I just can't seem to get my head around the Gimp, and every other program I tried seems worse, or at least limiting.

While reading some photo websites, I came across Lightzone. This program really seems to have promise. and to make things even better, there is a free linux version. But the windows/mac version is very reasonable too.

I have just started working with this program, but I will give my thoughts as soon as I have any...

Ok, enough with the bad jokes already, yesterday was April Fools day...

where to live

Victoria usually has two seasons, summer and rain. Spring and fall tend to merge. We "never" get a winter.
This year we got a winter


As a consequence, we are now having an "ugly" season. The flowers are just barely coming up, but the mud left from the floods and rain is still covering much of the ground.

So as I was out for a walk the other day, I was speculating on where would be an interesting place to live. I have never been up north. A place lijke Dawson Creek, or Yellowknife would be interesting. I understand there are some downsides, but it would be fun to live there for a couple of years anyway...

Or maybe I am just too romantic...