24mm, 1/50sec, ISO 100

Impulses, Dreams and Photographs

On some occasions I have no idea why I photograph what I do, it just seems right at the time. Usually the pictures shot at this time don’t survive the moment, the thought, or whatever the impulse that was there at the moment of creation. Sometimes, for reasons completely unknown, the image has a resonance that goes past the usual and consequently becomes something of interest, even if that interest is simply personal.

I have no idea why I like this image, but I do, and for me that’s all that’s important.

It was shot handheld and deliberately slightly out of focus. Both the dark moody shadows and the gaudy bright lights were what interested me and I was thinking about dreams, which is a reason for the soft focusing.

It’s a night shot done during a full moon cycle, which more often than not gives extraordinary soft even light with deep smooth shadows.

24mm, f1.4, 1/20sec, ISO250

Chasing the Lightning

It was with relief that I welcomed the lightning and accompanying rain yesterday. After a few days of heat it was nice to feel the rush of cold wind, and then there was the light show.

In the past I’ve often sat and watched lightning flash across the sky, but last night I wondered if it was feasible to actually photograph it without using either long exposures or a light sensitive shutter sensor that reacts to the lightning flash.

As you can see, the answer is yes if the storm goes on long enough, then one is bound to get lucky.

In total I managed three exposures with lightning streaks, which was enough. So I returned to my book and a beer and enjoyed the gusting cool breezes the storm created.

It seems, according to news reports, that yesterday much of the world was stormy in various degrees of severity. In Berlin it was pleasant, but I have plans for dinner in a beer garden tonight, so I’m hoping there’s no encore.

24mm, f2, 1/30sec, ISO320.

A Fine Literary Evening

Last night I went to a reading by my old friend from Jakarta, Agus Sorjorno at the Literaturhaus Fasanenstraße. Poet, writer, translator, public intellectual and teacher, he’s in Berlin to promote his latest book, Indonesian poetry and finalise things for the Frankfurt book fair, where Indonesia is this year’s guest of honour.

What I noticed on returning home was that in the small screen digital arena there is very little difference in image quality between a DSLR and a smart phone. My wife’s phone photos of the event that she posted on Facebook appear to have much the same quality as mine which were shot with a full frame DSLR.

If a print was wanted then things would be very different, but for small screens like phones and Ipads, it’s hard to justify all the heavy gear I usually carry.

Agus is the guy in the middle.

24mm, f3.2, 1/100sec, ISO1000

Holiday Snaps

After a long night of movies determination and motivation surged through my veins. Inspired, I screwed on the 24mm and set out in the dreary weather to shoot dramatic wide-angle street pictures, but who was I trying to kid. A 24mm needs to be up close and personal to be effective, best used in the street during parades, demonstrations and other public gatherings where a person in close with a camera is more welcome than resented. All attempts today were mediocre and laced with cowardice. I was once again reminded of Asia where it always seemed so easy to get in very, very close.

In contrast to the grey Berlin day I chose a bright sunny day in India for today’s picture. I forget where we were, on the way back from Shimla I think. I still continue to photograph people taking pictures of family and friends because I think it will one day not be something we do with such ease as is presently the case. Mobile phones will replace the family pocket camera in most cases and as they become more advanced I think the posed still picture will be replaced by the all encompassing slow arcing video phone, which means people will want their nearest and dearest to be in action having fun for those at home watching the live stream of your holiday. So I take pictures of what I think will someday be seen nostalgically as a quaint habit of the past, sort of like hand written letters: we know they exist, but there’s no one we know who writes them anymore.

 

50mm, f4, 1/320sec, ISO100

Approaching Storm on Nias Island

On some days like today there is no motivation for words and I expect this will be the case occasionally with a long-term project like this one. But as I have pictures in there thousands, putting a picture up is always going to be an easy thing to do.
This picture was taken on Nias, an smallish island in the Indonesian archipelago that was devastated by a tsunami in December 2004 and then, three months later, in March 2005 the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded completed the destruction. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nias)
The inland is stunningly beautiful, hard to get to, lacks good tourist accommodation, has an interesting culture, some great beaches, but is generally poor. I’ve been there twice and liked it a lot.
The shot was taken just before the sun went down when the fishermen were setting out for the evening.
24mm, f6.3, 1/60sec, ISO100

thinking

Thinking , thoughts, ideas, mostly useless.
Thinking thoughts ideas, mostly useless
Thinking mostly useless ideas and thoughts.
Ideas and thoughts, mostly useless thinking.
Thoughts and ideas mostly useless, thinking.
Thinking, thoughts useless ideas mostly.
Mostly thinking useless thoughts and ideas.
Useless ideas,
thoughts,
thinking mostly useless ideas
thoughts,
useless ideas,
thoughts
mostly.
useless
thinking.

24mm, f3.5, 1/60sec, ISO100.