Photography & Development
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I know you are sick of my sudden photographic obsession, but have no fear this is not another "checkout this shot" post, promise :) I am no guru developer, being rather a jack of all trades and doing more management than development. But I do have enough developmentitis coursing through my veins to understand it. Like most engineering professions development has that magical mix of technical detail and creative freedom. To me the creative side is what gets me so excited about development but I realise one needs the technical know-how to accomplish the creative ideas. It reminds me a lot of what being an architect is about, creative license with technical necessity. And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Photography in one way is about seeing the extraordinary in the mundane, that is the creative side. The technical is knowing how to use your tool, the camera (body, lens, film, filters etc.) to then draw out onto film what you see. As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. Improving the results is a lot like debugging. You setup (programme) your camera according to what you think will best capture the scene in front of you. You then take the picture (run) and get back a result. You can then see from the result what needs improving, maybe something was out of focus (a run-time error) or you did not have the depth of field correct (a requirements/expectation problem) or a myriad of other variables which you can tweak till the result is what you want. Above all of this is the sheer gadget side of photography. Your camera is just a body on which you attach a plethora of devices. Lenses, filters, tripods, monopods, lens shades, speedlights, remote shutter release cords and the list goes on. The body itself has plenty of awesome technology which you just itch to figure out and try every setting. And don't forget the tricks. Oh yes, just like with development, there are many, many photographic tricks you can employ to render seemingly magical results. Now with digital going beyond just satisfying happy-snappers, photography is an even better idea for developers. You can merge photography and computer into one. One thing I have quickly learnt is the result is not always what came out on the film. Digital manipulation i
Paul, you are obviously in love. Just not with a woman. Marc Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
Every line of code is a liability - Taka Muraoka -
I know you are sick of my sudden photographic obsession, but have no fear this is not another "checkout this shot" post, promise :) I am no guru developer, being rather a jack of all trades and doing more management than development. But I do have enough developmentitis coursing through my veins to understand it. Like most engineering professions development has that magical mix of technical detail and creative freedom. To me the creative side is what gets me so excited about development but I realise one needs the technical know-how to accomplish the creative ideas. It reminds me a lot of what being an architect is about, creative license with technical necessity. And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Photography in one way is about seeing the extraordinary in the mundane, that is the creative side. The technical is knowing how to use your tool, the camera (body, lens, film, filters etc.) to then draw out onto film what you see. As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. Improving the results is a lot like debugging. You setup (programme) your camera according to what you think will best capture the scene in front of you. You then take the picture (run) and get back a result. You can then see from the result what needs improving, maybe something was out of focus (a run-time error) or you did not have the depth of field correct (a requirements/expectation problem) or a myriad of other variables which you can tweak till the result is what you want. Above all of this is the sheer gadget side of photography. Your camera is just a body on which you attach a plethora of devices. Lenses, filters, tripods, monopods, lens shades, speedlights, remote shutter release cords and the list goes on. The body itself has plenty of awesome technology which you just itch to figure out and try every setting. And don't forget the tricks. Oh yes, just like with development, there are many, many photographic tricks you can employ to render seemingly magical results. Now with digital going beyond just satisfying happy-snappers, photography is an even better idea for developers. You can merge photography and computer into one. One thing I have quickly learnt is the result is not always what came out on the film. Digital manipulation i
Although I am not fond of photography, I believe this is far more enjoyable than computer program development since it's palpable. At the end of day, you have something to enjoy, share. With computer programs, there is almost no difference between a recently formatted hard drive, and an hard drive with 20 years of software accomplishement. So, I guess photography is sellable as an excuse. :cool: Paul Watson wrote: developmentitis development tits ? :confused: Can't figure out!
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Paul Watson wrote: IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. I'm with you - in fact I was a photography geek long before I was a pc one :) I will say this though - when it comes to creative freedom my digital cam has done soooo much for me :cool: I took over 800 photo's over the 3 weeks I was home - on film that would have bankrupted me! And even after all that playing there are still new settings I'm coming to grips with. Like a kid in a candy store. Now if only I had more time... :rolleyes:
A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after a morning of strenuous mouse clicking and dragging, arriving en masse at the gym. They carefully reset the machines to the lowest settings, offer to spot for each other on the 5 lb dumbells, and rediscover the art of macrame while attempting to jump rope. -Roger Wright on my colleagues and I going to gym each day at lunch
Megan Forbes wrote: when it comes to creative freedom my digital cam has done soooo much for me I took over 800 photo's over the 3 weeks I was home - on film that would have bankrupted me To be dead honest I am getting such a kick out of taking a shot and then having to wait, anticipate, for the moment of truth when the prints come back. Sure sometimes a shot comes back that I was hopeful about but which did not turn out, and then, if possible, I go back to the spot and try it again. Actually I have been doing that a lot, not just bracketing but bracketing and going back to the same scenes and re-taking to see how different settings affect the result and see which works the best. Luckily I live in such a gorgeous area that I am not getting bored with sticking around the same spot. Also I believe by having this resource limit it is making me much more careful and considerate before I snap away. With my friends digital I would just wander around pressing the shutter at a moments notice, not much thought or planning. Now though I spend a good few minutes for just the basic shots and about 30 minutes for more complex shots before I even take the photo. I have found by doing this you often end up not taking the obvious shot but rather the less obvious but better shot. I normally end up appreciating a scene far more than had I just strolled by and snapped away without thought. No offense to you of course, I am sure you do put thought into your shots and you obviously do appreciate the chances given to you. But there is a definite relaxing of resources with a digital camera than can lead to aimless photography. And of course at the moment to get SLR film quality from a digital you have to fork out a huge sum (Nikons latest is $9800 just for the body, that is almost one hundred thousand Rand!) Megan Forbes wrote: A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after... LOL! Good old Roger, has a way with words he does.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
I know you are sick of my sudden photographic obsession, but have no fear this is not another "checkout this shot" post, promise :) I am no guru developer, being rather a jack of all trades and doing more management than development. But I do have enough developmentitis coursing through my veins to understand it. Like most engineering professions development has that magical mix of technical detail and creative freedom. To me the creative side is what gets me so excited about development but I realise one needs the technical know-how to accomplish the creative ideas. It reminds me a lot of what being an architect is about, creative license with technical necessity. And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Photography in one way is about seeing the extraordinary in the mundane, that is the creative side. The technical is knowing how to use your tool, the camera (body, lens, film, filters etc.) to then draw out onto film what you see. As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. Improving the results is a lot like debugging. You setup (programme) your camera according to what you think will best capture the scene in front of you. You then take the picture (run) and get back a result. You can then see from the result what needs improving, maybe something was out of focus (a run-time error) or you did not have the depth of field correct (a requirements/expectation problem) or a myriad of other variables which you can tweak till the result is what you want. Above all of this is the sheer gadget side of photography. Your camera is just a body on which you attach a plethora of devices. Lenses, filters, tripods, monopods, lens shades, speedlights, remote shutter release cords and the list goes on. The body itself has plenty of awesome technology which you just itch to figure out and try every setting. And don't forget the tricks. Oh yes, just like with development, there are many, many photographic tricks you can employ to render seemingly magical results. Now with digital going beyond just satisfying happy-snappers, photography is an even better idea for developers. You can merge photography and computer into one. One thing I have quickly learnt is the result is not always what came out on the film. Digital manipulation i
Being interested in photography for years, I can understand you. Photography isn't really one of my hobbies, I mostly take photos while traveling. But my wife has discovered photography as her favourite hobby. She took my equipment, bought some more stuff and is now taking pics all the time. I don't know, whether I have enough creativity to make good pictures like the ones I admire when looking at some other peoples' work (just like your pictures, Paul :)). But it doesn't matter, it makes fun and that's important. As for changing a hobby into a business, my wife would love to do so, but here in Germany, you can't run a business without being allowed to and having had some education regulated by law. This is the best comparison between these two topics I've heard so far, great! ;)
heinz r. vahlbruch
If IntelliSense doesn't have it, it ain't worth calling - Anonymous
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Megan Forbes wrote: when it comes to creative freedom my digital cam has done soooo much for me I took over 800 photo's over the 3 weeks I was home - on film that would have bankrupted me To be dead honest I am getting such a kick out of taking a shot and then having to wait, anticipate, for the moment of truth when the prints come back. Sure sometimes a shot comes back that I was hopeful about but which did not turn out, and then, if possible, I go back to the spot and try it again. Actually I have been doing that a lot, not just bracketing but bracketing and going back to the same scenes and re-taking to see how different settings affect the result and see which works the best. Luckily I live in such a gorgeous area that I am not getting bored with sticking around the same spot. Also I believe by having this resource limit it is making me much more careful and considerate before I snap away. With my friends digital I would just wander around pressing the shutter at a moments notice, not much thought or planning. Now though I spend a good few minutes for just the basic shots and about 30 minutes for more complex shots before I even take the photo. I have found by doing this you often end up not taking the obvious shot but rather the less obvious but better shot. I normally end up appreciating a scene far more than had I just strolled by and snapped away without thought. No offense to you of course, I am sure you do put thought into your shots and you obviously do appreciate the chances given to you. But there is a definite relaxing of resources with a digital camera than can lead to aimless photography. And of course at the moment to get SLR film quality from a digital you have to fork out a huge sum (Nikons latest is $9800 just for the body, that is almost one hundred thousand Rand!) Megan Forbes wrote: A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after... LOL! Good old Roger, has a way with words he does.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaPaul Watson wrote: Luckily I live in such a gorgeous area that I am not getting bored with sticking around the same spot. Too true! I really have to hunt here! I first got into photography when I was 11 and my Dad had a Ricoh SLR with an extra telephoto lens and 2x converter. He didn't really get into it, but I loved it, so I saved up 10% of what he'd paid for it and bought it off him. Sadly it was stolen 2 years ago. What really got me hooked was when I was 12 and he took me on a trip to the Kalahari for a month - man I went through film on that trip, and the wait nearly killed me! I still have some of the photo's. From then on I was hooked. :-D As I said, 2 years ago the camera was stolen, and I was starved of a good one till last October when I finally had enough together to buy a digital Sony which can take extra lenses. I haven't been able to buy any yet, but the zoom and settings it does have already is awesome! Infra red for elephants at night so they don't get angered by the flash and charge, 3 flash settings, and even a setting which doesn't use a flash but brings out a full colour photo (providing you keep it still while it gathers the light :rolleyes: ). Even wallpaper texture comes out on it with higher quality than a flash shot. I was concerned about the things you mentioned above when I bought this, after using film for so many years (and even tried developing my own when I was 14). I am pleased to say though that I am loving it - to experiment with settings while the subject is still available and see the results immediately and learn from my mistakes is so cool. :cool: Still, I think if it had been my first camera I would have become very lazy and not ever have really become hooked on photography the way I am. Different camera's suit people differently at different stages. I still hope to buy a good SLR as well and take both about.... but there are more sensible purchases like a house to worry about first :-O (and my husband's an accountant...)
A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after a morning of strenuous mouse clicking and dragging, arriving en masse at the gym. They carefully reset the machines to the lowest settings, offer to spot for each other on the 5 lb dumbells, and rediscover the art of macrame while attempting to jump rope. -Roger Wright on my colleagues and I going to gym each day at lunch
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And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. I like to take pictures but this is more a side effect of my passion for traveling than a hobby :) I think that you are right about the similarities between photography and programming but sometimes its difficult to re-take a picture after you found the bug :) As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. I've got a 30 yrs old yashica camera and I think that there is the same difference in UI between it and a new camera that between a 30yrs old mainframe with a teletype and pinched cards and a today's mac, or between the old dos debug and Visual Studio .net IDE :) It has a lot of controls but everything is mechanical and there are no electronic "gizmos" that help you... But when you get used to it you can get some good pictures and I love it because its very resistant and survived countless accidents (some involving water... :)). If you want to see some samples here's a link: http://digilander.libero.it/FOYD/pictures.htm Now you can understand why I got as job as programmer instead of one as photographer :) -- Looking for a new screen-saver? Try FOYD: http://digilander.iol.it/FOYD
Vuemme wrote: I like to take pictures but this is more a side effect of my passion for traveling than a hobby Certainly my passion also started from having been to some beautiful places and not being able to truthfully capture the scene. But now that I am into photography the actual process itself is intriguing, fascinating and generating it's own passion. It is like a good car that you grow attatched to, more than just a tool to get you from a to b. Also the side effects are great... simply looking and seeing things better is a wonderful by product of "thinking through the viewfinder." Vuemme wrote: I think that there is the same difference in UI between it and a new camera that between a 30yrs old mainframe with a teletype and pinched cards and a today's mac, or between the old dos debug and Visual Studio .net IDE It has a lot of controls but everything is mechanical and there are no electronic "gizmos" that help you... I am probably shooting myself in the foot and invalidating much of what I argue for in development when I say this: I think I am finally catching a glimpse of why absolute control and guru understanding of something can be so amazing and important. With development I have always been more inclined to get the job done using helpers and all sorts, rather than going in-depth and understanding the whole system perfectly. I am a jack of all trades, master of none. And much like development, in photography there are certain base variables which one should understand to get the best results. Frankly half of the fancy features on my Canon EOS 300v I have gone beyond already. All they really do is automate the basic variables: Aperture, shutter, focus etc. So apart from some situations where you just want a quick shot, your Yashica probably has all you need to take photos like a pro. As pro's will tell you over and over the camera body is just a body, It is the lens, the film, the light and your skill that counts. Admitedly there are some automated features of the camera body which are very useful even when I am on manual mode... the bracketing feature is very useful, the timer especially so and the auto-film advanced very nice. Vuemme wrote: http://digilander.libero.it/FOYD/pictures.htm Now you can understand why I got as job as programmer instead of one as photographer Don't knock yourself, I think you have some damned fine photos their. Your composition skill is already
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Paul, you are obviously in love. Just not with a woman. Marc Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
Every line of code is a liability - Taka MuraokaMarc Clifton wrote: you are obviously in love. Just not with a woman. :laugh: Indeed, no arguement here :) p.s. I honestly have not named my camera or started referring to it as "my preccciiioouuss" yet ;)
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
Although I am not fond of photography, I believe this is far more enjoyable than computer program development since it's palpable. At the end of day, you have something to enjoy, share. With computer programs, there is almost no difference between a recently formatted hard drive, and an hard drive with 20 years of software accomplishement. So, I guess photography is sellable as an excuse. :cool: Paul Watson wrote: developmentitis development tits ? :confused: Can't figure out!
.S.Rod. wrote: With computer programs, there is almost no difference between a recently formatted hard drive, and an hard drive with 20 years of software accomplishement Soberingly true in most peoples cases :| .S.Rod. wrote: So, I guess photography is sellable as an excuse Ooooohhhh, I can feel the contempt dripping from that statement :-D You are a guru with programming though .S.Rod. and so probably do not have my need to find something to be truly good at. Who knows though :)
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
Being interested in photography for years, I can understand you. Photography isn't really one of my hobbies, I mostly take photos while traveling. But my wife has discovered photography as her favourite hobby. She took my equipment, bought some more stuff and is now taking pics all the time. I don't know, whether I have enough creativity to make good pictures like the ones I admire when looking at some other peoples' work (just like your pictures, Paul :)). But it doesn't matter, it makes fun and that's important. As for changing a hobby into a business, my wife would love to do so, but here in Germany, you can't run a business without being allowed to and having had some education regulated by law. This is the best comparison between these two topics I've heard so far, great! ;)
heinz r. vahlbruch
If IntelliSense doesn't have it, it ain't worth calling - Anonymous
Heinz R. Vahlbruch wrote: I admire when looking at some other peoples' work (just like your pictures, Paul ). :-O thanks Heinz. Heinz R. Vahlbruch wrote: But it doesn't matter, it makes fun and that's important So true. I do not ever want to get to the stage where I am so obsessed by perfection and technicalities that I loose the pleasure of just recording a scene onto film. I think it is like many things where there is a fine line between being serious and still having fun and being serious and not having fun. IMO if you are not having fun then stop and rethink the why and how. Heinz R. Vahlbruch wrote: I don't know, whether I have enough creativity As I replied to SimonS you do not have to be creative to enjoy photography, just like you do not have to be creative to enjoy development. There are plenty of technically amazing photographers without an ounce of creativity in them. They take good pictures and enjoy the process. Heinz R. Vahlbruch wrote: but here in Germany, you can't run a business without being allowed to and having had some education regulated by law. Wow I never knew that, quite harsh and it would never work here in SA. But then I guess what with Germany being one of the worlds top nations it must work for you :)
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
I know you are sick of my sudden photographic obsession, but have no fear this is not another "checkout this shot" post, promise :) I am no guru developer, being rather a jack of all trades and doing more management than development. But I do have enough developmentitis coursing through my veins to understand it. Like most engineering professions development has that magical mix of technical detail and creative freedom. To me the creative side is what gets me so excited about development but I realise one needs the technical know-how to accomplish the creative ideas. It reminds me a lot of what being an architect is about, creative license with technical necessity. And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Photography in one way is about seeing the extraordinary in the mundane, that is the creative side. The technical is knowing how to use your tool, the camera (body, lens, film, filters etc.) to then draw out onto film what you see. As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. Improving the results is a lot like debugging. You setup (programme) your camera according to what you think will best capture the scene in front of you. You then take the picture (run) and get back a result. You can then see from the result what needs improving, maybe something was out of focus (a run-time error) or you did not have the depth of field correct (a requirements/expectation problem) or a myriad of other variables which you can tweak till the result is what you want. Above all of this is the sheer gadget side of photography. Your camera is just a body on which you attach a plethora of devices. Lenses, filters, tripods, monopods, lens shades, speedlights, remote shutter release cords and the list goes on. The body itself has plenty of awesome technology which you just itch to figure out and try every setting. And don't forget the tricks. Oh yes, just like with development, there are many, many photographic tricks you can employ to render seemingly magical results. Now with digital going beyond just satisfying happy-snappers, photography is an even better idea for developers. You can merge photography and computer into one. One thing I have quickly learnt is the result is not always what came out on the film. Digital manipulation i
Have you ever try www.photosig.com ?? It's cool. Take a look at my photos (http://www1.photosig.com/userphotos.php?portfolioId=58010) and tell what you think....but remember: I'm a real newbie in photografy. bye - b0nu$ -
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I know you are sick of my sudden photographic obsession, but have no fear this is not another "checkout this shot" post, promise :) I am no guru developer, being rather a jack of all trades and doing more management than development. But I do have enough developmentitis coursing through my veins to understand it. Like most engineering professions development has that magical mix of technical detail and creative freedom. To me the creative side is what gets me so excited about development but I realise one needs the technical know-how to accomplish the creative ideas. It reminds me a lot of what being an architect is about, creative license with technical necessity. And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Photography in one way is about seeing the extraordinary in the mundane, that is the creative side. The technical is knowing how to use your tool, the camera (body, lens, film, filters etc.) to then draw out onto film what you see. As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. Improving the results is a lot like debugging. You setup (programme) your camera according to what you think will best capture the scene in front of you. You then take the picture (run) and get back a result. You can then see from the result what needs improving, maybe something was out of focus (a run-time error) or you did not have the depth of field correct (a requirements/expectation problem) or a myriad of other variables which you can tweak till the result is what you want. Above all of this is the sheer gadget side of photography. Your camera is just a body on which you attach a plethora of devices. Lenses, filters, tripods, monopods, lens shades, speedlights, remote shutter release cords and the list goes on. The body itself has plenty of awesome technology which you just itch to figure out and try every setting. And don't forget the tricks. Oh yes, just like with development, there are many, many photographic tricks you can employ to render seemingly magical results. Now with digital going beyond just satisfying happy-snappers, photography is an even better idea for developers. You can merge photography and computer into one. One thing I have quickly learnt is the result is not always what came out on the film. Digital manipulation i
Excellant analogy :-) regards Kannan
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Although I am not fond of photography, I believe this is far more enjoyable than computer program development since it's palpable. At the end of day, you have something to enjoy, share. With computer programs, there is almost no difference between a recently formatted hard drive, and an hard drive with 20 years of software accomplishement. So, I guess photography is sellable as an excuse. :cool: Paul Watson wrote: developmentitis development tits ? :confused: Can't figure out!
.S.Rod. wrote: development tits ? Can't figure out Forgot to answer this: Developmentitis, a disease all developers have... you have developers blood. Basically whenever you want to make up a disease name about a subject just take the subject name and add itis on the end. Like Mondayitis, or Fastfooditis. :rolleyes: Though development tits sounds, errr, intriguing.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
Have you ever try www.photosig.com ?? It's cool. Take a look at my photos (http://www1.photosig.com/userphotos.php?portfolioId=58010) and tell what you think....but remember: I'm a real newbie in photografy. bye - b0nu$ -
- Emanuele - wrote: Have you ever try www.photosig.com ?? Indeed I have! Paul on PhotoSIG.com So chuffed. I just passed 199 and can start posting 2 photos every three days now, yay! :-D - Emanuele - wrote: Take a look at my photos (http://www1.photosig.com/userphotos.php?portfolioId=58010) and tell what you think....but remember: I'm a real newbie in photografy. I will have a look and leave some critiques. Yet another CPian on PhotoSIG.com! Woohoo!
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
.S.Rod. wrote: development tits ? Can't figure out Forgot to answer this: Developmentitis, a disease all developers have... you have developers blood. Basically whenever you want to make up a disease name about a subject just take the subject name and add itis on the end. Like Mondayitis, or Fastfooditis. :rolleyes: Though development tits sounds, errr, intriguing.
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaPaul Watson wrote: Forgot to answer this: Developmentitis, a disease all developers have... you have developers blood. If developers spend so much time in front of their commies, that's less because they like it (internet,...), or even are bored, than because they face third party components whose behaviour is uncontrollable and unknown, hence have to spend day and nights guessing stupid things that would be obvious if the source code was provided. With photography at least that's more science. You have all the stuff in your hands, and the entrance ticket price is low. ;)
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Excellant analogy :-) regards Kannan
Kannan Kalyanaraman wrote: Excellant analogy Thanks :) At least now when a girl asks what I do I can say "Computer stuff, but I also do photography" and 9/10 she will respond with "Ooooh, photography! Tell me more, can I see it, can you take a photo of me please?" ;) :rolleyes:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
Kannan Kalyanaraman wrote: Excellant analogy Thanks :) At least now when a girl asks what I do I can say "Computer stuff, but I also do photography" and 9/10 she will respond with "Ooooh, photography! Tell me more, can I see it, can you take a photo of me please?" ;) :rolleyes:
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaPaul Watson wrote: "Ooooh, photography! Tell me more, can I see it, can you take a photo of me please?" Lucky you. Most girls I know hate having their photo taken, and are usually convinced that they look crappy in all of them anyway :| -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
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Paul Watson wrote: "Ooooh, photography! Tell me more, can I see it, can you take a photo of me please?" Lucky you. Most girls I know hate having their photo taken, and are usually convinced that they look crappy in all of them anyway :| -- Help me! I'm turning into a grapefruit!
benjymous wrote: Lucky you. Most girls I know hate having their photo taken, and are usually convinced that they look crappy in all of them anyway Ok, I should have added a disclaimer: Girls you do not know love having their photo taken. Sisters, girlfriends and close "friends that art female" do not like having their photo taken by you, that is true. But strangers love it. On New Years at the beach with my camera out I was smothered by gangs of girls wanting their photo taken. Even just wandering around on a normal day with my camera out all I have to do is smile at a girl and ask her, by raising my camera, and the answer is almost always yes, followed by lots of questions about what I photograph... of course then I have to come clean that I am just a beginner, which has variable reception values. Carrying around a palm pilot or laptop just does not have the same reaction :-D
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
I know you are sick of my sudden photographic obsession, but have no fear this is not another "checkout this shot" post, promise :) I am no guru developer, being rather a jack of all trades and doing more management than development. But I do have enough developmentitis coursing through my veins to understand it. Like most engineering professions development has that magical mix of technical detail and creative freedom. To me the creative side is what gets me so excited about development but I realise one needs the technical know-how to accomplish the creative ideas. It reminds me a lot of what being an architect is about, creative license with technical necessity. And so it also is with photography. IMO photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Photography in one way is about seeing the extraordinary in the mundane, that is the creative side. The technical is knowing how to use your tool, the camera (body, lens, film, filters etc.) to then draw out onto film what you see. As a developer I grin with delight at all the settings and controls one has on a good camera. Aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus and so on, all of which interplay to form a complex instance, an instance of view on the scene and subject you are shooting. Improving the results is a lot like debugging. You setup (programme) your camera according to what you think will best capture the scene in front of you. You then take the picture (run) and get back a result. You can then see from the result what needs improving, maybe something was out of focus (a run-time error) or you did not have the depth of field correct (a requirements/expectation problem) or a myriad of other variables which you can tweak till the result is what you want. Above all of this is the sheer gadget side of photography. Your camera is just a body on which you attach a plethora of devices. Lenses, filters, tripods, monopods, lens shades, speedlights, remote shutter release cords and the list goes on. The body itself has plenty of awesome technology which you just itch to figure out and try every setting. And don't forget the tricks. Oh yes, just like with development, there are many, many photographic tricks you can employ to render seemingly magical results. Now with digital going beyond just satisfying happy-snappers, photography is an even better idea for developers. You can merge photography and computer into one. One thing I have quickly learnt is the result is not always what came out on the film. Digital manipulation i
Paul Watson wrote: ...photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Shamless pun intended??? Photography... Developers... get it? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Paul Watson wrote: "At the end of the day it is what you produce that counts, not how many doctorates you have on the wall."
George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things."
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Paul Watson wrote: ...photography is the perfect hobby for developers. Shamless pun intended??? Photography... Developers... get it? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Paul Watson wrote: "At the end of the day it is what you produce that counts, not how many doctorates you have on the wall."
George Carlin wrote: "Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things."
Ray Cassick wrote: Photography... Developers... get it? LOL yes when I wrote that down I got it, but decided to leave it for the brighter amongst us. Well done Ray, you get a noddy badge... ;)
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa -
- Emanuele - wrote: Have you ever try www.photosig.com ?? Indeed I have! Paul on PhotoSIG.com So chuffed. I just passed 199 and can start posting 2 photos every three days now, yay! :-D - Emanuele - wrote: Take a look at my photos (http://www1.photosig.com/userphotos.php?portfolioId=58010) and tell what you think....but remember: I'm a real newbie in photografy. I will have a look and leave some critiques. Yet another CPian on PhotoSIG.com! Woohoo!
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South AfricaThat's a very cool site! Your photo's of Janina and the Lion are great :) Paul Watson wrote: I just passed 199 and can start posting 2 photos every three days now How does this work?
A pack of geeks, pale and skinny, feeling a bit pumped and macho after a morning of strenuous mouse clicking and dragging, arriving en masse at the gym. They carefully reset the machines to the lowest settings, offer to spot for each other on the 5 lb dumbells, and rediscover the art of macrame while attempting to jump rope. -Roger Wright on my colleagues and I going to gym each day at lunch