Sunday Night Jazz

First up is a recommendation only. This drummers work is not on the internet, but you damn well ought to check it out. I received a Flickr "contact" link from him this afternoon, and when I checked out his site it turns out he is a professional drummer (something I once entertained...ahh, mem'ries). Steve Korn's work is really solid and the band he has on this album are really hot.

Seriously, the CD is available on iTunes for a steal.

Next up, Steve Gadd and Al Jarreau with the always evergreen "Mas Que Nada".

Now we get to listen to some amazing trumpets. "Honeysuckle Rose" with Jon Faddis, Roy Hargrove, Randy Brecker, Lew Soloff, Terence Blanchard and Terell Stafford.

Here is a really mellow piece, "I Remember Clifford" by the Jazz Messengers and Lee Morgan.

Here's Dave Koz with "You Make Me Smile."

Sunday night, New Years Eve Jazz. Enjoy.

Great Photoshop Work... but Why?

I guess I don't get it. Here is an 'expose' or whatever you would call it on Photoshopping a plain girl into a 'hot' calendar. Why not get a model that looks like this to begin with. That is a hell of a lot of P-Shoppin' folks. And for what?

Earlier this year I did a swimsuit catalog for a client who hired his own models. He had worked with one of the models before and flew her in from CA. What she didn't tell him was she had gained 20 pounds and had become a cage fighter. So I had 50+ shots of a gal 20 lbs over here weight and covered with scratches and bruises. That was a Photoshop extravaganza. What I hadn't known about the 'pucker and bloat" tools, I sure as heck know now.

Anyway, this seems a bit ridiculous to me: BTW... maybe NSFW if you work where folks are REALLY uptight. Just swimsuits.

Have You Seen "Weekly Shot"

Take a look. This is a very nice roundup of amazing images.

WeeklyShot is a different kind of group photoblog and photo challenge. Every week we announce a new theme, then photographers interpret this theme and upload their own photos in response. During the week users critique the images and decide which ones get featured on our homepage photoblog for all to see.

Kennedy Center Honors Tonight

I didn't know that it was on, but luckily caught the show. It was amazing... like my personal list of favorites. First, the amazing Dolly Parton.

And of course Smokey.

Two words that make me stop and take notice: Zubin Mehta. (Oh, and Horowitz too...)

Andrew Lloyd Weber has always made wonderful music. And he was married to Sara Brightman... that's cool.

sorry for the midweek concert, but - damn that was a fine couple of hours of tv.

Three Sites

I will be reviewing well done sites this year. At least once a week I will investigate a site or two and give my opinions / observations / comments on them. Too many photographers still don't get the web, so I will try to show how those who do make the experience pay off. However, everyone can benefit from a bit of serious, well intentioned criticism.

First site is Julie Blackmon. (www.julieblackmon.com)

What I like:
Simple navigation on left takes you to two very different sets of images. Titled "Domsestic Vacations" and "Mind Games" they are spirited and well defined groups of photographs. The navigation shows on the page at all times, and the thumbnails scroll horizontally below the large photograph. Clicking on the large photograph presents one even bigger. Very nice, intuitive and helpful for the viewer trying to get a good look at the image.

I like the simply presented website, and the images are very well done.

What I would change:
Black background is too flat. Some added texture, areas of increased values... something to break up the vast bleakness of the black. I think I would do something to offset the navigation as well. Her page rank is a 5, which is exceptional. She has over 20 link-backs so that is helping her ranking. She needs page titles which are descriptive and some meta-tags, and the site will become even more easily found.

Overall, nice site. Needs minor tweaking.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas everyone.

Feels good to say that after venturing into the world of retailus maximus. Good grief, are people rude or what? I never let it hang me up though, just kept on having fun with the kids. It was so bad that even my normally jolly 9 year old remarked that everyone was acting grumpy.

Back to the Sunday afternoon concert posting:
Bill Sussman Trio

And now, Nat takes us back...

Ahhh... Stardust, one of the greatest by one of the greatest.

Oh man, this is outstanding. Nat always makes me smile.

That's it for this lovely Christmas Eve. See you all on tuesday.

Interesting Site... Nice Work

Here is a photographer I discovered while working on Flickr today. Sometimes the work you find after clicking a link on someone's page. Nice stuff... BTW... NSFW, as they are erotic in nature. Enjoy.

Print Your Flickr Pics with Browser Ease

We finally finished the Flickr tool for Mighty Imaging. It's pretty cool. Just choose an image (or several) from any Flickr set, even private ones, and with one click send them out to get printed big.

Mighty Imaging is a client, and they have one of the best Photographic printers I have ever seen. The quality printer (Lightjet) combined with talented and service oriented people make it a delight for the photographers I know who use them.

There are several ways to get your prints to Mighty... use the new Flickr tool, use the MightyBigPrints tool, or create an account and use their handy FTP.

We are very excited about this new tool, so if you have a Flickr site, try it out.

BTW, if you would like to make a little money off of your Blog, check out their affiliate program. Very easy, and you make 10% of sales.

Three Great Links

Lifehacker has this link to a free download!

The program supports all the usual formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC and even Monkey audio (APE). It batch-converts files and lets you output using presets or your own settings. In short, it's fairly typical of audio-conversion utilities, though I do give it high marks for its super-easy interface.

Another from Lifehacker: Keeping bots from getting your email address.

The problem, the article says, lies in e-mail addresses displayed on web pages: They're easy pickings. The author offers a number of practical solutions, including replacing the text with an image:

And a cool little article on shooting people in motion... (more on this soon.) At PhotoJoJo.

The technical aspects of shooting motion are easy: a fast shutter speed (or the action or sports setting) will freeze motion, a slow one will introduce motion blur. Where you go from there makes the difference between a shot that merely documents and one that uses action to paint a scene or set a mood.

See you soon!

New Book: "Lynne: Photographs

I started shooting Lynne a little over a year ago. Since then we have shot several times. This book is a compliation of images taken in the studio and on location. For photographers, there is an index of images with photographers notes on each image.

The emphasis is on the imagery, from sexy to demure to fresh, Lynne is an exceptional subject. It is published by LuLu and available here.

Sunday Morning Tunes

Featuring the beautiful and talented Jane Monheit. Enjoy.
"In the Still of the Night"

"Taking a Chance on Love"

"Waters of March"

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Amazing Photography Links...

Kind of like 'speed linking', I give you a selection of photographers sites that feature great imagery and outstanding web design.

This is the site of Will Yurman. He starts the site with a 'pic-a-day' slideshow, very reminiscent of a Photoblog. You can easily navigate to other pages and the 'work', photo stories, the he shoots for a major newspaper. The stories feature sound as well as wonderful imagery. This is the kind of site you where can hang out, look at pictures, learn something and relax.

Here's Ben Delaney's site. Being a designer/photographer myself, I really like how he blends the two into a cohesive, well done site. Big images, and simple navigation work well here.


And we end with a nice photoblog of NYC. Simple in design and with solid imagery, this site will keep you occupado for awhile.

Let's All Hope for Miracles

They do happen. Wishing Bruce and his family well through this unimaginable pain.

Early last month we reported from Photo Plus, New York that Bruce was too ill to attend the annual Pixel Mafia dinner. At that time Bruce was about to start a course of chemotherapy that offered an optimistic prognosis. Unfortunately, the treatment has not been successful and the cancer has since progressed. Bruce is now severely ill and it is the opinion of Bruce, his wife Angela and the doctors, that he now probably has but a very short time left. He is being cared for at home by Angela and support nursing staff.

Why Kids Shouldn't Play With Video Cameras

This new YouTube hit will haunt this particular young lady for a long, long time. Via Pajamas Media.

Veggies!

If you haven't visited Rick Lee's site lately, you really should. Click around and see some amazing shots.

Because Thursday night is grocery night!

Jeanne Newhall: "This Kind of Life" Video

First video from the new CD. Very nice. Great tune from a CD full of wonderful tunes. Take a listen... See more at Jeanne's Site.

Yes, it is way better than that CIA guy...

Did the CIA Ever Investigate the Doobie Brothers?

As it becomes more clear that the FBI had wiretapped Princess Diana, I can't help but wonder if the CIA had been investigating rock bands. How else do you, er, explain this:

You gotta get by the first guy singing, then... well, you can see for yourself.

These Vagabond Shoes...

If I was in New York, I would be going here:

Please join us at an opening reception in honor of the Fall edition Hot Shots:

jen bekman
6 Spring St (between Elizabeth + Bowery)
NYC 10012

Hey, Hot Shot! Fall 2006 Edition

Opening Reception
Wednesday December 13, 2006 | 6pm - 8pm
Tasty beverages provided by Crumpler, makers of excellent bags, in particular excellent photo bags.

Strobist... A must read

A truly solid blog, Strobist, now has a set of graphics to link back to his site with. If you like promoting other solid bloggers, this is a good way. And if you are into photography and haven't visited his site yet, you really must do that as soon as possible.

Sunday Concert

I have many cherished albums (and in CD form). Two of my most prized are Joni Mitchell's "Hissing of Summer Lawns", and "Hejira". I can listen to them for hours on end. I have many of Joni's CD's, but these two seem to be a pinnacle for me. Incredible melodies, lyrics and instrumentation. Here is one from "Hissing"... 'Edith and the Kingpin."

And one from "Hejira". If you like lyrics and the metaphorical, this piece will really touch you. 'Amelia' is a delicate blend of poetry, jazz and vocal presentation.

Stevie Nicks is a favorite of mine as well. My wife can't understand, my kids think I am nuts. I love the passion and strength in her voice, and I like the music.

Back in the day, this lady represented all that was right about ladies in rock. Linda had the pipes, that is for damn sure. BTW... the guy playing guitar... Bobby Darin. Yeah, THAT Bobby Darin. Cool.

Lynne on the stairs

I have recently done something exciting with the images of Lynne and Christina. I will have more to announce shortly. More image on my Flickr pages.

This shot is taken in total shade with fill coming from behind me and open sky. The building in front of Lynne is quite large and a cream color. Adding just a little kick to the contrast in post makes the skin tone pop. I kinda think of it as a 1/4 stop 'push' that I used to do as normal on E6.

12/7/06

This is a content rich, link filled site about a day that will always be remembered... until the schools have their way. My kids will learn nothing about what this day is remembered for. I will tell them, as I have done every 12-7 in their lives.

Pearl Harbor Raid, 7 December 1941 --


Overview and Special Image Selection

The 7 December 1941 Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was one of
the great defining moments in history. A single carefully-planned
and well-executed stroke removed the United States Navy's battleship force as a possible
threat to the Japanese Empire's southward expansion. America,
unprepared and now considerably weakened, was abruptly brought
into the Second World War as a full combatant.

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Whip That Brain into Shape

I love articles like this. It works for us creatives on so many levels. Read, print and practice.

“I just found out that the brain is like a computer. If that’s true, then there really aren’t any stupid people. Just people running DOS.”

- Anonymous

The brain is a three-pound supercomputer. It is the command and control center running your life. It is involved in absolutely everything you do. Your brain determines how you think, how you feel, how you act, and how well you get along with other people. Your brain even determines the kind of person you are. It determines how thoughtful you are; how polite or how rude you are. It determines how well you think on your feet, and it is involved with how well you do at work and with your family. Your brain also influences your emotional well being and how well you do with the opposite sex.

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10 DIGGR's You Will Meet... Oh how you will meet...

You all may know how I disdain the DIGG'rs, and feel that because of the inherent BS built into these types of social sites they will soon begin to morph into something else entirely. The business model of letting a select clique of people vote up or down... it becomes a mirror of the top 80-90 users, not a real view of popular sites.

Anyway, I loved and LOL at this Valleywag post.

NICK DOUGLAS -- Digg may not be heaven, but it's sure damn close. If you enter this big weird world of Diggers, submitters, and buriers, you'd better know who you're dealing with.

1. The Überdigger. A dude like this works harder getting stories for Digg than you do at your job. In the physical world, he may be a lard-ass earning Cs in history class or that slacker in Accounting, but on Digg he is your overlord and until you too have 922 submissions hit the front page, You. Shall. Bow to him.

Famous Image Finally Credited

One of the most famous pictures from the Iranian descent into hell. Finally the photographer who took it gets credit. The story of its making is chilling.

"It was transmitted to us with no name," says Larry DeSantis, the UPI managing editor who received the photo 11 stories above 42nd Street. "Not knowing who made it interested me."

At about 3 p.m., several armed agents from the Islamic Revolutionary Council arrived at Ettela'at, ascended four flights and entered the office of the editor, Mr. Heydari. They asked for the negative of the photo and asked to speak with the photo editor, Mr. Heydari recalls.

Mr. Heydari refused. "I said, 'No. I am the editor. I take full responsibility.' " Mr. Heydari says he told the men: "If I am arrested, the negative consequences will outweigh the effect of this photo."

adef

You like lighting?

Really, really like lighting? Tim Tadder does. And he does it nicely, very nicely. This is one sweet set of images. Take a look at each and try to figure out how it was done. Hey Tim, nice stuff!
UPDATE: Guess a link may help share the lighting goodness.

Sunday Morning Tunes

Diana starts it out...

Next up,the amazing Eva Cassidy. What a talent she was. What a loss to lose her so soon.
Now we have the incomparable Sara Brightman.

Finally we close the concert with Donna Summer. Damn.
See you next weekend for the concert.

Aaahhh.....

Just as I expected. As a musician for most of my life, I knew this was what was happening, now I can show my kids what I am talking about.

JPG Magazine

Combining the dead-tree world with online social networking. Seems like a pretty cool idea. Members post images, vote on the images they like and the best of the cut make it to the printed magazine. (I have seen them at LuLu, and the one I purchased was very well done.)

You can join, see - and download - past issues at their site. This will spark other ideas in the mixing of traditional and new technology. Visit JPG Magazine here.

Not Really about Photography that has, you know, any merit at all.

... but it does make you wonder, doesn't it? As a father of three girls, I find it remarkably destructive, But, hey, what do I know, I am just a member of the public... you know, the ones that the news and entertainment people think are stupid and unworthy of opinion.

For far, far too long, America has gazed upon the specter of vaginofascism with indifference. We saw Lindsay Lohan's--and did nothing. We saw Paris Hilton's --and did nothing. Who will next unleash pantiless destruction upon a complacent America?

Monetize Your Blog or Site

If you are a blogger, or site owner, seeking to make a little money from your site, check out this cool little widget from Mighty Imaging. They call it "Mighty Big Prints" and you can make some money from sending people looking to make big prints to their site. Working like lots of affiliates, you sign up and they give you a bit of code to append to the link you use. This will let them track the sales that come from your site. Commissions run at 10%, and are paid monthly.

If you are interested, check out the site at Mighty Imaging, or go directly to the Mighty Big Prints widget.