Common sense tells us that the things of the earth exist only a little, and that true reality is only in dreams.
Charles Baudelaire

What do Harry Callahan, John Constable, Michael Mckenna and Michelangelo all have in common? I was reminded of this last weekend.

It was a revelation to me some years ago when I attended a week-long workshop with David Hurn, the Magnum photographer. I expected to be given all the secret tips of being a great documentary photographer, along with constructive critiques of my documentary work. Well, I got one of those two. Sort of. (more…)

My friends:

If you have been following the news , you will have watched in horror as the repressive junta in Myanmar inflicts itself on its people and the Buddhist monks who have been peacefully marching to protest the injustices being meted out.

Buddhism is a religion of peace and what is happening the the monks is both criminal and reprehensible.

You may have wondered what can be done about it.

Here is one way.

Follow this link and sign an online petition to protest.

Itis a small thing but one that may make a difference.

With thanks

I was shown a fledgling learning to fly. Its first efforts were very feeble, but as it used its wings more and more, they became stronger until it found the freedom of flight and was able to soar to great heights and fly great distances without any effort. I heard the words: Faith comes with practice. Live by faith until it becomes rocklike, unshakable, and find the true freedom of the Spirit. -Eileen Caddy

For some months now a significant part of my Noticing has revolved around birds. I really cannot say why, other than that it does. Any interest in birds up to this point has been largely academic, mostly token, but for some reason they have taken on a totem status for me. (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

Those of you who come here via my front page may have noticed, somewhere near the bottom of the page, a small map of the world, with red dots on it. For some time I have wondered where you all come from, and where you are located.

Now I know. Clustrmaps logs your IP address and its location and then marks it on the map. It does so an an irregular basis.

If you are from some wild remote place like Gnome, Alaska, I would love to hear about it. Either drop me an email or make a comment, telling a wee bit about yourself and where you live.

For those of you who use it, Adobe PhotoShop Lightroom 1.2 is now available as an update. If you have your app set to check automatically, then it will happen as a matter of course. Apparently it fixes speed issues with writing .xmp data, Vista issues and noise issues with Bayer-array sensors ( read: most everything).

Ka kite ano

Kia ora tatou:

As most of you living in New Zealand know, The NZ government’s new anti-spam laws came into force on September 4. Now it is illegal to send unsolicited emails originating in this country. You have probably been inundated with emails from companies requesting that you confirm your willingness to continue receiving communications from them.

Those of you who have received email newsletters from me in the past are on my database (which incidentally I will never share). I will continue to post to those people. Itis worth noting that I sometimes include material that does not appear on my blog.

I will not however add anyone unless you either a) sign up using the form on my website or b) send me an email asking to be included.

Signing up is very simple and only takes a couple of minutes. Simply go here and fill in the form. Push submit and voila, you are on the list.

As an aside, the Christchurch Press reports that:

Anti-spam specialists SMX recorded a major spike in traffic, peaking at 1am – one hour after the law came into effect. Spam volumes were up 20 per cent on an average day.

SMX director Jesse Ball said the volume of spam had been “incredible” in the last two weeks.

“It’s been the biggest growth in spam we’ve seen. Everything is building day on day – it’s a huge increase.

“We had a bit of spike towards the end of last year but we’ve absolutely surpassed those volumes.”

Ball said the spike in spam was probably linked with Americans going back to work after their summer holiday. There was a 50% increase in total spam messages in August.

Hmmmm.

O happy soul, whose body has risen from the Earth which you wander and tread on during your sojourn in this world. Made to be the very mirror of Divinity, you have been crowned with divine imagination and intelligence. –Hildegard of Bingen

Kia ora tatou:

In the space of three days, three people who barely know each other drew my attention to the same article, about the same person. It has been said that one thing is an event; two things a coincidence, and that three things constitute a pattern. This post has been welling up inside me for the last few days, demanding to see the light. This article may appear at first to have little to do with photography. I make no apologies for that.

But on reflection it does. (more…)