Word on the Street, Ironic Crimefighter Edition

I don't know if the "OMG" is on purpose or an accident.

Word on the Street, Eponymous Edition

Since moving to San Francisco, I've been photographing any etched messages I find on the sidewalk. I've called the series Word on the Street.

This was on Divisadero. I hadn't seen it before Sunday night, though I've walked over it before.

Time to Talk About the Birds and the ... Birds

No wonder tickets to the Zoo are so expensive.

Have Your People Call My People

The thing about Zoo photographs (beyond being completely unnatural, unsporting and often sad ... if you really think about it) is that the backgrounds are often ridiculously artificial. I think, from a technique standpoint it makes sense to approach these kind of shots backwards: background first.

The other tough thing: getting model releases signed.

Above: Saturday at the San Francisco Zoo.

Actually

In case you haven't realized it, I'm in San Francisco, blogging at:

San Francisco Portraits & Documentary Photography

There will be more posts here once I sort out the role of each blog.

Only in Threes

Three seagulls perch at the San Francisco Zoo, Saturday, January 8, 2011. While free to come and go, the birds seem to choose a steady diet of dropped French Fries over what they can find at the nearby shoreline.

Invisible Microphone

Above: at the San Francisco Zoo, just moments before this post.

Catchlight

Above: A young gorilla pauses play while an older gorilla looks on at the San Francisco Zoo, Saturday, January 8, 2011.

Word on the Street, No Words Needed Edition

Found on Fillmore, Thursday evening.

Word on the Street, Self-Referential Edition

I assume someone took the time to stuff the bits of plant into the letters, but maybe instead someone tried to sweep the street and left this behind. I can't say for sure.

A Second Try

Another day, another attempt to get a decent rainboots shot.

Whether

Above: A runner passes a puddle in the Marina District, Thursday, January 6, 2011. This winter San Francisco has lived up to its reputation for rapidly changing weather.

Sketching

Above: Rainboots in the Marc by Marc Jacobs window, Fillmore Avenue, San Francisco, January 5, 2011.

Followup to "Storyesque"

December 27th I was visiting LACMA when by chance I met a pair of interesting characters. I snapped a few shots using a "feature" approach (as in something that's of interest on its own merits rather than as a current event, as opposed to "news") and showed a few of those photographs in this post: Storyesque.

Now, I'm posting one more. Why? It looks very much like the earlier shots. Is it a more interesting photo? No.

It's a frame from a video clip. At the size used online, and under the shooting conditions present it is just about identical to the look of the still images I shot.

A few key points:

The original still photos are 4,300 pixels wide. So, if you wanted to make a print at 300 pixels per inch,  you could make a 14.3 inch print (a little smaller if you've done any cropping).

The video capture is 1,920 pixels wide. So, to print at 300 pixels per inch would result in a 6.4 inch print. (Printing at 200 pixels per inch would create a 9.6 inch print.) So, just based on pixels you end up with a still that is quite usable online or for a newspaper page (often thought of as 150 pixels per inch -- meaning a 12.8 inch print should work) but maybe just enough for book pages and probably not enough to make a good exhibition print for a museum wall.

For video that looks good, you'll likely shoot at a shutter speed of 1/50th of a second (I'll address why another time) which means there's not a lot of possibility of freezing fast motion or keeping every frame sharp. If I had selected a few frames earlier or later the look would be a little softer.

More on this soon...

Word on the Street, Double Feature Edition

One of the things I'm not sure photographers fully appreciate yet about micro four thirds format cameras like the Panasonic GH1 and Panasonic GH2 is that you can essentially work with a 100% viewfinder. If you see it, that's exactly how it will appear in the final image. That makes working with edges much easier, really. If you want a crack in the street exactly at the bottom of the frame, just compose it in the viewfinder as you like.

Above: two snaps north of Fillmore Street today.

Photography in the News, No Pictures Please Edition

I watched Smash His Camera last night, so I blame Ron Galella for this:

Banned at Birth: Maryland Hospital Bars Delivery Room Pictures and Video

'Shifler, who works as a photographer, feels like the ban on picture taking encroaches upon her family's rights. Many of her children have been in the delivery room as their new sibling was added to the family, snapping pictures of their new brother or sister.

'They've gotten beautiful pictures and they've loved every second of it," Shifler said. "How can you tell someone you can't take a picture of your own child?" she said.'

Punctum

Generally, I know why I like one picture and not another. Now and then, however, I find an image I keep coming back to ... but can't quite define the attraction or significance.

Above: At the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, Friday, December 31, 2010.

On Space

I'm not actually 500 pounds with little teensy feet and hands the size of basketballs. Sometimes photographs distort the world.

Actually: all the time.

Above: A self-portrait made at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, Friday, December 31, 2010.

Upland Highland Regiment

As we were preparing to return to the Bay Area, the city of Upland decided to throw a surprise parade for us. Actually, if your television is on the Rose Parade broadcast right now, you just saw this group go past.

Above: Upland Highland Regiment marching band and drill team prepare for the Rose Parade, San Antonio Avenue, Upland, California, Thursday, December 30, 2010.

Word on the Street (2011 Edition)

Technically, not a word, but still... it counts.