Missing the Deadline

Considering the time of day and the fact that I need to pack for a trip, it's looking less and less likely that I'm going to take/post a photo tonight.

I spent almost the entire day working on export documents for our legal department. How would you illustrate that anyway?

Although I haven't taken any pictures, I have spent plenty of time thinking about photography today. We've formed a coterie of would-be photographers at work who exchange tips in the hallway about things like step-down filters, 430EX vs. 580EX flashes, and remote shutter activation. A few of us enrolled in a composition seminar in a few weeks. Perhaps you'll see improvement in May's postings!

Good Books and Bad: An Update on The List

It's been a while since I've posted an update on my efforts on The List. I'm not making a concerted effort anymore to read books that other people think I "should have" read, but I do try to throw one in to the mix every now and then. On the original list, I've improved my score from 9 to 32 of the "best" novels ever. My best score (69 out of 100) is currently on the list with admittedly less caché than the Modern Library.

My recent favorites from The List have been surprising. Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead was much better than I'd been led to expect by fellow college students who were forced to read it for literature classes. The starkly beautiful descriptions of the modernist buildings that Howard Roark poured his soul into, his strict code of unconventional ethics, and his antagonistic but passionate love affair...they all captivated me, and I was sorry to see the novel end after 800+ pages.

The other book that fascinated me was Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Although I've read several novels set in Africa, they've been written by American or European authors as an outsider looking in. This novel is written by a Nigerian, which leads to wonderful perspective shift as the author touches on gender and familial relationships, Nigerian folk tales, power dynamics, and religion. Everything seems completely natural and foreign at the same time.

The Washington Post recently carried a review of a book that will probably not go on my "must read" list. I followed the link from an acquaintance, who thought it sounded fascinating. And the plot was - it's the true story of an 18th century heiress who was tricked into marrying someone who then beat and abused her. She did the unthinkable (for the times) and divorced him.

Initially I was gripped by the drama described in the review, but I soon became distracted by the number of quotes used in the review to describe the plot and the characters. Maybe the reviewer was poking subtle fun at the author by including these trite-sounding phrases. Here's a sample paragraph from the review:

The fabulously wealthy 27-year-old widow was so moved by this act of gallantry that she rushed to the wounded soldier's bedside. Full of emotion, she acquiesced in "her dying hero's request: to marry him before he expired." After all, "what harm could possibly ensue from marrying a poor dying soldier who would shortly make her a widow again?" So married they were two days later, in St. James's Church, Piccadilly, with Stoney being carried in on his "makeshift bed." Mary, who had spent the night before "naked and alone" with her lover George Gray, was startled to note that once the vows were spoken, Stoney made a "rapid recovery" and appeared at the "jubilant levee in his lodgings the following morning" in "a new scarlet uniform."

As I continued to read, however, I began to suspect that the reviewer (I'm deliberately not using his name - look it up if you want) was relying on the quotes to avoid doing his own writing. The clincher was when I read this (by the reviewer, not the author): "His real name, though, was Satan. He was a monster." I don't expect to buy books by either writer.

Knowing that I intended to write about books today, I pulled out the macro filters, my tripod, and both my OED and Webster's for the first photo. I used them again on my way out the door, on one of the white crocuses that popped up the other day. With the macro filters, there's really not much in the picture that ends up on focus. Using "focus stacking," I could increase the depth of field to show more parts in focus, but I don't have the right software for that. Maybe someday.

Reflections

I love the brilliant colors of this candy machine in my mechanic's waiting room! They have a nice setup - free waters and sodas (even apple cider on good days), internet, and Andy at the desk who kept offering to send a few big mechanics to sit on either side of me to warm me up now that the temperature has plummeted again. (It sounds sleazy, but it wasn't.) This is the same guy who gave me advice recently when I called from the road, worried that the lack of power to my cigarette lighter meant my car was about to putter to a halt by the side of the road. (It was just a blown fuse, easily fixed the next day by my dad.)

My car inspection was the social highlight of my day, which started with a 6AM call that was rescheduled to 7AM and ended with another meeting at 11PM. Who decided this globalization stuff was a good idea? Clearly someone who thrives on four hours of sleep a night.

Despite the busy day, I still managed to take few photos. I was frustrated by the reflections in the first one and started puzzling over the solution. A circular polarizing filter (sitting in the bag at home)? Photoshop?

Since I don't have an extra couple hundred dollars to go back to the mechanic anytime soon, I snapped another reflection photo that I can more easily reproduce at the later date with the filter.

At first this was intended as just another reflection photo, but then I read the poster. An Indian/Asian grocery store's going in near my house! Hopefully it will be a good substitute for my dearly departed Whole Foods!

Daylight Savings

It was pitch black when I woke up this morning, thanks to Daylight Savings Time. I'm looking forward to this evening, when perhaps there will still be some light on my drive home (which will hopefully be top down, if this morning was any indication!).

When I walked out the door, I saw that a bunch of white crocuses are coming out. Amazing the difference just 24 hours makes! I decided to make them the subject of today's photo, but it was tough since it was still dark out. The tripod wasn't much use at 2 inches from the ground, so I decided to try for a deliberately blurry, artsy look.

If I'd had more time, I'd try to redo it without the sidewalk in the background, but...

Project 365

I always intend to post to this blog more often, but it's often hard to find the time, the motivation, and something "worth saying" (my biggest hurdle!). I got new inspiration today that addresses at least the second concern.

I attended part of a nature photography expo hosted by local photography clubs. I couldn't imagine devoting Friday evening through late Sunday afternoon to the same activity, but in retrospect, I should have.

The lectures left me wanting to run out and put new principles into practice, but there were barely 30 minutes between lectures, not much time to wander the gardens where the expo was hosted. And there were so many other things to do! I left a trail of drool through the vendor exhibits - macro lenses! sharpening software! exotic tours led by professional photographers! I spent an hour analyzing the members' exhibit, trying to figure out what made each photo work. Although I was tempted to buy several stunning shots, I was equally motivated to try to recreate them.

It was a packed day, but I still wanted more! Surfing the web after I came home, I found something called Project 365. The idea is to take and post one photo per day for a year. Members of the group on Flickr provide each other with positive feedback, encouragement, and ideas for the next day's subject.

I don't have the discipline to do this for an entire year, but I'd like to try it for a bit to see how the blog and photos will inspire one another. If nothing else, I'll have a brief record of my daily life for a week or so. (Perhaps you should prepare yourself now for a lot of office shots.) Today's first shot is a patch of snowdrops from the grounds of the gardens that hosted the photo expo. The second photo is from my yard, the first crocuses poking up to say hello to the recent warm weather.

Man on Wire, redux

Man on Wire is one of those movies that has stuck with me long after watching (see my previous post). The movie and its principal character, Philippe Petit, crop up everywhere. I heard Petit a few weeks ago as a guest on a segment of NPR's quiz show, "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!" This morning I heard him in an interview (I even recognized his voice) about his wire-walking. He calls his wire-walking "writing in the sky" and compares it to poetry.

His last big stunt was between two building in NYC for the David Letterman show in 2002. Asked whether he (at the age of 60 now) had retired, he said he'd stop walking in the air when he was no longer able to walk on the ground. 2009 minus 2002... Hmm.

Apparently I'm not the only one who finds herself fascinated by this brash, arrogant, irrepressible man. His film was awarded Best Documentary by the Academy a few weeks ago.

Standards of Service

Recently, I received services from someone who did a decidedly substandard job. He was rude and acted like he was doing us a big favor by performing his basic job functions. He neglected us and refused to meet our basic biological needs. Nevertheless, I tipped slightly over the recommended amount. My friend, equally annoyed, topped my tip by 30%.

This friend consistently tips more than I do, making me feel cheap even when I tip well according to American standards. I've never talked to her about it, but perhaps her philosophy is that she has it and they probably need it, so why not be generous?

That makes the money a charity rather than a tip, in my mind. (Note: This is not intended as a criticism of said friend.) My philosophy is that a tip is a "thank you" for a service provided. I start with what I think is a healthy tip for an adequate job and then adjust based on whether the person added or detracted from my experience.

I reward effort: musicians, jugglers, the "bushman" at Fisherman's Wharf. A recent friendly waitress ("waitron" in South Africa) approached a friend and me outside the restaurant, answered questions about the menu, and then proceeded to do everything in her power to make our dining experience a pleasant one. She went above and beyond, so not only did we give her a generous tip, but we sang her praises to the manager before we left. It was without a doubt the best dining experience of my month-long vacation. That's effort that should be rewarded.

My acts of charity are less ambiguous. I donate to organizations, or I donate my time. I liked the attitude of a recent tour guide. Confronted by several beggar boys at a petrol stop, he refused to hand out change. "Next time I come through, you wash my windows or carry groceries, and I'll pay you." His rationale was that if he gave them money for nothing, what's their incentive to ever do more than panhandle?