Slow Photography

"That photo ain't got no punctum*," I told her as we looked at the screen. "Punk dom, l ike a kingdom of punks?" she said, looking skeptical. "No. Punctum." I said, the corners of my mouth sliding upwards. "Yeah, so what is it?" she asked, smiling. I paused. "It's a point in a photo that pricks you  in a visceral, non-verbal way, like a haiku." "Let me explain," I said. "The question is how can you mobilize your photography to create a meaningful image. You want the viewer to look. To do this, we've gotta put meaningful details in the picture." OK, so what's a punctum? A punctum is a small, poignant detail that commands us to keep looking at the photograph, not because we think the detail adds beauty, but because it disturbs us. Punctum come into a scene, we do not necessarily search them out when photographing. In the final frame, a punctum hol...

"I have a Point and Shoot Camera" OK, great. Here are beginner and expert tips. Beginner 1. Stabilize your camera as best you can. For sharp pictures,  put your camera on a stable platform. If you brought a tripod, use it to get the camera rock solid. 2. Choose the wide angle setting of your zoom range.  3. Find your Program Dial or Menu. There may be a mode called Fireworks in your SCN or SCENE Mode options. Choose the Fireworks Mode. This automatically gives you a long time exposure of 2 seconds or longer and sets the ISO automatically. Press the shutter. 4. Avoid touching the camera or tripod once the exposure starts.  Expert  Try to get a Double Finale. If you do not have a tripod, and brace yourself well, then hand-hold your camera. On most cameras, the fireworks mode turns the flash off, sets the focus to infinity, disables the exposure compensation, and lowers the ISO to about 160  "I have a Digital SLR Camera" 1. Star...

Celebrating America this July 4th ~ CLICK ABOVE WHAT : AMERICAN PARADES , a unique eBook, by a visionary photographer, in celebration. WHY: Photography with a purpose, to raise funds for the Cat Island Bahamas High School Computer Lab. Our goal is to fund 4 new computers for the High School students. YOU GET: My eBook American Parades.   Click thru above to the donate page, and a link to download the PDF high quality book. GO: It's easy. Just Click and Donate at least $10.  If you prefer to another form of donation, just phone me at (727) 542. 2566.   AMERICAN PARADES is. . . 77 pages of photos and stories of America's most unique parades. The oldest July 4th parade in America in Bristol Rhode Island. A diverse photographic pilgrimage, 10 years in the making. Inside look at Saint Augustine pirates, crazy Key West, historic Bristol, sunny Fort Myers, and Portuguese wild Provincetown. Downloadable high quality PDF eBook for all plat...

" Time is but the stream I go fishing in.  I drink at it, but while I drink I see the sandy bottom  and detect how shallow it is. It's thin current slides away, but eternity remains. "  ~ Henry David Thoreau AFTER JAMESTOWN: 3 Cities, 3 Ships In Virginia, the surging Elizabeth River unites the three cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth and Chesapeake. The area is called Hampton Roads. For decades, the Elizabeth River has guided vessels and settlers in from the Atlantic. Let's go back in time. In 1607, Captain Christopher Newport his three ships into Hampton Roads to find an opening to reach the "Great Indies." He sailed his ships west, up an unknown river. Later, it was named the James River, for the king. Newport's group settled first in Jamestown. We all know what happened there. A lasting settlement along the Elizabeth River came a few years later. Back to the present. . . Norfolk and Portsmouth today are cities with immense s...

"Good photography is like making love,  it's best not to go too fast,  and to have a good attitude." Jim Austin, Jimages (Saint Mary's Church, Newport Rhode Island) Photography has always been about speed. Today, speed itself seems to be confused with style. The mantra of today's commercial photography is: faster gear makes better images.  I reject this view. I believe photography and digital art should be slow and thoughtful, liberated from time pressure. Attention and intention, not speed, should define photography.  "Every photograph is a battle of form v ersus content." To expand on this Garry Winogrand quote, when we engage the form-content battle, we need time to prepare, get our mental gears ready, and then engage our spirit. This means paying attention to each part of the flow... Every Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/author/28233-Garry_Winogrand A photograph is the illusion of a literal description of h...

    GOOD NATURE Many year ago, when the people we call Paleo-Indians settled in the Great Smoky Mountains, they enjoyed its natural beauty eons before it became a national park. Although they were hunters, these folks also foraged for wild plants. They knew the area intimately.  Today, we can appreciate the visual gifts of the Smoky Mountains, just as intimately, with Slow Photography. To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau: "It's not what you look at that matters, but how slowly you see." 1. "Pollinator" : A one inch long tiger moth pollinates a flowering plant in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the dappled shade, the bright white of the flower was luminous. With flowing rivers, green forests and endless hiking paths, the Great Smokie Mountains area is a good-natured place. Gazing at its timeless mountains, we are all reminded to revere nature's gifts. 2. "Luminous Floater" : a petal floats on a pond.  ...

PRETTIEST TOWN IN THE WORLD On the southwest shore of Nova Scotia, in maritime Canada, there is a town of wooden ships, red buildings, and iron men: Lunenburg. A thriving world heritage site, its tall ships and eye-catching scenery are ideal for slow photography.  Once the busiest shipbuilding town in the world, Lunenburg is “the prettiest town in Canada,” people say. We went to Lunenburg to practice a relaxed, unhurried form of travel photography. I call it Slow Photography. When we try to make interesting travel images, it helps to make images with thought, rather than to rush the process or try to "get everything in." First, find a subject that you want to explore in depth. Then, wait for good light or return to your subject in great light. Next, ask three questions to help you compose, and to find a central idea for your image.   ASK THREE QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU COMPOSE ONE:  “How can I change my approach?” ...