Underwater through the Sunshine

I tend to like all the seasons for different reasons, but since summer is on it's way I thought I'd talk about underwater photography.  I think it's really cool, and wish I could do it, but I'm thinking it's kind of tricky..

I see underwater photos as being cheery, happy, energetic, or on the other hand eerie, creepy and mysterious. 

I prefer the energetic type but the 'darker' underwater photography interests me too because I enjoy the sense of mystery.  I like watching crime shows, trying to figure out what's going on.  So the mystery makes me think about what could have been going on, create a story behind the image, or what the intent of the picture is.

Underwater photos continually make me wonder.  I think it's mostly because I'm always trying to figure out how in the world the photographer got the shot they did. 
 

Here are some awesome (in my opinion) eerie underwater photographs.  (Links 1-4)

1

2   (I think this one's got a pretty adventurous tone as well)

3

4

& here are the rest of the photographs I found to be awesome. (Links 5-14)

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6

7

8   (There are multiple photos in this link)

9   (This isn't exactly underwater but I liked it)

10

11

12

13

14

Facebook .

Awhile back I came across an interesting video telling me about some of the statistics on Facebook.  Not only was it really interesting, but it was actually up to date for 2011.

So below is the first video I found for you to watch :

 

There is also an infographic with the same information if you'd prefer to read it :

Facebook Infographic Here

& I also found this recent Facebook informational video:

Facebook Infographic 2011 from Natalie Suthons on Vimeo.

I think it's crazy how Facebook can become so addicting to people sometimes.  

I also think it's crazy how children have Facebook accounts that their parents have made for them.  I mean, when I was eight years old I wasn't networking online, I was playing outside or with friends.  And get this.. the friends I was playing with weren't through cyberspace over 'internet checkers' they were real life kids - got a ride to my house and played with me IN PERSON, face to face.   I know, I know, times are changing, but children should just stay kids, free. 

Facebook has really changed the world we live in.  

It's changed how people view others, how people get jobs, how we communicate and many many other things.

B&W vs COLOUR

Before the time of colour photography, black and white was all you got.  Everything in photographs was seen through a monochrome (Consisting of or displaying images in black and white or in varying tones of only one color.) eye.

Nowadays photographers have the option to shoot in colour or in monochrome, whether it be good old black and white or versions of monochrome (like having a green tint or blue tint, etc etc).  Photographers can shoot in monochrome right in their camera or change the photograph in post processing later on into black and white.  (aka taking your colour photograph and clicking the turn this into black and white button on editing software)

Most photographers generate their own personal style as they go along.  As they gain experience they learn what they like to shoot, how they like to shoot, and whether or not they like to shoot in monochrome, colour or both.

Sometimes colour can be distracting.  Like a photograph with something red in the focus area.  Red is a very dominant hue and if the red is not where you want the real focus of the picture to be, then you have an issue.  Where as if you turn that same photo with the distracting red into black and white, the focus is no longer on the red.  It's now on the subject matter and contrast, more of the mood will shine through.  If you do want red to be a main focus in your picture then keep it in colour by all means, but if it's distracting, you can change it over.

When dealing with contrast in a photograph black and white can give one the best effect.  I'd say this is because the viewer is not so distracted by the colours, they're now looking at the subject and lighting in more depth.  I think the contrast plays a larger role when no colour is apparent.

Black and white photography can sometimes come across more dramatic because again without the colour to distract you the viewer is simply looking at the subject and what the photograph is saying to you.

There are no rules that say you cannot use colour in certain situations or vice versa with black and white.  It's just what looks more pleasing to the eye in the end.  Every photographer has a different opinion on things, as do the viewers.

Here's a list of links (1-10) of monochrome photographs I like:

1 

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Here's a list of links (1-10) of colour photographs I like:

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Architectural Photography

Architectural photography might seem boring at first.  Straight lines, walls, buildings, metal, and many other things you see in buildings these days.  However, if the photographer uses design techniques like the use of line, perspective, and vanishing points, among many other things in an interesting way, the composition of the photos can become intriguing and mysterious.  That's my take on it.  You personally may find a picture has a happy tone, whereas someone else sees it as mysterious and dark.  It all depends on each persons unique opinion and take on things.

I think because the composition of architectural photography is mostly made up of harsh lines and geometric shapes the colour or lack there of is very important in how the end product looks. 

*HERE* you can see a picture of two buildings in colour.  *HERE* you can see a similar picture of (I'm pretty sure) the same two buildings in monochrome.  The first coloured photograph seems more lively and exciting to me.  The second monochrome photograph, while still very good, seems to me to be more blah and less exciting compared to the first.  However, in many cases monochrome can make a photograph look better and more intriguing, in this case it worked the opposite.  For example, sometimes there are pictures with so much colour it's overwhelming, and monochrome simples the focus points and cleans it up.  However, a lot of colour is not always a bad thing because there are pictures out there with every colour of the rainbow and they look fantastic. 

I think that not only does the composition play a key role in how great a picture is, but the actual subject matter does to.  Although, don't take that as me saying that you can't photograph a boring piece of wood and not have it turn out great.  Because you can.  It's the role of subject matter and composition and how you portray your idea through your image.

So I'm pretty much saying that you can do anything in photographs.  You just have to think about it as a piece on it's own, and bend the 'rules' to make it look its very own personal best.  Because as we know, not all rules work for everyone.  I think knowing and learning how to take great pictures comes from experience.  I'm just guessing here, but I'd say that the best photographers around the world love what they do.  They come up with new ideas for shoots because they love it and it's fun for them.  They know when to use what and how to think out of the box.  I'd say they've practiced endlessly and gained know how that you can't learn from a book.   

Below is a list of links (1-11) that take you to some of my favourite architectural photography examples:

1

 2 

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

&

11

 

Photographer: Alisdair Miller

 

r e f l e c t i o n s

Reflections are all around us, everywhere we go.  Sometimes they may be less obvious and sometimes they really pop out at us.

Reflections bounce off of glass, cars, water, etc etc ... there's an endless list of things that reflect light to create the image we see.

Sometimes reflections get distorted and sometimes things are crystal clear.  Just like our own vision.  Sometimes we see things from our point of view and sometimes we try to see things from others points of view.  No matter how hard we try though, we always have a bit of distortion in our own vision of something.  I think the way we see things is reflected from our past.  I think our views are reflections of what we've experienced and what we know.  Or maybe it's what we don't know that effects our vision; so we become curious about things and create these great visions of what we want to have or what we want to happen or be.  We might even candy coat things.

Either way -distorted or clear- our eyes see things and interpret them, we look at something and decide what we want to think about it.  Our first impressions are important and lasting, but once you look into things you learn what's really going on.  Just like if you were to look around on a rainy day you'd see reflections of everything in puddles, or raindrops or even the wet streets.  It depends how hard you're trying.  When you walk down the sidewalk on a hot sunny day, with no rain in sight, there are still reflections...they're just harder to see.  I think it could be directly related to how if we look into things in a more caring manner we'd see things that are sometimes forgotten but still important. 

These are some reflection photographs that I personally like: 

Marc Benslahdine ->      www.flickr.com/photos/tripax/5223733307/

Jueno ->    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jueno/3573685222/in/faves-melinwonderland/

Postsumptio  ->      www.flickr.com/photos/postsumptio/4150025738/

Carlos Henrique Reinesch

 

http://yowayowacamera.com/banana/20110101010028.html

http://fuckyeahpink.tumblr.com/

 http://mint-chick.soup.io/

Kimicon ->        http://www.flickr.com/photos/citronnade/1183034088/in/faves-marshmallow1234/

http://kimkiins.tumblr.com/

http://abcdefuckghi.tumblr.com/post/1677469131

3D Video Projections

NuFormer is a company from the Netherlands that creates super sized 3D video projections that show on the sides or fronts of buildings, and more recently indoors on large surfaces like large boxes (there is a video of this here). 

Their work is used for advertising or for entertainment and they're really amazing to watch, especially if you were to watch one in person.

If I ever had the chance to see one of the projections live I would definitely go because I think they're really captivating and impressive.  It's kind of like they take you into another world, in the California video that's posted below the viewer is taken through a visual of many places like the safari, and big city subways, things that usually don't go together well. 

I've only embedded my favourite projection videos in this post, but there are many other videos and projections on their YouTube and Vimeo video channels.  

This is a video showing some of the different kinds of things they can do with the 3D projection:

This is a NuFormer projection for BMW, it was shown over two different buildings :

This is my personal favourite projection, it was done in California, USA : 

Little Things

Why is it that the things we normally can't see or do are soooo interesting to us when we finally get the chance to see or try them?

Maybe it's because we've built up this ongoing anticipation of what something might be like, or how it may look in the end.  We've endlessly wondered, we've imagined all the awesome possibilities of what it could be.

One of my favourite types of photography is macro photography, (really close-up on things).

Like macro, showing you the fine details in something the naked eye normally wouldn't see, I think slow motion films are pretty cool... as long as they're not too slow and end up being boring to watch!

Below is a slow motion film that I thought was pretty good, it made me smile at least.

Locked in a Vegas Hotel Room with a Phantom Flex from Tom Guilmette on Vimeo.

Here are some close-up shots that I like:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/joits

 http://dizzyroad.tumblr.com/

Picture Source 

Picture Source
 

  http://maars01.tumblr.com/
 

http://lefashionglamour.tumblr.com/

When you look at something up close, it's like a whole 'nother world.   It's like you get to see all the little things you never even knew existed.  

Kind of like learning about people.  You see someone and you think about what they're like, but you don't know about all the fine little details that make them up as a person until you get to know them.  It's like seeing the inside story, getting the background behind the person. 

When we see someone and we wonder why they act the way they do, we can only come to conclusions based on the actions they are taking now, unless we do indeed know them well.  If we know this person well then we may be able to understand their situation, understand why they are who they are.  However, if not, we're simply making judgments we're not qualified to make (by qualified I mean if you know the person really well; you're best friends or something similar, maybe siblings.  Then I'd say you can call them out (kindly) on the things they do wrong, as long as you're saying it through loving words).

The fine details in life are all important in the final make up of who/what we are today.