The Coffee House

[limr36 6]

Aw, sweet silly pup!

I know Buzz doesn't want a dog, but if I already have a zoo, what's a couple of dogs? Someone has to guard the bunnies and guinea pigs!

 

[bribrius]

Here is one that I know nothing about. Says it's free, but I only viewed the first page, so let me know if it's any good.

Free online Course on Art Appreciation Basics - Open Learning World.com

thanks. Really helpful. And it says I don't even have to like art just learn how to bullshit it better!

The nice thing about learning about "art" (and notice that it is not "ART"), is that it teaches one to see in a deeper way, the relationships between light and dark, between texture and form, between tone and depth. It allows us to see the medium as a way of framing the content. It allows us to ask about the artist's intent, and even perhaps a comment on the culture from which that art emerged.

My wife teaches art to people ranging from 2-3 years to teenagers, to middle-aged, to seniors. With each group, she tries to get them to notice something they haven't paid attention to before. Today, she did a workshop for a group with emotional difficulties (depression, anxiety, etc.), and she took them through exercises which calm and relax, then got them to explore the boundaries. Negative spaces, the shadows, the tone transition from light to dark... are places where the eye can learn to see deeper.

Art is about opening the eye, the heart, and the mind.

life interests me. How people live it. whether they are pounding a sledgehammer or sitting in a cubicle, kids single. Working three jobs to make ends meet or just one. The sun shining over the hill or the clouds reaching down in rain. Whatever it is right then and whoever I am looking at. I have some photos of streets, cars going by. I wonder of each person and where they might be going. The drastics of the new born baby to the dying of old age not so much, but everything in between. The looks on peoples faces I wonder how they see the world more than I wonder how I see it. couple photos of kids in innocence on here yesterday, one I think was a beach photo, I liked that a reminder of the simpler and untattered. Then you might have people who appear beaten by life. you wonder what they have seen. But it isn't a drama thing and very real. some people try to make things seem better than they were, or more than they were. Glorify it or romanticize it. I might be more of a study of how they actually are.

And everyday life I just find a endless study. The humdrum of it. The smiles and sun but the grit and darkness too and mostly the grey. Mostly it is grey.. Course I am into these old historic photographs, graveyard photos, that kind of thing but still have young kids myself so my mind crosses a great spectrum along these lines. Anyway, I bummed a cigarette off a guy last week. I had run out. lit the cigarette and started talking to him. Turns out he was standing there because his wife was inside the building in hospice care dying. They expected she only had a few more days to live. But it wasn't dramatic, or processed, it wasn't some impressionistic, or someones communication of whatever inane b.s. concept they had. it was just very dry, very real, and very unromantic. We spoke for probably fifteen minutes and I carried on my way. He was very accepting of the fact of what had been happening, or at least appeared so. Just like that. Few moments in time? But that is how I see things. It has its happy and sad moments, but mostly it is just very real and constantly going. Not clean, or neat, pretty or usually organized. Life is something else. Isn't that what life is? And isn't it amazing, just how it is? The realness I don't avoid. I absorb it. I think about that as I was just looking at a photo I took of a street with people and cars going down it, church in background. What is the subject? I dunno. I think it is just life. I might fall into the realism category of the art world, least as far as train of thought.

 

[pgriz]

Some think they are writing the script of their life, others seem to be acting out a script of other's making. We have the illusion of purpose and control, until unforeseen events reveal the randomness of it all. So much of what we perceive as reality, is actually us seeing things through a lens of our prejudices, ignorance, and lack of awareness, and coloured by whatever ideology we happen to believe in. A "crazy" person is perfectly logical within the framework of their own thinking. It is probably healthier to be suspicious of one's own certainties, and to check the solidity of the bedrock on which we build our house of beliefs.

Bribrius, you seem to have the knack of seeing beyond the superficial surfaces that we all construct around us. Life is not, as you've pointed out, either very organized, or very pretty. It's probably better than a random walk, but certainly not as clear or certain as a straight path. Seeing life without its "spin" of what we think life is, is not an ability that many have. Hone it. It may be good to see it in its unvarnished form. I think you can show us some of that through your images.

 

[Derrel]

[View attachment 89579

At least you've got a Nikon...

 

[Designer]

Some think they are writing the script of their life, others seem to be acting out a script of other's making. We have the illusion of purpose and control, until unforeseen events reveal the randomness of it all. So much of what we perceive as reality, is actually us seeing things through a lens of our prejudices, ignorance, and lack of awareness, and coloured by whatever ideology we happen to believe in. A "crazy" person is perfectly logical within the framework of their own thinking. It is probably healthier to be suspicious of one's own certainties, and to check the solidity of the bedrock on which we build our house of beliefs.

Bribrius, you seem to have the knack of seeing beyond the superficial surfaces that we all construct around us. Life is not, as you've pointed out, either very organized, or very pretty. It's probably better than a random walk, but certainly not as clear or certain as a straight path. Seeing life without its "spin" of what we think life is, is not an ability that many have. Hone it. It may be good to see it in its unvarnished form. I think you can show us some of that through your images.

That's heavy, man.

 

[bribrius]

][/QUOTE]

At least you've got a Nikon...[/QUOTE]
I heard it is what all the nutcases have. So I bought two. some people on this site have three or four or more!

 

[limr36 6]

A quick hello, Coffee Housers!

Heh...I almost wrote 'Hosers.' You hosers.

It's 20F this morning and I have to find my warmer coats. I've only needed my faux pea coat up until now.

I think I might be one of the only ones who isn't depressed by this.

And now I have to go get ready for work. Just a hit-and-run good morning, though I'm heading towards my admin job, which means I'll mostly likely be stalking TPF again in an hour or so

 

[KenC]

"Hosers" - anyone would wear it proudly.

I don't know about you, but I needed the heavy coat yesterday. It wasn't quite as cold in the morning, but the wind chill was unpleasant. One of those days where it feels colder at lunch when it's actually the same temp as in the morning, but your brain was expecting it to be a little warmer.

 

[bribrius]

Photography and Realism
interesting read. I am tempted to side with Campbell and plato and argue that the less subjective photography is toward being a art the more realistic it is. However I also noticed the author apparently contradicts himself by first suggesting objective over subjective in realism but then suggesting emotional or subjective influence of the photographer increases the realism in a photo. I also wonder why he chooses such extreme examples of war time.
Nothing great but food for thought.

yeah, I woke up it was about twenty degrees too. Put one of the kids on the school bus. winter almost seems to be here doesn't it.

 

[Gary A.]

Buenos Dias Coffee Housers. It is 52F right now. The warm coffee cup feels good against my hands. Tastes pretty good too. Supposed to get up to 72F today ... so a long sleeve shirt. Last week I shot a play for the high school I get volunteered. The last few months I haven't been shooting much. At the beginning of the event I felt very awkward, not confident of which lens to use or where I should be. After an hour or so I sorta out back into the groove, but it hard ... I had to really think about what I was doing. Typically, it is somewhat semi-automatic. I just sorta start shooting and I see all these 'previsualized' shots and I react accordingly. But this time it took a while for my previsualization to warm up.

So who wants to go shooting?

Gary

 

[Designer]

Wind is up, so I zipped my jacket to my neck this morning. Doggie took care to stop at least 4 times, so she's good for a while. I need to test my INR this morning, as usual on Wednesdays. Yesterday was the first day in 12 days that I didn't feel something begin to tear apart in my abdomen. I have an appointment with the sturgeon on Friday. He'll no doubt tell me that I really haven't been tearing anything loose down there, and it's all in my imagination. But I DO feel better! (cue the Doc McStuffins song) So I guess that means I get to resume my remodeling project soon.

My son has been on the "road" for a month. Mostly Europe and Asia. He'll start planning our Thanksgiving when he gets home.

 

[Designer]

So who wants to go shooting?

I DO, I DO! ME, ME, Pick Me!!!!

Or did you mean photography? Well, either way.

Say, was it you who was considering a drive South into the desert? Rick50 reminded me of a cool drive East from San Diego through Julian, and into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Imperial Valley is right there too. This is the time to go, or maybe around March to get the best colors.

 

[KenC]

I always have trouble with essays on photography written by non-photographers. He defines something called "fantastic photography" (a term I've never seen) and states that it started in the 1960's. However, according to his definition it existed long before that, as photographers have been experimenting with perception and reality as long as photography has existed. I find it more useful to just read about art in general, which generally means reading about painting. You have to throw out some of it that obviously doesn't apply, at least to most photography, but the principles of art are the same, imo, whatever it is you're putting in a frame.

Some of the photographers on the other hand, seem to be unaware of anything else and have made up all kinds of "rules" which don't really apply a good deal of the time, just creating confusion among beginners.

 

[Gary A.]

Weather doesn't mentally affect me. I get cold easily, but I have this 'it is what it is' mentality. I do what I can, as in I dress appropriately, then go out and do what do I have to do. I've worked above the Arctic Circle, in the hottest deserts on Earth and steamy rain forests and the weather doesn't really bother me.

 

[Gary A.]

So who wants to go shooting?

I DO, I DO! ME, ME, Pick Me!!!!

Or did you mean photography? Well, either way.

Say, was it you who was considering a drive South into the desert? Rick50 reminded me of a cool drive East from San Diego through Julian, and into Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The Imperial Valley is right there too. This is the time to go, or maybe around March to get the best colors.

Yep, it was Rick who reminded me of Anza-Borrego area. I'm not a landscape shooter, but I'm willing to try. Just say when and I'll be there. I hope you're willing to teach me some stuff on landscapes.

Gary