Long time readers may be wondering where my longstanding banner has gone. Can't even remember it? Here you go...
This was originally a "challenge" on a message board I belong to from Tony Bridge, the essay it is from is about panorama, the wider discussion was about landscape photography:-
"For the last couple of years I have given my students an assignment using the panorama as their format. They have to create a narrative about their life and self-perception. What makes it a little trickier is that they have to appear in it at least 3 times, each time doing something different. They can make it as long as they like, that is, choose the amount of time they will incorporate. Thus they become the actors in their own story. Unlike the conventional panorama, in which the camera is at the focal point of the image, it possible to use multiple viewpoints and still create a panorama.
They shoot it with their digicams, stitch it in Canon Photostitch, and print it across multiple pages. They then join and mount the images. The results can be amazing. They are part movie, part still. They break the boundaries of what constitutes a still image. Some, of course, do not go that far. But they have all begun to get a grip on the concept of narrative in the image, of telling stories.
Why not try it yourself? "
Well how could I resist the challenge to not only have a little fun, but maybe improve my (admittedly rather weak) landscape photography skills? I stuck the camera on the tripod for the day and quite liked the little slice of Fiji life that eventuated (though I am only in it twice). Sadly as I only had photoshop 7 at the time- which doesn't have the sophisticated photomerge of my shiny new PSCS3 -it took quite a while to put it together. But GB didn't like it, as he felt it was unflattering to him. Actually he has just got back from a funeral and has just taken off his black tie. Those of you outside Fiji may be startled to see he is wearing a skirt- this is the sulu vakatana- the Fijian equivalent of a business suit. Note also the other little Fiji idiosyncrasies (ok its pretty small, so maybe only if you have good eyes or imagination) -our nurse Militia Bau with bare feet (AK is home with ear ache), and the kids coming home from school with their good school shirts stuffed in their bags (it's too cold to do that in Dunedin)....
GB agreed that I could put it up as a banner, but only for a week. But guess who doesn't read my blog!! Regular readers will attest that it's been there at least a year now... Sadly last week GB attended BFTE- a big tourism show, and one of his colleagues (who can remain unnamed but could possibly be "bosso" here) teased him about the image of him slobbed out on the couch, blowing my cover and resulting in a rushed banner change.
So yes, I think the current banner is a little lame. I tried to zoosh (how do you spell that? you know, the word that means "make more flash eh") with a bit of a texture-y yellow-y through the lens sort of effect, but then I read that clear blue will come back in, and although I have wonderful intentions of putting up something better soon you know me... (well friends and family certainly do)...
But I did feel a bit better about my new banner, well a bit better in general after reading Wilson's analysis of Fiji's new coke can. Very funny, but you must also read all the comments... I mean Coke what were you thinking?
I did really feel bad about having a part of the photography discipline I was so inept at, so last year in an attempt to get better at landscape photography I studied with both Tony and Mike and Jackie of QCCP. Both groups run fantastic courses which are quite different from each other and equally good. And I'm not just saying that to keep everyone on side! When Laureen was here last week we had an abrupt and incredibly low tide. I mean low, I have not in almost 2 1/2 years seen it that low. I have seen the coral sticking out before, but not this much. So we went out to try and get some meaningful landscape shots. I wanted to capture the moodiness of the heavy sky contrasted against the vulnerability of the coral so exposed... yeah right. It kept raining every time I thought it might clear, and I stood out there in the (warm) water with my camera tucked under my t-shirt while Laureen instead was very smart and went off and had a nice lunch instead...
This was the result...
FYI according to the charts which I got Jim at the marine shop to read last wednesday, thursday and friday were 2m tides...
how cool is that?! We had to catch the big boat the long way round to go to netball practice on thursday in town, and to our surprise it couldn't go all the way to the wharf at Mana as it usually does- the tide was too low. I'd never seen that before either. Anyway so here's one more pano...
And at least now I get to use PSCS3 to do my photo merge. Hey maybe I could add some words to balance the little boat trying to shoot out of frame and use this as an emergency banner? Nah, best I start to work on a new one... Better go...
Your photos are certainly superkalafragilisticexpialdotius!
Do you send photos to the travel magazines and write articles? You ought to, really. They are too good for blogs only. Weddings, parties, anything? In Fiji they are keen on videos for weddings, funerals, etc. but the ones made for our family rites of passage are filled with people preparing food or men making speeches, not close-ups and interviews with the main people!
w.
Posted by: wendy | June 13, 2008 at 03:25 PM
so funny meg.
I like the new banner, but I like all you do. :)
Posted by: sageg | June 13, 2008 at 10:26 PM
Thanks Sarah and Wendy! Unfortunately
have no work permit, but i might get onto that this year...
Posted by: meg | June 17, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Gratz on getting photoshop CS3...i heard adobe's coming out with a program specifically geared towards photographers...i think its called Lightbox. Check it out, might be of some use to you ;)
Posted by: Wilson | June 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Lightroom Wilson? It's very cool and really speeds up reviewing and processing. I've got the trial, but it's expired and I can't pay online (because Adobe won't let me!!). I'll buy the full thing next time I'm in NZ...
Wendy: I can work in Aus and NZ of course!!
Posted by: meg | June 20, 2008 at 08:56 AM