pathways

<p>Right - I will be glad to talk with anyone on my email at johnhwomack@gmail.com about Alexander. "The Nature of Order" is a very large four volume work. Volume One, which I have, is "The Phenomenon of Life", Two is "The Process of Creating LIfe", three is "A Vision of a Living World", Four is "The Luminous Ground". Alexander (73) is from Austria, has a masters in math and bachelors in architecture from Cambridge, PhD from Harvard. Has been professor at Berkley for many years. Has been a leading figure in computer technology, put together the book "A Pattern Language" (an extremely easy to read book) in which he describes how the great cities, villages, buildings throughout the world - mostly in Europe and some in Asia were built in such a way that they "became alive" . This new 4-volume work is an explanation on his part as to why some structures were able to "become alive" - basically, that our modern concept of order is based on the mechanistic philosophy stemming from Descartes, while earlier peoples had a different view of the universe - here is an attempt to go forward from here. I had incorporated the "Pattern Language" into my nature photography classes to help add the dimension of photographing buildings and structures as part of our reportoire. It became hypnotic. Meanwhile, I had tried to incorporate some of the techniques in my photography that I found while carefully studying some of the great masters of painting. When I found Alexander, I found a connection with some of those styles and his observations. Any more questions or comments, please email me. </p>

<p>I have included a "photographer's bibliography" as part of the classes in nature photography that I have taught for the past twenty years or so. It can be found here: http://web.mac.com/fauxtaographer/iWeb/John%20Womack/Bibliography.html<br>

A NEW book I have just encountered will certainly move to the top of my lists in the future. It is an absolutely amazing book by Christopher Alexander, titled nothing less than "The Nature of Order". It will likely revolutionize the entire concept of art. If anyone here is reading the book I would like to contact them to exchange comments.</p>

<p>Just returned from Barcelona in Spain, and Paris, France. It was a joy. No problem in CDG airport, easy to go through, welcoming, even free drinks! No so though in JFK - rude, confusing, arrogant treatment. Had to go through security check twice because of the way the customs was set up. Like Thomas Wolf said - You can't go home again!</p><div></div>

<p>Just returned from Barcelona. No problem with pickpockeets. Wore photo vest with lots of inside pockets. GPS, iTouch were safe inside. No wallet. Used money belt. Camcorder in fanny pack in front, camera hanging on strap on right side passed over my head. Would not consider using bicycle on Ramblas. Market is definitely a must see. Sky conditions for my visit were bad - sunshine but white sky. Temple was good for detail photos and the parc was good also. Still sorting through photos, but some are on blog.<br>

http://thecelebration.blogspot.com/2009/05/barcelona.html <br>

John</p><div></div>

<p>

<p >Thanks for the responses everybody. Clifford, I will definitely add the cable car to our to-do list. And David, I will photograph Gaudi, but your photo is an amazing picture - thanks for sharing. Also Sheldon has sent some motivational pictures that I will study more. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >Bruce, I am not sure what you mean when you say my question doesn’t sound like a “photo question”. Do you mean it doesn’t sound like a camera question? That’s probably because I really am more interested in pictures than I am in cameras. I have taught nature photography for many years and believe me, while a good camera can help, the impact of the work comes from the photographer. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >As far as the travel planning goes, I definitely search the other web sites, books and blogs - Lonely Planet, Rick Steves, Bert Wolf, Frommers, Fodor, etc. But even though the travel professionals understand accommodations, tickets, scheduling, the history of locations and so on, they don’t see these places through the eyes of an artist. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >I can tell you where to go in the Blue Ridge Mountains, for example, that will change your life if you listen to what that place can tell you. But I don’t know where to go in Barcelona or Paris or Versailies, or Giverny or Mont St. Michel or Normandy - which is where the rest of the itinerary on this trip is taking me and my wife. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >Steves, Wolf, LP and so tell me about the buses, trains, restaurants, hotels, and tours, but I still feel I feel the need for advice from photographic artists who have recently been there. That’s just one of the reasons I like Photo.net. </p>

<p > </p>

<p >I think this is my 13th trip to Europe in the last 15 years but I have never been to these particular places. Usually we fly over, rent a car and travel the backroads on our own, all alone. Now it is time to hit the big cities. Next year we hope to try for Italy - so stay tuned for more photo questions. I will ask about the other places on this trip 2009 trip later but didn’t want to put them all in one gigantic question. Thanks again.</p>

</p>

<p>Heading to Barcelona as a port of entry and exit in a two-week Europe trip. Will be in Barcelona at the end of April and middle of May. Would appreciate any comments for previous visitors. I have read much of the items in this forum about the city (including Greenspun's gruesome comments). Will be traveling with digital camera and video camcorder. John Womack</p>

I liked the Wiki lead into Christopher Alexander. All of the epochs, modernism, post-modernism, and post-post- modernism

are what the old photographer-philosopher used to call "cowpaths". That is to say, trails constructed for comfortable travel

with your head down. Why not just let all that go? Remember Darwin walked on cowpaths too, but he looked about, asked

questions and he walked through a different world than anyone else ever had before. And when he left the cowpaths, he

described a world that many people still do not comprehend. Final point (for now) remember the purpose of the original BA

degree - it was to teach a student all the things he (or she) would need to go out into the world so they could teach theselves the things

they really wanted to learn.

My slideshow won't work with my portfolio - or with anyone else's. Did I do something wrong? How do I get slideshow to work again?

Thanks. John Womack

http://www.photo.net/Photos/Pathways

For some time I lived in a small town with few photographers and a lot of “artists”, so I called myself a “photographic artist”.

That does not make me either a real photographer or a real artist, but my approach to that issue is that in the production of

"Art", one is seeking to produce an image that can create an emotional or spiritual response within the viewer.

 

Such an example might be Ansel Adams' photograph of Moonrise Over Hernandez. Here, the photograph is really not that

of a moon rising over Hernandez, New Mexico - that has been proven by countless photographers who have gone to the

same place at appropriate times and gotten a simple photo. What Adams did was not to copy the moonrise that day at that

place, but to actually photograph "Moonrise", itself, perhaps we could even call that "Moonriseness". (Take your choice

between Plato or Jung, but now we are really talking about what it means for a moon to rise in our own consciousness.)

This photograph has become a creative work of art to which other photographs and even actual moonrises, themselves,

have been compared, and can be measured against.

 

Now, to carry that image farther, when we go out to replicate Adams' photo, whether in New Mexico or North Carolina, are

we using art or craft? I would say it is craft if we are trying to copy a photo similar to the Hernandez photo, but it is art if we

can give a permanent and physical form to the attunement we are experiencing when we really understand the subject. The

archetype is always filled with possibilities, whereas a model is fixed and limited

 

The paintbrush artist who is painting a barn is another example: If he or she is preparing to paint a picture of Bob Jones'

barn, then the painting can never be more than just a copy of that barn; but if he or she is painting the concept of “Barn”,

itself, perhaps involving memories from one's childhood or tales one has heard from parents, then the possibilities are

limitless. The photographic artist can create these feelings also, particularly if it is possible to display a series of

photographs showing different parts of the subject.

 

Well, that’s my take on the matter. Such discussions are entirely too rare, and I think we all profit from such exchanges.

Will be going to Tybee Island for the week now beginning. Never been there before. Any

suggestions would be appreciated. Will also be going to Savannah. Have been there before, but not

for 40 years. Want to get the old mansions with the wide streets and small parks, but suggestions

will also be appreciated. John

Jan 21 to 24, 2008. Taking wife down to take part in a seminar. Will have 2-3 days to wander around

aimlessly. I like nature, cities, events, in both digital photo and video. Any suggestions for photography

from anyone? Any special places to go or to see that you know of? Thanks. John

To me, nature photography is a communion of sorts, or perhaps it is like dancing. To this

vast world of Reality I bring my own world of imagination, and together we seek what we can

find. It is not a search for what I SEE out there but a search for what that "seeing" hides

behind it. The trick for me, is to try to photograph that which really can't be seen, like

"spring morning", or "end of summer", and so on . John

An ancient aunt of mine wants to have a place to mail her color print film to, and get the pictures back and

also have them send her a roll of new film. She doesn't have a computer or a car and lives in a distant

town from me. She is an artist (good one!) and uses her photos to assist in her painting. Many years ago I

tried Seattle Film Works but always had problems with them, and then switched from print to slide film. I

would appreciate any suggestions. Remember she cannot use a computer for anything.

 

John

I was in Prague and Cesky Krumlov in2005. Have some info on one of my blogs at http:/

/adventuresinexploration.blogspot.com/

2005_10_01_adventuresinexploration_archive.html

(NOTE that the URL breaks up at the "/" on this response and will have to be fitted togther

on your browser) Enjoyed both place. Prague is stunning. Cesky Krumlov is delightful.

We stayed in Hotel Maleho Vitka in Cesky Krumlov and were treated like family. Email me

and I will give you phone numbers, URLs, etc. John

johnwomack@verizon.net

http://mysite.verizon.net/joannwomack/Pathways/

Interesting comment ? I come from years of still photography, moving into video movies,

All this as a sideline of sorts because I am really a writer. The movie work brings a story

into the artwork that we do because it is sequential. Like writing it depends upon

placement, pacing, cadence, support, amplification and climax. But, while I love movie

work, I still find myself missing the impact of the still photograph. Perhaps it is as you put

it ? a haiku factor ? and while the photo is static like watercolor or oil or sculpture or

architecture, still they all have their own ways to bring the placement, pacing, cadence

etc., in to their viewer's imagination through composition and tonal quality and contrast

and color guidance. I find myself more drawn lately to the so-called Ken Burns Effect.

Here one can start with movie work, introduce a story, bring in titles and narration with

music, then move into a still picture ? and continue the exploration already begun, except

now we find the story in the photograph or oil etc. Thanks for the comment.

 

John Womack

Will be spending the second and third weeks of May in Andulusia, areas around Cadiz,

Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Malaga, Pablo des Gatos. Any suggestions about vista

photographs or of special places to find good nature photographs, or any other special

photo ops? John Womack

Unable to download a finished video from either internal or external HD to

camcorder. Can hook VCR up to camcorder, and camcorder to computer and

record directly to VHS, but there is no recording on camcorder when finished.

Any suggesions? Equipment: Emac, Jag 10.2.6,80GB La Cie, Canon ZR50.

John Womack

Thanks for your input, BR. My problem was compounded by the fact that I live

in a remote location, and know of no one else who is either using DV or who

has a Mac. My response was to contact a friend who lives elsewhere and

who has an iMac, but doesn't do video, and he copied his iMovie 2 and sent it

to me. I trashed my iMovie 3 and cleaned out everything (about 8 short

movies, too), installed the iMovie 2 and can go again. Probably I will get the

Final Express Pro, but I haven't heard from anyone who is using it, either. I

was really disapointed at the way Apple doesn't want to talk about the

iMovie3. In fact, I will probably post another question to this forum about FXP

to see if anyone responds. Thanks again, John

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/

Thanks to everyone who responded. Now that I've returned from Maine, let

me add a place or two for archive. We were only there for three days, and the

weather was overcast with rain and light skies and not much sun. I used my

Canon DV camcorder more than slide film and got some good pics,

considering. It was cool, from 42 to 56 degrees. After the obligatory hike

around Cadillac summit, we crossed Sand Beach and hiked the Great Head

Trail, 1.4 miles of forest and sea cliffs. The Ship Harbor Nature Trail, an easy

1.3 mile trip. The Ocean Trail, 3 miles of sand beaches and sea cliffs, and

Gorham Mountain Trail, an excellent 1.8 mile to the top of a 500 foot mountain

but which looked like the top of the world. All of these offer excellent close

and vista photos, and were good for hiking between the rain. The camcorder

was able to work better under dark conditions and get in close to the sea cliffs

with its 22X optical zoom, and all in all I was satisfied with the results. The

"quiet side" was reminisent of the 1940's. The town of Bar Harbor provided an

excellent photo essay (again with camcorder still shots) and the food was

good. Thanks again for the help. John

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/<div></div>

I ran iMovie 2 with geat delight, "upgraded" to the great iMovie 3 disaster and

lost two months of work. Finally got someone to send me a disk of iMovie 2

and got back in the saddle again. Now thinking about trying out Apple's Final

Express Pro. Has anyone had experience with this expensive ($300)

software? If so is it worth the money, or just another Apple movie gizmo that

doesn't really work? John Womack

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/

Here's a shot of Orion, made with my Canon ZR50 MC. It was on "low light"

mode, on tripod. John Womack

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/<div>[ATTACH=full]876544[/ATTACH]</div>

I'm not familiar with the SL1, but I work with a single CCD ZR50 MC and do

some work in the edges of light. It has "low light" and "night light" modes

which react badly to any kind of movement. I have only picked up the white

line twice, and that from a bright light shining into the lens. It's easy to edit that

frame out. Here's a pic I call Three Poets, after a reading at a local coffee

shop, filmed with (less than) available light on a cold rainy night. John

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/<div>[ATTACH=full]1023599[/ATTACH]</div>

I will be leaving my mountains of western NC in the third week of May to travel

to Boston, and Maine. Plan to go to Acadia, Bar Harbor? Are there are

special place to plan to hit? I shoot with slides and camcorder. I would

appreciate any suggestions from a knowlegable Yankee. John Womack

http://home.earthlink.net/~pathways/

Thanks for the comment Matt - My advice to anyone who is thinking about

"upgrading" to iMovie 3 is don't do it! It has totally shut down my ability to

produce any kind of video for a month now with no hope of a fix anywhere in

sight. IMovie 3 has a lot of good features but it doesn't work. Apple doesn't

know anything about it. They want me to reinstall everything - their standard

response to any problem. I can now get iMovie to almost work, but the one

thing it won't do is to play the movie. It jerks or pauses about 12- 15 times

every 10 seconds during playback, and that includes trying to download back

to camcorder. (This is using only the internal hard drive, the external hard

drive is the same.) Also every iMovie 3 I try to make also makes a QuickTime

movie - which plays OK! I can't find out how to cut the QT out of the loop - in

iMoive 2, QT wasn't a player. John

Running iMovie 2 with no problems. "Upgraded" to iMovie 3 and now can't

keep the system from crashing. About every 3 minutes it quits with a box

saying it "unexpectedly" quit. I did also download and installed the updater tp

iMovie 3. Any suggestions? (I'm running an eMac with 10.2.3.) John.