John Di Leo

<p><img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas/Christmas-Cactus-2014/i-2cnKvTt/1/L/Christmas%20Cactus-102-L.jpg" alt="" /><br> Christmas Cactus this morning. D700 w 55mm AI 3.5 micronikkor</p>

<p>From the Sacred Heart Academy Christmas Concert. Some 6 year old players awaiting their turn on the stage. D700 70-200 VRii, from far away and cropped.<br> <img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas/Sacred-Heart-Concert-12122014/i-DJWDrgB/0/XL/SHCmasCon%202014_-139-XL.jpg" alt="" width="903" height="768" /></p>

<p>rx100m2<br> Convent, La<br> <img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/River-Road/i-n7dZqV4/0/L/RR112014-101-L.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="571" /></p>

<p>During the annual Christmas Card shootout, where I herd 5 of my 7 grandchildren for a group photo, I caught/staged this one of Cecile and Rosalie.<br> D700 Nikon 24/70<br> <img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Holidays/Christmas/Christmas-2014/i-8pSTXVS/0/L/CCS%202014_-124-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>yes, Chip, that's exactly it. It is a pet peeve of mine and I think it bothers me far more than it should. It bothers me during photography even more than my job.<br /> At work when someone tries to tell me, I listen and discuss and consider, but the photog thing just gets under my skin. So, the fault prob lies in my reaction rather than the stimulus.<br /> There was a famous jazz/R&B pianist here in New Orleans named James Booker. He died about 15 years ago. My wife and I saw him once at Snug Harbor, a small music club in Faubourg Marigny, an area just outside of the French Quarter. Great setting. Solo performance. A guy from the audience, a little, ok a little MORE drunk, got up and decided it was a good idea to sit next to James on the piano bench between songs. Without missing a beat, James looked slightly to his right, to the interloper and says words I will never forget and I often quote, "Ah plays alone." Drunk fan, crestfallen, moseys back to his table and James continues.<br /> Those three words say it all and it is how I feel when some one is telling me what to shoot, "I plays alone."</p>

<p>Hi, Oliver...this is a first...suggesting that I am sensitive. 8-)<br> Often, what I want to say is "why don't you grab a warm glass of STFU," but I suspect that wouldn't go over very well. And, yes, Michael, that kind of thing. If it were a stranger I'd have no problem saying I don't want to do that, but from family, often close, and friends, it becomes harder. Again, I always listen to the suggestion, but rarely do I follow through on it, unless, as I said, I incorporate them into MY picture. Maybe my answer is what works best for me, telling them to go take the picture themselves, in a courteous way.</p>

<p>It is very interesting to hear all these responses and there is sort of a similar thread running through them, ie, the Lex response. (BTW, I would have posted this to the Philosophy of Photography forum, but that is a really tough crowd.) I mentioned that I am amateur, not pro, because I think that makes a big difference because a pro can say "I am on a job, sorry," or if it's the one who hired you, you would likely take the picture. <br> I have no problem with strangers in this situation and likely incorporate them into a shot of my choosing and that does two things: It gives me a story to tell and it defuses their insistence on the photo they wanted. I write and post motorcycle travel blogs of my long distance solo trips (http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=990626). So, to all who say that the "interested" stranger leads to something possibly interesting, I fully agree.<br> But again, the operative words here are "family" members and "friends," a more delicate situation. <br> I've found if I demur I get the feeling that they feel insulted. On a recent ride to North Carolina, our group of 5 riders are stopped on an backroad somewhere. There's a house with an American flag. I am shooting "stuff" with my Sony RX100 II that I carry in my pocket for these impromptu stops. Another rider tells me to take a picture of my motorcycle saddle, a bland leather black seat, with the American flag in the background, because "that would be really cool." I consider it for a moment and reject the idea. I say that my little Sony with no viewfinder might have a hard time "capturing that" ok I'm lying, of course it could, but I choose not to. He tells me to get out my "big camera" (d700) to take it and I said "you take it with your smartphone." And I get the refrain that my camera takes much better pictures. I don't know if that went over so well. But I am talking about that kind of thing.<br> Again, maybe there is no answer on how to say Hell No and Leave Me Alone in a kind gentle way, so you grin and bear it.<br> Thanks for the responses. Interesting.</p>

<p>not talking about those chance encounters, and I agree w what you say, Lex, but maybe not making myself clear. I actually listen to what they suggest, but most often it is as John says above. Thing is I often can't get away with that blunt of an answer. Agree fully that life happens when you're expecting something else to happen and I'll shoot that, roll with it. <br> So, I guess I am looking for the middle ground between accepting vicissitude with a smile and just saying no thanks. I had some tell me to get out another camera to shoot their idea. I do a lot of motorcycle travel and carrying equipment involves specialized packing that is sometimes somewhat time consuming to access and repack.<br> Maybe there is no answer and that's the answer in itself.</p>

<p>I don't think I am unique to say that when I am shooting for myself, being amateur, not pro, I get into a sort of zone. I know you've sensed that; you are in your own world and seeing with another set of eyes and the camera is an appendage of your body. When I am by myself and shooting that's one thing, but I find if I am with family or friends and I am "doing my thing, in my own world, focused," it never fails that someone--often someone WITH the ability to take a picture with their smartphone or P&S, will come up to me and tell me the picture I should shoot, "Oh, you know what would be a good picture? Go take a picture of such and such?" And 99/100 times it's NOT something I want to shoot. At all.<br /> Ok, maybe I am not the most diplomatic person, sometimes, but the answer I am currently using is, "you have a camera, you take it, yeah that sounds nice, go do it." Still, they will persist because I have a "big" camera "that takes good pictures" and I feel that I am maybe insulting them by not running around to take the picture they think would be "good." In short, I rarely do it.<br /> May not the the right place to post this, guide me if not, but how do you handle that without offending and not being distracted out of your picture taking mood?</p>

<p>and another<br> <img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/North-Carolina-Oct-2014/i-t6zjkkF/0/L/NC%20ride%20Oct2014-108-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>at the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, NC. Sony RX100 II<br> <img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/North-Carolina-Oct-2014/i-GWQMrQh/0/L/NC%20ride%20Oct2014-128-L.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>@John Harper<br> Love the rebar shot. Took a moment to figure it out, but the composition and pastels are very very nice.</p>

<p>Yes, I've slept on it and the single frame, or two, is what we'll do, following the KISS principle.<br> Thanks for the link.<br> Good advice as usual from this fine forum</p>

<p>First, thanks for the prompt responses. RJ, I tried that, but the problem is holding the shutter down. There is a burst mode for up to 10 frames. Craig, I thought lightroom could do a 24 framerate, but I accept your correction.<br> Jim, yours sound like the simplest idea of all. There is morphing software out there that could morph one into the next, but I do not know how much control there is on morphing speed. Still the simplicity of it is appealing, so thanks.</p> <p>And thanks for the best wishes, much appreciated.<br> John</p>

<p>Addendum: I do have a wireless remote that would get around the issue and if the advice is use that, then that is fine. Just press it 24 times.<br> tia</p>

<p>A close friend is unfortunately preparing to go through chemo and radiation for a cancer that is supposed to be 85-90% curable. <br> We talked about the "adventure (and the likely misery)" of all of this and discussion arose of doing a timelapse of how his physical appearance will change over the 7 week course of therapy and then over the ensuing recovery. He is in another state and doesn't have a "good camera," but I have an old, but working d200. <br> My thoughts are to shoot a second's worth of frames every day for 7 weeks of treatment and then 7 weeks after, or however long after. A second of video is 24 frames. That would wind up being about 1minute 38 seconds long for a 14 week shot.<br> The duration of how long it takes to shoot those daily 24 frames is not particularly critical, but the shorter the better, I suppose, to minimize his movement. The camera will be set up for the duration on a tripod and the lighting will be ambient, but uniform from day to day, as will his position in the frame, planning on a bust shot.<br> Here's where the question comes: how best for him to trigger the shot?<br> I can set the intervalometer to shoot 24 frames, but that would involve him going through the menu maybe more than he will feel like doing. It appears that the intervalometer is turned off after every episode unless the camera is left on and the interval triggers every 24 hours. He'll be on battery power. Plus he does not know this camera. I am looking for a way to shoot 24 frames, one right after the other, following a single trip of the shutter with the shutter on a 10 sec delay. And to accomplish this day to day with minimal or no effort other than turning the camera on.<br> Is there a way to accomplish this?<br> PS I know this sounds morbid, maybe, but we both agree this is something that will be of major interest to those who care for him and to him. This is quite a journey that he wants to document, though admittedly he may only watch it once, and hopefully on a beach sipping a pina colada in the Bahamas a year from now</p> <p>Thanks<br> John</p>

<p>Running of the Bulls, New Orleans style, July 12; D700 24-70<br> <img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Running-of-the-Bulls-2014/i-KSp29Bp/0/M/ROTB_07122014-184-M.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Running-of-the-Bulls-2014/i-2nQdmCS/0/M/ROTB_07122014-174-M.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p><img src="http://jld2.smugmug.com/Running-of-the-Bulls-2014/i-9sxBqBZ/0/M/ROTB_07122014-163-M.jpg" alt="" /></p>