December 12, 2009
From West To East
11-Dec-2009, Jerusalem – Parallel to the first human rights march taking place on the International Day For Human Rights in Tel-Aviv, several dozen Jewish-Israeli activists in Jerusalem marched in solidarity with East-Jerusalem Palestinians. From West to East was the slogan for the march that began in Jerusalem’s downtown area in the west and progressed to the Arab neighborhood of Sheik Jarach in the east, ending in a demonstration at the El-Kurd home, from which the Palestinian El-Kurd family were evicted by court order in November. Their home has since been taken over by Jewish right-winged settlers.
December 7, 2009
Canon G10 Firmware Update
I am one of those lucky ones with the occasional magenta cast images that look great on the LCD and not-so-great once downloaded to PC. I am also very lucky to have a G10 with a serial number in the ‘affected range’. Unfortunately, having checked with my camera dealer a few months ago, the local solution was a service center that required you to drive to Tel-Aviv, leave the camera for about 48 hours then drive back again to pick it up. Unable to part with my beloved for 48 hours I decided to accept its shortcomings and learn to live with them.
Yesterday I ran across the do-it-yourself solution endorsed by Canon. Followed the instructions carefully and the neurological procedure went well. My C1/C2 setting were maintained and the image counter was not effected.
Heed Canon’s warning: The following content is to help you update the firmware by yourself. If errors occur when performing the firmware update, there are instances where the camera cannot be started; therefore, please read the precautionary notes carefully before starting the firmware update.
So, if you are as lucky as I am, go ahead and do it!
December 4, 2009
Holiday Special On All Prints
Click the coupon above or go to http://ImagesOfMyThoughts.com
November 23, 2009
Words of Wisdom
Not my own. Those of PhotoDino – Cheryl Jacobs Nicolai;
- Style is a voice, not a prop or an action. If you can buy it, borrow it, download it, or steal it, it is not a style. Don’t look outward for your style; look inward.
- Know your stuff. Luck is a nice thing, but a terrifying thing to rely on. It’s like money; you only have it when you don’t need it.
- Never apologize for your own sense of beauty. Nobody can tell you what you should love. Do what you do brazenly and unapologetically. You cannot build your sense of aesthetics on a concensus.
- Say no. Say it often. It may be difficult, but you owe it to yourself and your clients. Turn down jobs that don’t fit you, say no to overbooking yourself. You are no good to anyone when you’re stressed and anxious.
- Learn to say “I’m a photographer” out loud with a straight face. If you can’t say it and believe it, you can’t expect anyone else to, either.
- You cannot specialize in everything.
- You don’t have to go into business just because people tell you you should! And you don’t have to be full time and making an executive income to be successful. If you decide you want to be in business, set your limits before you begin.
- Know your style before you hang out your shingle. If you don’t, your clients will dictate your style to you. That makes you nothing more than a picture taker. Changing your style later will force you to start all over again, and that’s tough.
- Accept critique, but don’t apply it blindly. Just because someone said it does not make it so. Critiques are opinions, nothing more. Consider the advice, consider the perspective of the advice giver, consider your style and what you want to convey in your work. Implement only what makes sense to implement. That doesn’t not make you ungrateful, it makes you independent.
- Leave room for yourself to grow and evolve. It may seem like a good idea to call your business “Precious Chubby Tootsies”….but what happens when you decide you love to photograph seniors? Or boudoir?
- Remember that if your work looks like everyone else’s, there’s no reason for a client to book you instead of someone else. Unless you’re cheaper. And nobody wants to be known as “the cheaper photographer”.
- Gimmicks and merchandise will come and go, but honest photography is never outdated.
- It’s easier to focus on buying that next piece of equipment than it is to accept that you should be able to create great work with what you’ve got. Buying stuff is a convenient and expensive distraction. You need a decent camera, a decent lens, and a light meter. Until you can use those tools consistently and masterfully, don’t spend another dime. Spend money on equipment ONLY when you’ve outgrown your current equipment and you’re being limited by it. There are no magic bullets.
- Learn that people photography is about people, not about photography. Great portraits are a side effect of a strong human connection.
- Never forget why you started taking pictures in the first place. Excellent technique is a great tool, but a terrible end product. The best thing your technique can do is not call attention to itself. Never let your technique upstage your subject.
- Never compare your journey with someone else’s. It’s a marathon with no finish line. Someone else may start out faster than you, may seem to progress more quickly than you, but every runner has his own pace. Your journey is your journey, not a competition. You will never “arrive”. No one ever does.
- Embrace frustration. It pushes you to learn and grow, broadens your horizons, and lights a fire under you when your work has gone cold. Nothing is more dangerous to an artist than complacency.
- CJ
November 17, 2009
Yearning for Jerusalem No More
The Ethiopian Jewish community, called Beta-Israel, lived in seclusion for over 1,000 years, only reconnecting to the Jewish world in the late 20th century. According to Ethiopian tradition, their roots go back 3,000 years to the era of King Solomon. Like their brethren in many parts of the world, Ethiopian Jews suffered persecution for their beliefs and refusal to adopt Christianity. In the Middle Ages their lands were confiscated, villages plundered and many murdered. They were nicknamed Falash – intruders, homeless and without property. Despite the hardships, this community preserved their traditions with great devotion and generations were educated on the value of yearning for a return to Jerusalem, The Holy City, home of The Temple, pure and holy. The Sigd celebrations, Sigd meaning “to bow or prostate oneself”, convey their love and yearning for Jerusalem.
Traditionally the celebrations took place on a hilltop looking toward Jerusalem,signifying a renewal of the bond with God. Now, with a community of over 150,000 in Israel the main event takes place annually at the Sherover Promenade in Jerusalem, overlooking The Temple Mount.Thousands followed the Kessim, the religious leaders, and gathered in the late morning hours in colorful traditional garments or in whites signifying purity, to pray and give thanks. Guests of honor included Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.
The yearning for Jerusalem has become a reality. Israeli-born offspring to Ethiopian Jews are finding it more and more difficult to identify with the aspirations of their forefathers. First signs are evident that this ancient ethnic celebration of hope and faith might one day be forgotten.
The 35mm f/2 was a pleasure to work with! Light and extremely mobile hanging on my neck – I could easily raise it quickly to get the shot I wanted without scaring off the subject. Some shots were even framed from the chest. I love the shallow depth of field! Most of the work was done at f2.5 ISO100 with very high shutter speeds. Close and intimate!
November 3, 2009
The 37th Frame
TIPUSIM.com in Jerusalem
TIPUSIM.com in Jerusalem is now featured on The 37th Frame!
October 20, 2009
Felix Lupa; The Dark Side of Tel-Aviv
http://www.flickr.com/photos/felixlupa/show/
Really great stuff!!
October 16, 2009
I Love the Weekends
Having the family “whole” isn’t something to be taken for granted
Whole
October 10, 2009
Point Of View 2009
Well, it’s not Perpignan and there’s still a lot to learn from Visa Pour l’Image, but the setting in the old Jaffa 1892 train station is fantastic and it’s a great start for what I hope will be the annual International Israeli Photo Festival - Point Of View
The two exhibitions I found most interesting were Robert Capa’s prints of the 1948 Tel-Aviv coast with Altalena smoking in the background and newly-formed IDF troops taking cover in an exchange of gunfire with Irgun fighters.
The second was Francesco Zizola’s “Born Somewhere”.
It’s great the curators were able to bring these fine exhibitions to Tel-Aviv.
But the best part of it all was closing the day walking along the coast to the Fishermen’s Restaurant in Jaffa Port with my best friend and love of my life!
(the shrimps in garlic butter and wine weren’t too bad either).
September 28, 2009
G.M.B. Akash
Extraordinary documentary work by GMB Akash!
© GMB Akash
Truly enjoyed close to an hour of viewing his projects! Especially “Born to Work”.
September 27, 2009
Atonement
On the Eve of Yom Kippur David Sakargi seeks penance performing the ancient ritual of Kapparot on:
September 17, 2009
So Proud of You!
You fought to get there!
You fought to succeed!
And you did it big time!
95 out of 100 in the final exam! One of the top 15% singled out for command and training of the next generations, once you gain some real-world experience!
I know it wasn’t easy! I know how much effort you put into it! I admire your decisiveness and resilience!
I am also grateful you allowed me to be there for you when you needed me!
Good luck to you princess!! I am so proud of you!!
September 13, 2009
Jungle Book
A physically intensive hour and a half in the humidity of the basement on a warm Jerusalem evening left me quite exhausted. Then, post processing for correct white balance was a horror and I cannot swear to the accuracy of color rendition. But the bottom line is there are a few frames I am proud of;
The Martef Theatre in the play Jungle Book by Rudtard Kipling performing in a wine cellar at a shelter for young women at risk. The Martef (Basement) Theatre was established in 2006 as a social/business venture by the girls at Bet Hatzabarit Shelter. A school for drama was established in the wine cellar of an old Templer tavern. The actors are borderline youth.
The goals of the school are two; use of drama for self-empowerment of its actors and the creation of quality theater based on the highest artistic and professional standards. Professional teachers are employed. Student/actors must pass auditions to be accepted and undergo training in drama, voice development, physical abilities and more.
The Martef interpretation of Jungle Book is based on Kipling’s phylosophical aspects and tries to deal with fear, violence and death. It is the result of a year long study conducted by the students/actors and their view on maturing in a violent society.
This is voluntary work on my part, to what I think is a very worthy cause. The Martef Theatre uses my photos for promoting their shows and selling tickets – that’s what keeps them alive!
And me … well, I get a lot of satisfaction meeting these kids and even a magazine cover shot last year.
September 13, 2009
$6,000 Profit
Had I won 35,000,000 NIS in the LOTTO last night, Leica would have been at least $6,000 ahead this morning.
Since I didn’t win the LOTTO prize I am at a $6,000 profit!!
Read David Farkas’s excellent M9 review here
September 7, 2009
EF 35mm f/2 – real world impressions
Doing “Bring him home!” featuring Ariella Rosen on TIPUSIM.com in Jerusalem I used only one lens on the 5D – the EF 35mm f/2. Why the fixation?
A couple years ago I was interviewed on the Photography Corner Blog and asked what equipment I have in my camera bag. My answer was “I don’t carry one” – a camera bag. I hate carrying things that weigh me down and limit my mobility. I hate changing lens on the camera in the middle of a shoot (paranoid about sensor dust perhaps). I hate heavy equipment. That’s one of the factors that lead me to the Canon G10 about a year. That’s one of the reasons rumors of the new full-frame sensor Leica M9 are causing me to wake in the middle of the night in horror – or maybe it’s the Leica’s expected price tag – something like a small car. I want small and light equipment!
Therefore my new Canon EF 35mm f/2. It has become my main lens (previously Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS). It’s small, light, and reasonably well-built. Doing “Bring him home!” there were three things I wanted to check out; sharpness, wide aperture, and fixed 35mm field-of-view usability for my type of photography (aspiring for close and intimate).
I shot in Aperture Priority full-time, between f/2.2 – f/5.6 if memory serves me correctly. I was worried about shooting wide open at f/2 and missing the focus point, therefore f/2.2. And in situations where more depth of field was necessary I rolled the dial to f/4 or f/5.6. Bright sunlight in pre-noon August gave me shutter speeds of up to 1/4,000, not something I am used to. And as I shoot several frames in continuous mode in these situations the shutter speeds guaranteed no motion blur.
I am very impressed with the lens sharpness, detail resolution and contrast!
Wide aperture and shallow depth-of-field – do not be afraid of f/2! That’s my conclusion. I feel a few of the frames could have benefited from even a shallower field-of-depth.
And in regard to the fixed 35mm field-of-view usability – no problem! It does take getting used to and several times my left hand instinctively went searching for the zoom ring but eventually I learned to allow my feet to do the zooming.
I would conclude in saying that the only thing I miss is the flexibility of a zoom lens but the advantages of size and weight far out-weigh the limitations of a fixed 35mm in most of the situations that I shoot. Bottom line is that the EF 35mm f/2 stays on the 5D … at least until the Leica M9 ;-)
September 5, 2009
Keren Avrashi
Following “Bring Him Home!” on http://TIPUSIM.com in Jerusalem and the gracious permission I received from Keren Avrashi to use her song “What will be?” in the soundtrack, I also received an invitation to Keren’s performance last Thursday night at the Tzuzamen Bar in Tel-Aviv. Dorit and I met Sharon, Keren’s lovely PR lady and manager, at the bar entrance at the beginning of what proved to be a magical, musical, evening.
Keren is a wonderfully talented musician with a voice that pierces your heart, especially at a very small and intimate performance with a couple of beers. Accompanied by her husband and baby boy, and accompanied on stage by Udi Blum (guitar) and Nir Vagdanski (accordion), Keren sang beautifully and made the drive to Tel-Aviv well worth it!
Before singing “What will be?”, Keren honored me by mentioning my use of the song and dedicated it to Gilad Shalit’s quick return. Amen!
Keren, I wish you all the best! Much success and happiness! and thank you, both for the use of your song and for a wonderful evening!
August 29, 2009
Ariella Rosen: “Bring him home!”
Amidst yet another wave of rumors regarding an anticipated prisioner swap with Hamas and the possible release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, Ariella Rosen does not allow herself to develop expectations and leads a Friday demonstration, on the occasion of Gilad’s 23rd birthday, calling the PM to “bring him home!”
A touching new profile on TIPUSIM.com in Jerusalem
August 13, 2009
Photography related?
Kind of!
Photography is drawing with light, isn’t it?
by NuFormer.com
