GLIMPSE

Suggestions

Thank god, it’s Photobooth friday The truth about interior design Groups

My everyday life Technique + Know How

Smooth and Silky

Special

The same Different all over the world

Kapitel

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| Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

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Contents

GLIMPSE December Groups

54 finding moments

12 My everyday life

58 scandinavian delight

18 everyday Objects in Not So Everyday Way

64 Syllabuses from the motorcycle diary 82 Everybody loves morran

Suggestions

84 inspired notes

26 Thank God, it’s photobooth friday

88 a woman of many talents

32 Christina

90 Let’s play!

34 postmodern Fatherhood

96 the 10 cent designer

42 paying attention

102 truths and Half-Truths

44 Things I like about mav

110 Cakes and cushions

103

112 obsessed with food, drinks and everything in between

Special 68 The same different all over the world

Events 120 Vandigicam Vancouver 122 nycsocial

Techniques and Know how 126 Smooth and silky – Bokeh

As usual 06 Editorial 07 Contributors

December 2006 Glimpse |

Editorial

Welcome Some people see their everyday life as a routine, a boring routine. They go to work in the morning, do what they’re paid for, go home, spent some quality time with their spouses, and then go to bed to wake up to the same routine the next day.

Same story, different day. But is this really true?

Personally, I see every new day as a new opportunity, a new chance to do or see something different. I can approach my work with a different attitude, I can take a different route on my lunch walk to see new things, or I can just learn something new.

In any way it’s exciting. Sure there is a routine, but these special moments make it worthwhile. Even the routine itself can be interesting. Everybody does a job or lives life differently. I am always stunned and excited about how different people find pleasure in taking pictures of and telling stories about things that seem so normal to others.

In this issue we tell you the truth about interior design, introduce you to Photobooth Friday, for some people the most important day of the week, and we show you what a father can do with his camera and a tripod, while discovering the joys of parenting firsthand. And that’s far from it.

It was a big pleasure for us to get to know these people and see how they live their lives, and I’m sure it will be a pleasure for you as well.

Several groups formed out of the commonality these people, and others share. Their goal is to offer an entry into the everyday lives of lots of different people.

In this issue we feature some of the liveliest among these groups. To take it a step further from just different pictures from different people, this month’s special takes on a different approach to show the everyday lives of different people. It features photos taken at around the same time of day by different people around the world. If you always wan-ted to know what someone in Sydney, Australia is Suggestions doing around the same time you have breakfast or lunch, MOTORCYCLE DIARY THE TRUTH ABOUT you’ll enjoy it as much as we did. And maybe you’ll even INTERIOR DESIGN find the inspiration to do the same.

Groups

DECEMBER 2006

MY EVERYDAY LIFE

As always, a big thank you goes to the contributors, without whom we wouldn’t get to enjoy other people’s lives.

Matt Myers, Your Editor.

Technique + Know How SMOOTH AND SILKY – BOKEH

SPECIAL

THE SAME DIFFERENT ALL OVER THE WORLD

On our Cover This month’s cover shot is of the summerhouse belonging to Kemp Attwood. Turn to page 94 to see more of Kemp’s photos or have a look at them online. » flickr.com/photos/intransient

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Contributors

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1: *brilho-de-conta recommends Jelens I come from Portugal, I was born in a little village in northern Portugal, but I was living all my life in Lisbon.

I’m an architect, and right now I’ve been living in Oporto. I’m a simple person with some wishes to my life, but really I’m not very ambitious, or to be precisely, my ambitions are as simply as a quiet place, time to create and to feel the moment.

I got in touch with photography because of my work and in university I try my first steps, even though I’m not a technical expert, I love to catch magic and beauty with my camera and this is a splendid way to express myself. I love to make photo duets!

2: Tedfoo recommends DIASTEMA This photo was taken last winter in our guest room that I’ve been calling

“The Salton Sea”. I am currently living in my hometown Winona, Minnesota.

I have a beautiful wife, a son, and two neurotic dogs. I work in a stockroom for Target Corporation and stay at home with my son during the day.

Taking pictures helps me relax.

3: Svea recommends Intransient Photo taken by Francis Chan in his apartment. I asked him a few weeks ago to do a quick photoshoot of me to document my pregnancy.

4: NArdell recommends kasia Photo taken in my living room (which is in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA).

I’m from the US and live in a small town outside of Philadelphia, PA. I’ve enjoyed a couple of careers – from English teacher to software company (presently) – but photography is my

passion. I love the way photography can help you hold the meaning in a single moment (or re-create that meaning). Flickr has been a constant inspiration. The photography, but especially the friendships.

5: -- jenny -- recommends Roweun This shot was taken in a hotel bathroom in Lima, Peru on one of my last few days there …

I had just gotten out of the shower and was waiting for some friends, thought I would kill some time! I’m a project manager, currently working freelance for an interactive marketing agency. I live in Toronto, but spent a good part of the past year traveling – I spent a month in Peru and three months living in Tanzania where I was doing volunteer work.

I love Flickr – it’s given me the opportunity to meet a lot of amazing

December 2006 Glimpse |

Contributors people, there’s so much inspiration to be found here.

6: Astrid. recommends The 10 cent designer The photo was taken in my garden the day when I had my “masterparty” - the celebration of me being finished as a student. I grew up in Sandnes, and moved to Bergen in August 1999 to study at the University. I finished my masters degree in media science in June 2006.

I’m self employed, working as a journalist and copywriter. I got my first camera when I was 10 (I think), and ever since I’ve photographed my life.

7: MarionQuaggatuggu recommends MattewA I took this photo about a year ago in by bathroom hence I love the color of the wall and the light in there.

I am a self employed web and gra– phic designer living in my hometown Nürnberg, Germany. I found my love for photography about 2,5 years ago when one of my clients needed some photographs for his website.

So without knowing anything about food photography I started taking pictures of his dishes and basically never stopped shooting ever since …

I joined Flickr a few days before I got my first DSRL camera and it’s been a constant inspiration to me ever since. Plus I’ve met some of the most amazing people there.

8: *n*o*o*r* recommends Simply Photo I made this photo on my 28th birthday last year in my living room in Berlin.

I’m 29 now, come from the Netherlands (lived in Amsterdam for 7 years) but am living in Berlin right now, together with my (Dutch) boyfriend and (Dutch) cat. I’m an Art Historian

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and I work for the club Transmediale festival in Berlin. I’m making pictures since I was little, but it wasn’t until I joined Flickr in February 2005 that I got really enthusiastic and started experimenting with my small but great camera.

9: Jördis Anderson recommends Astrid.

The photo was taken in my office one morning in early October.

I’m a web designer living and working in Berlin, Germany. I moved here about six years ago, before that I lived not far outside the city. I study visual communications and will finish my diploma thesis with a disputation right before Christmas. The thesis is about creating a photo magazine, of which an important part is to involve the community of Flickr in the project. I chose this topic for my thesis, because I’m really enthusiastic about the photos, and the people I’ve met here.

10: The 10 cent designer recommends notraces The photo was taken in my living room. Canadian – Calgary, Alberta.

I am an interior decorator and my company is Lori Andrews Interiors.

I have a BFA (drawing major).

I bought my first camera in order to document my work and that jump started my new photographic hobby.

My little company is getting so busy I am working 7 days a week and it is time to grow (hire employees).

11: Matt?! recommends Starknaught11 That shot was taken in Byron Bay, Australia, one of my favorite places in the whole world, on March 11th 2006. We spent the whole day surfing, and I got a nice sunburn on

7 my face. In the evening we took a walk on the very beautiful Belongil Beach, so that’s where I’m standing.

I’m a freelance software developer, with a degree in Computer Science, living in Berlin, Germany. Until recently I only used Flickr as a place to dump pictures of my vacation.

Not once did it cross my mind that there’s more to it than that. Then a friend of mine started working on a thesis project about Flickr and soon I was totally hooked and bought my own camera. I’ve met some very nice and inspiring people and started looking a little differently at my own life and the things and people that surround me.

12: Simply Photo recommends MORRAN This photo was taken in my bedroom mirror this past summer.I am originally from Atlanta, GA, USA, but now I live in Brooklyn, NY. I am a freelance photographer specializing in food and still life. I started posting to Flickr when I got a digital camera to be more creative and photo-graph something everyday. I love the sense of community and the friends I have made around the world through Flickr.

Contributors

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13: JESC recommends GIRLHULA A reflected self portrait taken while spending a weekend in Shelter Island, NY. January 22, 2006. We were packing up and getting ready to leave, I snapped this quickly before we left.

I live in Brooklyn, NY and work in NYC - for an architectural photographer. During my 4th year in college (my major was architecture) I took a basic intro to black and white photography class, using my father’s 1981 Canon AE-1. I was hooked, instantly. I finished college in 2000 and I came to the city immediately, to pursue photography. I’ve been photographing my life ever since!

further Contributors Aga_D, Amalia Dubois, Beau Wade, Clemens Schwaighofer, cristina:, D.C.Elliot, Doug Jennings, Derrick H. Sux, Diastema, Donna Winton, <d>, Edwina Hay, Elizabeth Taylor, Gareth Jelly, girlhula, Intransient, Jared Vincent, Jelens, John Woakes, John Goldsmith, Jonathan Nalder, Kasia, Kelly Steinberg, little birds, matthewa, mav_port2port, The Milkman’s Daughter, Moaan, mock.up, Morran, notraces, Patrick Austin, Ralf Stockmann, Saffron, supercapacity, superfamouse, Terri Tu, Tookie, traceyj, Wisely Yang Thanks Everyone!

This magazine is the result of my diploma thesis at the University of Applied Science Potsdam, where I studied Visual Communications.

You can get in touch with me by email (joerdis@beagoodgirl.net).

Concept, Creation: Jördis Anderson / Editorial: Mathias Meyer This magazine is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by Flickr, and the company behind it, Yahoo Inc. The pictures in this magazine were used with the explicit authorization of their respective owners.

December 2006 Glimpse |

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group suggestions

hide and seek by Ralf Stockmann minimalism, plant, white, wall, Title 1, deleteme, deleteme2, saveme, deleteme3, deleteme4, meh, deleteme5, saveme2, deleteme6, saveme3, deleteme7, deleteme8, deleteme9, deleteme10, title2, Title 3, Title-it!

December 2006 Glimpse |

Groups “I find myself more and more often posting photos of my everyday life. Cooking dinner, writing my master thesis, the changing weather seen from my window, late night working.

People have commented that they like my documentary style.

I have seen several of my contacts posting similar photos.

Sharing their life. I love it! I want this group to be about YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE. Share the stories. Give us a slice of your life. The breakfast coffee and your office space. Your grocery store and the way to your gym. The Friday night glass(es) of red wine and the Saturday morning relaxation.

The bad hair day and the party outfit.”

» flickr.com/groups/myeverydaylife

My Everyday life

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Kapitel

gift by Kelly Steinberg nothing beats freshly picked flowers from a toddler, i use the term flowers a bit lightly here, my everyday life

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Groups

fresh raspberries by Terri Tu canon, ae-1, slr, food, drink, raspberries, berries, my everyday life

ok, one more by simply photo inspiration, wire, photo, tearsheet

Sunday Afternoon by Aga D. home, sunday, days, my everyday life, on my windowsill, berries, or whatever, i donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what it is, picked yesterday in the park, book, bought today

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Groups

Everyday Objects IN Not So Everyday Way

“This group is for those photos that are taken of every day objects which are being looked at in a not so every day way.

There aren’t many rules with this group other then to be respectful and to make sure it is a photo not a digital painting or picture.

There are many ordinary things on this big wonderful world that we pass everyday of our lives and these objects of life are beautiful, especially if you look at them differently.

It is these pictures that this groups is dedicated to “Everyday Objects in a Not So Everyday Way”.

So, other then respecting one another the only other rule to this group is that the pictures have to be photos taken anywhere, anytime, any angle as long as it is not the ordinary shots but capturing beauty in these everyday objects by looking at them differently.”

» flickr.com/groups/seenindifferenteyes

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Mystery Objects - 2 by Gareth Jelley

www.flickr.com/groups/seenindifferenteyes

red, mystery object, chain, chains, mystery, objects, wall, walls, Xiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an, China, 20D

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crosslight by Ralf Stockmann light, balcony, lampion, abstract

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Groups

Shush! by Ralf Stockmann silence, blue, lamps, abstract, ceiling, library, icon, State and University Library GĂśttingen

Stairs and Tiles by Gareth Jelley lines, stairs, staircase, staircases, tile, tiles, Xiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an, China, 20D

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Groups

Elephant by mock.up Hamburg, Elephant

water mirror by jnxyzt everyday beautiful, jnxyz

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shade by unknown shade, green white, red, leafs

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This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suggestions

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did somebody say cinnamon toast? by The 10 cent designer breakfast

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Thank god, it’s photobooth friday Suggested by JesC

“Her photos are so rich with color, with life and with personality. The self portraits, the shots of her kids, of beautiful found objects - she always manages to make an extraordinary photograph. Quirky unexpected angles and lush color truly make her photos unique.

And her love of photo booths hits home with me.

She’s origina-ted ‘Photobooth Friday’ and I’ve been a loyal poster for months now. Not only are her photos perfection, but her stories and captions are always worth reading.”

» flickr.com/photos/girlhula

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Photobooth friday photobooth friday, photobooth, booth, fun, color photobooth, confetti, macro

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Kapitel Photobooth friday photobooth, photobooth friday, color photobooth, star bar, tuesday night at star bar

boys with q-tip). All the twenty-something hipsters around me were like ‘oh wow, who’s this? Do you know who this is?’ And I was all ‘yes, yes I do, silly youngsters’. Thus reaping the one benefit of my status as a thirty-something hip hop head.

2. Groove-induced euphoria. Yeah, that’s right – I used it, I just used the word groove. I can’t help it if there was a groove. You can’t deny the groove. In fact, I think they even played groove is in the heart that night. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, there was a groove and the euphoric state I experienced was the direct result of it.

Photobooth on 16 September 2006 I can’t apologize for my late photo booth Friday postings anymore, I just can’t. I am what I am (and that’s the trouble, man). Much thanks to the luminous leSophie for taking over again last Friday. Lovelovelove to miss leSophie.

The week we moved, I was in major procrastination mode.

Not unlike my senior year when I needed to complete a huge research paper and waited until the last minute to finish it. And because I never took typing, my dad stayed up with me all night, grumbling under his breath (and rightly so). I can still see him hunched over the typewriter, white-out at the ready. I had the audacity to stand behind him and make corrections. Can you believe that? So wrong. I can see that now. So steeped in 17 year-oldness. Poor paper never had a chance – doomed for mediocrity from the very beginning. The teacher wrote something on the back like, ‘so disappointed in your work, Andrea!

I expected more.’ Whatever.

3. The playing of a block of old school pre-wacko Michael Jackson classics. Nothing brings a room together like PYT. 4. The top two frames of this sweaty star bar photo booth session.

Low points of the evening: 1. Right before I left to meet up with Amy, I realized I had no cash. Not wanting to risk a late night trip to the ATM, I did what any self-respecting groove-craving mother

Procrastinating when something major is on the pike is so vintage Andrea.

Procrastinating when something major is on the pike is so vintage Andrea. I do believe I have taken the art of procrastination to new, exciting levels and intend to use this blog as a platform to school anyone who wants to be schooled. First lesson: ignore all pressing obligations and go dancing. In my case, I chose to blow off packing and painting for a Tuesday night run to star bar with my pal Amy. So easily justified – Amy really needed me to help celebrate her new job. Really, she did. I hadn’t been since before Ezra was born and that ain’t right, people.

Also, a photo booth was to be involved and we all know I have no willpower where photo booths are concerned.

Highlights of the evening include: 1. The playing of a fantastic song – get it together (beastie

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would do – I raided my child’s piggy bank. I can’t believe I’m publicly admitting to this, but I did it and I’ll own it.

I shook that plastic pig so hard we both saw stars. Are you reading this in horror? Is that disgust in your eyes? Well, I can assure you it’s absolutely nothing compared to the look the bouncer gave me when I proceeded to pay the seven dollar cover charge in nickels, dimes and quarters.

OH YES I DID. How you like me now? A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do. Not to worry, every last cent was discreetly returned to the pig.

2. And then there was the moment some girl opened the bathroom stall door on me. I swear to you, she swung that rickety thing wide open and paused for like, an hour before slurring ‘sorry’ and slamming the door shut.

Lea-ving me sitting there like that, totally exposed. I’m telling you, time stood still. Every last hint or suggestion of dignity or coolness, seriously – completely gone. Gone with the flush of the toilet. Dude, do you know how hard it is to recover from a moment like that? I rallied, though.

I had to. Standing at the bathroom mirror, I tried to put it out of my mind. Contrary to popular belief, there are some things that lip gloss just can’t fix. And then of course, the horror of it all came rushing back to me when

Suggestion bathroom girl and I exchanged awkward glances out on the dance floor. Just when I thought I was over it.

3. The tragic absence of double dutch bus from the evening’s playlist. What gives, dj Romeo cologne? We waited all night for it. When the lights came up at two in the morning and we still hadn’t heard it, I wanted to cry. Okay, not really. But I was genuinely disappointed.

4. The bottom two frames of said photo booth strip.

Completely blackened by processing chemicals. So tragic.

Yo, star bar – you need to get someone skilled up in that booth to MAKE THINGS RIGHT. 5. Yes, and what about the lights coming up at star bar at two in the morning? Joint used to rock it till four am and now we’re shutting down at two? Nothing more depressing than looking at a dive club (and your own sweaty self, your own dirty nasty sneaks) under fluorescent lights at two in the morning. Oh wait, no – I think there might be something worse – the realization that you have to go home and face reality. Ears ringing and smelling like smoke.

Amy, thanks for the diversion. Totally and completely worth it, my friend. Next time, the photo booth strips are on me. I promise.

Photobooth on 20 October 2006 I caught him eating waffles out of the trash the other day.

There’s a kind of quiet that settles over the house when Ezra is up to something. It’s an ominous quiet that jolts me out of wherever I am in my thinking, whatever I am doing.

I drop everything and fly through the house, yelling his name. On this morning, he was nibbling on something near the trash can and when I saw it was waffles, I knew where he’d been.

He’s also taken to waking up at 5:30 most every morning.

Which wouldn’t be so bad if there wasn’t head-butting involved. If he would wait until, say – sevenish – to run full speed at my belly with his tough little bed head bowed and ready for contact, I might be able to pass it off as some weird, adorable little toddler quirk. I am absolutely not a morning person and probably never will be.

And it really doesn’t matter if I go to bed in the middle of the day, 5:30 in the morning still feels like the Antichrist to me. I am steeped in grouchiness until about eight and there’s just no getting around that. The combination

of all these things has stretched me in spectacular ways.

Then there’s the pinching. Ezra takes great comfort in pinching the skin on the insides of my arms, near the crook of the elbow - and he’s figured out that bending my arm in just the right way allows for the most perfect amount of meaty, pinchable flesh. Some of those pinching sessions have brought tears to my eyes, dear readers. Those little pinchers are powerful weapons that should be registered with the U.S. government.

I believe he pinches out of love, I do – and comfort. And probably to get my attention. I haven’t put a stop to it just yet, mostly because I’m genuinely fascinated by it. I’m not as fascinated by the ‘elbows of death’ though. Yes, that’s

I am absolutely not a morning person and probably never will be. what I like to call them – the ‘elbows of death’. Ezra likes to pounce on me like an old grey mattress that’s been left out on the side of the road. He’s so joyful in the pouncing that I don’t usually mind it. Until I feel a pointy elbow dig in my neck or thigh and then I mind it very much.

And like so many toddlers everywhere, he loves (LOVES) running through the house pants-less. It must feel so good and free to zip naked through each room (which is why I allow it). The problems come when it’s time to put the pants back on: when Ezra sees me coming towards him with jeans and diaper in hand, he begins to spiral his body violently, comically. Like a tiny cartoon twister. There’s no containing him, no bribing him, absolutely no stopping him. I grab his ankles and pull but my arms start to twist too, at which point I give up until he’s worn himself out.

I keep waiting for him to bore a hole through the couch cushions, the sisal rug, the wood floor. I keep thinking he might end up somewhere near the center of the earth.

Oh, but I am so crazy about that kid, so crazy – in spite of these things, because of these things. I am crazy with love, so crazy that I think it probably comes out of my ears and eyeballs, from the top of my head, out the tips of my fingers. It’s a love so alive it lights up like an electric sign that cannot be turned off. And you know that it’s too much but you can’t really stop from looking at it.

Photobooth friday photobooth friday, photobooth, B&W, mother and son, love

Kapitel Photobooth friday photobooth friday, photobooth, old school photobooth, black and, white photobooth, vintage photobooth, found photobooth, style

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Photo booth on 26 October 2006 I’m calling him Lenny because it feels right. And I totally believe he got caught smoking behind the tool shed more times than he would care to admit. He didn’t have anything to prove, really – it was a habit born out of nervousness.

I think he ate large green pickles everyday for lunch and was very careful not to let the juice stain his crisp white shirts. Clothes were important to Lenny. He knew what he liked, he knew cut and quality, had an eye for the kind of details most people missed. This was a special gift, he thought. Not to be squandered or taken lightly. I believe he winked at shy girls on the bus who then returned home to write secret poems about his dreamy eyes in small diaries with brass locks. By the age of ten, he had developed an original catch phrase, a personal motto and a 7-year plan that included moving to a small one bedroom apartment just outside the city. He would not settle for a small closet, though. The apartment could be small but the closet must be spacious, he thought. And he dreamt daily of selling shiny convertibles to women with platinum blonde curls and spectator heels.

Lenny didn’t understand anyone who refused the services of a good tailor. And he didn’t trust anyone who failed to put out a dish of candy corn at Halloween. Once he lived on his own, the first thing he was going to do was track down a skilled tailor. And you can bet that he would never, ever forget to put out a bowl of candy corn the last two weeks of October. You could put money on that, he thought.

I believe he winked at shy girls on the bus who then returned home to write secret poems about his dreamy eyes in small diaries with brass locks.

For more: » hulaseventy.blogspot.com

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wolf no tags

“Cristina has such an interesting life – through her photos, she shows her flat, her friends, her boyfriend, her city (Porto), and her travels ... but she also shows us part of herself that exists outside of these things. Cristina’s self portraits give us a glimpse into a sort of dream life. She takes on different personas and shows aspects of herself that may or may not be real. Her style is totally recognizable – (it even has a name- ‘roweunesque’) she’s definitely one of the most interesting photographers on Flickr.

On top of that, she’s one of the nicest, most encouraging girls around. When I first joined this site, she was one of my only contacts – and her positive comments inspired me to keep trying!”

» flickr.com/photos/christina: 28 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Suggestion

christina Suggested by -- jenny --

we, we, we bw, adnanh, me, roweun, boyfriend, blur

hours bw, reflection

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postmodern Fatherhood

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Suggested by Starknaught11

“I’m not sure why he is everybody’s favorite, but he just is! His photos are obviously fabulous but it’s also his love for his son and wife that make everyone see what a great person he is. He is clever and funny and can be mean, but we like him for that! I think he works at Target (an American chain store) and we all seem to think that that adds to his character. The thing about Tedfoo, is that there’s nobody like him. He’s just … Tedfoo!

He uses a lot of different photographic techniques which I find inspiring so I am always sure to check in and see what he is doing!

Of course, it inspires the way I take my photographs as well!

There’s always something to look at over at Tedfoo’s place and Rhen, his son, is usually his muse …”

» flickr.com/photos/tedfoo

the heart of saturday night moi, tom waits, tsingtao, you don’t meet nice girls in coffeeshops, shining like a new dime, you look like rain

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me, rhen and paris hip to pelvis ratio not happening

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Kapitel mouse, miles mickey!, a little custom embroidery, sesame ellis, gemma, they rawk

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salton sea family no tags

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bougainvillea bougainvillea, green, sky

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Suggestion

parrot´s feather feather, parrot

paying attention Suggested by *Brilho-De-Conta “I’ll suggest Jelens because she’s got the power of making me dream and leading me into spiritual journeys.

I don’t know Helena outside Flickr, but I feel that we have a lot in common; Helena said, that we are made with our dreams substance and she couldn’t be more precise.

She’s got a degree on Beaux Arts at Barcelona University, and she’s been mainly showing her work in art exhibitions in Spain and in Europe. She also collaborates with newspapers and magazines using her photos as an enhance instrument for illustration. She told me that she is keen on paying attention

on objects, which surrounded her childhood, on everyday life things beauty, on time passing by and on seasons.

She’s very poetical in what it comes to describe herself; she’s ongoing profound searching for calm, balance and harmony.

As a photographer she has this special gift to transform reality into poetry, creating a thoughtful aesthetic atmosphere.

The way she catches the light, the way she studies objects anatomy thrills me and leaves me completely breathless.”

» flickr.com/photos/jelens

peaches and tangerines peach, tangerine, fruits

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Kapitel studio self 4.43pm mav

Things I like about mav Suggested by Astrid.

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single letterpress, p2ppress, port2portpress, card

“She sees beauty in simple, everyday life things. I like how she presents this in an honest, no-fuss way. Her style of photograhy has made me rethink part of my own style of photography.

You don’t have to make a technicaly perfect photo to make perfect photo. It’s all about the atmosphere. Mav’s photos always got the right atmosphere!

I really like how she runs her letterpress business - making these lovely pieces of art, always full of new ideas, working hard, ‘advertising’ on Flickr ... etc. It’s a huge inspiration for my own little text writing business.”

» flickr.com/photos/mav_port2port 42 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Kapitel

rooftops {detail} letterpress, p2ppress, port2portpress, card, rooftops

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Kapitel

thursday mav

44 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Suggestion

Why ‘port2port’? port2port is referring to my blog. I started it with a dear friend Anika (known on the blog as ‘arc’) in april of 2005 and she lives in one port town, I live in another. We live on separate coasts in the US so that became ... port2port.

When I started the business it just seemed natural to call it after the blog since my blogging is really what started me even thinking about having a handmade craft business.

How did you first become aware of and become interested in Art? I became aware of art in my 2nd year in college. I did not go to college thinking of art at all! I was planning to go into English and writing but it just didn’t happen that way.

Describe a typical job day?

I get up early and am to work in my studio room by 7 a.m. and usually I linger on a walk in the afternoon and finish up by 5 p.m. Some days I just do computer work and work in preparing designs or working on other kinds of backend things.

Other days I print for three to five hours of the day. Those are the days I love ... my hands are dirty and I’m making art! It’s so fun.

What’s your bible?

I love Pure Style by Jane Cumberbatch. It is just beautiful and I look at it all of the time to get my juices flowing.

“Simple things invigorate and inspire me: a nice stack of folded linens; the color of the ocean when it touches the sand; a good piece of crusty bread with sharp cheese. Each day, I live to breathe in every experience and appreciate all of the small pleasures in life.”

I think in life you can do a certain amount of planning but lots of things are just left up to chance. My drifting into art classes certainly was.

How would you describe your style of art?

Elegant, simple, understated.

Do you have any other job?

I do some graphic design as well for clients here in my area. I used to do a lot more but since the business started taking off I have had less time.

Do you consider that being an artist is a difficult job to handle?

Indeed! Like any job you have your days where you just don’t know if what you are contributing toward society is worth anything at all. I think it’s a part of life but most certainly a part of being an artist.

Self doubt is always there as you make your creations and it is in pushing through that that you find your best moments!

What would you be if not an artist?

I would own a flower shop that also carried little treasures or a café where I could get to know the regulars and serve my baked goodies.

What do you do when you are stuck on a particular piece of work?

Leave it or just do it. I can’t over think the work I do. I can only do so much planning and then I just wing it. I find that that is the best way for me to work and to not doubt myself. Either leave the work there and come back; or just power through.

What can’t you live without?

Dark chocolate!

What inspires you?

People. People and what they do, what they don’t do, what they make, how they talk, what they say, how the photograph, what they eat … and why we are all here walking the earth bumping into one another and making beautiful moments.

What’s your favorite designer/artist?

There are so many who I am adoring. Karin Eriksson is a huge inspiration to me. And I get lots of inspiration from my blogging friends & flickr. I am wild about being a part of the online community.

Her website » port2portpress.com Maria’s cards at her etsy shop

» port2portpress.etsy.com

Her blog » port2port.visualblogging.com/

December 2006 Glimpse | 45

Kapitel

under feet mav, film, fall, leaves, feet, green

Each day, I live to breathe in every experience and appreciate all of the small pleasures in life.

Being trained as a graphic artist I have developed an eye for simple detail and form. I would like to use my letterpress to demonstrate this appreciation.

I have set an intention to keep port2port press small so I can continue to take the time to enjoy each unique piece that I print by hand.

46 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Kapitel

july 06 cards letterpress, p2ppress, port2portpress, cards, seaweed, handmade

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48 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

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too busy film, mav, moviehouse, ticketcounter, reflection

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finding moments Suggested by *n*o*o*r*

unmade bed bed, sheets, morning, light

50 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Kapitel

drying dishes dishes, kitchen, my everyday life

She makes beauty out of simple things, gets inspired by her everyday life and inspires others with it.

“I’d like to suggest simplyphoto, Jennifer Causey from New York.

Her photos of food are beautiful and mouth watering, the photos she made around the house make me want to live there.

I like the style of her photos, which is plain and clear, with true colours, and I like her style in her photos, the pretty bowls, plates and vases, or dresses and shoes. She makes beauty out of simple things, gets inspired by her everyday life and inspires others with it.

A couple of months ago she organized a Flickr Photo Swap, with the theme Inspiration. Participants had to make a photo of something that inspires them and send them to a given swap partner. What I liked most about this swap was the encouragement that it was giving.”

» flickr.com/photos/photobird

December 2006 Glimpse | 51

Suggestion I should have been born in another era. I love nature and the idea of wide open spaces, probably because I live in a city and am always on the search for a bit of the natural world.

I have a strange affliction for clothes lines, although I hate doing my own wash. I love looking into other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spaces, especially their kitchens. I think that someday I will own a motor home or an isolated cabin somewhere in the woods. I love warm light.

I love the patterns it creates and the mood it sets. It really provides comfort for me. Speaking of patterns, I love them! Polka dots are my favs.

I love to travel and the idea that I can be transported to another land through other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photos. I love being inspired by the creations of others. I love the way seemingly mundane pictures of food or objects can be made into works of art and create moments in time.

I love the idea of intimacy. I think you can create intimacy with others, but also with yourself. I savor these special moments of solitude.

Read more on her blog Âť simplyphoto.blogspot.com

I think that someday I will own a motor home or an isolated cabin somewhere in the woods.

welcome fall light, window, trees, fall, brooklyn

Kapitel

meganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mug mug, 50s, kitchen, retro

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Kapitel

house with yellow walls IV

Lepsøy, house, wall, yellow, house with yellow walls

scandinavian delight Suggested by Jördis!

54 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

“I met Astrid Hagen a while before I had my own Flickr account. I was searching for good photos for an editorial design project at uni.

She didn’t make it into the magazine back then, but to be one of my favorite Flickr contacts. She has been an inspiration for my own photography and my thesis.

She was writing on her master thesis at that time. It was about food and how food has become something more than just nutrition – how it became a lifestyle. Apart from writing on her master thesis, she was distracting herself by taking photos – which I can understand so good right now as I’m writing my own thesis. I like her attitude and how she shares her personal life with us on Flickr.

The way she shows everyday life has inspired me often since then.

I think, it’s the simplicity of her photos, the honesty that make her photos so special to me. In Bergen / Norway, she lives and works as a freelance journalist. As she was studying, she was working from her home office and she said “… I tend to take a lot of photos in my office. When I get bored, I snap a shot.” I’m very lucky she gets

“I like her attitude and how she shares her personal life with us on flickr.” bored, because the photos she takes of her home are great. As I’ve seen how she’s moved in there and how it came all together step by step, it’s nice to see how she enjoys living there.

She is passionate about cooking, so a lot of her photos are about that topic: cooking, food, having dinner with friends, big barbeques, quick snacks or a simple breakfast. Getting to know how people in Norway cook today is very interesting to me. I always thought it would be more different from what I’m cooking here in Germany, but it’s not.

Beside her photos of her home, food, views outside her window or of her office she has shown some nice places in Norway too. Those photos always make me want to go to Norway – and one day I will.”

» flickr.com/photos/astridhagen

house with yellow walls II

Lepsøy, house, wall, yellow, house with yellow walls

Livingroom home, livingroom, table, sun, orange, white,orange wall, orchid, orchids, lamp, lamps, Moser lamps, Louis Poulsen, Danish design, design, Nordic design, corners of my home, in residence, available light, interestingness, Moser

Kapitel Autumn berries autumn, autumn colors, rowan, rowanberry, rowanberries, film, scan, Canon EOS 500N, soundtrack, bokeh

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Kapitel

outdoor cooking Hvaler, Norway, summer, Canon EOS 500N, film, scan, photo by Sølve

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streets of Høyden Høyden, Bergen, Norway, houses, streetlamp

Suggestion

Syllabuses from the motorcycle diary Suggested by The 10 cent designer

East of Here 09.07.06

­There’s a place I like to take Lala in the city – a place where they make the best damn mojito’s north of Havana. With any luck, I’ll be sitting there with her soon – with a nice warm breeze blowing on us as we talk the night away. Have a fanta-bulous weekend – I have no doubt I will.

Oh. One other thing. My sincerest gratitude to those of you who nominated me for this year’s Photobloggies.

I wasn’t aware until recently, and completely surprised to find No Traces showing up in five different categories.

Amazing. It’s amazing because I’ll tell you something – I spend most of my waking hours, and a lot of my sleeping hours, dreaming and thinking about one thing – images. I’ve dedicated my entire working career to images – in one form or another.

Nothing thrills me more than marks on paper (or on computer screen) – all of which make up pretty images and type. A long time ago I chose to be a businessman. I was born to be one, and I followed the path.

I have no regrets. I will also tell you that this little place called No Traces has allowed me to keep some sort of sanity in my crazy, chaotic life. It’s also afforded me the op-

portunity to meet hundreds, if not thousands, of wonderful like-minded people – and share in the one thing we all love most – images. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity.

I can tell you there are much more deserving people than me for this nomination – just check out my Fav of the Day when you get the chance, and you’ll see what I mean.

No Traces allows me to be the one thing I always really wanted to be – a photographer. A photographer who shares his view and thoughts of the world with others – gratis.

Those of you who I’ve met know I have one important dharma by which I live my life – Pay It Forward.

In simple terms, instead of paying back a debt of gratitude to someone, pay it forward to someone new – spread the wealth. I’ve tried to do my best to live by my beliefs by sharing ideas and thoughts with anyone interested or in need. I do this because of all the wonderful people I’ve met who encouraged me from the beginning – who gave me strength and courage – to show the world what I see via the camera’s eye. All of you should know, it’s not an easy thing to do, but together, we have managed to put together a great community.

I’ve tried to do my best to live by my beliefs by sharing ideas and thoughts with anyone interested or in need.

60 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Suggestion

Chores are done â&#x20AC;Ś Holga, film is not dead, film is dead when bob gives it up

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Holga House holga, film is not dead

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Shadows Grow Long 09.20.06

Here’s a simple photography rule I have – shoot subjects you love. Simple. I can tell you I have well over a million images on my hard drive of Lainey.

Just don’t forget to share with the rest of us.

No other person sees the world quite the way you do - and certainly not the subjects that are so near and dear to you.

I probably have a half million images of farms. Which camera or film (or digital camera) you use is irrelevant and unimportant.

Just take the time to photograph your subject in such a way that transcends how you feel about the subject to your audience. How will you know?

Oh, you’ll know. It may take you several dozen – maybe several hundred shots – to get it just right.

wings) – and you know I never tire of photographing old farms.

It’s so much easier to try out new techniques on subjects you’re so familiar with – and eventually the whole thing just sort of melts together – before you know it, you know the characteristics of a lens – or a particular film - or light at different times of day – and the best part of this rule is you get to spend more time with the things you love.

Just don’t forget to share with the rest of us. No other person sees the world quite the way you do – and certainly not the subjects that are so near and dear to you.

Try different formats, cameras, lenses, films, landscape mode, portrait mode – try different times of day. I never tire of taking images of Lainey (she’s pretty cooperative when she knows peanut butter is waiting for her in the

December 2006 Glimpse | 63

Suggestion

Red Shed 05.11.06 Friday. The weekend. Thank goodness. Hey! My back is better! Just when I was about to give up hope and run myself over with my car – the full moon pulled something back in place – I can walk again – well, better than I have for the last week. I’m still sore as all get out. Special thanks to everyone who sent links to stretching exercises, back gurus, shamans, and Dr. Kevorkian’s home phone number. You guys are awesome!

to tell her I was sure I was going to die any moment, and I found out I have six toes.

See? I can’t be laid up like this ever again. It’s dangerous for a guy like me. I need to be moving. I need to be out and about.

Sniffing at the world and kissing babies and stuff. I hope to ride my bike this weekend. I know, I know, I’ll take it easy.

I promise. I have a boatload of stuff I have to get done around the house after not being able to do squat for the last week. I’ll GLADLY do it - I’m not complaining. I need to workout.

I need to take crazy Lainey to the lake. I need to scan film. I need to process images. Oh - and I start my large format class on Sunday! Should be wicked cool fun.

I need to be moving. I need to be out and about – sniffing at the world and kissing babies - and stuff.

Seriously, I thought I was going to lose my mind. I don’t know how people with chronic pain deal.

I never thought I was all that active – until I was flat on my back for the last week and DYING to get out to do STUFF.

It sucks to lay there and do nothing. Oh sure, I read, I looked at all the dust stuck on the ceiling fan, I called the President to complain about the war (didn’t he declare the war was over a while back?), I made Lainey bring me a few photo books, I finished writing my novel, I yelled out the window for my neighbors to “shut the hell up! Don’t you know there’s a crippled old fat guy up here trying to recover?” I drove Lala crazy by calling her every five minutes

64 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

So – I’m feeling better. Have a fantastical weekend. Take care of yourselves. Be good to one another. Oh, and if you have someone to kiss, do it. I hear it’s good for you.

» flickr.com/photos/notraces More to read: » notraces.com

Suggestion

Wood Shed Holga, abandoned farm, ektachrome, film is not dead, nikon 9000 scan, 100v10f

December 2006 Glimpse | 65

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life, taipei, taiwan, people, friends

hide and seek by tookie

Kapitel

The Same different all over the world

Kapitel

December 2006 Glimpse | 67

coffee for one by little birds home, self

08:24

bondi, beach, walk, morning

morning surf by <danielle>

09:12

I try to walk at the beach every morning. It makes me feel good. I feel calmer being by the ocean, smelling the fresh sea air and feeling sand underfoot. It’s still a bit cold for me to swim so I haven’t done it too often yet this season.

16mm fisheye

wider … by JesC

08:33

The yellow cabs are the best. But their timing was way off when i was shooting this! I do like the little man standing in front of the car though.

self, studio, portrait

Admiring by tookie

09:47

I can’t walk by without admiring the front of such an amount of precision and beauty.

me, coffee, morning, home

morning by Astrid Hagen

09:04

Coffee in the morning. Working as a freelance journalist gives me the chance to work from home, have a relaxed coffe and start working in my bathrobe.

still life, glass, kitchen, window

window sill by Supercapacity

08:25

Lala found these tiny bottles yesterday and arranged them here on the windowsill for me.

First things first. After the kids left for school I have my coffee and some time for reading blogs and have a look what my Flickr friends are up to. It’s the most relaxing time of my whole day and I enjoy it the most after busy weekends or days the kids don’t go to school.

barrette, rugs, hardwood

not one for subtlety by Elizabeth Taylor

11:37

I realize I could have also titled this “Too Many Rugs”. If there’s a spare rug and a square inch of exposed floor, another rug please ...

my everyday life, 11 am, home

Working hard by Astrid Hagen

11:48

Enjoying to work from my home office with one the best views you can get here in Bergen.

daily life, fine day, bus stop, light and shadow

at the bus stop by moaan

12:16

Went to a store to get a present for my nieces birthday. She’s a huge Hello Kitty fan, so it’s no problem to find an adequate present.

Ana, walk, lunchbreak

Sunny Walk by Patrick Austin

12:31

On the way to get lunch with my friend Anna. We had a craven for noodles. For that we walked the extra ten minutes.

The weather started changing from the time I got to the beach and then raindrops started falling. So I quickly left the beach fearing a huge thunderstorm was about to hit.

These drops you see are about the extent of the rainfall that fell. We’re suffering from one of the worst droughts currently and need rain so badly.

home depot by Supercapacity red rule, ContaxT3, film, 800ISO, ome depotm carts, shopping, red, parking lot

12:31

I love this place, and I’m handy with a table saw. I sneak in and steal the paint swatches, and I have a pile of random scrap materials in my closet that I bought, because they looked cool but I haven’t done anything with!

almost cleaned the car by <danielle> Bondi, Sydney, Australia

11:25

15:20

chez rex by Patrick Austin rexroof, rex, friends, chez rex, 112Adams

my everyday life, 3 pm, home

Tuesday 3 pm by Astrid Hagen

15:17

Serving Sølve afternoon coffee. He’s working at home today too. I like it, when we both are working here.

Skyline, Palm trees, Echoe Park, LA

Echo park, Monday, 4pm by superfamous

15:31

On our way to meet Frank and Alex for coffee before dinner and the roofparty tonight.

snow, seagulls, roof, glawsta, mass

goin’ down? by Elizabeth Taylor

15:26

I don’t know, what these guy are doing there … can’t decide weather going down or not?

self, studio, portrait

in it by Little Birds

15:04

After reorganising my studio, it only took me two days to mess it up again. Fabrics on the floor and nothing in it’s place.

of rain, wine and surgeons by Traceyj home, coffee, wine, grey’s anatomy, DVD, rain

14:43

The last two rainy midnights have been spent with the MacBook and a glass of somethingorother, completely fixated on Grey’s Anatomy.

We invited Rex and Coleen over for dinner tonight. Unfortunately Rex forgot his keys and Coleen is out of town for the day. So Rex came over in the afternoon and spent the time fixing our lawn mower.

tofu salad for two by My Daily Struggle first of a series, kitchen, dogs, dinner

# 03 wind bell by moaan Japanesque, window, silhouette, afternoon quiet, calm

17:42

A friend gave this wind bell to me a while ago. I finally got it up there today.

He doesn’t really know it’s tofu – the dog, not Tim. 17:02

Lemon by superfamous LA, window, evening, sun

18:14

I just love the orange californian sun around this time of the day.

Reflection by Astrid Hagen reflection, me, Bergen, night, lights, lamp, livingroom, snow

18:32

Having fun with my camera while waiting for dinner to finish.

Fixing dinner for me and the girls. We haven’t seen each other way too long now, and promised each other to have a girls night in at least every two months.

scene from a reunion by Saffron home, glasses, water, table, red, friends

18:52

I caught up with my school friend who has moved back to Australia. We chatted, laughed, cried, made dinner, chatted some more - all on copius amounts of tea, water and carbonated drinks.

cooking dinner by Traceyj monique, home, dinner, eggs, sausage, avocado

17:53

LA, Ravenswood, Hollywood, Roof

Impromptu Ravenswood roofparty by superfamous

10:22

Kapitel

10:18

no tags

hiding clutter by traceyj

Because I don’t want to be reminded of work all the time, I hung these curtain. With the candles, they also make for a nice mood in the room.

Kyoto, alley, light, film

back alley by moaan

09:52

The back entrance to my favourite restaurant here in Kyoto. There’s always a peculiar atmosphere in this small alley.

Btw: the food is awesome too.

reading, book, magazine, wine, home

lounging by Astrid Hagen

09:58

Friday night lounging. Soundtrack: the Raconteurs “Broken Boy Soldiers” (pre birthday gift, with pre birthday flowers)

lamp, dining table, debate, lemon

new Location by Saffron

10:36

While cleaning the house I moved the table lamp to our dining table and quite liked its new location. There is a debate going about it being inappropriate.

neat, orange

neat by Supercapacity

10:47

Last week, the producers of the show Neat had a prop sale, now that the show is over. I scored an entire series of storage contai-ners.

The roofparty at Ravenswood. Don’t you just love the color? There was a gathering in the red corner later that night. There was some serious dancing too!

Suggestion

“Camilla Engman is an artist and graphic designer from Gothenburgh, Sweden. She makes beautiful crocheted animals as well. She is a woman of many talents.

She is a constant source of inspiration to me and it is a delight to see bits of her Scandinavian life through her eyes and those of her dog, Morran. Whether looking at pictures of her trip to the Italian alps, or her morning cup of coffee, her photos are always full of fun and creativity.”

» flickr.com/photos/morran

the swedish king and queen sverige, king, queen, reflection, Silvia, Carl-Gustav, sweden, royal

78 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Suggestion

Everybody loves morran Suggested by Simply Photo

sunny day window

window, ship, sun

please morran, dog

thinking corner home, corner, sofa, plant

morran has her own island morran, dog, white

December 2006 Glimpse | 79

No titles available for these Photos no tags

80 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

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inspired notes Suggested by Svea “I love Kemp Attwood’s collection – because he really sees the beauty in the things we see day to day – that most people miss. It makes one take a second look at daily life. Kemp has also worked for the CBC3r, lived in Japan and is soon maybe going overseas for his design work.”

» flickr.com/photos/intransient

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December 2006 Glimpse | 83

Suggestion “She is one of those rare people you meet on Flickr who instantly feels more like a real friend than a “Flickr friend”.

Her warmth is genuine. Kasia is a woman of many talents … but if you view her photos of Lila for even a moment, you’ll see that being a mother is one of her most wonderful and inspiring gifts. Lila’s a lucky girl. strange fruit

not that i like them, but they are so beautiful, sometimes i do eat them, sometimes they are sweet, strange fruit, very strange fruit

it wasn’t me

yellow,teddy bear, teddies, toys, lila

She inspires …

Her photography captures more than things and places. She captures the essence of things and the feel of places. Her style is warm, classic and elegant whether she’s shooting objects in her home (from decorations to food), in nature (from flowers to forests to the sea) or around town. She finds a way to communicate the story in what she sees.

I don’t think of Kasia’s site as a collection of photos … it is more engaging, more like a warm place where friends gather. … and other Kasian ways

=vv[==]jbv (this title was typed by lila)

hyacinth, white, home, jacinto, flower, new life, bloom, white space, H&H

She speaks several languages and currently works at a language institute in her town. She recently gave a series of lectures on everyday life in South Africa, where she worked for a time.

She has also lived and worked in Denmark and attended school in the U.S. She also works as a journalist and writes articles for a local magazine in Leszno, Poland (taking photos which accompany the story when possible).

Her love of music is contagious – any visitor to her photostream knows Sting is a constant inspiration. You asked what makes us come back to the work of the person we suggest. For me it’s all of the above and one thing more.

I don’t think of Kasia’s site as a collection of photos … it is more engaging, more like a warm place where friends gather.

Wander through her photos and you will learn about her family, her passions (from kids to flea markets!), her tastes (food, music, books, poems), her ideas, her humor, generosity and kindness. She’s an artist and she inspires in the best sense (to me) – she affects how I see the world; reminds me to look through artful eyes.”

» flickr.com/photos/kasia_hc Kasia doesn’t have any photos available to you at the moment

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a woman of many talents Suggested by Nardell

Colder sp, me, blue, colder, forget_me_not, ok?, tak, I can´t

December 2006 Glimpse | 85

Suggestion

Let’s play!

Suggested by Tedfoo

“I have no idea how I met Diastema but I’m glad I did. Sort of a Flickr twist of fate. She’s a genius. Diastema’s photostream largely consists of ambiguous scenarios played out with figurines. Her style is distinct and precise. Her storytelling within these photos is like a ribald joke told at a formal dinner party.

I always imagine shrill tentative laughter from the ladies and eager guffaws from the plump gentlemen that have had too much to drink.

Her style is distinct and precise. Her storytelling within these photos is like a ribald joke told at a formal dinner party.

I like the humor because it lacks the cymbal crash at the end of the punchline.

It’s just there. Sitting open for interpretation.

Her colors are always right on. Deep and rich. A bit hypnotic. Sometimes.

Oh sometimes when I’m looking at her photos, I don’t know if I should laugh or cry. That’s what I like most.

I’ve emailed Diastema a couple of times. She’s as charming in her emails as her photos. She’s from the big city but I’m pretty sure she’d go to a hoedown with me and if we didn’t dance I’m sure we’d sit on haybales, talk and drink silos until the moon was high in the sky.”

» flickr.com/photos/diastema

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gambling giraffe sixwordstory, dice, gaming, giraffe, gambling

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Kapitel That’s that dog’s gonna have onion-breath but you’ll love him anyway

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No title no tags

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venetian mirror 10cent, interior design

92 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

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The 10 cent designer suggested by Astrid Hagen “Her work inspires me in many ways. I really like her interior design work. I like her style, both in her professional work and her private home. I love her fun and creative ideas.

She never stops to surprise me. I always enjoy it when she shares bits and pieces of her personal life. The way she presents herself makes me want to meet her and get to know her better. She’s a very competent photographer and I like seeing the diversity in her photostream.”

» flickr.com/photos/theproletariatdesigner

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gigantic gigantic gigantic big big clog, kitten heels, 10cent

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96 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

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steve the mailman in bed steve was a milkman for 10 years before this, no word of a lie, utataideassocial, utataideas, my bedroom

December 2006 Glimpse | 97

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Truths and Half-Truths Lori Andrews for UTATA

take a nap take a nap, on a rainy day

98 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Suggestion caban three

canadian vacation

The Dutiful Stylist

My interiors are full of truths and half-truths.

I want to show you only the most interesting moments, only the most beautiful seconds. Of course, every interior is only a sum of its parts. Or is it?

I am the designer, the photographer, the stylist and the client. It is rare that a room I photograph does not need styling.

Yet I often photograph the objects exactly as I have found them. Styling interiors is like the under-painting on a work of art. Layers of colors and intentions can be built up that will not show through the final result except in some intangible emotive way. So I will go to great lengths to clear clutter from the corners, fluff the pillows or straighten the books and yet I have no intention of aiming my lens in that direction.

My approach to interior photography is decidedly low tech. My camera of choice is a Canon 20D. I have a selection of reflectors that I use to fill in the dark corners.

All of the photographs in this article were shot using only the available natural light. I like the depth of the natural shadows as well as the melancholy ambiance this helps to create.

My professional life has given me the opportunity to photograph not only homes that I have decorated but also homes where my designer hand has not been felt. I relish each photographic opportunity equally. Sometimes when I am taking my design “before” pictures, I am so struck by the appeal of the existing items that I will take some time to compose a shot that expresses my heartfelt appreci-ation of some long out-of-style décor. I am also regularly hired to photograph homes I have staged for sale (made ready for sale). If the realtor who hired me for these jobs knew how much I loved the work, he would insist I start paying him! Taking interior photographs is for me, a way to get lost in the moment. Completely immersed in the creative process.

Take Me to the Bedroom A place of love and passion. A place to end the day.

A refuge for afternoon slumber.

Photographing the bedrooms of strangers and near strangers might seem an invasion of privacy, but it is

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Suggestion not at all what you might think. I have found that most people are remarkably emotionally detached from their bedrooms. They will leave me to my photographic task without so much as a curious glance. Though perhaps it is such a personal place that even a stranger within deserves discretion.

Bedrooms are often home to mirrors. Allowing us a backwards glance at that center of desire, the bed. Funny thing about looking at rooms this way is that you really notice the details. The way the light falls from the window becomes a story in itself. The gathering of objects on a night table, drawing in the eye much stronger than if they had to compete with the grandeur of the entire bed.

I really love to photograph a room this way because of what I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t show. The spaces out of reach of my camera lens could easily contain a napping individual or an arguing couple. It is as though someone could step into the picture at any moment, or as though someone has just moved past our view.

Memories of Places I Have Never Been The waterfront property. The laughter of children, diving and jumping off the dock. The sound of the waves at dawn gently rolling and falling just steps from my cozy perch on the porch.

There is this nearly universal dream to own a charming cottage on the lake or by the ocean. I have it. In my imagination, we could take the summer off work. Have fires on the beach and search for shells every afternoon.

My cabin is perfect and clean with the whitest of walls.

The sun shines everyday and we take turns reading novels at the kitchen table and on the porch swing.

cheap and chic staging, alana buy some nice bedding damn it, bed

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Suppose that each object within was charged with the memories and experiences of the people who live there.

Suppose your home is more than just a place full of stuff.

It is the place your stuff lives.

Kapitel

thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fabulous

he height of style circa 1978 December 2006 Glimpse | 101

Kapitel

her casual living room

interior design

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Suggestion reflections

starburst mirror - my idea

Everything you own, displayed as a map of your individual human existence. The only catch is this: I will interpret them in my own way. I will weave my own stories around them and present them as my own. Your things become my stories and will happily lie to my viewer about who you are.

This is the story I followed when I shot my Caban series.

Truth be told, the place was a hike and a bit from any water and you really wouldn’t want to attempt swimming in the chilly British Columbia waters without a wetsuit.

The rented home we stayed in is apparently perpetually incomplete, with missing floorboards, tiles and window casings. Even the charming tablecloth is really only plastic.

The island this cabin is on is rugged and rough and quite the opposite of the idealized summer paradise. I wasn’t trying to fool anyone. I was just dreaming.

Grandma’s Got Style The appeal of retro chic is not universal.

Dated wallpaper, crazy avocado green upholstery, and an out of this world granite slab table deserve to be documented. The room was a riot of pattern and clashing colors. I took this photo while I toured this recently inherited home with my clients.

I discussed the outrageous beauty of this room while I pressed the shutter. My clients did not see it. They did not believe me.

I focused my lens on a small portion of the room. I simplified the disorder. I titled the photograph that’s fabulous!

I must admit, even after I sent them a print, they still refused to call it worthy. And so, beauty remains in the eye of the beholder and the stories of my interiors can fail to move the viewer. I’m going to keep trying though.

Some day I’m going to take the perfect interior photograph. Well maybe not, but I will have a good time trying.

» utata.org/articles//utatabites/18542.php

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anxiety dream float to the ceiling and gravity always pulls you back, hide up high, 10cent, utataideasme, utataideas

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Morningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work no tags

Suggestion

Estelle the baker

no tags

Cakes and cushions Suggested by Matt?!

“I suggest Starknaught11. She shows a great sense of humor in both here photos and her comments. It’s great fun and an inspiration to browse through her photos and the things she has to say about them, and to get a glimpse into her personal life and thoughts and her work, which she’s, on some days atop of.

She shares her inspirations and new creations. I love browsing through them, she does amazing work. I also like that she shares her personal moods, be it good or bad ones.

But most importantly I love the food she makes, and I especially adore her affinity to all things cake, an affinity I fully share.

If her cakes and textiles aren’t enough good reason to go to Canada – well, except for the beautiful country, of course, I don’t know what is.”

» flickr.com/photos/43848046@N00

mad / glad – but only for Elizabeth Taylor

no tags

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Suggestion

oranges fruit oranges food produce

Flowers flowers

obsessed with food, drinks and everything in between Suggested by MarionQuaggatuggu

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my favorite time of the day #1 no tags

Suggestion

He tries to answer every question and is very bountiful with sharing his knowledge.

Happy #2

no tags

“One of my biggest inspirations here on flickr is definitely Matt Armendariz. Well, not only for me but for lots of people here on flickr, I guess. He just has it all, he’s inspiring, he has an interesting job, he does crazy stuff and lives in a fantastic house. And on top of that he’s just a f ... nice guy.

artworks that have a soul. And so much more than just an inspiration. They are an incitement to improve my knowledge, my skills, my eye and not to give up when I don’t get the results I wanted.

And have I said that besides being a great food photographer he takes also amazing (self) portraits?”

I love that he’s that open about his job. His passion.

I’ve noticed that quite a lot people tend to be very closemouthed when it come to telling how a photo was done.

What camera, lens and setting they have used or what the light source was. Matt is quite the opposite. He tries to answer every question and is very bountiful with sharing his knowledge.

And he doesn’t think he’s someone better than everybody else just because he does that for a living. He can appreciate a good shot no matter if it was taken by a pro or a bloody beginner.

» flickr.com/photos/matthewa

He writes about his job and life on » mattbites.com which is always a pleasure to read. I remember reading when he found the 100-year old recipe box from his husband’s grandmother ...

It made me almost cry … I absolutely love his appreciation for things others don’t even notice … Matt’s photos are so much more than just pictures. They are carefully composed

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Suggestion

Figs in Bowl

figs, fruit, vegetable

old yellow chair

no tags

Part foodie, part blogger, and always entertaining, Matt Armendariz is a food photographer and art director who inspires us with his images and makes us hungry! His style is simple, with compositions that highlight ingredients and draw the viewer in.

Working at his home studio in the Los Angeles area and on location, Matt has created images for companies such as Whole Foods and Bristol Farms. He writes a very fun and engaging blog called Matt Bites, and lets us in on the secret world of food photography. For all of us who photograph our dinner with sad results, Matt helps us see the light. We spoke last week about his work and techniques.

What makes a food shot special? What do you look for in an image?

A special food shot is a few factors working simultaneously.

A food shot is special when the photographer or stylist (or even blogger) has a real connection to the food. This appreciation and love really shows in the final frame; you simply can’t fake it. I’ve never met a successful food photographer that wasn’t also a foodie. There’s a reason for this. When buying photography or art directing a shoot I look for two factors: my emotional reaction and the technical factor. Does the food photo wow me? Do I want to reach in and take a bite? And is the photo high qual-

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forelles and seckels

pears, fruit

ity, unique and technically well executed? I’m willing to forsake one side if the other side excels.

What are your five best tips for making a set-up successful?

1. Start with great product, whether it is the freshest food, unique props or a great studio.

2. Use natural, available light.

3. If you can afford it, work with professionals like food and prop stylists. There’s nothing wrong with doing it yourself, but professional resources can be magical.

4. Get along with everyone you’re working with and be nice. Super nice. I can’t stress this enough. I’ve seen photographers yell at assistants, stylists throw tantrums, and let me tell you that none of that is tolerated when I’m on set. Life’s too crazy; be nice to each other. Besides, that negativity translates itself to your photography, believe it or not.

5. Use a great lens appropriate for your shot.

My husband is a chef and I am a photographer.

You would think we would be a perfect match for food photography, but we’re not stylists and art directing is such an challenging craft. What can you suggest for us to think about when photographing dinner?

Suggestion I would suggest to begin thinking of yourself not so much as a chef and photographer team but as a stylist and art director; one needs to see the food as shapes and form and not necessarily food. Then after playing art director you can become the photographer. It’s a tricky dance but actually quite fun.

Photographing dinner can be tricky as food built for photography isn’t necessarily the same plate you’d sit down to eat. Sure, the recipe and ingredients may be the same, but a big bowl of food must be looked at objectively and not through the eyes of a chef. As far as the technical specs, shooting food is pretty different than shooting people. Just like the rapport between model and photographer, a food photographer has to understand and appreciate food. Ever ask a non-food photographer to shoot food? The results are obvious. If I had to offer one tip for photographing dinner I’d have to say use natural light. Above all things, natural light is key to making a food shot realistic, appetizing and attractive.

Take us through what you do to set up for a simple shot, say a portrait of a strawberry.

Ah, here’s where the art director steps in. I first must identify my final end use – is this for an advertisement? Who’s my audience? Is this editorial, catalogue, or personal?

Once I identify those factors I have a much better understanding of the shot. If it’s for sole personal use then I can have as much fun as possible, which is of course the most fun.

OK, so I’ve figure out that my shot is purely editorial to accompany a story about the season’s first really good berries. I’ll call a farmer or grower and ask if I can shoot in the field, and if that’s not feasible I’ll get my hands on the absolute best looking product possible. This is key.

This is what makes it unique. High quality subjects equal a great photograph. After that I’ll photograph it, and the set up can be anywhere from natural light with reflectors for fill or softboxes and spotlights if I want to show detail.

Your new “Peas” shot is fantastic. How did you create this image and what makes this shot look so great and not like a mess of peas?

Thank you so much. Sometimes we have a tendency to over stylize and fuss with stuff until all the magic’s gone.

I fully intended to create something completely different when I grabbed a handful of fresh peas and a brown tablemat until I looked at it and realized how beautiful the peas looked loosely arranged. I feverishly opened peas very delicately and began to lay them out, forcing myself not to overdo it. It’s lit with natural light, no fill.

Cake Again not tags

Tell us about your gear. What camera/lenses/ lighting/support equipment do you use?

I shoot with a Canon 20D and a 4-gig card. Most of my files are shot raw. In the event I need more resolution or a different frame size I’ll rent equipment or even shoot film.

Depending on the subject or effect I am trying to achieve I’ll use a basic 18-55mm lens, a 50mm or an 85 f/1.2.

For very dramatic shots I’ll use a 90mm Tilt Shift lens. I’ll use any light I can get my hands on, I’m not picky. 95% of my work is daylight, other times I’ll use strobe. Because I focus so much on natural light I always make sure I have an ample amount of fill cards, frost, diffusion material and reflectors.

Lighting product shots and food can be really tricky. What are some of your lighting tricks of the trade? (Strobe? Hot lights? Overexposure?

Soft light? Etc.) Because I shoot mostly food and high end food products I’ve had to familiarize myself with a few techniques.

Cooked food is beautiful as is, but I prefer backlighting to pick up highlights and refection in sauces, slick surfaces, etc. I can achieve the same effect with strobe when needed. Hot lights are hard with food as the heat causes it to die fast, and some things like mint and herbs die within a minute on the set. Timing is everything. I tend

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Suggestion How much post-production is involved in creating a standard shot for a magazine? (Photoshop?)

Believe it or not, there’s not a huge amount of postproduction required for food photography. Food is so beautiful in its natural state and doesn’t require a whole lot of messing with if it’s captured properly. If anything, the manipulation occurs when trying to fit an image on a cover or on a specified layout when type will share space.

I’ve cloned my share of table edges to gain a few extra inches for printer’s bleeds.

Where did you get your training?

I am completely self-taught. I’ve never taken a class in anything.

Penne with Chard and Sausage

pasta, penne, chard, food

to shoot raw and underexpose my images to preserve information and detail. I know I can always correct it in processing. The funny thing is that I love overexposed images, but with food you lose quite a bit of detail. Wine bottles, olive oils and vinegars are entirely different beasts.

Those are easiest when shot with strobe and an elaborate set up of reflectors, fill cards and panels. Those pesky milky reflections!

I’m always stymied by backgrounds when shooting food or products. Any insights?

I believe background is just as important as the subject, and that’s led to some interesting discoveries. Because the background is usually thrown out of focus in food shots it’s not so much what the actual surface is as the color of the surface. Plain corrugated cardboard becomes a beautiful tan color when blurred, cheap art paper is handy, napkins and fabrics do wonders, too. Just make sure your object is large enough. Other than that, use anything.

You’ll be surprised how pleasant every day items can be.

Do you have your own studio? (If not, do you have a set-up in your house?)

My garage has been converted into my studio, but I also shoot at different studios if I need more light, more space, or air conditioning!

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Do you consider yourself a photographer, art director or foodie first?

I’d consider myself a glutton of the highest order first. All the other titles follow. Seriously, I’d have to identify myself as a lover of food first and foremost. It’s something I take with me wherever I go and a passion I’ve had my entire life. The art director job has been the last 10 years of my life and I’m still trying to figure out when to call myself a photographer. Call it identity crisis.

How did you get started in food photography and art direction?

I started bagging groceries at the original Whole Foods Market in Austin, Texas many years ago. It was a summer job between semesters, and growing up in Austin it seems that everyone had a friend or relative that worked for Whole Foods. I jumped on a computer one day to make signs, and that led to graphic design which led to art direction once the company began to grow. After 10 years with Whole Foods I decided to leave and pursue art direction elsewhere.

The photography happened by accident; I picked up a camera to get a few small last minute incidental shots and fell in love with crafting my own image. I’ve spent countless hours trailing photographers around in my career and picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. It was the best classroom one could ever hope for. After gaining some experience I began to use my own photography in my work and it’s been extremely rewarding. You can call me a control freak, I suppose.

That’s not to say I’m anywhere close to the talent and expertise of the photographers I’ve worked with as an art director. Not even close.

Suggestion In addition to great food photography, you create unusual and beautiful self-portraits. Would you tell us about your process for creating these?

My self portraits began because no one would model for me.

They’re actually exercises in lighting and not so much an exploration in self-indulgence.

Have a look again and you’ll see an attempt of different methods of lighting: natural, flash, ring light, ring flash, strobe, snoot, softbox, colored gel, outdoor night and daytime flash, the list goes on. The costumes and props (inflatable dolls, plastic bugs, banana peels, fake birds, dogs) are there so I won’t take myself too seriously. Or so anyone else won’t, either.

I love the simplicity of some of your people portraits.

Your subjects seem so real and approachable.

What can you tell us about those?

As much as I am a fan of fashion photography I try to capture people in their most natural state, the same way I’d shoot food.

I’m bogged down with the logistics of food photography many days, so I like the spontaneity of shooting friends and acquaint- ances. I’ve been known to set up a c-stand and seamless in the backyard unexpectedly and drag friends out there, much to their disappointment.

Using Elmer’s Glue for milk and basting a turkey with motor oil are some common food stylist tricks. Got any weird ones from shoots you’ve worked on?

But of course! The strangest is a thanksgiving turkey. Cook the raw bird for about 20 minutes, take it out of the oven and brush it with soy sauce. Use a blowdryer to dry it and repeat the painting process until it reaches your desired hue.

After it dries brush it with lemon dishwashing liquid and voila!

Your turkey’s ready! Well, it looks ready.

Dinner is served not tags

on a Thanksgiving project so the last thing I feel like eating involves cooking.

It will probably be cold soba noodles, an heirloom caprese salad or just a bottle or three of Pinot Blanc. Or all of the above.

» ispeakfilm.dpblogs.com/2006/08/07/behind-the-lens-mattarmendariz-food-photographer

How have tastes changed over the years for food styling? Is there a difference in the kinds of shots clients want now as opposed to when you first got started?

This really all depends on the client. The big safe mainstream manufacturers don’t want anything too edgy, so the result is safe angles, safe prop styling and safe preparation. I try to push the envelope as much as possible, displaying food in settings not always expected. Some people encourage that. It really all depends.

As far as changes in food styling, things are a bit more natural now. Years ago everything had to be absolutely perfect, not a piece out of place. Now it’s common to find crumbs, uneven edges, even messy rims of glasses. It’s very random.

What’s for dinner?

Not sure yet, but whatever it is it will be simple, cold and quick.

We’ve had a heat wave in Los Angeles and I’m currently working

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Techniques and Know how 114 | Glimpse DECEMBER 2006

Kapitel

dogwoods by simply photo dogwoods, georgia, spring, flowers, 100v+10f, BokehPhotoOfTheDay, bokeh, BOKEHsoNICE!

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Kristen by Jared Vincent

BOKEHSONICE!-AUGUST, BOKEHSONICE!-AUGUST30, bokehphotooftheday, top20bokeh

The rendition of out-of-focus points of light.

Bokeh is different from sharpness. Sharpness is what happens at the point of best focus.

Bokeh is what happens away from the point of best focus.

Bokeh describes the appearance or “feel” of out-of-focus backgrounds and foregrounds. Unfortunately the good bokeh doesn’t happen automatically in lens design.

Perfect lenses render out-of-focus points of light as circles with sharp edges. Ideal bokeh would render each of these points as blurs, not hard-edged circles. Mathematicians would say the intensity distribution of the blur circles are rectangular in perfect lenses, and good bokeh would prefer a Gaussian distribution. This is one area in which physics doesn’t mirror what we want artistically.

Differing amounts of spherical aberration alter how lenses render out-of-focus points of light, and thus their bokeh. The word “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “bokeh” (pronounced bo-keh) which literally means fuzziness or dizziness. A technically perfect lens has no spherical aberration. Therefore a perfect lens focuses all points of light as cones of light behind the lens. The

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image is in focus if the film is exactly where the cone reaches its finest point. The better the lens, the tinier this point gets.

If the film is not exactly where that cone of light reaches its smallest point, then that point of the image is not in focus. Then that point is rendered on film as a disk of light, instead of as a point. This disc is also called the “blur circle,” or “circle of confusion” by people calculating depth-of-field charts. In a lens with no spherical aberration this blur circle is an evenly illuminated disc.

Out of focus points all look like perfect discs with sharp edges. (OK, at smaller apertures where the image is in pretty good focus you may see additional “Airy” rings around the circle, but that’s a diffraction pattern we’re not discussing here.) This isn’t optimal for bokeh, since as you can imagine the sharp edge of these discs can start to give definition to things intended to be out-of-focus.

There are no perfect lenses Real lenses have some degree of spherical aberration. This means that in practice, even though all the light coming through the lens from a point on the subject may meet at a nice, tiny point on the film, that the light distri-

smooth and silky Bokeh Introduction by Ken Rockwell

Cranberry Cove Barrens VIII by D. C. Elliott

Cranberry Cove, Coastal Barrens, Barrens, BOKEHSONICE!-OCTOBER, special selection, bokeh, Fall colours, SP selection

bution within the cone itself may be uneven. Yes, we are getting abstract here, which is why some denser photographers refuse to try understand bokeh.

As you may have gathered, if the light tends to collect towards the middle of the out-of-focus discs on one side of the cone, then it will collect on the outsides of the discs on the other side of the cone. Under-corrected spherical aberration causes the light to collect in one way, overcorrected spherical aberration causes it to collect in the other.

Therefore, a lens with great bokeh for backgrounds has awful bokeh for foregrounds, and vice-versa. Things get weirder from here. Another big factor is how sharply the outside of the blur circle is rendered. Even if we have a poor signature, if the outer edge of this is rendered softly, as it is in the AF-S Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8, we have good bokeh.

my foregrounds by moving the camera or the foreground object. The reason bokeh is discussed in photography is because we prefer soft out-of-focus areas to hard ones that seem to take on texture, even though everything is out-offocus. Because of this, it is preferable to those who want soft out-of-focus areas to have the distribution of the light within each blur circle to be concentrated more towards the center of the blur circle. That way each blur circle tends to be a bright spot that gets dimmer gradually towards the edges. This way all the blur circles blend nicely.

On the other hand, if one is trying to keep everything as sharp as possible, these bokeh effects will work differently where your image is close to being in focus. If in oubt, try it out. Lens design very quickly gets very weird.

There is no measurement for bokeh. Like everything else in art, you gauge bokeh by looking at the image.

Nikonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Defocus Control, or DC, Lenses Artistically most people tend to prefer sharper foregrounds and softer backgrounds. Fuzzy foregrounds tend to make people crazy, and fuzzy backgrounds are fine. Therefore I classify lenses with good bokeh as those with good background bokeh. Personally I avoid anything fuzzy in

Nikonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Defocus Control, or DC, lenses for their popular 35mm SLR cameras actually allow one to manipulate the nature of the spherical aberration correction to allow one to locate the region of good bokeh to be either in the foreground or background. It also allows one to change

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Paseo en bicicleta by ignacio_lpm Raw, Carlota, 85mm f/1.8 AF, Bokeh, Love t-shirt, Bokehlicious

the amount of spherical aberration for total control.

Reflex and Mirror Lenses Mirror, or reflex lenses, have awful bokeh. This is because they have a relay mirror in the front of the lens that blocks the central part of the lens’ aperture. Therefore all the out-of-focus highlights are represented as doughnuts, which looks unnatural and awful.

Leitz 90 mm f/2.2 Thambar This was a 1940s soft-focus lens with a twist. Spherical aberration was deliberately left uncorrected at the sides.

The softening is most obvious at full aperture.

The lens becomes sharp as you stop it down. Leitz pulled a clever trick and included a removable front filter with an opaque central circle. The central stop eliminates the contribution from the lens’ highly corrected central portion and let you get a soft central image as desired.

Diaphragm Blades The shape and number of a lens’ diaphragm blades has

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little to do with bokeh. They define the shape of the blur circle, but they don’t define how the light is distributed within that circle. These circles are no longer circles, but shapes with as many sides as there are blades. For instance, with five blades as most Hasselblad and Mamiya lenses one gets five-sided pentagons as the shapes of outof-focus highlights instead of circles. This isn’t too great.

With six blades, most common in discount lenses for 35mm SLRs, one gets hexagons. With seven blades (most Nikkor SLR lenses) things really start to improve, since the seven-sided heptagons start looking like circles instead of recognizable shapes. Nine blades (common on Nikkor telephotos) are great, and lately they are being designed with curved blades to give a close approximation of a circle.

Odd numbers of blades will give diffraction and reflection stars around very bright points of light that have double the number of points as the number of blades. For instance, a seven-blade diaphragm will give a lovely 14pointed star. Even numbers of blades will give stars with the same number of points as you have blades. An eightbladed diaphragm will give a boring eight pointed star.

Again, how well one approximates a circle is only a small

Leica M 75/1.4 by derrickhsux not tags

part of the equation. The important part is how the light is distributed. Obviously at full aperture where most people worry about this the diaphragm plays no part.

The reason some manufacturers attempt to draw a correlation between bokeh and numbers of diaphragm blades is because it’s easy to see how many blades there are at the sales counter, but almost impossible to see bokeh.

How to See Bokeh In your Images Look for points of light in the background. Perfect subjects for this are distant points of light at night or sometimes light shining through leaves or specular reflections in daylight. If they all blend together nicely, that’s nice Bokeh. If they are perfect little circles, then that’s neutral bokeh. If they are all swimmy and look little rolled up condoms or donuts, then that’s bad bokeh. If they all are regular polygons that tells you the shape of the lens diaphragm. Yes, you can actually tell how many blades the lens’s diaphragm had! If they are perfectly round in the middle of the image and oval or lentil shaped at the sides that tells you the image was probably shot at full aperture.

If they are all flattened ellipsoids (vertical ovals about twice as tall as they are wide) then that tells you that the

image was shot with an anamorphic lens. You’ll see this in cinemascope motion pictures, not in still photographs

How to see Bokeh In Your Lens Find a point of light in the distance. You can do this easily at night by finding a distant point streetlight, or you can do it indoors by taking the reflector off of a Mag-Light flashlight and just setting it up on the other side of the room. Now look at the ground glass as you focus. If you see perfect round disks your lens has neutral bokeh, if you see soft-edged shapes you have good bokeh, and if you see doughnuts you have bad bokeh.

If you see something other than neutral bokeh you’ll see the quality of the bokeh change as you focus both in front of and in back of the point of light. Of course you can’t usually focus beyond a distant point of light, unless you have a view camera or a lens that allows focusing beyond infinity.

» kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm

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Steer’s Liocichla by PHD White Steer’s Liocichla, Liocichla steerii, A Big Fave, I Love Nature

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