Rated: PG

Running Time: 153 Minutes

Release Date: 15-Jul-2009

Nudity: None

One Sentence: I have not read this book yet. 

This review is placed under the file of big fan, that has not read this book yet.  So please take that into account when reading this review. 

I knew this movie was coming, and by knew it was coming I don't mean the movie itself.  I mean the overall feel, tone, darkest before the light feeling that Harry Potter 6 presents to all of us.  We were left after Pheonix with a sense of slight trimuph but a feeling of something darker coming.  The Half Blood Prince is that darker coming.  The life of Harry Potter the boy is over, and Harry Potter the man appears before us in Prince, weather or not he is ready for it and ever harder, darker choices and issues face him.  

The Half Blood Prince is a slow ominous story, that has so little that is bright and cheery that it might give you the sense that there will never be a light at the end of the tunnel.  Loss, death, danger, and confusion are all prevelant here and they are pulsing inside everyone on screen.  The right choices, who to trust, who is faithful and who is not are questions the characters are asking themselves and you are asking yourself as well.  In the end there are far more questions than answers, and you are left feeling empty, hollow and sad.  Which is exactly how you are supposed to feel, I suspect. 

HP6 crafts a wonderful movie, and a visually stunning CG world together, to make the far darkest of the Harry Potter series, and for that I say that this movie is excellent.  Even now as I write this I sit here weakened and sad, with my head a buzz of what just happened and what truck ran me over.   I think there could have been more but at already 2.5 hours long they could not fill in all the gaps, so I will read the book now and get those questions answered.  I have always accepted that the movies were going to be lacking some of those things, and for that I do not fault the movie at all.  So yes, HP6 is probably exactly what you are expecting and is exactly what it is supposed to be, and does it in a way that make me glad that David Yates was given the last 3 movies to direct.  Go see it in the theater. 

My Coke Rewards Code: TTHMVNRKT5BA

Rated: R

Running Time: 83 Minutes

Release Date: 10-July-2009

Nudity: Everything, Man and Woman.

One Sentence: This man has huge brass balls.

Wow, wow.  If I had to say one thing about this movie, it's that Sasha Baron Coen, the man who plays Brüno has balls the size of Canada.  I would never in a million years attempt any of the things he pulled off in this movie, and he does them with a level of character immersion that even seems to make Borat feel fake and weak in comparasion.  This is just 83 minutues of pure hard core hilarious vulgar awesome, and I think if you can handle a whole lot of gay and offensive humor then Brüno is a must see. 

I think pretty much from the very beginning to the last scene I was laughing my ass off.  I was shocked, amazed, slack-jawed and rolling in the aisles.  This movie was extremly offensive and funny, but I think it might be the funniest movie of the year.  I just loved it.  I don't have much else to say, so this is my whole review.  If you thought Borat was funny, you will like this more I think, and if you thought Borat was offensive in a bad way, then you will think this is worse.  So base your pick on that.  And now a warning.

This moive deals with race, gay issues, gay sex, men kissing, penis', group sex, fashion, rural America, and a lot more, in a way that is meant to shock you.  It is very in your face and does not apoligize for it in any way.  There were times where I thought how this is not a NC-17 movie, so be warned.  If that does not sound like something you would like to see then this movie is not for you.  However if you don't mind that, then I hope you liked Brüno as much as I did. 

My Coke Rewards: FB4VR49MTPLF

Rated: R

Running Time: 93 Minutes

Release Date: 12-Jun-2009

Nudity: None

One Sentence:  Cost prohibitive believability.

I am not sure what to say about Moon, the new independent Sci-Fi moving staring Sam Rockwell, that you have probably not heard of.  It techincally is a fine crafted wonderful true sci-fi movie that sustains itself for the 93 minutes with mostly a single man and a HAL like robot played by Kevin Spacey.  This should be satisfactory, and enough for me to say this movie is good.  That this movie is a renter, and that you should consider adding it to your queue especially if you like Sam Rockwell or true Sci-fi.  However I feel like I don't want to say that. 

Moon seems to want to stand up and say look at me I am smart, interesting and purely low budget, while telling a original (sort of) story and I am proud of myself for staying away from Hollywood.  It has all these good elements, but feels so empty about them, that I am not sure if I liked Moon at all.  I left the movie feeling like I did like it, but now a couple of days later, I am feeling like this movie could have never been made and if I had not written this article no one would have ever known it existed and it would not matter if they found out.  

I think the feel of this movie had made it feel as isolated as the main character in the movie.  It feels empty, baren, without responce, and so I too feel this way about this movie.  I think that is probably stating that the movie is good, and it is correctly portraying it's feel on people but that feeling is so cold and empty, that I am not sure if I liked it or not.  So that is all you get from me on Moon.  Check it out if you think it sounds like a movie for you. 

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 150 Minutes

Release Date: June 24th 2009

Nudity: None

One Sentence: Too much comedy, too much movie, not enough cool transformers. 

I thought the original Transformers movie from 2007 was the perfect summer movie.  So it was with great anticipation that I thought Michael Bay and his transformers team with the help of ILM could pull it off again.  Just go a little bit bigger, just a little more, and keep it together and they will have another great movie.  I do have to say ILM did pull it off again, however Michael Bay, very much did not.  I was willing to forgive so much from the past.  

Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen was this years Episode 1 (Star Wars).  Great CG, and a wonderful villain put next to a whole lot of unnecessary plot and story and a very annoying CG stereotype character that could of been completely removed from the movie and it would have made the movie better. I don't say this lightly but Transformers had 2 characters, Skids and Mudflap, who were as bad as Jar Jar Binks and perhaps worse becuase there were two of them.  The whole movie had these two in it, and a lot of this forced low level comedy that infected the movie and helped make it a complete and total weak shell of it's predecessor. Then they bring in 2 of the best Decepticons that were ever created and underused them in place of these comedy characters.  It was a horrible waste of CG, time, and story and really ruined the whole movie.

If they cut out about 30 minutes of this movie, stuck with the story of "The Fallen," only, got rid of Skids and Mudflap and a lot of the horrible comedy, I would say this would have been a good movie.  The CG was top notch, better than the last, slower fighting so you could see even better what you wanted to see so much of last time, really shows what a difference even 2 years can make in the CG world.  It could have been as good as the last, or better, but someone somewhere decided to make this movie funny and had no idea what comedy is and shit all over this movie.  I would say this is almost completely skippable, so if you must, I would say rent it but it comes with a warning. 

My Coke Rewards Code: 9XNR7P64PBP5

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 107 Minutes

Release Date: 19-June-2009

Nudity: None of the bits shown, but somewhat. 

One Sentence: Better than most romantic comedies. 

Lately I have given up on any romantic comedy delivering anything that is not a mainstream laugh, and not following a very tight formula that we have all seen a million times.  I am sure the ladies are getting tired of it, and I am for sure getting tired of it.  So I am happy to day that The Proposal is heavy on the laughs, light on the romance, and great as a movie.  I think putting Ryan Reynolds, and his mouth next to Sandra Bullocks's edge and let them go crazy with it really worked out.  Then add in a touch of crazy Betty White and you have a great date movie that everyone should have a great time at. 

I would say this movie is 75% comedy, and really good sarcastic back and forth comedy, between Sandy and Ryan, and 25% romance.  This balance led to a movie that was very funny, but also far better than the last few romantic comedies I have seen.  It really allowed a much better story being told, and felt far more believeable. The romance felt more natural, and less like a comedy fairy tale that leaves your girlfriend asking you why you don't do all the things the guy did in the movie.  

I do like both Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock so that could have something to do with this review, but I don't think so.  It just was a quality movie, and I think a great date movie, one that you guys should have no problem saying yes to.  So I would go check it out in the theater even, as it is good enough to warrant the date price.  Obviously you renters out there, can feel good adding it to your queue and checking it out once it is on DVD, but if you are looking for a reason to get out, I would check out The Proposal. 

My Coke Rewards: RNFW4A9X9AKV

Don’t forget to go to the photo pages and leave your comments. I’m sure the photographers appreciate it.

Five Stars of the Week

At first this image can be overlooked without a second glance. After some time admiring it, I got caught on the tensions created by the irregular posture of the model, the unexpected and creative use of a helmet on what could be considered a nude portrait (definitely something you don’t see everyday) and the contrast between the model’s skin tone and the prop. A very creative and masterful capture. My Five Stars of the Week.

• 10 Tips to making your first photo book – Beyond Megapixels
• 10 Tipps zur Hochzeitsfotografie (in German) – Kwerfeldein.de
• SoFoBoMo published – A Roadtrop Through SE Australia – Neil Creek
• Help!  I’ve Been Infringed! – Photo Attorney
• Styling: Pure Hell or a place to “shine” – Yuri Arcurs
• Creative Partnerships vs. Self-Motivation – Rasmus Rasmussen
• 5 Tips to Get Followed on Twitter – JMG-Galleries
• Letting Things Marinate – PhotoWalkPro
• Making Fine Art Prints: Signing – Epic Edits (check also the other posts of Brian’s series on Fine Art prints)
• How to Price Assignments: Price High and Give Your Clients an Experience – DSLRBlog

(via Thomas Hawk’s Digital Connection)

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 93 Minutes

Release Date: 05-June-2009

Nudity: None

One Sentence: Different than the show, but not exactly a bad thing. 

So on one side you have this horribly cheap kids show from the mid 70's that had a large following but visually was terrible.  On the other side you have a lot of money and the Hollywood of the 21st century making a movie.  Fans saying not to ruin the show, and other people saying please don't make it like the show.  What can you do to make this movie work at all?  It seems like you get Will Ferrell and director Brad Silberling together who are both fans and hope for the best.  What came out I can saw is probably the best movie with what they had to work with. 

Land Of The Lost ended up being a fun, silly, action/comedy that pays homage to the 1974 series, and keeps it real in the year 2009.  This is something I don't think anyone thought was possible, and I can't believe I am writing it now.  The movie brought together Will Ferrell, and his level of goofy authority, backed up by Danny McBride, who seems to play very well with Will, and delievered a pretty fun movie. There were scenes that looked like they spent 10 dollars on the set, which I think made it feel like the old show, then there were others, that visually were amazing.  Great CG and cheap props all tied together really made this a great movie that was really focused on it's intentions and I think executed them very well.  

I was never a fan of the old show, but went with a fan and she liked it very much.  I think that Land Of The Lost was quite a surprise, and hit all the right spots for fans and non-fans alike.  However this movie is pushing the PG-13 really hard, and some of those with kids they want to bring might want to second guess that decision.  Depends on how open you are with your kids and what they see.  Otherwise this movie is a renter for sure, and maybe if you want to skip the rated R comedy this weekend, Land Of The Lost would be good to check out this weekend. 

My Coke Rewards Code: 5HWX57JL79VL

Rated: R

Running Time: 100 Minutes

Release Date: 05-June-2009

Nudity: Some boobs and tiny man penis.

One Sentence: Just as good as the trailer makes it look, if not better. 

It seems like comedy has come into it's own the last few years, every movie seems as good or better than the last, pushing new limits, trying new things, and using new people along with old favoirtes.   This is making for a wide range of smart, adult comedies that are worth anyone checking out renting or seeing in the theater.  The Hangover is another one of these great movies.  This one deals with one night in Vegas that went a little too far and the guys trying to piece together the night before.  It works and it is hilarious.

What I think is so great about The Hangover is it feels natural.  These 4 guys going on this trip seem like real guys, in real lives, with real relationships.  I think it makes the story, and the crazyness that ensues a little more believeable, and not just some wild comedy ideas they threw randomly into a movie.  There is very little if not anything I can say about this movie negatively.  Sitting here staring at the screen thinking of something to say that was bad, I can't think of anything, so I guess that is good.  

So you get a big reccomendation from me for The Hangover for this weekend in the theater, which is going to be interesting becuase tomorrows review will also have the same recomendation.  I think The Hangover is a big, check out in the theater this weekend. You can also rent it, but I would not want to wait on this one, I think it was that good.

My Coke Rewards Code: 47MLMRKMPLFP

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 99 Minutes

Release Date: 5/29/2009

Nudity: None

One Sentence: Old school Sam Rami horror. 

Back before Spider-Man there was a man, a director, who made cheap movies, movies that used a lot of zoom, a lot of old scary women, and a lot of make-up.  He used conventional methods of film making, and stayed away from CG.  He had a huge cult following and launched the career of Bruce Campbell, that man was Sam Rami.  The director of the Evil Dead trilogy, Darkman, The Quick and the Dead and yes the Spider-Man trilogy.  A lot has been said about Sam since he took over Spider-Man, he lost his old school roots, he will never go back or could go back.  Drag Me To Hell is his response to those critics, and that response is, I still have it and I never lost it. 

Drag Me To Hell is the horror movie you have been waiting for if you loved the Peter Jackson and Sam Rami horror school of the 80's.  A blend of make-up, fear, story, camp, humor and just plain gross stuff makes Drag Me To Hell the nostalgic trip down good movie lane that at least I have been missing out on.  I love the new world of movies and extreme CG, but sometimes, a puppet and some makeup go a long long way, and Rami uses them in a way that I think a lot of people have been missing.  It doesn't hurt that not only does he hit on these old school buttons, but the movie is good too.  It is funny, creepy, made me jump a lot, had things that were just wrong, and was damn scary in some parts.

Now this movie is a little flawed, but I think it was intended.  Everything about this movie seemed like it was made for anyone that wants that type of horror back.  The acting was a little weak, the story was a little far fetched, and it just worked so well.  I just had a fun time being scared by Drag Me To Hell, that I can't reccomend it enough.  It delivered a lot, and a lot more than I expected and I would reccomend renting it for sure, there is no way I can say go see it over UP, but I did consider it for one second.  So add this to your queue and if you want to go see two movies this weekend, go see UP, and then go see Drag Me To Hell. 

My Coke Rewards Code: NP075FL5600F

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 115 Minutes

Release Date: 5/21/09

Nudity: None

One Sentence: Action movie that doesn't break the story.

After the tragicly horrible Terminator 3, I think people were done.  They had 2 good movies they could count on and just ingore that 3 ever existed.  I hardly remember it at all so I was met with quite a lot of meh when I head about Terminator: Salvation staring Batman.  I really like Christan Bale and I don't care about his outburst that hit the net a few months ago.  I was just worried about yet another horrible Terminator and that MCG would not be able to carry.  I do have to say that Salvation is not an amazing movie, but it is not horrible and it tries it's best to keep the story line striaght which I think is very imporant.  

This movie is 99% balls out action and it is good action.  MCG I have felt has always done good with stupid adreneline filled action with little regard to plot, story, or reality.  It seemed like a perfect fit here with Terminator, and I think it really shined.  If you are just looking for crazy action, big robots, and some very slick solid shots then you will not be disappointed with T4.  They invented some very cool new bots and terminators, and kept all the old stuff in the line as well.  They had Kyle Reese (John Connor's father) appear and the kid they used in the movie looked very much like his 1984 counterpart, which I liked very much. 

Overall this movie is the movie T3 should have been, and I think it did justsice to one of the great Sci-fi stories we have.  It didn't have anything new to carry or change from the old T2 line, it was action packed and fun to watch, and it was well enough put together that I was not ashamed of having seen it.  I think everyone would be at least semi-pleased with this Terminator, and is for sure a rental, if not the movie to see this weekend.  

Rated: PG-13

Running Time: 126 Minutes

Release Date: 05/07/2009

Nudity: None

One Sentence: A prequel by which all others should be measured. 

There are not that many prequel's out there right now.  However I think there is going to be a much larger tend going that way, especially with the buzz, hype and excitement Star Trek is creating and will create starting tomorrow.  The prequel's we do have now are generally horrible, I can think of Hannibal, Star Wars 1-3, and even Wolverine from last week as horrible examples of prequels.  If there are going to be more of these, I hope at least some of them are as good as Star Trek.  Which was an amazing movie, prequel and something that fans I think can stand up and be proud of.  Which are some big words when talking about a 40 year old tradition. 

Everything from the casting, story, CG and acting of these younger actors of the original characters we have all grown up with seemed to fit into our new generation of story telling.  It was cleaner, shinier, and had more action.  It was everything great about the old Star Wars, and adding all the amazing technology and movie making magic we have gained since the last movie.  It was funny, made refrences to the past (future) and was a great story to boot.  However what I think seems to be the most important part of this prequel is that it didn't crap all over the fans and the history.  It seemed to enhance it, make it better, deeper, and more detailed.  It did not take 40 years of history and throw it out the window for some movie studio's decision to make some money, and this is where I think the fans will be most grateful.  

So if you have not seen Wolverine, and are facing the choice I would say pick Star Trek, those who already saw Wolverine, I know you are going to see Star Trek probably tonight at midnight anyway, and it is so worth it.  Employers don't worry about the spike in the number of people calling in tomorrow for being sick, there is a Swine Flu Epidemic on our hands and you don't want those who might actually be sick coming in, so just let it slide, you never know who might actually have Swine Flu. 

Yeap, it’s true. As incredible as it may seem, at least to me, PhotoNetCast, the photography podcast hosted by me, Brian Auer, Martin Gommel and Jim Goldstein, just got a bit older. The 28th episode marks our 1 year anniversary.

On a personal level PhotoNetCast has been a fantastic experience. For these 28 episodes, if I count the show prep, recording, editing and publishing, on a quick count, it’s probably more than 200 hours of time invested in this project and worth every minute of it.

Our objective, since the beginning, has been to produce a quality show in which we can openly discuss our ideas and topics that are brought to the table, independently of our point of view. It has not been an easy task with all the hurdles for a beginner in the medium, but personally I’m more than satisfied. I believe that PhotoNetCast is informative and entertaining to listen, and focuses on topics that matter for all photographers, independently of their "level".

PhotoNetCast allowed me to reach to the great photographers and industry professionals we had as guests and learn while they share their opinions. Yes, learn. The show has been a huge learning experience. My appreciation to all of them.

The audience feedback has been superb and it’s all that support that motivates to keep producing and always trying to publish a better podcast, every episode. Thank you. This is what makes me believe that PhotoNetCast is becoming a reference podcast for photography.

And finally, Brian, Jim and Martin: Thank you very much for joining me on this trip. It has been a year of waking up early or staying up late and fighting with sometimes frustrating technical issues, but also a year of great laughs and shared knowledge. Here’s to many more years doing this together.

If you’re still not listening, I’d like to encourage you to subscribe to PhotoNetCast on iTunes, or just grab the regular feed.

Since my last update of the podcast here on the blog, 3 episodes were published:

PhotoNetCast #26 – Going Beyond your Comfort Zone – We tried to discuss how important it is to grow photographically to always try to push yourself, whether with gear or just changing your approach.

PhotoNetCast #27 – HDR Photography – With Dave Wilson as guest, we discuss HDR photography.

PhotoNetCast #28 – Travel Photography – Logistics, preparation, regulations and the actual shooting. How to make the most of your photographic travels.

I hope you enjoy it. And thanks for listening.

Don’t forget to go to the photo pages and leave your comments. I’m sure the photographers appreciate it.

Five Stars of the Week

I have to say that I’ve spent a LONG time admiring this photo. Overall, everything seems right with it. The backlighting creates a perfect mood, and even the light in the curtains looks good. My Five Stars of the Week.

And here is a roundup of some interesting articles from the past days.

Cooking with light… Errr… Lighting with Cookware (Davidejackson) – This one made me laugh. Want to be innovative with your lighting without breaking the bank? What about some cookware as light modifiers?

Camera Corner – Part 1 – My Gear Bag (Zoriah) – Want to see how a photojournalist going to the most troubled areas rolls? I probably take more gear with me to photograph around the corner.

Great Digital Argument #1 – PC vs. Mac. Let The Wars Begin (Digital ProTalk) – David tries to show that the too boring old arguments between Mac and PC users leads nowhere. Main point: use whatever you need to get the job done.

Developing Multiple Streams of Photographic Income (DSLRBlog) – Going pro might mean having more than one income stream from your photography and the trick is diversify.

Photo Project: Symmetry (Beyond Phototips) – If projects is your thing, here is another one with some great potential to tickle your creativity.

My Favorite Film after a Year of Shooting (Epic Edits) – When you dedicate yourself so much to film photography as my good pal Brian has, a list of the true goodies comes out. If you’re into film photography (and you should be once in a while) you have to read this.

Why You’re NOT Making Photo Sales (Photopreneur) – A few simple advices that have the potential to increase your chances of licensing a few of those old images you have laying around on your hard drives.

And that’s it for this week. I haven’t had that much time to read all my favorite blogs, but the gems always pop-up.

As I was writing this small post, I stumbled upon a video demonstrating the capacity of the SprintCam v3 HD by i-movix, a full HD camera capable of capturing up to 1000fps directed at the sports broadcasting and advertising markets. This video was made for the NAB 2009 exhibit by David Coiffier, and you just have to see it.

Visual reality has much to do, not only with the real physical disposition of the world or scene, but also with how it is perceived. Someone with color blindness or some other visual impairment will have a different perception of reality than someone who’s vision is considered normal.

In photography, even if we assume that all film stocks and all digital sensors would capture light the same way, the simple fact that different lenses distort to a certain degree the light, is enough to conclude that photography cannot capture reality, but simply capture light.

What started me thinking…

A few days ago, I was reading a report mentioning how a Danish photographer saw his work disqualified from the Danish version of the “Pictures of the Year” contest. In short, the photojournalist got disqualified when judges requested his RAW files for comparison with the submitted processed images. Although the contest rules mention that "Photos submitted to Picture of The Year must be a truthful representation of whatever happened in front of the camera during exposure. You may post-process the images electronically in accordance with good practice. That is cropping, burning, dodging, converting to black and white as well as normal exposure and color correction, which preserves the image’s original expression.”, it seems that this photojournalist’s processing was too much for the judges.

I’ve passed this story to my twitter followers and this generated a nice discussion, with @marcoschmidt replying “but what’s real? the JPG? with which picture style? the RAW? With which converter? black and white?”

Capturing reality in photojournalism

I firmly believe that if what a photographer is doing is photojournalism, then the final images should indeed resemble as much as possible the original scene notwithstanding any different interpretations that may arise from framing, composition, etc. If too many exceptions are allowed, photojournalism will turn into a field of doubt and many publications have, indeed, strict rules on what is allowed in processing. But asking for the RAW files?!?  I’m not sure I agree with this move. If a photographer messes his exposures and ends up with a RAW that is overexposed, does that mean that the original scene was flooded by light? What if the white balance was not properly set? RAW files are exactly that, the raw information. Even a RAW file, outputted with different converters will originate slightly different images. Note that I’m not defending the photojournalist. I believe that what he saw in those places was probably much close to the unmodified RAW than to the images he submitted for the contest and he tried to make them more appealing. But when documenting something, the appeal should come from the story that photos are trying to tell, from good composition, good lighting, good angles… not from Photoshop. Individual ethics play a major role in photojournalism and I still prefer to believe that photojournalism tries to capture reality.

Photography as an art form

If we look at photography from an artistic point of view, then all of the above does not apply. Photography becomes a tool to express the photographer’s creativity, and it’s up to each individual artist to modify it (or not) as he pleases, in order to pass to an audience (or at least try to) the story he’s trying to tell and elicit emotions. Nobody asked Dalí if he actually saw that  somewhere when he painted “The Railway Station at Perpignan” (one of my favorite works by SD). I can have my personal preferences regarding a certain photographic work or a certain style of photographing or processing, I might like it or not, but no artistic photographer should ever listen that his work is bad because it doesn’t resemble reality.

Photography is not supposed to capture reality, just to capture light.

Twitter me this…

Earlier I asked on Twitter “In 140 chars or less answer this: "Is photography just supposed to capture reality?"

These are some of the replies I got… Interpret and take your own conclusions. Thanks for your thoughts.

@jeffcrossphoto “I think photography is supposed to be an interpretation of reality from the photographer’s point of view.”

@danzphoto “Absolutely not. Did Monet only try to capture reality? Like him, photography also captures mood, feeling, impression.”

@dawilson “Documentary photography is supposed to capture reality as closely as possible given equipment capabilities. / Art photography uses reality as a starting point. What the photographer/artist does with that is entirely up to them.” (Dave cheated and used 2 tweets… That’s ok Dave )

@dwterry “Photography is a tool. It can reflect or augment reality. It can create works of art. It’s all in what you do with it.”

@pawoli “each photo is real, photographers and viewers have their own realities which may differ and evolve over time”

@EricBooth “By no means. IMO photography is an art form. An expression of ones self. I have no problem using all the tools available to me.”

@Raquita “Just capture reality limits its power, I think photographs should live up to the 1000 words thing – tell stories beautifully…”

@Celippitt “Photojournalism is supposed to capture reality…Photography is the process of producing images on photosensitive surfaces.”

@mcgraths “Photography is an art. I think it should be a blend on imagination and reality, but really it is up to the artist.”

Your thoughts?

And how do you mix photography with reality? Should it capture just reality or is it, a tool to be used? Share your thoughts with us…

Photo credits: “reality tag” by Scoobymoo (CC by-nd), “sheffield: what’s your reality?” by paolo màrgari (CC by-nc-nd), “Reality” by Bright Meadow (CC by-sa)

Marjo Sinokki, from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Turku, Finland says “It is important to promoto well-being at work in every way and pay attention also to team climate.”

Sinokki’s research team collected data on 3,347 Finnish workers, aged 30 to 64 years old. They asked about team spirit and the quality of communication and also about how they felt about the demands of their jobs.

The participants were asked to rate their workplace according to four phrases:

• “encouraging and supportive of new ideas”
• “prejudiced and conservative”
• “nice and easy”
• “quarrelsome and disagreeing.”

They were also asked about their home and social lives.

The researchers found that of those who thought team spirit was poor, about 60% were more likely to report being depressed and 50% were more likely to take antidepressants than those who rated team spirit as high.

However, Dr. Carole Lieberman, a clinical professor of psychology and stress expert at the University of California, Los Angeles, has some issues with some aspects of the study.

She says, “Although I agree with their conclusion, that poor team climate or office stress is associated with depression, there are problems with this study. The study does not clarify to what degree office stress causes depression, versus to what degree depression causes office stress.”

Even given the criticism of this study, I would say that there is at least some merit to it. I have noticed that I am less happy when part of a negative work environment. I have also noticed that jobs with poor team spirit are more aggravating. This is something to think about if you are stressed out or depressed about your work. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer any solutions, but awareness and a positive attitude couldn’t hurt.

Reference: MedLine Plus

This is actually my first year watching American Idol. I don’t know why I waited so long. Last night the show was running over the time limit. And most of us who DVRed the show missed Adam’s performance.

I think after last nights performance Adam Lambert is officially a rock star. I have to agree with Simon. Words aren’t really necessary.