Stoke Da Soul

Paul Nicklen video

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Paul Nicklen

In this TED video, photographer, Paul Nicklen relates heart felt and inspiring back-stories of photographs featured in National Geographic.

June 2011

Paul Nicklen - Ice-bound Wonderlands Video Courtesy: TED.com

Ever since David Griffin - National Geographic's Director of photography - gave his TED talk on photojournalism I've been waiting for one of the featured photographers to be invited on the TED stage. Griffin talked about how photojournalist use their craft to "create a visual narrative" so the viewer is not just interested in the story but has an "emotional connection to it". Griffin ended his talk with photographs from the artic by Paul Nicklen saying, "Paul set out to photograph a relatively mysterious and unknown creature and came back with not just a collection of photographs, but an amazing experience and a great story."

In Paul Nicklen's TED talk, the photographer shares photographs and the important environmental story of the impact of disappearing sea ice in the Polar Regions. "What ice does, it acts like the soil in a garden", Nicklen reflects, "loosing that ice is like losing the soil in a garden." But Nicklen goes beyond that message in his humorous, heartfelt and inspiring TED talk; he shares his back-stories behind the story.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Angkor Photo Workshop 2011

Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Angkor Photo Workshop 2011

Aspiring Asian photographers have till July 15, 2011 to apply for the week long Angkor photography workshop and photo exhibit.

Siem Reap, Cambodia - May 2011

The 7th annual Angkor photo workshop will run from November 17-23, 2011 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Aspiring young Asian photographers have till July 15, 2011 to apply. The 30 photographers accepted will have a chance to work with professional mentors to improve and further their photographic aspirations with the inspiring backdrop of Angkor Wat. I’m inspired just thinking about the opportunity.

Please review the application guidelines from the Angkor Photo Workshop website for full details.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Ai Weiwei

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Ai Weiwei

Artistic freedom. Art for social change. It's hard to 'toe the line' as an artist looking to promote social change. Where is Ai Weiwei?

China - April 2011

The collaboration between artist Ai Weiwei and architectural firm Herzog and DeMeuron to design and build the "Bird's Nest" became the focal point during the 2008 Olympics. The iconic stadium served as the center piece of the Olympics with its modern and elegant design. Symbolizing China's move into the international spotlight - elegant, open, modern and green – as athletes, media and visitors from all over the world descended for the Olympic games. Ai the artist was also put under the spotlight, at least, until Ai the activist starting speaking his mind. Ai was warned to toe the line of the party - make pretty things and shut-the-fuck-up.

Update: June 22, 2011

Ai Weiwei Released - several news media outlets are reporting that Artist Ai Weiwei has been released on bail.

TED posted a short film from Ai Weiwei via YouTube. The short is “an unexpected and courageous statement about his treatment by the govemernment, social change, the power of the web, and his hope for the future of China.” The video was produced by Ai Weiwei when he was unable to attend TED in person and was released prior to his arrest and detention.

A poignant reminder – for those of us with freedoms - to appreciate the arts and artists.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

California Speedway 2010 - Pepsi Max 400

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

California Speedway

Some pictures from the NASCAR Nationwide series at California Speedway for the Pepsi Max 400. Or AKA: Battling the Fence.

Los Angeles, California - October 2010

Ask one of my friends if they would like to go to a NASCAR race and after they stop laughing they would say something like: I don't get it; they just go around in circles. And I invariably would start to reply: first of all there are no round tracks; there are ovals, tri-ovals... oh never mind.

So, when a friend offered up some tickets for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at California Speedway the question wasn't would I go, it was how the heck would I find someone to go with me. Fortunately there was someone interested at my client - he's from Atlanta. I decided to lug along my camera and see what shots I could take.

Naturally being on the other side of "the fence", the photo session turned into a battle with the fence. I tried to shoot over, shoot around and shoot through the fence. During pits stops I accidentally captured poll sitter Jamie McMurry getting caught by NASCAR with a loose lug nut as Jimmie Johnson went to the front. As the crowd went nuts as Kyle Busch blew an engine, I tried to shoot over the fence, down the front stretch. It wasn't a winning battle. In the end when "Smoke" took the checkered flag, I waved my own white flag and included the fence in the composition.

-Scott

Long time motorsports shooter Mark Rebilas shows what the fence is for, in his blog post titled: When a 200mph Parachute meets a Camera the Camera Loses

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Photo Background Check

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Background Check

We take a look at the background in some of the pictures from the 2010 Los Angeles Triathlon and that while the athlete is the primary subject we can see that the background does matter.

Los Angeles, California - October 2010

Ashley Elias gets in an aerodynamic position on the bike portion of the Los Angeles Triathlon. The American version of the triathlon requires that athletes perform a solo time trail on the bike. No drafting. The background composed of an empty road behind Elias helps to convey this solo aspect of triathlons.

Solo, so much so that if it weren't for the bib number you might think Elias was on a long training ride. In the photograph of Frank Johnson, the motorcycle officer controlling traffic in the background helps to give a subtle clue that this is more than a training ride. I moved locations to find an angle that would allow for a composition with an even more interesting background. Frank Sarosdy came along on his way to finishing the triathlon in 2:02:25. The orange traffic cones going off into the distance was what I was after; the motorcycle cops flashing their lights while driving by at that moment was a bonus. Sarosdy's trance like stare of the six inches in front of him finished off the composition.

Even when taking photographs with a small aperture – blurring the background – I find it useful to do a background check. It’s not always possible to control the background, but as a photographer you can move around to find something interesting to fill the background.

-Scott

Ashley Elias would finish the 2010 Los Angeles Triathlon in 2:38:05. Frank Johnson riding in a team effort for Team Supernova would have a time of 2:34:40. Frank Sarosdy would finish in 2:02:25.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Lytro Camera

Thursday, 23 Jun 2011

Compose the frame, take the shot… focus later. The Lytro camera allows the photographer to take a shot and focus after the fact.

Thursday, 23 Jun 2011

Photo: Lytro

File under “what the…”

A small technology startup company called Lytro announced their camera which allows the photographer to take a shot and focus later. In fact you can focus on any area within the photograph after the fact to your heart’s desire. By fundamentally changing the digital camera’s sensor and the way it records, Lytro has figured out a way to capture the “color, intensity and vector direction of the rays of light.” Vector direction? Uh, I’ll take Lytro’s word on it.

Actually the science behind Lytro comes from Founder and CEO Ren NG, PH.D. “Before starting Lytro, Ren was on the fast path to fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a professor. In fact, his seminal Ph.D. research on light field technology earned the field’s top honor, the ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award for best thesis in computer science and engineering, as well as Stanford University’s Arthur Samuel Award for Best Ph.D. Dissertation. The entrepreneurial spark came when Ren purchased his first DSLR camera and saw the potential to apply light field technology to capture pictures in addition to image generation.”

Simple? Right? Well, if you’re like me… just click on the picture (above) to refocus it.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Gulf Oil Spill Censorship

Wednesday, 04 Aug 2010

Reports of media censorship are becoming more and more prevalent: Gulf Oil Spill Censorship

Wednesday, 04 Aug 2010

Early on, in the days after the initial fire and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, hints and allegations of BP blocking access to reporters, photojournalist and environmental activist began to leak out. A video of a PBS journalist being turned away from beach access by uniformed law enforcement made my skin crawl. Is censorship really happening?

One would think that censorship of a preventable environmental disaster would have the masses in an uproar; but, there doesn't seem to be much hoopla. I know the iPhone 4 is having reception issues. God help us. But a big ass environmental disaster and restrictions placed on reporters by the offending corporation backed by the US government? Even mainstream media has chimed in with CNN's Anderson Cooper running a piece about the 65 foot - $40,000 fine - Class D felony restriction being placed on journalist. I felt like Cooper wanted to reach out to the audience and say: Hey people maybe we should be concerned about a foreign corporation conspiring with the US government and local law enforcement to control what images you see.

Video: CNN

Freelance photojournalist Lance Rosenfield working on assignment for ProPublica details his detainment in the article "ProPublica Photographer: I Was Followed by BP Security and Then Detained by Police". Rosenfield’s concern was that his personal details were freely given to a private BP security guard by the uniformed law enforcement in an apparent act of intimidation.

Salon.com has a comprehensive page devoted to the "BP/Government Police State" with links and quotes from different media outlets. This quote: "With this, the Gulf Coast cleanup operation has now entered a weird Orwellian reality where the news is shaped, censored and controlled by the government in order to prevent the public from learning the truth about what's really happening," by Mike Adams of NaturalNews summed it up for me.

TampaBay.com has excellent photojournalist documenting the Gulf Oil Spill on their All Eyes blog.

Video: TED.com

Update: July 14, 2010: In the TED talk The oil spill's unseen culprits, victims dated June 2010, author Carl Safina, gives an emotional heart wrenching perspective into the damage that is being done in the gulf and beyond.

'The Gulf oil spill dwarfs comprehension, but we know this much: it's bad. Carl Safina scrapes out the facts in this blood-boiling cross-examination, arguing that the consequences will stretch far beyond the Gulf -- and many so-called solutions are making the situation worse.'

August 4, 2010 As BP gets a handle on the leaking oil and purport the disaster to be 'over'; this Huffingtonpost.com's piece, in which reporters Jerry Cope and Charles Hambleton: The Crime of the Century: What BP and the US Government Don't Want You to Know take a look at the alleged censorship and cover-up of the aftermath of the oil that did leak into the gulf echo system. Cope and Hambleton address the possible negative affects of the dispersant Corexit on the environment and the flora and fauna of the Gulf region. They ask where have all the dead animals gone, quoting Riki Ott, PhD, a marine toxicologist, veteran of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, as saying that he is hearing of “dead things piled up on the barrier islands; turtles and birds and dolphins... whales...” and that BP is processing these animals under the cover of darkness. These alleged processing plants are off limits to non authorized personnel and under a no fly zone.

At the risk of Big Brother watching what I'm writing I'll publish this.

-Scott

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Pulitzer Prizes Awarded for 2010

Monday, 12 Apr 2010

Pulitzer Prizes Awarded for 2010

Monday, 12 Apr 2010

The 2010 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism have been announced. The Pulitzer award: "Honoring Excellence in Journalism and the arts since 1917" - is awarded each year in various categories to journalist exemplifying excellence in their respective fields. The Pulitzer Prizes include categories in photojournalism as well as traditional written journalism.

This year’s winners in the photography categories are Breaking News Photography: Mary Chind and Feature Photography: Craig F. Walker.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Half Dome Permits

Monday, 29 Mar 2010

Yosemite, California - The National Park service, starting in 2010 instituted a mandatory Half Dome Permit requirement.

Monday, 29 Mar 2010

Yosemite National Park, California - in an effort to reduce trail congestion and over-use leading to dangerously crowded conditions on the cables leading to the summit of Half Dome, the National Park Service is instituting a mandatory permit requirement for those using the cables during the summer months on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Some of the key things hikers wishing to climb to the summit of Half Dome are:

Permits must be secured before the day of hiking - no same day permits will be issued.
Permits are issued on a first come first serve basis.
Permits will be required during the summer months for Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Federal holidays. Otherwise permits are not required.
300 permits per day will be issued.
Thru hikers - backpackers - with the proper wilderness permit do not need an additional Half Dome permit.
Permits are issued for a modest service fee of 1.50.
Permits are issued on-line at www.recreation.gov
Permits go on sale March 1, 2010 for dates in May and June.
Permits go on sale April 1, 2010 for dates in July and August.
Permits go on sale May 1, 2010 for dates in September and October.

As the park service evaluate the their implementation of this new Half Dome permit system, things may change. Hikers should check the NPS website for the latest information. Hikers should be checking for the latest information anyway - weather, trail conditions, cable conditions, etc.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]

Pico Iyer

Friday, 12 Mar 2010

Writer Pico Iyer discusses his less is more life style in this piece titled The Joy of Less

Friday, 12 Mar 2010

Writer Pico Iyer landed the "perfect" job for Time Magazine, complete with an office in the prestigious Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, New York. But feeling something was still missing, he decided to spend a year in seclusion like a monk in one of Japan's Buddhist temples; "I left my comfortable job and life to live for a year in a temple on the backstreets of Kyoto. My high-minded year lasted all of a week..."

Finding that a monk’s life wasn't for him, Iyer managed to eventually find balance between the hectic life in New York and the monastic life. 21 years later, no longer in the temple, but still in Japan Iyer takes a look at his less is more lifestyle in the New York Times piece - The Joy of Less.

[Full Article on StokeDaSoul.com]