Orange Shirt Guy

Have you had your fill of Christians doing the Christian Thing, but still think that there might be something to "that whole God thing"?

Halfway to Normal has a pretty darn good summary/view.

This American Life has a Good Audio Clip on this as well.  Heck, listen to the whole show, I bet that you'll get hooked.

OK, it may look like I'm going all political here, but I'm not . . . this really isn't the place and frankly I am still not quite sure what politics solve [hey, what do you know, I just went political there].

Anyway, I read the the NYT this morning about the rescue of the captain of the ship Maersk Alabama (see NYT article here).

One quote got me (and not really in a good way) . . .

“This is truly a very happy Easter for the Phillips family,” said Alison McColl, a Maersk representative assigned to speak for the family. “They are all just so happy and relieved,” she said. “I think you can all imagine their joy and what a happy moment it was for them.”

I don't know why the people referred to as pirates did what they did . . . and I'm not sure that any of us that weren't there are truly getting the whole story.  But it would appear that there were at least three people taking steps to do something that they thought was important -- even at the cost of impacting others.  

I am not writing that I agree with it, but am laying groundwork for a point.

And the point is:  Celebrating the gain of one family in the same breath that another three families have lost much all the while invoking or inferring a Divine Interaction seems at least wrong and perhaps at most hypocritical.

When you're inside, try not to use a flash.  Go with a slower shutter speed and enjoy some of the blurriness.  The flash will frequently "fall off" (e.g., not illuminate equally) and cause harsh shadows.

When you're outside, turn the flash on. Counterintuitive again, but the highlights in the eyes and the fill light (especially on a sunny day) are perfect.

When the Photographer is looking up and the subject is looking down, Power and/or Confidence is provided to the Subject.

Especially with Kids, it is easy to photograph (and look down) on them. . . and this comes with the baggage of (well) looking down on them.

If you can squat to get on their level, it will better show them as an individual, an equal (albeit younger) human.

Just saw a post over at The Economy Isn't Happening (actually it was by Mr. Truant, but over here at IttyBiz), have been thinking about a flurry of emails that I've traded with a local architect, and have been pondering something written by Paulo Coelho and quoted by Kate at Dancing with the Universe.

And this is only a partial solution, but a redirecting, fun step initiated by someone half my age.

So, as a challenge to myself, I'm going to attempt to write twenty-six tips on taking pictures of things that you like - taking good pictures.  Ones that not only remind you - the taker - of the time, but make a stranger think, "Man, I wish that I was there that day.  It looks like so much fun."

Oh, just to take a leap, perhaps it could be "How to capture Love in the Pixels."

Love the snake by his arm.