It would usually be SO empty on this path where I could see three bridges. More familiar ones are Golden Gate and as kept walking could see the Bay Bridge to the left.
Would love to watch the seagulls playing in the wind. Great place to think.
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography. Show all posts
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Empty walkway
Came across this picture recently, and was like, oh cool. It's from when was living on Treasure Island in San Francisco. For those who don't know, Treasure Island is a man-made island in San Francisco Bay.
It would usually be SO empty on this path where I could see three bridges. More familiar ones are Golden Gate and as kept walking could see the Bay Bridge to the left.
Would love to watch the seagulls playing in the wind. Great place to think.
It would usually be SO empty on this path where I could see three bridges. More familiar ones are Golden Gate and as kept walking could see the Bay Bridge to the left.
Would love to watch the seagulls playing in the wind. Great place to think.
Wednesday, August 05, 2015
Some musings on expectations of others
Gotta get back to San Francisco I've started telling myself. It's been over three years now and for one thing I need more photos. And yes, can take photos elsewhere, but for instance on this blog one of the most popular posts has a photo of a San Francisco street sign. I posted it over three years ago. Back October 31, 2012 according to the post. So I know for sure which one I mean will leave myself a ready reference.
And what if I'd established myself as a photographer who focused on San Francisco scenes? Well I might have fans wondering when I'd put up anything, please ANYTHING, new from the City.
Expectations of others are important. And if you look around at people who do a great job of setting expectations where they can deliver, you will notice they DO.
I like to call it the social contract: the understanding others have that you will be there for them in some way, like with continuing content after you have established a want.
Like you've been funny, and established yourself as a comedian--not surprisingly people will expect you to keep bringing the funny.
Maybe someday will establish myself more with photography. But necessarily then will need to keep taking pictures! And also do so with the expectations of others in mind, if I want them to keep paying attention. Of course there is also that artistic perspective of putting up things as the spirit moves you.
And some of the greatest portfolios of art were clearly done without caring at all who showed up to pay attention, where now millions do.
But that is the purity of the true artist. True artists don't get excited with whether or not you're going to show up or not. They're just doing it for the art.
Or at least that's what I believe but I also know of plenty of great artists in history who did what it took to pay the bills. Like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, right?
Wait a minute, where do we get this notion of art for art's sake? What does that even mean? Possibly for many it can mean starving artist here you are.
To me if you're doing things you really don't like doing, then yeah, that's wrong. Almost changed to "questionable" but seriously, I think that's wrong. But if you enjoy doing something, why shouldn't you get paid for it too? Will ponder more.
James Harris
And what if I'd established myself as a photographer who focused on San Francisco scenes? Well I might have fans wondering when I'd put up anything, please ANYTHING, new from the City.
Expectations of others are important. And if you look around at people who do a great job of setting expectations where they can deliver, you will notice they DO.
I like to call it the social contract: the understanding others have that you will be there for them in some way, like with continuing content after you have established a want.
Like you've been funny, and established yourself as a comedian--not surprisingly people will expect you to keep bringing the funny.
Maybe someday will establish myself more with photography. But necessarily then will need to keep taking pictures! And also do so with the expectations of others in mind, if I want them to keep paying attention. Of course there is also that artistic perspective of putting up things as the spirit moves you.
And some of the greatest portfolios of art were clearly done without caring at all who showed up to pay attention, where now millions do.
But that is the purity of the true artist. True artists don't get excited with whether or not you're going to show up or not. They're just doing it for the art.
Or at least that's what I believe but I also know of plenty of great artists in history who did what it took to pay the bills. Like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, right?
Wait a minute, where do we get this notion of art for art's sake? What does that even mean? Possibly for many it can mean starving artist here you are.
To me if you're doing things you really don't like doing, then yeah, that's wrong. Almost changed to "questionable" but seriously, I think that's wrong. But if you enjoy doing something, why shouldn't you get paid for it too? Will ponder more.
James Harris
Friday, April 24, 2015
My pictures perspective
So much of my perspective has shifted so rapidly thanks to the web, and pictures are a huge area where that has happened. And thanks to the web I've even been able to share my own, and to me there's a major promotional benefit to photographs.
And there is a great sharing aspect to your pictures as well.
There can also be a monetary benefit, where this post expresses my perspective, which is my personal opinion, on all of the above.
Promotional use in my opinion is when you use work, or reference to it, in a way that brings positive attention to someone's efforts. Like you may post a picture, with the permission of the photographer, simply to share a beautiful work with others, and NOT to make money.
The rough rule of thumb I think would work for anyone wondering if they're using a photograph of mine, as I won't try to talk for anyone else, properly is that they shouldn't be making any money directly from that use without licensing. That part is NOT complicated.
If you're making money from someone else's work without license to do so, then you're stealing. It's very, very simple. And I think "license" here is just a fancy way to say have contractual permission. Contracts are such a fascinating area, I tend to stay away from talking about them directly.
Like if you put someone else's photograph on a t-shirt, and sell it. That's stealing if you're not licensed to do so, or the work hasn't been released to the public domain.
Notice work can be released to the public domain, which then gives you license to use it, even though there can be additional rules there. But for example Creative Commons is where others have worked out the legalese.
So the web has given us all kinds of great things where it's not to me really complicated about how it can all work well.
One issue I think can be when someone has something other people want which he doesn't license, because reality is some people may take it and figure out a way to make money from it. It's still stealing. However, if you're showing something other people want enough to pay for things made with it, and don't yourself give an opportunity for them to pay, then that can open the door to piracy, in my opinion.
Thankfully it looks to me like it's getting easier to at least offer the opportunity to license, as the web continues to mature.
So many things are in flux with the web. However as the foundations continue to be laid, decent people can feel better about their use of content, and content providers who do have content people wish to buy in some way, as there are LOTS of ways--not sure I do, but no biggie--can do well.
With photographs in particular then, I'll summarize here, by noting you can share photographs for no monetary reason, which is the purest form, and that sharing can actually have promotional value, or you might figure out some way to make money from a photograph, which if it's not yours requires licensing, or it's stealing.
With my photographs I feel like I'm learning, and am just glad when people like them. And I love photography, now more than ever. And am still most excited about the opportunity to see so many more great photographs than I ever did before the web.
James Harris
And there is a great sharing aspect to your pictures as well.
There can also be a monetary benefit, where this post expresses my perspective, which is my personal opinion, on all of the above.
Promotional use in my opinion is when you use work, or reference to it, in a way that brings positive attention to someone's efforts. Like you may post a picture, with the permission of the photographer, simply to share a beautiful work with others, and NOT to make money.
The rough rule of thumb I think would work for anyone wondering if they're using a photograph of mine, as I won't try to talk for anyone else, properly is that they shouldn't be making any money directly from that use without licensing. That part is NOT complicated.
If you're making money from someone else's work without license to do so, then you're stealing. It's very, very simple. And I think "license" here is just a fancy way to say have contractual permission. Contracts are such a fascinating area, I tend to stay away from talking about them directly.
Like if you put someone else's photograph on a t-shirt, and sell it. That's stealing if you're not licensed to do so, or the work hasn't been released to the public domain.
Notice work can be released to the public domain, which then gives you license to use it, even though there can be additional rules there. But for example Creative Commons is where others have worked out the legalese.
So the web has given us all kinds of great things where it's not to me really complicated about how it can all work well.
 |
| Sunny San Francisco |
One issue I think can be when someone has something other people want which he doesn't license, because reality is some people may take it and figure out a way to make money from it. It's still stealing. However, if you're showing something other people want enough to pay for things made with it, and don't yourself give an opportunity for them to pay, then that can open the door to piracy, in my opinion.
Thankfully it looks to me like it's getting easier to at least offer the opportunity to license, as the web continues to mature.
So many things are in flux with the web. However as the foundations continue to be laid, decent people can feel better about their use of content, and content providers who do have content people wish to buy in some way, as there are LOTS of ways--not sure I do, but no biggie--can do well.
With photographs in particular then, I'll summarize here, by noting you can share photographs for no monetary reason, which is the purest form, and that sharing can actually have promotional value, or you might figure out some way to make money from a photograph, which if it's not yours requires licensing, or it's stealing.
With my photographs I feel like I'm learning, and am just glad when people like them. And I love photography, now more than ever. And am still most excited about the opportunity to see so many more great photographs than I ever did before the web.
James Harris
Friday, February 27, 2015
Two photos with natural effects
Having recently joined a site for photographers I'm having a great time learning, like by studying great examples of incredible pictures from lots of expert photographers, and you also get advice on handling your own pictures.
Which means I'm finally learning more about photo editing. So will admit, mainly because I wasn't that serious yet, have just thrown up pictures on the web the way the camera presented them. Which is easier, so it's not that I was ever against photo editing, just didn't feel serious enough to do it with my own, but now am learning.
With that said, looking for an opportunity to share from the site, since I recently arrived and want to see what that looks like. And though I didn't do photo editing I have two photos which I think have natural effects. But it's just what the camera captured. So any effects are what it did, not me. And in these examples the camera was on my smartphone a Motorola Droid2.
Both of these photos are from the Winter of 2012, in San Francisco, and I've given them before in various places, but this way can share from my new profile.
The photo looks sort of black and white but is in color. It was just a grey, wintry day. You can see the color in the trees, the taxi towards the back, and the bow and arrow, called Cupid's Span.
So no photo editing was done here. It's just what the Droid2 decided to capture.
Next the camera properly focused on one guy happening to look to the side, and you get this blurring from other elements because they were moving, which I like.
And again no photo editing was done. Pictures are just what the camera decided it wanted to take when I hit the button.
And that's enough for this check to see how photos pull in from the site.
So far looks like a better way to do it.
Now I can keep my best photos central to one spot, from which I can share easily.
Great!
James Harris
Which means I'm finally learning more about photo editing. So will admit, mainly because I wasn't that serious yet, have just thrown up pictures on the web the way the camera presented them. Which is easier, so it's not that I was ever against photo editing, just didn't feel serious enough to do it with my own, but now am learning.
With that said, looking for an opportunity to share from the site, since I recently arrived and want to see what that looks like. And though I didn't do photo editing I have two photos which I think have natural effects. But it's just what the camera captured. So any effects are what it did, not me. And in these examples the camera was on my smartphone a Motorola Droid2.
Both of these photos are from the Winter of 2012, in San Francisco, and I've given them before in various places, but this way can share from my new profile.
The photo looks sort of black and white but is in color. It was just a grey, wintry day. You can see the color in the trees, the taxi towards the back, and the bow and arrow, called Cupid's Span.
So no photo editing was done here. It's just what the Droid2 decided to capture.
Next the camera properly focused on one guy happening to look to the side, and you get this blurring from other elements because they were moving, which I like.
And again no photo editing was done. Pictures are just what the camera decided it wanted to take when I hit the button.
And that's enough for this check to see how photos pull in from the site.
So far looks like a better way to do it.
Now I can keep my best photos central to one spot, from which I can share easily.
Great!
James Harris
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Enjoying photography is easier
Yesterday finally joined a great photography site which is 500px.com and wondering now what took me so long! It's been nice to put up some of my pictures and have people actually showing they like them and even better looking around at great photos from others.
It took the web for me to fully embrace my love of photography as it's made it so much easier.
For someone like myself technology has allowed so much more than buying an expensive book of photography, rarely, or mostly browsing them in bookstores, or checking books of photographs out from the library.
And now I can even put up some of my own! And share them.
Oh yeah, posting about it to note that rarity of the thrill when you come across a web community where you're just giddy with excitement. And so far haven't noticed any downsides. Which is so HUGE, as sad reality I've often faced on the web is quite different. Things seems to be so much fun until they aren't.
But no point expecting negatives. And here I don't. I've known about the site for a while and even had some interactions with it for some time. Increasingly that's the way I like to do it. Take your time on the web. You have to watch websites over time.
Which explains what took me so long. Like I didn't know.
So for now everything looks good, literally and figuratively.
James Harris
It took the web for me to fully embrace my love of photography as it's made it so much easier.
For someone like myself technology has allowed so much more than buying an expensive book of photography, rarely, or mostly browsing them in bookstores, or checking books of photographs out from the library.
And now I can even put up some of my own! And share them.
Oh yeah, posting about it to note that rarity of the thrill when you come across a web community where you're just giddy with excitement. And so far haven't noticed any downsides. Which is so HUGE, as sad reality I've often faced on the web is quite different. Things seems to be so much fun until they aren't.
But no point expecting negatives. And here I don't. I've known about the site for a while and even had some interactions with it for some time. Increasingly that's the way I like to do it. Take your time on the web. You have to watch websites over time.
Which explains what took me so long. Like I didn't know.
So for now everything looks good, literally and figuratively.
James Harris
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Why not imprint ID on photos?
The issue of photos being shared without attribution is one where I think I can put up a free idea which makes a lot of sense to me: why not when a person views a photo automatically imprint ID information on it?
So like if I go to a website and view a photo, what it displays automatically includes say my user ID on that site or my IP address, which is MY info so no privacy issues!
If I choose to share that photo then I end up giving that information away on my own, so it could be an option for sites where they don't want people to share and tell them.
So it shouldn't be automatic like if you want people to share or don't care who is the source of a photo.
The info could be a watermark, or something that doesn't even have to be visible.
Just an idea I thought I'd throw out there.
James Harris
So like if I go to a website and view a photo, what it displays automatically includes say my user ID on that site or my IP address, which is MY info so no privacy issues!
If I choose to share that photo then I end up giving that information away on my own, so it could be an option for sites where they don't want people to share and tell them.
So it shouldn't be automatic like if you want people to share or don't care who is the source of a photo.
The info could be a watermark, or something that doesn't even have to be visible.
Just an idea I thought I'd throw out there.
James Harris
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Cream colored San Francisco sky
Here's another older photo I found again recently. Taken with my Canon Powershot, December 2008.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
North Beach neighborhood
Here's a recent photo taken March 10, 2012. I was intrigued by the sign, but also like the neighborhood which is called North Beach. I was using a smartphone for this picture, a Motorola Droid 2.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Some Bay Bridge
Here's another picture from a while back. Early afternoon view of much of the western span of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco.
Taken December 4, 2008 from the Embarcadero. I was using my Canon PowerShot A590 IS.
Taken December 4, 2008 from the Embarcadero. I was using my Canon PowerShot A590 IS.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Street sign
Another old photo of mine. Street Sign. San Francisco. Taken December 4, 2008.
Canon PowerShot A590 IS
This photo and others can also be found on my 500px account.
___JSH 3/10/16
Update July 15, 2019: Do things shared necessarily lose value though? Ponder using the Mona Lisa as a guide in this post, which figured should link to here.
Canon PowerShot A590 IS
This photo and others can also be found on my 500px account.
___JSH 3/10/16
Update July 15, 2019: Do things shared necessarily lose value though? Ponder using the Mona Lisa as a guide in this post, which figured should link to here.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Seagull in flight
Here's a favorite photo of mine. Recently started digging around looking for pictures now that they're so easy to post. This one is from January 11, 2009, looking out over the San Franciso Bay. I was using a Canon PowerShot A590.
Update August 25, 2018: Now on Getty Images here.
Update August 25, 2018: Now on Getty Images here.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Along the Embarcadero March 12
So here's a photo from March 12, 2012 along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. And I think the picture may look more planned than it was, as I was walking along and noticed the SFPD officers on horseback further down and wanted a photo of them. Those horses are so giant, which I think is really cool.
Well my smartphone is kind of slow when it comes to opening up to the camera, as it's a bit old, a Droid 2, and I rushed to get it out, wanting it to be ready by the time they got to me. And wouldn't you know it opened up fast enough so I took what I thought of as a test shot. And then lost the mood to take any more photos!
Why? I don't know. It's just like some feeling or something. Later I decided it was decent enough regardless to put it up publicly.
Well my smartphone is kind of slow when it comes to opening up to the camera, as it's a bit old, a Droid 2, and I rushed to get it out, wanting it to be ready by the time they got to me. And wouldn't you know it opened up fast enough so I took what I thought of as a test shot. And then lost the mood to take any more photos!
Why? I don't know. It's just like some feeling or something. Later I decided it was decent enough regardless to put it up publicly.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
A photo, two buildings in SF
Here's a photo showing two buildings here in San Francisco:
I took it the day of the Chinese New Year Parade, as I was walking up the street and looked back and just thought to myself, wow.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sun-drenched photo
Decided to share another photo. And what happened was a couple of days ago I saw what just looked like such a cool shot, where a lot of it is a clear sky. One of the most clear days I've seen in San Francisco:
James
James
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Trying a photo
Recently I've found myself taking photos and putting them up on my Google+ account and kind of curious about what it'd look like to post one here. So putting in a photo from here in San Francisco:
Seems easy enough to add an image. This photo was just after a bit of rain.
James Harris
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