Pictorial: October 2005

2005-10-22

Side Window

Up there, behind that tree, discovered by the sun.

End of a Cycle

Death can be beautiful. The cycle of the flora, death as a proof of life.

2005-10-20

The Dark Sides of Nice Pictures

Like everyone else taking pictures I also invest time making sure it comes out the way I want it to be. That the electrical cable hanging over my head does not show up on the picture; that the strollers are gone; that the street is quiet; that the rain stops; that the smiles come.

There are many available tricks now made possible by computers. In some occasion I take several almost identical pictures and mix them later at home in such a way that the resulting picture has less strollers than any of the originals. Cheating? in a way yes, but sometimes I do not have the time to wait for enough of them to walk away and new ones keep coming. I also can bring some "sunlight" in a dull picture on the computer by enhancing its contrast and colors.

Best of course is using the real thing, that is, low-angled sun rays, and especially those soft ones from the last hour before sunset or first hour after sunrise. It gives stunning results almost whatever the subject. The only condition: being with your preferred camera at the right time and at the right place.

That is the beauty of photography, one can capture fugitive and fragile moments and give the impression it is always like that. But most of the time it is not and that is precisely why most take pictures, isn't?

2005-10-16

La Dolce Vita

Genoa Gulf, one or two kilometers further East from Finale towards Savona.

A little outing from last Wednesday to last Saturday, 500km and about 5 hours away (if you can avoid the rush days) by car from most parts of Switzerland. Despite October the sun was strong enough to let us bath a couple of hours every day in the Mediterranean Sea, clean beaches and water made it possible.

The full pictures gallery is available on my web site

Toboggan HowTo

Here is a Little Guide for all of you who have forgotten the basic rules about using a toboggan

2005-10-09

Going Towards 100'000 Images, what for?

Creating and editing digital images are no longer reserved for computer freaks and gadgets addicts. It has become much easier, cheaper and much better. Most laboratories and most printers can print digital images directly on paper without the need of a computer or internet.

What is the differences between taking 100 pictures and 100'000? Considering the number of pictures with a digital camera one is only limited by the size of the memory card and the capacity of the battery, and as a result, more, much more pictures are shot and what do we do with all these pictures?

As to me I average 7'000 pictures per year and, since I started taking digital pictures in 1998, I totalized today around 60'000 pictures. Do I remember all those images? Of course no! So is that meaningless? Fortunately no. Taking pictures is a also pleasure at the very moment you shoot. It made me want to go out and do things, it made me curious, it made me attentive,

... and it made me want to share some of them here too.