Thanks, Beverly, for sending these pictures my way. I enjoyed them and want to pass them on here…
Yet Another Picture Collection
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Category Archives: Art
Real Photos, Real Early
Right after I had discovered – many years ago – that taking photos was not only for American tourists in Hawaiian shirts visiting Germany but could actually be an art form, I ran into a book that introduced me to tabletop photography.
One tray of slides remains from this era, and now I can share those after I managed to digitize them. It was actually time to do so as one of the boxes with those slides must have been exposed to some humidity (or the slides had not been properly developed) as there were spots on them like fungus.
Without further ado, here is my 70s take on tabletop photography:
Open the Album – click on three dots top right and select ‘Slide Show’…
A little story on the “Warp Drive” – this slide was added much later than all the others and is a picture of the device I built which earned me my masters in physics. It’s a drift chamber as used by my alma mater’s experiment at CERN – the place where the internet was really invented, and no, it was not Al Gore, who did that.
One of the more interesting things about the setup in the photo is that little brass cylinder in front of the shiny surface. It is actually a source for radioactive radiation that I used to test and adjust the chamber. Once I wanted to interrupt the beam of radiation for a quick demonstration and put my finger between the probe and the detector – the assistant responsible for me nearly took my head off for doing that.
Synergy of Photo and Music
Since the day I understood that taking photos is not something only American tourists in Germany do, but that it can, in fact, be an artistic expression, I have been able to appreciate a good photo.
I learned from the works of great photographers like Henri Catier-Bresson and studied whatever I could from resources like the Time Life Photography book series. During those old days, in order to have total control, you needed to spend time in the dark room – so I have this under my belt as well.
The latest photographer whom I added to my list of people to learn from, is Trey Ratcliff. He is a master of High-Dynamic-Range (HDR) photography. But one of the first thing he did for me was keeping me from finally buying a DSLR camera. Just when I was about ready I read his posts about mirror-less exchangeable lens cameras, and  now I don’t know if I should wait a bit until the field of those cameras gets a bit bigger. But I have to admit, right now the brand-new Rebel t4i is a bit tempting.
So, yes, his photos impressed me, but today they climbed another step on my appreciation- ladder when I watched them in form of a slide show with music by Hans Zimmer – somebody I never heard of before but who is apparently one of the big guys in the music business having done things like the sound track of the Lion King.
Here is that slide show, I would recommend switching to HD and watching it full screen…
The synergy is breath-taking: the music wins tremendously by the visuals and the imagery adds much to the sound-scape. It’s a hand-and-glove situation.
The Idea of Freedom is definitely not new
I always equated Charlie Chaplin with comedy, but when I look back, the most memorable scene I remember, is a bitter-sweet scene from City Lights. In fact, beside some shorter clips on TV I did not actually see much of his work.
But after seeing his speech in The Great Dictator I have to change that. I was surprised that this movie is actually not available on Netflix.
Violins and hot chicks
I reported about the violinist Vanessa Mae in the past and just have to revisit the subject now that another YouTube sensation has crossed my 32-inch monitor (yes, I am using an HD TV as my day-to-day monitor instead of investing in some reading glasses).
If you haven’t clicked through to the other link yet, here is what I mean when I say Vanessa Mae…
And then we have the bubbly Lindsey Stirling who combines violin play with a very unique type of dancing. I am just blown away by how you can hop around so wildly and then play the violin without missing a beat…
She seems to be a real member of the new YouTuber crowd, offering something worth spending your time on and maintaining a light and fluffy communication with the fans. I like it when an artist understands that this friendly contact is way better than being aloof.
Amazing Photography
For your enjoyment, another slideshow of most amazing photography…
Living Under Water
A very early exposure to the idea of living under water came through a German science fiction series “Space Patrol” in the 60s, just a tad before the original StarTrek. Mankind had settled on the floor of the ocean and space ships took off from underwater bases through water funnels.
And after an adventure in space the crew met in the Starlight Casino for a drink and a round of futuristic dancing. Commander McLane’s apartment was obviously also located at the underwater city.
Something a bit more tangible was then envisioned in 2006 with the Hydropolis Underwater Hotel and Resort, but at this time it seems as if this project is at least on ice if not completely scrapped.
In other words, currently we still have to live with just the imagination of living under water. These imaginations are made a bit easeer through the pictures of Elena Kalis.
(from her Google+ Album)
Magnificent Photos
And another collection of magnificent photos came my way – thank you, Beverly!
See…
I got these photos in the form of a powerpoint presentation. The best way to do this is to open the ppt in PowerPoint and export it as a web page (not a single one). This will create, beside the main HTML, a directory filled with all the images you might need, as well as sound files (if there is a soundtrack in the ppt.) With the last two PowerPoint presentations, I had the hardest time to even find where the sound files were imported in the presentation, far from finding a way to actually export them. That, and all the image exporting is now easy after I found the ‘export as a web page.’
Happy American Fool’s Day
Today is the day again where America celebrates it’s freedom.
I don’t have much to say, but I let Chris say something that might be appropriate. I met Chris at a recent home schooling event. He writes the wildest poetry you could imagine. When I tried to read the first poem he forwarded to me I told him that it reminded me of the famous Vogon poetry.
Today I want to present a piece from his moderate era.
Land of the Free…REE-LEE
Do taxpayers pun while paying frivolous fines?
Do marlins still tug against tightening lines?
When pinched by no squirm-room, left choice-less, bereft,
then clap-trap verboseness is all that we’re left. (Seemingly)
The noose of Big Brother hangs ever about
the necks of the masses – We, the People, who pout..
..As waiting in lines with our checkbooks in hand,
we ponder the path of this once wondrous land..
..of Washington, Lincoln and ‘W’ too,
while stonily missing the freedoms we knew,
when God was the giver of all of our rights..
..before lawyer-armies marched in in the night
and put up their fences now seen at the dawn..
We knew it would happen, we knew all along.
We’re cleared to chase evil the ends of the earth,
but we can’t stand against in the Land of Our Birth(?)
The lawyers’ america (sic):One City Hall..
Can’t fight’em, or join’em, go shop at the Mall.
It’s time to hold fast and rise up to the fight..
And pull off the darkness, the long winter’s night.
Recall when as children, they taught us to sing..
My Country ’tis of Thee, Let Freedom Ring?
Remember the soldiers, parades on Main Street?
And picnics and fireworks..Man, it was sweet!
America’s stirring, her proud heart can’t stand
the tyrannies festering all through the land..
We call on The Blood that was shed for all men..
In songs that commit all our voices as One!
Patriots, everyone, Sleepers awake!
Lift up your voices, for Heaven’s sake.
Remember your blessings and answer The Call!
In Christ, Hallelujah! Freedom for all!
Hand on your heart, now sing:
My country ’tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty, of Thee I sing.
Land where my fathers dies, land of the pilgrims’ pride,
form every mountainside, let Freedom ring.
War of the World with the StarTrek Crew
Found this in the deep crevices of my hard drive and I thought I better bring it into the open instead of it being hidden in cobwebs.
This is probably copy-righted material so I might get a cease and desist message, then it will be gone, but until that happens, take an hour and enjoy.
I actually grew up with radio shows, where your power of imagination was trained instead of dulled as with the later arrival of the TV.