Nothing happens on this safari. A leopard doesn't juggle. A crocodile does not attack the vehicle. We are never charged by a hippo and no one loses a limb. All we do is sit near some ellies having a mud bath and get shattered.
You say animals and death are strangely connected for you, but you bring life out of death in the terrific photos and stories of elephants' mud baths and now Jenna's baby Akira!
It seems to me you had a lovely time watching elephants in the wild. I try to make a conscious effort to take few photos, and only use my phone, because of how photography alienates us from our surroundings. Erich Fromm, in The Sane Society, wrote it first: instead of experiencing, we concentrate on capturing it, so we can show slides later (this was written in the ‘50s, with the Kodak boom). And I noticed myself doing it, looking for Instagram shots and so on, something to Tweet or blog about. I think we can balance a love of photography and still not alienate ourselves from being in the moment, and your photos are an example. Were you happy with the trip until the mentor told you it was nothing special? You were there. It was something. I wish I’d been there, I’ve never been to Africa, much less on safari.
And thanks for the orca stuff. Maybe they are joining the fight against oligarchy and climate change. Every yacht should be a an artificial reef.
Oh, I think I’ll need to go back & revise a bit if you got the impression that I was unhappy! I was deeply, deeply happy. And the expert photographer guy was a total asshole. I mean ... yeah, I guess he was right about the photos from a photo competition perspective, but also, I mean ... something happened out there. Our lives fucking changed for one thing. We moved from death to (re)birth.
In terms of taking photos -- yeah, I agree, I think it’s a hard balance. I think it’s a little like biking a landscape that you also drive, in that you notice different things? Like if you’re there for photography, you’re thinking about light & composition & camera settings, etc., which can actually be a way of getting into what’s happening but also at a certain point be distancing. So, yeah, a little of both.
oh, it was clear that you had a good time. I wasn't sure how much of asshole's words you took to heart. Also, I read The Elephant's Tiptoe, and it was brilliant. Painful but brilliant.
I really enjoyed your photos - regardless of what the photog mentor sez.
IMHO there's no such thing as a bad animal photo, especially for the person lucky enough to click the shutter.
Thanks! Definitely always a pleasure to be able to hang out with animals & take some pics.
You say animals and death are strangely connected for you, but you bring life out of death in the terrific photos and stories of elephants' mud baths and now Jenna's baby Akira!
Thanks! Yes, the bush brought life out of death (as it regularly does) ... and I was trying for that same trick too! ❤️
It seems to me you had a lovely time watching elephants in the wild. I try to make a conscious effort to take few photos, and only use my phone, because of how photography alienates us from our surroundings. Erich Fromm, in The Sane Society, wrote it first: instead of experiencing, we concentrate on capturing it, so we can show slides later (this was written in the ‘50s, with the Kodak boom). And I noticed myself doing it, looking for Instagram shots and so on, something to Tweet or blog about. I think we can balance a love of photography and still not alienate ourselves from being in the moment, and your photos are an example. Were you happy with the trip until the mentor told you it was nothing special? You were there. It was something. I wish I’d been there, I’ve never been to Africa, much less on safari.
And thanks for the orca stuff. Maybe they are joining the fight against oligarchy and climate change. Every yacht should be a an artificial reef.
Oh, I think I’ll need to go back & revise a bit if you got the impression that I was unhappy! I was deeply, deeply happy. And the expert photographer guy was a total asshole. I mean ... yeah, I guess he was right about the photos from a photo competition perspective, but also, I mean ... something happened out there. Our lives fucking changed for one thing. We moved from death to (re)birth.
In terms of taking photos -- yeah, I agree, I think it’s a hard balance. I think it’s a little like biking a landscape that you also drive, in that you notice different things? Like if you’re there for photography, you’re thinking about light & composition & camera settings, etc., which can actually be a way of getting into what’s happening but also at a certain point be distancing. So, yeah, a little of both.
oh, it was clear that you had a good time. I wasn't sure how much of asshole's words you took to heart. Also, I read The Elephant's Tiptoe, and it was brilliant. Painful but brilliant.
Wow, Thomas. That means a lot, coming from you. Thanks.