Books: Around the World in Eighty Years

Eric Newby is best known as a travel writer. Written with a wry, self deprecating humour, books such as The Last Grain Race and A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush have become classics of travel writing. He has, however, always photographed his travels as well. I first came across his photos in a book called What the Traveller Saw, a collection of short essays and photographs. And I was impressed. So when I came across this volume of his photographs, I had to pick it up. It is a fine collection of photos from both well known locations such as Bali and places probably not on most tourist maps such as Haiti and Albania. It’s a little disappointing that there are no images from his year sailing from the UK to Australia and back again as a crewmember one of the last commercial sailing ships. But that’s just a personal bias. I was particularly drawn to the photographs of children that are in the book; these photos have a great power and intimacy, more so than most of the others. The photo of the boy on the boat in Macao the one of children at a camel fair in Rajasthan are two of those that really stand out. Overall, an interesting collection.

Spring is in the Air

Now that spring seems to be here to stay (it's taken it's sweet time this year), it's now officially the season for flower photos. I've been playing around using extension tubes and a mix of old lenses on my K10D. Trying mostly for some abstract images, but really just trying whatever strikes me at the time. Digital is great for this, as I can review my images as I to see what is working and what is not. And it doesn't fill the garbage can quite as full of tossed slides either ...

'The Online Photographer" Writes Again

One of the most entertaining and knowledgeable photography writers on the net is probably Mike Johnston. I started reading his The Sunday Morning Photographer column on Luminous Landscape 3 or 4 years ago, subscribed to The 37th Frame, and then followed his blog The Online Photographer since it started over a year ago. You don't have to agree with his opinions to appreciate his knack for writing about photography (and a wide range of only mildly related topics as well).

Anyhow, his blog apparently went into some sort of spambot meltdown over the weekend. It's now up and running again on it's own The Online Photographer domain. If you've never read, it's well worth following.

The Best Place for Photography is Where you Are

I've been busy with work and home lately, and haven't gotten very far to indulge in my photography habit. But I do try to make the effort to get out and shoot whenever I can, even if it means not leaving the confines of the backyard. All it takes is to look around you and there will always be a subject that catches the eye.

Photo Lesson #385

I was out in the backyard capturing a few photos of the sunset reflection in the back window when I realized something I hadn't noticed before; the reflection and the glass are not at the same depth of field. Viewing through the camera, I could get either the reflection or the window and frame in focus, but not both. I suppose this makes sense, but I had never really noticed it before ...