What will my next post be about?.
Hehe, don’t worry! As usual, it will certainly be dedicated to photography. So why such an intriguing title, you ask? I’m really in doubts from where to start. I love all the themes I’m publishing here and don’t have any priority. Well, I guess I’d prefer the ones that involve people and their actions or inactions. So today my post is a mix of materials ready for publication.
The idea for this “announcement” post came to me in the last evening when I was “fighting” with myself and almost made roulette, not the “Russian” one, but some looks like a one winner lottery 🙂 I put in front of me the list of the ready topics And instead of making a decision, I went to play the didgeridoo. For me didgeridoo is one of the best ways to get into a neutral state. Some kind of breathing meditation with an amazing ability to stop the running line of thoughts. Especially after I managed to master the technique of the circular breathing, the process stopped being technical and fixated on the thought that I should stop the sound to get some fresh air. For these who are interesting to see me paying, i will put a fresh short video to the end of this post.
Around 1am i got this idea to make a mix. This mix from all the topics i prepared. And I chose the representative frame for every theme – and two for some, sometimes i can’t stop myself :-). Some people will ask me: why don’t you CONSULT with AI? I’m not joking. I know a bunch of people who are using this exactly word, when they stuck with something or are thinking what prepare for a dinner, or where to go during the next vacation or which company to hire for the 4 floor building reconstruction. Yes, for many the robot became a “consultant”. And so these people end up in long lines at the same tourist attractions, etc. It’s like when the navigation application smarty taking all the drivers to the faster route, which became the jammed one just in dozens minutes. But I really don’t intend to complain about worshiping a new virtual god today. I just read that “Bill Gates warns that AI is more dangerous than Big Tech will admin and the industry was downplaying the risk, leading to unemployment and bioterrorism”. It seems the Godfather is unhappy that he didn’t get millions for the idea and now feels out of the game. But that’s a topic for another discussion. These are my personal impressions and understanding of what is happening and no one is obliged to agree with my train of thought. :-))
Here are the topics for future publications on my photoblog, listed in no particular order of priority..
The LR workflow for the Fomapan exposed with the fantastic Holga camera series part ix.
Band photography on film.
Tho frames for the Unforgettable Ethiopia – after trip photo notes.
I can’t resist adding one more frame to this series.
Life of Foreigners – my photographic reflections.
Crazy mix – Rodinal and HC110 in one cocktail part 3.
Old-New Jaffa – my photo observations about gentrification -some from archives, some newly photographed. This is my new series.
From my visits of the Jisr az-Zarqa fisherman village, this time I witnessed the filming of a feature film.
Additional frame the filming.
Photographing the real life of the open-air markets and the areas around. This is my new series.
Why I love night photography, and why you should too (part x).
From the same night walks, just with film.
From the burned forests. My long term project about the numerous visits to the vast burnt-out area.
And if you finally made it to the end of this post, here’s a short video of me playing the didgeridoo.
Let’m come. Fine shots to illustrate the ‘categories’. 👌✋️
Thank you my friend !
The AI thing is a bit crazy. Like the mobile phone and social media, the Public just adopts stuff without a thought toward what it’s going to do… They never consider the data the model is trained on, whether it’s any good or not, whether it’s accurate — they assume it is.
My job has put me in the position of having to work with the Terminator, and it can be impressive. It can also be stupendously wrong. It fixates on certain parts to the point where I have to tell it, “that’s not the problem”. It over-complicates solutions. But it also has its uses, as long as you can guardrail against the things above.
In my personal life, I have very little interest in it; and I rarely use it. I had a tip when I was seriously studying Japanese that it was better at helping form translations. That’s useful. But “consulting’ with AI on anything regularly or serious seems like a recipe leading to more bad-sheep behavior resulting in unhinged women crying in their cars on TikTok.
I see your point of view. The only AI i use sometimes is the Google Gemini default search results and these i takes for a deep check, cos the 2 lines answer is usually dont help and don’t bring me any help just superficial explanation. And i prefer to look for deeper information.
What exactly the Terminator is ?
The Terminator is what I call our AI tool (Or any AI tool). It’s a reference to the (1984) movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator) where a future AI called Skynet sends a cyborg (the titular Terminator) to the past to kill the mother of the head of the future resistance. The first one is a pretty good action flick.
Sure i remember the movie cos Arnold for years was some kind of sample for me during my bodybuilding training. Actually very nice association with AI 😉
Hi Victor my apologies for my belated opinion:);) I really admire your enthusiasm for photography and your didgeridoo.
I was talking to my friend if she wanted to join trip to Israel. She said yes but she’s not ready yet. Her mom is sick so we’ll plan to see next year . So sorry.
Anyway great series dear victor.💯💯
Waiting for your visit darling!
Great post. Very eclectic and lots of information regards your themes. I must admit to feeling very breathless watching you play the didgeridoo. Very interesting combination sound with technology added. I did try to play one once and failed miserably. So hats off to your skills Victor. I like the idea of its use in a meditative way. At 70 years old now, my own lungs are a bit too past their sell by date to achieve comfort in the intensity required. So rhythmic four square breathing is my limits.
Your video on developing the film at home made me feel nostalgic. I still have the equipment to be able to achieve producing film negatives at home. No enlarger anymore though. Great looking negatives in your results.
Cheers Victor. 🙏🏽🍁🍂
Hi Gray. Huge thank you for the careful look and read. First of all about the didjeridoo. I love the meditative way of playing. More connected with the drone way of playing and adding some slow rhythm. Less connected to the fast trance style as imsee many people are playing now at trance music parties. About the lungs – just try. Everything is about training. Also in age 70 lungs and muscles need a training, maybe more than in younger age. 😉
About analog photography. Yesterday i finished to exposure another medium format roll and even developed it at the same day. Not happening to me too often. Hope to scan this roll today after the workday and maybe will publish with the next blogpost 😉 For me it less nostalgic, cos i never used to developed at home and used film cameras during my childhood just a few times so dont have an old emotions about analog photography or maybe i have some hidden emotions due to the epocha of everything analog around me during the childhood.. I remember our black and white TV – possible the reason why my photography world is black and white ;-))
If reading uploads, the time and efforts people put into the thoughts should be respected. The nice result is when you enjoyed the experience of the read. Like your uploads. Imagery? Because I too shot film and developed with a darkroom and a vintage Wetzler Ernst Leitz enlarger, I love to see others’ work. In both negative and print quality. Scanning negatives is the new way I know. But of course, you have to even scan hard copy prints in order to upload onto internet or social media platforms. Your negatives looked fantastic results in contrast qualities.
I remember attending exhibitions of the famous photographers and seeing their prints in the reality. It has so much emotional impact. Brandt, Salgado, Bailey, etc. were sublime experiences.
Being older? You have to slow down somewhat. I was a staff nurse and understand the importance of exercise. But am also a great supporter of using the body in a correct manner. Ayurvedic philosophy is very interesting. And calmness in progression for well being belongs to the Mind, Nutrition, Emotional responses in avoidance of unwanted stress, Social balance and simply enjoying life in accessing the positivities in Mother Nature.
A VeeDub Bus (1972 camper van) and songwriting/playing and recording my music is important too for myself. But you understand all this regarding music Victor. You are a keen musician too. Family and friendship loyalties, as you also understand and have expressed, are also valuable.
Analogue is tactile in a very positive way. I like that you know its importance and are expressing dissatisfaction with AI. I never use AI either. People have said I should use it to make videos for my song uploads to YouTube. Nope! I’d rather they looked naive than adopt the craziness of AI.
Anyways. Thank you for your wonderful thoughts. Always appreciated.
Cheers Victor. Wishing you good fortune in all your artistic endeavours. 🙏🏽🍁🍂
Absolutely agree about AI and to remaining naive but original in a way of my understanding of this word ! Will write more later. Working now 🙂 Huge thank you.