PJH Studios

Author: Patrick

  • Processed war photography

    Brian Barrel of Gizmodo spots Hipstamatic photos on the NY Times front page.

    When NYT photog Damon Winter went to northern Afghanistan to catalog the efforts of the First Battalion, 87th Infantry of the 10th Mountain Division, he took all the fancy camera equipment you would expect. He’d shoot video of firefights with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, sure. But he also grabbed still photos using Hipstamatic, an app that lets you choose among a huge selection of filters…

    As he notes, this isn’t the first time a Hipstamatic photograph has been published by a major publication. The publishing of such photos is significant for the following reasons:

    • It’s not the gear you have, it’s the gear you have at the time.
    • Editorializing/editing of photos for publication

    Chase Jarvis preaches that The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You. Sure, you can lug two Canon 5Ds, one with a 35mm prime and another with a 28-200mm 2.8 zoom, and with that weight you’re going to get quality shots. But the iPhone (and other cell phone cameras) with various apps for editing and processing photos, is making the investment in gear moot. In the case of war photography, the thought of a photographer following a platoon with only an iPhone seems comical, however, in a connected era, telling the story as it happens or as soon as it happens becomes paramount. The work flow–take picture, edit as needed, upload to photo desk–to do this now can happen in minutes. Photographers of the Civil War didn’t have that work flow capability.

    The instant work flow, coupled with the photo editing apps in an iPhone, a photographer can file a photo that has a distinct, editorial feel. Photographers who know their craft can capture photos in camera without any editing, but normally, photos edited beyond basic cropping and dodging and burning receive the note “photo illustration.” So what’s being illustrated? The story or what photographer or the editor wants the story to be or the reader to feel? This is a tricky line, a line that photojournalism has always run against. Photography is an art to evoke feeling, and photojournalism is an art to capture events to evoke feeling. As one Gizmodo commenter, OrtizDupri, states,

    I can guarantee you, nothing I saw in my 16 months in Iraq looked like the view through a Lomo or Holga camera. The reality of war isn’t meant to be vintage colors and soft edges.

  • Long held beliefs eventually disproven

    Richard Thaler, a behavioral economist and research, issued a call for previous held beliefs that were eventually disproved, and for extra credit, why were they held for so long.

    Lots of good examples from a wide array of smart folks (Nicholas Carr, Howard Gardner, Clay Shirky and many many others). Some are obvious (gravity! flat Earth!) while others are arcane (prions/prions?).

  • Seth Godin’s Purple Cow

    Seth Godin’s Purple Cow is a call for businesses and start ups to be remarkable. Being remarkable means being memorable, unique and doing business in such a way that it can be distinguishably different from the competition.

    Godin explains his purple cow: drive about the country side and watch cows–brown cows, black cows, black and white cows. After a while, they’re boring and part of the landscape. But what if all the sudden you saw a purple cow? That would be remarkable wouldn’t it?

    And his caveat: for a while, and then it too fades in to the scenery.

    Where most businesses stumble, is that they create something new and exciting and make money, but then they become stuck in a cycle of protecting the product and doing things that are safe and for the masses. What businesses should do, he says, as the purple cow is making money, invest that money on the next thing, the next idea. He supports this stating that you make more money on early adopters who then tell the masses (their friends) about the product or service. This doesn’t mean you seek out they next cool thing immediately, but be attentive and creative to when the market will provide an opportunity for you to create your next purple cow.

    Godin writes in stories, anecdotes and case studies. Purple Cow contains plenty of examples. My Pearl Jam nerd self received a little bit of glee when the band sold all 72 live shows from their 2000 tour–and made a profit–as an example. Sections are at most two to three pages in length, and some contain explicit take away points. Teachers, administrators, entrepreneurs, mid-level executives should be able to gleam morsels of inspiration within the books 200 pages.

  • Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog

    Fine Art Photography: Water, Ice and Fog by Tony Sweet showcases photographs of of water in its three states. Yes, there are great shots, but this book is a how-to book. Sweet discusses the composition of the shot and the elements of photography that went into it. What lens was used, at what aperture, at what time of day with what filter. His writing style is direct and to the point and instructional. Novices and advanced photographers should be able to get something out of this book.

  • Modern art as a weapon

    During the Cold War, the CIA supported artists such as Rothko, de Kooning and Pollock, all in the name of defeating Communism.

    Why did the CIA support them? Because in the propaganda war with the Soviet Union, this new artistic movement could be held up as proof of the creativity, the intellectual freedom, and the cultural power of the US. Russian art, strapped into the communist ideological straitjacket, could not compete.

    And the next time someone snarks about elites, consider:

    The US government now faced a dilemma. This philistinism, combined with Joseph McCarthy’s hysterical denunciations of all that was avant-garde or unorthodox, was deeply embarrassing. It discredited the idea that America was a sophisticated, culturally rich democracy. It also prevented the US government from consolidating the shift in cultural supremacy from Paris to New York since the 1930s. To resolve this dilemma, the CIA was brought in.

  • Civil Twilight – Civil Twilight

    You’ll like Civil Twilight‘s self-titled if you’re into electronic rock in the vein of Muse. It’s not as orchestral or jarring, but Civil Twilight brings the wailing, synth and driving melodies.

  • Parker: The Hunter

    Parker: The Hunter (Richard Stark’s Parker) by Darwyn Cooke puts crime noir pulp author Richard Stark to page in graphic novel format. It tells the tale of a thief who’s been betrayed by his girlfriend and double crossed by a partner in crime and his hunt for revenge.

    The story is told in four arcs. The first, begins with a man (we soon to find to be Parker) crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and remains wordless for 8 pages as he cons a bank for money, insults a waitress at a diner and eventually meets up with his former girlfriend. The second arc focuses on the man, Mal, who betrayed Parker, and the third tells of how Parker found Mal. Finally, Parker continues, scorched earth style, up the chain of the organization that took his money.

    The dialogue reads like that of a pulp crime novel and the action is violent with some scenes graphically depicted and others implied. The art is a throwback to the 50s and 60s–sharp angular inks and expressive styled lines. The blue coloring is used for visuals to accentuate drama. It’s a well done effort into the graphic novel genre.

  • jobs are creative acts

    Ben Pieratt writes that jobs are creative acts

    As a creative person, you’ve been given the ability to build things from nothing by way of hard work over long periods of time. Creation is a deeply personal and rewarding activity, which means that your Work should also be deeply personal and rewarding. If it’s not, then something is amiss.

    Creation is entirely dependent on ownership.

    I’ve always felt that the act of creation is a powerful one, unrecognized or under appreciated. In certain environments people who accomplish great things have very little ownership of the end result, but they can own the means and abilities to reach that accomplishment. When others step in to own part of the process… it’s theft.

  • Telegraph Canyon at the Levitt – 9/17/2010

    Fort Worth’s Telegraph Canyon played Arlington for the first time at the outdoor amphitheater, Levitt Pavilion. The band played an energetic, swirling and full set with songs off their 2009 The Tide and the Current. This is a band that sounds better live with performances to match. Rich textures and instrumentation ebb, flow and build in songs like Into the Woods and Reels and Wires. Welcome to the Night becomes raw and tender and pulsating.

    This is the second time I’ve seen them and they’re there to play and rock out in their own way. Lead singer Chris Johnson interacted with the crowd a few times, but all six band members where there to play. No theatrics or showmanship. I would like to see them throw in a cover just to see what they could do with someone else’s material. By then end of the show a line had formed at their merchandise table and I could overhear conversations about how impressed they were with the band.

    Telegraph Canyon at the Levitt

  • Chet and Bernie

    Spencer Quinn put a nifty twist on the detective whodunnit by making his narrator a dog, Chet. Chet’s voice is colorful, simple and direct, keenly detailing the sights, smells and sounds. There’s also an innocence, too, in his character when observing human nature, unsure of human emotion and motive.

    In Dog on It: A Chet and Bernie Mystery, Bernie takes a case for a wealthy divorcee whose daughter has been kidnapped. The setup may be simple, but Quinn constructs a plot with enough characters and motivations that the story is more than just about kidnapping. Comments on the housing crisis come through as Bernie finds more about the father, a real estate developer. While Bernie consists of the usual detective tropes–loner, ex-military, poor financial decision maker, brash attitude, Chet is what makes the pair unique in how they pair up. Bernie states that he and Chet are a team.

    The team continue working cases in Thereby Hangs a Tail: A Chet and Bernie Mystery when a wealthy dog owner and her dog are snatched before a premiere dog show. The dog show plotline seems a send up of celebrity culture, a farce with animals and their over eager owners, whom seem like caricatures. The supporting cast of bad guys and red herrings aren’t really as developed this time, and Chet’s narration seems more ADHD. Sure, dogs may become distracted, but when telling the story a colorful tangent may entertain, but this isn’t done in moderation. I found myself skipping large sections and didn’t fight the twist particularly revealing.