On comments to the blog....

...and a year's end wrap-up.

Yeah, I know I wrote that the previous entry would be the last of the year, but I received a comment made about a print I did on New Year's day 2010, and figured it was perfect for N.Y. Eve, a year later.
Oh, and also some interesting & timely ('year's end') 'whatever catches my eye' file things:

December 27, 2010, 6:00 pm
Here Are the Snows of Yesteryear
By David Dunlap
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/here-are-the-snows-of-yesteryear/?hp
----------------------
Kodachrome: The Legendary Film's Last Days
The World's First Consumer Color Film was Used in 100s of Iconic Shots; After Dec. 30, It Won't Be Sold or Processed Anywhere
By Jim Axelrod Dec. 26, 2010

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/26/sunday/main7185884.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.1

-------------------------------------

Op-Ed Columnist - NY Times
Thinking of Aretha - Published: December 24, 2010 - By Bob Herbert
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/25/opinion/25herbert.html?hp
"Nineteen sixty-seven was a tough year in many respects — riots, protests, an unwinnable war — but I can’t think of it without thinking of the glory of Aretha Franklin, a woman in her mid-20s, introverted and somewhat shy, who sang soul and rock ’n’ roll with the power and beauty of a heavenly choir....
So a toast or a prayer for Aretha this holiday season would be terrific — just a moment of appreciation and a wish that she continue recovering nicely."
-----------------------------
2010: The Year in Pictures
Bearing Witness
Published: December 23, 2010
by Michael Kamber
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, Joao Silva was a troubled high school dropout on the streets of Johannesburg. His future looked bleak until the day a friend took him along on a photo shoot. Joao fell in love with the camera.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/weekinreview/26kamber.html?hp
--------------------------
The NY Times: The 10th annual year in ideas:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/19/magazine/ideas2010.html?ref=magazine#-1
For the 10th consecutive December, the magazine has chosen to look back on the past year through a distinctive prism: ideas.
Our digest of short entries refracts the light beam of human inspiration, breaking it up into its constituent colors — innovations and insights from a spectrum of fields, including economics, biology, engineering, medicine, literature, sports, music and, of course, raw-meat clothing. Happy thinking!

Personally, I really like that they do this splash page w/ typography! Well done!!! Herb Lubalin is happy!!!
What? You don't know who Herb Lubalin was??? Well, it's damn well time you found out!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Lubalin
http://www.typogabor.com/herb-lubalin/
http://www.adcglobal.org/archive/hof/1977/?id=276
http://www.linotype.com/483/herblubalin.html
http://www.itcfonts.com/Ulc/2511/HerbLubalin.htm
http://new.myfonts.com/person/Herb_Lubalin/

---------------------------------
RIP, Richard Holbrooke, a giant among men, who took on challenges that would make most others cringe... and run.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/12/26/magazine/2010lives.html?ref=magazine#view=richard_c__holbrooke
"Holbrooke devoted his life to public service, a notion that is now derided in many quarters. Some say his death marks the end of a Kennedy-­inspired generation — and an America — that believed it could be a virtuous force in the world. I fervently disagree.
All of us have the chance to follow his example."

The photo shows a guy who is not looking at the camera, and probably not interested in his picture.
He is looking off, somewhere else, perhaps to the next big problem to solve...?
We need more people who think like he did, and 'march into the fire', and do some good things.
"All of us have a chance to follow his example" in some small way....?, by doing what we do best, to the max.
Let those be words to live by.
---------------------------------------------------
Yosemite National Park, in winter's grip
No voices, no crowds. Just Times photographer Mark Boster, a few fearless wild animals and a host of winter-in-Yosemite memories.
The skies behind majestic Half Dome in Yosemite National Park take an eerie glow as the sun sets on another beautiful winter's day. (Mark Boster/Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/travel/destinations/yosemite/
http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-yosemitewinter-20101212,0,3041116.story
_______________________________

Framework - Capturing the world through photography, video and multimedia
My New Year’s photography resolutions
http://framework.latimes.com/2010/12/27/my-photo-new-years-resolutions/
Posted By: Robert Lachman - Posted On: 12:15 a.m. | December 27, 2010
---------------------------------

And yes, the weather is treating California bad these days, but the storms do have their good moments. Above, the Golden Gate bridge
last Sunday the 26th. Yep, there's a pot of gold in the bay, not far from the north end of the bridge.
In 50 degree water, with treacherous tidal flows. Guess it'll have to stay there, untouched...



On to the comments:
I've gotten a few that are interesting, among the many Viagra URL's, and breast enlargement possibilities... these spammers spare NO one, do they? I mean spamming comments on a blog?? Please, get outta here!
From a few months ago:
'Anonymous' has left a new comment on your post:
In my "Shadows - Darkroom Print" posted 2/28-ish I included a quote you should commit to memory:
"Failure is an option, fear is not..." James Cameron

The comment: "In it something is. Thanks for an explanation. All ingenious is simple."

Yes, all 'ingenious' is many times simple (maybe it just looks simple?)... but it takes a lot of work to get there - a bit of a paradox isn't it?

"E=mc squared" is pretty simple, and explains a lot...but getting to that statement, you've got to be (an) Einstein = ingenious!

I have a saying I made up just for myself, many years ago, before photoshop, to get a handle on 'special effects', it goes like this...
"There are no rabbits! (that can be pulled out of a hat)" = it's a matter of using the available tools, VERY smartly... and..uh..ingeniously.
That's how special effects were done before computers.

I guess now that there's photoshop, you don't have to plan that way, you can 'fix it all later'... an attitude I hate.
It breeds 'sloppy'! of which I have seen a lot in recent years.
Anyway, thanks for the comment, and... take James Cameron's advice.

On 12/23 - 'Anonymous' has left a new comment on your post "A surreal hourglass" - Posted 5/2/2010.

I ended the post by wondering out loud about what the image meant:

"What does it all mean?
Well... uh.... I'll give it a try -
'Time flows forward, a torrent that knows no end, and has had no beginning - but our experience of it, is a drop, a second, at a time'.
That works for me, how about you?"

The comment I got:
"Hey great post. Thought I'm not sure I agree with you 100%. Keep em coming. Are you interested in having anyone guest post opposing views?"

I got no problem w/ publishing comments of any kind or opposing points of view, giving them their own post no less, as long as they are on topic, and polite/intelligent.
Whatever it was in the post that 'anonymous' didn't agree with? ( what this image might 'mean'?)...Sure, bring it on!

And finally:

'Anonymous' has left a new comment on the post "Darkroom - a 'silver lining' in a cloud":

"Hi there, Thanks for sharing the link - but unfortunately it seems to be down? Does anybody here at californiasilverwizard.blogspot.com have a mirror or another source?
Thanks,
John"

Dear John (what a great way to start any letter/note!),
I don't know what you're talking about - there's only one link in this post, to a page in my website, and it works just fine.
For any future comments? Please read the instructions in the right hand column, about how I much prefer comments be sent to me directly, at my yahoo.com email, and about not being anonymous, After all, if you are 'anonymous' I can't reply ( other than doing a post like this) can I? And I'm only gonna do a few (and far between) like these....

Need a bit of music?...(Don't we all!)

Hendrix - The wind cries mary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKbf5xxfaVE

Warren Zevon - back in the high life again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo3lxKrjABE&feature=related

Steve winwood:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82nMSy-IWQ&feature=related

Happy New Year!!

'Private' - darkroom montage

First, from the 'whatever catches my eye' file...

Eye of the storm: The jaw-dropping image of an enormous 'supercell' cloud
Nat'l Geo photo contest


An incredible sky!!! ( it's the last one, # 13 of 13 )

(all rights reserved to the photographer, I am sure!)

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/The2010-National-Geographic-PhotoContest/ss/events/lf/112310natgeophoto#photoViewer=/ydownload/20101123/photos_net_web_yn/1290540476

use the 'back' arrows on this page to view all the winners - a great collection!

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1334672/Jaw-dropping-image-enormous-supercell-cloud-Glasgow-Montana.html#ixzz17xJ1LKQB

------------------------------------
The "Burritozilla" - A Monster 5-pound Burrito!!!
I like burritos, for sure - it's a meal (or two) all wrapped up in one package...but this one is awesome!
http://beta.local.yahoo.com/burritozilla-monster-5pound-burrito-turn-here?woeid=2487956
-------------------------------
Spindly Species

Wed Nov 24, 6:07 am ET
PARIS (AFP) – Scientists unveiled on Wednesday a gossamer, ghostly creature discovered in the deepest reaches of the ocean between Indonesia and the Philippines.
The squidworm, up to 9.4 centimetres (3.7 inches) in length, is far more elegant than its name would suggest.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101124/sc_afp/scienceoceansbiodiversity
----------------------------------------

Apple's Steve Wozniak:
"All of a sudden, we've lost a lot of control," he said. "We can't turn off our internet; we can't turn off our smartphones; we can't turn off our computers."
"You used to ask a smart person a question. Now, who do you ask? It starts with g-o, and it's not God," he quipped.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/12/08/steve.wozniak.computers/?hpt=Sbin

--------------------------------------------------

The Record Industry's Digital Storage Crisis
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/gear-up/blogs/November29/241172/238012
'The advent of digital technology was supposed to preserve content, including multitrack master recordings for songs and albums, forever. But when record labels have gone into their vaults to work with masters, they sometimes find that the recordings are just ... gone.
"That's the problem with digital," says Steve Webbon, head archivist of the Beggars Group, who faced that problem when he tried to reworkthe Cult's 1985 album Love. "When it goes, it's just blank." '
so.... has this made your mental wheels start spinning, w/ back up plans?
It should.
--------------------------------------------
Rock stars: World's greatest temples in stone
Hop on a tour with some of the world's most famous "rock stars," some with legacies that span thousands to even millions of years.

Thursday, December 9, 2010
photo caption:
©Yory Frenklakh
Found in Ma'an, a governorate of Jordan, Petra was established around the 6th century BC and is famous for its rock cut architecture.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/12/09/rock_star_photos_120910.DTL
You may well be familiar with some of these, but some were surprises to me, that I wasn't aware of.
Sometimes comments sections are just a bunch of idiot wackos.. but sometimes there are very valid and intelligent remarks:
'No mention of the fact that the Taliban destroyed one of the greatest examples of large scale Buddha rock statues in the history of Afghanistan?'

'How can you forget Ayers Rock (Uluru) in Australia?'

Another commenter lamented 'what about Angkor Wat??'
Good question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat
http://www.devata.org/
-------------------------------------

On to darkroom montage!

I've done a print previously, w/ this delapidated shack as the focus...
but there's nothing wrong w/ revisiting old images, and doing something new w/ them, is there?
Here's my photoshop sketch:

And here's a final darkroom print, one of 3:



I have really liked what happened w/ this montage for a very long time:
www.bobbennettphoto.net/2003_4/7_stairs.html
It's just 2 images.....blended ( if I don't say so myself!) *Purr-fectly*!
If I had wanted to 'plan' this one?... I think i would have 'thought' too much, and that might get in the way of serendipity. And 'serendipity' is a thing you should have a lot of respect for!
When it happens? get out of the way!
I took much the same approach as I did to the 'stairway' image, expose the landscape, and dodge back the center to accommodate whatever I wanted to burn in there.
I had the neg of the 'desert space' with the cones placed 'just so' - i have no idea why someone placed them there - warning anyone to 'keep out' - keep out of what, exactly? I mean... who in their right mind would wander into this space/place without being 'heads up'?? And why should these silly cones slow anyone down?
That connected w/ the sign on the shack "Private property..."
The sky in the 'cone zone' shot is dull, so I replaced it w/ a much more interesting one. And did three prints, all slightly different, all 'keepers'.
Not as surprising as the 'stairs' above, but keepers just the same.
I don't think I've ever done a piece w/ 'spot' handcoloring, but this one could use it - just a wee bit of orange on the cones :-)
As usual, If you are so inclined, proceed on to a page at my site:

www.bobbennettphoto.net/BeachBlog_2010/Private/index.html

That's all for this year, folks - Have a very Merry 'Christmoose'!