1/16 - A day trip to 'The Rock' - Alcatraz!

But first... the 'whatever catches my eye' file is fat!

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The Slow-Photography Movement
'What is the point of taking pictures?'
By Tim WuPosted Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011, at 10:25 AM ET

http://www.slate.com/id/2279659
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Photo Enlargers Loom Like Dinosaurs of the Film Age
January 18, 2011 - by Pete Brook

http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2011/01/photo-enlargers/

well, my Beseler 45MX has a very secure place in my bathroom... which doubles as a darkroom. Hell will freeze over before this changes....

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Mon Jan 17, 9:49 am ET
Scientists warn California could be struck by winter ‘superstorm’
by Liz Goodwin

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110117/us_yblog_thelookout/scientists-warn-california-could-be-struck-by-winter-superstorm

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Font fans may be typecast, but they love it
Alec Scott, Special to The Chronicle
Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/11/DD0E1GOSHF.DTL#ixzz1As0BbuZ8

(http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/12/DD0E1GOSHF.DTL)

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Tue Jan 4, 3:36 pm ET
Famous ‘shoe tree’ chopped down by dastardly vandals

Definitely dastardly vandalous assholes!!
'Hang 'em high', I say!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110104/us_yblog_thelookout/famous-shoe-tree-chopped-down-by-dastardly-vandals
There are a few shoe trees that haven't made headlines, and I hope they don't suffer the same fate.
They are a marvelous communal work of art, that should be left for all passerbys to enjoy - there's nothing nicer than coming upon something like this, in the middle of nowhere.
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Computers That See You and Keep Watch Over You
Published: January 1, 2011 - NYTimes - By Steve Lohr
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/science/02see.html?_r=1&hp
'Despite such qualms, computer vision is moving into the mainstream. With this technological evolution, scientists predict, people will increasingly be surrounded by machines that can not only see but also reason about what they are seeing, in their own limited way...'

Watch the series of 'Terminator' films.
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AWESOME!!! If you haven't seen this, check it out!!!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110103/ts_yblog_thelookout/explorers-discover-spectacular-caves-in-vietnam

If you want to see ALL the images:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/01/largest-cave/jenkins-text

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Once again...we have another very significant passing to think about:

R. Sargent Shriver, Peace Corps Leader, Dies at 95
Published: January 18, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/us/politics/19shriver.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp
Mr. Shriver, who scouted talent for the incoming administration — people who came to be known as “the best and the brightest” — was assigned to the task of designing the Peace Corps, which was established by executive order in March 1961.
As director, he laid the foundations for what arguably became the most lasting accomplishment of the Kennedy presidency. As the Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary this year, more than 200,000 Americans have served as corps volunteers in 139 countries.
"Break mirrors", Mr. Shriver advised graduating students at Yale in 1994. “Yes, indeed,” he said.
“Shatter the glass. In our society that is so self-absorbed, begin to look less at yourself and more at each other. Learn more about the face of your neighbor and less about your own.”
'begin to look less at yourself and more at each other. Learn more about the face of your neighbor and less about your own'
Yes, exactly. Thank you SS, for a life well lived.... and some excellent advice.

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This one just appeared yesterday (1/25) - what a hoot!!! I love it!
Whoever did this has a great sense of humor... and some serious boating skills, don't you think?!

Mysterious piano appears in Fla. bay:
http://news.yahoo.com/video/odd-15749658/mysterious-piano-appears-in-fla-bay-23964769
Now if Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard showed up to pound those keys?... that would be awesome, wouldn't it??

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Time to take a break, shake it up a bit... some dig. pix from a recent day trip...
San Francisco is a pretty unique place to live, there are so many interesting places to go for photography. I guess you could say that about many other places, too...But so far, after living here for 18+ years, I have no thoughts of moving anywhere else.
Alcatraz is in the middle of the SF Bay, 1.5 miles from the city, but that 1.5 miles is a killer, literally. The water is never more than 55 degrees, the tidal currents are treacherous.
A great place to put ... a Starbucks and Burger King?... No way - how 'bout..a prison!

Initially Alcatraz was a military prison, and eventually became a federal penitentiary, for the most hardened & incorrigible inmates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Island

You get there by buying tickets (for the boat ride) in advance, online, they are usually sold out for several days in advance, if not more.
So I got myself a ticket on 1/15 for the next day, being totally bored w/ living in front on monitor.
We'd had a whole lot of fog in recent weeks - not coastal fog, but tule (valley fog) that forms on the central valley, and works it's way out thru the delta. It's super dense, and it hadn't been clearing hardly at all. I took a chance... and it paid off - I like some good strong sunlight - just what i like! -
Sunlit hi-lites, and deep shadows! Big contrast!

The island has a lot of interesting architecture - I photographed architecture for 10 years back east ('82 - '92) and I still find it interesting.
So here's a small preview:



For more:
www.bobbennettphoto.net/BeachBlog_2011/Alcatraz/index.html

Got a lot more darkroom cooking... check back in, in a few weeks...
I think the first one will be this 'path'.....




If, after all this, you need a laugh?....
I couldn't possibly come up w/ anyone who could do it better than Richard Pryor!
Star Wars bar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kJkhEcQ44k

I always check the links before I post, and just checking the link?... I watched at least half of this, again. For the 20th time!
RIP, Richard. This was broadcast on SNL, so it is heading out into deep space, indefinitely.
I hope whatever aliens receive it?... are 'LMFAO' too.

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
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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

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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."
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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
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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/

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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.
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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
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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
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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!!