Cretans

In 1975, my wife-to-be and I, fresh from university and on our first vacation together, rented a tiny Fiat 500 and drove thorough Crete. As we would come to each tiny village, the sound of the car’s motor would bring people flying out of their homes, gesturing us to stop and visit with them. In restaurants, as soon as they found out we were from “outside”, they wouldn’t accept money for our meals and would even pack us food and wine to go!

My uncle is from Crete, and heaven help you if you should express a liking for his figs or pears; he’ll surprise you at the airport on your way home with bags full of fruit and  spirits!

So this video from Crete Tourism really brought a tear to my eye. I sure hope it’s still like this:

 

The delightful burn

Courtesy of Leisureguy, this wonderful article from the Smithsonian on the addictive magic of the ultra-hot chili pepper. And, it turns out, one of the most healthful things you can add to your diet.

Olive Oil Times

Allright…now this is my kind of magazine: The Olive Oil Times. A real treasure trove for olive oil aficionados, cooks, foodies, etc. Free. You can also subscribe to the twice weekly email newsletter.

BRF & ARF

Courtesy of my daughter. Hilarious. Who knew?

You just have to wait

One thing most veteran photographers learn is that you always have to have your “scene detector” turned on, like the little pilot lights on electronic devices; the unit appears off, but its ready to snap on in a split second. Another thing you learn is that an uninteresting scene at 2PM can be a masterpiece by 4. Many a great and famous photographer would wait for hours in the same spot, as the elements of a terrific image slowly came together.

The two photos below we’re both taken at very late dusk, near 10 PM. Earlier in the day, in the bright sunshine, they were meaningless. But near the end of the day, colours turned deep and rich, contrast blurred, and the remaining daylight took on a different warmth. On the boardwalk in Nice.

The sordid history of photo manipulation

Interesting coincidence in the wake of yesterday’s post on “honest” manipulation of photographs, this article about how many photographers have been deceiving their viewers from the get-go.

I caught the article after just viewing the amazing work of German photographer, Franz Schumacher. He puts himself right in the middle of massive storms to get his shots. But my first thought was, “Hmmm…..I wonder just how much these have been Photoshopped?”.

A little honest manipulation goes a long way

Yesterday’s series of B&W photos were posted immediately and without any adjustment. From the very beginning of the craft, photographers have used darkroom post-processing to bring the image in line with how they “saw” it. This is entirely legitimate, since no technology can perfectly capture the organic perfection of the eye and mind working together.

Adjusting framing, contrast, brightness, etc. have been the normal tools of this process. Knowing where to draw the line is of course, part of the art and psychology of keeping the work both authentic and “photographic”.

I took a few moments this morning to adjust one of the new images that has become a personal favourite. Compare it to the earlier version in yesterday’s post.

Compare with the original below:

 

A black and white day

It’s another cool day in St. Tropez, much to the continued dismay of the locals, as the tourism industry is way down. A thunderstorm just started; we made it back to the hotel in the nick of time. I thought B&W was appropriate.

At the Libourne farmers’ market

What can I say that the pictures don’t?

French interlude

We’ve been in France since last Friday, so the blog has been a bit of a challenge. I’ve been posting in frequent short bursts to Facebook daily. Here are a few photos.

Stephane Gabart’s chateau near St. Emillion blows away all expectations. He is the consummate host and hotelier. You MUST go!