My pictures
On the local front, we have
house pictures and some
cat pictures.
I've had several photo exhibits, see more at
http://foto.raeder.dk.
PhotoCompetitions I've participated in or am planning to join.
CensoredExhibitions I may send my pictures to.
My experiences with current equipment
My thoughts on getting a
new kamera are now continued (after I got it) with
notes on my current camera.
Some experiences with
DigitalPrint.
MacroExperiments.
NoiseReductionOnLinux.
GallerySoftware.
EditingSoftware.
My considerations for future investments
BattleOfTheBudgetZooms.
WideAngleLenses.
Notes on
PortableStorageUnits.
Notes on
PhotoPrinters.
ArtExhibits.
StrangeHardware.
TripodsAndHeads.
My sources of inspiration
Michael Reichmann's Luminous Landscape has a lot of interesting articles, and used to have
critique of user photos, which was a greater help than you'd think.
Tristan Campbell's British photography, a number of which features landscapes similar to what's around here, and who really knows how to show a landscape.
Jeff T. Alu's B&W photography is striking, very expressive with very simple means.
Kalyan Varma's Wildlife Photography shows a lot of examples of simple but good wildlife shots. In India, but the techniques carry over.
Jesse Speer has mind-blowing American vistas.
In terms of photomontage (which I haven't really started on yet), my main inspirations are
Scott Mutter (whom I met at UIUC),
Jerry Uelsmann, and
Thomas Barbčy. A long-time fan of surrealism in the Magritte style and science fiction, I prefer montages with a realistic look, where the viewer at first glance will accept the image, but then does a double-take when the impossibility of the scene registers. A sort of visual pun, if you will.
Hints and ideas for places and things to photograph
A month-long series of macros of food, focusing on the texture and shape.
Parts of My Cat.
Eyes -- just the irises.
For still lifes: Make a sketch on paper first.
Shooting near Chicago
Advice on what to shoot near Chicago from
a Luminous Landscape forum thread.
There are some marshes and parks near Western Spings,
(marsh)
Also within an hour to one and one half hour there is Starved Rock State Park.
Several waterfalls and scenery
You also have city scapes of Chicago area and skyline (Navy Pier area)
There is the Indiana Dunes State Park in Indiana on Lake Michigan (also within one hour or better)
There is also the Morton Arboretum in Lyle IL (under an hour from Chicago downtown).
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R2/VOLOBOG.HTM
Volo Bog has also been a popular spot
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R2/region2.htm
state parks in IL by region
I
really do not recommend taking an unescorted trip through neighboring Gary, Indiana at any time of day. There are plenty of pathetic scenes of abject poverty over there, and some very compelling working steel mill scenes. But it's just not a safe place. Lots of idle men, lots of drugs, lots of anger.
--
LarsClausen - 14 Dec 2004
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