Shall I bore you again? Nicaragua 2013/14

Wow, Robert, I've not been around here in a couple of months but to come here and see you are perhaps in danger is so scary. Please do whatever it takes to be safe. As Asher says, bet outside!!

(((hugs to both of you))))
take care,
Maggie

Asher Kelman said:

Rob and Anne,

BE SAFE!

GET OUTSIDE!​

We're a little more used to it and our home is buttressed with 0.5" plywood everywhere and bolted to the concrete slab under the house. hope everyone there is OK, but with homes that are made of clay bricks and mortar, earthquakes can give rise to real dangers to everyone inside. Turn off the gas at the mains!

Asher

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Thanks for your support Asher. After the 1972 Managua earthquake that levelled the city, standards were put in place for any new constructions that would make them safer in case of an earthquake.

Where we live it is a newer complex and the walls are built with this reinforced concrete standard. It is a little unnerving though, when we have gone outside after these 3 larger hits in the last month - and the large 10 foot high property wall that is made from the same standard, is rocking back and forth - and after yesterday we see that where it joins an adjoining building - it has broke free and we can push on that section of wall and move it. So we are wondering whether it is the safest place to head outside when this wall right outside our door (and the only place that we can go outside) might be most susceptible to collapsing. We are trying to be as sensible and prepared as possible though Asher.


Fortunately there are few if any natural gas lines in this city. What we do have in our more modern apartment, is a small propane tank sitting beside the stove that it is connected to. As well, it seems virtually impossible for fires to start in these homes. Biggest danger I think is collapse - partial or whole.

Maggie Terlecki said:

Wow, Robert, I've not been around here in a couple of months but to come here and see you are perhaps in danger is so scary. Please do whatever it takes to be safe. As Asher says, bet outside!!

(((hugs to both of you))))
take care,
Maggie

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Thanks so much Maggie - appreciate it. We will do our best to stay safe and careful as possible. Hopefully the activity subsides before long and causes no more damage than what has already been done. Take care.

AGAINST A WALL

NICA STYLE PHOTO SHOOT

After interviewing a Nicaraguan coffee company in the northern mountainous area of Nicaragua, last week - I wanted to make a couple of product shots using the 2 bags of beans that we purchased to take home with us. One of the shots would be used in Anne's article being posted on our Travel Virgins website.


With my limited available resources, I raised my plastic patio table onto 3 chairs so that I could maintain overhead light control. I found a small white blanket to drape on the left side and used a round mirror from our wall to direct a small amount of light to the one side of the bags. The bags sat atop a small handmade Nicaraguan bench that we purchased.

My goal wasn't a refined professional product shot where extra materials and controls would make a big difference to the result that I got. I was just after something that displayed the companies bags and logo to a better degree than just taking a shot in the store.

To control DOF somewhat, my choice of lens on my Olympus E-PL3, was my Minolta 50mm f1.7 (effectively a 100mm f1.7 in 35mm terms). While the DOF wide open is wonderful even on the smaller micro 4/3 format - - - I find the lens to not be sharp when used wide open, so closed it a bit to f2.8. I asked Anne to take a backshot of my setup:

MEN COOLING OFF

It is blistering hot in Nicaragua this time of year. Even an hour and a half before sunset, people find ways to stay cool.

Stepping outside my front door yesterday, a group of men from down the street, had their chairs gathered in a circle in a front yard/sidewalk/edge of street - enjoying conversation, food, liquid nourishment and a cooling down by means of a constantly running garden hose that each one used and then passed to another, like a hookah pipe.

It was quite entertaining to watch and I soon pulled out my camera and walked up to them to ask if I could take a photo or two. Being in a festive mood, they agreed.

SMOKING ON A COMEBACK?

One of the unfortunate side effects of supposed progress in a country, is seeing more and more people smoking. Last year we saw very little of it - - - but this year smokers are evident everywhere in the city - a result of the increased number of tourists, but even local Nicaraguans who may have little money but can purchase them with ease and cost effectively with purchase of one at a time - and then have their waiter or food vendor light it up for them at no charge. It is a little disgusting (when you don't smoke) when it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a restaurant or place to relax, where there aren't people sitting beside you, puffing smoke in your face. It's back to the 60's and 70's in Canada before smoking was banned in all such locations and you just lived with it.

Interesting image...
Looks like you were inside a house/café while he is outside smoking his cigarette looking people on the street passing by.
He is perhaps using an empty yoghourt cup for the ashes... Fruits are sold at the far end.
The borders and the tone dispatches us to some years ago when smoking was more frequent than now.

Robert Watcher said:

MEN COOLING OFF

It is blistering hot in Nicaragua this time of year. Even an hour and a half before sunset, people find ways to stay cool.

Stepping outside my front door yesterday, a group of men from down the street, had their chairs gathered in a circle in a front yard/sidewalk/edge of street - enjoying conversation, food, liquid nourishment and a cooling down by means of a constantly running garden hose that each one used and then passed to another, like a hookah pipe.

It was quite entertaining to watch and I soon pulled out my camera and walked up to them to ask if I could take a photo or two. Being in a festive mood, they agreed.

Click to expand...

Rob,

A wonderful intimate window on real life happenings. You're so alert to opportunity to be able to get this and with permission. Did they liven it up a bit for your shots?

Asher

Robert Watcher said:

SMOKING ON A COMEBACK?

One of the unfortunate side effects of supposed progress in a country, is seeing more and more people smoking. Last year we saw very little of it - - - but this year smokers are evident everywhere in the city - a result of the increased number of tourists, but even local Nicaraguans who may have little money but can purchase them with ease and cost effectively with purchase of one at a time - and then have their waiter or food vendor light it up for them at no charge. It is a little disgusting (when you don't smoke) when it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a restaurant or place to relax, where there aren't people sitting beside you, puffing smoke in your face. It's back to the 60's and 70's in Canada before smoking was banned in all such locations and you just lived with it.

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Rob,

Reminds me of France and Italy. But there it's not new. Young people smoke a lot and it's so natural!

Asher

Twitter introduced a NEW LOOK for your Profile Page recently - - - so I gave its go yesterday.

Full width header, larger profile pic and larger text on the tweets. Now I'm just getting used to the expanded page: https://twitter.com/tvjournal




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STREET VENDORS - NICARAGUA

Robert, a very impressive and wonderful labor of love of your stay and people and their environment .

A documentary you can justly be proud of.

Best regards.

fahim mohammed said:

Robert, a very impressive and wonderful labor of love of your stay and people and their environment .

A documentary you can justly be proud of.

Best regards.

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I appreciate that. Thank You.


It's funny that every time I get thinking that there is nothing new to photograph and decide to put my camera away for awhile - - - more photographic opportunities open up. It just never gets stale in countries like Nicaragua. Maybe eventually I will decide to be a bit more focused, but for now every day is full of surprises.


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This is the kind of images I do like !

Well done. Do not stop Robert !

Corner Dynamics

Before I read the title - Corner Dynamics - the idea came to my mind.

Dynamic image, static subjects reinforced by the vertical poles !

One of the best images

Antonio Correia said:

Before I read the title - Corner Dynamics - the idea came to my mind.

Dynamic image, static subjects reinforced by the vertical poles !

One of the best images

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Yes - I don't know why this compositions keep coming to me - - - but they seem to. I don't think that I could have staged the subjects any better if I had control of the scene.

But I was just walking by on the other side of the street. My wife was wanting me to take pictures in the ravine to the right of us - of some unique looking herons hovering below. I accommodated her, but my real focus was on what was I was seeing out of the corner of my eye on the other side of the street.

I took 2 photos in passing. Both basically the same except that the man and woman on the left were both looking off in the same direction. Even though the man's eyes are closed in this shot - to me it is much stronger with the heads and eyes all focused in different direction.


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Here is the second of the 2 shots I took while passing by on the other side of the street - quite literally 2 seconds apart with the first (above) at 10:57:23 and the second at 10:57:25 according to exif data. It works too, but head and body positions aren't quite as dramatic as the other that I processed:






Thank you for your comment.

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UPDATE: Actually, I just realized that I took 3 shots of this setting.

The first 2 were taken at an 85mm setting on my zoom. I then zoomed out to the 28mm setting and took an overview of the street corner as I carried on walking. This 3'rd shot was taken 6 seconds after the second image:




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REAL PHOTOGRAPHERS DON'T BELIEVE IN SELFIES - RIGHT? (kind of like real musicians don't do karaoke)

But . . . Anne talked me into doing our first "Selfie" today while relaxing on a day-off at a Pacific Ocean Beach in Nicaragua.





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Robert Watcher said:

Corner Dynamics

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Rob,

I see folk looking in different directions, but the woman appears locked in some deep thought oblivious to whatever is around her. I agree this is the winner!

What fascinates especially me is how the subsequent shot, (in post # 108), shows that "the long static thought" that the woman appears to have was just a fleeting moment! That comes as a big surprise. That's what's both so special and deceiving but penetratingly analytical about rapid shots, one following another.

This does show the value of allowing the camera to take successive shots to dissect the moments.

Asher

BACK TO SQUARE

One of my favourite formats from my portrait studio days (1980's and 1990's) - is SQUARE. I was reminded of it, when Anne asked me to take a "Selfie" of ourselves at the beach - so that she could post it on her Instagram.

I switched my Olympus E-PL3 from 4x3, to 6x6 format to take that shot, so the framing would be right - straight from the camera. I ended up leaving the camera at the 6x6 setting, and it again opened up a whole new world of seeing for me.

Shortly after I shot the selfie, I noticed this intriguing view from a stretch of smooth sand - facing out to rocks that lined the water edge. It all just look so perfect symmetrically as I lowered my camera close to the sand and viewed through my tilted screen:




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BETTER THAN AMERICAN AIRLINES

Typical drive around the country of Nicaragua, on the "Chicken Bus" - may be a treat to a movie (The Hulk with Edward Norton on this day) - - - viewable in high quality on a 40 inch flat screen, with great deep sound throughout the bus.



Nothing more unnerving than watching the driver fully engaged in the movie, while checking the road from time to time.



At the back end of the bus, the door often is open with the fellow who collects the money, airing out while on his cell phone.



At least he wasn't too upset at my sneaking in some pics of him.



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Robert Watcher said:

BACK TO SQUARE

One of my favourite formats from my portrait studio days (1980's and 1990's) - is SQUARE. I was reminded of it, when Anne asked me to take a "Selfie" of ourselves at the beach - so that she could post it on her Instagram.

I switched my Olympus E-PL3 from 4x3, to 6x6 format to take that shot, so the framing would be right - straight from the camera. I ended up leaving the camera at the 6x6 setting, and it again opened up a whole new world of seeing for me.

Shortly after I shot the selfie, I noticed this intriguing view from a stretch of smooth sand - facing out to rocks that lined the water edge. It all just look so perfect symmetrically as I lowered my camera close to the sand and viewed through my tilted screen:

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Yes, Rob, this works very well. You should do more like it, just that you weren't in that "frame of mind", so to speak! Reminds me of the days when 6x6 was normal photography! Although we'd often crop to 8x10, the square format was very popular 30 years ago and would dominate exhibitions. Such bargains can be has with a Yashikamat, fixed twinned reflex or a Bronica SQ with an 80 mm lens.

I'd recommend this to all photographers as a way of getting a challenge in framing things differently.

Asher Kelman said:

Yes, Rob, this works very well. You should do more like it, just that you weren't in that "frame of mind", so to speak! Reminds me of the days when 6x6 was normal photography! Although we'd often crop to 8x10, the square format was very popular 30 years ago and would dominate exhibitions. Such bargains can be has with a Yashikamat, fixed twinned reflex or a Bronica SQ with an 80 mm lens.

I'd recommend this to all photographers as a way of getting a challenge in framing things differently.

Click to expand...

In fact I seldom cropped to 8x10 in my portrait business. People didn't like that they couldn't find frames, but I had a supply of square 10x10 and 20x20 frames for use on my images. Wedding album pages from Art Leather, easily handled the 10x10 print size as well as the smaller 5x5 size with multiples on a pages. I found it very easy to compose in that square frame.

I have often cropped to a square in my more current work - - - but find it far more beneficial to frame on the square screen. With my digital cameras, I have made use of the option to set to 6x6 a couple of times in the last few years, pretty well only to accommodate the look when my cheap Holga lens is attached though - such as shots like this: http://robertwatcher.arwpic.com/index.php?img=13453250425987/599460_322192001207788_912322069_n.jpg or this: http://robertwatcher.arwpic.com/index.php?img=13453250425987/575996_322197587873896_1121877163_n.jpg.

I do plan on keeping the camera's format setting at 6x6 for a while to alter and invigorate my way of seeing before shooting.

Robert Watcher said:

Corner Dynamics

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Wow, Robert, this is a gorgeous shot. I looked at the other, and there really is a difference. Not only the woman, but the guy now has noticed you, I think so both are no longer in that different space they were in this one. What a great composition.

Maggie

Maggie Terlecki said:

Wow, Robert, this is a gorgeous shot. I looked at the other, and there really is a difference. Not only the woman, but the guy now has noticed you, I think so both are no longer in that different space they were in this one. What a great composition.

Maggie

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Thanks for your thoughts Maggie.

Actually, the people never did really notice me - even though in the smaller sized web image it does appear that the man is looking at me. Below is a closeup of the eyes that show him looking off. But the dynamic definitely is changed from the shot I processed for final use.



I suppose the extra images I posted help support the idea that because something may look like a snapshot or a lucky shot - - - there may often be a lot of perception and timing that goes into making the image work. I doubt that I could have so effortlessly noticed and composed a shot like this, 15 or 20 years ago when I had less experience (even though I had lots of knowledge and ability). I probably would have walked right by it without seeing the potential.


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SPECIAL 38'th ANNIVERSARY FOR ANNE

One cool thing about being in a country like Nicaragua - - - is that everyone goes out of their way to help with any special request one might have.

That was the case with Le Turon - a wonderful French Restaurante here in Leon - - - where I requested a special setting for the 38'th wedding anniversary of my wife Anne and I, this past Friday evening.

Unfortunately it poured rain minutes before we got there at 7:00PM - and so all the work they had done to set up in the outdoor garden area - where they had the walkways lined with candles and flowers strewn everywhere - was all in vain, and their disappointment was evident.

Nevertheless, they quickly moved everything into an equally romantic private area beside the garden area, where Argentinian Champaign and Red Roses, as well as "LOVE OF MY LIFE" written in flower pedals - - - made for the most special evening we could have imagined here in Nicaragua.

Most important, was Anne's appreciation for the extra effort I put into giving her something unique to remember. This was our first wedding anniversary where we were not at home in Canada.





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A comical part of organizing the dinner, was attempting to find Roses in the city of Leon. I was told that I wouldn't be able to.

I finally came across a flower shop that was part of a main street funeral business where you walk through the large selection of caskets that are visible from the street - to pick the flowers out and place your order.

Considering the fact that I know little Spanish - I managed to communicate what I wanted as well as a delivery time and location so that the restaurant would be ready for our arrival.




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Congratulations to you both !

Curiously my wife and myself we are married also for that long !

Robert Watcher said:

BETTER THAN AMERICAN AIRLINES
... Nothing more unnerving than watching the driver fully engaged in the movie, while checking the road from time to time.

...

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I missed this excellent image and comment !

Hi, Rob,

Robert Watcher said:

SPECIAL 38'th ANNIVERSARY FOR ANNE

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All lovely, in every way!

Best regards,

Doug