Roho Ya Chui
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More Than a Scream
31/05/12 12:40
It was all over the news that Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream was marking a new record in artwork sold at an auction. These stories are chasing each other depending, if another Van Gogh or Rembrandt was found and sold. But what about photography?
There was this record sale of Andreas Gursky’s The Rhein II, the photograph of the river Rhein he had altered by removing a power station that was originally in the picture. It was in the beginning of photoshop use that he applied this way of alteration to his artwork. It’s generally said that the innovative application of photoshop to his image made the phographic artwork so special and eventually so expensive. Photoshop was at that time just evolving and the image is representing this era.
But for the “common photographer” the times became harsh. The galleries were saying that the clients are distrusting photographs, because they assume that photoshop was applied and the image is not real. Removing a power station makes the image not a real impression of the reality, but it makes it very clear a digital artwork. Maybe it’s that leaking clarity what makes the client doubtful and hesitating. Maybe the kind of greener bird and bluer sky one feels are not right makes gallery clients distrustful and not willing to pay a reasonable price and because the internet is full of it. So, what to do?
During the month May several photographs of great photographers were sold at auctions and the result was beyond expectations. A photograph from Helmut Newton tripled the pre-sale estimate and portraiture by Peter Beard was one of the stars at Christie’s. Both of them are great artists and essential in their approach.
The top sales in both areas, the digital artwork and the photographic artwork show that authenticity is rewarded. The digital and photographic work realized top sales and not because the object was so special, but the creation was authentic.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
What is Happening to Apple?
30/05/12 13:29
Many of us might have been wondering and worrying what will happen with Apple after Steve Jobs had gone. Some might have thought it will be just fine and continue the way it did before, but the signs are telling something different.
I remember my resistance to move to OSX Lion when reading all the comments in the forums. And when I couldn’t avoid it anymore and made the move I was shocked. Not only because of the difficulties with emails and internet OSX Lion caused, plus some other dysfunction, but the most because of the betrayal of the Apple philosophy regarding user interface design and functionality. Especially the user interfaces of the emails, the calendar and the address book are very disturbing and ergonomically hurting. Apple stood out by making everything easy for the user, one click or look and there was everything. The new interfaces made it complicated, annoying, dysfunctional, disturbing and the colors are bad too. I was hoping for the update OSX Mountain Lion to come to fix the missteps. But it seems that it is getting even worse. In a todays article Gizmodo (http://tinyurl.com/7p62hzb) gives an overview of new things to happen with Apple products in the near future and it doesn’t sound promising. It seems that the trend of abandoning the track of great and practical design will be continued. What is going on?
The situation reminds me of stories from Zimbabwe, although this must sound far-fetched. There was a time in Zimbabwe when the white farmers had to leave their farms and often their former employees took them over. Some farmers went back to see how everything was going and often the following had happened. Here an example. A farmer had left his house to the employee who had done the maintenance of the house for many years. The farmer thought this employee deserves to live in the house, because he looked after it for many years and he would also be the right person to understand it and to know how to maintain it. When he came back for a visit several years later, the employee was still living in the house, but the house had almost fallen apart. No maintenance was done throughout all the years the employee had taken over the house. Why didn’t he look after the house like he had done all the years before? He had done the maintenance, because he was told to do it, it was his work, but he obviously had never understood why the work was necessary, why a house needed maintenance. He didn’t understand the concept of maintenance.
Now back to Apple. It seems that there are parallels to the concept of maintenance. There might be nobody who actually who really had understood the concept of user-friendly designed interfaces. In the past they only designed them, because they were told to do it, not because they understood them and the design of the interfaces is immediately dropping in quality.
Another aspect of worry is that they are looking at the “last five minutes” of Apple, the very successful and wealthy Apple with money to spend in abundance. Steve Jobs had experienced the nearly dead Apple and pulled it out and into success. Will that happen again when Apple comes in difficult situations with the current decision makers? Or will they just move to another company, one that has to spend money in abundance at that time?
One needs to live the product, philosophy, idea or company one is doing in order to bring it to success and to keep it there. With the big corporates nowadays this is rarely the case. It’s to big and there is mostly no owner or company founder involved anymore who has the personal commitment.
Well. Lets see what’s happening to Apple in the future and hopefully they will either get back on track or an alternative will evolve from all the new young companies.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
When a Hobby becomes a Passion
29/05/12 11:01
A bit more than ten years ago digital photography entered our lives. Up until then, photography was something for the people with lots of patience, chemistry knowledge, the space or a willing family member to turn the kitchen into a dark room and time to spend the whole day in it. This changed rapidly with digital photography. Also the less patient and knowledgeable people, with no dark room and little time started doing photography and a bug nestled in them they didn’t know about. It was the bug of passion.
The early adopters had the first digital point and shoot cameras just for fun, ending up being drawn into photography, moving on to SLR, just surrendering to the surge photography can cause in someone’s life. It happened almost unnoticed or we decided not to notice, because it’s so nice and we ended up spending more time with photography than any analog hobby photographer ever spent in a dark room looking at our pictures, processing them, making photo books or other presents we can share with family and friends. Early adopters are nowadays huge crowds and there is probably nobody left who is not mesmerized by photography. A personal hoppy became a global passion.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
How to Photograph the Truth
28/05/12 15:30
When looking at news stories one realizes that there isn’t such a thing as a “true story”. All parties involved in a story have their own truth. We as the observer have our own truth as well and we all together can maybe agree on an essential truth like, yes the car crashed into a tree. But that might be already all we can agree on, probably only because there is a photo showing a car crashed into a tree. About the whys and hows we have our own ideas. Yet there is something more in the image.
There is always the truth of the moment the photo was taken in an image and even this truth differs. The reason is the photographer. In the example of the car crash one image might have been taken by a bystander with the cell phone, another image by a police photographer and another image by a relative of the driver. All three images of the same car crash will show a different truth, because each photographer looks at it with different eyes. The bystander probably wanted to be the first to post the image to the internet. The police photographer will try to photograph the crash in a way that all technical details are in the image for further investigation. The relative most likely will photograph with great compassion, shock and grief. That means that three different truths happened. For the bystander the crash was a sensation, for the police photographer a case and for the relative a disaster. When putting all three photos in the newspaper the reader will see and feel all three truths of the same event.
That means photographing the truth happens by pressing the shutter. It’s the truth of the moment the photographer connects with in his/her personal way.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
What Makes Photo Apps so Popular
25/05/12 12:33
Today is the day that it was announced that facebook has its own photo app for iPhone. Another addition to the popular photo apps and we might right jump onto it. What makes us doing that?
In the first place we have the photo apps always with us. They are on the phone and the phone goes with us wherever we go. No extra device needed, camera at hand when the opportunity for a photo comes up, when we want to share a moment immediately or want to tell news quickly through a photo. But there is more.
When we use a camera we usually start thinking about settings and when we don’t use a camera on a daily basis we might be insecure about settings and worried, if we do it right. That creates the idea in us that we need to have time when we use the camera to be able to focus on what we are doing in order to do the settings right. We do not have these thoughts with the photo apps on our phone. We just shoot away. We are used to the phone, bonded, holding it in our hands many times per day, it’s always with us. Besides that the photo apps (most of them) do not require knowledge and experience in photography in order to use them. All we need for photographing with apps is our intuition. And our intuition can flourish the best when no thoughts are disturbing it.
Look at the example Instagram. Its point, shoot, filter, share. You are only looking and deciding with what feels nice to you. All intuition. And we love it.
Well, what does that mean for your camera? The camera would love to be your intuitive tool, just like the app. Treat it like an app. Have the camera with you if you can, practice as often as you can, don’t be worried about settings. Shoot away and get rid of the technical fear. There is no wrong or right, there is only learning. Start bonding with your camera!
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
How Do We Know Something is New
24/05/12 13:05
Lots of information is coming our way every day and something is new to us when we didn’t know about it before. But it is only new to us, not new in general, it was just not know to us that it exists. So, what about the really new things and how do we recognize them? Is something new, because it is different from the old one or because there is so much resistance towards it?
That with the resistance is usually a good sign in identifying the new. When something is really new it changes the way we see the world or the way we live. It means we have to change; we, and we usually resist changing in the first place, because it puts us out of our comfort zone.
Imagine innovations as the car, the plane, the phone, the iPhone and the cloud. Well, there are always early adapters, but the majority needs some time to get over it that an essential part of their life is changing.
How do you feel about the mirror less camera? I feel personally resistance towards it, although I don’t know much about it and haven’t photographed with it. Does my resistance show that this camera is the innovation in photography? I don’t know. For my part I will wait and see, but isn’t this also such a typical behavior when something is new?
Maybe we should change our approach to the new, not adapt to it, rather embrace it and benefit from the change. And it might be the change it causes, that identifies it as new.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
The Black Box & The Light
23/05/12 12:30
Imagine you are in an empty event venue or club out of opening hours. No lights are on. It is dark. These venues do not have windows. They are like a black box. Empty. The moment life comes into these black boxes is the moment the light goes on. It becomes magical, fascinating, interesting and story telling, supporting the music, the speaker’s or representing a vision or a theme. The box becomes whatever the light makes it to be.
A black box is empty without light and the light needs the black box in order to create whatever it wants to create. Pull it on a bigger scale and we get to the solar system, which has the black mass/substance (scientists are still researching what it is made of) and the light known as the sun. The light shines on objects and the contrast with the black mass creates the stars we see on the sky. Lets go smaller and the sun creates the colors we see in the garden or lets go very small, yet very big, our cameras. The camera is also a black box. The moment we let light into the camera, something is created, life comes into the black box “camera” and an image evolves. Just like with the venue, we decide what light comes in and how it is directed within the box to create the image we want to see. Well, fortunately sometimes the light has its own ideas and surprises us with the results and its own creativity, just like it does in our eyes.
So, what is the relationship between the black box and the light? They need each other. Without light no life and without black box no creation. Light needs darkness – the black box - to be seen and darkness needs light to be filled with life. In photos we call it contrast. A photo without contrast doesn’t have depth or call it life. The duality of light and darkness creates something new. They are a creative couple.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
Innovate Simply Through Photography
22/05/12 11:25
For some reason Innovation seems more in demand, yet harder to do nowadays. It’s probably the pace of demand for innovations that increases the pressure and makes it harder to come up with innovations as per mouse click. Probably also the flood of information and triggers that awaits us every day makes it difficult to see the opportunities for something genuine new through all the clutter. We need help in seeing the innovation that is right in front of us.
Imagine you are in a room that has a beautiful painting on the wall. You walk over there to have a “close look”, standing right in front of it, your nose almost touches the canvas. You want to see, so you go close. What you see is a fragment of the painting, but you are pleased, you can see every single brush stroke in this fragment, every detail. And you might think, well one or another stroke could have been more accurate. When you stop right here in your discovery of the painting you will have only a fragmental view on the artwork.
When you decide to continue, you will start moving away from the painting, backwards, in order to see the complete work to unfold. You create distance in order to see. Now from a few steps back the painting shows its whole beauty. Suddenly the inaccurate brush stroke is part of the whole and essential for its composition. You realize you are looking at a Van Gogh.
Photography is our tool to “step back” in order to see the whole, to create a distance to be able to see. It helps us seeing innovation that is right in front of us, but we don’t see it, because we are to close. Experience it with a little exercise: You don’t like your lounge anymore, but you can’t put a finger on it what it is that disturbs you or where to start making changes? Take a photo of your lounge. Upload it to your computer and look at it. The answer will be right there.
Training in using photography as a tool is available through www.rohoyachui.com , for businesses and interested people.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
Why We Love Photos
21/05/12 16:17
There are certainly scientific studies and explanations why we love photos and it will be most likely something about how our brain processes information or some sort of logical reasoning. But lets look at it from the practical and emotional side, although one cannot separate them, also emotions need to be processed.
For what reason are we taking photos in the first place? We want to capture the moment; the moment with friends, the moment with family, the moment on holiday, the moment we saw the sweet puppy, the moment the baby was born, the moment we saw a beautiful flower. We want to capture the awe, the happiness, the memory, the beauty, all what moves us, all what brings our feelings in motion, emotions. We don’t think about it, we just snap it. When we want to explain something complex we use images and a moment of happiness is something complex and somehow we know that talking about it wouldn’t do it, words are not enough. We need the image to capture a moment in all its dimensions and it is faster too. So we are lazy? We are efficient. Taking a photo is time and energy saving while at the same time misunderstanding is reduced to a minimum.
And there might be something else. When we capture a moment we make this moment eternal, we can take it with us, we can hold it in our hands, we can look at it as often as we want, we make it visible and physical although that moment has gone already, sometimes for a long time. Yet when we look at the photo we are back in that moment, we can smell the sea, taste the food, feel what we felt at that moment and know exactly where and when it was and who was with us. It’s all in the picture.
And not only with the photos we take ourselves. When are looking at pictures others took we are in the moments they captured, we feel them, experience them and then we want to know where it was or when it was or whom it was. We tap into experiences of others and get moved by the same awe or happiness or sadness. We can share and receive feedback; we are not alone.
For deeper insight into the connectivity through photography read also the essay available on: https://www.rohoyachui.com/styled-6/index.html
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com
Paradise Lost?
19/05/12 12:49
We were driving in a speedboat to Paradise Island. Ruins of a building were rising on our left on the island when we were approaching. I learned later that the ruins were the former famous hotel of Santa Carolina. Bob Dylan was writing the song “Paradise Island” in the hotel’s ballroom and many other artists like Elton John had a great time there. But it all changed when the hotel owner’s wife died and the hotel eventually was closed. The cyclones, the sea and the plunderers made from the place what it is now. Even the windows from the small chapel were stolen.
But there is something nobody can steel or destroy. The spirit of Paradise Island is still there; one can feel it with every step. It’s easy to imagine Bob Dylan in the ballroom, although it is now just a floor with some pillars and an open view over the ocean. Maybe that’s what the song anyway captures, the spirit and not the buildings. It’s just such a pity that this beautiful old Portuguese architecture is lost. The promenade to the beach is majestic and then this amazingly beautiful beach.
There are rumors that an organization bought the hotel and is going to built a new resort. That’s just the point; it will be new. I hope when a new project starts the people will remember the paradise spirit and integrate some old parts of the architecture to continue the story of Paradise Island.
View the video about Paradise Island:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcQFqqQsy5o&feature=g-upl
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com
The Sweetest Cherries
18/05/12 21:41
There is a saying in German that the sweetest cherries hang always in the top of the tree. That wants to say as much as that one needs to do some efforts to get the best.
I always have to think of this saying when traveling to Pakamisa, the Private Game Reserve in Kwazulu Natal in South Africa where I conduct the Horse Photography courses. It is really an effort to get there, at least from Johannesburg or even from further away. Driving down there shouldn’t be a big effort, if there weren’t the road works. Flying to Durban is a quite convenient solution, yet the drive from Durban is also 4 hours. But its so worth it. The moment I enter the reserve, drive up the mountain to the lodge and get the first glimpse of the vista, I know again why I came. This oasis of peace, silence and beauty is a paradise. And this is only the start. The stables are in a valley, surrounded by bush, with a dam where the horses can swim in summer and plains game sharing the paddocks with them. The geldings are roaming free, warthogs are following them and the ostrich expect their daily treat at the stables. Not only the animals get spoilt with good food also the guests. The restaurant of the lodge offers the most stunning views and the food is delicious. By the way, the rooms are spacious, comfortable and the view is great.
Well, this place is one of the sweet cherries.
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com
The People
17/05/12 12:45
You can have a photography course on the most beautiful locations, with the most amazing animals around and the most luxury accommodation, but it will be nothing without the people who make it a wonderful experience.
The people who cook these wonderful meals, the ones who make your stay as comfortable as possible, the people who keep your room clean and do your laundry, the ones who track down the leopard for you, those who drive you safely through the bush, the groomers who assist you with the horses, the guides who explain the trees to you, the specialists who explain their animals to you. All these people make your stay a wonderful one.
Thank you all on behalf of all of us who stay with you during our photography courses. Your passionate support makes our experiences special.
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com
The Unknown
16/05/12 17:54
The discussion has been going on for two years. What is going to happen when Greece has to leave the Euro? All sorts of scenarios were on the media except one. What if nothing is happening or put it this way, what if it will be a relieve, if it will release recourses for innovation and growth? For what reasons are only negative scenarios spilled all over the media and nothing positive? Pulling on a dead horse will not bring the horse back to life. It’s a waste of energy. Letting go will free resources for innovation and growth. But something like the Greece case had never happened before. So we don’t know.
Last weekend I was visiting a tourism show. I walked through the halls quite quickly. I didn’t spot something new and I mean some new content, innovation. A lady put it quite right. She said that the people had seen enough bathrooms. A few years ago it was new to pay attention to the bathroom design at hotels and lodges. The guests loved it. It gave a new feeling to their stay. But now they have seen pretty much each possible bathroom design. Where is the innovation? Some exhibitors thought, lets present our product on an iPad. Well the iPad is the innovative product, unfortunately not what you are presenting. What makes your product different from the product of your competitor? Innovation!
And then I read this article today about the downfall of Flickr since it was bought by Yahoo. Flickr was the first big photo sharing social network, highly innovative. It looks like Yahoo bought it to destroy innovation and to get access to the gathered data on Flickr. They choose for integration instead of innovation and that killed Flickr. Does Yahoo realize that it is also working on its own downfall? No innovation means no growth and stagnation means downfall. Ignoring that fact will only accelerate the downwards process, just like in Greece.
For what reason do people and organizations ignore, deny or repress the need for innovation and change? Something is innovative or new, because it hasn’t been there before, so we don’t know it. Is it the fear of the unknown?
Article “How Yahoo Killed Flickr and Lost the Internet is available here: http://gizmodo.com/5910223/how-yahoo-killed-flickr-and-lost-the-internet
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
Tosca
15/05/12 19:45
Tosca was born three years ago. She was a very sweet foal with a gentle nature. When she was still little she got an infection in her mouth. Isabella, her owner, had to clean the wound a couple of times per day. That was very painful for the little horse and after the treatment she hid immediately behind her mom, wanting to be safe. She stayed behind mom only for a minute or two, before she came back to us humans who just caused her pain sniffing friendly in our faces and enjoying petting and attention.
The infection was so bad that it destroyed the bone in her jaw. That was the moment to decide to put her down or not. Isabella decided to get her an operation to remove the infected bone and to keep her alive. Little Tosca recovered very well. Only her tongue is telling the story of her operation, because there is no bone to hold it properly back in her mouth. For the rest Tosca is a beautiful young horse, with a very friendly and sweet nature. A decision from the heart and a well-executed operation kept this lovely horse alive and we are grateful to see her enjoying life.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
Seen Enough Bathrooms
14/05/12 19:44
I was yesterday at the Indaba, the tourism trade show in Durban. While wandering around through the halls, I noticed that I wasn’t drawn to the stands, although many companies created nice stands with beautiful decoration. There wasn’t something new, really new in the sense of content, an added value to the trip or stay at the destination. The innovation was missing.
I couldn’t really put my finger on it, but a lady from a Kenyan lodge did. She said, the people have seen enough bathrooms. What she meant is that all the brochures are showing close ups of decoration in the lounge, bathrooms and close ups of the towels with a flower. But a bathroom is a bathroom and most of the bathrooms have nowadays the modern “clear lines” style and look pretty much the same. But just to clarify, this is not a plea for new styled bathrooms; this is a call for innovation.
Well, we had a chat and the photography courses can offer that innovation people are looking for. They are innovative, because of the way of teaching and the guidance through the ins and outs of photography. The courses open new dimensions to the participants in order to grow in that field of activities. And besides that they are fun!
The lady and I looked at each other and thought, yes we understand each other and we’ll do something about it. For example photography courses on magical places in Kenya.
Thank you Tamsin!
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com
Unicorns
14/05/12 18:27
It’s early morning. The sun is clearing the mist over the valley. Kudus are on the road. We are going down to the stables at the house. Dogs are welcoming us. They are excited, tail wagging, friendly and naughty. The horses are still in their boxes, curiously observing what’s going on. We are preparing to photograph them when they rare running from their boxes into the garden. Hopefully we will get some nice images of horses in motion.
They make a short run into the garden and look surprised, like wondering, if there is some playing ahead. With gentle encouragement they start running through the lush green sub-tropical garden. And we photograph their movements, trying to capture their beauty. The sun is behind them; sprinklers are spraying fresh water onto the fields in the background. It’s a beautiful setting. We are photographing continuously and sometimes it would be great, if the camera would be faster. But well, lets see what comes out.
Back in the lodge I look at the photographs of horses in motion and they turn out to look like images of unicorns.
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com Horse Photography course
Being Prince
14/05/12 18:26
There is a magical place in the rolling mountains of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa, called Pakamisa. It is the peaceful “kingdom” of beautiful horses and it is the home of Prinz (German for prince).
Prinz is an Arab stallion. He knows about his beauty and he is anxious to make sure the ladies know that too. Unfortunately he is not accepting any other male next to him, what makes him staying in his paddock by himself. He keeps himself busy by marching the boundaries of his territory and observing the mares from a distance. Every now and then the free roaming geldings pay him a visit and polite sniffing is exchanged. From far the king is watching him, conscious about their competition for the mares and territory.
Well, there is space for all of them and when Prinz is back in his stable for the night, the nyala and impala move in and graze in his paddock. I wonder, if he cares.
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com, horse photography course
Happy mom, happy child
09/05/12 20:41
This photo was taken on Duba Plains in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. We were watching two herds of elephants grazing on the fertile plains of the island. The matriarch of the one herd seemed an old female, probably struggling to fulfill her role as guide of the group. She was grumpy and the atmosphere in the herd was tensed. They stayed close together around the matriarch, like listening closely to her instructions. It wasn’t even nice to watch them. The tensed atmosphere was contagious.
It was such a relieve when the other herd came closer. A mother with calf was walking happily in front of them. Her calf was confident and exploring the plains. There seemed to be more space for each herd member to do its own thing and even the faces looked friendly and open, while the faces of the other herd’s elephants looked frightened. What a difference.
It was very interesting to photograph both herds and to feel the difference when looking at the images. But when having to choose, I always pick this photo, because of the contagious happiness. Happy mom, happy child, happy photographer.
Ute Sonnenberg, rohoyachui.com
Lamu
08/05/12 10:37
Lamu is an island just off the northeastern coast of Kenya. Its one of those places that takes you back in time. The roads on the island are so tiny that only donkeys can be used for transport and the old Arabic houses shed shade during the hot days. The people are proud and beautiful. One needs to be sensitive when photographing them. Especially the women mostly do not appreciate to be photographed. I would recommend using a local guide to explore the island, at least for half a day, just to learn about it and to find your way within the maze of streets. There are plenty of shops and traditional markets to visit with many little things one just wants to have. Well, although our local guide taught us that one goes to the market to make money, not to spend money We felt guilty for about a minute or two.
It is definitely photographer’s heaven and if you want to photograph the place in its old shape go soon. Lamu has become very popular and many houses are getting renovated, but within their old Arabic character. And if you want to combine it with beach, ocean and water sports, the area around Lamu is perfect with great resorts just a moment away.
Ute Sonnenberg, www.rohoyachui.com
Like Birds?
07/05/12 21:36
Did you ever notice that birds have some kind of a confidence that is saying as much as: Well, I see it, I look at it, have my own thoughts about it and do anyway what I want … and off they are.
Maybe its simply because they can fly. There are no boundaries for them; they can look at everything from a distance and disappear into space when they want. Is it that freedom what gives them their confident appearance?
I like photographing birds. They are wonderful, naughty, curious, challenging and beautiful. It’s a great experience when patience is rewarded, they start trusting and spending time with you … and the photo is not an empty branch.
Ute Sonnenberg rohoyachui.com
AppArt
06/05/12 00:45
It is full moon and a special full moon. The moon is closer to the earth than usual, a wonderful photography opportunity.
One option is to set up tripod and camera and photograph the “traditional” way. Or using the iPhone and imitate the traditional way of analog photography with the retro photo apps. I choose the phone option and the results were very interesting.
I couldn’t actually see what I was composing, but enjoyed the “serendipity results” and their arty twists. I realize that it is the serendipity moment of the apps I really like. They give ordinary objects the arty touch and surprising results.
Essentially app photography runs on intuition, the fuel of art.
Ute Sonnenberg rohoyachui.com
A Day on the Internet
04/05/12 18:41
I started the day with the plan to go through the several online platforms to check on the profiles, designs and entries. It shouldn’t take longer than a few hours. Now it’s half past six in the evening and I’m just finished. What is this when going onto the Internet and ending up spending the whole day there?
Here one example. While being on WordPress, a new platform for me, the “wolf” from the “red riding hood” got me. It started with setting up the profile, lead to choosing the theme, the header image and the sharing tools and ended up with pasting “goodread” codes on my website. It was just a typical example how one (at least me) gets drawn into the forest of the internet by tempting apps, platforms, tools or whatever the “wolf” is whispering along the road. It works easily when it is a nice design, easy to handle, inspiring and beautiful.
Well, I left the main road of my plans for today, walked through the forest, collected some fruits and fortunately went back onto the main road. Not eaten by the “wolf”, but with the result, that the rest of the work needs to be done now.
Sounds familiar? You are not alone
Ute Sonnenberg rohoyachui.com
my read shelf:
WordPress Blog
Playful Learning with Photography
03/05/12 23:35
Lion cubs are playing the whole day, jumping on each other, wrestling, chasing and exploring the world around them. While doing that they are learning essential social and hunting skills, very important for their survival in the bush.
When humans are children they also learn through play, but somehow playing disappears gradually from the learning process during school time. It becomes serious. At least this is what usually is said, one got to be serious and grown up, not playing around anymore. For what reason may learning be play during childhood, but not during adulthood? Isn’t it play that increases the learning curve and accelerates the process? We seem to learn easier when its fun. And here comes photography into the picture.
Since digital photography made its way into our lives, fun and play came back for the learning adult, playing with cameras, compositions, looks and creations. And it seems almost unnoticed that one is constantly learning when doing photography and not only about photography. Photography itself is a tool for all sorts of learning processes. Learning about oneself, about the team one is working with, about the environment, about a destination, about talents. visions, ideas. The list is endless. Photography can be applied to any subject of learning in all parts of life. With it come play and insight. Photography allows seeing, understanding and creating progress for oneself and the world around us.
Let’s utilize photography. Let’s play.