Comments on: this isn’t turning out like I’d hoped

By: advorunnermom

advorunnermom — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:11:06 +0000

Ian: YES! global weirding and capitalism: was hearing on the radio yesterday that warmer temperatures here in the states have caused people to fail to spend as much money as last year on fall clothing, leaving retailers with no choice but to try to sell the fall merch at deep discounts in a hurry so that there’s room for winter merch at full price. there’s so much that’s wrong with that business model my head will explode if I think about it for one more second…

By: g-lo

g-lo — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 20:34:00 +0000

Andrew:
Yep. I’m a nrrd’s nrrd. Was describing a time-lapse animation process that would mimic film/broadcast framerates (ala pretty pictures of flowers blossoming).

The crossfades are a way to jimmy a few more seconds out of it. And for a straight ahead montage using a still camera is really great, fade between the images and presto-chango: fun images. A person could even (I can’t believe I’m saying this) use the “Ken Burns” effect in iPhoto. Mostly, it’s best to just have fun.

Soozie:
Thanks for the compliment. I’m always amazed when people don’t immediately realize how that clip was made, so don’t feel bad. People want to believe, after all.

By: Birka

Birka — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:29:32 +0000

Ellen Orleans: you`re absolutely right. Still, parking your car is not the only possible thing to do. And I find that thinking about what “I” am able to do just right now, just me, without letting me be swamped by all the things I SHOULD do, I can achieve a lot. And it doesn`t leave me totally paralized.
When I look outside right now while the sun peeks through the clouds on a cold clear day I get tears in my eyes, our home Earth is so beautifull.

By: Pam I

Pam I — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:50:13 +0000

AndrewB, it all went pearshaped when our top managers went on a jolly to China and saw rows of students happily (?) learning games design. Without consulting us the teachers, they decided that was just what was needed for our undereducated urban youth. Their vision is of just rooms full of computers, they glossed over the surprising fact that some means of input would be needed. Two years on we’re still trying to make it work. Compacts are fine for the first six weeks; we’re five weeks into this term now….

By: Ellen Orleans

Ellen Orleans — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:59:20 +0000

Hi Birka,

Yup, once a week is not enough, but it’s a way to get people started without turning them off completely. Here in the states, many towns and suburbs are built around cars, public transportation is often weak, people are afraid to let their kids walk to school, and everyone seems cramped for time.

Until companies and the goverment stop subsidizing gasoline and parking and until states stop focusing on highways instead of light rail and bus rapid transit, once a week is a good place for beginner to jump in. Once they get used to that, we will aim for more.

By: Andrew B

Andrew B — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:09:35 +0000

G-lo, you are truly a nerd. I am impressed. I’m confused about one thing, though. Your discussion of frame rate sounds like you’re trying to achieve the effect of full motion. (I don’t know what the correct term is, but you’re trying to create an impression of continuous movement, like animation.) Thus, two shots a day for thirty days gives two seconds of footage. But when you talk about including a slow cross fade between shots, it sounds like you’re talking about a montage or slide show. Did I miss something here? My impression was that Alison was trying to create a montage, not an effect of continuous motion. (So I would think she’d be better off using a still camera, but that’s another question.)

Pam I, if you want birches you better enjoy picking up sticks. If there’s a breath of wind 50 miles away they drop a few twigs. And you’re being asked to teach photography on point-and-shoots? How about the computer science department? Do they have to teach programming using iPods? That’s just nuts.

Now I’m going to get in my car and drive around looking at the beautiful fall foliage, which might not exist in 50 years due to global warming, due to greenhouse gases produced by people driving around in … oh, never mind.

By: Pam I

Pam I — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:45:54 +0000

I meant, ninety degrees angle, was thinking of focal lengths.

By: Pam I

Pam I — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:43:05 +0000

Thanks for the link g-lo. Saved for next year – first I have to persuade Them Upstairs that the increasingly- inappropriate Leylandii in the back yard has to go. There is one birch that grows to only about 20 feet and that’s the one/s to go in, one day. Joint garden owning can be a little tricky when one lot wants a playpark and the other a mini Sissinghurst.

And yay for the K1000. Now my digital-fetish managers have ditched the darkrooms in the college where I teach, we’re reduced to sweet but useless digi compacts – try demonstrating depth of field on a machine with an effective angle of view of about ten degrees. I get out the K1000s to show them how a lens and shutter works and some of that does stick. But – grrrrrrr.

By: Ian

Ian — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:47:25 +0000

It appears that global weirding affects global capitalism as well. My local Tesco (which we’re supposed to be boycotting and call the evil empire) had Christmas pudding and mince pies on sale before the end of August – that’s before the end of summer holidays! So weird.

By: Birka

Birka — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:40:29 +0000

Here in Norway it started to snow an hour ago. most of the leaves are on their way to the ground and it is cold.

Way at the beginning of these commentaries someone mentioned to curb the car once a week… ONCE A WEEK??? I am sorry but that is not enough!!! And everyone knows it and no one takes it seriously.
lets start at home: wash your clothes less, don`t use the dryer, shut the lights of, take the bike, walk, take linnen bags to the grocerystore, buy things that aren`t packed in plastik, use an extra shirt or sweater instead of turning the heat up, shower every other day (and wash at sink instead), and so on…and so on!

It is not enough to just worry about global warming! I get so worked up just worrying, I have to do something so I can feel that hope is not totally gone.