Retinol VI…

Life life life… what to do to get one. I'm typing these words as early as possible because my shoulders are getting more loads from various things; Home, personal life, responsibilities, and the last thing I would need right now ― work.
In this post, I'll be talking about the last shot(s) in the series of Retinitis Pigmentosa for this year, as well as, as usual, talking about Kika's photo-challenge for week 5.

Retinol VI

The last idea for the RP project came about quite suddenly and unexpectedly, somehow. In fact, this shot was also intended to be shared for both, the RP project as well as Kika's photo-challenge week 3, which was about "framing". This is because the main structure or composition contains such framework (no pun intended).

Prospect

The whole thing started as I noticed a little jar or vase where my sister keeps some dried pink flowers near my room. I liked the color first specially with the sun light that seeps through the balcony behind this squared-shelf. Eventually, as my eyes kept gazing, I followed with the lines and it was one of these "Aha!" moments as I thought right away of framing (which was the theme of Kika's challenge back then). Probably I should have posted this back in the post about Kika's photo-challenge week 3, but I've totally overlooked it, as it was more dedicated to the RP project. Now, despite the pleasant look in the morning with the sun being out, the shoot was performed at night time, and to merge the two ideas (RP + framing), I've decided to stand there out of the balcony and just extend my arm with the blind-cane as symbolism for the unknown future and prospect of people inflicted with RP, like me.

Now, Prospect did not go exactly as I wished or planned in the very beginning when the idea was formed. Originally, the idea was to merge a bright and a dark shot (the ones above) AND with each being of different focusing range, as a resemblance of changing from bright to dark future and the uncertainty that looms around us, people of RP. Anyway, aside from the "semantic" talk, the technical aspect of the idea didn't go well, with Photoshop failing me and my skills in editing the layer masks probably was not up to the level. But let's be realistic; After all, the two shots are quite different in blurriness and that affects the "virtual" displacement of the objects in the scene, so it is definitely hard to merge the two smoothly. Should've known that beforehand! Anyway, as an intermediate solution to the dilemma, I've decided to simply put the two images together and merge them by changing the blend between them, as the blurry outlook would somewhat deliver that idea of confusion and the unknown, supposedly.
The funny thing is that some people liked the outcome (though not much for me) so I've decided to post the single images (above) separately on Instagram. People do like bright and warm stuff I guess, specially when pink.

Kika V

As for Kika's challenge for Week 5, it was about "Every Day Items"; It was a bit vague though and hard to put in a single hashtag as it is. I think Kika realized this fact later on and she has been putting the theme into a single word as much as possible lately.
Anyway, for this challenge I was a bit puzzled and baffled, beside being limited with my time. I was honestly going blank with ideas back then and didn't know how to come up with something creative for such an "every day item" - I mean till this very moment as I'm typing this, I really couldn't think of something creative in that venue! So, I had to go back to the old trick: Check back the arsenal.  

Thus, I rolled back on the memory lane and I thought that the best candidate for this photo challenge is to be a high speed image done in 2019, by the name Telaki تلاقي. Well, we don't use candles daily I suppose so it might not count as an "every day item" but in my defense I would say that the elements of the shot are the essence of the theme: Fire and Water. We use both daily… of course…
Anyway, so just not to leave the image as it is and quite a replica or a re-post of the original image, I've applied a quick channel swap (applying the Invert adjustment layer and changing its blend to Color). I did that for the flame only but then reversing the layer mask it applied itself to the body of the candle. It was perplexing to choose only one as I really liked them both. So, I've combined them both in a single image. Anyway, only the original photo is available on the stocks; As I didn't (and don't) think of uploading this new version to the stocks as well.

Finale

My queue stack of things to do is growing bigger by time. I remember I've stated that I need to prepare some images to be uploaded to stocks; Technically a 4^th batch. However, everything (almost) in my life is on hold with my chores and responsibilities, beside the upheaval in my sleeping pattern. The good thing (sort of) I could actually slice out a piece of time for myself to do some shooting, indoors and outdoors. The "funny" thing with this is that I'm actually adding to my queue stack of things to do by doing some shooting, because definitely some of these photos has to be added to the stocks later, and even ASAP!
On the other page of my life, I have work and work issues that had been stepping on my nerves lately, for real, despite the fact that I'm not going to work at the moment (for a year now) unless it's needed. With my colleague retirement decree, I'm left alone in the place, and apparently some loads of quite "unscientific" stuff that I need to do, and which I'm not ready for nor I want to be ready for (because, simply, I'm not an admin, nor an economist). My job, in time, moved from being a scientific job with hours spent in the lab conducting experiments and preparing samples and take readings, as well as going on field trips – moved to be a behind-the-desk job and dealing with numbers and terminologies that I don't understand NOR have any interest in. Adding salt to the wound, it seems that I'm the first person to come in the manager's mind (even with my colleague being around) to do any socializing, interacting, workshops and do tasks outside; As if he does not know that I do suffer Retinitis Pigmentosa, and as if I don't have life problems on my own.
For all of that I've decided to take one step regarding Retinitis Pigmentosa, which probably I should've taken long time ago, and that is trying to get a certificate of "special needs" which is given to people with, well, special needs of course. The certificate to be given after medical check-up and reports and a decision to be made by a council. It's a long path, and I've just stepped my first. This said though, I'm not sure yet if this would be followed by a medical retirement issue. At least such certificate (which some members of my family has already and for the same reasons) do provide some useful privileges (e.g. parking in specific parking lots for special needs personnel).

Meanwhile, with all that mess, I'm trying my best to live each day on its own and work with my camera as much as possible and create art to the best I can. Things aren't easy on that plane for sure though, as I'm kept busy with other chores, and exhaustion. This house is stepping on my nerves with each creeping day…

Retinol V…

Honestly, I was not sure that I will be typing this post this week and would have left it for another week, but I'm pushing my luck here in hope that I will finish it in time. Things had been accumulating on my plate, specially with me helping my brother in some of his studies (because he's not so versed in English). It's like living a second life!

Retinol V

As you "may" know, I've posted about my Retinitis Pigmentosa project image No.4 in the previous post, so here I'm jumping right into the 5^th installment of the series, and the one before the last. It was a "somewhat" quick shoot, if not for, again, the cumbersomeness of the Air Remote wireless tethering, which proved, AGAIN, to be such a cumbersome addition.

RP Feet (I)

RP Feet (II)

The idea was comical in nature, showing the struggles of toes for a person with Retinitis Pigmentosa, from crashing into various objects around the house. So, the idea was to shoot my feet at different distances (to change the virtual or apparent size of the toes) and then merge the two images (the bigger toe specifically). I hope you pardon the skin here as I'm not that "bright" with pedicure!

As I've stated above, Air Remote wireless tethering tool proved to be a failure here as well. As I've placed the camera on the ground of the balcony, I've started using the wireless tethering to focus and take the shots. However, what I've discovered is that the focusing algorithm in the app or device does not work on the lowest portion of the image at all. It was as if the image does not exist on these parts of the frame. In the beginning I thought it was just a contrast issue (though it was apparently not) but as I was trying hard to get it to work, it was clear that the app controlling the camera wirelessly was just not functioning at these points - and just for comparing, the focusing mechanism within the camera itself when using the LiveView option do work in that portion of the image close to the lower frame. In the end, I had to resort to use manual focusing for the two shots and lengthen the process of checking and re-composing… etc.
In the post-processing phase, I've made 2 versions of the idea: RP Feet (I) and RP Feet (II). After making the first one, I've realized that the big toes size was not quite large to make a difference and a comical sense, and so I had to re-do it again and this time exaggerating the size deliberately.
The thing came out like a meme and actually I've posted it that way on Instagram!

Kika IV

Then we arrived at Kika's challenge for Week 4, which had the theme of Superpower. It was a bit tricky to think of something as I'm not quite into the "super" stuff that most people are crazy about in movies and whatnot. The good thing about Kika's challenges is that they are "free" or an "open" invitation for creativity and not quite strict in terms of photography. It is about creating art and not the art of photography, if that makes sense. Thus, one can feel a bit free in editing and creating all sort of surreal stuff that one can think of. Despite, the themes can be quite tricky to do. Sometimes, having so much space puzzles and baffles the mind as to what should be done without any restrictions that are apt to work as guidelines to work on something!

Superhero

The idea was to reflect my love for coffee but it kind of transformed into something like a"mad scientist" theme! All in all, the quantum physics book at hand is enough, I guess, to give that impression of a superhero!
Obviously as can be seen, the image is an edit and not a single shot. It is composed mainly from 3 parts: Me holding the book, close-up of my head, and the mug separately. The close-up of my head was to remove the top part and fit it into the first image of me holding the book. I have to say here that the goal was not quite achieved since my aim in very beginning was to enlarge the forehead, not the hair. Eventually as I was going on with the cloning and masking processes, I've realized that I'm working on enlarging the hair alone! I left it at that anyway and thought "Well, I can get away with the mad scientist thing I suppose."
As for the mug, it was shot separately at close-up too, under the same lighting conditions (on same location, the yard) and of course it needed some brushing work to isolate it and put it there. The smoke, though, was a trick done in Photoshop and to give a slight impression of coffee here I added a slight brownish line on top. It was a mistake though to take a photo at this angle I suppose but it was a must. Personally, I really don't think this mug gives the impression of being coffee specifically, but rather of some hot drink; Any drink.

Kika's challenges are still going on and as of the time of typing this post, it is the 9^th challenge or week, and I'm still going on with it. There were some challenges that I didn't really create any new images but rather posted an old photo, edited in a new way if possible (as it was with challenge No.2 some weeks ago). All in all, such challenges do push me to work with my camera further and if it wasn't for other responsibilities (and health issues) I would even work more instead of posting old images in a new suit. 

Finale

As I've stated before in previous posts, beside the RP project and Kika's photo challenge, I've been doing other photo shoots and experiments as well, though not as frequent as before, but still, at least I'm touching my camera!
I'm trying hard to live each day on its own here. COVID and lockdown did help a bit, but the fact that I'm in a family house and not alone, with everyone being grumpy and full of ideas of conspiracy and how things "must" be, makes me really awry and prone to isolate myself even more than I was back in normal times.
The perplexing feeling here is, as much as I need isolation to have some peace of mind, I do need to socialize to ease my mind, but the problem, again, is not having the right surroundings. I would be working with my camera all day long if it was not for my health issues and tired body, and some of the other chores and duty that I have to do. Being on my own, as a way to have some peace of mind, gives me more frantic thoughts and anxiety, even though many of such thoughts are not really profound but I can't help it. Now with my co-worker being dismissed after his long years of experience and expertise, I'm left alone in my workplace which is quiet for now, but I'm not sure of what to come then. You surely can't compare 40+ years of experience to the mediocre experience of 15 years (which had even passed without much serious work). I'm growing sick of this administrative cycle (which wanders away from my supposedly scientific domain of expertise). Needless to say, moving to a new campus at any time now makes me awry about my own safety for driving to that place, daily. I'm so tired… just tired…