Fertig!

A very busy and quick week to pass (but filled with bad luck ad bad events as well). However, much relief for now. I've finally managed to finish the report that I was helping my friend with. Now, I can get some space free in my mind to do other things, specially those regarding my photography projects.
Also, I'm taking this time and the free space in my mind as an opportunity to go on and complete the last part of my Alexander project: Chapter 6 vocalization. Chapter 6, however, is a long one and for sure this is going to be a long process, and if I was lucky to work on it daily, I might be over with it in about 40 days (but this won't happen for sure!).
However, I've recorded the first 5 verses of the chapter, and I've corrected some spelling mistakes as well. You can check the Ayvarith version with vocalization here. The English translation is here.

My activity with my camera had been minor, but I took the chance to further work with my new Macro lens (Canon 100mm f/2.8). This time I've connected the camera to the TV and I had to sit near by because the wire was short, and then tried to click some shots for my eye.

Auge (Eye)

Auge BW

Eclipse

Farbenfrohe Furcht (Colorful Fear)

The trend with me had been to name some of the images in German. I believe it gives some strength to the feelings. Of course, there was no chance to do HDR processing to the images, but the exposure for the images after all was fine with more or less editing for the RAW file. I think the Black and White theme fitted me well in this small series. In Eclipse, specifically, there was no need to do any manipulation to extract the lines of the eye; editing the Black and White levels was enough. Farbenfrohe Furcht on the other hand required some of the typical work I do with the eyes when I work with other people's pictures.
And yes, the eyeball veins and lines are true. Not edited.

On the other hand, I've printed the Failaka Folio, which for the time being I plan to make it a simple folio to show my work in a series form, and hopefully will start working soon with the other folio: Good Morning Kuwait. After printing the folio, I've laminated the prints for more of a glossy look, and for protection as well.

Failaka Folio

Now, I have to keep this folio for showing in some container or album. I have further plans with this folio but they are on hold for now. I better do some other things until I figure out the means to do this particular project with this folio.

I've started to fast now with the first day of Rajab (7th month of the lunar year) and in hope that I would continue this fast for the next month and attach it to Ramadhan later, making a 3 months of fasting. Sounds like torture in the beginning, but I think my body will benefit from this reduction in food and drinks consumption. It is a matter of adapting to the new condition and weather for the time being and I'm pretty sure that it will all sound normal later on.

Geltani is a name I shouldn't forget as well. I have to work with this along with Ayvarith projects. My powers are getting scattered I believe but this is mainly, as I believe, for my lack of time-management skills and the ability to stick to programs. Work, on the other hand, is another burden which sounds, sometimes, like a waste of my time...

Loaded...

A busy and idle week in the same time. Currently, I've been busy working on a report for a friend, and I do it mainly when I get back from work, at home; while at work digging for material for this report as much as possible. On the other hand, being idle with my own projects.
This said, I've finished the Failaka Folio and I've received some commentary and notes about some aspects that hopefully I will follow on with when I create my second folio, to be entitled "Good Morning Kuwait". I had some hard time converting this folio into a PDF, but it was done after all. However, I'm still considering printing this folio, and probably in the future, make it into a marketable item with a music CD if possible. My plans are on hold in this venue so far (like my Ayvarith and Geltani projects).

On the other hand, I've been trying out some aspect about my new lens: Canon Telephoto EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Autofocus Lens:

Source: B&H

In the first instance of using the lens it was somehow hard to adapt myself to it. I'm not used to a prime (fixed focal length) telephoto lens. The only primes I had were fisheye (wide-angle) lenses, and hence moving forward or backward was not much of a big deal in most of the cases, but here, I think I will need some time to program my brain on the distances I need to stand at before catching. However, the closest distance as noted on the lens (for a macro shot) is around 0.3 ~ 0.4 meter away from the subject (i.e. 1~2 ft).  It is also adaptable to my Vivitar 2x extension but this needs more experimenting.
With simple testing, seems this lens is good in dealing with chromatic aberrations. I've taken a shot for the window frame with a strong backlight from the outside and examining the image closely I almost saw no infringes.

Source: Amazon

Seems, however, that my latest reading on The Practice of Contemplative Photography started to, somehow, affect my mind. With me roaming with wide open eyes, I'm trying to catch details. Even though one of the instructions in the book is not to work hard on "finding" something but to let it all come by meditation, I still think I have to keep my eyes (and mind) wide open for any chances. I do believe this book benefits specifically abstract lovers, but of course it is not only for them. Yet the topic of meditation and enlightening the mind combined with photography is usually linked with the abstract style in arts in general.
The first yield of all of this thought came about one day, when I prepared my daily coffee after coming back from work, when I noticed the cluster of bubbles accumulating on the surface. However, till I made my camera ready, the bubbles were pushed to the edges of the top surface.

Caffeine Art

After some shots, some were dark and some were bright, I've decided to settle with one and work on from that point. There was some cropping as well, and by the end, a load of some adjustment layers to enhance the colors. The joy of working in ProPhoto is the ability to create vivid colors in a slide that you might have deemed dead already!
This simple "experiment" made me now think of possible venues like doing long exposure with this lens, and also with coffee, but I have to make the setting ready for the mess that will come out by then!

Source: Amazon

Now with the other book that is left in my collection from the last order I've made: Ideologies in Archaeology.
The book is actually "heavy"; meaning hard to digest with my brain when it talks all about sociology and Marxists theories... etc. Personally, at school and college I hardly made any sense of that. I think this is because my brain is mainly physically-educated, and without examples, I wouldn't comprehend what, to me, seems like a vague space of words. Add to that I'm more inclined to visual learning. This is the same feeling when I run over advanced mathematics, and to me, mathematics is meaningless without something like Physics say, or Chemistry.
I'm not finished with this book yet of course but, reading it surely gives my brain some hard time (specially with lack of some pictures or diagrams of any type!). I'll just hope that my brain does its best with it.


Some thoughts are racing in my mind now regarding some aspects of my social life... but I'll keep them for myself right now and cook them more into the pot. I'm not sure these ideas will lead to anything serious but, after all, I can't get rid of them...

Kaputt...

Feels like everything stands up suddenly wherever I go. It is like if reasons are accumulating to push me up for leaving my work and do my own business. I would do it personally if not for the money in need, unfortunately. I've been busy lately, and by busy I mean, busy out of work doing my own stuff.
I had some news last week though from the Marina Mall, when I talked to the principle (I didn't see his face yet, only chitchat by the phone) he said he really liked my samples (and hung one of them on his office wall!) and he asked the secretary to call me (but apparently she didn't). However, so far, no permission paper in my hand yet to really work on photography session there. It is a good sign though, and I'm working on doing some "job papers" to be printed and ready. There are many other things I'm working on as well.

On the other hand, I've been keeping myself busy (at work) by reading the second book in the queue: The Practice of Contemplative Photography, by Andy Karr and Michael Wood. I've read the book in a fast pace relatively, but the ideas mentioned in this book are quite challenging, specially for someone like me who had been trying, for some time, to focus on the process of printing and how to make concrete images that appeals to other people (potential customers if I should say).
The essence of the book is to be free. It is to see and perceive your environment without preconceived ideas. This is absolutely hard from my side (even with the practices mentioned in this book). The author calls to drop down the guards with achieving aesthetically proper images, like using law of thirds and so on. It is all about taking a simple picture, with lot of depth in it in the philosophical plane. I see this quite appealing when it comes to abstract photography, but of course the book is general and doesn't quite discuss the different genre of photography.

Also, I've been trying to mat one print I've made for some test. The process is not quite as easy as I thought, but in hope that my hands will get used to it. If things go perfect with this, I might end up offering matted prints without any need to frame them, and hence reduce the costs drastically (and prices as well).
A peek into my projects for now....

I. Failaka Folio: In the beginning I've started this project as only a way to show my work, and hence one copy is enough, but later some more ideas kept on coming, like offering several copies for sale with a dedicated CD with musical tracks entitled for each image in the collection (10 of them). This idea is, of course, inspired from Alain Briot's book too. However, the second idea is not yet forming on a solid ground. I do have a friend that can play music and be inspired by my images, but, technical problems are there.

Sample from the Folio

This folio is almost done with, but I have a problem now converting it to a PDF and make it a portable folio and to send over by email (beside printing it).

II. Good Morning Kuwait Folio: Even though working on this folio didn't start yet, but was inspired as I was working on the first folio above. A collection of images taken in morning time (or day time). Ironically, it also inspired me for another idea that I want to check after later on; a photo-book. A book including some of my images with a few commentaries. The idea of the book is "Kuwait in Colors," and it provides wide range of images from Kuwait with general coloring theme, based on rainbow colors that is. This idea also comes from my recent reading in the above mentioned book.

III. Posters: As I am waiting for a chance to shoot inside the Aquarium again, many ideas been racing in my head to try and shoot a panorama there if possible, and make an offer for the gift shop in there. Not sure how this is supposed to work but I wouldn't know until I try.

IV. Editing Website: I have to edit my website soon and make drastic changes in many aspects, but I need to plan these changes in advance before hitting the editing page.

Initial targets so far but the processing is going slowly. I would need a vacation specifically just to do all I want to do as soon as I can. Also with this working conditions that delivers me just as a dead body back home everyday, it is hard for now to do everything in a fast pace.
I still didn't go on with my Ayvarith recording because of all these events. Also, my Geltani project is on hold still. Trying hard not to think much about all of these projects, but I can't keep my brain from switching channels...
I need some help, but there's none...