This and that.

I guess the photo of the place I asked you to identify was too obscure. That's the lobby area outside the MBA classrooms at the Strathmore Business School. Here is another view of the area.



Plans for the Month of Photography to be hosted by Alliance Francaise in June are moving along well. There have been interesting submissions to the Duka theme. It should be a wonderful exhibit. Dates for two workshops have also been put in place. There will be a beginner's workshop on the 16th and 17th, and an advanced workshop on the 18th and 19th. Space is limited for each. Only the first 15 to sign up shall participate. And it is free. To sign up, contact Danson Kibandiko at +254726325426. Exciting times for photography.

My days of being Stateside seem to not have drawn to a close. And no, I am not relocating back to the US. I will just be paying a month long visit. Gives me a chance to visit some of my old joints. Meet up with my very good freinds. Check out various photography resources that I took for granted while living there. Also get to talk to a friend who is now a great photographer in her own right. Head out to some great places to hike and take great nature shots.

Especially that last bit. I am sure we have plenty to be found in the Ngong/Karura forests right here in Nairobi that are worth photographing. But the fact that I need armed escort to go about doing stuff there... eek! And not just because of wild animals in there. But also due to people that would deem it necessary to force me to part ways with my equipment. I just wish that was not the case. And so it will be refreshing to walk in a wooded area without worrying about my safety or that of my equipment in that regard.

I found a great blog that deals with the business of photography. It's part of the wider American Society of Media Photographers site that has proved to be a wonderful resource. We need something like that in Kenya. How great it would be to find photography speciic business advice. Anyone know of a resource like that please feel free to share in the comments.

A friend who is in the fashion industry bemoans the dearth of photographers in that field. So today she tried convincing me to rethink my decision not to do fashion photography, as she says there's plenty of work. I told her I'd think about it, especially during my sojourn away, and see what to do about it once back.

I leave you with a photo I took of a bride just prior to leaving for the church.



This is a look similar to that I have seen various photographers do, and I hope to perfect it over time. Check out some of the photographers profiled here for examples of the kind of look I am hoping to get.

Have a great Labour Day!

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Into 2009 Q2

So much for the resolve of more frequent posting. I've resigned myself to the reality of having to post when the sun, moon and earth all align themsleves in perfection.

This is an interesting article about the declining fortunes of art galleris in New York. The quote below from the article regarding the pricing of Hiroshi Sugimoto's photographs stupefies the heck out of me:

The prices of some of his meditative seascapes have been reduced from $450,000 to $360,000...

I find this cartoon funny. Photoshop is great. But should be used wisely. As I keep reading from many photographers I admire, some of whom also use Photoshop extensively in their work, always strive to get it right in camera. Makes for a much more pleasant Photoshop experience, since you have a great picture to begin with. Trying to fix a badly taken picture is very much like the cartoon up above.

One such photographer I absolutely admire is Trey Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs. His HDR images are out of this world. What a true inspiration. Check out for example the image in this post. I decided to try out something similar, but with results not as polished as his. More practice is required.



Who can guess where this was taken? (The first to guess correctly gets a 6x8 print of my choice if residing in Nairobi, otherwise I'll email you the original resolution image to print out yourself).

Trey points out something I hadn't otherwise realised. HDR is a good alternative to use in capturing the interior decor if you are limited in the lights at your disposal. Excellent way to get the various subtleties of textures and light as he writes. Food for thought.

Have a great Easter!

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