Gudetama is one of my favorite Sanrio characters as I find that I relate a lot to it even though it’s an anthropomorphic egg yolk. I’ve watched its “Eggcelent Adventures” on Netflix and I also collect various stationary stuff featuring this lazy ennui-filled cute egg. I’m not alone in this obsession as the character has 852,000 followers on Instagram and has probably sold a lot of Sanrio merch as well.

Designer: Retrospekt for Sanrio

Another Gen Z thing that has been trending lately is a throwback to 35mm digital cameras. And no one does retro tech products better than Retrospekt. Their latest collaboration with Sanrio is the limited edition Gudetama Restrospekt FC-11 35mm Film Camera which has the egg yolk character on center stage, or rather, center camera. The camera has a silicone lens cap and the body has faux leather artwork with the different Gudetama versions.

It is a pretty simple point-and-shoot camera with a 1m fixed-focus lens and built-in optional flash. All you have to do is look through the viewfinder, line up your shot, press the shutter button, and then get your 35mm film developed in your favorite film developing shop. It’s just like any other 35mm film camera except you have the Gudetama butt staring at you when you look into the viewfinder.

The camera has a 200-400 ISO with a 31mm f/9 lens and 1/120 second shutter speed. It’s pretty light as it only weighs 122g and may even be lighter than your smartphone. It’s pretty cute that kids these days are enjoying taking analog photos and having cute cameras like this one adds to the appeal.

Breaking News Advocate Journal

Breaking News Atlantic News Telegraph

Award-winning photographer, Grace Waters, stunned viewers with her latest Instagram post featuring a captivating image that challenged the status quo.

Entering the prestigious 1839 Color Photography Awards in the AI category, Waters sought to provoke thoughts on the intersection of nature and technology. The photograph in question, which secured third place and the audience choice award, was later disqualified upon discovery that it was not AI-generated, but rather a product of Waters’ own lens.

Justifying her unconventional approach, Waters expressed, “I aimed to showcase nature’s supremacy over artificial intelligence and emphasize the value of creators’ authentic works.”

Although organizers acknowledged Waters’ message, they opted to enforce the rules strictly, leading to her exclusion from the competition. Despite this setback, Waters’ bold statement continues to spark conversations about the essence of artistry in an increasingly digitized world.

Additional Facts:
– In the realm of photography, the debate between the authenticity and creativity of nature versus machine-produced images is a longstanding one. Many photographers grapple with the balance between using technological advancements and staying true to their own vision and skills.

Key Questions:
1. How do technological tools such as AI impact the traditional concept of photography as an art form?
2. What defines the authenticity and originality of a photograph in the age of digital manipulation and AI?
3. How can photographers navigate the evolving landscape of technology while maintaining the integrity of their creative voice?

Key Challenges and Controversies:
– One of the primary challenges associated with the intersection of nature and machine in photography is the blurring of boundaries between genuine artistic expression and automated processes.
– Controversies often arise when photographs are entered into competitions or exhibitions that have specific guidelines regarding the use of AI or digital manipulation, as seen in Grace Waters’ case.

Advantages:
– Technology offers photographers a wide range of tools and techniques to enhance their work, allowing for greater experimentation and creativity.
– Machine-generated imagery can sometimes push the boundaries of traditional photography, leading to innovative and thought-provoking visuals.

Disadvantages:
– Overreliance on technology may diminish the personal touch and emotional depth that human photographers bring to their craft.
– The debate over the authenticity and value of AI-generated photography can create divisions within the photography community and challenge conventional notions of artistry.

Suggested Related Links:
– National Geographic
– Poynter

Mistakes can hinder your progress, but they also provide valuable learning opportunities. Avoiding these common errors can help you grow and refine your skills.

Coming to you from Brandon Woelfel, this insightful video highlights several photography mistakes that many new photographers have made or are likely to encounter. The first mistake discussed is shooting in auto mode. While it’s a helpful starting point, relying on auto mode can limit your creative control. As you progress, experimenting with manual settings like aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode can give you more command over your shots. Woelfel emphasizes that understanding your camera’s settings is crucial for capturing the images you envision.

Another key point Woelfel makes is the importance of shooting in raw instead of JPEG. Raw files provide higher-quality images and greater flexibility during editing. They allow you to adjust elements like white balance and contrast without degrading the photo’s quality. This flexibility can be a game-changer, especially when working with challenging lighting conditions or correcting exposure errors. Woelfel shares personal anecdotes that highlight how switching to raw transformed his approach to photography.

Woelfel also touches on the importance of preparation. Forgetting to charge batteries, bring extra memory cards, or prepare for weather conditions can derail a photoshoot. He advises always checking your gear before heading out and being mindful of the shooting environment. For example, harsh midday sunlight can be managed with reflectors or softboxes, while low-light conditions may require additional lighting equipment. These small steps can prevent minor oversights from turning into significant issues.

In addition, the video addresses the pitfalls of over-editing. Woelfel recommends frequently comparing your edited images to the originals to avoid going overboard. Maintaining a natural look is crucial, and over-editing can detract from the authenticity of your photos. This practice helps ensure that your final images remain true to the scene you captured. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Woelfel.

June 15 has been christened Nature Photography Day. North American Nature Photographers Association, (NANPA) is promoting getting out in nature, making some photos and sharing them with the hashtag #NaturePhotographyDay. It’s a great idea anytime, but occasionally, it’s good to get a reminder and a boot in the butt to head out with your camera.

Looking for ideas?

If you aren’t sure what to photograph and share here are a few starters for you.

Just head out into the woods. There’s a plethora of subjects matter in the leaves. Photograph the way the light filters through the shimmering movement as the wind rustles the stillness. Leaves the shutter open for a longer period of time to see how that records. While you have a longer shutter speed how about some intentional camera movement (ICM)? ICM can blend colors, tones and light into some very interesting patterns.

Your local pond or wetlands can allow you to find wildlife such as ducks, Great Blue Herons and dragonflies. Get to your location and just sit. Drink in the ambiance and wait for the wildlife to get used to your presence and they will often go back to behavior that shows them to you. For example, when you see a dragonfly land. Focus you camera on that exact spot. They will often return over and over giving you more opportunities to get a great capture.

Your backyard garden can be a source of flowers if you can’t get away for long. For best results, have a scrim handy to defuse the light to have lovely soft shadow edge transitions instead of harsh sunlight. Here’s an article on working with a few extra tools such as a Whimberly Plamp, small scrim and tripod to make photographing much easier.

Visit any waterway, river, ocean or creek and see what you can find. Experiment with your exposures, play with you settings. Time exposure can add mystery to your liquid photo captures.

Long story short

Get out! Take your camera. Makes photos. And, share! Don’t forget to tag your posts with #NaturePhotographyDay!

Yours in Creative Photography,

Bob

Photographer Miles Astray recently submitted a photo featuring a flamingo with its head bending into its body to a contest for AI-generated images, sponsored by 1839 Awards. The judges awarded him third place in the AI category and he also won the first place People’s Vote Award for the AI category. However, once the contest discovered that Astray hadn’t actually used AI but, rather, took the photo himself, he was disqualified. 

Art News states that the judges were from the New York Times, Chritie’s (the auction house), and the publishing house Phaidon. Art News also explains that Astray purposefully submitted his photograph to the AI category in order to “advocate for human-made pictures.” They quote Astray:

“With AI-generated content remodelling the digital landscape rapidly while sparking an ever-fiercer debate about its implications for the future of content and the creators behind it – from creatives like artists, journalists, and graphic designers to employees in all sorts of industries – I entered this actual photo into the AI category of 1839 Awards to prove that human-made content has not lost its relevance, that Mother Nature and her human interpreters can still beat the machine, and that creativity and emotion are more than just a string of digits.”

Even though Astray’s winning photograph was deleted from the 1839 Awards website, the artist “treated the debacle as a victory.” Again, Art News quotes Astray:

“I hope that winning over both the jury and the public with this picture, was not just a win for me but for many creatives out there. I won’t go as far as to say that it’s a win for Mother Nature herself because I think she’s got bigger things on her plate; who knows, maybe AI can help her with that, by computing climate change models and the likes.”

On the contest website, the 1839 Awards provides this overview of its history and mission:

Named after the year the medium was first made widely available to the public, 1839 Awards offers a series of competitions honoring the most remarkable photographers using photography as an art form.

To see Miles Astray’s winning photograph, entitled “F L A M I N G O N E,” along with more of his work, check out his website or Instagram.

This past week I joined my friend Jo and her husband at an art exhibition by painter Jordan Perkins. The exhibition was held at the Grizzly Gallery and Winery in West Kelowna.

Jordan Perkins’ exhibition was titled Wild Palette, an exhilarating art collection that showcases the united spirit of wildlife, people and animals through a bold, colourful, painterly lens. The exhibition of mostly large (60″ by 48″) paintings also featured the Okanagan Symphony Brass Trio, and of course the fully-stocked Grizzly Winery had all sorts of vintages for attendees. I’ll also mention that there were children, and many people brought their dogs.

I had decided that the exhibition would be a fun place to take pictures. I wasn’t sure if the exhibition was going to be held in a small or large space, so I brought both my little Fuji and my compact Canon G1X.

Both cameras have crop frame sensors, giving me plenty of image data size for when I want to manipulate my photograph with my computer’s software programs. As readers know, the hobby of photography is more than just a point-and-shoot memory maker.

The Grizzly Winery/Gallery was a large open space with plenty of light coming in. And there were exhibition lights on all the large, colourful paintings, making it a fun place to make pictures.

While I wandered looking at Jordan’s paintings I noticed two official photographers (they had name tags). One seemed to be making videos and the other was shooting stills. He would take pictures of people and then check them on an iPhone strapped to his wrist. Gosh, technology is so wonderful. I am sure he was numbering his photographs for people who might want to order them in the future. There was an announcement that anyone could get photographs with the artist.

I doubt anyone even noticed me. Perfect! I could move through the crowd taking photos. There was (with a couple of dark area exceptions) enough light for me to shoot my camera at ISO 800. Depending on what I was photographing I would move my camera mode between Manual and Shutter Priority. Although I would quickly check my camera’s LCD, some people were a moving blur because I was shooting at too slow a shutter speed. I did change lenses a couple times, and the 55-200mm lets in less light than the 18-55mm.

Regarding using ISO 800. There was a time when using an ISO higher than 400 was a concern because of image noise (longtime camera users will remember the exaggerated film grain they got with ISO400 and above). Modern camera sensors can easily give photographers clean, noiseless images at 800, and depending on the sensor size much higher. I really don’t worry about noise and prefer leaving my camera set at ISO 800 unless I am out shooting on a sunny day. Oh, and for those who aren’t intending on making a large print or sending their finished photograph to a magazine, noise should not be a concern anyway.

Now that I have been going through my images I have cropped some and turned some to black-and-white. It is hard to think of some of those wildly colourful paintings as B&W, but sometimes B&W just works.

An event like Jordon Perkins’ Wild Palette is another fun opportunity for photographers to use their cameras. It’s great to enjoy an exhibition of excellent art while walking around with a glass of fine red wine, pointing my camera in a crowded room full of people without anyone bothering us.

Stay safe and be creative. These are my thoughts for this week. Contact me at www.enmanscamera.com or emcam@telus.net.