Heath Korvola

Unusual Image Archive

2007-11-27T10:59:00.000-08:00

Being lucky enough to live near part of the US National Park system and travel to other parts on a regular basis I've always kept an eye out for classic and historical images. It's one thing to know changes are taking place but carries so much more of an impact when one can witness the long term affects. This can be both beneficial and depressing but overall it's a clear avenue of the power of photography.

Recently, I came across work that the National Park Service itself, or more specifically the USGS (US Geological Survey), has put together for their own records as well as public use. This specifically deals with Glacier National Park but I'm sure there are other similar projects out there.

Landscape Change Photography is made up of two main components in a series of ongoing photography projects. Panoramic photographs is a collection "of infrared and panchromatic photographs of Glacier National Park that were taken around 1935 with an Osborne photo-recording transit". The second, Repeat Photography, is the documentation of the namesake Glacier's in the park and their "dramatic glacial recession". (The current estimate is that every single one will be gone in our lifetime, sometime in the next 25 years.)

There is a fascinating description of how the images played out and have come to be available and interpreted today. Identifying features, fires, equipment - it's all there.

"Carrying over 75lbs of camera plus personal gear up to fire lookouts throughout the park was a demanding task. Mules can be seen in several of the photographs and were used to help the photographer transport equipment. The hundreds of photographs taken by Mr. Moe provide excellent documentation of what National Park Service sites looked like in the 1930s. The National Park Service announced the completion of this project in a newsletter excerpted below.

Chief Forester Coffman announces completion of a 4-year project for obtaining panoramic photographs from the 200 existing and proposed forest fire lookouts throughout the entire Federal Park System.
The photographic work, done by Junior Forester Moe, entailed many hardships not only in packing the necessary equipment weighing upwards of 100 pounds to lookout points, but also in climbing trees, poles, temporary towers, or roofs of lookouts with the equipment and facing the extreme winds that occur so frequently at high elevations.

Park Service Bulletin, June 1938, pg. 6"

Historical archives such as these that are with the Park Service and other government bodies are typically available for public viewing if not, non-commercial use. It's one way to visually explore and pick up a spot of history. After all we're paying for it.

Additionally, aside from the green photo opps locales such as Glacier National Park are known for, the 'face of use' as demonstrated by the above images is continually shifting these days. Glacier alone has been in a multitude of news pieces as a recognizable face of global warming. Most recently James Balog in a recent National Geographic Adventure feature (Portrait of a Meltdown - Oct 2007) has covered this issue and the park extensively. And in the realm of interesting and experimental photography James has carried this into a fascinating project involving 26 cameras and 300,000 images called Extreme Ice Survey.

Weather

2007-11-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

Great mix of shoots lately including time in Seattle with one of Amercia's Next Top Models that I'll go into another time. Been lucky enough with the weather as well as this time of year in the Rockies and the Pacific NW it can be a complete crapshoot.

Was out this week with a cool assignment to shoot a portrait of the owner of an Edward Curtis print as well as the print itself. The backstory is a good one as the current owner recognized the piece at an estate sale. The owner at the time was moved to tears that she knew what it was and after telling her his story (he was slowly dying) simply gave the print to her. That print is worth more than 10K today but being up close and seeing Curtis' lighting and the stern look on the weathered native Montanan face you could never sell it. Fortunately we were able to dodge weather and photograph the print outside for a bit.

Also spent time working on this image here for an in house project that we'll be presenting soon. The storms rolling in and the clouds in particular really add an extra depth that's hard to gauge ahead of time. Though I can't take credit for ordering those monsters up I do spend time following weather patterns. And with winter approaching and more time spent out shooting in the elements it becomes imperative to know what is happening around you.

As I get questions about how I process and assemble info I thought I'd post the resources that I rely on to make shoots that much more successful.

1: NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmoshpheric Administration - it's their job to know what's happening. I've found it much better than the more commercially oriented venues out there.

2: Other federal, state and government resources such as National Parks, Science Foundations and small groups - most of these offer specific local forecasts and account for micro climates that the big boys can't. In the case of winter work for example, SnoTel sites and Avalanche Associations are super resource rich.

3: Private resources such as resorts - in the least you can track down web cameras to view conditions in real time. We take stock of the Whitefish Mtn Resort cam before heading up (though I keep saying I'm simply going to attach a large truck mirror outside the side window of our south facing studio so we can the hill directly behind us).

4: Locals - don't care if you're in India or the Selkirks, the folks that live there almost always know the weather patterns that develop on a seasonal basis. Especially true along the coast or large bodies of water and the mountains. Listening is such an underrated skill.

If that doesn't do it, just remember it's always better to be out getting soaked then on the phone trying to reschedule as the sun comes out.

TiltViewer

2007-11-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Here's another look into the future of image presentation - interactive, multi-level platform done as a 3D Flash site called TiltViewer. It was built using Away3D a branch of Papervision and only works via Flickr images for this round. It's a very simply, intuitive interface that holds hope for future searches and presentations. In this example and you can flip any image over to get the photographer info. Can't wait to see round two.

The creators at Airtight Interactive, in case you were wondering, do great simple designs for showcasing images. Their SimpleViewer is a standard at our studio and works perfectly in Lightroom.

Slideluck Potshow

2007-10-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

Ever since I came back from Japan the first time with 30+ rolls of Fuji film and went through each image on screen with friends watching (or sleeping) I have really had it bad for slideshows. I'm not talking about the slick productions with matching tunes and wine or the current video laced clips but the old school E6 in a loud projector. It's always kind of held a fascination for me similar to records (which I collect).

Here's everyone's chance to relive that style of show. I haven't personally been to one of these yet but I'm looking forward to when I can make it. Slideluck Potshow is a non-profit potluck series for members of the arts and media built around an open community exhibiting images and sharing food. More on their website but the next show's coming up in Portland.

Sounds like a great gig and it's open to all willing to take risks regardless of experience. Everyone is treated equal with no more than 5 minutes for a show and ranges from those who have never publicly shown work to the likes of Chris Buck, Alec Soth & Martin Schoeller among others.

So grab a sixpack of brown bottles and settle in for a real show.

Licensing Images

2007-10-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

It's one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of commercial photography, especially if you're not dialed in - licensing. We're not selling images or giving away pictures we are, like many businesses, licensing our wares. I get questions about this frequently and use the analogy of rental cars as being similar. That is, based on the size and specific use that the client requires a price can be formulated. Of course, that's simplified but essentially if you figure in production and post production costs this works for stock and assignment uses.

There are resources available as well but until now it's been very rare to find actual current figures. But breaking through the fog of various ranges and crazy spreedsheets detailing use ASMP has trumped everyone by assembling a generous group of pros and posting their actual invoices. It's part of a new licensing guide in the ASMP's business bible, Professional Practices in Photography. And if you don't already have this and have parts of it memorized then now's the time.

This new licensing guide was spearheaded by former ASMP president Susan Carr and includes over 50 examples of paperwork from recent jobs. The book's not out until 2008 but the guide's up online now. Only a small section is available if you're not a member but still relevant info for the using. And props to all the contributing shooters: Dwight Cendrowski, Jim Flynn, Kim Kauffman, Chip Mitchell, Shawn Henry, & Colleen Woolpert.

The one thing I might add to the guide is the green line item for carbon offsets as an option for clients. If you are working with larger budgets especially, a few dollars to 'green' the production is usually not an issue. It leaves both you and your clients in good standing and aligned with modern business practices.

Coincidently just this am I got a call from a friend who was flying back to the valley on one of the major carriers and recognized her ski gear in a winter image. At first I was wondering if one of my agencies had turned out the image for the full page piece for the inflight mag. Then she mentioned it was an ad and I remembered the licensing agreement I had worked on with an agency. Turns out it's one of a series of new ads I licensed - nice to know that it's all square.

Public Lands Permit Policy

2007-10-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest on a US government permit change that affects anyone shooting on location outside on a majority of public lands. The public comment period is almost up (Oct 19th) so speak now. This was brought to my attention by fine art photographer Nelcha Cross. Here's her report:

The U.S Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service propose changes to 43 CFR Part 5 that would require a permit for still photography using models, sets, or props, in much the same manner as Public Law 106-206. Nominally, at least, there should be little change from current policy. The devil is always in the details, however. Under the proposed rule, still photography would require a permit if:

It uses model(s), sets(s), or prop(s) that are not a part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.

Unfortunately, the proposed rule doesn't define "model" or "prop." Common sense suggests that a model is "one who is employed to display clothes or to appear in displays of other merchandise," and a prop is perhaps an item that might appear in a product advertisement. However, unlike current policies, the proposed rule does not tie models, sets, or props to commercial advertising. Without this connection, a model could be anyone who poses for a photographer, and a prop could be almost any object that isn't part of the natural landscape. Thus a tourist on public lands could require a permit to photograph her spouse or her car. I doubt that the intent is anything quite this drastic; however, I have seen comments from the NPS that the intent with the word "model" was a person or thing added to the natural or historic setting, and that the meaning of "model" could often be up to the whims of enforcement personnel.

The proposed rule makes some attempt to deal with this by excluding filming and photography by visitors from permit requirements, but unfortunately, it doesn't define visitor ...

Recommendation
--------------
The problems could be fixed by providing definitions for "model" and "prop." The definitions might read;

Model means a person who poses for filming, photography, videotaping, or recording by other means for the purpose of promoting the sale or use of a product or service.

Prop means an object such as a vehicle, boat, article of clothing, food and beverage product, or other commercial article filmed, photographed, videotaped, or recorded by other means to promote its sale or use.

These definitions are simplified versions of ones provided by the Forest Service and BLM after the enactment of Public Law 106-206; I suspect they connected the terms to commercial advertising because they could not think of any other way to provide adequate definitions. Quite honestly, neither can I. Adding these or similar definitions would ensure that the new rules are the same as those that have been in effect for well over a decade.

Requiring, in essence, a permit for photography for commercial advertising isn't quite the same as requiring a permit simply because a photographer may sell the images, which is impossible to determine unless enforcement personnel can read the photographer's mind. The activity involved in photography for commercial advertising is much like pornography for Potter Stewart: it may be difficult to define, but it's usually easy to recognize.

Stated otherwise: without the connection of models and props to commercial advertising, we would have less protection than we currently have.

I would go one step further to make the rule simpler and tidier by requiring permits for commercial filming and photography, and defining commercial photography to the effect of

Commercial photography means the recording of a still image on film, electronic, magnetic, or other media and using models, props, or sets that are not a part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities.

The world will not end if this rule is issued as proposed; however, photographers may have less protection than under current rules. A few simple changes could eliminate the problems. Federal agencies do pay
attention if enough comments are received; in 2005 the proposed rule for permits in the U.S. National Arboretum was changed in response to just over 100 comments.

Comment Period and Contact Information
--------------------------------------
The public comment period for the rule extends to 19 October 2007.

The part of the Federal Register in which the proposed rule appear can be obtained from the GPO Access website at; search for "filming".

The relevant result is in the Federal Register on 20 August 2007 (fr20au07P)

Green Line Items, Carbon Offset & REthinking

2007-10-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

As I posted last week, today has been recognized as Blog Action Day as a single day to comment & question issues regarding the environment and all things green. In the spirit of the day I'll share a few ideas for working within a less destructive (non-destructive?) paradigm, after all that's how we work with images.

One of the most exciting ways we've incorporated green concepts into the business is via carbon offsets. Not only can you do this for electricity and power consumption at your studio but we are now making it an option for all our clients. It's simple, just include a line item for carbon offsets. Traveling often and often long distances got me thinking about what I could do to turn this around. It's ironic that making a living as a location shooter one travels frequently to reach those locations and by doing so contributes to a growing problem.

You can add this line item in any of a number of ways - (1) purely for travel expenses based on the specific job requirements or (2) for a percentage of your yearly energy use based on number of days on project. The sites below offer a variety of services and methods for computing figures and getting involved:

be green now carbon counter terrapass climate friendly target neutral

Aside from carbon offset here's a handful other colorful actions you can take to join the fray:

rechargeable batteries - check out this great discussion on the one and only Strobist.com

recycle ink cartridges - free service via nearly every major manufacturer out there

recycle ipods & phones - apple's quick & easy system for handheld gadgets

One Percent for the Planet - a look at one option for businesses that's growing in popularity

Central Asia Institute - if you haven't read Montana resident Greg Mortenson's book 'Three Cups of Tea' there's never been a more appropriate time

onehundredthings - a comprehensive look at what the creative fields can do including not going to meetings

Design Can Change - a non-commercial initiative out of smashLAB design in Vancouver, BC

Ideas :: Environment

2007-10-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

Coming up next week, in line with what has become a push of nearly 10,000+ blogs I'll have a few great ideas for working green within the photography realm. Tune in Oct 15th and maybe we can put a few concepts forward.

How Much Would You Pay?

2007-10-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

A real album for free. Well almost depending on your conscience and beliefs.

As fast as the photography world and creative fields are changing the music business has always seemed to be even more cutting edge. Vast number of platforms, huge catalog of material and not only has DRM (digital rights management) pushed itself into the conversation but so to has a wealth of sales and promotion models. Our micro stock and various layers of RF imagery seem largely based on models the music industry threw out first.

So as you may already know Radiohead released it's first studio album (seventh overall), In Rainbows, free of their label EMI and have caused a stir. It's downloadable direct from the band via their site and you decide what to pay. I've already seen responses on CNN ranging from why pay to $10 to $100. A bold and innovative move and will be interesting to see the response from both public and business sides.

On the same note Getty has recently put out their new music service, Pump Audio, as well. Pump existed years prior to the Getty takeover but why would the 1000 lb gorilla be moving into music. Is the model the same as imagery and they feel they can simply spread around creative content to the growing number of multimedia platforms regardless of the specific nature of the work itself?

And as I mentioned in a previous post (Light Painting & Moby) Moby has moved into this terrain already as well. Through his site artists can apply to license tunes for non-profit work. Is this happening with images?

With the obvious correlation between business and distribution models between music and photography then is this a direction that we are headed. Who's the first visual mediaist to stick their work out in the public domain for public use and pricing? Is there even any validity in this model? Does it only apply to large scale, known operators as they have a user/fan base already in place?

Speaking personally, when I get through to the download, I'm paying for sure. I want to see this work ... and where it goes. How much ... that may just determine how committed we are all.

Photojournalism 20 Questions :: New Podcast

2007-10-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Award winning photojournalist Spencer Platt on the new Getty podcast with questions by Co-Founder and CEO Jonathan Klein. Earlier this year Platt received first place honors at the 2007 World Press Photo Awards in Amersterdam.

You have to be into the question, "is there a time when you put the camera down". For photographers everywhere and photojournalists particularly this can be the crux of any shoot or day or life. Props to Getty for putting this together, be good to see what the future holds here.

Fractured Creativity II

2007-09-21T12:49:00.000-07:00

As I posted last week (Fractured Creativity) the idea of a break in the creative construct can do wonders for the process as a whole. And in all honesty it's not just the creative process that benefits from this. Anne Fisher, a senior writer at FORTUNE is quoted as, "What scientists have only recently begun to realize is that people may do their best thinking when they are not concentrating on work at all." Enough said.

With that in mind I set out in an ultra race last weekend to run 57km in the Swan Range of Montana. Had a great time (nice work Brad) but have to admit that the break from the process didn't set a mental fire as it does most times. With the effort involved in the race attention was more focused on the task of simply moving forward. Guess there's a limit to everything.

I still whole heartedly believe in and encourage everyone to seek that fracture that allows you to break the thought process (and thusly the mold). In fact, was just beta testing a high end commercial website by a 'new media' company in town that covers the likes of patagonia, Nixon, etc and was inspired with the energy put into it. So here's creative inspiration for a wild weekend ::

Freeman Patterson :: Photography and the Art of Seeing
Arthur I Miller :: Insights of Genius: Imagery & Creativity in Science & Art
Arthur Koestler :: The Act of Creation
And lastly ...

"...There Aren't Any Good Advertising Jobs in MT"

2007-09-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

For anyone in Montana or the hinterlands anywhere for that matter here's a great story of myth vs reality. In 2006 advertising wunderkind Alex Bogusky (Burger King, Volkswagen, etc) CD of Crispin Porter + Bogusky was interviewed in Adweek and provided the mag with the above quote. Soon afterward the head of one of our own largest & brightest agencies, Mercury, began an online dialogue with Bogusky.

Fast forward a year+ riding a new wave of economy/creativity here in Montucky and Mr Bogusky has been invited to be guest speaker at the initial offthegrid event. The offical gathering is Thursday 9.27 in Bozeman at 5:30 at the Emerson Cultural Center and is billed as a gathering of "the creative professional arts formed to try to foster better professional development, network, host speakers." That and the evening should be "a good time with him eating a little crow".

Free drinks, food & the all important string band. So if you're anywhere in the state and up for the drive I'll see you there.

Fractured Creativity

2007-09-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

During extended travel time (Judith Gap wind farm below) recently my mind was left to wander and inevitably consumed itself with considerations of possible shoots, workflow and new ideas. Being away from studio connects and camera for hours or days at a time does one good with the right mindset. This break, or fracture, I've come to find essential in the process of my own mental process - creative or not. Typically, however, the creative side benefits more than I ever expect.

For example, I am just now underway with a new multimedia project that I began developing during this fractured creativity. This break in ruts of idea generation and thought processes is accomplished by nearly any sort of extended distraction. For many of the athletes and professionals I work with it's in the form of exercise but it could be anything from knitting to vacation. Ever tried to simply visit a new place right in your own backyard - someplace you've passed by a million times but never given the time of day? As long as it breaks your routine and allows the mind a fracture between multi tasking necessity and genuine idea spawn.

The oft noted father of adventure photography, Galen Rowell, talks about this in one of his essays/books. Scheduled to head abroad to shoot for a client for two weeks he had all affairs in order for departure. At the last minute the client opted for his stock imagery instead and left him with two completely open weeks. (His rock solid contract guaranteed his full payment either way). So, with clients and friends thinking he was gone he suddenly had a chunk of time to explore his Berkeley area home with a whole new head. The results were something he talked about as extremely valuable.

With a large fracture coming up this weekend (more later) I should have an array of ideas fleshed out after this single minded endeavor.

Find your fracture.

Copyright 21st Century Style

2007-09-04T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our workflow, like most of you I hope, intrinsically features images for copyright submission at the US Copyright Office within Library of Congress. This is a simple process that the government has put at our disposal for protection of unique works. I view this as a two fold dealing: ONE, as a great step for creators of media or art (musicians, writers, performers, etc) to protect our livelihood. Secondly, it's a great offering for our clients as it protects their interests and is a definite step we can offer in our in house processing.

The Copyright Office, along with various photography groups such as ASMP, has been working on electronic registration for some time. Recently, I was selected as a beta tester for this system and am now in the process of putting it through the paces. I'll keep you informed as to how it works but in the meantime don't hesitate to chime in with ideas. With electronic registration possible soon there's absolutely no excuse not to have this step in your workflow. In our workflow within Lightroom it's a single button click via our presets that my assistant initates.

Also received an email update from the Copyright Alliance. The CA is a non-profit that promotes copyright protection and growth across fields. They've put together a comprehensive site with materials and articles covering FAQ's, intellectual property rights, orphan works, industry practices and more.

For more information in general on copyright issues or how to register your work try the US Copyright Office via the Visual Arts link or find tutorials like this ASMP one. I'll touch on my specific workflow in another post but definitely get your lo-rez jpgs copyright bound.

Luna Fest

2007-08-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that good friend and independent film maker Jen Grace has put together a smashing production that is being extremely well received. In fact, she just let me know that her piece, Breaking Boundaries: The Sondra Van Ert Story, has been chosen as one of ten to selected to tour with next year's National Lunafest. Lunafest "is a national traveling festival of short films by...for...about women" that cover more than 100 venues nationwide. Other entries cover the globe including Brooklyn, Columbia, France, South Africa and more.

Jen competed for years on the pro snowboard circuit as the Irish Snowboard team (yeah, she was the entire team). Her movie is related to her passion and inspiration for snowboarding via Sondra, who has a crazy good story. Keep an eye out for the flick and the fest. Happy to have images featured in the movie Jen - excited to see what's next.

Resize, Refit, Reshape, Rethink

2007-08-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

For anyone still doubting the power of processors and pixels to affect our collective view of the world here is yet more evididence. As if the old Dove video isn't enough here's a slightly more tech approach to the ongoing issue of resizing images to fit not only the various monitor formats but the plehtora of media devices pushing images in general.

This is a cool outside the box approach to what we all bump into at times. Rather than working purely in a linear approach the engineers (props folks) have managed to work in non uniform columns. That is they have worked out an method for determining the importance of pixels to the overall image and then removing those deemed the least vital in the spectrum of the picture.

Great to see what's ahead and that as much as manipulation, and at times deceipt, play a role in visual media today that tools are being developed that push the envelope of what we as photographers would all hope for. I can see this technology and the face recognition used within being extremely useful. Let me know when you see this out in use.

Light Painting & Moby

2007-08-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

If you're anything like me you're constantly wondering how things get done, made, created, elevated, etc. Reverse engineering is a top hobby. In that spirit here's a great glimpse behind the scenes with a recent Sprint commercial using stop motion or a kind of 'flipbook' style photography. The light and artistry here is damn good - and notice the size of the production staff.

Speaking of behind the scenes, for anyone out there on this side of things Moby has made his music available, with certain limitations, for legal multimedia projects. On his site you'll find mobygratis where
independent filmmakers, students and non-profits can listen to select pieces and then register and submit requests for use.

Portland

2007-07-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

In honor of my current stay in my hometown I'd like to share a few things about the fabled Rose City. Despite the crazy attention over the past few years it's always been a damn good place to reside or spend extended time. Here's why:

Forest Park
McMenimins, local micros in general & oregon wines
Portland Saturday Market
The music scene
Voodoo Doughnut - donuts 24/7!
The Oregonian (2007 Pulitzer Prize winner for breaking news).
A huge athletic/outdoor based industry - Nau, Vanilla Bicycles, Keen, Merrell Addidas, Columbia Sportswear, Nike ...

Not to be forgotten are the outstanding agencies, designers and creatives behind these giants such as Weiden + Kennedy who started out and are based here. In case you're unaware they've put together a few diddies from humble little Portland for clients everyone, everywhere knows. (And once rejected from the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) they still won't join the orgnaization. In a recent Advertising Age Dan Weiden's spokeswoman said that they'll never be part of the organization, primarily due to an initial spurning back in 1982.) They do, however, offer an amazing ad 'school'. The application alone, which is uniquely WK, amounts to anything you can fit into a 9 x 12 envelope.

Their blog is an inside offering into the quirkiness and brainwork that makes them tick. And not to be outdone, the London office has one as well called 'welcome to optimism' that offers a look into the ad world.

TED & Blog Inspiration

2007-07-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Straight from the source, here's the word on blogging via a great personal speech from Mena Trott who with her husband founded Six Apart. Six Apart has produced Moveable Type and Typepad among others and they've been credited with helping heft the 'social media' revolution. Her take on her own expertise is a great primer / background on how blogging and web 2.0 media is shifting everything. The two ideas, Influence of Blogs & Personal is Universal, are unique ideas to carry out into the world via blogging.

Her wrap up is spot on, "... think about blogs, think about what they are, think about what inspired them and then actually do it because it's something that's really going to change our lives."

And if you don't know TED where the speech is hosted (and related blog) it's a huge trove of technology driven ideas and inspiration. Definitely dig in.

Imagination = 193 Miles

2007-07-10T17:05:00.000-07:00

Two extremes of imagination hit me today that I thought worth sharing. It's amazing in the creative industry how much time goes into ideas that spring from various angles. Then with enough effort (and belief) on the backend how those ideas actual get shaped into useful and/or appropriate outputs. At least that's what we'd all hope for.

This first example is something we all need from time to time - a chance to turn up the volume, color outside the lines and simply let our freak flag fly. It's the spontaneity that drew so many of us into our current endeavors in the first place. Without what I call the wild imagination then the work and the fire behind it tend to mellow. In my photography that's the one thing I fear - the 'your work is nice' stake through the heart. I have a feeling that this guy doesn't have that problem. And if you think he's patient check out his wife's take on it at the end of this CNN piece.

And on the other end of the spectrum, but still deeply rooted in the imagination, is this from Brian Storm's MediaStorm. If you haven't dropped in before definitely check out the amazing array of work hosted here. It's a multi-media production studio covering everything in the worlds of photojournalism, photography, video, audio & storytelling. Have your sound on as the website is slick with audio samples paired with rollovers. The original piece that caught my eye is Patrick Brown's Black Market though it's hard to miss National Geogrpahic's J. Michael Fay and Michael 'Nick' Nichols and their romp through Zakouma National Park in Chad in Ivory Wars.

But as much imagination as each of these pieces have one could argue the efforts are of a different shape than that of the animated music video Low Morale: Creep described as, 'one man's cathartic opus against despair'. Laith Bahrani spent more than three months and one million key frames putting his twist to Radiohead's Creep.

Regardless of your choices or the needs of those depending on you, make sure you keep that brain active. Just don't forget the parachute.

Point & Shoot

2007-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

With our day of indepence in front of us here in the US and far too many freedom issues across the world today paramount it seems only appropriate to highlight imagery loosely based on that. Our friends at Magnum have put together a powerful video called Point & Shoot of work and voice by Philip Jones Griffiths and spot on tunes by Wink Applebee and the Medicinal 9. The images are all powerful, especially those of the youngest boys. It only makes you wonder about the power of freedom and violence.

Celebrate wisely.