Archive

Tag Archives: water

“Tell the truth, or at least don’t lie”

March 4, 2021
Advice
Leave a comment

Readers of this may well recognise this title. It is one of the rules for life that Jordan Peterson wrote about in his popular book “12 rules for life”.

Water always takes the path of least resistance but even so, it’s persistence slowly but surely wears its path down.

I won’t presume to go into more detail as he does in the book, he is far more adept at doing this than I am.

I was thinking about this today though when I had another blog post make me think. All too often we are tempted to take the path of least resistance

As human beings can we ever really know ‘the truth’? I am of an opinion these days that the answer is a resounding ‘No’! Human beings live in a landscape lacking clarity and uncertainty and we tend to continuously make judgements based on our own perspectives. Perspective is the key word here. Everyone has one. So perhaps we should stop looking for truth as a definitive, but rather understand that there is likely more than one truth, after all is a truth from the perspective of a person wrong, just because it differs from someone else’s? ‘The’ truth exists, although in most cases, we are truly unable to see it in its entirety. Perhaps we should accept ‘the’ truth is just ‘our’ truth.

It’s a pretty divisive issue these days, especially around the whole issue of ‘Fake News”, and I don’t think that it’s an easy answer. It does, in fact, open up a whole can of worms, for the unscrupulous to exploit this confusion and label it as ‘their’ truth.

Many people deal with this confusion daily, be it from a cheating partner, a domineering boss, overly competitive colleagues, Politics and Religion or many other sources. This remains an issue that has been around from the beginning of time.

What I personally believe is that Human beings have the capacity (in most cases), for empathy with others. Being able to accept another perspective is not an agreement of their perspective but possibly the start of creating understanding as a basis for development. It’s something that is born of emotional intelligence and demonstrates flexibility, honesty and a willingness to understand from a wider point of view.

One thing I do know about honesty, is that it is not often an easy option. In fact I would say that it is often fraught with danger and this is where I agree with Jordan 100%.

It is with this in mind that I will leave you. Please take a little time to ponder this, and be mindful and empathetic of other points of view rather than blatantly disregarding them. It may just make you a better you, wether you agree or not…

Until next time…

Back again. You remember me?

October 13, 2014
Military work
Leave a comment

I think it is almost a year since I was here. Certainly it has been a long time, too long. So I will keep this short. I have saved drafts of new posts that will be more in depth that will attempt to bridge the gap of the last 12 months or so.

You know the worst thing? As a 42 year old man, I got a telling off for not posting for so long. Dad was not amused. 😉

Let me be honest though. I have not dropped off the edge of the planet, things have still been busy. I seem to spend a lot of my time wandering across Germany from location to location, and sometimes even outside Germany too.

I won’t go on too much now.

1DIV-2014-079-0055

The job remains as active and interesting as it always has, and no matter what goes on, I still get to visit new places experience new things and get the chance to photograph them.

1DIV-2014-079-0006

1DIV-2014-079-0040

On one day this week we were sent out to capture the Royal Engineer reserves training on the M3 rig (for some that will mean nothing), it is essentially a bridge that you can drive to a river or waterway, open it up and voilà, as if by magic you have a bridge.

1DIV-2014-079-0090

1DIV-2014-079-0027

The reserves were being taught how to crew and pilot the huge machine.

1DIV-2014-079-0073

1DIV-2014-079-0179

I promise there will be more to come soon. I have still got so much to catch up on.

A change of perspective and the cold light of day.

January 29, 2013
Development, Landscapes
Leave a comment

At times the life of a photographer can send you to some stunning locations.  I recently found myself working (yes, you heard me, working) in the French Alps to cover a skiing competition.

Cool water 04

So rather than show you images of skiers, I thought I would share something else.

Cool water 06

I don’t really do many landscapes, although I enjoy them, I find them frustrating most of the time because I am either there in the wrong time or I am simply unable to stop and take the photo.  Comes with rushing around doing other things I suppose.

Cool water 01

Not typical landscapes and not the same as I have done in the past (I do have some examples on my website http://www.LIMEfotographic.com).  This time I was interested in the fast flowing water, the fresh snow and ice sitting on the rocks and the at times abstract nature.

Cool water 08

Specifically looking for long exposures, a good tripod was a must and the help of a local (well kind of a local, an American, or Texan, if he had his way), we went exploring a small stream looking for interesting shots.

Cool water 07

I have experimented with some different post production ideas and was inspired to be bold by this same ‘local’ who showed me some of his own work.

Mont Blanc Panorama

Like always, like it or loathe it, the work should speak for itself.  You decide.

Taking stock

August 10, 2012
Landscapes
Leave a comment

One of the biggest jobs we as photographers have is trying to keep on top of our archives, this is no mean feat for those of us that are not what you would call a specialist photographer.  As a generalist, we can tackle most things.  Also like anyone else we need to recharge our batteries.

After a few days away (somewhere we have not been before), we had been to the seaside.  On looking around on the map we settled on an area to the north of Germany, close to the border of Holland.  With a huge Dyke along the coast, breathtaking and dramatic the scenery was not, but what that gave you was the potential for big big skies.

Thankfully one night did not dissonant.

A change of perspective and the search for a new presentation.

May 1, 2012
Development, Opinion
7 Comments

A change is as good as a rest, so they say.  I am leaving video behind at least for the time being and as I look to get back with my beloved stills camera, I have been trying to work in ways I do not normally.

Out came the 60mm Macro lens and on a perfect morning in England with dew sitting on the foliage I experimented.  I have shot macro before but it is not really something that a do much of, neither is the nature shot.

I was lucky also to find a couple of bugs (this now seems to be what my kids now call them), crawling around.

I have also been looking at ways to present images better than just straight edges.  A part of me is reluctant as I do feel that in many ways these presentation methods are employed too often to make mediocre images seem better than they are.  This also goes for some of the post production so many photographers seem to be using now.

The search was down to looking for ways I could present some of my Afghan work in a book or for an exhibition.  So I looked for a few choices and have so far settled on the ‘Photoframe’ software that integrates with my Adobe software so well.  I am using it on a trial basis and at this stage I think it’s important to make visual mistakes, so there are a couple of frames that I don’t think work, or I don’t like.

I hope you like the images.