You can probably guess how tempted I was to remove that big gulp from the first image; pretty sorely, actually, until I realized it actually added a little verisimilitude and character. These photos are again just the first few off the queue that I didn’t hate and delete immediately with some minimal developing sprinkled over them.
Figured out the last outstanding issue with the bags today; the pocket flaps are now ready for prime time. I also found out, if I plan to sell these, I need to get a license from the state to make them and it’s $750 per year. Had a lovely conversation with a friend who started and then shuttered a boutique lingerie line a while back, and she gave me the name of her pattern person and cutter and everything, even though I’m a long way off from doing anything but making bags one at a time. It did occur to us that doing bags, especially just one, the way I’m thinking about starting, means I don’t have to keep different sizes or do a bunch of different patterns for different ones. So that’s nice.
Also: finally got a video card in my hackintosh, and I really wish I’d done it first instead of trying to mess with the onboard graphics. It runs a lot better. My build is now essentially this one from Stork but I have 2x16Gb ram modules, with an eye to adding two more whenever the price dips or I get a little extra cash.
Anyway, that’s the news from here.
Posted on 2019-01-07T08:48:30Z GMT
The middle picture is actually Oakland, which doesn’t super matter. Just thought you’d like to know.
Also: really good piece of fiction I just found out about even though it came out t̶w̶o̶ three years ago (via Wendy Liu’s blog): Uncanny Valley. Also this burst of posing is partially inspired by Liu, although I’m not going to get 365 posts in this year, I’m going to try for 260; that’s one every working day, more or less. I know I generate enough photos and have enough backlog that it’s possible.
Posted on 2019-01-04T09:07:58Z GMT
Super literal, I know, but now they’re off the queue and on the blog.
Posted on 2019-01-04T09:02:21Z GMT
Yeah, I know, I haven’t posted in two months. Some things happened, and I was a bit distracted from blogging for a while. Things just keep on happening, as they say, but it’s no longer a satisfactory excuse for neglecting the blog. The backlog continues to grow, since no matter what I do, I’m still always shooting. So, here’s the top of the backlog, as it is.
I have some more from Japan in the pipeline, but I’m going to save those for a bit; I’d like to make some improvements to my slideshow before I do any more posts with more than 10 images. I’m also thinking of changing the format of these a bit, so every post is a slideshow (this is mostly about improving page load time so you don’t have to wait forever or only have 4 posts on a page).
May also get some repeats from my Insta; as I’ve said over there repeatedly, they make you do weird crops, and strongly favor verticals. The upside to this is that it’s gotten me looking for and shooting verticals; the downside is I still hate cropping after the fact. Many strong images it doesn’t hurt too much, but it doesn’t feel right.
Now I have to go pass out.
Posted on 2019-01-02T10:45:12Z GMT
This post was kind of hard to write, because I edited and edited, but had a lot of trouble cutting it down to the required number of images. If I put more than about 10 in a given post, the page takes forever to load. So instead, I did something I’ve been meaning to do for quite a while. I made an embedded slideshow. It’s meant to have some animations, and captions, and I need to write the script that will atuo-generate one of these, and maybe I’ll get around to adding those eventually, but I don’t want to let perfect be the enemy of done here. It’s just a blog after all. Hand-rolled artisanal slideshow.
So. If you recall the previous post, we crashed out early and woke up early due to jet lag, and so did our friends we were travelling with, and they suggested we try to get to this shrine for the morning golden hour. Half an hour cab ride plus 5am sunrise meant we sort of just had to drop everything and go, so we did.
We got there early enough that there wasn’t really that many people there. None of the vendors were open. We got coffees from a vending machine on the way. If you haven’t had the experience, it’s a little like one of those starbucks double shot cans, but available black and hot. So, thusly energized, we started up the hill.
When we started, I didn’t really grasp the extent of this place. I was thinking of the golden temple we’d seen the day before, which was spectacular, but small, and figured this would be something on the same scale. But no, this is a whole complex of shrines and sub-shrines, sprawled out on the side of a mountain. The hike to the top is about 2 hours of stairs, what with the constant stopping to take photos.
But/and, there are gates the whole way. Some ancient stone ones, but too many orange wooden ones to count. They’re on different scales, at different spacings, and in various states of repair the whole way. At one point, we came across a spot with just a hole in the ground where a gate was going to be planted later that day. The mental state that all the repetition and variation and physical exertion produces is very strange. Or maybe it was from hiking on an empty stomach. Disorientation, along with a sense of wonder.
So: definitely go. Definitely do it at dawn, before all the other assholes wake up (remember you’re an asshole too, in this scenario). Maybe bring snacks and water, although as you leave the temple mid morning, there are street food vendors that will sell you food that has no business being that good.
Edit: the slideshow broke when I migrated to new blogging software, so here are all the pictures. —MM, 08/2o23
Posted on 2018-11-07T19:25:41Z GMT
