Colin Jago's self-portrait from Auspicious Dragon
Thanks for everything, Colin: Shades of Alec Soth. To the great dismay of his fans, Colin Jago recently brought his uniquely thoughtful, always enjoyable photography blog, the Photostream on Auspicious Dragon, to a close. Though we will mourn, we wish Colin all the best with all his newfound free time.
-(OT) On the other side of no tomorrow: So I wake up this morning with an old song in my head. I go to the closet and find the disk—a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab "Original Master Recording" of Steely Dan's "Katy Lied," which I probably haven't listened to in fifteen years—and cue it up on the turntable. And then, when I settle down with some freshly brewed coffee, what do you know, there's this in the virtual morning paper.
Through late November, more than 2.1 million vinyl records had been sold in 2009, an increase of more than 35 percent in a year, according to Nielsen Soundscan. That total, though it represents less than 1 percent of all album sales, including CDs and digital downloads, is the highest for vinyl records in any year since Nielsen began tracking them in 1991....
Which is true, except, um, about a third of those sales were to me. Well, not really. (Daddy don't live in that New York City no more....)
In case you're a 1-percenter too, Mosaic's new four-disc limited-edition "Thelonious Monk at the It Club" is a religious experience. I'm just sayin'.
-Onion gets the gestalt of digital photography: New device desirable, old device undesirable.
...The new device is so advanced when compared to the old device that it makes the old device appear much older than it actually is. However, the new device is reportedly not so radically different as to cause confusion or unwanted anxiety among those familiar with the feel of the old device.
'Its higher price indicates to me that it is superior, and that not everyone will be able to afford it, which only makes me want to possess it more,' said Tim Sturges, owner of the old device, which he obtained 18 months ago when it was still the new device. 'I feel a strong urge to purchase the new device. Owning the new device will please me and improve my daily life.'
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Camera Collector's Corner: Here's one for the glass case that few will be able to match. Wow.
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Comic by Steve Bell, The Guardian
Police admonished: At least the British appear to be getting this matter sorted. The Independent reports that the Government's independent reviewer of anti-terrorism laws, Lord Carlile of Berriew, has warned the police about hassling photographers to no purpose. Says Lord Carlile, "The police have to be very careful about stopping people who are taking what I would call leisure photographs, and indeed professional photographers. The fact that someone is taking photographs is not prima facie a good reason for stop and search and is very far from raising suspicion." Hear, hear.
UPDATE to the above: See here. (Thanks to David Nicol)
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Kirin Beer cam (a real beer can in the background). Photo by Dirk Rösler.
It's real Lego. And a real camera.
Erin Fong's more ergonomic DSLR concept
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Rare in the wild: One of the most wonderful of classical photographical typos, seldom actually encountered. Observed on Ebay.
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Micro 4/3 in action: Reader Roy Feldman used the Panasonic GF1 and 20mm ƒ/1.7 lens to do a short feature on the painter Stephen Magsig for Michigan Radio Picture Project. Interesting, too, because, as you can see from the presentation, Mr. Magsig is a photographer of sorts, too.
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Your Facebook pictures say so much about you: A Canadian woman on long-term sick leave for depression says she lost her benefits because her insurance agent found photos of her on her Facebook page in which she appeared to be having fun. She had been diagnosed with major depression and was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from insurance giant Manulife. But the payments dried up this fall when her insurance agent found pictures showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party, and on a sun holiday.
The woman said she was following her doctor's advice by trying to have fun as a way to forget her troubles.
(Associated Press)
And in an unrelated Facebook note, our friend Bob Burnett came across this on the social networking site:
-Name: Petition to make bendy buses make accordion noises as they go round corners
Category: Common Interest—Beliefs & Causes
Description: A pressure group to increase the enjoyment of public transport.
Privacy Type: Open: All content is public.
Adapters are getting popular, yes: But this is ridiculous / sublime.
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...The rosy glow of product placement. Billie Holiday, trains going through tunnels, that special fragrance, and...
-Photo: Nonja
So easy a caveman could do it? Photography's so easy an ape could do it.
Okay, so Nonja is...well, not that good. But since I mentioned Dr. Johnson the other day, recall what the good (albeit sexist*) lexicographer said about a dog walking on its hind legs: "...it is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."
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Thom's 2010: One of the regular high points of my web reading year has arrived: Thom Hogan's "2010 Nikon Predictions" arrived a couple of weeks ago. (Pity that word "Nikon" is in the title—although it's accurate—as the article, as usual, is a must-read for shudderbugs of any allegiance.) A snapshot of the industry and a bellwether—and entertainment in prose, to boot. Might need a refill on the coffee, but do not miss.
Mike
(Thanks to Brian Dickie, Ken Tanaka, Steven House, Jaladhi Pujara, Rod Purcell, Dean Forbes, Sandy Rothberg, Paul Parker, and Rob Atkins)
*The full quote is, "Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."
Featured Comment by Colin Jago: "Many thanks. And for the avoidance of doubt: that newly free time is going to be used for, you know, actually taking some photographs."
Featured Comment by robert e: "According to photographer Thorsten Overgaard, that is [Audrey] Tautou's own M8 in the Chanel ad. I've read that she photographs every journalist who interviews her."