Friday, April 28, 2006

Benkler on Open Culture

Politics is not only about politics, it's also about culture and the way we make meaning....

The 20th century saw a period during which, around economies of production of culture, we saw people deskilling themselves from making folk culture and turning themselves over to passive reception of the symbols through which we understand how are lives are, how they can be and why it matters.

What we're beginning to see now, is the reemergence of relatively high production folk culture for the re-telling of narratives about what it is that matters in our lives.

--Yochai Benkler, from a talk today at UC Berkeley about the rise of "commons based peer production" and its impact on economics, politics and culture. (This quote came right after he played the grey video)

It was amazing and inspiring. I highly recommend listening to the recording (it's even CC licensed!).

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Lantern


Lantern
By 24thcentury on 27th April, 2006.
I like open-beam constructions like this overhead. The space seems both enclosed and exposed. Since the weather was nice, this was quite enjoyable. My eye was caught by the simplicity of the lines and lantern in this view. I got this with only one shot. If I could take a second one, I would've repositioned so that the lines were a little more perpedicular to the frame. I brightened the lantern in post, since it was a little underexposed.

Catacula Lake


Catacula Lake
By 24thcentury on 26th April, 2006.
Also up in Napa, this small lake is off the beaten path. I like the symmetry of water and sky. This image was processed pretty heavily. I cropped it to this aspect (1:1) to get rid of some distracting parts in the extreme foreground. I also made it black and white since the colors were washed out anyway (shooting into the sun) and I think it highlights the clouds. Speaking of which, they sky and clouds have had their contrast increased so the clouds and cloud streaks will pop out a little more.

I do like the way lines all point to the focal point which is just a little below center of the frame. It feels nicely balanced. I would've liked more detail, but the light wasn't right.

Idyll


Idyll
By 24thcentury on 25th April, 2006.
Traditional landscapes are not my forte. I was most interested in the looming clouds in the background and how they dwarf the hills. But with the mustard in the foreground and the tree just off frame to the left, this turns out to be a pretty nicely balanced landscape shot.

When Clouds Collide


When Clouds Collide
By 24thcentury on 25th April, 2006.
Back on the clouds. Up in Napa, the air was clear and the sky was tumultuous. I liked the contrast between the softness of clouds and the fact that these two were heading for a violent colision. I also like that the fault line runs in an almost diagonal across the frame.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

MUNI Sunset


MUNI Sunset
By 24thcentury on 24th March, 2006.
The overhead powerlines for electric MUNI lines have long fascinated me about San Francisco. The street curves here, and the lines follow it. They draw your eye back and forth across the gradient colors of the sunset. The building on the left serves to ground the image.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Public Incoherent Ramblings


Public Incoherent Ramblings
By 24thcentury on 24th March, 2006.
Continuing this week's theme of uncomfortable things you come across in an urban setting...

Rants like this (but each unique!) were tapped to lightpoles at the four corners of the intersection near my apartment. Somebody had a lot to say. Shame it's mostly about things happening only inside his head.

My first thought was to capture the whole text (they're posted at eye level), but I think this angled shot gives it a greater sense of something while still providing enough of the text (Blood, C.I.A. and 911 jump out) to convey the incoherence of the ramblings.

Legs


Legs
By 24thcentury on 21st March, 2006.
This was in Berkeley, walking up from the BART station. It's overcast, which flattens the image in an interesting way. I noticed his legs sticking out of the alcove as I walked up the hill. It struck me as an interesting shot once I got past and I turned around to take this. I cropped the photo aggressively to really focus on the legs and highlight the lines running in different directions in the image. I also like the brown tone that pervades everything.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Looming


Looming
By 24thcentury on 19th March, 2006.
A few days after the last panoramic cloud shot, they were doing it again. The sunset turned this one nice colors. I tried a number of orientations and zooms, trying to capture the whole cloud. Instead, I chose this one, where the upper cloud is cropped - giving a sense of the large size - but the lower one is whole - for form.

Looking West


Looking West
By 24thcentury on 12th March, 2006.
Another cloud shot. This time they were advancing from the West. I stitched together a panorama taken from my living-room window. The contrast and sky are inhanced a bit for more drama. It doesn't have the impact of the last cloud shot, but I like it nonetheless.

When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it.

The Hotel Union Square has a thing for Dashiell Hammett. One room is made up like the office in The Maltese Falcon and has a bunch of Hammett and Falcon memorabilia. I really liked the "Spade and Archer" on the window.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Half a Window


Half a Window
By 24thcentury on 9th March, 2006.
This is in the stairwell of South Hall. The oldest building on campus has undergone some significant renovation. This particular scene struck me as pretty funny.

I like the blown out light source behind the window (it's a sunny day outside). It looks better than when I tried to even out the highs and lows in post.

Skies Over Evans Hall


Skies Over Evans Hall
By 24thcentury on 6th March, 2006.
I was originally trying to capture the clouds blowing past the Campanilie, focusing on the sky. Those shots felt ungrounded, though. The drama in this one, I think, comes from the scale. Less abstract than I was aiming for, but a more compelling visual.