Doing some research for Cinepaint, I found this very cool ad for KCRW in Santa Monica. (KCRW is Joe Frank‘s homebase, too.)
Cinepaint is an offshoot of GIMP, tailored to the demands of retouching film. In fact, it used to be called FilmGIMP.
I’m interested in it, because it can do 32 bits per color channel, which might suit my needs for compositing RAW files of long exposure photography, thus preserving dynamic range and reducing noise at the same time.
The madness continues:
Click it for a larger version.
I took this one the same trip as the last one. 17 exposures. One day I’ll learn how to automate the process of assembling these things. The problem is that I seem to be doing all this in the middle of the night, so I’m only smart enough to stand there pressing the camera’s remote control 17 times, but not smart enough to read the GIMP manual.
Today was a good day to go to the thrift store. Found a Mintola Hi-Matic E camera and some other assorted goodies. You have to love a camera with an ‘Electro Control’ light on top.
Does it work? Good question.
I’m linking to the Minolta gallery because it’s my first attempt at product photography. The white background is the back of a poster I have (thanks, Marco), and the lights are reading lamps from Ikea.
If I were more clever, I’d have put up white sheets around the subject table, to get more even lighting. Next time, perhaps.
FemmeDeLaCreme asks what GIMP is.
It’s the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It’s like getting an old version of Photoshop for free. It runs on a many different platforms and has all kinds of resources available on the web.
Photoshop for hackers.
It looks better full-size.
I installed Gallery on mile23.com a while back, but never really explored it very much.
Now, however, it’s there for all to see:
I haven’t uploaded much, but there’ll be a flood of photos soon. 
Also, if you have a Mac, and you use iPhoto, and you use Gallery, you’ll be interested in iPhoto To Gallery, an iPhoto plugin that lets you send stuff to your Gallery without much hassle. (There’s also iGallery, but it doesn’t look nearly as slick.)
Took the camera to Gasworks Park tonight. Had to dodge the people making out on the hillsides, but I managed without making them hate me too much.
Here’s an example of what you get when you take 15 4-second exposures of what’s going to be a very subtle and crisp image of graffiti on giant industrial structures by ambient light, but forget that you left the camera in macro mode last time you used it:
Hopefully I can get the big dipper lined up like that tomorrow night.
As part of my newfound self-respect, I’ve been cleaning out my storage unit. Over the course of the last few days, I’ve been hauling a box or two back to the house and going through it, tossing out crap I don’t need, and keeping what’s essential.
Today was the day I found my old microcassette recorder and a bunch of tapes for it. Some of them are from my old answering machine. Naturally, the first one I put in to listen to was this one…
Once upon a time, I lived in a really cool apartment near downtown Houston. Travis and McGowen. A lovely old place that might still be on the Houston historic places register. Basically it was built in the 30s (I think), and so therefore is ancient relative to Houston. Maybe it got torn down for the new light rail, though. I dunno.
I lived with a manic depressive named Darek. We eventually had a horrible spat, mostly because he’s insane, in a clinical sense. I sure can pick ‘em. One night we were up on the roof of the building, ostensibly having a discussion about how to reconcile our differences. That was my goal, at least. His was to provoke me, which he did with great effect. I slapped that twerp, because someone needed to.
That night I was out, sleeping in my old bedroom at my parents’ house. Defeated and dejected in every sense. So I called over to let Darek know I was coming to get my stuff. My big burly brother was kind enough to go along, as well, toward whatever eventuality. I called once in the AM, and then once at noon. And you can listen to what I said, simply by clicking here (warning: it’s a little loud). The answering machine was mine, so I got it back, tape inside.
It’s not inflammatory or anything. In fact it’s kind of boring and stupid. But I include it here in the spirit of uploading one’s life to the internet.
What’s worth noting, however, is that the first part of my call has been recorded over with a hangup. And I remember the very first time I heard this tape, I instantly realized that he had gone to a neighbor’s house and called in, just to have a hangup recorded over my voice on that machine. That’s just how it would have happened with Darek.
via Jerry Kindall:
Photohistory, a history of photography.
Also, ‘The Magic Mirror of Life‘ combines two of my favorite things: Low-tech that used to be high-tech, and travel. (The travel aspect comes from their map of various cameras obscura they’ve visited.)
