有时候觉得讲故事比拍照片儿有意思，我算是起步很晚的摄影爱好者，在拿起相机之前已经看了很多前人作品，总是处在一种“别人都拍过了”的无法超越的状态，还好摄影是件非常民主的事儿，既可参与又可欣赏。。。

先说一些小时候的趣事吧，我爸爸以前有个Nikon单反，出差的时候用，忘了什么型号的，大概是银色手动，颇像我现在用的机身，这个机身和一盒子slide 以及一个观片器一起锁在写字台抽屉里，还有些印出来的照片，当然钥匙藏在哪里是个公开的秘密，我们一有机会就打开抽屉看看：爸爸坐在公园长椅上，一个可爱的小孩子，花花草草。。。题材跟当今摄影爱好者的作品如出一辙，只记得观片器像个小电视，照片色彩都非常美。

第一次接触摄影却是小学前，跟妈妈一起用日光显影的相纸，和忘记哪里来的一些6×6底片，放在窗前作contact print。小学时父母喜欢旅游，我经常逃学跟他们一起去，有时候还带上妹妹，那时候我们有些傻瓜相机，攒了厚厚一摞相册，没离开家前，我们很喜欢一起翻看小时候的照片，当然全都是到此一游的照片，还记得有张照片是妈妈穿了条很美的连衣裙，坐在城墙上，还有一张是他们两个人，爸爸背着旅行背包，看起来非常高大。现在想起来，相机是个不诚实的东西，只能记录漫长时间里的特定瞬间。

我终于离开家去上大学，碰巧一起玩儿的朋友中有几位很喜欢拍照片儿的，就从来也没想过要自己拍照片，还记得当时有位朋友有个尼康的顶级机身，大概是F4吧，另外一位朋友总是拿着小傻瓜，大学毕业之后我们一起出去旅游，他们两个每到一处都举着相机咔嚓咔嚓，后来收到大家寄来的两套照片，发现拿小傻瓜的朋友拍的那套比拿顶级机身的朋友拍的还好看。当时弄了一本 Island Record的唱片封面集，扯下来贴在墙上，其中有张U2的Boy，从那时候起我就发现，现代艺术的各种媒介，黑白照片是最对我胃口的。

读研究生的时候，买了两张Ansel Adams的黑白print，有张漂流木上的玫瑰，现在还在我的书架上。工作后在IKEA买了一张很喜欢的黑白照片的print，是个空旷的街头，一辆自行车在夕阳下的影子，有点儿布列松的意思。后来我开始有点儿钱和时间去逛艺术馆了，看了很多现代名作，印象比较深刻的是Walker Evans的劳动人民，还在SFMOMA看到的一位大师拍的舞蹈家，是个有点肥胖的黑人，色调非常完美。

刚来美国的时候，有个朋友公司买了个当时很新潮的数码相机，是SONY的新款，上面可以插个小软盘，照片拍完了就喀哧喀哧写进软盘里，像素奇低无比，我们拿它拍了一些，觉得数码相机真是个实用的东西，就是价钱太高像质又太差，还不如我们的一次性相机好用，这个一次性相机倒是当时大家都看好的APS格式，还好当时没有一激动投资一APS胶卷相机，不知从那天开始，APS胶卷就从市场上慢慢消失了。

这么写可能到天亮也写不到我的第一台相机，还是先说它，是在我工作一年之后，打电话给以前的同学，他说刚买了一个数码相机，叫Nikon 885的，非常推荐，我就毫不犹豫的也买了一个。当时只是想到上班路上有座红色的房子很漂亮，拿到相机第二天就去拍了一通。那时候开始上BBS，也认识了一些文艺青年，大家都在买相机，拍照片儿，不过数码相机的地位还是跟傻瓜相机类似。Nikon 885现在还在我的柜子里，我拿它拍了一些东西便觉得不太够用，决定还是买一个像爸爸以前用的那种相机。

就这样，我在真正开始为拍照片而拍照片之前走了不少弯路，之前还买了一台有点漏光的yashica electro旁轴，最后还是都收起来，买了台Nikon FM2和50/1.4，因为总有数码相机垫底儿，我不是很有热情拍的也很慢，只是偶尔给朋友家人拍些照片，或者旅游时到处瞎拍，眼看着跟我一起开始爱好摄影的文艺青年（其实就只有一个叫nomap的，嘿嘿）拍得越来越好，我还总是拿着相机摆样子，有点儿莫名焦躁。

那时候觉得自己的问题是技术知识的问题，看了十几本摄影技术的书，比如那本著名的Exposure，Nighttime and Low Light Photography, National Geography的小册子，John Hedgecoe的Art of Photography。。。每看到一点儿东西就扛着相机去试试，进步很慢，甚至似乎还在退步，有整整一年，我觉得自己对摄影的爱好大概就这么回事儿，甚至放下相机去忙别的了。

后来我因为搬家到了新的地方，找了个很清闲的工作，认识了新的朋友，又拿起相机拍了一些，终于有一天鼓足勇气，开始把我拍的照片往论坛上贴，后来证明这是一个很大的转折点，因为即使大家没有直接评论我拍的照片，随口说点儿什么就能让我受益匪浅。比如有一次 hunterkiller听说我住在他以前住的城市，说很想念那里的冬天，我就决定背着相机到处走走拍点儿给他看，然后就发现，这样一边走一边拍，比我原来那种“停车坐爱枫林晚”的拍法有趣多了。

我终于开始发烧了，几乎有点儿时间就拿着相机出去走，把小数码送人，又买了广角镜头，还学会了冲洗黑白胶卷，几个月后我们家人团聚，和大部分家庭不同的是，我们两个人都对摄影很有兴趣，两个有兴趣的人碰到一起，简直就是两个高烧的人互相传染病毒，实在太危险了。我在一年里拍了比以前几年总和还多的照片，走遍了整个地区每个大小城市，去逛旧相机市场，在keh上频频下单，攒足了各种焦距的镜头，还买了各色袖珍像机，一冰柜胶卷，中副机器，所幸我们两个还算是比较喜欢简单器材的人，一直都没有发烧到太贵的东西。其实我们的审美观相差很远，连最实用的焦距都不能达成共识，每次去同样的地方，拍出来的照片却完全两样，但是有个可以商量的同伙，让我们增加了很多动力投入更多时间，一起出去走，一起闷在厕所里冲胶卷。。。最后拍出来的照片如何倒还是次要。

大概每个人对发烧都有不同定义，对于我来说，对摄影“发烧”应该就是觉得它太有趣而欲罢不能，我对器材牌子没有太多的热情，从一开始买了FM2到现在，家里添了佳能，Pentax，宝丽来，Voigtlander，Olympus， Zeiss，Holga，Fuji，minox。。。来来去去大概涵盖了所有我们有兴趣又可以支付的厂家，（当然不全是我用的），其中很有一些错误投资。这些连带以后的种种，大概要另外写个发烧后记了。。。

American Prospects
.A.P./Distributed Art Publishers, Inc.
2003

American Prospects一书里的很多照片都是在比郊区更荒凉一点儿的美国化乡村拍摄的，有的就是在城市与城市之间的路边，优美得可以拍风光片儿的地方，视角非常宽广，难怪amazon上有人评论这本书说，这本书的精粹，就是它体现了美国地大物博的特色。
　　
除去优美风景，这本书里每一幅照片都有强烈的时代感和人的踪迹，从平庸的建筑物到有震撼力的战舰和火箭，当然也有在人群中的种种。抛去题材的特殊，书中作品构图大多横平竖直，有“趣味中心”，非常符合传统摄影的审美观。虽然大幅照片相对说来比较“安静”，Joel Sternfeld还是成功的抓住了一些几乎不可能的时刻，比如说公路上倒塌的大象，公园里在旅行床上爬行，看起来有点儿紧张的婴儿，在失火的农庄里买南瓜的救火队员们。
　　
书后的评论说作者强调的是人在当下大环境里的不安，也许是时代不同了，我看到照片里人造事物与自然环境的不和谐，却觉得有特别的吸引力。听说 Joel Sternfeld业余时间对环境话题也颇为关注，大概可以解释他为什么重视人类对自然环境的改观。他拍摄这些照片的时候（七十年代末到八十年代初）大概比几位彩色照片的前辈稍微晚些，照片的色彩一点儿都不浓艳，非常稳重，也很适合他的题材。
　　
把American Prospects和Uncommon Places拿给一些朋友看，大家对Stephen Shore的照片不置可否，Joel Sternfeld却获得了一致的好评。其实把人藏在糖水风光里的事情Stephen Shore也作过，这本书里有张在Yellowstone拍的照片，就神似Stephen Shore在Yosemite拍的那张。

Uncommon Places The Complete Works
Stephen Shore
Aperture 2004

七十年代初，彩色照片刚刚开始打入市场，摄影师Stephen Shore决定拍点儿彩色大幅照片，开车来回走过美国的大小城镇，这本书就是他开了一万多英里路之后的成果。
　　　　
Stephen Shore的照片儿跟我们熟悉的美国风景照很不同，可以说第一眼看上去平淡得让人吃惊，都是些市井小镇的平凡景物，也不特别追求震撼效果或者奇特光线。他的技术精湛就不用说了，这本书里照片照片角度基本上只有几个，一个是正对着某一平面拍的，没有多余的前后景物，另外一个是正对着消失点拍的，还有一个是斜对着某个纵横相交的景物拍的。这些照片包含很多细节，却特意避免了一些优美构图的传统，看网上他最受欢迎的照片并不是很明显，这本书作为再版自选集，加入了很多原版编辑删掉的照片，其中就很有一些如同普通游客站在街头，随手一按快门拍下的景物。
　　　　
因为读过作者自己说的创作意图，总有点儿先入为主的意见，找了一些朋友来看，普遍反映是“很无聊的到此一游”，或者“刻意展示的平庸”，太难领会其中妙处，的确他的照片单挑几张出来来独立观赏，远没有整本书一遍一遍翻有趣，这应该也是他预期的结果。
　　　　
我很喜欢书后一段他的访谈，对我一开始的几个重大问题作了解释，看过之后就觉得他的创作方法非常严谨。在访谈里他说到：一开始想要追求的风格就是那种匆匆过客的眼光，后来因为大幅相机的操作复杂，拍摄之前需要仔细研究取景框内的影像，构图越来越有系统性。他自信这些照片能够归做艺术，是因为是他刻意决定（并且达到了）某种风格，“art is the conscious decision”（艺术是有意识的抉择），这个说法让人觉得恍然大悟，当然也深切体会，把摄影当作艺术跟把照片拍好看是两回事儿。
　　
初版三十年后，Stephen Shore已经跟William Eggleston一并成为彩色摄影艺术的先驱，虽然很难保证观后感受，还是推荐每一个摄影爱好者，暂时放弃各大摄影教程中讲述的“好照片要素”，慢慢把这本书翻两遍，或许会发现这些刻意平凡之中，更深切的美妙，或许要摇头，那也无妨，艺术终究也是属于读者观众的。

计有：

上周末在Niles人家篱笆上站着的小猫一只。

公司后院里刚生出来的小野猫一窝，很狡猾，找到了铁丝网上的一个小洞，大家出去看望他们的时候，就一股脑全钻到隔壁公司去了，据同事报告，其中一只小猫还一度爬到后院的大树上面去乘凉来着。

沿公司旁边的铁路往南走，工业区的铁丝网后面的小野猫一只，长得一点儿也不像猫，但是很小，很可怜巴巴。

这周末等着修车铺修车时，在市区里的宠物用品商店门口待领养的小猫几只，还有一只两岁多没人喜欢的小猫。

今天在旧金山跟Jean和朋友去逛街，在百货商店布置得漂漂亮亮的橱窗里旁若无人的小猫几只，有一对儿小黑猫长得很像扑噜小时候的样子。

But I decided to spend Monday night developing my first roll of black and white film. It was quite a mess, all my film development experience was limited to sheet film used in optical experiements at school. Just getting the roll on the film tank took a few nervous and agonized minutes. It seemed to be ages before the developer finally cool down a bit, I was so eager and restless, and ended up developing at two degrees higher than the recommended twenty celcius.

Imagine my excitement hanging the film up, apart from some gray spots on the first and last few frames, all the other frames actually turned out to be just fine! I felt a little dizzy looking at them, even though they were just negatives, I felt as if I could see the exact same thing I saw behind the lens the day they were taken! This must be the same feeling as having a baby? Anyways, I’m happy and content the whole day long, now time to get back to work.

I’ve been using gmail on and off for a while, and rather liked its simple and functional interface. The google ads is not a problem for me, most of the time there’s no ad at all, and where there is something, my viewing angle is usually so narrow that I won’t even notice what they say, but lately having switched to gmail for my notification dumping ground, I’ve found some of them rather amusing.

Like tonight, taking a line out of something I said somewhere:

gardenburgers used to taste like cardboard boxes

the google ads that came up for this mail was along the line of these:

Cardboard Box
Huge Selection & Value Priced.

And from the drupal site registration mail

New user registration:
Username: ann

This time I got “related pages”:

Sams-Army.com
Sams-Army.com : Official web site of the US National Soccer Team …

From someone’s blogger reply, the question marks are as is,

???? ???? ??? really… ?????

Now, that put a big question mark on getting a Mustang!

Ford Mustang
Features, specs, prices on all coupes and convertibles.

technorati tags: flockpost

Thanks to a friend who was so kind to lend us a slice of his in-kitchen server, we set up drupal for the “Recycle Bin Music Production” site, (just a rough translation of the label / office, and no url at this time.). I said we need to take a look at mambo too, but going through our intial requirements, drupal is already complex enough for a small scale site, I’d better save my energy in the actual design and customization work.

My frist reaction after setting the site up was, “so where is the front page”? Only to realize, after logging in and out quite a few times, that the administrative interface is part of the page layout by default. That can be very useful if you want instant community-like functions, but I was very eager to get rid of every trace of the admin functions, and got my next surprise, the admin interface (admin/* nodes), will not be accessible any other way once it’s removed through the block configuration.

That was easy to fix by editing the blocks table in the database. I don’t have any problem with this scheme, well I do have a problem with this, when the admin interface is integrated in the site interface, then whatever layout and style you choose for the site will be applied to the admin interface too. A lot of users will be more comfortable with having a static and nondescript admin interface, while setting up fancy (not neccessarily read-able) styles for the whole world to see. I know this effect can be easily customized and all that, it’s just a surpise that the default setup is the other way round.

This is the end of my short list of things-I-don’t-like-about-drupal, it looks every way a very flexible CMS with vast potentials.

Watch this space for further thoughts and comments! Now that I’ve got my dream lens, hosting space, the number one item currently on my wishlist is a week-long vacation to forget about everything and “do stuff”.

I’m also secretly taking a series of pictures of all the Recycle Bins around the Bay Area, since the production house is named “Recycle Bin”. Now if you guys know some locations where I can find cool Recycle Bins leave me a note! Other possible subjects of photographic interests are: empty bottles, cardboard boxes. I was told that a trip to Tenderloin and downtown Oakland would give me some inspiration?

I’ll be helping some friends with the website design of a production house, which will host a tiny festival in the area early next year, the planning stage is exciting, I went back to Open Source CMS to take a look at the available tools, what we have in mind is a media-rich yet accessible website, which can host a lot of promotional and archival information for current and future performance. Right now I have my mind set on Drupal and Mambo, actually right now I’m looking for hosting places. Never mind that, I’ll put my thoughts in writing and probably hold off doing anything as usual.

So in the hope of getting some ideas and inspirations, I did a search on “music festival” and looked at the first one hundred festival websites, it was quite a sobering experience, as we were talking about using festival-themed colors and visual elements with the maximum impact, it just occurred to me, while browsing these festival websites, that visual impact might just not work for websites.

A lot of these sites probably started off with the goal of visual impact too, but the end result was confusing, blinding, and, in some worse cases, simply bad taste. They seem to share the common problem of lacking attention to details, the mixture of many types of visual elements were not pulled together well enough. And the background music was shocking, here’s the number one no-no in designing a website dedicated to music, don’t play background music automatically, how’d you know whether your visiters are not playing music on their computers already? Be that :wumpscut: or Nick Drake, it just doesn’t mix well no matter how good you think the music you’re providing.

End of ranting already, though I haven’t found my inspirations yet, there was a good lesson learned in what-not-to-do. In the end, a simple user interface seems even more important in presenting media-rich content.

Here’s my wishlist for the perfect Tiny-Festival website:

1. A usable calendar and not just table of numbers that works as clickable dates. (see blog-calendar for more details)

2. If we’ve got to have visual impact, let’s make a cover page and put all the impact there.

3. Photo / music album, music / video player.

4. Places to leave your valuable comments (should not be displayed blog-like.)

5. Minimal and simple navigation UIs.

6. A “news” page which is again not blog-like, I prefer the newspaper look here.

Now please let me know if you’ve seen the perfect music (festival) website! Maybe it’s time to whip out my one and only WordPress.com invite?

I will be at webzine 2005 this weekend with the Flockers. Just happens that last year this time I was helping a friend with the design of a Chinese music review webzine based on WordPress. We are getting ready for a redesign right now, a good time to put down some experience and thoughts in writing.

This is how the webzine looks as it stands, its main distinctions from a blog are that: 1. It is published monthly, all articles for a month will appear only when the calendar turns. 2. There’s a page for each author with all his articles, a brief bio and a picture. 3. The “front page” is formatted a little differently, more like a magazine index page. There’re other minor things in the admin pages to make it easier for the zine editors.

I’ve found the WordPress platform a lot more suitable than some sophiscated CMS to publish a monthly zine, mainly because there’re already so many calendar-based functions. That said, the editor interface is not exactly friendly when you have a lot of long articles to input. Another problem is “asset management”, aka image uploading, I’m still looking for a good solution to include images with articles semi-automatically.

Thinking ahead to improvements we should make, the sidebars are definitely on the way out, to be replaced by DHTML menu. Reader comments needs its own space. The cover page will look better with a “feature picture”, and a three column layout. There should be a customized links pages, and a colophon page to make the whole site look more like traditional publication… I’m tempted to try out Drupal for a weekend too, now time to go work on something more important.