10. Happiness is...

My sister works in a children's hospital with children needing prosthetics. While her work is uplifting most days because she is making a child with a disability have a life that is closer to normal. It can be a bit hard to take day after day, realizing that so many children are not able to grow up knowing simple things like running or even walking.

She deals with this notion most admirably, but still needs help and while sitting in what she called an inservice, the discussion was about happiness. So she asked me a simple question and it cut to my core. What is happiness? To further this notion, I had a book from Charles Schulz, Happiness is....

Assignment is to explore happiness without words. I think we should just post these in the crit space, and no explanation or names will be attached. Discuss with out description from the photographer. Then post to the blog. For further anonimity I will put a envelope at the front desk and then will post prior to lunch.

09.Neat, jRamsey

Are all human imposed patterns indicative of neatness and hence neurosis, or is it simple pragmatism?

09.Neat, jRamsey

I'm not sure this image is really what viewers would expect as a reaction to the assignment - but it's one of my interpretations any way. I love patterns in nature. Whether the geometry in some of nature is rigidly organized or not, I see it as neat enough. It's form strictly derived from satisfying a function.

09.Neat AGray

The stack

For some reason the neatness of this stack of drawings does not seem to come out in this picture. I was going after that great northwestern log stack effect.

I liked this project because the aspect of how it forces you to be the stylist or sculptor. There is something a bit methodical about stylizing a photo shoot. The most obscure things you think would not be an issue are. I think I would like to go back to this photo and fix some of the curling paper, but that would ruin some of the charm.

Where is my focus?

Sometimes it is easier to see the beautiful in the inanimate world than in the people around me. I find that to stay energized I have to retreat to a place of solitude and clarity. It is comfortable there. But I can't stay. Life is messy. And that is where we are called to be - in the beautiful mess.

Introvert: a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.

Introverts are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. After being with people for any length of time, such as at a party, they need time alone to "recharge."

09. Assignment Neat

Neatness as an obsession that evolves into a photo assignment.



Neurosis

–noun, plural -ses

1.
Also called psychoneurosis. a functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of disease, in various degrees and patterns, dominate the personality.
2.
a relatively mild personality disorder typified by excessive anxiety or indecision and a degree of social or interpersonal maladjustment.





Ideas...try this site.

http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/




Due 2 weeks. September 2nd. Go outside if you must but be neat.

07.Selective Colorization - jRamsey

My first hand at selective colorizing is manipulation of a shot from several months ago on a hike in Columbia, MO. I'm climbing a steep learning curve with Nikon's Capture NX2 for editing.