Category: Media

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Empower Your Readers

Evergreen articles are rarely as good as James Kendrick’s ZDNet analysis “Corporate layoffs: Prepare your BYOD smartphone for the worst“, which reminds what good, longer-form, long-lasting journalism is supposed to be: Informative and useful to readers in the intended audience.

In contrast, the trend among bloggers is to write a question in the headline that someone might ask in search. While the information in the post can be useful, the intended audience is the search engine, not people. Consider this example from Gizmodo today: “Why Do Radio Signals Travel Farther at Night Than in the Day?” The topic marginally fits Gizmodo’s target tech audience, which I presume is likely to know the answer. The story is republished from site Today I Found Out, where there are more reader-useful graphics. James’ story informs and educates, while the Giz post is more like a non-curated Wikipedia entry. 

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Flickr a Day 27: London Rain

Can’t you just feel the chill? Duncan Harris shot this photo, in front of Harrods in Knightsbridge, on Dec. 19, 2011. For those people obsessed with the fanciest camera, the photographer matters more. He used the Nikon Coolpix S2500 to capture this atmospheric moment. Duncan says the 12-megapixel compact “is almost as good as a dSLR”. Perhaps in the right hands, as his are.

The image captivates for so many reasons: Motion of the pedestrians set against the crisp still cars; raindrops on the vehicles and reflections from fallen water; shimmering lights escaping the wet mist. I found this photo around Flick a Day 8 and reluctantly waited to post, as this isn’t the first wet street pic featured. See days 7 and 13

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Flickr a Day 26: ‘Walking to Glacier Isobel’

I originally planned to end this series’ first month with a photo from Trey Ratcliff—and a different selection than the one chosen. But yesterday, he blogged about returning from Antarctica, which compelled me to change up. I suppose waiting for a fresh batch of pics would be sensible, but I want to alert you as they start coming. Consider self-titled “Walking to Glacier Isobel”, shot on May 3, 2014, as a preview of what to expect. Trey will totally delight you if you give him opportunity.

His website, “Stuck in Customs” is a bit adventure photography blog and part learning lab. Trey teaches visitors about shooting—with words and pictures. Knowledge is the greatest gift, and this American relocated to New Zealand gives much. He is a HDR (High Dynamic Range) guru.

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Disco Queen

Following up sharing lyrics to my songs “Empire State” and “Surrealistic Pillow” is another from my more prolific lyrical writing youth—before prose became my profession. I wrote the first verse and melody some time in 1978. The Disco Queen refers to Donna Summer, who suggestively moaned in her hit song “Love to Love You Baby”, which released three years earlier and reached No. 2 on Billboard in 1976.

I tend to write lyrics in complete form, but words with melodies often start out and languish. I didn’t come back to finish “Disco Queen” until November 2003. In posting today, I remove the third stanza and ask commentary about whether or not to keep it. 

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Flickr a Day 25: ‘Decisions, Decisions’

What’s not to like about this fantastic photo? Someone tell me. Bokeh, silhouette, and story told in the caption shorter than a Tweet: “Do you think this ice is thick?” We want to know. Step out and show us!

Freelance photographer Rick Harrison snapped this mesmerizer on March 4, 2006, using the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2. Nine years later you’ll find him behind the Nikon D800. From Wakefield, United Kingdom, he is based in Leeds. Rick is the first Flickr-a-Day photographer who specializes in landscapes. Most of the others shoot on the street and/or focus on people. 

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Flickr a Day 23: ‘What I Wish For’

Searching Flickr for “what” churns up more shots of people’s bags, and what’s inside them, than you can imagine. It’s my strangest pic-peek voyeur experience yet. The look-see also reveals today’s selection—one of 11 related images spotted among the backpacks, messenger bags, and purses—chosen for what’s behind: The story and the photographer’s impressive portfolio.

Jorge Quinteros comes from Jamaica, Queens, New York, but lives in Brooklyn, where he shoots some of the best street photography portraits I have seen on Flickr. Today’s chosen pic isn’t representative of his style, which captures character in vivid photographs. Many street shooters are discreet. The self-titled “What I Wish For” series is what happens when a creative mind gets up close to his subjects,, engages them, rather than captures images from a distance. 

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Flickr a Day 22: ‘How Not to Shoot Thor’s Well’

When is a bad photo really good? That’s the question today’s selection poses. During summer 2013, “whilst idling planless in San Francisco, I decided to try and replicate one of the epic shots of Oregon’s Thor’s Well that I see plastering the Internet”, Zach Dischner explains. “That was the extent of my planning. I had a smartphone to lead me there, and hope that I would get there in time for an epic sunset”. The Well wasn’t so well.

The story behind this epic disaster pic makes it today’s Flickr-a-Day pick. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a few explaining the shot’s context make all the difference. This could be just another black-and-white sea shot—the wanderer looking out onto the raging sea. The pic is so much more. 

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Flickr a Day 19: Indian Street Food

Vibrant best describes the photograph’s of Ulf Bodin, who works magic with contrasting areas of brightness and shadows. My father taught me to favor overcast skies when shooting outdoors. Ulf’s photostream portfolio shows how to effectively use light, and even long shadows, to artistic advantage.

“I’m in love with dark, high contrast, colorful, clean, sharp images”, says the former archaeologist. His profession is all about stitching together the past—from the pieces recreating what was from what remains. His photographic style isn’t far removed. “I post-process my images to recreate the mode and feeling from the photo moment. I never add things to my pictures, but sometimes I merge several captures to one”. 

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Flickr a Day 18: Painted

Student Satya Vrat Shukla should seriously consider just how good are his “outtakes”, which is how he describes this remarkable photograph. The colors and bokeh—painter and background—rivet my eyes.

“This is one of my really good friends, Ethi, who is an amazing painter”, Satya says. “She basically oil-painted this within a couple of minutes while I pestered her to ‘paint something good'”. Pester. I found the pic searching Flickr for the word—like yesterday’s selection, which shares something else: Camera choice. Satya shot with Canon EOS 550D and classic 50mm lens (f/1.8). Gotta love them Primes!