Category: Media

Living by Joe WilcoxJan 31, 20153:58 pm

Comic-Con Heroes: The Academic

My fourth installment of excerpts from ebook Comic-Con Heroes: The Fans Who Make the Greatest Show on Earth takes an interesting directional shift. So far we’ve met The Dark Knight, Medieval fighter, and twin-brother toy collectors. Would you believe there are people who study toys as a profession? Read on to see.

To recap: I attended San Diego Comic-Con 2013 with intention of profiling one-dozen among the 130,000 attendees. As SDCC 2015 approaches, I am posting 13 installments, after which the book will release into the public domain, on July 8, 2015, when my current commitment for Amazon KDP Select ends.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 31, 20156:56 am

Flickr a Day 31: ‘Couple’

Today’s selection comes from Flickr searches for the Leica X1 and X2 digicams. Photographer Andrew Xu uses the latter, and I once owned the former. Originally from China, and living in New Zealand, the VFX artist is true to his profession, by posting photos that punch you with their terrific visual style.

I could easily fill the remaining 324 Flickrs a Day with Andrew’s images, which is comment about the challenge choosing one. I left the decision to fate, picking the pic from my initial search. Andrew’s style is so strong because, in part, he has a photographic philosophy that merges art and science. I recommend reading the full explanation on his Flickr profile page.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 30, 20157:25 am

Flickr a Day 30: ‘Try’

Where is Fe Ilya? He joined Flickr in July 2008, but his last posted pic was taken Dec. 11, 2011. I see him on Tumblr, where his last posted photo was June 7, 2014; despite bleeding-edge presentation, […]

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 29, 20157:14 am

Flickr a Day 29: ‘Tiny Houses’

Vantage point best describes the photography of Jessica P., better known as jjesskalee around the social networks. Perspective works just as well. She sets very defined viewpoints, often getting in close to subjects. Like me, she uses the Fujifilm X100T, which shoots surprisingly great Macros; the f/2 lens gives shallow depth-of-field that produces fantastic bokeh.

Jessica shot self-titled “Tiny Houses” on Dec. 31, 2014. The houses belong to board game The Settlers of Catan, which was unknown to me before seeing this pic and a companion my wife prefers. As someone who fanatically role-played Dungeons and Dragons and Empire of the Petal Throne in high school, I’m surprised to somehow have missed Catan, which Klaus Teuber developed and released to the German market 20 years ago.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 28, 20156:56 am

Flickr a Day 28: Licensing Lesson

All photos in this series are authenticated for copyright. Sometimes the process for the photographer is more difficult, particularly when language and location are factors. Luigi Alesi shot today’s selection, licensed Creative Commons noncommercial, on […]

News Media by Joe WilcoxJan 27, 20152:48 pm

Responsible Journalism Cheat Sheet

Several themes consistently recur in my posts about good journalism. They’re spread out over about five years of posting, and it’s unrealistic to expect anyone to read everything to find them. So for your benefit, and even my own, I pull together some quick tips that every news gatherer should strongly consider adopting as part of his or her daily routine.

News reporting isn’t a profession but a lifestyle. Ethics you adopt shape it—and you.

News Media by Joe WilcoxJan 27, 201512:58 pm

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 27, 20156:45 am

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 26, 20158:13 am

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.

Music by Joe WilcoxJan 25, 201511:15 am

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 25, 20156:42 am

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.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 24, 20156:46 am

Flickr a Day 24: ‘Defilé’

Lines define the photographic style of Stefano Bertolotti, who prefers to shoot building interiors and exteriors—and autos, too. Today’s selection captures his style applied to people. This image really appeals me, and I hope to you. […]