For Bill

When I took this I was thinking about bitterlawngnome. I’m trying to fill in some missing photo days and refining my new presentation. I don’t want the images to look liks snapshots as such so, I’ve reduced the borders which I think changes the scale of the images and moves them away from the snapshot look. I also changed the dimensions so that they don’t conform to the 4×6 in. format.

Using 35mm film we’re taught to compose with the viewfinder, yet making a print there is always a section that gets cropped off if we keep true to the 10×8 in. format of photo paper. 2¼ x 2¼ film used in my twin lens camera is the same thing with composition done using the viewfinder and then much of the square film format cropped. The main medium format camera I use is 6×7 cm. which is exactly 8×10 in. I use a ground glass focusing screen and crop only the edges, if needed, with printmaking. That’s the best way. The digital camera creates an image that can be as large as 2560 x 1704 px. or, 640 x 480 px. when reduced. Therefore I wanted to keep to my viewfinder composition and not unnecessarily crop the image. Any thoughts or opinions…?

On a lighter note, there’s a public swimming pool near me and I finally went swimming today. I’m sore! I’m thinking about swimming lessons because ever since I can remember I get cramps in the soles my feet while swimming and I would like to know how to swim so that doesn’t happen. After letting my left foot rest a while I went back to using mostly my arms and letting my legs (and feet) totally relax. It felt much better on my feet and I didn’t feel like I was flailing in the water. While I was resting poolside somebody really was swimming with every stroke a huge splash of water from both hands and feet. The seems such a waste of energy. Some skinny kid of about 12 yrs. was swimming like a pro doing different strokes and going back and forth with ease. I’d like to get closer to that. I need lessons…