Flash...Whoahhh oh...

I am not a professional photographer. I am instead a graphic designer with some preparation in photography (my undergrad degree required me to do a minimal amount of coursework in film photography). I know the tasks of photography from the art-direction end.

I do, however,  have many friends and acquaintances who are professionals. Two acquaintances are  our adjunct instructors at Gateway: Michael and Kevin.

We got to talking at a meeting a while back, and one of the topics was the use (or non-use) of the flash in photography by our students. Before we even approach a flash unit or "off-of-the-camera" flash, we were discussing how integral it is for students to know how to control even the "on camera" flash.

You should know how to shut it off, and how to control it when its on (its power, and manipulate the direction). 

Of course, flash is not the only issue. You should walk away from your basic course knowing all your camera's shooting modes, white balance, focus, aperture controls, exposure value settings, shutter speed, iso, and many more items). But in our brief conversation, it became clear that on-camera flash control was one issue that sometimes gets overlooked.

Many of you may also be familiar with Photojojo. It is a "cool things" photo site, with tips, techniques, and a lot of cool doo-dads and gadgets. (Photographers of all stripes seem to be subject to the same  affliction as woodworkers, golfers, and fisherman: gadget-itis)

Photojojo had a cool graphic on their page in the promotion of a flash bounce product. I am not endorsing this necessarily, (it does look neat, but you can get similar effects with a small mirror or a
3x5 index note card) but they have some particularly neat graphics showing the dramatic effects of using a simple flash-modifier. 

(see one of the graphics below, and you can click on the optional link to check out Photojojo)

Photojojo site

Branding Cleverness...

Graphic Designer and Art Director Ben Pieratt has created a brand. That alone isn't news, since visually articulating a brand is at the heart of what most designers working in Marketing Communications (or Advertising, or  Brand cultivation, or whatever pseudonym for Advertising you care to use) do regularly.

More interestingly, Pieratt is exploring the concepts and constructs of branding itself. He has taken the  very definition of brand, and flipped it upside-down. He has worked from the visual end, and created the roots for a brand and put it on the free-market auction block.
To me, this is more of an exercise in brand development—the equivalent of taking the design adage of "form follows function" and turning it on its ear...creating the form first and then finding the function for it.

While the pragmatism of creating and cultivating a visual brand beforehand, then later matching it with a product or service is intriguing and an exercise in "purposeful vagary," it can also be viewed as the equivalent of off-the-rack fashion—something unheard of in the early twentieth century, yet the preferred mode by mid-century.

On a personal note, Pieratt's brand reminds me of the bright, geometric design of the mid-eighties (as used by brands like Letraset at the time). I love the retro, yet very hip'n'cool feel.

Check out Pieratt's HESSIAN brand!
(link image below)

COMPOSITION FROM A MASTER

There's a lot of chatter about the difference of things, but not so much about the commonalities.

"The discipline of design is basically about solving a problem within the construct of a field...that field may be the blank canvas of a space (product design), an entire environment (architecture), or a flat page (graphic design.)"1

I find a lot of students groaning/musing on our college's facebook group about "photography" versus "illustration," or even "page layout." While it is certainly valid to group items by their media for mass assessment  or comparative evaluation, you can easily loose fact that they share the common thread of VISUALLY COMMUNICATING ( a term that has gone out of vogue, and seems to be making a comeback).

The goal for both is to communicate something VISUALLY on the plane of 2d. The other commonality that they share is the fact that the message communicated needs to have a hierarchy... the thread that binds all of the 2d disciplines is composition.

That's why this article on COMPOSITION by the  great HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON is such a good (and IMHO essential) read! Click on the link below (photo) to go to PETA-PIXEL for an amazing compositional lesson–whether your medium is Photography or Gouache – it's worth the time.

photo © magnum

1 P. Pham 2005

Tiny 3D Sculptures from a Japanese Camera...Coming to America Soon?

The 3D Graphics classes at GTC are doing some neat stuff with the stereo-lithography and the 3D printers at the iMET center. Those tools are pretty slick... but this neat new Japanese Camera is  way cool!
Imagine taking a "photo" that winds up being a  tiny 3D figure! Click the link to check it out.
Similar companies have since popped up in the US promising a similar product.

RICE COOKER MAGIC

Someone told me that the late, great Roger Ebert was working on a cookbook of "things you can make in a rice cooker." Buzzfeed recently featured  a great collection of recipes towards that end.

Back in the 80's, the "hotpot" was standard-issue among the student body at Madison, and it was the only legal appliance students could have in the dormitories. Mac 'n' Cheese and Ramen were standard supplemental faire.

The Asian students also had the rice-cooker stowed away—and during any inspections it often passed for the aforementioned "hotpot." Most any asian family has (at least) one of these. I think since age 18, I have always had one. While I made primarily rice, on occasion I would cook meats in it. Little did I know the complete range of delectables that can be made in the humble rice cooker.

Click the link below for a world of deliciousness for rice cooker owners everywhere!

MORE FREE PICS...

well...sorta. Be sure to read the fine print. This can still be a great resource for any lawbreaking students out there.

(click photo above to go to site)

GREATEST SITE FOR DESIGNERS (REDUX)?

This is one of my favorites. It has expanded since its last mention on the blog, but is still a wonderful resource for graphic design students. This specific link has some really great photoshop tips, but if you are into anything in the world of visual communications...this has to be a 'go to' site.

Color Psychology in Mark Creation

courtesy the Visual.ly website: a basic primer on color psychology in the design of Marks (yep...the mo' better and proper name for what most folks will call logo). The psychology bit  is contestable, as it complies to a western cultural norm...but none-the-less worth studying, understanding, and then exploring.

Color Psychology in Logo Design infographic

Cupcake Crazy

Those that know me know in addition to being a graphic designer, I am also an amateur who dabbles in carpentry and cooking. In fact, I am the "main cook" in our family, and I love preparing (and as my girth attests to) and eating good food. Of late, I've also been indulging in baked goods...and yeah, the cupcake craze has most certainly bitten me back.

A while back, I came across this baking site, and this particular post of cupcake recipes.  Tasty stuff!
(link by clicking on the image)

Neat Private Workspace

I love the idea of well-designed things.
That transcends the design of print and web, into the realm of the incredibly simple and straightforward. Check out this  great design for a pretty slick portable workspace that is small enough to be moved, yet large enough to grant you the escape and privacy you need while working...and it can be given your own personal touch as well!

(click image to link)