Software Piracy Is Theft

During my morning State Of the Union Review I came across a blog post in which the author addressed the issue of Software Piracy, particularly in relation to individuals who use the software to produce a product for sale. It was an interesting read and I must say that overall I am in agreement, but being me I saw a different side to the issue as a whole.

The author was certain he would receive many comments seeking justification because of perceptions regarding Adobe being greedy. Like I said, I look at things from different perspectives, in this case I pitched in an opinion branched from a different departure point.

ORIGINAL POST LINK:
http://www.cswatzell.com/blog/2013/6/theft-of-photoshop


Here is my comment in its entirety:

Yes, many of the software firms are greedy, charging much more than needed, etc.. They claim they need to fund research and development in order to give us consumer junkies our next rush. Well, they don’t quite word it like that, but it is synonymous to the way it works; the marketers tell us we have these massive needs that they can fulfill and we soon believe we can’t do without the newest, most improved, cram-packed-with-everything-we-need-but-likely-will-never-use gadget or version of software. I don’t buy it! I shoot Nikon digital because I still shoot film and I can still exchange lenses. I develop and print with real silver based materials and the results can be stunning, classic even. Just because it is experienced doesn’t make it dead.

I purchased PS Elements in ver. 3. I took college hours on version 6 and I used PS CS5 extensively during a two year full-time professional photographer program. While in school I purchased Lightroom 3, which has become the triage desk of my workflow, everything enters through LR3, then nearly all my post and printing is handled from there. If I must needs heavily manipulate or work with layers I will perform surgery in Elements 3. I have yet to miss anything the newer versions offer. So why should I give Adobe, or any other for that matter, more of my coins for their coffers when what I have works quite well already. And since I don’t need to purchase these upgrades, I needn’t steal them either!

Models Of Excellence: Yousef Karsh

Today I introduce a new concept with this Blog. I have been up to my arse in alligators busy for the past year and I am still busy, but now this busyness is focusing in on building my professional identity as a photographer. As I catch up the backlog, I am devoting more time to fleshing out my website and as I do so I will keep this Blog current so that the two venues may work together.

In order to keep these sites informative and interesting I have come up with a few concepts, one of which is an on-going series of short biographical essays regarding photographers I admire. This first installment pays homage to Yousef Karsh.

YOUSUF KARSH

Yousuf Karsh was born in Armenia (Turkey) in 1908. At the age of fourteen his family moved to Syria, two years later Yousuf was sent to Canada to live with his Uncle George Nakash. George was a photographer and recognized potential in the young man, so he arranged an apprenticeship for Yousuf in Boston, Massachusetts with the photographer John Garo. After a four year apprenticeship Karsh returned to Ottawa, Canada, where he set up a portrait studio in the Chateau Laurier, a prominent hotel close to the Canadian Parliament.

MacKenzie King, then Prime Minister of Canada, who especially liked Karsh and his photographic work, commenced to arrange portraits between Karsh and visiting dignitaries. On December 30, 1941, Karsh took a photo of a defiant Winston Churchill, “The Roaring Lion” capitulated Karsh to worldwide fame, this photo in fact is claimed to be the most reproduced portrait ever photographed.

In the year 2000 edition of The International Who’s Who, which celebrated the 100 most notable people of the previous century, Yousuf Karsh was the only Canadian entry. Of the one hundred people listed, Yousuf had photographed fifty-one of them, testament to his profound success as a portrait photographer.

In the late 1990’s Yousuf, with his wife Estrellita, moved back to Boston, where he died on July 13, 2002 of complications following surgery. His body was returned to Canada and is interred at Ottawa’s Notre Dame Cemetery.



When I see a photograph taken by Karsh it is quickly recognizable, a result of his style and his distinctive personal aesthetic. Karsh was a humble man who was able to capture in the fleeting moment the person behind the public mask - his portraits capture a snippet of the sitters personality that can only be found in very brief moments, even with co-operative, willing subjects.

Most of Karsh’s work is printed at large sizes, and as portraiture displays the tonal range and contrast supremacy that one sees in Ansel Adams’ landscapes, complete mastery of light and shadow. Such excellence is never happenstance, and in Yousuf’s case it has much to do with his understanding and use of studio lighting.

The excellent photo craft of Yousuf Karsh is inspirational and if in my lifetime I can attain a consistency in negative, print, and subject such as Karsh exemplified, I will die a satisfied artist.

Yousuf Karsh examines a 10X8 negative in this famous self-portrait.


Yousuf Karsh was an amazing man and photographer, though he has passed, the official Yousuf Karsh website will enrich and inspire you. Check it out:

LINK
Click Here for http://www.karsh.org/#/home/

Mario - Courier Number One

While shooting an assignment today on Vancouver's Hornby Bike Lane I had the pleasure of meeting Mario. I immediately noticed his courier license plate and was intrigued by the number - 001. While so many people around Vancouver get uptight when they see a camera Mario simply nodded and smiled. When I saw his number plate I asked if I could take his photo and he happily obliged, taking time away from his busy schedule he allowed me to make a picture and we engaged in a brief but uplifting conversation. Thank you Mario for being a positive part of a rainy day in Vancouver, you deserve to be number one.

Historic Steveston Fishing Village

Earlier this year I was on a field trip to the waterfront at Steveston, one of the many cities that together constitute the Greater Vancouver Area. Steveston was once a thriving fishery centre but is now a pleasantly quiet respite from the rest of BC's Lower Mainland, which tends to be overcrowded and hyperactive. The calm I experienced in Steveston made up for the long transit ride to get there and back. How long was the bus-train ride? Over two hours from my suite near UBC and then the same back again!

Studio Portrait - Black & White

Chiaroscuro. It is a word of Italian origin that literally means light and dark. It is most commonly used in the context of art where it references the interplay of light and dark without regard to colour.

The two photographs posted here were made with the intent of conveying a particular mood. Colour would not suit the moods expressed. Full, even lighting would equally fail to express the depth of thought and introspection. When one is deep in thought s/he is attempting to bring something out from the shadows within into the more lucid realm of the surface. When light and dark is the subject matter, light and dark are the tools of communication.





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Food and Beverage Photography

One of the school modules during this past term has been food and beverage photography. One of the assignments given was to style and shoot a beverage, then create and apply a mock logo along with text layout for use in advertising. I chose to simulate an assignment for Minute Maid brand (tm registered) 100% juice blends.

Granville Street Vancouver

Granville Street on a Saturday night. Not just any night, but on the one year anniversary of the Olympic experience.