Tag Archives: animal
A Pragmatic Look at Film
Balinese men at a cockfight
Nostalgia has no relevance in the forthcoming observation. My comments, instead, are entirely based on photographs taken thirty years ago. I find these long-forgotten images to have a look and feel seldom seen any more. Whether this is good or bad is a subjective point of view. If living in the past keeps one from advancing in the future so be it. However, living without a knowledge of history only keeps the wheels spinning in place and makes a person unwise.
Please note that these images depict the use of animals for man’s enjoyment which many of you may find offensive. I will say (if I may interject a personal belief) that whether or not we agree with the practices of others we are not given the right to judge. When traveling I am intrigued by the cultures and ways of others. I photograph them when given permission and I leave feeling enriched by having my vision of the world expanded. Whether or not it is part of my beliefs is not in the equation.
Moving on.
Picture of the Week, 8/2/10
El Gigante Village, Nicaragua
The “Dog Days of Summer” is well illustrated in this image. Taken in a sleepy fishing village in Nicaragua one can’t help but feel the stillness (except for the young girl running in the background), laziness and heat in this picture and how important the pursuit of a good shady spot is in the middle of the day.
I also like the fact that taking a break from the ever present heat (aka ‘stress’) and grind of daily life is just as important as is chasing a dorado off the coast, a cat in the alley or the challenge to be productive. These dogs and that man in the shadow seem to understand that and what “Dog Days” are all about; either that or they just had one rough night!
(NOTE: All Picture of the Week images are available for purchase at http://tiny.cc/PoW where you can view the ever growing collection. Prints in three sizes and finishes can be bought inexpensively directly online. Start a collection or give them as gifts. Either way they are one of a kind Arruza images that tell a story.)
Technical details:
- Bessa-L Voigtlander rangefinder camera
- Voigtlander Super Wide-Heliar 15mm f/4.5 lens
- Ektachrome E100VS 35mm slide film
Picture of the Week, 7/19/10
Sea gulls at Lucaya Beach Resort, Bahamas
While I’m aware that a few weeks ago I published a PoW photo of a bird I could not resist but do the same again this week, though in this case the bird (or rather birds) are sea gulls as oppose to the tern from the 6/22 PoW.
It was, to put it mildly, a rather surprising, entertaining and wild weekend and the only thing I can think of this Monday morning is how nice it would be to sit pool side over looking the ocean in the Bahamas, which is exactly what these lucky sea gulls are doing. My body and head would sure thank me for it!
Let me know if anyone else would like to join me.
(NOTE: All Picture of the Week images are available for purchase at http://tiny.cc/PoW where you can view the ever growing collection. Prints in three sizes and finishes can be bought inexpensively directly online. Start a collection or give them as gifts. Either way they are one of a kind Arruza images that tell a story.)
Technical details:
- Nikon D300
- Nikkor 50mm/1.4D
- 1/640 @ f/9
- ISO 200
- Matrix Metering and Aperture Priority
- White Balance set manually @ 5260K
Picture of the Week, 6/22/10
(Because of recent trips to the Bahamas and South Carolina Picture of the Week has been on hold . . . we now resume.)
Great Isaac is a tiny rock island in the Bahamas with a lighthouse and a few abandoned buildings. The closest inhabited island to Great Isaac is Bimini, which lies 22 miles to the south. Flocks of terns and sea gulls, besides small reptiles, are the only living species on the island. The surrounding waters are beautiful and full of fish, perfect for diving and spear fishing.
Picture of the Week, 5/24/10
So what makes a school of mullet swim at a frantic pace and jump out of the water? Well, I might have one answer.
It was a beautiful September afternoon at Reef Road in Palm Beach, Florida that saw glassy four foot waves rolling in and a plethora of surfers maneuvering to ride them. The conditions were excellent for water photography and with water housing in hand and fins on feet I swam out to capture some of the action.
As the afternoon rolled on I began to notice large black shadows moving underneath the surface of the water, which I immediately took to be large schools of fish. This is a common site along the shores of South Florida during the spring and fall as schools of fish migrate up and down the east coast of the United States. The point being, I wasn’t worried.
Picture of the Week, 5/10/10
I’m traveling on the South Island of New Zealand and come upon some good waves with a few surfers riding them. I hang around to check things out when I befriend a local surfer. We talk and he learns that I’m traveling around with my son taking in the sites and looking for new experiences.
Hearing that he tells me of a foot path along a creek in from the ocean that leads to a waterfall and pool where some 30 or so baby seals are left for the day by their mothers while they go feed. It’s kind of like a day care and the baby seals spend the day having a great time playing in the pool.