Graffiti or Art?

I recently uploaded some images of SHOK-1s work, fully credited, to Flickr,
including his latest stuff which I was pleased to capture.

I was suprised to get a message from him the following day asking me to take down those latest photos. He said he wasn't ready for the work to be seen, and that anyway he would like to show it first. This seemed reasonable, so I took the photos down and let him know.
All very nice and polite.

Afterwards, however, I started to think...
This is work painted on a wall in clear site of a public road. I hadn't sneaked into his private gallery and stolen images of a secret work.
So, what right of control does a graffiti artist have over the public taking and sharing photos of their work?
Speaking to graffiti artists on the Parkland Walk, it seems their attitude is that they paint for themselves and are perfectly accepting that the work is captured or over-painted by others.
This seems right to me.
It would feel different if it was a private space, but it isn't.

I will not be putting the images back on Flickr as that would feel petty, but I may not bother putting any more SHOK-1 stuff up at all.
Wouldn't want to offend him again...

So artist rights, or public images. What do you think about graffiti?

HDR Test

I was intrigued when I first heard about High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, in part by the rich images, but also by the controversy it raises.
HDR images are composites from multiple exposures that draw out high- and low- lights in a single image. This produces a result that is nearer to what the human eye can perceive (as opposed to film or a camera sensor), but the result can look a little odd because we are not used to seeing this range in a photo.

So, I had to test this with my new camera...
...but Photoshop, my editing tool of choice, didn't support my Panasonic camera's RAW format! Dull.
However,  I knew a solution would present itself so I took some exposure bracketed images to use when I could.
A recent update to Adobe's Camera RAW software has answered my need, and I have finally managed to make my first HDR image:

HDR result 

Here you can see the three exposures that were merged:

Over exposed - bring out foreground / dark detail

Standard exposure

Under exposed - bring out highlights / sky detail

I am really pleased with the result.
This view from our holiday cottage in the Scottish Highlands was beautiful, but the light contrasts were so great that a single standard exposure just didn't do it justice.
I think this HDR image does a much better job.
What is your opinion?

You can find a good technical wiki article here, and some beautiful HDR images here.

The Internet of Things

I have just started looking at programming physical interfaces, using a technology called Arduino.

Armed with my starter kit (suitable for ages 10 years and up), I have made LED lights blink (and even dim!), motors whir, and a small servo turn back and forth, controlled in my final experiment by a bendy bit a plastic (a flex sensor).
It's great fun, but now I want to make a variety of physical scenes, hook them up to the internet, and allow the world to control them by websites, tweets, Flickr uploads... and on and on my fantasies go.

All this is yet to come but is part of an attempt on my part to get a better understanding (and play with), the Internet of Things.
Simply, this is a term coming into currency that describes how physical objects in our lives are becoming increasingly connected. An example is that (if you have the right equipment), you can program your TV via your phone, whilst you are out. But this is going to be a world of smart devices where communication will go in both directions - your fridge will know when you are low on milk and text you whilst your out, reminding you to get more.

There was an interesting BBC Radio4 talk by Russell Davies on the 21^st September where he discusses his thoughts about this.
He also wrote a blog entry about what he had intended to say.
In his talk Davies quotes Clay Shirky, and it resonates deeply, so I leave you with it here:

"creating something personal, even of moderate quality, has a different kind of appeal than consuming something made by others, even of high quality"

Fungus the photo-man

I have been annoying Nadine for a few years now by spoiling walks in the country by turning them into opportunities to regularly stop and admire / photograph any fungus that happens to be minding its own business within the sphere of my eye's beady gaze.
To make it all worthwhile (at least from my perspective), I am going to pop a selection of these photos up onto Flickr, where other fungus obsessed snappers can find them and thence bore their partners / lovers / friends.

I made a start today, uploading a few fungus from our front yard, Hampstead Heath, and from the woods near Shin Falls in the Scottish highlands.

Don't forget to keep checking for updates!

Fruit Picking

On the August bank holiday we went fruit picking in Enfield, of all places.
There is a PYO there called Parkside Farm, which won the PYO Farm of the Year 2011.
We had a wonderful day in the countryside, and picked some amazing produce.
The cupboards are now groaning with jars of Strawberry and Raspberry jam which Nadine has whipped up.

Walk To Work

I have really been enjoying the light on my walk to work this week - beautiful shadows in the air.

This is a nasty patch of grass where too many dog owners don't bother with those little bags. It felt transformed, but I still wouldn't walk across it.

Bit different from my usual finds:

Somewhere silent tears fall at the loss of this scruffy fellow.

 

Matryoshka bins.
I thought this most odd, but thinking about it, how else do you throw a bin away?

(Slowly) building a flickr set here.

Making Kids Games

I made a suite of kids games for Lloyds TSB whilst I was still at Saint.
For one reason or another they stalled them going live. However I have just found out they are now up!
You can play them here: Lloyds TSB - Billy and Stan London 2012.