#fishing industry photography

[zsorosebudphoto]

Pescamaro Seis, 29-03-23

[zappster]

2022 Alexandria الإسكندرية

[protoplanetarydisc]

trawler

[pcb-photos]

St. Patrick’s dock, Teesmouth Canon Serenar 50mm f/1.8 & EOS R6 #boats #fishing #industry #teesmouth #paddyshole #southgare #rivertees #teesside #vintagelensphotography #vintagelensphotographer #blackandwhitephotography #monochrome #canonphotography #serenar #50mm #50mmphotography #landscapephotography #paulbradley #photography #paulbradleyphotography #scudmonkey #eosr6 (at South Gare) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf65R7ENcrN/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[littlepawz]

Gouqi island is located in the Shengsi archipelago of about 400 islands. Jane Qing captured the stunning images of this city of seemingly endless buildings, which were a part of a fishing village years ago. The region has a history of doing well, even today, in the fishing industry. Yet, this particular island seems to have been forgotten.

Each discovery of abandoned cityscapes is captivating, but one covered in beautiful ivy and greenery surely enchants in its own way.

~Shengsi Islands - Gouqi Island / Jane Qing Photography~

[purple-scrunchie]

More Heathers Headcanons bc they're rotting my brain

Heather Chandler:

absolutely dogshit at croquet. Only plays to knock other people out

mostly Heather

*slaps roof * this blondie can fit so much anger

has a deep respect for Duke but sees too much of herself in her (and therefore as a threat) and doesn't know how to deal with that healthily

Has an older stepsister she's only met twice

They write each other letters and they're quite close

refuses to let herself or any other Heather date the football team (she says "we don't date the help")

secretly likes her friends but doesn't know how to go about telling them she loves and appreciates them as people

her love language is getting people matching earrings for their birthdays

Heather Duke:

ex dance kid (iykyk)

wrote emo poetry in 7th grade (she burned it all last year though)

queen of malicious compliance

knows a shit ton of card tricks

is not allowed to shuffle the deck on poker night

she knows what she did

queen of telling scary stories (has made Heather, Heather, and Veronica sob like little babies before)

had a photography phase too

still has loads and loads of undeveloped film left over in her closet from this

her dad used to take her fishing and she secretly still loves it

Heather McNamara:

hates swimming

hates water in general

This girl only drinks milk it's a problem

Has literally everything you could ever need in her bag

once mistook her mace for her sunscreen

never again

ex theater kid (she was really good but then got busy with cheer, which took priority because her parents said so)

used to want to be an actress

now she wants to be an equine vet so she can get paid to be a horse girl all day

Not stupid at all, just has a selective attention span

broke her arm when she got thrown off a horse in 3rd grade

Veronica Sawyer:

has all 3 Heathers in her contacts as 'Heather'

she knows what's from who based on the messages

her bag is so damn disorganized she's basically Mary Poppins

we're talking everything from extra snacks to industrial-grade superglue

wanted to get a tattoo but her parents said no

she got JD to do it for her anyway (it's a really shitty rendition of her childhood cat, JFK)

lives off peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

still falls for the toothpaste in Oreos prank

bit her nails until Heather got her that nasty anti-biting polish for her birthday last year

Jason Dean:

red sox supporter

owns a tattoo gun

owns a real gun too

and a signed baseball bat (too bad he can't read the signature)

should not own any of these items

best friends with the movie theater clerk

uses this to see so many movies for free

the definition of "I know a place"

likes to walk around in the woods

just fuck around and throw rocks and shit

He told Veronica that if he ever goes missing that's the first place she should check

[sherrylephotography]

My photography @sherrylephotography 5/34

The Port of Barcelona is a sea, industrial, commercial and fishing port located at the foot of the mountain of Montjuïc, in Barcelona Spain. Yet another view that I took from the top of the Montjuïc.

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

[redsamuraiii]

Tsuburaya Eiji, the Father of Tokusatsu

Eiji Tsuburaya made it possible for Godzilla to stomp across the screen and later on, Ultraman. A director, cinematographer, and producer, Tsuburaya is best known for creating the special effects behind Japanese classics like Godzilla and other giant monsters called kaiju.

And his legacy extends beyond those monsters — he built a foundation for film culture in Japan and special effects worldwide.

Before World War II

Tsuburaya grew up in Sukagawa, Iwase, a son of a prominent family of grocery distributors. A prodigy from a young age, as a kid he was interviewed about his model airplanes and credited in local newspapers as a "child craftsman." Shortly thereafter, he was captivated by a new technology called motion pictures — and he combined his two passions by taking pictures of planes.

But it was 1933's King Kong that led to his greatest professional epiphany. King Kong's giant title character and phenomenal special effects opened up a new world of possibilities for Tsuburaya. By studying a copy of the film, Tsuburaya managed to reverse engineer how the effects were made. Then he was ready to begin creating his own legacy.

Being a film revolutionary wasn't easy with his early battles over budget and setup, but when a new company called Toho Motion Picture Company was founded in 1936, Tsuburaya jumped on board to lead the special effects department.

After World War II

After being drafted to work on propaganda films in World War II and experiencing the napalm bombing of Tokyo, he returned to work at Toho after the end of US occupation in 1952, keeping a low profile because the US believed he'd committed espionage.

It was in that climate that producer Tomoyuki Tanaka was artistically inspired by the fallout of a US hydrogen bomb test in the Marshall Islands. The real story of a radiation-poisoned fishing crew inspired him to pitch a monster movie to Tsuburaya and Toho. After some creative wrangling, Godzilla was born.

For Godzilla, Tsuburaya made the bold choice to use miniatures and visual effects instead of stop-motion animation, which was a more obvious alternative. The idea to put an actor in a monster costume was going to be executed as never before, and with it a legendary monster was born.

Though Godzilla was the product of a large team, it came alive because of Tsuburaya's use of models, special photography, and inimitable costumes.

Godzilla was a tough shoot. Actors were stuffed into a costume that was, at its lightest, 220 pounds. They breathed in kerosene from the fumes of a tiny "Tokyo" model burning beneath them, and actor Haruo Nakajima says he lost 20 pounds in the production because the costume was so physically strenuous.

The film was a financial risk, as well — it became the most expensive Japanese movie made up to that time. But Godzilla was a hit, and it kicked off "monster mania." Film by film, these movies created a kaiju iconography that shaped an entire film industry's sensibility — and built a legacy for Tsuburaya.

Tsuburaya's professional and creative successes continued through the 1960s, as he innovated with more intricate models and formed his own company, Tsuburaya Visual Effects Productions, in 1963 where he created what kaiju superfans consider his landmark work, like Ultra Q and Ultraman in 1966. 

Today

Though Tsuburaya died in 1970, his creations remain embedded in the culture today. Even to those who aren't fans of Tsuburaya's distinctive style, his aesthetic, effects, and ethos permeate movies today. 

There are obvious influences, like the many Godzilla remakes and the kaiju fan letter that is 2013's Pacific Rim. Without Godzilla, there is no Ultraman. And without Ultraman, there is no Super Sentai (Power Rangers) and so on.

Tsuburaya's influence can also be seen in every disaster movie's audacious carnage and ever-more-adventurous willingness to push boundaries using special effects.

That's probably why we still thrill to learn about the man who made all those monster suits really roar. Because even now, more than 50 years later, it's as exciting, outrageous, and thrilling as when Godzilla first hit the screen.

Thank You Tsuburaya Eiji for making our childhood a memorable one and our adulthood an awesome one!

Pics by Ultraman NFT & Vox Full Story : Eiji Tsuburaya made Godzilla and it changed film forever Follow Ultraman NFT & August Ragone if you’re a Tokusatsu fan!

[frostedlemonwriter]

Kitchen Adventures - Chapter 1

Mr. Moran’s old seafoam green pickup truck rumbled down the winding road that led through this old neighborhood. Past old but well-maintained houses with manicured lawns surrounded by trees on each side, the ancient heavy leaf-laden boughs hung over the road in a natural arch. Houses made of brick and wood were built during Acadia’s boom after the war when the fishing industry took off to help serve a hungry nation. Acadia wasn’t even a fraction of its former glory, but people remained. The pickup truck drove up to the intersection of St. Mary’s and Glenfiddich before it turned and disappeared in the evening mist.

A rough stone wall stained by the constant cold rain bordered a two-story home that housed an average family. Each window lit up from the inside with signs of movement and life. Oak-scented smoke rose from the chimney in an unbroken shaft into the clouds above, with a wrap-around porch covered by an awning held up by faux classical columns. High-backed wooden chairs painted white beside tables covered in empty bottles and wine glasses.

Two teenage women sat on the old stone wall with their hands clenched together. Ryan Byrnes ran her free hand through her dark brown hair and flipped to one side. A miniature cross dangled off the thin hoop through her earlobe; her thin lips painted an aubergine color with a silver stud piercing her bottom lip. While her girlfriend, the ginger-haired Kaytlin Amber, was clad in a denim jacket with various patches upon its surface. A messenger bag lay strapped around her torso.

“I hate these parties,” Ryan broke the silence.

Kat smirked while she brought her phone up to check her texts. Two from her mother and one from her father. In typical fashion, she rolled her eyes at the orders and summons to return home.

“At least your parents are normal,” Kat replied. “My parents throw dinner parties for political bullshit reasons with people they hate.”

“Your dad is a politician, babe.”

Kat waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, “I know. Still, everything is so fake.”

“He’s the fakest person I know,” Ryan kissed Kaytlin’s cheek. “You are the realist person I know.”

Kaytlin turned her head to give her girlfriend a soft kiss.

“I gotta head home,” Kat sighed.

With a sigh of her own, Ryan wanted to spend more time with her best friend and girlfriend. Still, there was plenty of time together once they graduated in just over a month. Kat’s father owned a condo in the city that he only used when he had to visit the city. As a graduation present to both young women, they will stay there through the next four years of college as long as they take care of it.

Kaytlin hopped off the wall while she gazed at Ryan for a moment. After a bit, Kat pulled out her camera from the messenger bag. After she fiddled with some settings, Kay kneeled in front of her girlfriend before urging her not to move. Ryan was used to it and loved being an impromptu model. Considering that a photo she was in helped Kaytlin get into Oregon State University’s photography program.

“My perfect muse,” Kat remarked before she leaned in to kiss Ryan. “I’ll text you. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Kaytlin waved before she walked over to the bike that she had had since they were in middle school. A depression in the grass from the bicycle corrected itself once Kat departed. Down the road where the town’s most expensive houses resided – the mayor, the DA, and various lawyers and doctors lived.

With a glance at the woman disappearing down the road, Ryan prepared to go back inside, where her parents and their friends were undoubtedly drunk. Another moment lingered before her stomach grumbled, which forced her hand as dinner called Ryan’s name. Her parents were always social with the neighbors, which meant a lot of food and alcohol. For Ryan, it meant she had to be social when all she wanted to do was watch her cooking shows; read her culinary books for the hundredth time; or even play a video game, which she did a bit more rare as Ryan got older.

While she made her way through the house with a bowl of chili, Mr. Henderson cooked and brought it over. Ryan went to her private sanctuary in the entire world – her bedroom. It was the smallest room in the home as her two older brothers got the bigger ones she preferred. Dozens of posters and photos cover her walls. Bands she had always loved dominated most of the walls, with the popstar Juju taking center stage. A twin-sized bed dominated the right side of the room with a shelf built into the wall above, which held books by famed chefs Niki Yoshimoto, Melissa Kim, and various others.

Upon a metal desk, her laptop opened with a green pipe screensaver that just caused various lights to play across the room. Purple and green lights strung around her room. Ryan's chef jacket hung off a hanger from the back of her open closet door. She turned on The Owl House on her laptop; this was her favorite of all time outside of culinary shows. Ryan locked the door after she finished her dinner and brushed her teeth. With her phone clutched in her hands, she curled up on her bed.

While Ryan was always an early riser, she decided to jog around the neighborhood to help let out some energy and work on her health. After working at Doc Henderson’s, a five-star Zagat restaurant catered to the elite of Acadia and its surrounding towns, Ryan discovered that stamina and fitness would make the intense professional kitchen a bit easier to handle. Ryan steeled herself for the long day ahead with her phone playing Tegan and Sara through her earbuds.

The school day was a drag since Kaytlin didn’t share many classes. They would see each other often until the lunch break, which allowed both of them to have jobs to save each cent for their move to the city. After a couple of hours spent hanging out, Kat would drop off Ryan before she took herself to work.

An old Victorian manor turned restaurant where the first doctor that lived in Acadia dwelled back when the town first formed. The back door led to a large dry storage room with a locker room off to the side. A space that smelt of the astringent chemicals that kept it clean. Several old metal lockers lined the wall. Ryan stuffed her backpack into the cubicle before she put on the whole chef’s outfit, including the jacket and pants, and made sure the black skull cap properly secured her hair.

“Miss Byrnes, good to see you,” Chef Joseph Woodward called out to the young lady as she entered the kitchen.

The Chef was an imposing man with broad shoulders, a well-trimmed graying beard, and a small American flag pinned to the chef jacket’s lapel. It was a sign that the man had cooked on the American Culinary team and was a certified Chef de Cuisine. Outside of Chef Ashly Willow, Ryan’s most revered chef, this man was the most influential in how she cooked. From dishwasher to prep to garde manger in less than a month, she had been on the most decorative and knife-heavy station for the past half year, which had improved her knife skills by leaps and bounds, along with plating.

“How are you, chef?” Ryan replied.

“Great,” Chef Joseph answered, “Can I have a moment of your time, please?”

Ryan nodded and followed the chef toward what used to be an old storeroom converted to a fully functional office. Photos of the owners and the chef with various great culinarians and chefs of the past and present.

“You aren’t in trouble. Please relax a little,” The chef said to Ryan.

Ryan’s shoulders softened as she sat down to listen to the chef. Who explained to her how well she had been doing and how quickly she had picked up the basics of knife work. Not to mention the design on the plates of the salads and desserts was quick and precise, and even Ryan would admit this is the part she enjoyed the most. She was making art on a blank plate canvas. Even if it was someone else’s design, Ryan learned something each time. The chef praised her but gave the young woman some more pointers on how to be more efficient in her movement. Before, he stated that Ryan would be working with Sous Chef Allison Daveys on the grill station tonight. One of the most prestigious and complex stations for it involved the precise cooking, cutting, and resting of proteins. Chef wanted her to work on each station for a week before going to culinary school. For her education, more than a need for help on the stations. The chef's goal was to expose the young woman to many other techniques before she left.

“I recognize the talent, potential, and natural understanding for cooking that you possess,” The chef wasn’t a man to give out compliments for no reason. “I think culinary school is the best thing for you. Just keep working on your skills. Find a part-time weekend job at a nice restaurant near the school. Join the ACF as a student.”

The chef liked to hear himself talk; however, Ryan made a mental note of his advice to write down later in the culinary notebook she kept in her backpack. The American Culinary Federation was already on the young woman’s radar, which solidified her wanting to join their student program. He explained more about what Ryan should do, tweak, or change, and after a bit, the chef sent Ryan off to work under the Sous Chef.

Ryan enjoyed the opportunity to work on the grill. To learn how to temp a piece of meat just by touch. To properly rest and cut a beautiful protein. It was a rather busy Monday night, but it wasn’t hard for the young woman to keep up with the demands of the guests. By the night's end, her steaks were perfect no matter what doneness the guest wanted. Her fish was properly cooked and not overdone. The chicken was juicy, not underdone, but not overdone. The young woman was proud of herself and even received praise from the cooks around here. Even the Sous Chef who was on the station with her seemed impressed.

By the time the restaurant was closed, Ryan was in the locker room, paying no heed to the other cooks around her who had changed into their street clothes. She wrote the advice the chef de cuisine gave her. The way to slice meat - against the grain! - written across the top of the page.

When her girlfriend called to tell Ryan to get her butt outside, Ryan was excited, still pumped from the night, that she got into Kat’s sedan and kissed her girlfriend. The young chef-to-be couldn’t help but go on about the evening, which Kaytlin found adorable. Despite her job at McDonald’s being awful. Kat was just happy for her girlfriend. Just like Ryan supported every step of Kat’s desire to be a photographer.

After a bit, Kaytlin stopped her car in front of Ryan’s home. They quickly kissed before Ryan made her way across the damp lawn. Once inside, she greeted her mother, ignored her brother's snide comment, and disappeared into her room. Ryan lay on her bed with a bit of a huff; when she closed her eyes, Ryan thought of her girlfriend, but her mind drifted to Portland. Kat would make waves in the photography world, while Ryan would open her food truck to help fund her future restaurants and catering business. It was a great idea, but Ryan knew it would be hard. A smile crossed her face because the idea she would be doing this with her best friend, girlfriend, and soulmate was such a great, awesome thing that many wouldn’t get.

The last few weeks in Acadia went by much quicker than anyone expected. Yet, the weekend before school started for both women, the young women packed up Kat’s car with both of their clothes, books, and anything they could fit, as they were thankful the furnished condo was an actual option. A dark and dreary day with heavy rain didn’t slow them down after a quick farewell to Ryan’s parents. Kat cranked the engine to life and looked at her girlfriend.

“Ready?” Kat asked.

There was a lot of weight to that singular word.

Ryan took her girlfriend’s hand for a moment, “Yes.”

Always Wit U by Juju played over the speakers after Ryan started her Spotify playlist. The two teens sang the lyrics together while Kat drove the car out of the neighborhood. One of the lovely sunny days to start their new lives together in the big city, at least it was a big city to them, and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Ryan’s left knee bounced as they rode on the highway. Kaytlin placed her hand on her girlfriend’s knee, which calmed both women as they got closer to their new home.

Portland was their favorite city as the place had a unique aura compared to Seattle or any of the major cities in California. There were tall buildings, yet no high rises like in Seattle. Plenty of trees and green areas, and once you enter the city, there’s a sign that welcomes you with the city’s unofficial motto - Keep Portland Weird. The young women truly loved the city because everyone seemed to be themselves without worry or the need to change. As if societal taboos didn’t exist here, though that was untrue, it is still great not to have to feel like changing themselves.

Kaytlin pulled off to the side close to the Willamette River, where several bridges spanned across the gentle elbow of the river’s bend. She knew her girlfriend well enough that Ryan didn’t say anything as Kat removed her camera. Despite having been best friends since elementary school and lovers since sophomore year. The sudden inspiration that Kat would receive always amazed Ryan as she would see something and knew it would make a great photo somehow. To work on pure creative intuition and instinct was something that Kat always had. Ryan didn’t know if she had such a thing despite what her former chef informed her some weeks ago.

“It’s beautiful,” Kat said.

Ryan looked over the river as the sun played off the water's surface. Without another word, she climbed back into the car. Kat pulled them into an underground car park with its code-activated gate and a fancy elevator.

After a long elevator ride, they carried their boxes and bags through the unremarkable hallway leading to their condo. Once Kat unlocked the door, they both had a key given to them by her father, but Kaytlin was always a bit of a gentleman, in a sense. Once inside, Ryan loved how minimalistic and modern the interior was.

“Dad paid a lot of money for some fancy-schmancy interior designer to make this place look good. Then his dumb ass never comes here,” Kat groaned, but the man had a lot of money.

Kaytlin always scoffed at the idea. Her parents had money, but Kat worked to save her own, not wanting a cent from either one, which was another thing Ryan admired about her girlfriend. The desire to truly become independent of her parents in every way. Kat was different than all the other rich, posh girls in school that Ryan knew.

Surprisingly it didn’t take them too long to unpack everything, which left Ryan some time to look down at Portland below. Like ants below her, people went about their daily lives. Cars drove through the streets that led to where they had to go, wherever that may be.

“Are you sure you don’t mind cooking tonight?” Kat whispered, arms wrapped around Ryan’s stomach.

“Don’t be silly,” Ryan replied. “I am 

They spent the weekend making their shared home their own with various posters, pictures, and the purple and green lights that Ryan had strung in her old bedroom. The future chef made every meal to practice her knife cuts and other techniques she had seen on YouTube or in the textbooks for her first semester. Kat proclaimed the food was excellent each time, and though Ryan thought it tasty, she knew it wasn’t as good as her girlfriend claimed. However, Ryan loved how much Kat supported her, as it pushed her to want to make great food every time.

“Let me take a picture of it,” Kat looked at the plate of food and glanced up at her girlfriend.

Ryan shook her head. Despite being pretty plates, Ryan felt her food wasn’t ready to be photographed. The young woman’s confidence did balloon a little as she couldn’t deny that they did look good.

Ryan kept her habit of jogging early in the morning, with Kat joining her sans camera. They would explore their area of the city with small boutiques, cafes, and bars. Not to mention the bus stops for Ryan and Kat. What stood out was the open-air market a few blocks from where they lived.

“Let’s stop a moment,” Ryan said, out of breath with her legs burning.

Kat nodded, “Yeah, babe. I need to catch my breath anyway. I am dying!”

Ryan glanced at her girlfriend, whose brow glistened in beads of sweat that glistened in the early morning sun. Her focus, however, switched to the sizable market that sat on the corner of a rather busy intersection. Despite the time of day, the market was a hub of activity. Workers filled their stalls with fresh produce, fish, and a few butchers with beautiful cuts of meats.

“Wow,” Ryan whispered to herself.

The young chef smelled produce and sampled everything she could as she and Kat talked with the vendors; this was one of the eye-opening moments of Ryan’s life as her palate acquired new flavors. Just like her old chef used to advise her to do every time the restaurant got fresh ingredients. The visit was great despite Kaytlin lamenting that she should have brought her camera. It made Ryan desire to create fantastic, award-winning food from those who cared about the quality of their produce, beef, fish, or what-have-you, even higher than before.

The weekend ended after a dinner of flank steak, shiitake mushrooms, and fingerling potatoes, all ingredients Ryan found at the open-air market. The two women sat down to watch a movie, snuggling against one another as the weekend drew close. With both of their classes starting on Monday, they made sure both of their backpacks were ready to go.

Kaytlin quickly fell asleep, but Ryan couldn’t catch more than an hour of sleep at any time. Like a ship lost at sea, she tossed and turned beside her girlfriend, who slept through it all. Ryan couldn’t even explain why she was so nervous about tomorrow as she stared at the ceiling. Not like tomorrow was an important test or exam, but it felt like the first step in the long journey of her life. After some time, Ryan fell asleep for a few solid hours before getting up for her morning jog.

Ryan’s nerves improved as the jog ended, and she sat down, freshly scrubbed from her shower, dressed in her chef’s outfit for class. Ryan sipped on her coffee with still over an hour before her first class began. The young woman knew which building and room her classes would reside in as all the culinary courses were in the same place. Kat was going to drive them both today since her class was later in the day, so there was no need for the bus today. Tomorrow would be different with the early morning baking class and the ServSafe sanitary course.

The campus was large, with well-manicured green lawns that separated several large brick-faced buildings. Large groups of students traveled between the parking lot and their classes. A decent amount of them dressed in the same uniform as Ryan.

“You got this, babe,” Kat assured as she stopped close to Ryan’s building.

After a quick kiss, Ryan smiled and thanked her girlfriend for the support. Then she stepped out into the cool, windy morning. The most significant first step on the journey of becoming one of the chefs she had admired her whole life. A few students like her outside the giant production kitchen made small talk as they waited for the introductory class to begin. Ryan paid most of them no attention as she watched the older students in the kitchen. They made soups and stocks in one part while several students chopped, sliced, and minced vegetables under the watchful gaze of a chef. In a separate part of the kitchen, students made candies with what appeared to be molten sugar. Another had students pulling loaves of bread from an actual wood-fired brick oven. An excellent, wonderful, glorious place in Ryan’s mind, and she couldn’t wait to get started with it all, especially as these students she watched were starting new classes in their second, third, and fourth semesters and already knew something.

“My name is Sally, and this is Joesph,” A young blonde-haired woman gestured toward her apparent twin brother.

Ryan snapped out of her mind and looked at two dressed the same as herself with their university-issued knife bags and backpacks.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Ryan. It is a pleasure to meet you both,” She cocked an eyebrow, “Twins?”

Joseph nodded his head and pushed his thick hipster-like black-rimmed glasses up his nose.

“Sally is three minutes older.

“And I always remind him of it,” The woman added.

Before the twins could continue, an older woman in a chef’s jacket with a briefcase, a backpack, and a knife roll arrived to herd the students into one of the many classrooms set off the production kitchen. The broad-shouldered woman’s voice was low and husky, which commanded the attention of all who heard her. She introduced herself as Chef Melissa and explained her history of working with some of the best chefs in the country. Then the chef spent most of the time describing what to expect this semester from the classes since the first semester was the same for every culinary student. After that, everyone had to introduce themselves to their classmates, and Ryan hated this part yet participated when it was time.

With false confidence, Ryan stood up, “My name is Ryan Byrnes. I’m from just up the road a bit in Acadia. I’m a double major student in culinary and baking. I want to open a food truck and run a restaurant one day. My favorite chef is Ashly Willow. Would love to meet her one day.”

Ryan had to will herself to shut up and sit down, and it felt like everyone judged her, despite no one outside of the twins thinking twice about it. As the chef-professor ended the hours-long class, she led the students through the kitchen, including the bakery, candy shop, ice carving room, and even the restaurant open daily. Then after the chef proclaimed that Wednesday would be a lecture followed by time in the kitchen, she wished everyone a good rest for the beginner's baking course started before the sun rose above the horizon since their baked goods are what the cafeteria and restaurant sell throughout the day.

Well into mid-afternoon, Ryan said goodbye to her classmates once the class was over. Who was quick to trade numbers with each other, but then it was off to the bus for the young woman. She was thankful it didn’t take long to get to the condo, and Ryan was in the apartment alone for the first time. When she went through the culinary textbook, she found a bolognese recipe that Ryan had tried before. Dinner was decided for tonight, and Ryan was determined to have her first photo-worthy dish.

And assuredly, Kaytlin would love to take the photo.

[davidwalterbanks]

My new project, tentatively titled ‘Trembling Earth,’ aims to convey the universal value of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and its need for further protection from the titanium mining industry. I am taking a two-pronged approach visually. I will utilize strict documentary photography to serve as evidence and facts to prove my case of the refuge’s value. In my opinion, the sum of this place is more than a direct factual approach can total though. There is a mystical ethereal quality of this primordial place that escapes both the written word and limits of photojournalism. My secondary approach looks capture the intangible feeling one is left with after communing with this magical space. These images will still be created fully in-camera, but will utilize abstract methods in lighting and filters to achieve unique emotive tones in a style I have honed over the past decade. Georgia’s 438,000-acre Okefenokee Swamp is one of the largest intact freshwater ecosystems in the world, and is home to more than 600 species of wild plants, 200 species of birds, 100 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 35 species of fish, including rare and endangered species. Despite designation as a National Wildlife Refuge, North America’s largest blackwater swamp is still under threat by the titanium mining industry. While the refuge may be protected, its boundaries are not. Trail Ridge, the geologic formation that forms the eastern boundary of the swamp, is currently threatened by the Twin Pines Mining Company which has proposed plans for heavy mineral sand mining that would cover an expanse of roughly 8,000-acres next to the refuge. This mining process will lower the water table and increase drought, causing greater susceptibility to wildfire, and permanently altering the ecosystem. Lowered water table and increased drought exposes more peat that can catch fire — peat that stores over 95 million tons of CO2, which cannot be recaptured once released. The swamp as it stands is fire adapted but peat dependent. Upsetting this 10,000-year-old balance could lead to the collapse of an entire ecosystem. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr00y1oOtHG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fatehbaz]

While obviously central to, say, Robinson Crusoe (1719), Moby-Dick (1851), or Treasure Island (1883), the sea also drives some powerful narrative turbines in Jane Eyre (1847), Great Expectations (1861), and Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891). Elleke Boehmer’s remark that imperial representations were ‘curiously invisible and yet ubiquitous’ in Victorian literature could also be applied to the sea, the means of building and sustaining that imperial network. [...]

Increasingly, critics have begun to draw out the role of the sea in a number of texts we might think of as non-sea-literature. [...] After all, most canonical Gothic novels include at least one significant sea voyage, shipwreck, or ocean storm. Consider Robert Walton’s ice-bound ship in Frankenstein (1818), Dracula’s voyages to and from England, the wreck that casts the Spaniard on Melmoth’s shore [...].

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By the twentieth century the Age of Sail had given way to steam power and iron ships (a transition which spiked in the 1880s and 90s), and the whaling industry was soon in sharp decline. Other changes followed, such as the way improved navigation and nutrition, along with steam and the building of the Panama and Suez canals, reduced both the danger and the frequency of voyages around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. [...]

This is a ghost ship for the twentieth century, a new danger generated by steam power, large metal ships, their accompanying speed, and increasingly busy shipping lanes. There was no directly equivalent discrepancy of size and power between sailing craft in the previous century, while these days, radar, radio and GPS navigation mitigate against (though certainly do not eliminate) the risks of leisure craft entering shipping lanes and the problems of fog. The Gothic trope of the ghost ship is no more timeless than any other ghost. Historically situated, it becomes legible not by separating but by blending Gothic expression with nautical reality [...].

Modern uses of the sea (including opportunities for warfare, scientific investigation, oil drilling, or industrialised fishing) affect the ocean as an imagined space. Increasing interest in the ocean as a space of exploration and strange sea-creatures, for example, coincided with the rise of popular cinema; films such as Jaws (1975), the numerous Godzilla films, The Abyss (1989) and Pacific Rim (2013) exploit the mystery and terror of animal or alien threats from the unknowable ocean deep. [...]

These examples take some by now familiar nautical Gothic themes (dangerous unknown regions and creatures, concealment, isolation, depths vs. surface, claustrophobia, disorientation) and relocate them in new contexts of leisure, science, technophilia, and global commerce. [...]

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The mid-nineteenth century was when the open ocean became a destination as well as a conduit: ‘a workplace, a leisure area, a stage for adventure, and a natural environment’. Nonetheless, the twenty-first century moment makes it particularly urgent to recognise the history of the sea. Philip Steinberg points out that the ‘one sea’ we now know the oceans comprise is a relatively new idea [...].

In 2017, the familiarity of seeing the world’s oceans through aerial and satellite photography conveys a sense of the ocean as holistic, but also reifies it as non-human and timeless, rather than as socially constructed, vulnerable, and rapidly changing. Far from unchangeable, however, the ocean registers damaging effects of climate change, consumerism [...]. [A] ‘burgeoning sense of an environmental crisis of the ocean is emerging hand in hand with the dawning recognition that our everyday lives affect, and are influenced by, the ocean.’

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All text above by: Emily Alder. “Through Oceans Darkly: Sea Literature and the Nautical Gothic.” Gothic Studies Volume 19 Issue 2. 2017. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[protoplanetarydisc]

trawler

[blossom-adventures]

15 Questions!

I’ve been tagged by @thequeenofthewinter & @oblivions-dawn to answer these 15 questions, thank you for the tags my dears ☺️💙🌸

I’m going to tag… @bostoniangirl21 @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @seradyn @savage-rhi @andywinter16 & @hauntedadagium but there is absolutely no pressure to do this yourself, I hope you’re all ok and are having a good day ☺️💙

1. Are you named after anyone? I share my name with a famous TV character (which has helped some people spell it in the past) but no I am not named after them. Long story short… when my mum went to the doctors when she was pregnant with me, she heard another mum call out to their daughter, who had the same name, and she decided that day that she loved the name and wanted me to have it too

2. When was the last time you cried? Tuesday morning, a friend on here, that I’m meeting at KupoCon in September, offered me their spare ticket after I had a panic the night before (the ticket I had didn’t have access to meeting the guests) I was that shocked at the kindness they showed that I cried when I started explaining to my mum what had happened (they know who they are ☺️💙)

3. Do you have kids? No

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Noooooo… 😉 honestly though, yes, all the time. Sometimes though, people don’t realise I’m being sarcastic, which has lead me to have to explain it

5. What sports do you/have you played? I played football (soccer) for 5 years with a women’s team based in Derby, I was the teams goalkeeper, I enjoyed playing so much, but chose to finish when the manager and coach retired. I also played contact rugby for my last year at school, although my goalkeeping coach noticed I was catching a football like I would a rugby ball so he told me to finish that 😆

6. What’s the first thing you notice about other people? I… don’t really “notice” things in that regard… however, if it’s a man, I’m generally being drawn to their arms… I’m very much an arm person 😉

7. Eye colour? Blue

8. Scary movies or happy endings? As some of you know from talking to me on streams, I am not a horror fan, I would much rather have a happy ending than a scary movie

9. Any special talents? I’m not bad at singing, I was in the school choir for 4 years. And I’ve been surprising myself just recently with my skill with textiles, sewing in particular

10. Where were you born? Nottingham, England

11. What are your hobbies? Reading, writing, video games, watching films and - at the moment at least - working on my cosplay

12. Do you have any pets? My dad kept fish, really big fish that we keep in the pond at the top of the garden, when he died, I said to my mum that I wanted to keep them… so I have a pond full of massive fish

13. How tall are you? 5’10”

14. Favourite subject in school? Photography

15. Dream job? Film industry, being a set decorator would be amazing! I love watching the behind the scenes of the Hobbit films (I have them on the extended edition of the films) and it’s so interesting to see all the sets and props

[adamwatchesmovies]

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017)

I distinctly remember the 2004 release of Super Size Me. It shocked the world - despite telling us all what we already knew - and was released shortly before I started working at McDonald’s. As part of my training, I was told that if anyone asked us to “supersize” something, I should inform them that we no longer offered that option. If anyone wanted to shoot footage or requested an interview, I needed to call a superior immediately. Since then, I've seen many people looking for ways to discredit the experiment but the point remains: it made us think about what food we were eating, whether or not food as unhealthy as the one sold to us should be allowed and whether McDonald's might've had something to do with the health situation of those teens who tried to sue them. Since then, what’s changed?

Having noticed many differences in the way fast food chains brand themselves and their food, Morgan Spurlock decides to take on them on again, this time by launching a fully-transparent fast food restaurant.

As before, Supersize Me 2 isn’t really telling us anything we "don’t know" but it’s what we might've not thought of that’s surprising. Chickens have been specially bred to give us more meat faster than when they were first domesticated. How far has that breeding gone? Those rumors of four-winged and beakless birds are just rumors, aren’t they?

As Spurlock demonstrates, the food hasn't changed but the presentation has. Burger chains with fireplaces, lots of stonework, word collages and big inviting photos on the walls. It’s like walking into a completely different place and that's the idea. Food seems healthier through the use of color, photography, and word choice but it’s not like the menus have taken away the family buckets, the Whoppers, Big Macs, Baconators or Fillet-o’-Fish. New, greener items have been introduced but no one would call any of them “classics”.

In a way, the film does feel like Spurlock trying to find his way back into the spotlight. Though he’s had success since 2004, none have ever been as big as the movie that made him a name. The film acknowledges this. In fact, it’s the reason him opening a chicken restaurant would “work”; you know him. You associate his name with food and with an effort to be healthy. His presence also works with the film in other ways. He’s seen how bad this can get, what it can do to you. We believe his intentions are good, that he might even feel partially responsible for the trend of marketing bad food as "good for you". It’s an ongoing battle that I expect he will return to in the future. Someone else might take on the task someday but will they be as amiable and charismatic as Spurlock?

Although Supersize Me 2: Holy Chicken is a sobering experience, it is also a comedy and comedic sequels rarely measure up to their predecessors. You kind of go in knowing what to expect so you cannot be surprised the same way we were in 2004 - even when the film covers new facets of the industry. In a way, it wasn’t essential for this film to be made but then again, why not? Aren’t we still happily gobbling up unhealthy, deep-fried meals full of fats and sugars? Aren’t these big companies still using insidious tactics to make millions at our expense? In fact, why don’t more documentarians come back for “round two”, particularly when they make a splash big enough that their targets notice? (August 3, 2021)

[kenzyhesham]

Assignment 4 Proposal

I want to accompany a fisherman and photograph a day in his life. I will accompany him on his boat in the Nile and take photos of the boat, him fishing and the Nile to show the environment he operates in. Egypt is considered one of the best fishing industries in the world; however, when we think of fishing in Egypt, I believe we think of fishing in Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh or Lake Nasser. We don't think about the fact that fishermen fish at the Nile too. Many ordinary people also stand at the banks of the Nile and fish. I think that the citizens of Cairo have a stereotypical view towards fishing. They just see it is a boring activity without really knowing a lot about how it works. My project would be aimed at showing a glimpse of the skills of a fisherman and the difficulties they must overcome in their line of work. In this case, this project would be considered documentary photography. I plan to go there early in the morning as we are approaching the Winter season and it may be difficult to find fishermen at night because of the cold weather. I intend to take photos of the fisherman working on the boat while keep him on the left or right side of the frame to achieve rule of thirds. I also aim to take close up photos of the fish to give the feeling that the viewer is touching them. The project is feasible within the timeframe as it doesn't require traveling to and from a place outside of Cairo. The only problem is that if I need to reshoot certain photos, I may not be able to get in touch with the same fisherman.

[deanorosphoto]

KEEP A HOBBY OUTSIDE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.

Above: Lush greenery of the LOWBOY PLANTED AQUARIUM comes to view during the artificial sunrise of aquarium lighting.

It’s important to have interests outside of photography. Stepping away to explore, to utilize our talents and curiosity in other areas is nourishing for the soul, not to mention our mental health. Hobbies are perfect for this. Keep it fun. Try new things.

Several interests and hobbies outside of making pictures grab my attention. Aquaria is but one. Aquariums and fish keeping has been with me since I was a kid. Over the years I’ve had many aquariums including a high-tech coral reef. Learning about fish, water chemistry, light and how to create and maintain an artificial ecosystem is incredibly rewarding. Depending on where you reside, there may be a thriving community where one can meet like-minded people, share knowledge, and buy / trade sea-creatures, plants and gear. 

One can immediately see how knowledge of light in photography crosses over to light needed to help grow and sustain life in saltwater and freshwater aquariums. And, brackish tanks of course.

THE LOWBOY.

My latest aquaria project, now running for several months, is a 50 gallon freshwater planted riverscape. Measuring 4 feet (L) by 2 feet (W) by 10 inches (H), this style of tank is named LOWBOY, as this is what its dimensions refer to. This setup includes aquatic plants harvested over several months from small clippings. It’s a cool-water ecosystem home to a school of about 40 fish, with a few other inhabitants and species of plant life. It is referred to as a high-tech planted aquarium because it utilizes CO2 injection and high quality spectrum of lighting. The aquarium rests on a custom-designed extruded aluminum stand which is both light in weight and incredibly strong. It has a minimalistic, industrial look that I find appealing as a juxtaposition to the rest of the room where it is situated.

WRAP-UP.

Designing the aquascape, water flow, filtration, lighting and feeding requirements to make an aquarium thrive is a creative process, somewhat of trial and error until one gets it just right. It’s a lot of fun. Just remember that planning and patience is key to being successful in this rewarding hobby.

A bonus of being a photographer is it provides an opportunity for a challenging project. Creating still images of an aquarium, such as the photograph in this post of the LOWBOY, with its combination of low ambient light, artificial sunrise of the aquarium lighting, moving and still subjects, reflections and geometry, make for an interesting shoot. One could choose to perfect the scene with complete cable management of the aquarium. Perhaps that'll be a future project as the setup is still in its infancy.

There’s such variety in aquariums and fish keeping that it easily can be a life long pursuit. 

I hope you found this interesting. What hobbies interest you?

STAY CONNECTED.

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A large collection of my imagery is available as printed artwork in a variety of sizes and wall art options. I also accept private commissions.

artistry + documentary

See you next time!