31 Oct 2011

年轻人,别为自己系上绳结

年轻一代,容易陷入困扰,找不到指引,这是肯定的。我们难免在追求自己的目标途中顿时失去自我,难免在遇到挫折时心灰意冷,难免在得不到回馈时遇到瓶颈,难免在别人的成就之下感到自卑,难免……这些都是难免的。

遇到这些“难免”的时候,年轻人便容易在自己的眉头上系上一个绳结。懊恼、意志消沉、关在房间里面陷入自己的乌云中。

Tangle, or not?
无系何需解铃人?2011。Canon G5。B&W conversion from RAW。

我想说的是,无系何需解铃人?我要提出两个看待生活问题的角度。

第一,有些问题根本是不问题——有些事情看起来像是打了结那样,但只要你认真看清楚,其实根本没有绳结。人是喜欢钻牛角尖的动物,尤其是我们年轻人。我们有执著、难听话、不冷静,于是常常忘记跳出框框。这种不是问题的“问题”,其实是所谓“事实”, 是一定会发生的,是人人必经的。

第二,不是全部问题都能被解决的,有些问题只能被面对。这种永远存在、时不时骚扰人的问题包括人事关系、不受赏识等等和人有关的问题。世界上很多种人,不同类的人碰在一起就会有问题,而这种碰击随时都会发生。如果你一昧想着如何解决这种问题,那么你就永远困陷在“解决不到问题”的处境——原地踏步。面对问题不是解决问题——解决问题是摆平了问题才迈向目标,面对问题则是绕过问题继续迈向目标。换句话说,面对问题是在问题仍然存在时,不让问题阻止你前进!

年轻人是不会被负面问题打败的,他只会被自己的负面态度打败。

30 Oct 2011

Earth, with capital E (or: Land use change in Selangor, 1974-present)

今年多拿环境管理科目(就是不那么纯生物或纯生态的),加上上次实地考察的组员有个是 geographic information system (GIS) 的 master student,所以最近常用地图和 Google Earth。以前得空的时候,玩地图曾经是一种嗜好,因为我们脚下的星球实在太广大了。于是,玩地图成为了旅行的便宜替代。如今这嗜好成为了功课,成为了追踪人类发展的工具,成为了科学家与民众沟通的桥梁(人人都会看地图,但不是数据和图表)。

Google Earth 有一项很好的教育工具,叫做 Global Awareness Layer (built-in 的),在你的地图上加一层资料以供学习。以下五张地图使用了 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 在吉隆坡(或雪兰莪)在 1974-2011 期间的四张地图(最新的那张是 Google Earth 本身的)。 

请仔细看看这个地区在 37 年间的转变。你会看见的是:
  • 1974 年大部分地区还是绿色的森林,有些农田集中在河边和海边,城市则集中在 Kuala Lumpur (KL) 和 Shah Alam 一带;
  • 1990 年,农田没有增加很多,但是 KL 迅速发展,附近土地很多都变成灰色的水泥地。很多森林也开始被孤岛化 (habitat fragmentation) —— 孤岛化是物种灭绝的主因之一;
  • 2001年,雪洲各大城市已经开始衔接,但在此同时绿色土地更加孤岛化(同时留意“孤岛”的缩小,例如 Puchong 右边的森林);
  • 2005年,吉隆坡已经没什么地用了,所以 Shah Alam 和 Putrajaya 等“郊外”地区成为发展商的目标。我相信吉隆坡已被发展的土地仍继续密集(面积固定,但密度增加),可是地图的清晰度不足以显示;
  • 今日,KL 的原始森林已经几乎灭绝(剩下一些难以发展的高地森林?),人类用地已经从KL 无间断地延伸至 Kelang港口一带。水泥地面积超过地图的一半,稻田大约 30%,剩下的“原始”土地就……
  • 你还看见了什么吗?


7 January 1974
7 February 1990
31 May 2001
18 January 2005
Present (last updated 30 October 2011)

我没什么发表,主要是让你自己思考。想一想,这些年来的土地变化给了你什么冲击(从地图上看见的,或者自身从周边环境感受到的)?政府和我们人民的一举一动对
  • 经济发展
  • 人民福利
  • 生活素质和
  • 环境带来了什么影响?

后记:这些日子来我已经习惯用大字母 E 来写 Earth,因为之前在书上看见如此写法,觉得有尊敬之意。

29 Oct 2011

母子

原来这些年里无意间收集了父子父女母女的照片,唯独母子不在其中。右边的 snapshot 和这一家人填充了我的不足。小孩子的眼神,对我来说还是那么地迷茫。大人的眼神,在小孩面前,则显得多么有方向性。

Family on bus
母子(家人)。2011。Canon 550D。

27 Oct 2011

为何挣扎活着?

生活如此艰辛,我们仍然努力求存或求活(“生存”别于“生活”)。

对此行为,我有一个解释:我们相信永生,所以挣扎地活下去。“永生”并非指自身肉体的不老不死,而是非自身的永续。非自身的永续可以通过基因的遗传、笔迹照片录音的保留和精神的流传。

从最自然的角度看待人类努力照顾后代的行为,其解释也只不过是为了保证自己的基因库得以保存在世上。我们的创作,让我们死后还能活着。至于精神的流传,我们能在各种主义、思想和定律中看见不死的政治家、哲学家和科学家等。

如果人没有“永存”的概念,那么虚无主义将轻易地在我们脑中使自杀、自我抛弃的念头萌发。反过来说,人的生存或生活宗旨是非常值得表扬的,因为大家都在努力达到永存。

25 Oct 2011

似春,似夏

记得 scroll 去右边一下。还没找到一个好办法来排版照片,多多包涵。

老天爷似乎忘记了春天。冬天结束后,就立刻换来夏天的温度。热,周围的野花开得更频密,在蟋蟀的吱喳间随风摆动。花了几天,今天终于在炎热的中午找到好构图。

Spring bloom
野花。2011。Canon G5。

大学的树也开得灿烂。另一边的黄花坠落湖中,漂到了紫色 Jacaranda 前,我才得以突破这几天构不到图的瓶颈。很多时候想重返旧地,重新构图,却没有机会,因为不是什么地方都能在弹指之间抵达。人生也不过如此,很多东西错过了就是错过了。


Jacaranda, UQ
。2011。Canon G5。
Yellow flowered tree
。2011。Canon G5。

动物们也开始活跃起来。爬行类比较多活动,鸟儿开始求偶、交配和生蛋。湖另一头的 moorhen 已经生了很多小鸡,但是我还没有找到满意的构图。虽然 moorhen 没有鸭子那么有攻击性,还是很难接近它们。


The tortoise and the hen
龟与鸟。2011。Canon G5。

日子一天一天地过,季节换了又换。很快就要毕业了。又是时候计划,计划如何将知识应用在社会上。

24 Oct 2011

Question #9

Question 9. Are the issues surrounding truth and beauty still relevant to photographers of the twenty-first century?

During the past 25 years, issues of gender, identity, race, and sexuality have been predominant because they had been previously neglected. In terms of practice, the artistic ramifications of digital imaging have been an overriding concern. But whether an imagemaker uses analog silver-based methods to record reality or pixels to transform it, the two greatest issues that have concerned imagemakers for thousands of years - truth and beauty - have been conspicuously absent from the discussion. In the postmodern era irony has been the major form of artistic expression.

Although elusive, there are certain patterns that can be observed that define a personal truth. When we recognize an individual truth it may grab hold and bring us to a complete stop - a total mental and physical halt from what we were doing - while simultaneously experiencing a sense of clarity and certainty that eliminates the need for future questioning.

Beauty is the satisfaction of knowing the imprimatur of this moment. Although truth and beauty are based in time and may exist only for an instant, photographers can capture a trace of this interaction for viewers to contemplate. Such photographs can authenticate the experience and allow us to reflect on it and gain deeper meaning. Our passionate pursuit of beauty has been observed for centuries. The history of ideas can be represented in terms of visual pleasure. In pre-Christian times Plato stated: "The three wishes of every man: to be healthy, to be rich by honest means, and to be beautiful." More recently American philosopher George Santayana postulated that there must be "in our very nature a very radical and widespread tendency to observe beauty, and to value it."

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

两件事情——婚宴和那个要跳舞的小女孩

小丽、小明和小华。2006。Sony P71。

每个小丽、小明和小华成长后,是不是都会失去赤子之心?所谓的成熟能不能和赤字之心共存?所谓的大人是不是都抛弃了真善美?什么又是真、善、美?

回顾过去,我的照片文字从简单的生活叙事,演化成了今天的讽刺、现实和议论。最近整理中国台湾游学的帖子,发现间隔3年,思考模式变化甚多。我是不是无意间加入了 Hirsch & Valentino 所提到的 postmodern irony 行列,而忽略了 truth and beauty

最近不少年轻人加入婚宴摄影的行列,别人问起为什么我不赚点钱。我很快地回答说,美满幸福的夫妇不需要我的帮忙,如果我要找工我也要申请前线报道。灾难、政治纠纷、战争、环境问题、贫穷、饥饿……我告诉女友说这么 critical 的思考才能辨析人事,但是静下来反省后,发现自己忽略了一些生活态度。

什么又是真、善、美?也许它们根本不存在世上,而只存在于人的信念之中。

23 Oct 2011

双足不着平地地喝咖啡

几个星期前的森林考察中,和组员谈起咖啡。他说 let's have a cup of coffee 代表去休息一下,我说这是老板叫员工进办公室挨骂的意思。

Coffee break
Coffee break. 2011. Canon G5.

都市生活,没有多少时候是 100% 放心地休息。人总是在担忧。就好像我妈批评的:睡觉也在想,吃饭也在想,做什么都在想。就好像两只脚动不到平地那样,漂浮着,不安稳着。

22 Oct 2011

蝴蝶之死

两对每秒收缩和舒张5下的肌肉停止操作,两对每平方毫米布满600个鳞片的翼随之停顿。一个0.5克的躯体在中午的上升气流中缓缓飘落。从此刻开始,这个身躯将在24摄氏的温度下被比它小23 500 - 470 000倍的生物腐化。每个细胞里的核酸、糖类、蛋白质和脂肪将被分解成更小的化合物。下一场雨水和风将冲走这些养分,继而被土壤吸收。

不久,一棵树将吸收这些养分。一朵花将吸引另一只蝴蝶,又或一颗果实将吸引一只鸟。又或吸引了我的镜头。又或……

Death of a butterfly
Death of a butterfly. 2011. Nokia 3110c.

20 Oct 2011

75年后

不知为什么,这张海岸旁静态的花草照,会让我想起 Robert Capa 那张充满着争议和历史故事的照片

Blue flowers
Blue flowers. 2011. Canon G5.
Loyalist Militiaman at the Moment of Death, Cerro Muriano, September 5, 1936. 1936. Photo by Robert Capa. Source: EyeEmSpotlight.

18 Oct 2011

Question #8

Question 8. How is the meaning of a photograph determined?

Meaning is not intrinsic. Meaning is established through a fluid cognitive and emotional relationship among the maker, the photograph, and the viewer. The structure of a photograph can communicate before it is understood. A good image teaches us how to read it by provoking responses from the viewers' inventory of life experiences. Meaning is not always found in things, but sometimes between them. An exceptional photograph creates viewer focus, which produces attention, which can lead to definition. As one mediates on what is possible, multiple meanings may begin to present themselves.

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

摄影师享有一项权利——有时是他的任务——那就是为图像注入意义。


清道夫,Street cleaner。2011。Canon 550D。

一个洋人清道夫在 Brisbane 的唐人街 (Chinatown, Fortitude Valley)上扫除垃圾。他细心的工作态度,让后方站着观看的亚洲人显得像正在监督的老板。按下快门后才发现的倒三角形构图,仿佛暗示着颠倒的宾主关系。亚洲实力的崛起,让西方(或者南边的澳洲)开始感到压力。另一点是,反观马来西亚,本地人不屑干这种低等工作,却埋怨外劳数量增加。洋鬼子穿上制服扫地,好汉一个,也没有市民小看他。


Party, 宴. 2011. Canon 550D.

Brisbane River 烟花盛放之前,河边的高级餐厅的阳台上是一些富有人家。从一个穷留学生的仰角看去,他们是多么地高高在上。或许是我的嫉妒,我把他们关在钢柱后,赋予他们囚犯的形象——被富豪、地位、权利和面子囚禁的可怜虫。

看见我的文字之前,这些照片对你而言,是否有着不一样的意思?

17 Oct 2011

Question #7

Question 7. What makes a photograph interesting?

A significant ingredient that makes a photograph interesting is empathy, for it gives viewers an initial path for cognitive and emotional comprehension of the subject. Yet the value of a photograph is not limited to its depiction of people, places, things, and feelings akin to those in our life. An engaging image contains within it the capacity to sensitize and stimulate our latent exploratory senses. Such a photograph asserts ideas and perceptions that we recognize as our own but could not have given concrete form to without having first seen that image.

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

老鹰捉小鸡。2008。Sony P71.

如果你不知道这张照片的内容,想必你已经关掉页面不看下去了。

如果你继续看下去,一就是你知道照片在叙述什么,二就是你好奇又得空,三就是这张照片无意间和你的某某记忆产生了共鸣。

 “好”照片是主观和相对的评价。每个人对“好”都有不懂的诠释,每个人都觉得自己的照片不错,每个人都觉得著名摄影师的照片是好的,每个人都觉得初学者的照片只是“尚有进步空间”。“好”照片在另个人眼中也只不过是“不怎么”。以上照片是一架用了很久的相机,在有限的功能下,在我错误的操控下,使尽全力地挤出所有资讯——就好像现在我的脑一样, 使尽全力地回顾过去。我们不都如此吗?回忆将在脑中渐渐淡化,越来越白。直到一天,我们想要回忆时,却只剩下空白。

不管手法、器材或科技的优缺,一张照片的内容才是灵魂所在。

16 Oct 2011

BAD2011 - How to Cook the ABC Soup (in stop motion)

I am proud to be taking part in Blog Action Day OCT 16 2011 www.blogactionday.orgA for apple, B for boy, C for cat.

Wrong.

A for carrot, B for potato, C for tomato, says the ABC soup.

The ABC soup is well-known in Malaysia. In my knowledge it is uniquely served among Malaysian Chinese families. Each letter represents a vitamin contained in the soup's ingredients (vitamin A from carrots, vitamin B6 from potatoes, and vitamin C from tomatoes). It's relatively simple, easy, and cheap to cook. And simple, easy, and cheap are all we overseas poor students want. It is always good to have it on the dining table for it smells so much like home.

Speaking of ingredients, living by yourself is an ingredient to appreciating food. You cannot claim to be appreciative until you know the price and ways of obtaining and cooking food. Not to mention  dishwashing. Every bit and drop taste so much more precious when all these food are hard-earned.


How to Cook the ABC Soup (HR Lai 2011). Switch to 480p for best deifnition.

15 Oct 2011

父女

父亲的印象,不用我说,大家心里各有一个模样。

A girl and her father. 2011. Canon G5. B&W conversion from RAW, cropped.

小女孩的眼睛望向前方,娇小的手放在父亲掌中。父亲只要用力一扭,就能毁掉那小手。可是小女孩丝毫没有担心过。小女孩看见什么都告诉父亲、问父亲,仿佛是在寻求一个肯定、一个答案。是什么缔结了这种关系?简单的达尔文进化论(fitness),还是一种人类尚未理解的东西?

我站在他俩前,硬硬地在 ISO400 下按下了 1/20s 的快门。回到家把照片放大来看时,重新被她的眼神怔住。整张图似乎只需要她的眼睛和他们的手就可以圆满。

几年后小女孩将放开父亲的手,她的眼神将不再迷茫。祝她快乐。

14 Oct 2011

马博士被提名诺贝尔奖

马博士被提名诺贝尔奖,因为他在马来西亚做出了以下几项伟大贡献:
  1. 训练乌鸦清道夫:
    数万只训练有素的乌鸦将被派到马来西亚各个角落去拾垃圾,以解决国人乱丢垃圾的恶习。当这些乌鸦繁衍过度时,人民将射杀它们,作为消遣娱乐;
  2. 基因改造抗污染细菌:
    这些可以消化污染物的细菌将被传播到国家各个河流,以消化水中的塑料袋、食物残渣和浮尸;
  3. 发明廉价自动门:
    这种利用廉价材料制造的自动门,相信在明年初可以大量生产,然后安装至我国各个角落,以解决人们不会开门迎接人和不会为后面人撑门的习惯;
  4. 发明自动招呼广播器:
    这种广播器将配合廉价自动门,当顾客进入店的时候就会代替员工向顾客打招呼,以解决恶劣的服务态度;
  5. 发明鸣笛录音器:
    这个录音器让驾驶人士把自己的话录下来,然后再响车的鸣笛时播放,如此国人在塞车或冲红灯时就能播放个性化的录音,以舒缓公路上的紧张气氛,促进国民关系;
  6. 发明多功能机械劳工:
    这种智慧型机器人,相信在明年中就能完全取代外劳,以解决马来西亚的劳工问题。
马博士也表示他在科学界的成就已经到达瓶颈,所以明年会开始涉足政治界。到时大家记得投我们亲爱的马博士一票!

13 Oct 2011

Question #6

Question 6. What can images do that language cannot do?

An accomplished photographer can communicate visual experiences that remain adamantly defiant to words. The writer Albert Camus stated, "If we understood the enigmas of life, there would be no need for art." We know that words have the power to name the unnameable, but words also hold within them the disclosure of a consciousness beyond language. Photographs may also convey the sensation and emotional weight of the subject without being bound by its physical bound by its physical content. By controlling time and space the photo-based images allow viewers to examine that which attracts us for often indescribable reasons. They may remind us how the quickly glimpsed, the half-remembered, and the partially understood images of our culture can tap into our memory and emotions and become part of a personal psychic landscape that makes up an integral component of identity and social order.

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

我必须承认第六个问题打败了我。我没有足以回答它的照片。因为我和我的相机没有经过子弹、泪血、灾难、呐喊、黑暗和火光的洗礼。当然还有那些浪漫、感动、绚丽、激情、温馨和童真。

12 Oct 2011

Question #5

Question 5. Why is it important to find an audience for your work?

Part of a photographer's job is to interact with and stimulate thinking within the community of artists and their world at large. Without an audience to open a dialogue the images remain incomplete and the artist unsatisfied.

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

不停断的正、负回馈。2007。令人怀念的 Canon 350D。

还是这张照片最能表达我现在缺乏的学习宝器——回馈。习惯了中学的团体生活,那种几乎永不停断的正回馈(鼓励)和负回馈(纠正),曾是我们用来的检讨和求进步的宝。无论现场或幕后多么地紧凑和凌乱,你还是能找到一个提供意见的伙伴。

我做得如何?我还能如何做得更好? 别人的眼睛可以看见自己所忽略的角落。

我需要更多意见,更多回馈,更多批评,更多辩论。多多益善!

11 Oct 2011

跨栏

Sadly, many people try to test their lenses, but get disappointed and think they have a defective product when all they've found is its limits, or more often, limitations in their own technique. Let me assure you, every product has its limits, and with digital cameras today, anyone can find them.

Only idiots find something's limits, and let themselves get stuck there complaining about it. It's every artist's duty to find his tools' limitations so he can work around them. Americans didn't walk on the moon in 1969 by sitting around complaining about all the reasons we couldn't get there.

Ken Rockwell (2011)

Canon Zoom 7.2-28.8mm 1:2.0-3.0 on Canon G5. 2011. Canon S90.

这是我找上 Canon G5 的其中一个原因。几个月前室友知道我买了这架二手 G5 时,第一个反应是“迟了很多代啊”。另一个朋友鼓励我买最新的 Canon G12,可是我不舍得。就这样和 G5 相处了几个月,而我也没有后悔。

除了重新检讨基础,G5 还提供了一个跑道。这个跑道上很多栏要跨,每当我要达到终线之前,一定要想尽办法跨过每一道栏。一场场简单的100米短跑变成了100米跨栏竞赛,练力练气练毅力。

10 Oct 2011

Question #4

Question 4. Why is photography important to us as individuals and collectively as a society?

Recently a reporter asked a group of tornado survivors what their most irreplaceable object has been. One after another said the same thing. The one thing they wanted to recover from their ruined homes was their snapshots. Their other material possessions eventually could be replaced. This reveals the crux of why people photograph: to save and commemorate a subject of personal importance. The image may be memory jog or an attempt to stop the ravages of nature and time. Regardless of motive, this act of commemoration and remembrance is the critical essence of both amateur and professional photographic practice.

What does this mean in terms of artistic practice at the beginning of a new century? There are more options than ever to pursue. Whether the images are found in the natural world, in a book, or on a screen, part of an imagemaker's job is to be actively engaged in the condition of "looking for something." How this act of looking is organized, its particular routines, uncertainties, astonishments, and quixotic complexities, is what makes photographers unique.

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

Still, we laugh even when we forgot why. 2007. Sony DSC-W55.

曾经信心饱满地说,我会记得每一张照片的拍摄过程和内容。Hmmm…现在我倒忘了这张照片是我还是院儒拍的了。甚至忘了自己用过 Sony DSC-W55。可是当我看回这些照片,当时的情绪会油然而生。忘记了发生什么事、说什么笑话,但是仍然会觉得滑稽,然后不懂原因地笑。

那种纯粹由光引发的化学反应, 从数亿个脑神经中激发出那一丝回忆。

我说除了 Hirsch 和 Valentino 所说的 "actively...'looking for something'",摄影师有时需要 let your eyes open freely such that their are constantly accessible for the unexpected,才能及时捕捉亲友之间无常的神情举动。

9 Oct 2011

Question #3

Question 3. What does a photographer do?

A photographer contemplates the nature of making photographs, the cerebral and emotional drive of working with a subject and process. Once this is accomplished, the photographer can then act to provide a physical form in which time can be manipulated or suspended to allow a subject to be thoughtfully examined.

Good photographers also take the time to wonder about their world and ponder how they can best analyze and express their thoughts and feeling to others. Wondering is part of the thinking process that lets one meditate on the possibilities. Wondering is a form of questioning old ways of knowing and can result in new ideas and different directions. Wondering encourages image-makers to summon the courage to take untested courses of action. Without wonder there is no speculation, which makes art and life boring and static.

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

The photographer and his subject looking at a same object. 2008. Nikon D40X. Cropped.

我想 Hirsch 和 Valentino 没有提到的是摄影师和摄影对象的互动。身为一个东方人,我(和一些摄影的朋友们)都比较被动,难以找到前去攀谈的动力。可是这举动往往是揭发摄影对象背后故事的好方法。摄影师有时候是被引导的人 (passive)。当摄影师放下自己的习惯时,往往会被摄影对象引导至另一个新世界。

8 Oct 2011

Question #2

Question 2. What can one do to become a photographer?

Looking at photographs can be a primary activity. Photographs are made from other photographs, as well as drawings, paintings, and prints. Look at what drives your curiousity. Look at the classics. They have been preserved because the patterns recorded in them have proved to be invariably useful over time. Look at contemporary work that is wrestling with new and different ways of expressing ideas. Read, study, and practice different methods of photography, not for the sake of technique, but to discover the means to articulate your ideas. Step back from the familiar to better understand it. One big peril facing photographers is lack of commitment, which translates into indifference in their work. Talking, thinking, and writing about photography are vital components of understanding the process, but these activities do not make one a photographer. Ultimately, to be a photographer one must fully engage in the process and make photographs (usually lots of them).

R. Hirsch & J. Valentino (2001)

The man who sat beside me on a bus. 2011. Canon G5. B&W conversion from RAW.

当你开始阅读更多摄影的文章时,你会发现越来越多派别、风格和意见——因为摄影是非常个性化的活动。其中一个让我觉得又刺耳又被激励又有趣的是两个摄影师的辨论。Ken RockwellPetteri Sulonen 针对 RAW format 发表了个人意见,而我这种刚入门的学生被夹在中间,不懂要听谁的。Rockwell 主要的论点是有能力的摄影师靠 jpeg 就能创作好的照片,而且 RAW 对一般人是没有实际用途的(相机的科技已经能提供高素质的 jpeg);Sulonen 则反驳说只要适当地运用,RAW 能提供一个更高的平台(要看例子就按他名字的 link)。

我要说的有三点:
  1. RAW 激发思考。实际上每一张 jpeg 照片都是经由相机自己处理过的,也就是说,我们一般的照片都是相机帮我们做主的。而我要问的是,为什么不偶尔自己为自己的照片作主呢?这跟自己煮饭或在餐厅叫菜一样。以上的照片是用 Photoshop 来将彩色手动转换成黑白的。如果让相机的 Grayscale mode 来决定的话,我无法凸现乘客的皱纹和裤子质感;
  2. 按下快门前,如果你相信自己的判断会好过相机本身,那就拍 RAW。但是不要抱着“以防万一”的心态来拍 RAW,这样让人懒惰;
  3. RAW 完工后还是要存成 jpeg (或者 tif——如果你电脑大把空位)。可是,无论成品的素质在电脑荧幕上多么地好,上传到很多免费的网站后,照片素质还是会降低。看看以上照片椅背的影子找到瑕疵了(一块块“淤血”)。我发现 Blogger (Google Picasa)会将黑暗部分的素质降到很低。

7 Oct 2011

A look up into the canopy and... Idea

Scientific photography in the hands of crazy ecologists can easily become artwork. Less than a week ago we were conducting field work in the subtropical rainforest of Lamington National Park, Queensland, Australia. An opportunity for me to try out 3 new things: the Canon 50D, a Sigma 8mm fisheye lens, and a standard way to measure canopy cover (i.e. fisheye canopy photographs which would be computerised and analysed afterward).

It didn't take me long to realise that, by arranging these photographs in a particular way, I can turn the labourious scientific work into fun (okay, I admit that the montage process can be time-consuming too).

The Canopy Blossom. 2011. Canon 50D. Digital photomontage. Photo by A Clark, S Day & HR Lai.

Sadly time is a constraint. The hardcore reality (as per Prof. Kirchhof) is that you just don't have unlimited time for both worlds. Often you realised that you've spent too much time on fun and it's time to go back to serious science.

6 Oct 2011

沉甸甸

“沉甸甸”曾经是小学作文中给书包的形容词。在澳洲,想不到也见到如此情景。我们越长大,书包就越来越轻,真正的负担却有增无减。

School kid. 2011. Canon G5.

5 Oct 2011

莱明顿星球

我们乘坐的罗泽号缓缓地降落在莱明顿星球上。我望向窗外,数着莱明顿的卫星。顿时,我想念起地球的月亮。

Scene from the Planet of Lamington. 2011. Nokia 3110c. Poladroid processing.

4 Oct 2011

大地之衣

即使在科学验证之下,我仍然不敢相信这是生命。

这等拥有4亿年历史的生物,静静地坐在顽石上。如果他们的祖先流传着沧海桑田的故事,那么这种故事一定是记录在他们后代的身上的。因为他们坐在石头上的姿势,就是大陆漂移的记载。每一片地衣,仿佛就是一块大陆。

Lichen on Rock. 2011. Canon G5. Photomatix exposure fusion.

3 Oct 2011

鱼的思考

这是一个“双子帖”,请看别有一番风味的帖《杀生也可以很浪漫》,笔于邱嘉兴。

拉起钓竿,等待生命最后的挣扎停止。刀起刀落,腹部裂开,挖出内脏,清理鳞片。数小时后,这几条鱼便已成为饭桌菜肴。在伟权姨丈的厨艺之下,我们很快地便把它们吃干净了。殊不知在那晚餐的笑声中——甚至之后——一场道德和原则的辩论正在酝酿。

人与鱼。2011。Apple iPhone 3GS。Cropped,Photoshop grain filter。嘉兴摄。

20年的思考让我可以毫不犹豫地剖开鱼腹——即使鱼在去鳞时还在抽搐。我承认我没有“人道”地立刻解决掉这个生命,免除它长久的痛苦(因为我不懂方法)。但是我在垂钓之前就已经承诺不能浪费丝毫鱼肉,以珍惜这个生命所赋予的营养。

朋友不愿尝试钓鱼,因为他不想滥杀。我反驳说,只要吃肉,就已经是聘请杀手(渔夫、猪农等)来杀生了。换句话说,吃肉就已经是间接杀生。 更何况没有浪费鱼肉,就不是滥杀了。

一些鱼在桶里垂死挣扎。

当我们发觉钓了很多时,便讨论要不要钓了就放回水里。一人说,放了也是害了它,因为他受伤了不会久存——那不是浪费吗?

一些鱼还在桶里垂死挣扎。

过了一晚,我们从冰箱中取出另一条鱼烹饪。饭中话题仍然围绕鱼儿。我问,为什么要讨论这么多、找这么多理由来让自己吃得安心?人类本来就捕猎为生,这种“道德”是不是太过繁琐了?顾着探讨杀生的对与错,我们便开始钻牛角尖,忘记探讨别的课题。顾着秉持自己不杀生,却忘了自己吃肉就正在鼓励杀生;忘记购买绿色蔬菜也需要燃烧罗里汽油、利用肥料和杀虫剂;忘记购买钻石金链会鼓励黑人被欺压;忘记换新电脑需要印度某村的小孩用化学药物来回收金属……

盲目过度地秉持“道德”和“原则”,就跟被某种宗教局限思考一样。这样,我们便忘记了怎样做回一个人。