100 years ago

 

Howard Carter's diary, 1922.

Saturday, 4 November: "First steps of tomb found."

A sketch from one of Harry Burton's photographs: 

Burton's photograph was taken on the spot where the sealed entrance doorway was uncovered on 5 November 1922. The view is looking up the 16-step staircase toward the top step recorded in Carter's diary on 4 November.

Harry Burton was the photographer solely responsible for documenting the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb. Mind-boggling. Such an unimaginably massive and complicated undertaking. Glass plates. Lighting challenges. Photographing the interior, the tomb contents in situ, the individual objects after removal, the people doing the excavating, and visitors to the site. On and on. And Burton's work is just so good, it's easy to forget the conditions he was working under. Inspiring!

I've made a dozen or more drawings and paintings from Harry Burton's photographs, and I'm so grateful that his work is available to view at the Griffith Institute website as part of "the definitive archaeological record of Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon's discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun."

Here's a link in case you ever feel like poking around in an amazing archive:

Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation

~~~~~

another reason to use the timer

Because there are times when flash is not an option.

1/10 second, handheld. 2 sec timer.

Absolutely NOT an option.

And who needs it?
Play around!
Experimentation is so easy with digital cameras.

Sometimes even a low-light, back-lit situation has possibilities.

1/8 second, handheld. 2 sec timer.

Sometimes you may be able to convince your camera that you actually know what you are trying to accomplish, and that it can stop helping you, thanks.

1/5 second, handheld. 2 sec timer.

And anyway, high contrast and ideal lighting and sharp focus
aren't everything.

None of these images is technically good.

Each one has something that pleases me, and that's enough.

I'm not preparing an exhibition; I'm enjoying unique snapshots.

But here's the thing: these are unedited, right from the camera. If you took pictures like this and wanted to "adjust" or "correct" or "improve" them, there are lots of ways to do so. Until your images have something that pleases you.

~~~

So, under the very transparent cover of following up on
"The Usefulness of a Timer under Certain Conditions"...

I want to share with you the arrival of these two tykes - both girls - who came home with me from the Pat Brody Shelter on Saturday evening. The little brown tabby is about 3.5 months old and the tiny calico about 2 weeks younger. They have been settling in and getting to know each other and their home. I think soon they will reveal their names.

Meanwhile, in the words of William Shakespeare:

"Chaos comes again."

Chaos and a lot of joy :)

~~~~~

tuesday tip

If any of my younger family members ever gather round my creaking rocker and ask, "Ancient Auntie Quinn, what words of wisdom can you give us, from the blurred vista of your long years?" I will be ready for them. I have my Words of Wisdom all figured out.

And since none of my blog readers is a member of my family (as far as I know, anyway...and if so, you're getting the jump on the rest of those slackers!) I will share my WoW right here and now. Ready?

Spread to the edge.

That's right. I'm talking butter. I'm talking mayo. Peanut butter. Jam.

Take the extra 15 seconds - the rest of your life will wait - and spread to the edge of your bread, toast, or muffin. No dull, bland, unadorned bites. Every bite: good.

~~~

Having shared this valuable tip for living an enriched and satisfying life, it occurs to me: perhaps I should include more useful information on this blog? I probably can't do it frequently, as I don't know very much universally useful stuff. And unfortunately I cannot promise to consistently deliver the same depth and value as "Spread to the edge." Which is good enough for an epitaph, I think.

But let's see. How about a tip for photography? I know a lot of us carry our cameras everywhere, and are always trying to get clear images under less-than-ideal conditions. Well, here's a simple tip you can try when you want to increase your chances of getting a sharp image under low light conditions, when your camera needs a longer exposure time. Or even if you are just tired. Ready?

Spread to th

Hah! Just kidding. Here's the tip:

Set your camera's timer to it's shortest delay, compose your shot and hold your camera steady (wrapping your camera-arm around a tree or fence, or pressing your back against something solid so that your legs and the Solid Thing function as a tripod, can help a lot - hey, there's another tip!) then press the shutter release. And keep breathing. While the timer is counting down (2 or 3 seconds is plenty) the camera will stop moving from the pressure of your finger on the shutter release. So when the shutter trips, you'll have a much better chance of a sharp image.

I mention breathing because even though we think of holding our breath as part of being "still," holding your breath can create tension in your body that may actually cause the camera to move a tiny bit, even on a short exposure. (Crikey, is that a third tip? I hope you were all sitting down when you began reading this post.)

So: stabilize your body, use a very short timer delay, and keep breathing.

It's not the same as using a tripod and a cable release, but heck, if you're carrying a tripod around, you don't need to worry about wobbling on long exposures.

Try it, fellow photographers! I hope this is a helpful tip for some of you.

And anyway, there's always the other one:

~~~~~