I have taken up photography as a hobby. Because I stay home with my daughter three days a week, I needed some diversion to keep me sane, but also that would let me keep an eye on an active baby. My wife also likes to see new pictures of our baby during the work day. So what started with casual snapshots of "baby sleeping" and "baby picking up a toy" has grown into carrying a camera with me throughout the day.
My wife picked up on my interest and enrolled me in an online photography course for Father's Day. It was a great gift idea. I love seeing how much I have improved as a photographer; already I have reached a point where I manually adjust my aperture and shutter speed for every shot. So long, flash photography!
I am still an amateur--I use a digital point-and-shoot camera, and I have not sold a picture anywhere--but I enjoy it for the act itself. For me, the gulf between casual, unplanned photography and careful shot composition makes for a good challenge. Not that I am an especially artistic photographer yet, but I cannot take a picture without at least thinking about how to angle the shot, whether to over- or under-expose it, and what my depth of field should be. Photography is like writing in that it does not require much skill to begin and to produce some content, but the more effort I put into polishing my work and improving my skills, the more I enjoy what I create.
As yet I do not have much of a plan for photographic series to post online, but I have been adding some of my photos in a public forum. If you are interested, you can follow my Flickr page.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Is My Garden Overrun?
I have not written a post on this blog in four months. In that time, however, I have agonized over not writing anything on a regular basis. A blog, I think, is a great way to flirt with madness.
On the one hand, I figure that writing here is a way to be informal and still sort of publish something, a "business casual" outfit, as it were. It gives me a chance to play around with ideas, and to write about things that pique my interest, without feeling the tension that comes with deadlines.
At the same time, a blog also triggers all the anxieties I have about writing, like "What if the things I write are completely boring to everyone other than me," or "What if I run out of ideas?" And this is on an informal platform for writing. So it builds the idea that I really cannot write anything interesting--if not a simple blog post, how will I ever write a script, story, or article worth reading?--which in turn makes me shrink away from writing that much more, and on and on.
So after a four-month absence, I decided to squinch my eyes shut, scream loudly, and run back to my blog to see how badly I messed everything up by not writing on here for so long. And, it turns out, it's not that bad. My posts are not overrun with spam comments for sex pills; in fact, it looks like I've had at least modest pageviews in the intervening time. People find the articles that interest them, which is all I could ever want.
And though I feel compelled to write something about why I was not writing on here for a while, I don't think that's a good idea. I suspect the Internet is lousy with blogs that are about five posts, four of them apologies. And the only people who would take any interest in why I've felt too busy to write would be close enough to me that a blog is poor choice for informing them. And really, what needs to be said? "I intend to write, shit comes up, and I get lazy."
One thing that I really like about a blog is that I can fill it with assorted information, and audiences will find their way to whatever they like. Someone might like my entries on pulp fiction, someone else might like my entries on the archives world. Few if any people probably want to read everything I write on here. And while it would be awesome if I could write brilliant things all the time, that's not going to happen. So I will keep writing things that catch my fancy as they come to mind, try to go easier on myself for not turning my blog into a literary masterpiece--and therefore giving myself permission to write more--and not apologize when I let it go.
...Except for this apology. Sorry about that.
On the one hand, I figure that writing here is a way to be informal and still sort of publish something, a "business casual" outfit, as it were. It gives me a chance to play around with ideas, and to write about things that pique my interest, without feeling the tension that comes with deadlines.
At the same time, a blog also triggers all the anxieties I have about writing, like "What if the things I write are completely boring to everyone other than me," or "What if I run out of ideas?" And this is on an informal platform for writing. So it builds the idea that I really cannot write anything interesting--if not a simple blog post, how will I ever write a script, story, or article worth reading?--which in turn makes me shrink away from writing that much more, and on and on.
So after a four-month absence, I decided to squinch my eyes shut, scream loudly, and run back to my blog to see how badly I messed everything up by not writing on here for so long. And, it turns out, it's not that bad. My posts are not overrun with spam comments for sex pills; in fact, it looks like I've had at least modest pageviews in the intervening time. People find the articles that interest them, which is all I could ever want.
And though I feel compelled to write something about why I was not writing on here for a while, I don't think that's a good idea. I suspect the Internet is lousy with blogs that are about five posts, four of them apologies. And the only people who would take any interest in why I've felt too busy to write would be close enough to me that a blog is poor choice for informing them. And really, what needs to be said? "I intend to write, shit comes up, and I get lazy."
One thing that I really like about a blog is that I can fill it with assorted information, and audiences will find their way to whatever they like. Someone might like my entries on pulp fiction, someone else might like my entries on the archives world. Few if any people probably want to read everything I write on here. And while it would be awesome if I could write brilliant things all the time, that's not going to happen. So I will keep writing things that catch my fancy as they come to mind, try to go easier on myself for not turning my blog into a literary masterpiece--and therefore giving myself permission to write more--and not apologize when I let it go.
...Except for this apology. Sorry about that.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
The Archivist's Utility Belt
In the comics, Batman wears a belt stocked with all the tools he might need on a case. Batarangs, gas mask, grappling hook--whatever the situation, he is prepared.
I like to pretend that archivists are the superheroes (or at least the masked vigilantes) of the LIS world. So we need our own "utility belt," with the tools to manage any information gathering emergency we might face.
What would go onto the Archivist's utility belt? That is what I am still working on. I welcome suggestions, either for general tools (a ruler, a portable scanner) or for product recommendations. I hope to have more updates as I go, explaining why each tool is important and where to start.
I like to pretend that archivists are the superheroes (or at least the masked vigilantes) of the LIS world. So we need our own "utility belt," with the tools to manage any information gathering emergency we might face.
What would go onto the Archivist's utility belt? That is what I am still working on. I welcome suggestions, either for general tools (a ruler, a portable scanner) or for product recommendations. I hope to have more updates as I go, explaining why each tool is important and where to start.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
The Value of Finishing Tasks
Yesterday I managed to wrap up 4 projects at the film archive. All of them had been on my plate for at least a month--in some cases longer--and they were causing me a fair amount of stress, even in my off hours. (It's no fun to have a hard time sleeping because you're worried about when you can get a reference scan sent off to a patron.)
I can see several useful lessons from this experience, but probably the most valuable is: If something causes you stress, figure out what you can do about it and do that. (And if you cannot do anything, learn to say "There's nothing I can do" and shrug it off.) To use one project as an example, I wanted to try out an electronic deliverable for a reference scan. That's a great (and necessary!) goal for the archive, but in the meantime, I have an actual patron who wants some materials for a book he is working on. After lots of trial and error in getting the materials ready, I finally decided that for now it is best to just make photocopies (like I used to) and ship those to the patron, then continue to experiment on my own. And I felt much better after I did that, even with the frustration that something I'd worked on for weeks was otherwise accomplished in, say, fifteen minutes.
If I have one weakness as a worker, it's that I am always eager to take on new tasks, but I frequently take on too much, and then I wind up stressing out over all the things I haven't done. I try to remind myself to make task lists and set a small number of goals each day. If I finish 3 significant tasks per day, I can feel like I'm making progress. Especially if I have not at the same time added 4 or more tasks in the same day!
I can see several useful lessons from this experience, but probably the most valuable is: If something causes you stress, figure out what you can do about it and do that. (And if you cannot do anything, learn to say "There's nothing I can do" and shrug it off.) To use one project as an example, I wanted to try out an electronic deliverable for a reference scan. That's a great (and necessary!) goal for the archive, but in the meantime, I have an actual patron who wants some materials for a book he is working on. After lots of trial and error in getting the materials ready, I finally decided that for now it is best to just make photocopies (like I used to) and ship those to the patron, then continue to experiment on my own. And I felt much better after I did that, even with the frustration that something I'd worked on for weeks was otherwise accomplished in, say, fifteen minutes.
If I have one weakness as a worker, it's that I am always eager to take on new tasks, but I frequently take on too much, and then I wind up stressing out over all the things I haven't done. I try to remind myself to make task lists and set a small number of goals each day. If I finish 3 significant tasks per day, I can feel like I'm making progress. Especially if I have not at the same time added 4 or more tasks in the same day!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Film Archiving: The Importance of Enlightening Those Audiences Sitting in the Dark
Here is an excellent article by Lynnette Porter for PopMatters about film archiving. It interviews BFI archivist Jo Botting and provides a great overview of the kind of work film archivists do.
Film Archiving: The Importance of Enlightening Those Audiences Sitting in the Dark
Film Archiving: The Importance of Enlightening Those Audiences Sitting in the Dark
Does Digital Piracy Hurt Sales?
After a recent conversation with a friend about digital piracy--and its alleged negative impact on sales of music albums and movie tickets--I found myself wondering how exactly a distributor could prove that piracy really is to blame for a decline in sales. That is, how could they prove that the rise of digital piracy wasn't just coinciding with a time when people no longer felt that the cost of purchasing entertainment was justified by the product they purchased?
I can imagine two points groups like the MPAA and the RIAA could try to prove, but both would be difficult. The two points are:
Which leads me to my second point. It would be interesting to see how many consumers who purchase an album first became aware of it through an illegally downloaded copy. (I don't have a strong feeling with regard to how often this occurs, it is just an idea I had.) What if it turns out that many record sales come about because someone "samples" an album for free, decides he likes it, and then wants to pay for a legitimate copy? Additionally, suppose someone downloads an illegal copy of a popular new album, likes it, and then buys other albums by that artist? In these cases, piracy might actually be stimulating record sales. I have seen some of this in action in the world of Japanese movie fandom; otaku in the US have been known to download an illegal, fan-subbed version of a movie because it is not otherwise available in the US, but then when it does get a US release, those same people get excited to buy a copy.
In my points I used the phrase "a significant number" because these points would have to apply to more than just a few people, but obviously would not apply to everyone. If only a small number of people who download an album for free would instead buy it if they had to, it would not be a strong argument for the negative effects of piracy.
I can imagine two points groups like the MPAA and the RIAA could try to prove, but both would be difficult. The two points are:
- A significant number of people who download an illegal copy of a work would otherwise, if they had no other choice, purchase the work at full price; and
- A significant number of people who download an illegal copy of a work do not then go on to pay for a legal copy of the work or purchase some equivalent works.
Which leads me to my second point. It would be interesting to see how many consumers who purchase an album first became aware of it through an illegally downloaded copy. (I don't have a strong feeling with regard to how often this occurs, it is just an idea I had.) What if it turns out that many record sales come about because someone "samples" an album for free, decides he likes it, and then wants to pay for a legitimate copy? Additionally, suppose someone downloads an illegal copy of a popular new album, likes it, and then buys other albums by that artist? In these cases, piracy might actually be stimulating record sales. I have seen some of this in action in the world of Japanese movie fandom; otaku in the US have been known to download an illegal, fan-subbed version of a movie because it is not otherwise available in the US, but then when it does get a US release, those same people get excited to buy a copy.
In my points I used the phrase "a significant number" because these points would have to apply to more than just a few people, but obviously would not apply to everyone. If only a small number of people who download an album for free would instead buy it if they had to, it would not be a strong argument for the negative effects of piracy.
Monday, February 6, 2012
LIS Freelancing: Arrangement
I recently talked with a potential client about a contract job to arrange part of his private library. He is an avid photographer and has built a significant library of photography-related books and magazines. These range from technical guides on photographic skills to art books, and also such things as travel books for planning photography trips. His interest is in having someone with a professional eye for arrangement organize these books in a way that will make sense to him and improve the usefulness of his library.
My strategy for a project like this is to first build a small but comprehensive controlled vocabulary for his books, according to their use. (As I explained to him, a public library would arrange books by subject because its arrangement is independent of how any one user might use the books, but a private library can afford a more personal arrangement schema.) Then I would inventory the books and assign each the most appropriate term(s) for its use. I could then use this information--and a spreadsheet--to organize the books and develop a sensible shelving arrangement.
This was not really a project I had considered before, but it is actually a great use of LIS skills in the freelance world. Many people have sizable collections of books, movies, CDs, and such, and they feel that their collections are haphazard and possibly that some things are lost. And while the average person probably would not want to pay a professional to organize their home DVD collection, many other enthusiasts, professionals, and perhaps small businesses would be inclined to do a simple arrangement. In fact, an added bonus of this kind of work is that the client not only gets an organized bookshelf, he winds up with an inventory of his materials, indexed by a use schema that he helped design.
Have any of my other LIS colleagues worked on a similar project?
My strategy for a project like this is to first build a small but comprehensive controlled vocabulary for his books, according to their use. (As I explained to him, a public library would arrange books by subject because its arrangement is independent of how any one user might use the books, but a private library can afford a more personal arrangement schema.) Then I would inventory the books and assign each the most appropriate term(s) for its use. I could then use this information--and a spreadsheet--to organize the books and develop a sensible shelving arrangement.
This was not really a project I had considered before, but it is actually a great use of LIS skills in the freelance world. Many people have sizable collections of books, movies, CDs, and such, and they feel that their collections are haphazard and possibly that some things are lost. And while the average person probably would not want to pay a professional to organize their home DVD collection, many other enthusiasts, professionals, and perhaps small businesses would be inclined to do a simple arrangement. In fact, an added bonus of this kind of work is that the client not only gets an organized bookshelf, he winds up with an inventory of his materials, indexed by a use schema that he helped design.
Have any of my other LIS colleagues worked on a similar project?
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