In Photos dot org

OMG! During a test flight of the What the Duck balloon for a parade it broke it’s tether and the wind blew it away! Yikes!

Hehe. Yes, yes. it’s fake. Good video though! Via TOP.

If you don’t read xkcd you’re missing out

Some people find the name of the most popular open source and GPLed image manipulation program slightly funny or rude, others as a derogatory term, while others just see it as the acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Programme. I think a lot of English speakers fall into the first or second camp unfortunately.

Wikipedia has all bases covered, from the sadomasochism definition to the more familiar GIMP definition.

Gimp is a usually derogatory term used to refer to a (male or female) sexual submissive person, typically dressed in black leather (or rubber), often in a gimp suit, and wearing a bondage hood or mask of the same material. This apparel emphasises sexuality by drawing attention to the crotch and chest, and also sexually objectifies the wearer. Sadomasochistic practice often features in the notion of the gimp, with a partnership of power exchange between gimp and dominatrix or dominant. It can also imply that a male has a smaller than usual penis.

Yeah, I use the Gimp to draw everything…

Wow! A super hero!

This is for all the fans of Marvel and DC Comics publications! Super heroes do exist. They live in Cork, and hand out leaflets on Patrick’s Street in front of Dunnes Stores!

Jim posted his 5 most common digital photography mistakes and I knew I could come up with a further five, so here goes:

1. I’m not ready!
   How many times have I missed a shot because my camera was at home or in the bag? Lens covers can be a nuisance too.
2. Leaving the camera in timer mode.
   I can’t remember how many times I’ve left the timer mode on after taking a self portrait, a group shot or a long exposure shot.
3. Flash photography in AV mode
   This usually happens when I’ve come from an area where flash photography is not allowed and I’ve shot in AV mode because of the low light conditions. Canon cameras expose for existing light in AV mode so you get a long exposure with a flash. Jim already covered not changing ISO rating, a related topic.
4. Help! My flash is dead!
   I have a fancy pants Canon 580EX flash. When I bring it out at public gatherings people look at me as if I’m a pro, and they ask what newspaper I’m with. It really shatters the illusion when the batteries are dead.
5. Deleting or formatting camera media before everything is copied off.
   It has happened a few times. Out in the field I’ll review my images, and sometimes delete ones I don’t want. Sometimes my finger nudges the next photo button and I delete the wrong image.

Not all strictly digital photography mistakes but I make them all the time. It’s a wonder I have any photos to show here at all. What’s your number one annoyance about digital cameras?

PS. Thanks Jacinta for reviewing this post! (via Photographyvoter.com)

Cameras get easier to use all the time, even a pig could use them! Pearls Before Swine on May 8th featured this comic strip.

Not quite in the same league as What The Duck for photographers but a very funny comic for everyone else!

Choosing the right equipment for the job is half the battle. If you don’t choose carefully you could be making a lot of extra work for yourself as you battle with your tools.

Actually, I don’t think this is one of those situations because he handled that camera rather well and didn’t try to use classic street photo techniques. Loading the film on a busy street is a bit awkward looking however, and forget about shooting from the hip! (via auspiciousdragon.net)

Nikonkit have dedicated a page to the wackiest pictures of photographers ever. They’re all funny or strange and entertainig too although a few are NSFW so proceed with caution! (via)

The red and white man

A street entertainer on stilts entertained the crowd at the Midleton Food and Drink Festival last September. I took photos of him in Cork too and I think he recognised me and my wife as he made a beeline for us and stopped to chat.

This was shot from below as he was towering over us, but I cropped a much larger shot. I used flash to illuminate his face against the bright sky.

Pog Mo Thoin san Daingean

“Kiss my ass!” That’s what “póg mo thóin” means. This is from a shop display in Dingle, Co. Kerry. The town, also known by it’s Irish name, An Daingean, is in an Irish speaking part of the country collectively known as An Gaeltacht.

If you’re interested, you’d probably pronounce “póg mo thóin” in English as “pogue mahone”.

Interesting trivia - The Pogues got their name from this short phrase.

Both Ryan and Daragh got their free mini cards from moo.com but I’m still waiting on mine. They have been shipped so they’ll arrive soon I hope. Check out Daragh’s shot of his cards for an imaginative way of photographing them!