While there is something special in seeing famous artwork in-person, having access online is certainly better than having no access at all and The Art Institute of Chicago has opened up a huge collection of images from artwork in their collection. Even better, you can poke, prod and get an up-close view (through zooming) at these images without the security guard chasing you away. (SMILE) This sometimes happens to me as I like to get close to see brush work and how the paint is laid upon the canvas. — Douglas
The Art Institute of Chicago recently announced the release of tens of thousands of images from their collection to the public domain, providing high resolution access to the thick paint strokes of Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom,” the eerie light of Edvard Munch’s “The Girl by the Window,” or the pointillism used in George Seurat’s famous “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884.″ The works have been made available under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license, which presents the works without copyright. Visitors to the Art Institute’s website also can experience enhanced viewing for each image by zooming in on the paintings, drawings, and other artworks with more detail than before. The current image count is at 53,438, however the Art Institute explains that this number will continue to expand regularly. You can begin your dig into their vast store of artworks by visiting this online research tool.
I am a history buff — perhaps even a history addict — and sites like this are dangerous for me. I can go “down the rabbit hole” and not emerge for weeks if I am not careful. (LAUGH) Ok, maybe not that bad, but it can be serious time — not waster — but time sink. With all my historical interest, though, there are still wide gaps in my knowledge. I knew a few basics about “Teddy” but it was only when I watched The Roosevelts by Ken Burns that I developed a deeper understanding of them and how Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor were part of a long continuum of Roosevelt power over the decades.
Now that I have a bit more knowledge about the family, I am sure to better understand the primary documents included in this collection from the Library of Congress. When you have good base to build on, the specifics become a great deal clearer.
Do you have an interest in Theodore Roosevelt? Do you want to learn about him using his own words, letters and policies? Dig in, but be sure to tie an electronic “rope” around your waist so you can find your way out again! — Douglas
The largest collection of the papers of President Theodore Roosevelt, documenting his extraordinary career in the White House and as vice president, governor of New York, and as a naturalist, writer and reformer, has been digitized and is now available online from the Library of Congress.
The digitization of the massive collection comes just before the 160th anniversary of Roosevelt’s birthday. The nation’s 26th president was born Oct. 27, 1858, and died nearly 100 years ago on Jan. 6, 1919.
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library
I have always been a map geek and articles like this always tickle my fancy. Better maps give us a better worldview and help us understand the world just a little bit better. — Douglas
We all know most maps of the world aren’t entirely accurate. For starters, Africa is way bigger than it looks, and Greenland isn’t nearly so vast.
But a designer in Japan has created a map that’s so accurate it’s almost as good as a globe, and it’s probably one of the best estimations you’ll see of the real size of countries.
Mashing up media is one great way to create something new in the world and I am all for it. These Instagram versions of literary classics is just one way to mix things up and use new technology to deliver — still relevant — text in an interesting fashion. — Douglas
But now one of the world’s greatest libraries is trying to enrich the social media experience. The New York Public Library just released the first of its InstaNovel series on Instagram Stories. NYPL followers can watch-read the first part ofAlice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll on the app. The feature shows the full text of the book, but also includes illustrations by designer Magoz, and animated pages that capture the liveliness of Carroll’s creative page formatting. As anyone who’s used Facebook’s Snapchat clone could assume, lifting a finger from the screen turns the page.
I find that closeup major photography can be the most challenging photos I take. Focus and depth of focus are a constant challenge along with the fact that the breeze almost always picks up when I am shooting.
Digital Photography School always has the best advice and tutorials. Check out their entire site! — Douglas
This article will detail five camera settings that are essential and which all macro photographers should know. It was inspired by Will Nichols’ excellent tips Five Camera Settings Every New Photographer Needs to Know. You will notice two main themes in this article – ensuring a perfect point of focus and ensuring maximum sharpness. Both of which are critical in macro photography.
Included in the list of settings are Manual Focus, Manual Mode, Live View, the self-timer, and burst mode. By familiarizing yourself with these settings, your macro photography will grow by leaps and bounds.
Want to learn more about macro photography? Check out these books from Amazon!
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library
We spent the weekend down in San Diego attending WhoCon 2018. Rosanne was speaking on “Feminism in the Who-niverse in the Era of a Lady Doctor” (video coming soon).
Here are 50 photos from the presentation and the overall event.
I’ll also soon have a video interview with Dalek Builder Steve Roberts who kept us entertained all weekend with this fully functional Dalek!
Learn more about Doctor Who with these books and videos!
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* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library
My problem is that I tend to take too many photos when on vacation, but there have been times when I have been frustrated by a particular location or day. I really want to share it with my friends when I get home but I can’t seem to find an “in” that helps me produce great photos. I’m checking out these tips as I prepare a trip to Milan, Italy in a few weeks. — Douglas
Vacation is a great time not only to recharge and relax but also to practice your travel photography skills. Whether you’re a pro with lots of gear, or a hobbyist with your first camera, there are plenty of photo opportunities in a new place. In fact, there can be so many that you can easily get overwhelmed or uninspired to shoot anything at all.
If you hit a wall and don’t know what to photograph while traveling, here are some ways to fire up your creativity.
* A portion of each sale from Amazon.com directly supports our blogs ** Many of these books may be available from your local library. Check it out! † Available from the LA Public Library
A Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) in the garden. A closer, head and shoulders shot.
This series of videos were taken on a particularly hot day hence the bees and hawk were both making great use of the birdbath. The hawk appears a bit annoyed when bees buzz by or try to land on them, but otherwise unperturbed by sharing the space.
More information on Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooper):
This series of videos were taken on a particularly hot day hence the bees and hawk were both making great use of the birdbath. The hawk appears a bit annoyed when bees buzz by or try to land on them, but otherwise unperturbed by sharing the space.
More information on Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooper):
You have probably seen out of focus cityscape bokeh photos with pleasing lights, like the photo below. The term “bokeh” comes from the Japanese word “boke”, which can be translated as “blur”. You should be familiar with bokeh effect that is typically seen in portrait photography where a shallow depth of field is used to purposefully throw the background out of focus (i.e. bokeh) and draw attention solely to the subject.
Unlike portrait photography, everything is thrown out of focus for cityscape bokeh photos that we’re trying here. It makes colourful light orbs appear prominently in the image and creates a unique art style. If you haven’t tried these cityscapes with bokeh lights before, follow along with the simple four steps below. It’s super easy!
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![Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), Van Nuys, CA, July 8, 2018 - 2 in a series [Video]](http://welchwrite.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/coopers-hawk-20180708-02.jpeg)
