Picture 1 is yesterday's Dakota in situ in its Hangar. I hope everyone agrees that she deserved to be liberated from this cluttered environment and put back into a sky. I know 'anthropromorphism' is giving animals human characteristics. What is the equivalent for inanimate objects please?Last night at the Camera Club I sought Mike's advice as to how I could give the propellers some 'motion blur' to add realism. He told me, I wrote it down and have spent some time this afternoon trying to do it. Failed so far I'm afraid - but watch this space!
Thanks you all for your kind and encouraging 'comments' and I hope Anon 1's husband enjoys these further pictures. Picture 2 is a photograph of some of my photos from 1953/4 and are all from Germany and either RAF Sylt, RAF Schleswig-Holstein or RAF Querum. Unfortunately I hadn't written on the back and we didn't have EXIFdata in those days. I think that, in order, they are Mosquito, Tempest, Anson, Hunter. Vampire and Meteor. Tim's eyesight was good enough to read the number on the Mosquito's fuselage, near the tailplane. But unfortunately it wasn't the Mosquito in the museum. It did at least prove they were flying well after the 1949 claimed and were used as drogue-aircraft i.e. they towed a target for the squadron-pilots to practice their markmanship on.
I remember one priceless incident when a young Hunter pilot couldn't see the Mosquito and drogue, despite being given precise 'angels'. Panic stricken voice and the co-ordinates were repeated for him.Eventually the Mosquito pilot, a WorldWar 2 Flight Sergeant came on - "Tell him to look at 11 o'clock and about 100 feet down".
They don't have those sort of problems these days I guess. But no doubt they have a brand new crop of their own. They probably call them 'issues' now. I have clocked David's wish to fly a Dakota and if the chance ever arises I shall do my best to organise it.
I've treated myself to another Rest Day today - not really worth venturing out 'cos its been cloudy and coldish. Y returns tomorrow which will be nice and I must put a reminder on my mobile about the Culture Show, which Bungus kindly drew to my attention as they are to cover Yorkshire Sculpture Park - one of my favourite places.
Tim thinks that my idea of photographing Eastwood tradesmen and shopkeepers outside their shops is something the Club could tackle as a joint veture, and prolly get a grant towards. It would after all be important historically. If I've mentioned it before I apologise but we discussed it in the Car on Wednesday. At my age I lack the necessary oomph to tackle it myself. Which brings me to:-
"Whether zeal or moderation be the point we aim at:
let us keep the fire out of one and frost out of the other"
Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
That's it for today. Sleep well.
let us keep the fire out of one and frost out of the other"
Joseph Addison (1672-1719)
That's it for today. Sleep well.
3 comments:
Anon 1 - Thank you for the photos, VERY much appareciated.
As far as I know 'anthropomorphism'
refers to inanimate objects as well as animals.
After having time and after seeing both before and after photos I have to say that I like the second photo of the Dakota better. Only because it is as is so to speak. I admire your prowess at photoshopping, whatever you call it, and to a certain extent go along with your thinking but I'm of the mind of show what you've taken without changing. If you look on my site, which I know you do I just post as is maybe that might be down to the fact that I've got no idea how on earth you can manipulate the pics as you do but it's how I like it...Hope that you're feeling better and that your legs are getting back to normal
“Yes, Saaaah!”
Having been reprimanded for dereliction of duty (which turns out to be the heinous crime of not commenting on the Thurs blog!), I shall revisit ….
The photo of the hangar is great (and I entirely accept the argument against b&w) and, for me, the Dakota certainly benefits from flying freeee of background clutter (I left the extra ‘e’s in because they seem appropriate to the word).
I knew there was something not quite right about the fiddled photo but could not nail it until you mentioned the static propellers. It does make it look like a model. If you took out the blades altogether I think it would appear more realistic.
I believe my first flight (1957) may have been on a Dakota. I was on National Service and we flew from England to Tripoli, Libya, by night. Amazingly, it required two refuelling stops – at Paris Orly and in Sardinia, dramatically, at dawn (vast desert plain fringed by distant indigo mountains gradually turning violet). Then emerging from the plane at Idris Airport into dazzling sunlight and oven-like heat and the overwhelming scent of eucalyptus and everybody walking about dressed like bible characters. Not that it was at all memorable.
'Anthropromorphism' is ‘ascribing human behaviour to what is not human’. So it may well be that (as Anon1 says) there is no separate word for inanimate objects in human form – apart from living sculpture, robot?
I'd say a word is certainly needed. Perhaps the Innuit have 24 or 73? Androidism might be the nearest.
Or how about anthropomechanism?
I remember the Mosquito very well. A most elegant aircraft built entirely of balsa wood, fuse wire and tissue paper.
A friend of ours who died a few years ago (and had arranged his own very impressive humanist funeral) flew them in the war which gave him kudos in my eyes.
I like your idea of photographing Eastwood tradesmen and shopkeepers (memories of 19C/early 20C pictures of Christmas butchers in front of their open-fronted shops).
I have long nursed a wish to photograph my own eclectic choice of personal favourite buildings in Notts. Digital makes this more easily realisable (hence the proposed bus ride through Daybrook) and all it needs now is the will!
I take Pete's point and know that you too will be sympathetic to 'as is' and 'true records' photos. I do think, however, that, in the case of the original Dakota, too much is lost in the jumble.
And I think Pete should be introduced to the simple joys of Picasa which brilliantly and effortlessly allows easily corrected enhancement without alteration (if that makes sense).
It's a bit like a touch of lipstick, I suppose - and perhaps a hint of eye shadow.
Post a Comment