Out of the Darkroom: Mirrorless and AI
When I say the landscape is changing, I could mean one of the nine songs Alan Wilder wrote or co-wrote for Depeche Mode. This one is about environmental destruction and a plea for accountability. Probably his best-known of the nine. I could be talking about election day, which is today. Perhaps I’m simply talking about the fall foliage I shot a few days ago at the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Or maybe about all of these topics and a few more.
Told You So: A Shift in the Seasons
As far as fall foliage goes. The landscape is changing. Every year NYC seems to get less of the beautiful fall colors. I remember being a little kid and watching the leaves turn into a potpourri of pretty colors. You knew the seasons were turning. These days, the leaves seem to die, fall off the trees, and pile up on the sidewalks.
As I was shooting, my mind traveled back to when I took a photography class at Tottenville High School. With a hand-me-down Nikon EM camera, I went with my dad and other family up to Alligerville in Ulster County, New York. The fall colors were ripe. We went hiking at the Mohonk Mountain House, and I shot away. I remember going into the high school darkroom and developing my prints.
The Evolution of the Lens
It was the early 80s – The best generation of music, fashion, and, for the most part, great leadership worldwide. We saw the desire for democracy in Eastern Europe; the internet started to take shape, and video games exploded. Unfortunately, we saw AIDS and civil discontent and violence.
As I hiked, I thought about how the photography landscape has changed. I was using a DSLR camera. Today, most people are shooting dazzling images with their mobile devices. Those of us who want to really shine use mirrorless cameras and edit in Adobe Photoshop. It’s a long way from spending time in the darkroom. Thanks to AI, the editing tools have made monumental advances. The key is always to frame your shot and make it great when you click your shutter. It’ll shave time off your Adobe work, and your photo will be stunning.
Final Frames
Fall is when our fun summer memories become just that: memories. We are thinking about the end of the holiday season, the end of the year. What trades the Yankees will make. Will they work? Or will they be another waste of millions? Usually it is just that, a waste.
As for Election Day, it will come and go. Will the landscape change? In many ways, it changes but often stays the same with different players.
As my mind spans through time, from that high school photo shoot today, I realize the landscape has always been changing. Regardless of who takes the field or who wins the ballot, the music keeps playing, the shutter keeps clicking, and the core message remains on repeat: “I don’t care if you’re going nowhere / Just take good care of the world.”
