Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Alexander.Of.Oz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 29, 2013
3,200
12,501
Is the mobile phone thing a consequence of not having the viewfinder exclude a large proportion of distractions? The viewfinder gets you 80% of the way to focussing your attention? A phone doesnt do that as you hold it at arms length and look at the screen? Is there a way you can create this exclusion zone for the phone? Make a carboard viewfinder to fit over your phone kind of like a google cardboard for photography? Would that help? Just a thought
That was my initial thoughts, but the folks who use the two Panasonic-Lumix DMC-GF3's have equally as deep an experience! Those micro-four-thirds cameras have no viewfinders on them. It appears that it is to do with the use of a camera.

I don’t care if you use American or British spelling, as long as you are consistent. :)

I also completely understand why you want to leave out iphoneography, but I think you should list that out early on so people aren’t disappointed if that is their primary camera. Just make sure your audience knows they are the intended audience. :)
Thanks again, Molly. I'm mulling over the mobile phone and how to be inclusive in that regards.

Dont mention any names, terms or anything that individuates a person or organisation. Speak purely of the events, activities, actions, outcomes. Peel it right back to the bare information and the NGOs should be OK. They are likely nervous you are going to divulge their USP.

But you need a paragraph of how you reached this point...this juncture...
Absolutely, Ken! It needs to be incorporated. I'm jotting down points to be expanded upon right now and think it should be the first chapter, setting the tone, so to speak. Last night as I went to bed I was jostling with the idea to add something in the preface, but many folks skip that completely, so I think a quick chapter about me, my experiences and how the groups have formed and evolved is a better thing to go with.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kenoh and mollyc

Alexander.Of.Oz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 29, 2013
3,200
12,501
After the valuable input from you generous folks here, I have had the updated version of the free excerpt scrutinised and scoured over by a couple of people in regards of layout, spelling and grammar, etc...

The final version is now available to be downloaded and the link is in the first post. At the moment, only the PDF link is active, I will make the iBooks link active once it has been approved by the iBooks scrutineers. Which should be within the next 24 hours.

Thank you so much to those that helped me out here, it was and is truly appreciated. A copy of the full edition will be heading your way when I release it soon. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: kenoh and mollyc

mollyc

macrumors G3
Aug 18, 2016
8,069
50,846
Congrats!!

BTW, I thought of you today when I was taking my POTD of an orchid with two different lenses and various angles. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alexander.Of.Oz

themumu

macrumors 6502a
Feb 13, 2011
727
644
Sunnyvale
I've started reading it and will definitely continue when I get off work. Looks very promising. Thank you!

I've been struggling with my own photography because although I started the hobby many years ago just for its own sake, lately my primary focus is on travel and especially riding motorcycles, offload and on. There are so many unique sights I get to see when I'm exploring on my dual sport motobike, but the photos often underwhelm me.

Part of the issue is that while riding, it's not always easy to stop and compose a shot. Sometimes I'm too focused on tackling difficult terrain, sometimes it's a time crunch against disappearing light (especially now, winter in the Northern hemisphere and days are short), sometimes I just get so tired, I don't even want to pull out my camera - although after a bit of rest I kick myself for not doing it. The disappearing light of course is a blessing in disguise, as the sunsets are so beautiful, even if it means I have to complete the ride in the dark.

I'm hoping your book will help me out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alexander.Of.Oz

Alexander.Of.Oz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 29, 2013
3,200
12,501
I've started reading it and will definitely continue when I get off work. Looks very promising. Thank you!

I've been struggling with my own photography because although I started the hobby many years ago just for its own sake, lately my primary focus is on travel and especially riding motorcycles, offload and on. There are so many unique sights I get to see when I'm exploring on my dual sport motobike, but the photos often underwhelm me.

Part of the issue is that while riding, it's not always easy to stop and compose a shot. Sometimes I'm too focused on tackling difficult terrain, sometimes it's a time crunch against disappearing light (especially now, winter in the Northern hemisphere and days are short), sometimes I just get so tired, I don't even want to pull out my camera - although after a bit of rest I kick myself for not doing it. The disappearing light of course is a blessing in disguise, as the sunsets are so beautiful, even if it means I have to complete the ride in the dark.

I'm hoping your book will help me out.
That was a bit of a wow moment for me, reading your response. I am just finessing a bit in the expanded (now over 400 pages) version that is about Mindfulness for the busy person. Hopefully the excerpt has enough tips and hints to get you at least heading off in the right frame of mind, whenever you choose to pick up your camera, regardless of how busy or time short you may be.
 

Alexander.Of.Oz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 29, 2013
3,200
12,501
An update about this ebook effort of mine. It's nearing completion, and should be another couple of weeks away to be out there, released onto the world at large.

Unfortunately, I had other complications come up in the meantime which demanded a lot of my time. Designing a community garden, coming up with a curriculum for delivering a Mindful Photography group through a local community college for mental health recovery, running the current three groups a week, editing four of the participants images each week, creating a Flickr group, so they could all share together, getting them able to join and use it, putting in grant applications to cover transport costs to get out and explore each week, etc... But I now seem to be in a place of having some more time to devote to finishing it off.

The 40 page excerpt is still available to download for free at:
http://bit.ly/2omcofT

Kindest regards,
Alex
 

Clix Pix

macrumors Core
I have just belatedly come across this thread, and out of curiosity downloaded and read the excerpt -- WOW!!!! I never realized that there is terminology for what happens to me when I get fully immersed, totally absorbed in shooting, say, a macro or a tabletop still life! I can easily spend an hour or more experimenting with a subject, becoming completely engrossed in photographing it from different angles and adjusting the lighting to create a different impact. It has been a while now -- too long, really -- since I've done this sort of thing, but in reading this I find myself thinking about brushing off the camera, sliding a memory card and freshly-charged battery into it, finding something to shoot, and reawakening that wonderful feeling that comes over me......
 

Alexander.Of.Oz

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Oct 29, 2013
3,200
12,501
I have just belatedly come across this thread, and out of curiosity downloaded and read the excerpt -- WOW!!!! I never realized that there is terminology for what happens to me when I get fully immersed, totally absorbed in shooting, say, a macro or a tabletop still life! I can easily spend an hour or more experimenting with a subject, becoming completely engrossed in photographing it from different angles and adjusting the lighting to create a different impact. It has been a while now -- too long, really -- since I've done this sort of thing, but in reading this I find myself thinking about brushing off the camera, sliding a memory card and freshly-charged battery into it, finding something to shoot, and reawakening that wonderful feeling that comes over me......
I love it! That's exactly what I'm trying to get folks experiencing, that total immersion into concentration and observation, where everything else just disappears.

Do it! Brush off those cobwebs and investigate through a lens again! :D:cool:
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.