On Gifts and Photography - Jorg Colberg (Fri 28 Feb 2014)

Street Portrait - Harris Street / Ultimo (Mon 24 Feb 2014)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes On Photography (*):

There are gifts (*) everywhere, and you “just” need to be able to spot them, accept (*) them, work with them.

via Review: Emile Hyperion Dubuisson’s Far (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).

End of the first week in our new Office. A new stomping ground for my Street Portraits (*). The area is vibrant and I know it well from my time at UTS doing my Postgraduate Degree in Data Processing (what an old fashion term). Love it here already and I could not help but snap this photo of a building site worker out on his lunch hour with a nice balloon in tow.

An aside and thanks: Jorg Colberg (*) is my favourite writer on photography. He is able to abstract the essence of an experience, a book or whatever; and write so clearly and succinctly about it. He always gives you something to think about and I eagerly await his next post. Thanks Jorg.

On Street Photography - Reciprocity Failure (Thu 27 Feb 2014)

Street Portrait - Atochia Street / Madrid (Fri 09 Aug 2013)
Reciprocity Failure (*) writes On Street Photography (*):

Street photography (*) has always been about capturing the fleeting nuances that somehow coincide and create a sum larger than its parts in public view, for those astute enough to notice. The magic lies in the subtleties, not the obvious; learn to do it right, or move on...

via In Your Face- Photo Complaints III (*) by Reciprocity Failure (*).

Street Portrait (Detail) - Atochia Street / Madrid (Fri 09 Aug 2013)

On Photography - Mark Cohen / Eric Kim Blog (Mon 17 Feb 2014)

Street Portrait - Harris Street / Haymarket (Tue 25 Feb 2014)
Untitled - Dibbs Street / Alexandria (Jan 2014)
Abstract - Pitt Street / Redfern (Fri 21 Feb 2014)
Mark Cohen (*) on Photography (*):

When you feel like you’re making pictures - the most important is to make new pictures. The pictures you already took - you already took those pictures. My main drive is to do something new - to make some new kind of picture.

via 14 Lessons Mark Cohen Has Taught Me About Street Photography (*) by Eric Kim (*).

On Trying - Adam Van Koeverden (Wed 19 Feb 2014)

Pacifc Dragons Premier Mixed Crew - CNY / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)
Adam Van Koeverden (*) writes:

Trying to be the best in the world is innately audacious. That’s what makes these competitions so insanely exciting. Our athletes are willing to put themselves on the line, and do the most admirable thing. Try. They will sweat, bleed, gasp and cry, to try and get our maple flag up on the top spot and have them play our national anthem.

When our athletes win, it won’t be fate (*) or a fulfillment of any destiny (*). The Canadian Olympic team has what it takes and they give their everything, everyday. They’ll win because they tried, and were the best.

So, I’m making a pledge. I am dispensing with any predestined expectation (*) and prediction (*), but I’m going to do a heck of a lot more than hope (*). I’m putting my confidence (*) in them. And I hope that helps.

via Hope, Pressure and Expectation: Finding a Winning Combination (*) by Adam Van Koeverden (*).

A post (*) I will read again and again. It gives so much clarity to everything around trying to do something.

On Understanding - Seth Godin (Sat 22 Feb 2014)

Street Portrait - George Street / Sydney (Nov 2013)
Seth Godin (*) writes:

It doesn't matter if you're right (*), it matters if you are understood (*).

via Should you teach the world a new word? (*) by Seth Godin (*).

On Competing - The Hope / Expectation Spectrum - Adam Van Koeverden (Wed 19 Feb 2014)

Pacific Dragons Premier Opens Crew - CNY / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)
Adam Van Koeverden (*) writes On Competing (*):

As an athlete, I’ve sometimes struggled with where on that hope (*)-expectation (*) spectrum I should gauge my confidence (*).

Of course, I believe in myself (*), and I know I can win. Without getting too philosophical, I’ve wondered how close I can get to I should win, without crossing that threshold.

I have never believed in destiny (*). I don’t believe that anyone is “supposed” to win. That’s why we compete. That’s the beauty of sport, there is no supposition.

Athletes need to be comfortable with the reality that it is their actions that will determine the outcome.

Hope isn’t enough for me either. It implies that I should simply have faith in some predestined result.

via Hope, Pressure and Expectation: Finding a Winning Combination (*) by Adam Van Koverden (*).

Just brilliant writing. Have thought about hope (*), expectation (*) and destiny (*) a lot here. Adam has captured this better than one I have read before. One last extract from Adam's pivotal post (*) to follow ..

Welcoming Jai, Pacific Dragons Youngest Member - CNY / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)

Jai and Lisa (*), and the Pacific Dragons Women's DB Crew - CNY / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)
A really special moment for our Club. Jai, Lisa (*) and Lisa's Mum came along to CNY to provide their support for the team. Lisa has been a member of the Club since 2007 and she has given so much of herself to the Club. Now she has provided us with a new team member and we welcome him with open arms. He is just beautiful Lisa and we are all so happy for you. We look forward to seeing you both grow and I know you know that we are all there for you as this photo shows so clearly. It shows us what is so great about our club and what it gives us in paddling, and more importantly Life.

On Pressure and Belief - Adam Van Koeverden (Wed 19 Feb 2014)

()
Adam Van Koeverden (*) writes:

First of all, athletes love pressure (*). They need it to perform. The great Billie Jean King famously remarked that “pressure is a privilege” (*).

If someone expects something great from you, then somewhere along the line you must have given them some reason to believe (*) you can be great. That precedent of performance is crucial to an athlete’s ability (*) to self motivate (*).

via Hope, Pressure and Expectation: Finding a Winning Combination (*) by Adam Van Koeverden (*).

On Photography and Light - Mike Johnston (Wed 19 Feb 2014)

Untitled - Copenhagen (Fri 23 Aug 2013)
Mike Johnston (*) writes On Photography (*) and Light (*:

The number of possible pictures is infinite. In every light, there are some that work. The trick is not finding the "right" light. The trick is finding the right picture in the light you're in.

via Ask Mike (*) by Mike Johnston (*).

On Photobooks - Brian Rose (Mon 17 Feb 2014)

Minutes to Midnight and The Christmas Tree Bucket - Trent Parke Photobooks - Kinokuniya / Sydney (Mon 17 Feb 2014)
Brian Rose (*) writes Photobooks (*):

Despite the digitization of photography - or perhaps because of it - we are in a golden age of photography books. There are now numerous websites, blogs, and Facebook groups that review or sell photo books, and all of that virtual infrastructure helps build community and encourage sales. But without local bookstores, where one can browse, discover, pick up and feel, fewer photo books will reach the public. Simple as that.

via New York/Bookstores Still Essential (*) by Brian Rose (*).

On Leadership - David Foster Wallace / BrianPickings (Mon 17 Feb 2014)

Pacific Dragons Premier Women's Crew - CNY Pre-Final Huddle / Darling Harbour (Sat 08 Feb 2014)
David Foster Wallace (*) writes On Leadership (*) and Inspiration (*):

A real leader (*) is somebody who, because of his own particular power and charisma and example, is able to inspire (*) people, with “inspire” being used here in a serious and non-cliché way. A real leader can somehow get us to do certain things that deep down we think are good and want to be able to do but usually can’t get ourselves to do on our own. It’s a mysterious quality, hard to define, but we always know it when we see it, even as kids.

via by David Foster Wallace on Leadership, Illustrated and Read by Debbie Millman (*) by Maria Popova (*).

On Understanding Photography - Anders Birger / disphotic (Mon 16 Feb 2014)

Untitled - Madrid (Sat 10 Aug 2013)
Anders Birger (*) writes photography (*):

If we want to change (*) something we need to understand (*) it better, and we don’t understand things better by looking at the same photographs again and again.

I find people who work with photography as a way to explore (*) something for themselves really interesting, it’s like if I can understand something I can make other people understand it and that seems much more important.

via Interview: Anders Birger (*) by disphotic (*).

On Photography - The Eye, Heart and Mind - Streetshooter (Sat 15 Feb 2014)

Heart - Amsterdam (Tue 20 Aug 2013)
Streetshooter (*) writes On Photography (*):

There exist many photos out there waiting to be born. Within those photos lives many that are just beautiful images that are for you to add to the definition of your self. If you can’t find them it is your fault and not theirs. If you focus on your Eye (*), Heart (*) and mind (*) then out there are those photos waiting for you. If you don’t focus on your Eye, Heart and Mind, those images are still out there but you won’t find them because someone else will..

via February 15th, 2014 ….. Defining The Self Thru Your Photos ….. Part 3 (*) by Streetshooter (*).

Street Portrait #1 - Madrid / Spain (Sat 10 Aug 2013)

Street Portrait #1 - Madrid / Spain (Sat 10 Aug 2013)

On Knowing the Unknown - Jorg Colberg (Fri 14 Feb 2014)

Street Portraits - Madrid / Spain (Sun Aug 11 Aug 2013)
Jorg Colberg (*) writes:

There is comfort in being told what you already know: It essentially tells you that you are right after all (even if you’re not). But there also is a strange kind of comfort in being told what you don’t know (*). You’re challenged (*), it is true, but you’re also being made aware that there are other ways to see the world, that, provided you’re a little open, there is space to grow.

via Review: Beautiful by Loredana Nemes (*) by Jorg Colberg (*).



Street Portraits - Madrid / Spain (Sun Aug 11 Aug 2013)

Pacific Dragons Crew Photos - Pittwater OC6 Regatta / Palm Beach (Sun 09 Feb 2014)

Alison Linn, Kath Burrows, Annett Happich, Amanda Wyllie (S), Nicola Frowen, Cath Gale - Pacific Dragons Long Course Women - Pittwater OC6 Regatta / Palm Beach (Sun 09 Feb 2014)
Steve Jack, Ian Amos, Stu Young, Nuku Taia, Adrian Chua, Geoff Eldridge (S) - Pacific Dragons Long Course Open - Pittwater OC6 Regatta / Palm Beach (Sun 09 Feb 2014)
Tim Vose, Eelin Tan, Paul Wilkins, Kirsi Niinimaki, Stu Young (S), Liz Cowen - Pacific Dragons Short Course Mixed 1 - Pittwater OC6 Regatta / Palm Beach (Sun 09 Feb 2014)
Geoff Eldridge (S), Kaizer Austin, Jo Petterson, Paul Webster, Jane Hill, Kayleene Eagles - Pacific Dragons Short Course Mixed 2 - Pittwater OC6 Regatta / Palm Beach (Sun 09 Feb 2014)
First big race of the season for most of us. As usual I learnt a lot today about steering on a choppy ocean in strong winds. Tough way to learn, so thanks to the LC Mens Crew for putting up with me.

The SC Mixed - congrats to Kayleene and Jane for first time in such challenging conditions. To the crew, thank you for your belief in yourselves and me as your steerer.

Great work everyone today, you put a smile on an old paddlers face.

Keep Moving Forward (Little Wonders Video by Rob Thomas)

Keep Moving Forward (Little Wonders Video by Rob Thomas)
At 2 min 46 sec into the Rob Thomas, Little Wonders Video (see here), the above motto is breifly (maybe for a one second at most) projected onto the screen. Googling gives some context (here):

The main character shows hope, he develops and grows quite a bit through the course of the film, and there is a very uplifting message, from Walt Disney himself, to keep moving forward.

Made me think of this post from a year:

• A warrior of light often loses heart .. (03 Feb 2010)

The main thing is that I believe in the people close to me and also in myself. We have an amazing year ahead and I am very excited about the path ahead to Tampa 2011.

Might as well put this video here also:

Video: It's not my Time by 3 Doors Down
Finally, Keep Moving Forward made me think of the following photos that have featured here (at least the first two anyway):

Jenny and Jo - Main Range Walk - 06 Jan 2002 (from here - 20 Jan 2010)
"Keep on Walking" - Jo - Main Range Walk - Fri 1 Jan 2010 (from here - 20 Jan 2010)
Keep Moving Forward - Fingal Beach / Fingal Bay / Port Stephens (Sun 25 Aug 2002)