Another Favourite Blog Post by Drew Ginn. This time about coaches and coaching titled Coaches & Coaching: The Art Form (Tue 24 Jun 2008) ..
[..] From directing, to coaching, to supporting and delegating. It's important to understand that coaches need to be adaptable and flexible in the style to best suit the athlete and the situation.
From what I have been exposed to over the years I have had coaches who have all been different and at certain times they have suited my needs and other time they have not quiet matched up to what I have needed. This has also played out in relation to the situation also.
Recently our coach, Chris worked on being more directed and coaching in his style. After we got back into things it was required that he shift his focus to suit our situation. It was a different energy and help us greatly in getting the ball rolling again. We have been good at working with him in a more supportive and delegating way which relates to our experience and willingness to be involve and responsible for our preparation and performance.
Years ago with the four, Noel Donaldson was great at managing the group and as such operated well in a supportive capacity. This did not mean at times he didn't shift into directing the group and coaching but it was often a quick switch and very effective in getting a response.
Now when I think of my development years at times I need a good kick up the ass. And well I had a few good coaches that did it perfectly. My only concern with this style of directing is that at some point the emphasis needs to shift and if it doesn't then problems and or confusion can grow.
In Australia right now we have a large variety of coaches with such a range of experiences and history in the sport. I am sure there is a different level of ambition and ego too. Surely they are no different to the athletes in one sense. They want to be the best they can be. They want to be the best. They I would have thought would want what is best for their athletes. Some times these two things can be in conflict which to me is the coaching dilemma.
This [leads] me to consider what it can be like in a crew also. In fact it goes to the heart of teamwork and why it can be so challenging to get it right. In a boat you want to do the best you can. You also want the team to do it best. You want everyone one to do there best. The dilemma then is what is the priority then? What are you measure by? What drives what and what can bring it all undone? These question like the coaches dilemma are very important in understanding why some times things work and other times they don't.
At this level everyone has ability and everyone has performed in a way to get to where they are. There fine line between wanting something for your self and wanting something for others is a fickle and often precarious position. You need to be motivated to be the best, but this need has to stay in check with relation to the motivation for the collective effort.
I mention all this because coaching like rowing is about balancing the influences, expectations and needs of all involved. Although the coaching view of things is some what objective if this is all that is focused on then the nature of the art form is lost in the numbers. The subtlety of shifting and adapting is needed with out being reactionary. A coaches view is often more comprehensive. They have to take in more information about performance on and off the water. This is the challenge and to honor all perspective is critical.
Coaches like athlete need to be masters of their art form to have longevity. When I say master I refer to the ability to stay even in their presence and maintain consistency while subtly shifting focus based on what the situation requires.
As an athlete I know I need a coach. I enjoy having a person who I can work with to enable the best outcome. I have been fortunate to have what I would say as some of the great coached from our sport. Noel and Chris have been a major factor in me getting this far and assisting in helping me to not only be a better athlete but better person.
This I am sure is not unique to me, I am sure many athletes have and will continue to feel this way about their coaches.
Lots to think about in this one.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query form. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query form. Sort by date Show all posts
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Monday, September 16, 2013
On Chris Horner - Chris Horner -.Ian Chadband / Telegraph (Sun 15 Sep 2013)
Chris Horner (*) talks On Chris Horner (*):
I keep reading that that Horner is in the best form of his career. This is not the best form of my career. I have won 80 races in my career. Maybe I haven’t had the opportunity to show it in a grand tour before but I’ve always been underrated throughout my career. I’ve not been given the responsibility when I think I should have.via Vuelta a 'España 2013, stage 21: RadioShack-Leopard's Chris Horner, 41, becomes oldest ever grand tour winner (*) by Ian Chadband (*.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Getting Started - 4 Years On Today ..
It all started with this little challenge (*) by Seth Godin (*) on the Tue 24 Feb 2009 to celebrate his 3,000th blog post:
if you'd like to celebrate this milestone (there won't be another like it for three years or so) please go ahead and start a blog. If you already have a blog, please go ahead and post something really interesting today.A few days later I would take up the challenge and I posted my 1st blog post here at eljeiffel (*) titled Getting Started (*). Since I had been blogging (the term had not been developed back then) for the period between 1997 and 2003, I looked to my experiences back then and I started again with a small quote (*) from Gustave Eiffel about essentially function and form.
I won't go on as I think I touched on what I have learnt about myself and life, over the last 4 or so years, in my 1,000th blog post (*) back in Aug 2012. All I will say is that it has been challenging, rewarding and interesting for me, at least, and I am glad I took up Seth's challenge back on Thu 26 Feb 2009. The act of creating, editing and the resulting archive (*), seems to give me some comfort and a way to reflect on who I was, who I am and (maybe an inkling to) who I hope to be.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Remembering Tim - Norwood Park Crematorium / Canberra (Fri 11 Mar 2005)
Today, 10 years on, we Remember Tim:
Timothy Francis Eldridge was born on Wednesday 4 December 1963 in Tamworth NSW. He became the third and youngest child of Thomas and Betty. He had an elder sister, Lynn, spelt with two n's not one as Tim persisted throughout his whole life). Lynn was two years older than Tim. Myself, Geoff being 3 years older was the eldest. His father was an electrical engineer with the Electricity Commision of NSW. The Regional Centre was based in Tamworth and from this office the electricity transmission system in northern NSW grew. The nature of his Father's work often required nights away from home. We all looked forward to Dad's return on Friday Night with a bag of mixed lollies for all.Lynn and I found as oursleves at school and this gave Tim two years at home with Mum by himself. Mum tells me now that he spent this time playing with the kids across the road. Even at this early age Tim was making friends. I seem to recall also that Tim managed to get a 1/2 day of pre-school (a first in the family). I always felt that this small period with other new kids gave Tim a nice head start when he commenced his schooling at South Tamworth Primary. He was well adjusted for the rigours of school, made friends easily (he was always going to birthday parties) and was a natural at anything he put his mind to.
He started in the top class in Kindy and there he stayed each year through his primary school days (and subsequent educational endeavours). Tim was a also a natural athlete and started playing rugby league at he age of eight, moving quickly onto soccer and then finally hockey (all in one year .. maybe this was a sign of things to come). He played representative hockey for Tamworth at the state champships every June Long Weekend. I even recall him playing under 12 hockey at Lismore when he was only 9. He was a prodigy even then. He also represented the North Western NSW primary school team in Murwullumbah where his team came back as state champions. Another little publicised sporting achievement was middle distance running and I remember him running a low 2 minute 800 meters at the Tamworth Primary Schools Athletic Carnival. A record that was not broken for many years.
The year Tim finished his primary school saw the Eldridge family move from Tamworth to Wagga for Dad's work. This was a tough time for everyone but we all adapted to new environs and our new high school in Wagga called Kooringal High. It was a new school and much smaller than the high school Lynn and I left in Tamworth. Probably 1/4 the size in students and was so new that it did not even have a sixth form in our first year there. Tim as always fitted in very quickily and he found new friends almost instantly. Many of whom are here today.
By the time Tim reached Wagga he had found the game of golf and before long he was swinging a set of clubs out at the Wagga Country Club, across the lake from where we lived. Here he spent many hours fine tuning his tee shots, fairway shots, chips and putts (or spits as his young nephew would subsequently refer, many years later). Golf was to become a life long passion and this was something which always stayed with him. It was only his 94 year old grandfather who thought something was wrong four weeks ago when he percieved Tim had lost interest in his Golf.
Tim breezed through high school and obtained excellent grades with little effort. In his final year he was nominated as perfect (whooops I meant "a prefect") and was voted school vice captain by his peers. For his HSC he studied a couple of hours each night on the floor in front of the TV. To recover from this strenous study regime, he would spend the next day playing 36 holes of golf.
With his HSC behind him Tim entered the University of Sydney and worked his way towards a Civil Engineering degree over a four year period. The first two years of his course, Tim lived at Wesley College, a residential college on the grounds of Sydney University. Here, Tim, along with some of high school buddies quickily adapted to the demanding University life style. Days at the beach, missing lectures, drinking beer, etc. He found new friends quickily and again many are here today. The nucleaus of this group were quickily dubbed the "DAMAGE BOYS" because of the drinking reputation at College Victory Dinners, formals and other ramdon gatherings.
Mid way through his second year, Tim's father Thomas passed away suddenly at the early age of 47 after a sunday afternoon hockey match. It was my job to tell Tim the news that Sunday night. I now remember his numb response to my news. "Where has he gone?" he asked. His fathers death at such a young age for all of us was a defining moment in Tim's life (probably the most defining moment up until last Saturday). It was a difficult time for Tim and the Family. Initially he seemed to cope well, but the next year saw Tim arrive home to Wagga unannounced many times during the university terms. I guess the one lesson (or theory actually I would call it a LAW) Tim would give us today from all this would be to grieve properly, seek support from Family, Friends and professionals and to address the difficult issues these tramatic events have on the fragile human soul.
Anyway, back to Uni, Tim bravely persisted and graduated with honours at the end of 1985. His brief but eventful civil engineering career started with a small but prestigous Civil Engineering Consultating companycalled Wargon, Chapman and Partners. Mr Wargon, a famous Amercican civil engineer appeared to take Tim under his wing and Tim quickily found himself designing car parks, and tall buildings. As well as doing one-off type jobs such as a structural integrity report of the Channel 9 Transmitter Antenna at the Channel 9 Compound, and preliminary designs for the now Sydney Harbour Tunnel.
Tim quickily realised that Civil Engineering was not for him (however a recent rush of activity with home decks shows there was some latent interest in at least some things civil). On the fifth redesign for an Alan Bond tower on the old Waltons site across from the Sydney Town Hall, Tim decided to move on. This gave him the chance to travel for 3 months overseas which took him to many places in Europe, England, particularly London and even India (if I recall correctly).
London was a place to which Tim would return frequently over the rest of his life, the last being July/August last year. The drawcards to London were friends and another life passion I have not yet mentioned, English Football. His favourite team during his schools days was Queens Park Rangers. Though his interested waned when their goalie Phil Parkes defected to my team West Ham in 1977 for a then world record sum of 565,000 pounds. Subsequent years and more recently Tim has been an Arsenal supporter.
On his return in the late 80's Tim persued his ambition for a new career. In this pursuit he found himself in Canberra studying part-time for a degree in Information Systems at the then Canberra College of Advanced Education and working part-time for small scientific software consulting firms. One system I remember was a flight simiulator program driven by data from aircraft black-box recorders.
On graduation from the CCAE Tim started work at Customs and then Department of Veterans Affairs for a record three years. Towards the end of this stint in DVA, Tim bought his house in Griffith, just up from Marnucka. He lived in the house briefly before deciding that a six month stint in Los Angles working on a Telon Related Inventory system was the go. On his return he decided to work in Sydney and here he had stints at NRMA and Westpac. Weekends saw Tim travelling back to his home in Canberra to catch up with friends and to play golf amongst other things. This became too tiring and before long he was back in Canberra fulltime working at the Australian Tax Office and subsequently Customs. His crowning software achievement was an ATO case-actioning tool which I believed was to be a distillation of systems and processes from the many places he had worked.
More recently, Tim returned to DVA where he ventured into web-based systems using packages such as Websphere and Tomcat.
Wherever Tim worked, he took the roles on seriously. He appeared to very much love a process and a set of rules to capture and implement. He believed rules were meant not to be broken (contrary to the majority of the population) and I always thought that he was perfect fit for the ATO. [He had a great sense of what was right and doing it right].
Another constant in Tim's life were his friends and I will always remember his 40th birthday speech where he said the party was not to celebrate his 40th, but more importantly, a chance for his family and friends to get together.
There is so much more to be said. We all have our memories of Tim and I ask you for just one moment to reflect on the good times you had with him ... and to take this forward with you through the tough times ahead.
It is now time to say goodbye to a loving son, brother, grandson, nephew, uncle, friend and colleague. We now know that Tim struggled with a delibertating and destructive illness which he held undercover for many years. I ask you to take the time to consider the strength he showed under this enormous pressure and to admire him for how he lived a relatively normal and happy life, shared with friends and family.
In the end Tim ran out "Puff" as he said and found peace from his illness the only way he knew how. Please forgive him. He asked for this.
Tim, you asked me where Dad had gone. We know that you searched for him high and low. We also now know that you have found him. The search and struggle is complete and that you have found your peace.
You will always have a special place in our hearts and memories. We will miss you.
Love .. Mum, Lynn and Geoff ..
Saturday, September 5, 2015
An Insight to Insight - Sarah Perry / ribbonfarm (Thu 03 Sep 2015)
Sarah Perry on Insight:
A special type of intelligence is the organization of complexity into a simpler, less resource-intensive form. The experience of such a compression is what is called “insight,”via Cartographic Compression by Sarah Perry at ribbonfarm.
Friday, October 28, 2011
chicoartnyc.com - Houston Street (2 of 3) / New York (Wed 17 Aug 2011)
Colour, clarity, form and the delicate detail of the windows and fire stairs (particularly) - that's what I like about this photo.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
The most Successful Art is almost on the Verge of Failure - Garry Winogrand (Aug 1976)
In Coffee and Workprints: A Workshop With Garry Winogrand (*), Mason Resnick writes about some photographic advice given to him by Garry Winogrand (*):
[..] treat editing photographs as "an adventure in seeing" and to enjoy the whole process.I think all these points can be applied to all aspects of life. Photography gives photographers a great chance to experience life and to abstract what they observe and learn.
[..] tension between the form and content of a photograph makes it succeed.
[..] the most successful art is almost on the verge of failure.
Particularly like the last point. I know from my own paddling experiences that our best efforts have verged on the edge of failure. You are in, then you are out. Things are breaking down and coming back together again - and so it goes all way the way through the set or race. My GPS has told me this time and time again in our training sessions. The sets that feel the worst are often better than the ones with that perfect feeling. Something I have known for a long time. It is hard to talk to others about this counter intuitiative observation of performance. This quote might come in handy.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
More Than a Feeling (Boston) by Igor Presnyakov [YouTube]
More than a feeling
And I begin dreaming
Just amazing!!! Igor's performance, skills and passion are breathtaking. Just love watching his fingers and his face.
Following on from the previous post ..
A Couple of Random Memories: The original Boston version of the song was released in 1976, the year my family moved from Tamworth to Wagga Wagga. Would have been in 4th Form (or Year 10 as it is called now). Just a kid. Remember being very sad to leave Tamworth (we had moved to Tamworth from Goulburn when I was a few weeks short of the age of 2) as it was all I knew (have very few childhood memories before starting school).
I have always said that while the move was difficult in the initial stages, it was one of best things to happen to me in many ways. It was a quite a formative experience to be separated from everything you had ever known and to have to start all over again. I think it helped me to accept change (particularly when you have no choice - you just have to accept it and make the most of it) and made me more resilent to the impact change can have on you, particular in the early stages of the change (hope that makes sense).
Have been to Boston quite a few times - 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1994. Planning to spend a few days there following Tampa 2011 in August 2011. Been a while, so looking forward to seeing it with another 17 years of life experiences behind me. Had always hoped to run the Boston Marathon which is held on Patriot's Day (3rd Monday of April). I tried to qualify by running the Melbourne Marathon in 1993, but was about 8 mins short of the pre-qualifying time of 3hr 15min (it was a bit easier in those days). Was lucky enough to be in Boston to watch the 1994 Boston Marathon.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Sydney Life 2007 (2-21 Oct 2007)
Every year, around 500,000 people come to see Sydney Life in Hyde Park North. Set in the context of one of the City’s most popular outdoor public spaces, the evocative artworks provide a unique Sydney experience.
The judges were spoilt for choice. From 620 images submitted, 26 have been chosen.
The result is a truly democratic exhibition, featuring works by emerging and established artists from across the spectrum of the art form, including documentary, press and art photography.
We sought to include optimistic and fun images, such as Jenny Evans’s Elvis Goes to the Races, and joyous ones like Christine Gleisner’s Martin and Maggie. Dean Sewell’s Tamara, Jack and Ruby is a contemplative portrait of family life, while Elaine Campaner’s The Harbour View, made out of kitsch objects, seems like a comment on the aspects of our city’s character that are superficial but charming.
It would not have been appropriate to exclude images which are poignant, such as Andrew Quilty’s Days Passed and Joan Cameron-Smith’s Housed by Thought No. 8, respectively of an old man watching the Anzac Day Parade and a young boy lost in thought. Nor did we want to exclude those which raise thorny social or environmental issues, such as Garry Trinh’s Welcome Home, about migrant communities feeling under siege, and Simon McGrath’s Urban Landscape, which alludes to our deepening concern over water shortages.
I would like to thank the City of Sydney and AMP Capital Investors for supporting the project. Thank you, too, to my fellow judges. Finally, I thank the photographers for their distinctive perspectives which so eloquently capture the possibilities of life in this terrific city.
The Sydney Life Prize, valued at $10,000, is comprised of $5,000 cash from the City of Sydney plus a $5,000 investment in an AMP Capital Sustainable Share Fund. It is awarded for the work judged most outstanding in the exhibition by the judges: Sandy Edwards (Curator, Sydney Life and Curator, Stills Gallery), Christine Morrow (Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art) and Bec Dean (Curator, Australian Centre for Photography).
New this year is the People’s Choice Award, sponsored by FUJIFILM Australia. Vote at the Art & About Free Catalogue and Information Booth in Hyde Park North and be in the draw to win a digital camera. The winning photographer will receive FUJIFILM Australia product worth $3,000.
Sandy Edwards, Curator Sydney Life
The Photographers and their Photos
Fiona Morris - Girls from Guangdong Province, Chinese New Year
Christine Gleisner - Martin and Maggie, 2007
Jenny Evans - Elvis Goes to the Races
Paul Blackmore - Lambo Wings
Dean Sewell - Tamara, Jack and Ruby
David Matheson and Eszter Marosszeky - Lounge-room, Lilyfield, 2007
Ingvar Kenne - Kellyville
Joan Cameron-Smith - Housed by Thought No. 8
Joanne Saad - Ipar (Voted People's Favourite)
Elaine Campaner - The Harbour View (Breakfast in Sydney)
Simon McGrath - Urban Landscape
Andrew Quilty - Days Passed
Neil Bailey - Sydney Museum
Ivan Buljan - Ms Paula Horvat Dreaming
Steven Siewert - 38° at 2pm
Martin Mischkulnig - Eila
Ali Nasseri - Aged Care is no Place for a Young Person
R. Ian Lloyd - Artist Guo Jian studies himself for a painting
Wendy McDougall - Park in a Park (in a park!)
Adrian Cook - Easter, Marrickville, NSW
Steve Christo - Mini Triathlon
Tanya Lake - Jelly Wrestling
Tom Williams - Evening, Kings Cross, 2006
Matt Kaarma - Basketball
Gary Trinh - Welcome Home
Quentin Jones - Fly Boys
Catalogue (pdf)
Thursday, February 3, 2011
London Bridge - You must be somewhere in London - London (Sun 28 Aug 2005)
Recently wrote about the above photo here (8 Dec 2010) and here (21 Dec 2010). I have always had some regrets about the full size version of the above photo. Henri Cartier-Bresson talked about these kind of post event regrets in his book The Minds Eye, specifically here (27 Sep 2010). Decided to crop the original photo (don't tell anyone though) and the above is the result - certainly a much stronger street photo. Certainly regret not capturing this on the day. In doing this, I am reminded a recent post on Shadow Photos (02 Jul 2010), specifically the photos of the Ingeborg Tyssen.
Finally, decided to look at all the photos that I took that day and found the photo below, which I had forgotten about. Seems an obvious photo to take and the above photo clearly shows the "Bull's Eye" effect - it is almost as if the horizontal and vertical lines of the wall slabs form a "crosshair" aim right through the heart of our little dragon - and btw the photo is uncropped.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Spiderman - Hero Forever - 02 May 2002 (youtube)
Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words:
"With great power comes great responsibility."This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm [..]
Peter Parker (Spiderman - 02 May 2002)
2:15am Fri 01 July 2011 - I found myself thinking about this closing Cemetery scene from Spiderman as I lay in bed reflecting on my day - the 2nd Anniversary of Jenny's passing.
The day had a few twists and turns I was not expecting - but that is the beauty of life.
Peter Parker's words seemed to resonate with me the first time I heard them many years ago with Jenny at my side at the Kogarah Mecca. Today they resonate just as much, if not more.
Postscript: I put the above video and words on my Facebook Profile in the early hours of Friday morning. For some reason this scene came into my head. I am not sure why, but I guess there must have been a reason. Maybe I would think of this scene once or twice a year and I always go searching for the above quote (now it is here I don't have to search too far to find it).
There are not too many scenes from movies I can remember as well as this one (another movie that is indelibly stamped in my memory is Fearless - a story for another day). Most movies I see, I am lucky to remember what the movie was about by the time I have watched the credits and walked out. A good movie might stay in my mind for a day or two. So for this scene to remain in my memory for 9 years, probably indicates some kind of association (for me, associative memory is my best form of recall).
Plenty of metaphors in the words and the cemetery scene clip - no need to worry, I don't think I have great powers, but maybe I feel a sense of responsibility to ensure that Jenny's is remembered and that her life is honoured.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
What is a workout? Rob Rowland-Smith - Jeremey Rolleston (Feb 2011)
In his book A Life that Counts, Jeremy Rolleston introduces us to trainer Rob Rowland-Smith. A bit of searching on the Internet and you will find Rob as the SandhillWarrior on Twitter. He certainly impressed Jeremy (as well as me - see here) with his inspirational words and quotes. On pages 136 and 137 of his book, Jeremy quotes Rob's long version of What is a Workout (the short version appeared here a few days ago) as follows:
Here’s a quote by inspirational trainer Rob Rowland-Smith. He wrote it in the context of a workout, but for me, it epitomises the journey, process and outcomes of a committed and disciplined life. I placed it on the front page of my Olympic training folder so I’d read it often, and most times, I read it before I worked out so I’d be better able to discipline myself and work hard enough to achieve what I wanted to achieve during that training session:
When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows. - Jenny and Deb Cooper stroking with George sweeping - DBNSW 2008 Development Squad - Blackwattle Bay / Sydney (Sun 26 Oct 2008)
When you finish a good workout, you don’t simply feel better ... you feel better about yourself." - DBNSW 2008 Development Squad - Blackwattle Bay / Sydney (Sun 26 Oct 2008)
Here’s a quote by inspirational trainer Rob Rowland-Smith. He wrote it in the context of a workout, but for me, it epitomises the journey, process and outcomes of a committed and disciplined life. I placed it on the front page of my Olympic training folder so I’d read it often, and most times, I read it before I worked out so I’d be better able to discipline myself and work hard enough to achieve what I wanted to achieve during that training session:
"What is a workout?Rob completes this with the following words:
A workout is 25% perspiration and 75% determination.
Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self-discipline.
Doing it is easy once you get started.
A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday.
It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind and toughens the spirit.
When you workout regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.
A workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination.
It is the badge of a winner – the mark of an organised, goal-oriented person who has taken charge of his or her destiny.
A workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence.
It is a way of preparing for life's challenges and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.
A workout is a key that helps unlock the door to opportunity and success.
Hidden within each of us is an extraordinary force.
Physical and mental fitness are triggers that can release it.
A workout is a form of rebirth.
When you finish a good workout, you don’t simply feel better ... you feel better about yourself."
To follow your dreams takes commitment ... and this means discipline.Some great words here and they will certainly help me focus on what is needed when working towards a Dream.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (youtube)
Filmed at Hard Rock Calling 2009, Hyde Park, London, UK. 28-6-2009
Random Recollection - was just poking around Youtube and decided to track this track down.
Born To Run was the first Record I purchased, probably as a 16 year old in 1976 - would have been 4th Form or Year 10. I remember buying it at Woolworths in the main street of Wagga Wagga. We had only just moved there after 14 years of living in Tamworth. My sister had a part-time job at Woolworths on the checkouts and she could do all the bill item additions in her head - times have changed.
Nice to see what interested me back then and the memories it brought back.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The difference between Motivation and Inspiration - Wade Wallace (Fri 04 Mar 2011)
The difference between motivation and inspiration is subtle but distinct.
Motivation often comes from an incentive or disincentive in order to reach a goal. A kick in the butt form yourself or someone else.
Inspiration is a totally different beast. It comes from within. It ignites a feeling of excitement and energy.
From Panache: An Open Letter To Professional Cycling by Wade Wallace (Cycling Tips - Fri 04 Mar 2011)
Pacific Dragons - 2009 NSW State Dragon Boat Titles - Penrith (Sat 21 Mar 2009)
Smile - Pacific Dragons - 2009 NSW State Dragon Boat Titles - Penrith (Sat 21 Mar 2009)
Motivation often comes from an incentive or disincentive in order to reach a goal. A kick in the butt form yourself or someone else.
Inspiration is a totally different beast. It comes from within. It ignites a feeling of excitement and energy.
From Panache: An Open Letter To Professional Cycling by Wade Wallace (Cycling Tips - Fri 04 Mar 2011)
Friday, March 15, 2013
On Street Photography - Ken Johnson / NYT (Fri 15 Mar 2013)
Ken Johnson (*) writes on Street Photography (*):
The camera gazes at all with the same equanimity and finds each person, in his or her own way, dignified, lovable and even beautiful. Walking, the most democratic form of transportation, lends itself to metaphor: we walk into the future, we walk the line, we walk the walk.via Walking the Walk, in a Rhapsodic New York Ballet / ‘Street,’ at the Metropolitan Museum (*) by Ken Johnson (*).
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Favourite Photos - How much beauty in decay! - Hyde Park/Sydney - Dec 2001
A photo I took after work during the Christmas New Year period of 2001. Fires were burning all round Sydney and the sky was covered in smoke which resulted in a strange orange colour which can be seen in this photo. At the time I was reading much about photography and various photographers. This particular photo was inspired by Eliot Porter.
Eliot Porter was a photographer I found early on in my photography journey and self-education. It was easy to appreciate his work (google). He was a pioneer of colour photography (more here) and his life work was bequested to the Amon Carter Museum in 1990 shortly before he died (NYT Orbituary).
Not sure how I found him, but his name seems to appear whenever landscape photographers start talking about Colour Landscape Photography when compared to Black and White Landscape Photography, particularly that of Ansel Adams (looking at the size of the wikipedia entries, it is easy to see who was more popular both as a photographer and selection of photographic technique).
Found some interesting information about him searching the web (google). Also, found some of his books (along with those of Australia's own Peter Dombrovskis) in the National Library of Australia and would often take a look at them in NLA's reading rooms when in Canberra. Many of his photos resonated with my own vision and definitely influenced me when taking landscape (even streetscape and travel) photos, particularly in the Snow Mountains.
At the UNSW I found the book Eliot Porter: photographs and text (a great article) by Eliot Porter. Learnt a lot from the text and photos selected for the book. The following is a quote (see my photo.net page) from the book, which helped form my photographic vision ..
"It is the beauty of nature that I try to represent by photography. What this expression means to most people, I am quite sure, is such features as flowers of spring, autumn foliage, mountain landscapes, and many other similar aspects about aesthetic qualities of which no one would care to offer contradiction. That they are beautiful is indisputable, but they are not all that is beautiful about nature; in fact they are only the obvious and superficial aspects of nature - which anyone may observe with half and eye. They are the peaks and summits of nature's greatest displays. There is no doubt about their importance; they could not be dispensed with. Underlying and supporting these brillant displays are slow, quiet processes that pass almost unnoticed from season to season, unnoticed by those that think that beauty in natures is all its gaudy displays.A fairly long quote, but for me was definitely something worth remembering.
Much is missed if we have eyes only for the bright colors. Nature should be viewed without distinction. All her processes and evolutions are beautiful or ugly to the unbiased and indiscriminating observer. She makes no choice herself; everything that happens has equal significance. Nothing can dispensed with. This is a common mistake that many people make; they think that half of nature can be destroyed - the uncomfortable half - while still retaining the acceptable and the pleasing side; their idea is a paradise where nature stands still. Withering flowers blooming, death follows growth, decay follows death, and life follows decay - in a wonderful, complicated, endless web the beauties of which are manifest to a point of view attached to vulgar restricting concepts of what constitutes beauty in nature. Thoreau, who observerd all aspects of nature throughout his life, repeatedly remarked on the beauty of the unaccepted. 'How much beauty in decay!' he exclaimed on examining a worm-eaten leaf. To him the sere, brown leaves of winter were as beautiful as the fresh green of spring. This was a principle that has remained important for me throughout my career."
This link provides a great summary of the life and works of Eliot Porter. I like the ending quote ..
The final paragraphs on the art of photography touch on his views to color, composition and emotional content of his images:
"Sensitivity cannot be faked by trickor devise; it has no substitute, and any attempt to replace it with mechancial contrivances is certain to be apparent to the more discerning critics. Not all photographs have to be inspired to be worth making, but the best, rare photographs are the result of a a force at least very close to inspiration. Formulized work becomes impersonal, an all the individuality of authorship tends to disappear. It unquestionably has its uses, but it is not art."The book itself echoes Porter's ability to redact nature's chaos into a single harmonious image, and is a well-deserved tribute to this pioneer of color nature photography.
The following was one of my favourite Eliot Porter photos:
I recently thought of Eliot Porter and the above photo, when I took the following photo during the 2010 Ord River Marathon:
Saturday, April 23, 2011
A Life that Counts - Jeremy Rolleston (youtube)
I have electronic and hardcopy versions of his book - A Life that Counts which was just published in February 2011.
It is a great book. It has reinforced and quantified much of what I have experienced and learnt myself. I have been incredibly lucky to be coached by some amazing people and to be part of some great teams (a glimpse here). More importantly, I have learnt a lot from it as well as being inspired by his words and thoughts (his blog reflects much of the book).
I would recommend and encourage you to obtain a copy. You can have the electronic version (a 1.67MB 227 page full colour PDF) of the book in a matter of minutes for only $US 12.95. The secure form is here. I hope to hear him speak one day.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
On Performance - Drew Ginn (Mon 24 Dec 2012)
After a 16 year career of international performance, the recently retired Drew Ginn (*), made a summary of his personal views On Performance (*). He starts out with the a succient and general summary of his learnings (*):
to compete there needs to be a certain level of conditioning reached through quantity and targeted intensity while maintain integrity of movement effectiveness and harmony.From which he expands:
Now there is heaps in all that but suffice to say if you do the work, row effectively and are ready for the event then it becomes easier.Been following Drew's Blog (*) since March 2007 and through it I have watched him through two Olympic Games, three World Championships, back surgery after Beijing, a short and successful bike road racing career and his comeback to rowing.
Thats not to say its easy to do but rather the flow, process and deliver can be uncomplicated and then the depth of effort can be reached which can put athletes into that state. The state where it takes everything they have while the realisation emerges that it was less hard and not as difficult as previously thought or perceived.
So simply work to make it easier. Focus to help it flow and push to let it happen. Under do it and you feel guilty, over do it and frustration appears and so to get it just right is the key. The flexion point between effort and ease, tension and relaxation, concentration and letting go, its all a fine line and to learn & master is where art form meets science.
Finally then with out the work your not in the game. With out the efficient your unable to make the most of the opportunity. Then with out being ready for the nature of the big event all can be lost in the blur and intensity of what rises on the day. To seize the day requires all three elements to be developed, stimulated and firing.
For myself, he has inspired me through three World Dragon Boat Championships, two Asian Dragon Boat Championships, and three World Club Crew DB Championships and countless Local and National events. I think I have just about experienced everything in paddling, though I am not so sure (*) on that - which is something I have learnt from life and I think is a good thing.
His writings make sense to me and I can relate to much of what he has written and shared with us. In short, he is a role model to me and I think he has helped shape who I am as a paddler and a person. He has influenced me in how I train, race, and behave on and off the water. In fact, it was Drew's blog [along with Vern's (*), who is someone Drew can learn from as he moves forward with his coaching career] that helped me get started (*) here almost four years ago.
The above piece of writing at the end of his long and successful career as a rower, is a brilliant summary of what it is all about. He will take all of this into his new career as a coach. All the best Drew.
With thanks .. Geoff
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Favourite Photos: Wilson Street Newtown 2003 - Milk Crate Swingers
Wilson Street Swingers (Cropped) - Wilson Street/Newtown - Sat 01 Feb 2003 (picasa)I had noticed this piece of graffiti for a while and quite liked it - always amazed how a few brushes and rolls of paint can be produce something so evocative (am I allowed to us this word for graffiti). Had my camera one Saturday morning (was well before my paddling days) and took a few photos of this wall and the surrounding area.
A few months later the wall was painted clean and I was reminded of the photo I had taken there. Prompted me to take another look at the photo (titled it 'Gone') which I straightened a little and cropped (see below - I felt the crop removed the distraction of the Garbage Bins, though when I look at it now I think I prefer the raw uncropped version - this often happens with photos with time) and put it up on my fledgling photo.net portfolio here.
Occasionally, I would receive a comment on my uploaded photos and it would take a few months to receive a comment for this particular photo. I was pleased to receive the following comment from Jonathan Walker:
'Oh, I do like this, largely because of the addition of the milk crates, which provide a quirky splash of colour and sense of depth to what would otherwise be a straight record shot. And in Newtown too (home of the quirky)!' jonathan w., December 08, 2003; 02:49 A.M.
Wilson Street Swingers (Full Image) - Wilson Street/Newtown - Sat 01 Feb 2003 (picasa)The best thing about the Internet is that it connects you with people with similar interests (photography in this case) and you have the opportunity to learn new things very quickly. When I noticed Jonathan (he was a recently arrived English Academic working at the Uni of Sydney), I signed up so that I could see when he made contributions to photo.net. He had some great photos of Venice (not your usual ones, but they definitely appealed to my own way of seeing things) and other places. Most have now been deleted along with the great discussions they generated. I learnt much from his photos and words. There are some fragements of his writings remaining at photo.net.
When we decided that we would visit Venice for 4 days in September 2009 after our Prague Campaign, I decided to track down Jonathan, since he was a Historian with a great knowledge of Venice. Was pleased to find that he had his own blog - jonathanwalkersblog.com. and had republished many of his photos [I am a Pilgrim (more here), Venice, Let Us Burn The Gondalas - this work definitely helped me form my own photographic vision when in Venice in Sep 2009 - see here and here ] and thoughts on photography there. As well he had published a book - Pistols! Treason! Murder! - and is now just about to publish his first novel - Five Wounds.
In part, the purpose of this post and my photo above is to introduce Jonathan. I hope to write a little more about him, particularly when his first Novel Five Wounds is published in May 2010.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Sydney Life 2006 (3-22 Oct 2006)
Sydney Life
Every year, around 500,000 people come to see Sydney Life in Hyde Park North. The resonance of these images, and their evocative setting in one of Sydney’s most popular public spaces, provides a unique representation of the city’s amazing variety.
From 800 images submitted by 410 photographers, 26 artworks have been chosen by a panel of judges. Again, there is a good mix of established and emerging artists from across the spectrum of the art form, including press, documentary and art photography.
The emphasis this year seems to be upon Sydneysiders enjoying their leisure time. Portraits of people flourishing in their domestic environments such as Joanne Saad’s ‘Karaoke Friends, 2006’, Danny Huynh’s man with his chook in Fairfield, or Martin Mischkulnig’s ‘Ingrid Hoffman with her collection of ‘50s and ‘60s aprons,’ capture worlds hidden behind the suburban fence. Just outside, Adrian Brown’s ‘Cul de Sac 7’ argues that housing estate dead-ends are the place where the next generation of Socceroos are building their skills.
Some photos dwell on the diversity of the city’s subcultures, while others encompass broader cultural activities such as the outdoor cinema and surfing, or capture the beauty of Sydney’s iconic parks. This year’s images are mainly celebratory in tone, however, there are some which speak to alienation, both human and from the natural environment, such as Beverley Veasey’s wonderful ‘Goat, Capra Hircus, at the Royal Easter Show.’
I would like to thank the City of Sydney and AMP Capital Investors for their support of the project. Thank you, too, to my fellow judges. Finally and foremost, thank you to the photographers for capturing with such poignancy the many possibilities for life this wonderful city offers.
The Sydney Life Prize, valued at $10,000, is comprised of $5,000 in cash from the City of Sydney plus a $5,000 investment in the AMP Capital Investors Sustainable Future Australian Share Fund. It will be awarded for the most outstanding work in the exhibition, as decided by a distinguished panel of judges: Sandy Edwards (Curator, Sydney Life and Curator, Stills Gallery), Alan Davies (Curator of Photographs, State Library of NSW) and Bec Dean (Curator, Australian Centre for Photography).
Sandy Edwards, Curator Sydney Life
The diversity of Sydney’s communities is magnificently captured in these photographs mounted on large-scalecanvas against the leafy backdrop of Hyde Park North. Take a wander down the central boulevard and admire these stellar images.
FREE SYDNEY LIFE
CURATORIAL TOURS
Wednesday 18 October and
Saturday 21 October at 1pm
Bookings Essential:
Telephone (02) 9246 7626
The Photographers and their Photos
Gregory McBean - The Baron and Baroness de Boyd (a.k.a. John and Jeanette)
Martin Mischkulnig - Ingrid Hanging her Aprons
Adrian Brown - Cul-de-sac 7
Jonathan Reid - Sydney Park – St Peters
Marco Bok - Mitch and Kay, Hyde Park, 1 July 2006
Kelly Mitchell - Skaters – Martin Place
Tamara Dean - Harmony Day
Beverley Veasey - Study of a Goat, Capra Hircus, at the Royal Easter Show
Steven Siewert - Not a Dry Eye in the House
Quentin Jones - Surfing from Space
Peter Solness - Dharawal Engravings and Sydney Skyline
Martin Mischkulnig - Guan Wei in Boat
Vera Hong - Rebecca
Steve Christo - Fire in his Belly.
Karl Sharp - “Revolution” (soccer fans)
Moshe Rosenzveig - Tango
Anne Zahalka - Chinese New Year Parade
Paul Blackmore - Backyard Wedding
Sasha Ruth Woolley - Natasha, 2005 (From the Limelight Series)
Danny Huynh - Culture and Cultivation
Steven Lojewski - Without a Trace, Enmore, 2006
Belinda Allen - Sacred Site – Angophoras, Royal National Park
Jeff Darmanin - Autumn in Sydney, 2006
Annette Willis - Niki and José 2006
Lee Valentine - Red
At www.archive.org - Sydney Life 2006, Art and About 2006
At Google: Programme (pdf as html)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)