One of the biggest drawbacks to viewing photographs online is the loss of detail. Even when photos are shown fullscreen, much of the detail that is captured by the camera is lost due to the resizing of the images for web viewing. The image degradation is especially great when the image happens to come from a medium or large format image.
Luckily, there is a service called Closr.it that helps to bring more of that detail to the web. While the images may not be viewable for iPhone and iPad users due to Closr’s reliance on Flash, most desktop and laptop users will be able to experience many photos almost as if they were standing right in front of a very large print.
In a previous post, I had posted a 580 by 580 pixel image of one of my surfer friends, Bob W. Here is the same image viewed through the Closr widget. Much like a YouTube video, the Closr image can be viewed in fullscreen mode. Try zooming into the eyes to see the level of detail captured in the original image.
This is a photo that I snapped of surfer/shaper Tyler Hatzikian on a borrowed Nikon F film camera with a 500mm mirror telephoto lens with a fixed f8 aperture.
Sometimes, traveling to some of the more popular national parks can be a bit of a drag especially if you go in the summertime and especially bad if you go on a popular weekend like Memorial Day or Labor Day. Sure, the park might be a national treasure, but if you’re standing 3 or 4 people deep in a crowd gathered at the base of Yosemite Falls, you might not find the bounty so enjoyable. If you have enjoyed Yosemite in the summer months when the weather is nice you probably know what I’m talking about. For that reason, my wife and I, along with some photography friends of ours, took a trip to Yosemite in winter a few years ago to see what it would be like. We couldn’t have been more delighted.
We went up in January when there was plenty of snow and very few people. Obviously, you need to be prepared for some colder weather, but you will be heavily rewarded with uncrowded vistas. The park’s attractions are so enjoyable when you don’t have to deal with crowds and the traffic that can often take some of your focus off of what you really came to see.
The texture of the sheer granite faces that surround the valley is easily seen with the snow that lines every available perch. The high altitude mixed with the scent of the evergreens and the crisp winter air invigorate you like a brisk morning run. Little details that you might not notice otherwise become attractions in their own right like the snow covered reeds at the edge of a pond.
If you’re looking to do something a little different next winter, definitely give Yosemite a shot. The park is just as enjoyable and breathtaking. And, you will have more of it to yourself!
My iPhone has been my main camera as of late. With the Hipstamatic app for the iPhone, it’s kind of like shooting with a Holga – lot’s of lo-fi goodness!
We’ve been keeping an eye on our dog, Sherman, to see if he is sad about Kody. Before we had Sherman, we had a Golden Retriever, Jordan, who got cancer and we had to put him to sleep. We thought Kody was handling everything fine until our neighbor informed us that Kody had been howling in the backyard whenever we weren’t at home. Since Kody was typically a very quiet dog, it was apparent that Kody was missing his good buddy.
Luckily, Sherman has Don Diego to keep him company when we’re out of the house, but I’m still concerned about his spirits. But after a couple of nice walks and a good dinner, Sherman definitely seemed to be pretty happy.
My wife and I decided that it was time for us to put down our oldest dog, Kody. He was 15 years old and had a number of health issues, but lately, he had been having a lot of trouble getting around and just seemed to be in a fair amount of discomfort. I came home from work early so that we could all go to the vet together. I snapped this photo of Nate and Kody on the couch together before we all got in the car.
When we got to the vet’s office, we all took turns feeding Kody pieces of a cheeseburger that I had picked up for a last meal. Marie and Nate went to go get a smoothie while I stayed with Kody in his final minutes. I had been sad all day about what was to come, but when I was finally in the room with Kody and the veterinarian I was completely overcome with emotion and just started crying like a little kid. It was time to say goodbye to a dog that has always been happy to see me and served as a great companion in so many happy moments in my life.
I have a heavy heart to be sure, but I’m relieved to know that he no longer has to endure the pain and discomfort caused by his failing health.
