WAR Songs (2012)

The last 24 hours I spent documenting my songwriting process along with other songwriters around the country.  Another day with more songs sung

Below are two sets. The first represents the songs written during the last 24 hours. The second is real time documentation of the creative process.


WAR Songs (2012) by almostdailysometimes

I did something a little different for this event. I write everyday when I have the chance but during the last 24 hour period, I admit I focused slightly more than usual, forsaking common household chores, work assignments and video games in favor of writing.

Still there were work related issues that I knew would pull at my time. I never stop being a father and everyday try to put time in with my family. As a result I opted to document all active writing times during this period.

Because I don't play a lot of shows, most of my songs go unheard. This was a fun chance to have everybody living in my now. Peace unto ye song warriors.

I am inherently an optimist

One has to assume that one's understanding of current reality

is in an agreeable state with one's remembrance of the past reality

This is hardly ever true. People gravitate towards recordings because it represents permanence.  People crave permanence. Recordings allow nostalgic memories to become concretized in so much as any memory can be concretized via cross-connecting pathways with 'reality sensors'. Such as a strong memory in response to a smell. 
Project Update: Since making this recording I have installed an air-filter in my basement. I can not remember how this album smelled. But it did not sound like this. We used a lot of effects and shit.  Who did the artwork? This Guy

Loud Shirt Friday

Loud Shirt Friday is a project developed by the Communications Committee at my place of business. I was elated to find out that I could create the flyer and have creative freedom over the finished product.

I've used some new tools available only in Adobe Creative Suite 4 and above (I work in CS 5), like turning effects layers into their own seperate, editable layer. This allows you to build certain effects on top of others.

What does this mean? Well, basically, a stroke can be placed on top of a stroke, and a drop shadow can be placed on top of another drop shadow, etc.

Notice how the "Loud Shirt" seems to be building out into four different colors. This could be done in earlier versions of Creative Suite, but this effect is easier to achieve now.

The feedback around the office on this flyer has been fantastic. Now, let's see what kind of creative LOUD shirts we all come up with ;)

C-47

C-47

I was taking a sunset walk when I came across an old clothes line behind a stand of trees. The posts were made of iron and securely anchored into the ground.  The line had seen better days and was quite rusted.

Towards one end of the clothes line were several clothes pins.  I was struck by how completely non-mathematical their arrangement was. I often find myself snapping photos of seemingly 'random' patterns such as coffee stains, liquid spills, bread crumbs, scattered rice or fallen leaves. Normally these things catch my eye because the pattern that appears seems to have a level of organization that belies the organic or accidental origins of the subject.

What I hope to convey with this shot is that peculiar attraction that certain uninteresting objects can have.  It is an allure that resonates with the perfect blandness of the object. I have been told that in the film industry a clothespin is known by the slang term "C-47".

I chose a slightly saturated look for this to bring out the highlights of the setting sun.  I combined this with an overall cooler tone to accentuate the brisk fall environment. I chose a medium f/stop so that all of the clothespins would remain relatively in focus against the background.

ISO: Unknown (probably 200)
F-Stop: 3.5
Exposure: 1/80

4 Windows

This photograph came about during a day of experimentation with different aperture and shutter speed combinations. The settings for this photograph are identical to the settings for Breakfast. The main difference between the two photos is that 4 Windows uses the regular portrait setting while Breakfast was taken on a macro setting. Also, like Breakfast, there is a strong back light.

The most striking thing in this photograph is the color. There has been no color-correction or post-editing (except for resizing) done. Perhaps it is the gradient provided by the reflected light of the white lamp between the two middle windows that causes the whole composition to have a desaturated look that I find very aesthetically pleasing.

The additional elements of a wooden chair and a vase of roses give this scene some context and mystery and the photographer would like to humbly call the viewer's attention to the small blue flower in the window sill second from left. I really enjoy how this accent of blue contrasts with the consistently warm colors in the rest of the scene.

Aperture: 2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/2,000
ISO: 100