Mõnikord kirjutan pikemat teksti ka. Täna hakkasin mõtlema, mis vigu/veidraid perioode olen pildistades läbi teinud ja miks mitte need kirja panna. Eks ma mõningatele praegustele piltidele vaatan ka mõne aja pärast tagasi ja mõtlen: "oh õudu!", kuid mis teha - on see ju arengu/õppimisprotsessi üks osa.
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Today I started thinking about all my mistakes/strange eras I've gone through in photography during my time shooting thus far and thought of creating a list of them. I'm sure I'll be looking back at some of my current photos sometime in the future and thinking: "Oh wow, that's horrible" but then again, it's part of a learning/development process.


1. Kui ma peegelkaamera sain, siis hakkasin päris algusest manuaalrežiimis pildistama. Sellest sai küll hea harjumus, kuid esimesed paar aastat pildistasin seetõttu natuke tühja. Nimelt tegin kaamera funktsioonid endale selgeks vaid osaliselt ja üheks tõsisemaks veaks sai maastikufotode tegemine suurima apertuuriga. Häbi tunnistada ja ise ka ei tea, kuidas nii juhm olin, et ei mõistnud, et see oligi põhjus, miks säärased pildid kunagi eriti teravad polnud. Mõni selle nahka läinud fotodest kummitab siiani.
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When I first got a DSLR, I developed a good habit of using it in manual mode but for that reason the first few years of shooting most of my photos didn't turn out that great. I didn't learn all the functions of the camera properly and as a result I shot landscape with the biggest aperture. Quite a shame and I'm not even sure how I couldn't realize that that was the reason why those photos were always blurry. Some of those "almost there...but not sharp enough" shots haunt me to this day.

Suure ava kasutamine toob kaasa ka intensiivsema chromatic aberrationi, mida vasakul on päris hästi näha. Seega lisaks ebateravusele oli fotodel ka see viga juures // Larger aperture also increases chromatic aberration which is pretty visible on the left in this photo

2. Valge tasakaal pidevalt "cloudy/pilvine". Endalegi müstika, miks see mind nii väga paelus. Pole just väga suur prohmakas (erinevalt eelmisest on see järeltöötluses põhimõtteliselt parandatav) ning õigel ajal õiges kohas kasutatuna on sellest ka kasu, kuid minu puhul oli see lihtsalt veider maitse/stiil, mis enamus fotosid lihtsalt veidi ära rikkus.
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White balance always set to "cloudy". It's quite a mystery to me why I was so infatuated with that mode. It isn't that big of a mistake than the previous one (somewhat fixable in post production) and using it in the right time/way is sometimes useful, but in my case it was just a weird taste/style choice which slightly ruined some of my photos.

Sellised oranžid/soojad olid kunagi kõik mu fotod // All my photos used to look the same - warm&orange

3. Pisikesed fotod. Tegin (liiga) palju sarnaseid pilte ja seetõttu pidin resolutsiooni arvelt ruumi kokku hoidma. Kvantiteet oli kvaliteedist toona kahjuks olulisem. Samuti postitasin üliväikseid pilte, 600px oli vist suurim.
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Photos in the smallest resolution. I took way too many similar shots of the same thing and for that reason I had to cut back on space. Unfortunately quantity over quality was more important to me back then. I also posted tiny photos, 600px being the largest in width.


4. Kaamera sisesätted. Üks jubedamaid asju, mis umbes poole aasta jagu pilte tuksi keeras, oli mu lollus kruttida kaamera saturation maksimaalse peale. Vaat seda ei jõua ära kiruda, sest isegi järeltöötluses oli seda kohati võimatu eemaldada. Kuna värvid olid üleküllastatuna üles pildistatud, siis originaali taastada polnud enam võimalik. Esialgne detailsus oli kadunud. Hea õppetund, et sellist nalja ei tasu teha.
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Internal settings of the camera. One of the most dreadful things that I did, which resulted in ruining approximately 6 months worth of shots, was setting my camera to oversaturation. That was a very dumb mistake because even in post production it was nearly impossible to undo the damage. Since the photos were already shot overly saturated, there was no way to recover the original scene, detail of the colours was lost. That was a good learning experience that you shouldn't mess with those settings without thinking.

Otse kaamerast. Kohutav // Straight out of a camera. Horrible :(

5. Vintage everything. Fototöötluse prohmakas. Mingi periood möödus ainult "add layer: "sinine", layer mode: exclusion" stiilis. Circa 2006-2007, mil selline töötlus oli suhteliselt levinud. Iseenesest pole sel ju (olenevalt pildist) väga viga, aga kuna see muutus juba nö konveiertöötluseks, siis lõpptulemus jäi üksluiseks. Vähemalt selline on minu arvamus.
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Vintage everything. A blunder in photo editing. Circa 2006-2007 was a time when all I did was "add layer: blue -> layer mode: exclusion". Back then it was quite a popular style. It might look nice sometimes, but when every single photo has the same look, it becomes quite boring. Or at least that is my personal opinion.


Kindlasti olen veel paljude asjadega ämbrisse astunud, kuid päris kõigel ei jõua lähemalt peatuda. Hetkel tõin välja need, mis mul endal kõige eredamalt meeles on.
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I'm certain there are more things to add to this list but that would take forever :D. Here I just named a few prominent ones that came to mind first.

Falco - Der Kommissar

Updates, observations & snippets of Haapsalu

Niisiis. Mida lähemal sügisele, seda vähem mul uusi postitusi tahtmist-viitsimist teha on...täna võtan end kokku, kirjutan mõned read ning lisan paar fotot Haapsalust.

Olen nüüdseks mõned aastad jälginud erinevaid (eesti) fotograafide foorumeid erinevates suhtlus - ja sotsiaalvõrgustikes ning mujal fotoalastes portaalides. NB! Ainult jälginud, kuid mitte postitanud ega mõnel teisel viisil osa võtnud nende gruppide tegevustest! Järgnevalt toon välja mõned õppetunnid, mis ma selle aja jooksul omandanud olen.


// So. The closer it gets to autumn, the less I have the desire to post updates...but today I'll try and get myself together, write down some thoughts and add couple of photos I took in Haapsalu.

I've been watching various (Estonian) photography forums in different social networks and sites for couple of years. NB! I'd like to stress the word "watched" because I haven't participated in their activities in any other way. The following list is all about the lessons I have learnt during that time.

Esimene tähelepanek: ainult professionaalsetel fotograafidel on õigus kasutada sõna "fotoblogi", kõik teised tuleks kriminaalses korras vastutusele võtta või vähemalt avalikult Internetis häbistada.

First observation: only professional photographers have the right to use the word "photoblog", all others should get charged or at the very least be publicly shamed all over the Internet.

*köhh*//*cough*

Teine tähelepanek: ära iial postita pilti, mille õigustamiseks ("miks sa selle pildi tegid") pole sul ette näidata kümne kilomeetri pikkust juttu, sest  i  g  a  pilt peab vaatajas tekitama võimsa emotsiooni ja olema muidu deep.

Second observation: never ever post a photo that you can't justify/explain ("why did you take this photo") with a mile long novel because  e  v  e  r  y  single photo has to induce a powerful emotion and have a super deep meaning.

Sinu lugu peab olema nõnda liigutav // Your story has to be as touching as this:

Kolmas tähelepanek: ära iial tunnista, et tegid pildi kiiruga.

Third observation: never admit you took "just a quick snap".

Neljas tähelepanek: saa sõpradeks õigete inimestega, sest siis võid postitada mida iganes ning ikka olla ülistatud ja imetletud.

Fourth observation: befriend the right people because then you can post what ever you want and still be worshipped and admired.

Viies tähelepanek: "Ära isegi mõtle pilditöötlusele, sest vaid siis võtame sind tõsiselt. Äärmisel juhul võid veits curvesidega mängida...aga see on ka kõik!"

Fifth observation: "Don't even think about photo editing because only then we'll take you seriously. At the very most, you can ever so slightly play with curves...but that's about it!"

Kuues tähelepanek: "Va kretiin, ta ikkagi töötles pilti. Ja see näeb mõne arust hea välja. Aga need värvid on ebaloomulikud! Seda ei või lubada! Õige fotograaf pildistab selliselt, et seda ei pea palju järeltöötlema" - ma kordan: ära postita hindamiseks midagi, mille töötlus võib algatada diskussiooni.

Sixth observation: "Unbelievable, that buffoon had the audacity to still go and edit the photo. And some people even think it looks good. But those colours are unnatural! This can't be allowed! A real photographer takes photos without the need for post processing." - I repeat: never upload anything for evaluation that has an edit which can break into a stormy discussion.

Seitsmes tähelepanek: "Kassipildid on...madalamale klassile. Õige fotograaf põrmustab need juba eos, kulutamata aega kompositsiooni, värvide või tabamuse hindamisele. Rääkimata sellest, et fotografeeriks ise kassi." Kui sa just meelega otsid teravaid elamusi, siis postita kuskile kassipilt ning lihtsalt...oota.

Seventh observation: "Cat pictures are...for lower class. A real photographer will not even spend a minute of their time to evaluate the composition, colours or the overall capture itself. Not to mention taking a photo of a cat themselves...that is just pure blasphemy." So if you're out there deliberately looking for trouble, go ahead and post a photo of a cat and then just...wait.

Kaheksas tähelepanek: "Assa vidin, vaadake neid pilte x-blogis y-fotograafi poolt. Rahvale meeldib ja fotosessioonidest on tal kalender pungil, aga kuidas nad küll aru ei saa, et need pildid on koledad ja tehniliselt nõrgad!"
See, et erinevatel inimestel on erinevad maitsed ning paljudele ei lähe (ainuüksi) foto tehniline "täiuslikkus" üldse korda, viib mõnelt suisa une.

Eighth observation: "Blimey, look at these photos on blog X done by photographer Y. People seem to like it and the photographer is booked until the end of times...but how can they be so blind? Those photos are ugly and weak in technical terms!"
The fact that people have different tastes and many don't (only) care about the technical "perfection" at all, is the reason for countless sleepless nights to some.

Üheksas tähelepanek: "See pilt meeldiks mulle siis, kui põdra parem jalg oleks 5 cm võrra vasakul" - Sellises keerulises olukorras pole nagu erilist võimalust ega aega põtra juhendada...aga katsu sa seda mainida, langed põlu alla.

Ninth observation: "If the right leg of that moose would've been 2 inches to the left, I'd like this photo. Right now...no. Just no." - Doesn't matter that in a complex situation like that you really don't have the time or the possibility to give directions (*snort*) to the moose. Try mentioning it and you'll never rise again.

Kümnes tähelepanek ja ainuke soovitus: Tervislikum on mitte külastada neid kohti (või vähemalt hoiduda postitamisest), kus täheldate jooni, millest kirjutasin. Mis peamine - ärge võtke seda südamesse. Keegi ei pea oma loomingulist nägemust kellelegi õigustama. Ajage oma asja ning õppige vaid nendelt, kelle stiil teile meeldib. Kõigile on kuskil publik ja kuulajaskond.
Ma tean ja tunnistan, et olen eikeegi (asjatundja peab ilmselt 99% mu piltidest ehtsaks jamaks ja ise olen kahe käega poolt, et õppimis/arenemisruumi on mul küll ja veel) ja lugejal on igasugune õigus minu öelduga mitte nõustuda. Lõppude lõpuks on igaühel oma tõed ja uskumused, kuid grammi võrra rohkem aktsepteerivat suhtumist ning vähem egotrippimist teiste arvel kuluks marjaks ära küll.


Tenth observation and my only advice: It's healthier not to visit (or at least avoid posting) places where you recognize and/or encounter attitude I previously described. What's most important - never let harsh words get to you. Nobody has to justify their creative vision to anyone. Keep doing your thing and learn from those, whose style you admire. I'm positive there is a crowd for everyone and everything.
But then again, I know and admit that I'm just a nobody (I believe a professional would consider 99% of my photos unworthy and I completely agree that I still have so much to learn) and you have every right in the book not to agree with what I've just said. Although everyone has an opinion and holds certain beliefs, there is still a lot of room for having a more accepting attitude and putting others down less.

Video lõpumonoloog ütleb kõik // The ending monologue in that video says it all:

Aga üldiselt - давайте жить дружно!


Ja nüüd Haapsalu.

Ja üks pilt ka Laitsest

Pilot - Oh ho ho it's magic

Windows 95

Ahh yes! Those good old days…Win95 was my first operating system and I can still remember the day we got it (although I was only 5-6 years old and I usually can’t recall much of what happened back then).

The following quote by Alex from “A Clockwork Orange” describes pretty well how I felt: “Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. (It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now. As I slooshied, I knew such lovely pictures!)”

It had tons of games: Doom, Dangerous Dave, Wolfenstein 3D, Paperboy II, Pipe dream, SkiFree, Sky roads, Chess, Minesweeper, Tetris, Supaplex, The Lion King, Prince of Persia…the list goes on. As I discovered today I had Microsoft Entertainment Pack ver 1.0 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Entertainment_Pack) along with some other games as well. I can safely say that I had the greatest piece of technology among my friends back then :D

Well anyways, I was looking for Win95 screenshots today (I felt kind of nostalgic) when I stumbled upon the game I had been looking for for years. It was a game I had discovered quite late in my time of using Win95 (it was hidden in some secret folder). I didn’t know its name, I only remembered how I had loved playing it.
So, without further ado I introduce you to…“Chip’s Challenge” *the crowd goes wild*
And, to my great pleasure, it was actually available for download as well! I was able to play it again for the first time in over 12-13 years. F*ck yes! I still love it. And even though I also enjoy playing GTA etc. it’s still such a badass game.

Notice how Chip moves like John Travolta :D
Yes, he might be nerdy (according to Wikipedia) and spend time collecting computer chips but he’s definitely got the moves ;D

And the game has like 149 levels!

And since I can’t upload this post just yet (thanks, Tumblr, I finally have something to write about and you decide to be “We’ll be back shortly”) I shall continue babbling about old (dos) games and stuff.

Now, I never really got to play Wolfenstein 3D. After years of having my computer, I discovered some new games and, eagerly, clicked on them. I don’t know what happened but after clicking on Wolfenstein 3D icon something went terribly wrong. Once we restarted our computer, it automatically opened Paperboy II and we were forced to play it for months (we didn’t even get see the actual Windows desktop anymore). Some IT guys tried to fix it and I guess they re-installed Win95 with the price of almost every game I had on that PC being deleted.
When I was still using Vista, I had a SEGA genesis emulator and I could play older games (ROMs) on that. Paperboy II was the first ROM I was dying to get :D And I was absolutely addicted to playing Aladdin.

http://www.youtube.com/v/bp1XvV8BBfQ?fs=1

Coming back to Win95 I had a pretty lonely life after the re-installation, almost no games and definitely no Internet (I got the Internet when I was 13-14 on Win98). So I played around in MS Paint :D
We had a book, called “Windows 98 for beginners” and although we had Win95, I could still use some tricks&tips from that book. One of them was, um, about creating a nice text effect which I shall gladly demonstrate for you (the original screenshot was “Tere talv!” - “Hello winter!”)


Tadaa! I can’t believe I spent 10 minutes looking for the snowflake in the Wingdings font. And I used to have all of them memorized before!
And btw, I used Photoshop for this, MS Paint gave me weird edges when I placed one “Hello winter!” on top of the other (yes-yes, I could’ve cheated by just using drop shadow but for the sake of accurately displaying this technique I went for it the old way).


I also remember seeing Paint Shop Pro for the first time in our computer. Filling the image with a gradient was mind-blowing :D I’m dead serious, our whole family was impressed by that. I guess it was the most high quality thing we had ever seen on that screen.

Hmm, now that I think of it, isn’t it funny how things have changed just in 15 years?