self imposed computer ban?

Flying The Stars And Stripes !

Flying The Stars And Stripes !

Al Kaplan said:
I still haven't mastered scanning or P-shop or posting pix on-line. A friend does that for me. A few years ago I was given a digital camera. My daughter-in-law has it. I'm still all film, mostly B&W, which I process and print myself. A couple of weeks ago my account with blogger got all screwed up so I can't even post on my blog! I still use the 'puter for email, posting on forums, and writing in general. I still have my old Hermes typewriter! I'll probably start a new blog at some point in the not too distant future. It was a lot of fun!
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Al...

I'm so happy to see your post. I read your blog daily and thought something more serious happened.

All the best,
George
 
Let's see: I stopped watching TV on a regular basis some 25 years ago, so I don't give a rat's unmentionables about hi-def anything. That leaves radio (which has been left alone for the moment). The Internets? Love it. Take what I want/need, and ignore the rest, unlike TV. Addictive? Yeah, in the way news junkies get glued to CNN and the like, but minus the silly commercial breaks. ANd I get to fire off e-mails or put together announcements for exhibits or the like...the 'Net is relatively elastic that way, also unlike Ye Olde Idiot Box. THe Box is purely about consuming content. The 'Net is about this, too, but also is a conduit for producing content, if one puts in the effort. Sometimes the effort isn;t quite worth it, but it's miles ahead of that other box, IMO.

I've done my "cold turkey" bit already, where I feel it counts. :)


- Barrett
 
My parents have no computers in their home...their televisions aren't hook to any cables just the old rabbit ear antennas...no cell phones...all they would have to give up would be their fairly new cars and if my dad could get his old 1970 Volkswagen Van back he would be driving that instead...

Why not try this instead...give up the old television for a month and limit computer time to maybe 1-2 hours a day during the work week and none on the weekends...
You would have so much more time on your hands you might just learn a few new things about yourself you never new before...could even be a good thing...
 
George, I'm hoping that you're not the only one who wondered what happened to my blog. I finally found somebody who thinks he knows a "back door" way of getting into my blog, and resetting the password. Hopefully www.thepriceofsilver.blogspot.com will be up and running again soon. I've got at least a dozen days worth of things I want to write about, so I might just do the writing and edit in the photos later. Actually, a lot of it is more or less already written. Sometimes I'll write an email to somebody, think "WOW! I could use this on the blog!" and do a minor rewrite of the text. I do that a lot with local historical topics as well as memories of things I've done, people I've known, etc.

If the "back door" stays locked I plan on starting a new blog, and I'll anounce it where ever I can. I'm still shooting. Lately I've been trying to kick the 15mm habit (I'm still smoking though) and I've been carrying around my Leica CL, trying to get used to the telephoto look of that long 40mm Summicron...LOL
 
I go away regularly where there is no phone, no tv, no computer, no "indoor plumbing". Its easier than you think. Before long you forget about all that stuff. Your mind fills the day very quickly.

You can do this if you want. I plan to do this for about a year shortly. I'm looking forward to seeing the year go thru it's seasons, and not be bothered by superficial issues like politics or economics. Just me and the planet. It'll be good.
 
Beyond The Camera...

Beyond The Camera...

Al...

Stick with the 15mm. It's your "signature" man ! BTW: Glad to see you're still wearing the chick magnet.

Best,
George
 
"Stuck in So. Korea" I'd be lost w/o my PC and CNN/ Discovery Channel on the TV. My only touches w/ sanity and the Western world (one in the same).
 
not for a year

not for a year

but the kids had a turn off electronics challenge at their school (tv, computers) last year for a week, and we all abided the best we could and played a lot of board games, acoustic instruments and I think it was a good thing.

pesphoto said:
Been thinking....could I impose a self ban on all things digital for 1 year?
Could you do it? Of course for some who need computers for work and such that must continue. But for your personal photography, your everyday non work lifestyle. Could you do it? No computer, ipod, no digital camera. Nothing for 1 year? Concentrate on your personal work printing in the darkroom, shooting in the streets or whereever. No scanning, no website, no blog, no forum postings.

Or are we all addicted to these things........?
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No. I just started shooting film in March, and I don't have the skills to suddenly jump into the darkroom. More importantly, I don't have the space; I live in Tokyo, and if I were a gambler, I would bet that 70 percent of the people on this site have a bedroom that is at least twice the size of my whole apartment. That said, I do want to learn how to develop my own film. My bathroom doesn't have a window, so it's pretty light tight. That's next.

As for personal use. No. I use Skype to make affordable calls to my folks and friends back in the States, and I just wouldn't surrender that for some "into the wild" experiment. Plus, I use my computer to pick up online radio stations (such as last.fm) and read sites like this (now why would I want to give this up).

That said, I do not have a car, only a bicycle, which I've had for only a few weeks, and my feet. And of course, completely converted from digital to film photography; it's nice not having to care if Zeiss will ever come out with a semi-affordable digital rangefinder, I can aim for their analog variant should I choose, although I more than happy with the Bessa right now.
 
I have no desire to go back to a wet darkroom. The prints themselves are great, but the "editing" leaves so much to be desired compared to the digital darkroom. I have lots of nostalgia for film cameras, but no nostalgia whatsoever for the imprecise, time-consuming nature of wet darkroom work.
 
I spent well over half my life with a "computer ban" because THERE WERE NO PERSONAL COMPUTERS or INTERNET.

Why would I want to ban them? Greatest thing since sliced bread.
 
I'm behind my computer, or the computers at school everyday. Nice thread, and I propose that next week, from Monday, to the next Monday we don't use the computer at all. Deal?

Then after we have finished we can post the shots that we have made in that week? Sounds like a good plan, who's in?
 
I did. Two years ago. The first piece of technology I purchased was four weeks ago when I got an iPhone.
I think, for the sakes of financial viability, it would be prudent of me to at this point sell my digital camera and one lens and upgrade to whatever is available now on the current new wave of technology. After this I wont purchase anything technological again for quite some time.
At this stage, I am just not interested in it as much as I was when I was younger, and working as a part time sales person makes me weary of repeatedly shelling out on gear that has no real value physically or metaphorically over any real length of time.
 
Nope, I would not do it.

The internet is my personal library, where I read and see other people's works, learn how to put together my darkroom, how to find/operate/maintain LF cameras, MF cameras, half-frame cameras ... etc.

The internet is my photo-shop, all my films, papers, chemicals, makeshift equipments, printers, inks.

The internet is also my source of inspiration, a trip chasing limited/private photo exhibitions is nice, but not on my budget, family time, and life at this point.

When I get all that, then I go to the darkroom and print an inspired photo... or at least having fun trying to do it

:D
 
Check out this link, a story about writers meeting up in a cabin armed with just manual typewriters. During a vacation this summer we spent 10 days on the beach at Oceanside, Ca. I sat on a beach chair and typed on my Royal Mercury manual portable; one of my blog entries is the fruit of that labor.

I find that, for writing, the speed of writing technology is much faster than the speed of thought. Meaning that it does me no real good to write on word processing software, because writing is 90% editing anyway. Sure, it's more convenient to be able to zero in on individual words, like a cruise missile or laser weapon, using software. With the typewriter, I redline the draft copy, then retype; each revision gives me time to think and rethink and work the piece to where I think it doesn't need revision. Then it get typed into software. But during the process of writing I find it important to use the tools that works best with one's individual psyche.

~Joe
 
My computer, and specifically the internet is so integral to my life that I probably could give it up, but wouldn't. I need it for uni, but even if I didn't use it for that... when I wake up I turn it on, I check websites and email while eating breakfast. It's on pretty much whenever I'm in the house. In a way I would like to reduce my usage, but I think I would honestly get bored- I am so used to reading websites for hours every day.
 
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