Last Chance Harvey

I doubt I would ever enjoy this movie if I were ten years younger, but, alas, after harboring enough life's experience, regret, and disappointment, "Last Chance Harvey" suddenly becomes a movie I can appreciate. And what a performance Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman gave (especially Thompson)! Like the protagonists, I felt dark and moody when the movie started, but when it end, I felt lifted and cheerful even though the future is still uncertain. After all, don't we all need a second chance sometime?

P.S. I always know Emma Thompson is a good actress, but her performance in this film is so good it totally surprises me. Now she tops my favorite actress list.

Losing Another Great Writer

2009 seems to be the year many great writers facing their own mortalities. Today we lost another great writer. John Updike, the American literature giant, just passed away. A lot of people reading his latest novel, "The Widows of Eastwick", wondered why it was full of ruminations and read more like a travelogue than its plot-rich prequel, "The Witches of Eastwick". Now we know it's Updike's contemplation on life and his valediction to the three memorable characters he had created. Farewell, Mr. Updike. And farewell, Alexandra, Sukie, Jane...

Bye, Bye, Rumpole

Today I heard Rumpole's creator, Sir John Mortimer (1923-2009), had passed away on Jan 16th. In recent years, reading Rumpole with a peppermint mocha in hand had become my favorite pastime in Christmas (just like Rumpole enjoyed his small cigars). It's sad to see Rumpole finally retired from the Old Bailey. Bye, Bye, Rumpole, I certainly will miss you (and She Who Must Be Obeyed).

Interesting Quote

"Working at a job you don't like is the same as going to prison every day."

from "The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry"

Napkin Notebook

Found this interesting napkin "notebook" while reading Joe McNally's blog (apparently very useful to him). You can even buy different brands (i.e. with different company logos) on the web.

The Element

When I was a kid in school, the only "career" advice I ever got (from anybody who bothered to give it) was to be practical. Well, if I had a time machine and could go back twenty years to meet my younger self, I would give her a copy of this book and hope she would have enough trust in herself to find her element. (Chances are she wouldn't listen to me.) Too bad I didn't get to meet the older, wiser me, so now I have to do the damage control by finding my element twenty years late! At least I have learned something from the past twenty years: it's better late than never.

P.S. you will read many interesting stories in this book, but this one particularly struck me: to prevent their son from becoming a writer, Paulo Coelho's parents had him committed to a psychiatric institution repeatedly and subjected to electroshock therapy. Ain't I glad my mom hasn't heard of that story!

Must Read Economic Book in 2009 - The Black Swan

Though published in 2007, the key point of "The Black Swan" rings more true now than ever. Why? Because the economic meltdown we had witnessed in late 2008 is a perfect example of the black swan, something highly improbable yet has a high impact. Why couldn't someone detect it or predict it before it happened? Will we be able to predict it now that we have "learned"? Sadly, the answer, according to the author, is No. If you want to know why, pick up this fascinating book. At least, the time you spend reading it will be enjoyable.

Lighting Technique

Since I can't go to photography school to learn studio lighting technique, I try to learn it from books and magazines. This article(click here) from the Digital Photo Pro magazine is really a very useful one. It really shows why photography means "light painting".

My Hometown in Recession

Sadly that the first time I ever noticed my hometown in the news it was bad news. Apparently my hometown was hit badly by the recession and a lot of the "lamb stew" (a delicacy my hometown is famous for) restaurants were closed as a result.

Notable Books on Photography in 2008

Photography is actually more about seeing than taking photos; the insights of others can greatly enhance your own vision. That's why I always enjoy reading books by photographers or photo critics. Here are some interesting books I read in 2008. Again they are not in any specific order.

The Moment It Clicks (by Joe McNally)
This is the most useful photography book I read in 2008. It also gives you a good feel of how a photographer's life is like (tough, very tough). Unlike other photography books, the book is organized as episodes (each one about two pages). In each episode, Joe showed you a photo (most of them published in magazines like National Geographic, Life, etc), told you the story behind it (usually very funny), and the techniques he used to get the shot.

I learned a lot about lighting (especially the use of flash) from this book. Now it's still among my piles of bed time reading books.

Landscape Beyond (by David Ward)
I used to think David Ward is a better writer than photographer, but this book does showcase some of his best work so now I revise my earlier opinion. Still, Ward is one of those rare landscape photographers who can write eloquently and with great insight. Reading this book is like having a conversation with a seasoned photographer and hearing about his practice.

The Americans (By Robert Frank)
Like so many classics you had only heard about but never really seen, Frank's "The Americans" had been mentioned in so many books (e.g. Sontag's "On Photography") but was out of print for years. The reissue of this photo book is great because it also restores the order of those photos as Frank intended. Reading this book is like thumbing through an old family album of a road trip in the 50s. Did that America really exist?

Ways of Seeing (By John Berger)
This is another classic I had missed. It's based on the BBC series John Berger had helped made in the 70s. Berger's view on image and advertising is still fresh to read.

Equus (By Tim Flach)
No, not that play, but I am sure Tim Flach is just as obsessed. This book contains the most beautiful images I have ever seen about horses. It's also a great meditation on how a theme or subject can be approached in many different ways. After Yann Arthus-Bertrand's great images in "Horses", I thought nobody can do a better job, but Tim Flach has proved me wrong.

Notable DVDs from 2008

It seems everywhere everybody is busily listing their "best XXX of 2008", so I decide to create my own list for the DVDs I had watched in 2008 (according to my Netflix record, I rented 90 DVDs, I also rented about 10 from Blockbuster). They are not in any specific order.

1. The Life Before Her Eyes (see my blog)
   
2. XXY - really challenge the gender definition
   
3. Transsiberian - finally a good thriller in a long time
   
4. The Visitor - friendship in the time of illegal immigration
   
5. Water Lilies - best coming of age movie this year
   
6. The Life and Work of Sally Mann - what it takes to be a great photographer
7. The Savages - what really happens in unhappy family
   
8. Before The Devil Knows You're Dead - a great drama like Shakespeare's King Lear
   
9. Rivers and Tides - it's amazing to see Andy Goldsworthy working
   
10. Away From Her - Julie Christie's glowing performance as an old lady with Alzheimer

Last Day of 2008

Another photo taken at Gazos Creek on the last day of 2008.

Moon

Two Images digitally combined to show the aura and the shape of the moon. Though to our eyes the moon is not very bright, to the digital camera it's much brighter than the sky and will look like a light bulb if metering is against it (as seen in the second photo).