so if you’re learning a language by far the best way to do it is not in school. i can say this because i’ve done it. sitting in class in osaka i remember wondering if i wasn’t better off skipping my test and heading out to drink with my japanese compadres. there’s acquisition in both cases but one would definitely be more natural. the biggest problem with rote learning is that it’s the end goal. as obstacles pop up it’s intensely frustrating because they block your entire purpose.

on the other hand, if you are to take up language to reach a family member, or say a lover, well then you’ve just eliminated a fair chunk of the frustration involved with the language itself. at that point language is merely a hoop to work through to get to your end goal of personal communication.

this is how i feel with a majority of the work i do. it’s not the individual projects that attract me to photography as much as i do truly enjoy them. rather it’s the personal evolution involved with the ongoing process of visual creation. in fact, i think of photography as a language that i’m commissioned to use to translate a clients concept into a viable vision for public consumption.

why am i talking about this. for one, language and images have always fascinated me and are tied much closer than most people consider. secondly, after a challenging job, such as i had this week working on a cover for a magazine, you have to keep it all in perspective. out for a fall/spring shoot in glacier national park we encountered five different versions of whether or not the road was open or not before 9am. eventually it actually opened and we headed out to find up to a foot of snow in places and a howling wind. the scenery was spectacular but let’s just say the behind the scenes wasn’t.

keeping a long term vision of your work and path is as imperative as an email address and phone line in my mind. if you don’t have a vision to give vision to then you’re never going to hit any target consistently.

to follow up on my last post regarding ethics in photography, it’s no doubt a can of worms. the photographers i spoke with about it are conflicted on each side. regardless of the specific issues the argument boils down to “i’d never touch that kind of dirty money” or “i’d take every red cent and do something with it”.

i firmly believe that no matter the work there’s always someone who will take it. with that in mind by passing on such an offer you’re serving it up to someone who may or may not have your scruples. they may not be as ethically aware as you are and the money would go entirely in their own pocket. if it’s an issue i felt strongly enough about i would personally take the job, bid it up even, and then dump all of the funds into a cause that more accurately reflects my beliefs.

photographer and photoshop guru dave marx put it best when he wrote me, “vote with your wallet because money trumps morals when it comes to [insert cause here]“. in my book that’s right on the money.

and speaking of dave, he’s the brains behind the blog computers for photographers i’ve mentioned before. great place for all the latest tech news pertaining to computers within our realm including the latest on CS4. dave has details covering his take on four big changes the newest version will provide photography – three dimensional imagery, 360 degree stitching (more on this soon), seam carving and motion. but perhaps the best part of the update is his take on the future of where our field is going – what is a photograph? how will motion play into things?

and with these dimensions rapidly expanding in every direction canon has upped the ante again with today’s announcement of the 5D MkII. It’s all over dpreview and wired but in a nutshell they’ve kept the beloved size of the 5D and packed that body with a kick ass 21mp CMOS sensor, an expanded ISO range and full 30fps HD movie capibility. due out in november, there’s no looking back now.

for more on the new 5D canon has a press release out here. slient mode, varible RAW sizes, live view … sounds like kit from knight rider reborn. and aside from all the attention swirling around that the new G10 squeeked out as well. not as big of a jump as the 5D from what i’ve seen but both substanial additions to the market. talking with my tech guy gary today at calumet and he’s got me on the list for a new one so we’ll see soon enough.