Photos
- I forgot my camera’s charger at home, and it’s too old for the local CVS to have the right USB cable 😖.
- My photography skills are rusty. I can see the “spirit” of the photo and the reason I took it, but it’s not quite there.
More in depth consideration of leaving Adobe and Photoshop
I checked my Adobe account yesterday, and it seems that if I cancel I will have Photoshop until mid-November. The plan I’m on, Photoshop and Lightroom for $15 a month, is discontinued, which means I won’t be able to get these programs again for such a price.
I’m not sure what exactly nudged me to get rid of Photoshop again, but there are plenty of good reasons. I keep saying that for the price, which adds up to about $180 a year, I really don’t use a lot of what Photoshop offers. I also don’t touch Lightroom anymore. Of course, Adobe being a shady company that has its claws deep in my Mac, constantly monitoring my traffic, is its own thing. So I started thinking more in-depth about how I use Photoshop these days.
On my Mac, I usually touch up Photos, about once a week (when I have time). This usually includes cropping, levels/curves adjustments, and some additional color adjustments and contrast. I sometimes add some more “intelligent” features like depth of field for bokeh and generative fill to get rid of unwanted elements. In the past, I also used Photoshop for some transformation adjustments and even further back in my past for some web design elements, but for the most part, I don’t do that anymore (and when I do, there are other tools for that on my Linux desktop). One “feature” in Photoshop that helps is its layers and the options to turn them off and on, thus being able to introduce different changes to the photos without saving and ruining it.
What about RAW? Yes, I used to do a lot of that for a couple of years after I got my camera. My Synology still has a large collection of RAW files. But for the most part, these just collect dust. Most of the photos there that I didn’t work on and exported to JPG are probably not going to be exported in the future. And if I’m being honest with myself, I almost don’t use my camera, unless I go on a vacation. This might change, but for the most part, the iPhone really takes good photos, unless I want to use a big telephoto lens for birds and such, and I don’t do this these days. I have less time, and when I need a break, it usually ends up being a walk or a jog.
Considering all the above, I think the Photos app on the Mac can take care of 70-80 percent of my needs. The Crop, level adjustments, vignette, and even the Bokeh effect (which is added with the iPhone when I take a portrait photo) are easily available. Meanwhile, Photos on the Mac (as in, the actual app called Photos) underwent some changes, most notably the Clean Up section that was added to macOS 15 at some point, and it does a pretty good job and cleaning up photos.
Take a look at both photos below. First, the original, taken with my iPhone, then the one I edited in Photos. Not too bad, right?
📷
There are a few things I miss in Photos.
First, layers. These add an option of mixing more than one photo together, and allow more exact editing, since you can control what’s introduced in each layer. Then, the smart selection features in Photoshop are excellent, and I would like to be able to add masks and select my main object. Finally, I do like the warp options in Photoshop. They can help out when you want to mold something more into shape. I could use some AI techniques there, but this means using a different program on a different computer, and it’s often overkill for something quick like changing how big a plate looks in a photo.
I’m taking some recommendations I got from folks in Micro.blog into consideration, for now Acorn and Nitro. Meanwhile, my own research is leaning toward Pixelmator Pro, which seems to have good selection features like the one I mentioned above. As I was writing this post, I discovered that Pixelmator Pro was acquired by Apple (nope, I didn’t know/remember that!), so now I’m not sure if buying this program as a standalone even makes sense. For image creation and working more with illustration, I tend to use my Linux Desktop, where I have Krita (which is excellent) and GIMP if I need to. For photos and RAW, if I ever have the itch again, there’s, of course, the excellent Darkroom, which I’ve used for a while. I left Darkroom for lack of documentation, but now that I have more experience, I think I can give it a try again, especially if my camera sees more action. These, combined with some AI assistance, can really help. But that’s a different use case altogether.
All in all, I think I will be happy without Adobe. There are good options out there.
Photos on the Mac does a decent job cleaning up blemishes and weird reflections. There seems to have been some recent improvements. I don’t have the fancy selection options and layers I have in Photoshop, but it still works for most things. Below, the retouched from yesterday 📷
Take more photos. Make better memories.
I’m not a professional photographer. I’m barely a hobbyist. My advice is aimed at those who wish they had taken more photos but don’t.
Here it is: keep a journal on your phone.
I used to keep an analog journal, and maybe one day I will again. These require that you print your photos, and if you don’t have a good printer and the right combination of time and patience to print and put them in your written journal, most likely you’re not going to bother. Even if you absolutely must have a written journal, there’s room for that you will see in a minute: keep your notes with your photos on your phone, and your written journal separate.
I’ve been a long advocate of Journelly, a beautiful app that allows me to save said notes in org-mode (now also in markdown) format, which I can later edit at ease at my computer with Photoshop at my side. That last bit is key. Not because of Photoshop and the stuff it does, but the concept of going over my photos. You can do that with any other software.
OK, let me take you behind the scenes so you get what I mean.
The above picture was taken last night with my iPhone. It’s what you’d call a snapshot: a photo you take quickly to capture an experience rather than a subject or a narrative or the golden ratio. These are all nice and good, but we’re not talking about those right now.
All pictures that go into your journal should consist of snapshots, just like the notes you take with them: quick mentions of places and people, maybe a word about why you’re there and what you’re doing. Beyond that, you’re going to sit somewhere and write, and then you’re not capturing anymore, you’re reminiscing. That’s nice and all, but while you sit on your ass and contemplate, you’re not capturing what’s going on around you and you’re missing out. Do that later.
Snapshots mean I don’t ask my friend (in the picture, he had no idea) or my nieces (earlier that evening) to sit up and smile while I take the photo. That’s not an experience: that’s make-believe. And while we’re on the topic of what’s real and what’s manufactured in those moments, here’s another tip I’ve learned: if the person (or pet, or even a plant) you’re taking a picture of is posing on their own, or smiles on their own when you take their picture, go with that. That’s authentic and part of the experience. That also means that if they cover their face and call you a “jerk,” you can still take the photo. You should know where the line is in your relationships. Being a jerk sometimes is OK; being an asshole is not.
OK, now it’s time to turn everything I said on its head:
The above picture is what is now in my journal. What? In the journal? Didn’t I just say it’s all about snapshots?
Yes, I did. I captured the experience, it was on my phone along with the location and a mention of what we did (it was a movie, and by the way, it sucked), and this morning, sitting at home in front of my photos, I worked with that experience to polish it into a memory. If you have a digital journal, you should go back and edit those photos and, yes, what you wrote. Reflect on it. It’s worth it.
The photo is cropped and zoomed in above is the sign, which captures the name of the location we were in. To me, that was the essence of what we did, and that’s the memory of it. It’s a location that remained basically unchanged for the last 20 years or so - It’s where I spent some of my high school years, and my sister and I were both happy it was still standing pretty much unchanged. That’s also why there’s a bit more grain in it, making it look older. It’s manufactured. It’s not raw anymore. I transformed it.
If I were walking around thinking about how to capture the memory, I’d waste time. Besides, I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for, because I was too caught up in the moment. I just grabbed my phone and took a picture.
Here’s another example. It’s not a photo, but it’s a good example (and maybe another reason why having a digital journal can be better):
I took this video when I stepped outside one evening when I was away from the city. I closed the door behind me and I let myself get washed away in the sounds of the loud crickets all around me. It’s something I don’t get to hear too often in the city.
Then, back at home, a few days later:
Get it?
The visuals were not even the point. Capturing a video with my phone is something that is a second nature to me. I didn’t think about it and I also knew where my phone saved it for later. If I were to look around for the right app to record just the audio, I’d waste time, and I’d be thinking of the memory, not living the experience. Even though I had a good idea it’s about the sound, it was in the back of my mind. I didn’t know it then; it was cooking for later.
Hello guys, enjoying your quick breather? Me too…
On a trip to Connecticut last weekend, we saw plenty of mushrooms 🍄 and a few frogs 🐸. 📷
Vegan meat, vegan cheese, vegan… tomatoes. The sauce was way too watery (got the wrong ingredients), but I managed to save it somewhat. 🍝📷
Feels like this vacation ended before it even started. We still have some time to spend tomorrow, and we’re planning on pizza1 at some point before we head back.
It took me too long to stop thinking of work. I haven’t realized how deep I’m in. It helps to have this understanding though. As always, I’m glad to be going back home to my little cave, where Hedwig the second - my Pop OS desktop - is waiting with my games, after the latest issue seems to be resolved.
Turns out I can take pretty good photos 📷 with the iPhone. I know, not a huge shock there. In the past, I used my camera for “the serious” stuff; this time, all the photos you see from the last couple of days on the blog are taken with my phone. I only took a couple with the camera that ran out of battery quickly. Considering the ease of use of syncing these… well, we will see.
Footnotes
1 : Since I stopped eating cheese, Pizza has been one of the top things I miss. Fortunately there’s a good place here that has vegan options.
Between the shops, there was a green space, a shed, and plants for sale in the yard. The owner was attending to the various plants, apologizing continuously for the long hose that was snaking around the visitors' feet.
I enjoy industrial buildings since I ever seen one I think. Not sure why. Another iPhone picture of opportunity 📷.
After the thunderstorm, the heat broke to a cool breeze. We had a nice walk next to the water 📷.
Attempting to take photos 📷, I realized two things:
of motorcycles and he-mes
I’m currently at a motorcycle cafe. I just sat my butt down 20 minutes ago. The music is good (90s rock, punk and such). There are motorcycles for sale inside, parked next to the tables, shelves with helmets, and other riding gear hanging from hooks. I’m enjoying a good cup of almond milk cappuccino.
Some version of me in an alternative dimension owns a motorcycle. Probably a Suzuki or a Kawasaki, maybe a Ducati (my this-dimension self doesn’t know much about motorcycles). He-me went on a couple of roadtrips earlier in life, but nothing in the last couple of years. He’s reflecting on some of those moments right now, sipping coffee.
Like me, he read Zen and That Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, but earlier in life, and got interested in motorcycles enough to get one. I started my career with computers around the same time. He had different jobs in different locations for a while and eventually settled working at a cafe in a small town like this one. His organizational skills and trustworthiness worked in his favor to eventually manage the cafe, with the owners' blessing. He probably got involved with one of the regular customers or maybe even one of the younger baristas, but only that far. He-me are not monogamous, and even if he got comfortable for a time, it was probably more of a temporary arrangement.
Some of the emotional energy can pass between dimensions. Deja-Vus that are not mine, memories of scents I’m not sure I smelled before, faces of people that I’ve seen before and can’t place.
I think I found my new avatar🦉📷
Yesterday, I went to see The Muppets Take Manhattan at the Museum of the Moving Image. The Muppets are ageless and always relatable, as were the people who came to the viewing - all ages, colors, and sizes - just like the muppets themsleves.
As Pete said, “We’re all just people.”
I haven’t used this coffee ☕️ beaker in a while. Very fitting when I’m writing about org-mode experiments.
This morning, made Seitan tacos as part of improving my cholesterol intake. I don’t know that I’ll go full vegan, but I’ll go back to “my roots” and past it. 📷
Spotted on a weather appreciation walk.
Nature takes over… good day for a walk today. 📷
One of the things I realized (again) on this staycation: I am curious and my hunger for technology didn’t go anywhere. It was just squished under layers of workload.
Captured this guy this weekend 📷. We’re enjoying “hunting” birds: Nat identifies them using the Merlin app, and I try to capture them with the camera. It’s not easy, and I’m rusty, but it’s fun!
