I have a major certification test to study for and a thesis paper to write, so I will be stepping away from this site for the next couple of months.
Check back periodically for updates.
Thank you for your support.
Need to step away for a bit
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on January 12, 2010
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The Rule of Thirds
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on January 7, 2010
The rule of thirds is a common, and one of the most basic, rules in photography. Basically this rule merely states that the view finder is divided into thirds and then your goal, as the photographer, is to avoid the center third of the image. This is the rule at it’s most simplistic form. Allow me illustrate.
Below is one of my images, divided into thirds.
In this image you will see that there are two sets of thirds, the vertical thirds and the horizontal thirds. Which portion you decide to put your focal point is entirely on you. Your goal is to make the image as visually appealing as possible. In this case, I felt that the road had much more character than the plain blue sky, so I position my focal point, the converging lines near the center-top third of the image.
The arrow points to my focal point in this image. If the road had been plain and the sky was filled with puffy white clouds, then my focal point could have been moved to the bottom-center third. We would have seen little of the road and had lots of blue sky and puffy clouds.
As with all rules, this one is not set in stone. By all means, if the image lends itself to being centered, do it.
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Happy New Year
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on January 2, 2010
A new year has come; a chance for new changes. A lot of us have seen many, many new years, but has it ever made a difference. Have you kept those New Years resolutions to lose weight or to stop procrastinating. Most haven’t, to include myself.
Rather than waiting for a new year to make a resolution, make one today or tomorrow. Make one each day you live, even if it only reaffirming the one from yesterday. Without constantly working on your resolutions, they will fall to the way side.
Make a resolution to find something creative to do. Something artistic. You don’t have to be able to draw, paint, or sculpt like the masters; express you soul through something you find creative and artistic.
Share it with the world. I dare you.
Posted in Writing | Leave a Comment »
Why Photography is art.
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 31, 2009
Many artists will vehemently protest that photography is not art. “Any monkey can pick up a camera and press a button.” They say.
While the previous statement is true, it is equally as true that any monkey can pick up a brush and paint. Don’t believe me? Below are two paintings, one is by legendary painter Jackson Pollock and the other is a painting by Congo the chimpanzee. See if you can connect the correct painting to its respective artist. It’s okay, I can way.
If you guessed that number one was Jackson Pollock, you’d be wrong; that would be a work by Congo. Apes aren’t the only animal painters, we have
Jojo the elephant. 
Maggie the sea lion. 
Pinto the miniature pig. 
And, Cholla the horse. 
Did you notice something, none of the last four even had hands, yet they created paintings which sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Let’s see one of them hold a camera and press the shutter button.
Now I am not trying to start a war between artists, quite the contrary. I just want artists in other disiplines to recognize that photographers can be artist. But even I can admit that there is a clear difference between a family vacation photo,
and
Art.
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Quote by Pablo Picasso
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 30, 2009
Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
- Pablo Picasso
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Quote by Leonardo da Vinci
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 29, 2009
The painter’s mind is a copy of the divine mind, since it operates freely in creating the many kinds of animals, plants, fruits, landscapes, countrysides, ruins, and awe-inspiring places.
- Leonardo da Vinci)
Posted in Art, Leonardo da Vinci, Painting, Philosophy, Quote | 1 Comment »
Why I write
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 29, 2009
Throughout my entire academic career, I have never received an A in English, for that matter, B’s were often elusive to me as well. I lived with my nemesis, C and D. They haunted my report cards. So it would seem writing, an odd career aspiration. When did I decide to pick up the pen, or keyboard for that matter? What propelled me to write?
An overactive imagination.
I am a grown man, with grown children, yet I still enjoy cartoons. I like squirt guns and water balloons. What this has to do with writing, I am unsure. But the imagination, now that has served me well.
I imagine meeting aliens, the space sort, and riding on a dragon’s back. My imagination is what pushed me to write. I routinely misspell common words, put commas in the wrong places and mix up the plural vs. the possessive form of a word, but as long as you understand the idea that I am trying to convey, so-be-it. Spell check has been my great friend.
As I get older I realize that I must live my dreams; be a writer; be a photographer. And if I don’t make any money doing it, well I guess I won’t quit my day job.
Posted in Humor, Writing | 1 Comment »
The Persistence of Memory
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 28, 2009
The Persistence of Memory
The Persistence of Memory, 1931, Salvador Dali |
For my first piece discussion, I decided to start with one of my favorite artist, Salvador Dali. Dali painted this piece, on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in 1931.
Salvador Dali was a Spanish artist working in the early part of the 20th century. He worked, predominately, in the surrealist style.
This piece is actually near the top of my list of favorites. To me, it is saying that time is fluid, it changes. While the hands of a clock may move in an exact, synchronistic motion, time to us is not so rigid. While working on something of interest, hours can pass, but to us only minutes have disappeared. We can be on the job and have an hour to get off work, but that hour seems to take six hours to complete. Why is that? It is because time is fluid, or flexible, to us.
Or at least it seems that way.
Posted in MoMA, Painting, Salvador Dali | 1 Comment »
Two Truths
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 27, 2009
When you work in, or with the government, there are two truths that should be self evident. One, that common sense isn’t all that common and two, if there is an easy way and a hard way, disregard the easy way.
Now, I don’t have any particular reason for the aforementioned observation, but when you watch television you soon realize that these two truths must be factual.
Take, for an example, the federal debt. If any one of us, private citizens were to owe more than we made, we would soon have to file for bankruptcy. You can’t owe more, per month, than you make. That is just common sense. But somebody forgot to educate the folks in Washington about this, because they seem to always approve budgets for more money that our government has.
Another good example of this comes in the form of policies. When the government issues an internal policy, you must both adhere to it and disregard simultaneously. This may seem like an oxymoron or just plain moronic but thus is life within the government.
When a policy is issued you must adhere to what it says, to your own peril, but rest assured, there will be an entirely new policy tomorrow, which will supersede the one you received today.
Like I said before; if there is an easy way and a hard way, disregard the easy way. It is the second truth of government. Now that I think about it, both truths are pretty much the same thing.
Posted in Philosophy, Rants | Leave a Comment »
It’s Christmas
Posted by T.A. SultaZ on December 25, 2009
This time of year we hear Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays a lot, but what does it really mean? Is this the time of year to remember those we have forgotten 364 days ago? Or is this when we take the time to realize how lucky many of us are? Regardless as to the reason, I believe, we need to extend the joy and giving beyond the couple of weeks surrounding Christmas.
I am as guilty as everyone else of getting caught up in “my world” and not thinking about others, especially loved ones. Take the time to remember those who are forgotten, especially our service members serving in harms way.
THANK YOU MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND COME HOME SAFE!!!
I would like to extend a special thank you, and an I love you, to a lady I forget about way too much. I love you mom and I make a promise to call more often.
Happy Holidays to all.
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