Thursday, February 11, 2016

Outshot By A Dog, A Lump Of Metal, And My DDIL

North Bay, Scarborough by Alan's iPhone and Google Assistant
What with the weather, my man-flu, and the dreaded Lucydog, I don't seem to have been able to get out and take photographs recently. It is weeks since I have added any new photographs to my collection other than endless photos of Lucy doing cute and annoying things.  Not that it matters, because I have reached the point where I am having to consider whether I am still needed as a meaningful part of the photographic process!

Selfie by LucyDog
I have been forced to ask this question by two recent events. In the first place I came into my room the other morning to discover that Lucydog had managed to pull my camera off the settee in an attempt to take a selfie. I am well aware that the "selfie-craze" has swept through humanity (I even attempted to jump on the bandwagon by announcing to my dearest and nearest that I wanted a selfie-stick for Christmas but was told by one-and-all "don't be silly"), but I was unaware that the craze had spread to the animal kingdom (or what I prefer to think of as the animal republican democracy).  Sadly, Lucy's first attempt didn't work out as she had forgotten to take the lens-cap off - which of us photographers have not been there wearing the tee shirt! - but she had success with her second attempt with just a little human intervention.

The second event was perhaps even more scary as it was down to artificial intelligence rather than canine cunning. The other week we were in Scarborough and I must have taken my phone out to check something as we walked along Blenheim Terrace. The phone decided that what it was seeing was rather pleasant and thus took a photograph. A day later I got a message from my Google Photo App to say that the "Google Assistant" had done some work on one of my photos and I might be rather pleased with the results. The result was the picture of Scarborough's North Bay reproduced above (with permission from my iPhone and Google Assistant).

The one bit of real photographic work I have managed recently was to take some photographs at the Jazz At The Keys gig in Huddersfield, and on that occasion I took my DDIL (delightful daughter-in-law) along with me to lend a hand. She took far better photographs of the evening than I did - and that didn't help at all.

10 comments:

  1. Man flu? Should I get my dark suit ready now? Also, where will the wake be held?

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  2. Man flu? Should I get my dark suit ready now? Also, where will the wake be held?

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    Replies
    1. That is a very good question (the latter of the two). I shall postpone my demise until I have located a decent venue for the wake.

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  3. Sorry about the double post - my mobile a) always posts two posts, and b) won't allow me to sign in as CB.

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    Replies
    1. I will get my mobile to talk to your mobile and sort something out.

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  4. Wow! That first one is an amazingly good shot for being an accident. I've had my cell accidentally take pictures (and one movie), but they were all either blurry or too dark. Your cell seems to have absorbed your photographic skills. Osmosis?

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  6. All you need to do is sit at home while Lucy takes your phone for a walk. A magical mystery tour with a difference.

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  7. DDIL's were from a different eye, not a better eye. The accidental photo though--that's scary.

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  8. The google photo was a nice surprise for you. Congratulations.

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