What's Wrong with the Liberal Movement in Utah

I got an email from the Alliance for a Better UTAH this morning that started with this: 

"We are tired of the Sutherland Institute and Eagle Forum holding politics and politicians of Utah hostage to their close-minded, bigoted views. They continue to dig in their hills on issues that should be no-brainers..."

I replied with this: 

No offense, but you could use an editor. I don't think they dig in their hills, unless they're looking for gold. They dig their heels into the ground to slow down whatever horse is pulling them along. 

Within a few short minutes I got this back: 

No offense, but it IS a correct idiom:

dig one's heels in
Fig. to refuse to alter one's course of action or opinions; to be obstinate or determined.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

or

dig your heels in
to refuse to do what other people are trying to persuade you to do, especially to refuse to change your opinions or plans
Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. 

My reply to that: 

Exactly my point. But the text says, "They continue to dig in their hills..."

Their reply: 

We just realized the misspelling you were referring to, not an incorrect use. Unfortunately, we're human and occasionally mistakes happen.

And my second to last reply: 

I figured it was a misspelling, probably an autocorrect error, which is why I suggested using an editor. I really didn't mean to offend. I've learned from experience that when something like that jumps out of a communication, particularly at the beginning and especially when it appears to be a misuse of a common metaphor rather than a typo, it tends to lower the credibility of the whole message. If it came from my shop, I would make the correction and resend it. 

And a PS: 

PS This one is debatable and commonly used both ways, but I would also change "close-minded" to "closed-minded," because the mind is closed rather than close. Sorry to be a nuisance. I will stop. 

I tend to agree with some of this group's issues, but I can't support a group (the email was soliciting donations) that reinforces the stereotype of angry liberals who speak before they think, and when you give them a logical argument, they ignore the argument and shoot again without thinking. Then when they realize their error, they will not admit that they made an error. Notice that it was simply a misspelling and not their usage. And it's not that they occasionally make mistakes; mistakes just happen. 

Lunch and the Park

We had Sara's kids for a couple hours today, so we ate lunch at the Fashion Place Mall food court (becoming a tradition with these guys) and spent a few minutes at Murray Park. I guess these pictures don't need captions.

Photo Portfolio Review

Popular Photography magazine offered to review up to 10 photos for $100, so I sent 10 and 100. Here's the review I got back from Laurence Chen—Chen is a contributing editor and photographer who writes each month's Creative Thinking column for Popular Photography magazine. He received an MA in Photography from Ohio University and was an adjunct professor at Seattle Pacific University. (www.laurencechen.com). 

Because you’ve indicated in the questionnaire that you’re interested in many styles or subject matter, it’s not clear where you intend to go with your imagery, so I hope these comments are somewhat helpful, if only to show you how someone else puts language to your work. Thanks again for sharing and I wish you well in your visual explorations.
(Note: His review also included advice on marketing photos, some creative devices to try and some photographers to check out.)

Great use of the super-wide, fisheye lens, although I find it odd that the camel’s feet are in focus but the grass is not, particularly on the left side. And then there’s that tuft of grass around the front right hoof… Some post-processing here to help make the animal pop out? If so, I think you need to blend the focus fall-off more smoothly as this looks fake. Anyway, a nice composition with the head, eye and teeth against a sparse plain. The complementary mood and color sets a nice tone.

My eye is drawn to the tree trunk first and it’s a little blown out on my monitor. With nothing there as a pay-off, I next settle on the burst of color in the red and green leaves. Nice quiet composition, great light, and subtle beauty. The curves of the trunks in the lower right really appeal to me, along with the understated initials carved in the opposite trees. A quiet scene worth investigating.

One of my favorite types of photographs is the winter landscape with bright colors against blue skies and clouds. Lovely pop of color although it appears a bit enhanced compared to the shaded red rocks in the middle background. Otherwise a classic composition and lighting. Probably would make a great poster or large print to command someone’s living room wall.

(Note: The colors in this January shot were a bit dull, so I boosted the orange and blue in ColorEfex to be closer to a deep sunset shot I had taken in October.)

One of your more interesting shots to my eye: The way the blurred branches and leaves paint a swath of color around the focal point, and the leading lines and balance of the Japanese (?) bell in the background all work beautifully. The texture of the roof lines also complements the texture of the branch/leaf lines too.

(Note: I touched up some blown-out spots on a couple of leaves in Photoshop, but this is otherwise as shot.)

 

Ah, dreamy landscape conquered by man’s creations. Your compositions are classically strong with visual centers following the rule of thirds. Nice pop of color here, and the turbines help make it all feel “modern.” I wish there were a bit more drama with the lone train engine as the scene is a bit static, but that’s another nitpick.

This shot would be a great illustration in a magazine for oil rigs and/or farming. Unlike the train shot I just mentioned, the blurred motion of the oil rig against the sunset is what makes the shot, along with the clouds and overall silhouette. The negative space on top is perfect for headline, dek and other magazine dressings.

This shot unfortunately appears almost totally blown out on my monitor. I can see your classic composition at work, however, and the tranquility of the scene. Hard to say anything about the mood given the almost white scene, unfortunately.

Image number eight is a well-framed snapshot. If you were to consider something like it for stock sales, you would probably need morning or afternoon light, and the goat would need to be doing something besides resting; something interactive with something in the environment.

The piano tuner is another classically composed shot, straight-forward and literal. I would prefer more separation between the lamp in the background and the man’s head. Light is flattering and the backlight a nice way of adding some drama to the scene. This is a competent newspaper feature story kind of photo. I am indifferent to the color toning you’ve chosen.

A clean sports photo but lacking in drama or tension: an editor once told me a good sports shot has two faces and a ball. Well, cycling lacks the ball aspect but regardless it’s one of the more difficult sports to photograph if one seeks to capture the energy and motion that is cycling (spoken as a cyclist). What’s missing here is more context to give the rider an environment that suggests his story. Perhaps that is the thing I could suggest you think about as you improve: how to see elements in your framing that suggest a story or a relationship. Your technical skills with static (non-moving) subjects don’t seem to be lacking, so finding ways of seeing that involve the visual subject with its foreground/background might be a challenge that would interest you.\

Postscript: I sent an email to PopPhoto thanking them for the fine review. They asked if they could quote me in an upcoming ad and email blast. I said, Sure. Today I (and thousands of others) received this: 

Salt Lake City Trax Day and Night

Here are some pictures of the sights around the Salt Lake City Trax trains, a couple during the day and some at night.

This mural is on the west side of the tracks at 3030 South. 

I took this on Sunday morning. When I arrived, several UTA maintenance trucks were parked along the cement barrier at the end of the street, and a gate in the fence was open. Five or six workers came through the gate, and I mentioned that they had a large crew. One guy said, "Yeah, next Sunday is switch inspection." The switch at the end of the street looked freshly painted. 

I think the man in the mural is Polynesian. 

Stupid Trax Workers

Randy and I came back Monday to take some night photos with the trains streaking past the mural. This was the last picture I got, because some persnickety train drivers possibly complained to someone, and two maintenance workers in two pickup trucks zoomed down our dead-end street with their high-beam headlights and bright rooftop lights flashing (similar to police lights but white). At first I thought they were transit police, especially after one cop kicked me off a cement barrier near 53rd South a few weeks ago, "Because every train driver is going to call me and tell me that someone is about to jump in front of the train," even though 20 feet of dirt and weeds separated me and a heavy chain-link fence that separated people and the tracks.  

The maintenance workers on Monday told us that my little built-in camera flash (Randy didn't use his) was blinding the train drivers (as if these workers' lights weren't 60 times brighter* and shining at the trains while they yacked at us--and the trains themselves have three blinding headlights that the drivers face all night long). 

Despite their ridiculous complaint, we apologized and started packing up our cameras and tripods, but one worker wasn't satisfied. He gave me three or four lectures about how dangerous we were making life for the Trax people. Right, like they're going to swerve the trains off the tracks because of a little flash. I continued to put my camera away and didn't respond to his rants. Then he said, "We have you blocked in, and the transit authorities are on their way." 

It's true that their trucks had us blocked in. It wasn't true that transit police were coming, because we hadn't done anything illegal. These bozos also had no authority to be holding us against our will. Can you see a lawsuit against UTA? I could. And so could the second worker. He convinced the first worker that they should leave about that time. So they did. 

The workers also didn't realize the danger they put themselves in while trying to be big-shot authorities. Because that part of South Salt Lake at night is not the safest part of town, I had a 9mm semiauto handgun in my jacket pocket. When the workers first approached us, they walked down the passenger side of my SUV to talk to Randy. They never even saw me as I was walking up the driver's side to talk to them. I ended up behind them, which startled the ranter. They were lucky we were just a couple of guys taking pictures. 

I sent a complaint to UTA that night. 

*I calculated later that my camera's max output was about 102 lumens at the trains' distance, and the two trucks were putting out about 6,208 lumens.

An indoor soccer game next to the Trax station at 13th South. 

A building-side mural next to the Trax station on 13th South. 

Incoming train (no flash used here). 

Total Trax

Today we (Randy and I) rode the Trax train for our Saturday entertainment. We started at 5200 South and rode to the end of the line at Herriman and Day Break. Then back to the other end in Salt Lake at the Intermodal Hub. Then out to the end in West Valley. Then back to 5200 South. The only leg we didn't do was to the University of Utah. And the leg to the airport isn't finished yet. Here are some pictures.

A bus waiting at the Murray Central Trax station. 

The end of the line in Day Break has just a hospital and a 7-Eleven. Oh, thank heaven for the 7-Eleven. This is looking into the windows of the hospital. Which prompted the security guard to come out and ask what we were doing. She decided we were okay taking pictures as long as we didn't go inside. Then she invited us inside to try the Beans and Brews cafe. We said, "Thanks," and left. 

The Trax train waiting for passengers at Day Break. 

If the pole were longer, the train would have more rules. 

Oh, it does have more rules. 

Even rhyming rules. 

And more rules. 

And if you forget a rule, you can call the driver for a reminder. 

This is the driver. He may be a tad askew, but I think he's awake. 

The doors don't open automatically at stops. You have to press this button to get on or get off. 

And be sure to look both ways. People forget that trains come from both directions. 

We got off at the Gardner Historic stop in Midvale. This is the West Jordan Pioneer Chapel next to a cemetery next to the stop. 

This is someone's daughter. 

If you get off at the Murray Central station, and walk over the Cottonwood Street-300 West bridge, you can see some wonderful equipment, like this Pepsi motorcycle. 

And a bunch of trucks and heavy equipment. 

They're all below this beautiful Murray landmark. 

You shouldn't cross the road to take this picture from the bridge. And if you climb up on the cement barrier and stand next to a light pole and wait for a train to come down the track, a UTA Policeman might drive by, make a U-turn, stop, and tell you to get off, even though he can see you're only taking pictures, because every Trax driver will call him to tell him someone is about to jump in front of the train. 

Several of the stops display artwork. 

This one has glass faces set in steel. 

The train stops at the Intermodal Hub in Salt Lake. This is where you can transfer to Front Runner, which goes to Odgen (for an additional $9.50 round trip). Much of the tracks are also in place for Front Runner to go south to Provo. 

The Hub has several of these suitcases in stone. 

I don't know where this Union Pacific 2002 Winter Olympics train engine normally lives, but right now it's in Salt Lake for the 10th anniversary of the Salt Lake Winter Olympics Games. 

Maybe you can't tell, but I am hovering and levitating in this lane. 

We ate lunch at Tony Caputo's at about 265 West 300 South. For dessert we had a vanilla waffle with whipped cream at Bruges on the sidewalk in front of Caputo's. 

These pigs are in front of the old Firestone tire warehouse, now a restaurant and condos, on the corner of 300 South and 200 West. 

We saw this guy near the Rio Grande train station. Later he was replacing the wheels on his chair on the Trax platform at 2100 South. He asked Randy to lift the 400-pound chair while he moved a couple of 2x4 pieces so he could work on the other side. He said he drives this thing 1,000 miles a year. He appears homeless (he carries a Help A Vet donation box) and apparently recharges his chair at the Trax stations. He has three sons, who are studying business and masters of business and something else at the U and in Provo. He said. 

I think the Rio Grande Hotel is currently serving as low-income housing. 

The new City Creek Center isn't finished yet, but some parts are open, including Deseret Book and this plaza. 

Every single person who comes through here has to stick his or her finger in these fountain bubbles. 

These chairs sit inside a yet-to-be-occupied building waiting for their tenants. 

The day's over. It's time to fly home. These are part of the Trax station artwork at a stop on the way to Day Break (with a little help from Photoshop—these "people" are actually mounted on poles).