take your pic redux

whatever i said before, i recant
today i join the ranks of several people who've made it their aim to record their lives in all its digital glory. i succumbed to a really low price and the added impulse of an upcoming trip and finally bought a digital camera. i'm probably one of the last to join in the fun but as soon as I swiped the plastic (and made sure it was approved) i decided i had to enforce some rules. i've been observing the species of digital photographers for long. like an SUV owner who has just won an Alaskan oil field, they often go on a rampage with their all-seeing friend by the side. i rank sitting through an online gallery of an yellowstone trip only slightly below being forced to watch the wedding video. of course i was also jealous, my bulky 35mm put in an appearance only when ratio of the view i had to the cost of developing that one shot was significantly higher than 1

and hence these basic tenets which i hope may one day be passed into law:

1. i shall never go to yellowstone as an excuse to shoot pictures. actually i've seen enough of it in pictures. lets just say i shall never go to yellowstone..ever. so i'll probably miss seeing yogi bear in person..big deal. oh wait that is jellystone

2. no reflections off the water, off mirrors, pet's eyes or chicago's bean. a reflection photo is like saying something with a hidden meaning/pop culture reference etc. it screams "look at me, aint i clever". that this blog totally subscribes to that view will not be debated now.

3. no grotesque pics of me when i tried to hold the camera at arm's length. this one should be made into a commandment. way too many beautiful people have managed to mangle themselves in this attempt. if u want a photo of yourself please ask someone else to do the clicking. do not attempt shooting at a reflection on a mirror while trying not to have the camera appear in the photo either. see rule 2.

4. the words aperture, focus, polarized, f-stop etc will not be mentioned in association with any of the pics. actually i dont know what these mean. i've heard others refer to these as being not proper, when they dont get the effect they desired in a pic. one word i do reserve the use of is zoom and its correct pronunciation "joom"

5. thats all i could come up with for now. will add rules as and when i find out what a pain it is to take photos and upload them. you will of course be privy to yet another boring online gallery but only if you ask. this blog will forever remain text based

the usual disclaimer : none of the above is guaranteed to be enforced. you cant catch me on the street one day and say - "i had nightmares because of that self-photo you took." and ask me to give me back the money you never paid. people seem to do strange things when possessed by a digital camera. i am,after al,l the people,the mob. off i go then to cash in these many thousands of words i've written and get some pics in return.