The family made a trip recently to Gulf Shores, AL, USA; a fun time for all. While there we had a breakfast meal at Sunliner Diner. I was everything I expected, great 50's vibe, great diner food, fast service. It is a big place, and popular. But the line moved fast, and we didn't have to spend too much time in the crazy heat waiting for a seat.
I did sneak a couple of photos while we waited for the food to come up:
Continuing the series of my favorite Youtube music videos.. Here's another 5:
Continuing my informal series of photos in and around hotels/motels, here's a few from a recent trip. This is the Holiday Inn Express in Meridian, Mississippi.
On our recent travels, we spent the night in Meridian, Mississippi. Not too far from the Alabama border, about 1.2 way from north-to-south. We had dinner in the downtown area, and wandered a little afterwards. Interesting town:
Continuing the series of my favorite Youtube music videos.. My first post included 5 favorites, see below. Here's another 5:
Just heard that Ozzy Ozbourne passed away today (07/22/2005). Ozzy was, of course, best known as frontman of Black Sabbath, and solo work. Though I suppose a lot of people know him from his TV show.
Black Sabbath was a big part of the soundtrack of my youth, I think "Paranoid" was probably the first really hard rock album I owned. Not when it was new (I was 9 when it came out), but certainly by my early teens. I had most of their (available) discography by the time I graduated college.
Now that I'm old and mellow, I don't listen to Sabbath that often, though I was, just yesterday, listening to Jazz Sabbath (which is brilliant, by the way). But I'll be playing them tonight.
Ozzy was always a character, and an icon, and a cultural monster. He will be missed. Rest In Peace Ozzy!
So, I got off my mail, and made a short video from some of my photos from last week's wandering around Highland, IL. And posted to YouTube. This is something I've thought about often, but rarely done (last time was 02/2022!).
So here's a link, give it a look, tell me what you think! I had some fun with it, it people like it, I may do more!
I did run these through ChatGPT for giggles, it gaeve me a nice summary for the series:
This work is a quiet observation of small-town life in the Midwest—where sheds, spools, and sagging porches say as much as people do. I'm drawn to the beauty of utility, to the way light falls on the ordinary, and to the tension between what’s fading and what endures. These photographs aren’t nostalgic—they’re present. Still. Waiting. Alive in their own unassuming way.
I've been spending a lot of time at The Photographic Eye website. Lots of good stuff. On eof the things they host does is a weekly feedback video. So here's one of my photos which was selected for comment:
The comment was:
I love the little angular table stuff for the diner. This again is like up my street. Super, but this is the thought process that goes through my head with this… OK, dig the chairs, the sort of wonky, half-cut table. The bankette things are really cool. What I’m not digging in the background is the service station, or whatever it is there. It doesn’t contribute to the image. So maybe I would kind of either drop the horizon down a little bit… or if I wanted to keep this background thing is kind of move around a little bit. Just something to say “what’s in the image, what works, really?”. Which is 99% of this. It’s just that stuff at the back. It’s not like it ruins the picture, but I think it detracts again from what you’re focusing on, which is the shape and the color and the textures and that kind of stuff. And just elbows its way in. It's about as welcome as a pork chop to a bar mitzvah.
He's not wrong. And I struggled at the time to minimize the impact of the drink station. Next time, I'll try a couple of variations.
I can't decide if AI is an evil treat to mankind, a useful tool, or just a silly toy. I suspect it is a bit of all 3, though it seems to be advancing at a frightening pace.
Anyway, for a giggle (and based on some recent discussions in a photo group) I decided to ask ChatGPT to analyse one of my photos. My actual prompt was "Is this photo any good?"
And the ChatGPT response, do you agree/disagree?
- - -
This photo is quite compelling — especially from an artistic and documentary perspective. Here’s a breakdown of its strengths and suggestions for improvement depending on your goal:
1. Strong Concept / Storytelling:
The contrast between the natural cornfield in the foreground and the rising suburban development behind it is visually and thematically powerful.
It evokes commentary on land use, urban sprawl, or the changing American landscape — almost like a modern-day "manifest destiny" in reverse.
2. Black & White Choice:
Stripping color out enhances the contrast and texture, and pushes the viewer to focus on form, light, and subject.
It also gives the image a timeless or slightly documentary feel, reminiscent of photojournalism.
3. Composition:
Nice horizontal balance — the horizon line and cloud-filled sky provide depth, while the rows of corn act as a textured lead-in to the homes.
1. Stronger Subject Isolation or Focus:
You might consider experimenting with deeper contrast or selective sharpening to emphasize the tension between nature and construction more clearly.
A version with selective color (e.g., green field + B&W homes) could also be striking if done tastefully.
2. Crop or Alignment:
If you're aiming for symmetry or impact, a slight crop to center the most unfinished or prominent house might tighten the composition.
3. Contextual Caption:
This photo begs for a caption or title — it could turn it from a simple landscape into a narrative image. Something like:
"Where the cornfield ends."
or
"Growth or erasure?"
If your aim is fine art, social commentary, or environmental storytelling — this is absolutely a strong photo.
If you're aiming for traditional landscape beauty, it may come across as too stark — but that's a matter of taste, not quality.
When I open my Edge browser, it starts with an msn "news" page (that's a story for another day), with aggregated stores from various sources. I've noticed lately that every day it seems to be highlighting negative economic news. Usually company closures, layoffs and the sort. Occasionally I bite on the clickbait, and find it's either overstated, or downright lying. Today, for instance:
