this is the season


This is my second blog here for this year. Blogging for me is for the sake of keeping myself busy. Generally, as one becomes more senior, there could be the tendency to become more inactive, physically and otherwise, and I reason that blogging could help me to avoid and delay my fall into that inactivity trap. Photography is my main pastime with amateur radio, also called ham radio, closely behind. The major difference in hobbies are that photography gets me out of the house while ham radio ensures that I keep inside. But I love it outdoors, and when you live on beautiful islands like St Kitts and Nevis, you never really want to go inside, unless it rains. I am not hastening to add that I do not have any problem getting 'out my house', and I am not throwing any words on anyone who have to get 'their friends' to come over to help them to get out of their house. hahaha.

I am trying a new thing with this blog by starting with a post heading, and I am hoping that I stay with it, but if I don't stay with the heading you know how things are in SKN right now. So it is okay for me not to start and finish in the 'same lane'. To my overseas readers not rooted in the SKN culture, don't feel lost in anyway, and if you need clarification on any 'expression' or thing, don't hesitate to ask. You have to be prepared for your SKN visit, almost thinking like a local, to get the most from your SKN island visitor experience.

This is the season for great photography in SKN. Simply because it is spring and  summer with the hurricane season in attendance. I suspect that our tourists who really wish to enjoy the best of what we have come to our shores in our summer. I also suspect that many of us local inhabitants and citizens are not enjoying ourselves as tourists during our own summer. I don't think that some of us recognize how fortunate we are to be 'born here' and what we have at our fingertips, that other people have to spend a small fortune to enjoy only for a week or two. But that is not an issue, only my observation, because we are not the only people who live on 'a paradise island' and not taking the fullest advantage of that paradise.

 SKN is a blessed country. Just the smell of rain and water and everything, everywhere turns green. Maybe an historian could tell me if this "greenery" has played any significance in our colonization years ago. I am not sure if there was more fighting for and fighting over any other country in our area.  From the looks of Brimstone Hill some people were more than serious to remain here. Sometimes I wish that our Tourism management can seek to make EVERY historical ruin in SKN a tourist attraction. I suspect that there are many 'ruins' in SKN that are just ignored. But it is not just the 'ruins' but our 'historical architecture' as well. Of course I can accept the fact that many of our local folks may not be 'tourism ready' and I am not knocking it. In time everyone will be on board, hopefully sooner rather than later.

I suspect that photography can play an important role in tourism. I do not think that we are utilizing the many photography tools that are available to us, nor are we using the full expertise of the photographers that reside in our SKN. Now, I am not looking any work. I am just making an observation. I believe that the Tourism Authorities have to think outside the box, in all aspects and areas 'of the box', and adopt a 'no joke' and 'serious' attitude with everyone concerned with making this product fly. In the worst case scenario the Authorities may even have to outsource the ENTIRE tourism management, because we could find that either our local tourism managers are afraid of their own shadows, or subscribe to the 'clique, corruption and sabotage' principles. This is just my own opinion, from what I see and hear.



Everyone is not interested in landscape photography, but our SKN has something for everyone. There is some form of photographic excitement almost everyday. And practically every month there is a big show. In addition to that we also have the ongoing "political drama with show", the 'full confidence' show versus the 'no confidence' show. Photo opportunities abound for those who have an interest. As recently as Friday July 5, 2013 there was big action in the City. This action comes in addition to the annual affairs, and is sporadic and spontaneous at best. One just has to be ready and prepared to capture it as it goes by.



In this photographic dispensation I have taken to recording the daily developments of and in our country, SKN, mainly for the purpose of making the images available to person[s] unable to attend the live presentations, because everyone needs to know. This is not 'fine art' photography and has its own unique specification. I guess there are those photographers who could specialise in a specific category of photography and do not venture outside of their acquired comfort zone. I am not so sure that all the Caribbean photographer exercises that luxury, to pick and choose [even though it is a personal right] because I suspect that most of our Caribbean photographers would want to be seen as the photographer who was in the right place at the right time.



Culturama in Nevis is here again. It was my intention to cover the Culture Queen Pageant for the first time in my life, but the recent spate of murders on Nevis has me changing my mind. In addition to the Culturama Shows, I am a few years overdue to walkabout Nevis. Walking about in new area, getting lost and finding your way again, is all part of the walkabout fun, but that is neither wise nor to be encouraged in this case, unless one has real military type security. But all is not lost and I am working on something. I have a cousin in the Miss Culturama Pageant and I really wish to go give her my full support on the Pageant night. I believe that she is winning this show.

I occasionally see images from some of our younger SKN photographers. I see some rising stars, but some images appear to be able to take a little quality improvement. I still believe critique of creative photography is unethical, but I do think that all images should be adequately processed. I suspect that some photographers do not use RAW which could give them access to better elements of processing. For the reportage that I do now, Lightroom is unnecessary, but I am getting the urge to reconsider an element of fine art photography. For professional output, Lightroom and Capture One seems to be the leaders.

Ever so often I get queries about panoramas. They are pretty simple to make and I must confess that to date I have not used the expensive panorama making devices that I have acquired. The devices guarantee the perfect panorama, but for my reportage the hand held camera is about 95-99% satisfactory, and works for me. Most of the free panorama programs work very well. Just last week I tried a new piece of panoramic software, which seemed great from the write up and specs, but after 5 minutes I has to uninstall it. It just did not come close to any software that I already had.

This is the season for photography, anywhere and anytime. I have expanded my possible outreach on Facebook with my page Keeth France Photos,

 https://www.facebook.com/keethfrancephotos?ref=hl

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