Prescriptions, Recipes and Treats

The sharing of recipes and other formulae is ancient and is at the root of every cultural advance. What is not freely shared is stolen from one people and used by another.
Over the weekend I watched a program about the sack of Rome by the Vandals. Pity. Robbery, rape and pillage. However, as a historian, I do ask for your consideration, "How had the Romans come by these treasures?" Hmmm? 
You know that tribes of people on every continent had terrible recipes and healing concoctions and other tribes had hit on better ones.
Magda's roasted badger marinade made everyone queasy and gassy, but no one knew any better way to fix the critter. Then, one of the hunters dragged home a woman from a distant land that sneaked some of the Colonel's herbs and spices into the stew pot while Magda was hunting and gathering something else and "Dang!" the badger meat fell off the bones and the gassy concert never came. The recipe was reinvented, claimed by Magda, and shared.
Somebody chewed on burdock and got relief from aches and pains and even gout. Burdock is found in many of today's medications - just as eyebright and feverfew are used for VISION issues and to reduce FEVER.
Now there are some really bad things (in my opinion) still in circulation and making modern humans queasy and gassy. They are still showing up at church dinners and family potlucks.
Rx and recipe are the same. Foods that taste medicinal and medicines that taste like food ought not to be.
Medicines ought to taste bad and food ought to taste good. Bad tasting medicine weeds out the people that are just pretending to be sick.
My great aunts made great use of varieties of alcohol in their holiday baking and undue further saturation of what they had baked.
I thought frag grenades and bouncing betsys were awfully dangerous, but try choking down a 10 month old rum ball with a chunky Christmas nog that was never set too close to the candles.
Prescriptions that we miss include paregoric. This drug was opium stewed in alcohol. It would settle any raging stomach and quiet any restless child. I'm sure that it was over-prescribed and socially abused.
Children were drugged because their parents were tired. I really cannot image THAT.
We do share things like NOT cleaning glass with paper towels when newsprint is CLEARLY better ... but then you have to read a newspaper to have the paper for cleaning windows but reading the news might make you so upset you don't care if the glass falls out of your window frames.
Not everything Marie Calendar makes is worth eating. Yep, I do occasionally have a one and only meal and usually she is dependable. But, her new lasagna boily, drainy dish for one was so bad the dogs would not fight over it.
Photographers experiment and share darkroom and exposure secrets.
Calligraphers play with ink and gouache.
Players play ...
Where did I put my badger marinade recipe? B for badger or M for marinade or R for roadkill?
By the way, enjoy the muffins! They are too good not to share. © tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

AN ANNOUNCEMENT, AN INVITATION & PHOTO GUIDANCE

Beginning next Monday, the entrants and winners of this year's teen photo contest will be on display at the west regional library, just off of hwy 55 in Apex,Cary, Morrisville. The young people did a fine job and we had over 70 entries to consider. I am grateful to the library and to Helen and Michele for their support and work on this project. In addition to the judge's choices. there will be a "people's choice" winner and prizes will be presented to the first-place winners in the young teen, teen and people's choice categories. People attending Saturday's reception will get a copy of the following:

Tim Johnson’s Short Guide To Better Photographs

1. UNDERSTAND what you are saying with your images. Most people know the Asian wisdom that says, “One picture is worth a thousand words.” However, most people do not realize that there is an equally profound proverb that says, “One word is worth a thousand pictures.” See the GOLDEN MEAN [http://www.thegoldenmean.com/why.html] and understand and use the RULE OF THIRDS [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds]. The photographer works to simplify, remove and reduce the image to its essence so that the observer sees and understands what the photographer is seeing and feeling. REMOVE DISTRACTIONS & LOOK FOR THE PHOTOGRAPH IN THE IMAGE.

2. KNOW your equipment. Read and understand the functions, potentials and limitations of the hardware, firmware, lenses and ISO. This applies to film and digital cameras. Light is the only tool you have. The rest is worked out with technology, time and talent. A professional photographer can create great images with simple equipment. Make a pinhole camera and create a masterpiece photo. These cameras are simple boxes created from items as simple as Pop-Tart boxes, oatmeal boxes or simple wooden boxes. Digital equipment can be inexpensive or very costly. The real deal is not the equipment, but the heart, dedication and expertise you bring to your work. Note: The SUN will burn your sensor in a digital camera. That cannot be removed and is expensive to replace. Use a film camera for images involving our nearest star.

3. PLAN your work. Even when you are hitting the street to photograph what catches your eye, be prepared. Lenses, filters, any toys are all fine. The real thing to have that will greatly improve your success in taking good pictures is a sturdy tripod. In fact, I would spend more on a tripod than on the camera. Camera movement ruins more images than any other factor. Even image stabilization can’t do what a good tripod can do. A decent camera and a good tripod will also draw a crowd. Note: if you are using a tripod, turn image stabilization OFF. Modern, slow lenses have a shallow depth of field. Focus on your subject and let the rest fall away.

4. BRACKET. Digital and film cameras usually have settings to automatically bracket images. To bracket means to underexpose, average-expose, and overexpose in order to create multiple choices when looking at prints. Bracket every exposure you make. By doing this you will learn a lot about your eye and your camera. When using film and taking it in for printing, tell the technicians that you bracketed so that they will not make adjustments.

5. LEARN photo manipulation software. Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paintshop Pro or The Gimp. It is important that your monitor is calibrated to the place where your images are going to be printed or viewed. The destination of your photograph determines how you will treat it. The human eye can see at about 312 dpi. Higher resolutions are for large, professional installations. Understand the nature of the ink and paper you are using. Pigmented inks may not be vibrant on some glossy papers. Dye sublimation inks may react differently on different textures. Experiment! Print at the highest resolution for maximum impact. Most commercial photo labs in the Triangle (most use Fuji Frontiers or Noritsu) like 4x6x300 dpi. An 8x10 print can cost $2-20 dollars and come off of the same printer. For larger prints you can use 8"x12"x600dpi. You should ask the lab technicians what they prefer and what their machines are capable of doing. Try using a single lab so they know you and your images

6. Mat and mount. Presentation mounting should be SIMPLE. Archival papers, mat board and adhesives will protect your images. Matting and mounting should be about 10% above the center of the board. Protect your art from UV light. Live with your images and improve them. Keep working and growing. Dig within for inspiration and keep your eyes open and a camera nearby.

Growing tips: Attend classes and workshops. Look at other art and define what you enjoy. Test your limits and that of your equipment. Carefully and deliberately add equipment to your bag or studio. Study commercial work in magazines and books. Ask for a restaurant wall to have a public showing.

Ó 2010 TIM JOHNSON  Photographic Illustration, Giant Prints & Instruction

 919.345.4615    www.timjohnsonphoto.com  BLOG tim@timjohnsonphoto.com