Notes From the Studio: May 2025 Edition”
What was and what is coming up.
Hi everyone,
This is something I have wanted to do for a while now.
Every last Wednesday of the month, I will do this little recap and links post. I want to be able to share some stuff I find useful, and provide you with some value that is unexpected.
So here we go.
Hi, and welcome to my little Substack corner. I write about photography, art, design, and the craft of living creatively. I am glad you are here. Consider subscribing to keep up with what I am doing. I promise not to bore you. If you would like to support my efforts, that would be amazing and so appreciated. Either way, I am super happy you are here.
AI is here to stay. And staying on top of it is important, whether you use it or not. It is up to each of us to stay alert and stay knowledgeable.
I receive a couple of daily newsletters that cover the burgeoning AI industry. I am not trying to be an AI consultant, I just want to keep up so I am not left standing on the road while the dust of the future blinds me.
I recommend this newsletter: The Rundown.
It is focused on what is happening NOW. Overnight the dispatches come, and the news is of what happened in the world of AI, and what will be happening today. This is not a newsletter full of ads or hype, just a good look at this fast-moving industry.
It’s free. Ten minutes a day to know a lot more than most of your peers.
I am proud to now be able to offer discounts on one of my favorite software tools, NIK. I have been using NIK since it was a free tool BITD. I have just updated to NIK 8, and what an update it is. Incredible precision, and exporting back into Photoshop has never been more nuanced.
Use the coupon code: Giannatti - for 15% off.
NOTE: This will work with any DXO software, including the new Pure Raw.
Many of you know I write at Medium as well. I am not sure how much longer I will be doing that, as I want to put more time and energy into my Substack work.
But for those of you who may be interested, here is what I wrote on Medium in May. I do not have a paywall on my Medium account, so this is not an attempt to have you create an account there.
What I’ve Learned After 60 Years of Living Off Creativity
I am just gobsmacked it has been that long.
The Watchers on the Rim: Seeing When There’s Nothing to See
I didn’t expect snow at the Grand Canyon in May.
5 Frames From the Edge of the Road
Sometimes images just jump out at you like a wild-eyed deer on a forest road.
These Tiny Photography Projects Just Might Change Everything
Quick shoots. Big creative payoff.
After nearly 350 articles on Medium, I am thinkiing about assembling the writing into a book and giving it to anyone who wants to read it. That’s gonna be a big book!
For those of you into Lo-Fi work, and I am one of you, I found this YouTube on making prints at Kinko’s and it made me smile. It also made me want to shoot some stuff just to get some totally cheap prints on card stock for a collection.
I am not sure what I like about the Lo-Fi stuff. Perhaps it is because I am so enamored of the Wabi Sabi influence of Japanese artists.
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic that emphasizes finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and natural simplicity. It's about appreciating the natural world and the passage of time, rather than striving for an unattainable ideal of perfection. Wabi-sabi encourages acceptance of life's imperfections and the beauty of the everyday.
Check it out. You may enjoy the perspective.
Ear Candy: What I am listening to.
Have you ever seen a one-ton upright piano?
15 feet high.
Played from a platform in the sky?
Looks something like this.
And sounds something like this:
Beautiful.
via Ted Gioia, The Honest Broker.
My new series, Frames from the Saddle, starts a week from now. I am really excited about blending these two parts of my life. Motorcycle roadtrips and photography. Oh, and writing… yeah, writing too.
I am planning on a week of motorcycling in the high mountains of Utah this July. My base will be Panguitch, and I hope to visit the Escalante region, Capitol Reef, the Pando Aspen near Fish Lake, Brian Head, and ride through the Dixie National Forest. I’ll spend some time in Bryce and possibly Zion - depending on the crowds there. Two lanes, two wheels, and a camera. And tacos, of course.
A few images from the archives:
See you on Sunday.
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