Author: James Vornov

I'm an MD, PhD Neurologist who left a successful academic career on the Faculty of The Johns Hopkins Medical School to develop new treatments in Biotech and Pharma. I became fascinated with how people actually make decisions based on the science of decision theory and emerging understanding of how the brain works to make decisions. My passion now is this deep explanation of what has been the realm of philosophy, psychology and self help but is now understood as brain function. By understanding our brains, I believe we can become happier, more successful people.

Why?

Outside the Walls, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

I looked at this image from Umbria this morning and wondered why I was working on it. I’ve been photographing the suburban environment I live in with a developing visual vocabulary. In Umbria, the suburban environment is very different and the resulting images reflect it.

It’s process. Spend time in a new environment and gain new visual impressions. For me it’s the essence of travel- getting out of one’s usual routines and ways of seeing. Then on returning, the daily reality doesn’t look the same.

Umbria is truly a beautiful place with extraordinary visual sights nearly everywhere. I’m not a travel photographer or a chronicler of Italian landscape. But I’m happy to share what I saw and hope that it helps to inform my more usual work.

Spello Wall Abstracted

Spello Wall Abstracted, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

These were stains on a wall I walked by every morning in Spello. They were constantly changing based on the light. Spello, like Assisi, is built of pink colored stone. All of the stucco and mortar are also tinted to complement the colors. It makes for one of the warmest environments you can image.

All Backed Up

Reflected Light, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

I had some anxiety about my image safety during my vacation. Just before I left, the hard drive on my Macbook Pro was scrambled and I rebuilt it from a Time Machine backup the evening before leaving. I then couldn’t find the external hard drive / card reader that I bought a few years ago.

I just downloaded images from cards onto the laptop during the trip, reviewing and then erasing the cards. A single copy of all of those images until yesterday when they were copied over to external drives, consolidated into the big Aperture library, and put into vaults.

On the Way Back

Spello Wall, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

It’s been a great 10 days in Italy. No real internet access for the entire trip. Tonight we’re in a hotel at the airport, prepared for an early flight out and back to the US.

Umbria light was much better for photography than that of Liguria two years ago. About 1500 captures, with a few winners already. This was quickly processed just in Aperture using the Nik filters.

Rerendering

I felt like rerendering an older photo to compare my newer way of seeing to that of a year or so ago. I happened to get 4 views today of a year old image I took with the DP1 in Geneva last year. I found the RAW and took it through the current workflow. The result is above. Below is the original finished image, back when I was working mostly through Photoshop rather than Capture NX.

Sigma DP2 Soon?

I remain absolutely floored by the Nik Tonal Contrast filter. It actually takes much of the flatness of digital away, creating what looks to me like more film like local contrast.

I’ve been shooting pretty exclusively with the Nikon D300 and Tamron f2.8 midrange zoom combination. The DP1 sits on the shelf, waiting. As long as carrying the Nikon is no problem, I have no real reason to go to the less flexible DP1. I guess its waiting for a travel opportunity.

I’ve thought a bit about whether or not I would jump to the DP2 once it arrives. The DP1’s two great limitations are shot to shot speed and the f/4 lens. The DP2 promises to improve both with new electronics and a faster, slightly less wide lens.

Carl Rytterfalk has the first hands on field review of a preproduction model.

Initial DP2 review with full size shots.. | Carl Rytterfalk Fotografi: ” Faster operation! Now very useful in studio as shot to shot is much improved! “

His take is very encouraging. Great lens as expected. And that beautiful foveon tonality and color rendering.

Nik Tonal Contrast

Pile of Sticks, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

Thanks to Moose Peterson for finally revealing what his latest Nik secret filter is. It’s tonal contrast. Here’s his video on the technique. As he notes, it’s really very much like an HDR filter because it’s a local contrast booster. You’ll see in his video how easy it is to get carried away with this thing. However there’s something that he alludes to that I think is really valuable. He demonstrates how one can crank it up and apply multiple times. Well the overall effect is not believable at all. But it’s easy enough to selectively paint in some of this extra effect to create what Vincent Versace called a belivable improbability.

He’s been told the technique is cheating. I’m with Moose on this. I’m lazy to the core. I’m looking for the fastest way to convey what I see in these mundane suburban views.

One of the other features in this image is fill flash. I liked the accentuation of the shadow depth and plan to explore the effect a bit more.

James Vornov

James Vornov, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

I needed a photo of myself for a professional event. I used window light from the right and an off camera SB-800 shooting into an umbrella off to the left. My daughter actually did the focus and capture, I cropped.

I like the style as a portrait actually. It’s not that far from my usual images, just much more naturalistic given that it’s a face, not a field or walkway

Beginner’s Mind

Golden Sands, originally uploaded by jjvornov.

Finally, I’ve picked up the Nikon again. It was cold. It was rainy. It was raw. But I’m going to be traveling to Europe next month and it will be my biggest opportunity for interesting image harvesting in a long time.

Its interesting how rapidly I can get back to where I left off. At least there was some light yesterday when I captured this image. With my current toolbox I can work around a lack of interesting illumination, its much better if I have something to work with to start.

I’m reading Geoff Colvin’s “Talent is Overrated” right now. It’s a great discussion of getting good at doing things by deliberate practice. Of course for me at 51, it comes too late. My kids should be reading it.

Whatever I’ve learned over the last two years is deeply ingrained at this point. According to the literature, if I work at this pace for another 15 years, I’ll be an expert. I’m developing vocabulary and technique slowly so that I don’t have to think so much about how to achieve a result, I can think more about whether the result was achieved.

Photography is like playing the piano in that its trivial to make an image or a sound with these instruments. Painting or playing cello has a longer learning period for producing anything.

I’ve started dabbling in making music over the last few months. It’s a scary feeling to be so adrift as complete novice. I don’t really intend to get very good, but its worthwhile exploring. I have a set of skills built over the years that helps in mastering completely new tasks that help, but the variety of choices that present themselves at every turn is truly bewildering.

Al Is Back

What a pleasant way to transition out of winter. Alwin Hawkins has started his weblog back up again:

code:theWebSocket;: Arisen from the ashes…: “”

(Via .)

It’s a nostalgic day. I’m reading David Allen’s new book, “Making It All Work”. I had settled into a comfortable routine of capturing information and processing it, but reading his Getting Things Done roadmap has me thinking about kicking it up a notch again.

I don’t have a laptop tool for tracking projects like I had for my last job. Now I work on a shorter cycle time and projects are generally managed for me. My role is more reactive these days.

So I started up Tinderbox for the first time in years, finding that I was at version 3.5 and Mark Bernstein had moved all the way up to 4.6. I’ve downloaded the new version and will decide whether to pony up for the upgrade.