A CLASSIC YACHT SAILING ADVENTURE 

The Offshore Cruising Club's classic 68' 19-ton yacht Overlord sailed over three hundred miles from Plymouth to Dingle on the west coast of Ireland.

MOBILITIES

Mobilities is a new pedagogy in response to the increasing realization of the historic and contemporary importance of movement involving individuals and society: the flow of information, goods, people, transport, and money. In a crowded World, it delivers insights into a new understanding of how the world operates. This article it's going to focus on voyages and trips made by boats.

Part of the pleasures enjoyed in cruising are sailing into brand-new harbours, anchorages, and seeing new cultures, and people with different beliefs and values. Ireland gave a new perspective on the political history to The Welsh, English, and Italian Crew.

Nothing is so exciting as sailing on the ocean on a starlit night. Out there, alone, there is a real sense of being alone and being dependent upon your own actions and agency to survive.

Around the world, there are marinas filled with thousands and thousands of yachts. Some are never used - others make long intrepid voyages. Here, is an account of a 1936 classic yacht making a 300-mile voyage. Although insignificant compared to an ocean voyage it contained all the characteristics of a sea voyage: a crew meeting for the first time in a crowded space and venturing into a challenging environment. Would they be up to it?

After leaving Plymouth and taking the southerly route past the Scilly Isles the powerful sailing vessel ventured into moderate Atlantic swells and fresh winds driven by complex weather systems. Soon everything was soaked above and below decks. Can you handle this?

After being on many voyages in these conditions you can easily see crew members who shape up and become key figures for the success of the trip. Others succumb to seasickness, and lack of moral courage, and decide that ocean life is not for them. These people miss blue skies, warm skies, hot sands and gentle zephyrs. How would they manage on a Viking longboat, a Spanish galleon sailing to the Americas, or a fishing boat off the grand Banks?

The challenging weather conditions tested the crew, however, the voyage delivered rich rewards in leading to a better understanding of Irish history and culture.

Here is the link to Eddy Jackson's Adobe My Portfolio: Overlord Trip 14 Skellig Michael.

This work is set within the context of guidelines for recording visual ethnographic projects.

Check out the previous posts on the importance of developing your own style and genre.

The broader implications of mobilities come from scholars in anthropology, cultural studies, economics, geography, migration studies, science and technology studies.

In the ancient world voyages using the sea and rivers was the prime mode of transport. Dense forests and poor overland travel roots presented challenges for carrying goods.

Along the coast of Western Europe, there is evidence of voyages and traders coming from the Mediterranean, the Baltic, and Scandinavian countries.

How did sailing progress over the millennia?

How did society evolve?

What is the impact of a nation's maritime heritage?

How did we reach this position?

There are powerful tools for tracking shipping. AIS provide instant verification of shipping. For example, whilst taking the southerly route around the Scilly Isles there was a large volume of maritime traffic making its way into the western approaches and the English Channel. However, as we tracked Northwest towards the Atlantic Irish coast the density quickly diminished and only showed a few fishing vessels and the odd sailing boat.

Check out Wiki for a detailed presentation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobilities#Theoretical_underpinnings_of_mobilities

34 yachting and sailing videos ad-free on Vimeo:

Quennets 

Sailing Terms 

Surging waves cool wind black markings telling direction 

Submerged rocks silent danger shallow channels rocky headlands 

Big tides fast currents swirling overfalls steep cliffs  

Hidden coves flashing transits prominent marks bright screen 

Chart plotter sandy estuaries harbour cill wooden pontoon 

Bowline cleat green seaweed damp locker salty clothes 

Bright phosphoresce black nights flashing nights 

Prominent headlands glossy varnish graceful lines 

Narrow beam coach roof sliding hatch coloured halyards 

Grey chain heavy anchor dark forecastle narrow berth 

Damp cushions slow oven pitching yawl vhf channel 

Distant voices nautical chatter white horses mares tails 

Mackerel skies white beaches steep cliff zig-zag path 

Sailing south curving foil dusty track isolated islands 

Rolling seas  powering boat rocky outcrops big tides 

Slicing crests Channel chop swirling races strong eddies  

Chrome windlass trimmed genoa fast currents cold north easterly 

Attacking wind flowing tides high pressure long fetch 

Pushing boat fresh faces expert seamanship change tack 

Wooden tiller steering course bearing 180 navigation waypoint 

Black arrow indicating wind pilotage plan compass course 

Grey gauge telling speed orange flares safety gear 

Taut rigging countering forces life raft engine check 

Sleek bow cutting waves gas bottle MOB practice  

Grey waves causing spray reefing line chart position 

Wooden decks glistening wet weather forecast safety harness 

Scroll menu yellow EPIRB fire blanket horseshoe lifebuoy 

Spare antenna parachute rockets dan buoy quick stop 

Close reach admiralty chart estimated position chart symbol 

Identifying lights clearing bearing waypoint navigation log alarm 

Separation scheme overtaking vessel sound signal one blast 

Met Office weather report red ensign flag etiquette 

Q flag Irish flag clove hitch seacocks open 

For more, check out Overlord's summer cruise to the west coast of Ireland:

Adobe My Portfolio: Trip 14 Dingle and Skellig Michael.

A FUSION OF MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOGRAPHY KIT

As a creator and producer, it is important to me to create new school alternative perspectives.

My images and products are not going to be for glossy commercial magazines. I want to produce stunningly different images and move away from the crowded world defined by marketing promotions. 

New School photography and videography

MY LATEST KIT

I wanted to develop a contemporary fusion blending the latest technologies.

A MINIMALIST APPROACH - PAIRING KIT RIGHT DOWN

This forces you to become more creative and think more about achieving great outcomes.

EQUIPMENT

iPhone 15 Max Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max - has advanced video shooting capabilities:

5x Optical Zoom: Emphasize the impressive zoom feature.
Pro Res 4K Log facilitiating new color profile for video shooting for Advanced Video Shooters and professional video production.

48MP Resolution:

The iPhone 15 Pro Max can capture images at 48MP resolution using the main camera.

To enable this, go to Settings > Camera > Formats and turn on Resolution Control (on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus) or ProRAW & Resolution Control (on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max).
Set the Pro Default option to HEIF Max or ProRAW Max to access the 48MP resolution.
Remember to check the Resolution control in the Camera app to ensure you’re capturing at the highest resolution

Optical vs. Digital Zoom.

Understand when you’re capturing an optical image (using the main camera) versus digital upsampling (using the ultrawide or telephoto lenses).
The main camera provides the highest resolution, while the other lenses use 12MP sensors.
Experiment with different zoom levels to optimize your shots.

Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization:

The iPhone 15 Pro Max features sensor-shift image stabilization.
It compensates for camera shake by moving the sensor along the x, y, and z axes.
This results in sharp and well-exposed photos, especially in telephoto shots.

Camera Tips and Settings:

Explore settings that enhance your photos and videos.
Consider aspects like exposure, focus, and composition.
Experiment with different modes, including Night mode and Macro mode.
Utilize third-party apps like Halide, Lightroom for mobile, or Obscura for more advanced features.

Go Pro 12

Insta360 

Rode ME Wireless Mic

Small Rig Cage

Joby Selfie Tripod

Final Cut Pro

The benefit of using minimum gear brings creative challenges. It makes you grow. And helps you to think creatively. Shoot with the bare minimum and carry everything on you all the time. Think outside the box. Use the limitations of these devices to be more creative in your storytelling.

Heavy Old School School Kit

The perceived wisdom was to use heavy, cumbersome cameras and lenses:

FX DSLR Camera

24-70 lens

70-200

Tripod

Flashlight

Umbrella

Backup X2 cards on camera

Solid state drives

Lighting kit

ND Filter

Polarising Filters.

BENEFIT OF MINIMAL GEAR

Packing light is comfortable and affordable.

Think about what types of shots/stories you need to capture.

What is your priority - quality v portability v flexibility?

What are your style and needs?

Learn to improvise by thinking creatively by using alternative vantage points and new perspectives.

SUMMARY MEDIA KIT & STYLE

I think about always recording high-quality audio using livelier and small external mics for your mobile phone

In the field, I can easily carry all this equipment – it is a mobile recording unit.

Check out Brandon Li

 

 

 

 

Tide in Tide Out

Visual anthropology demands thinking about the angle of an ethnographic story. Here are some ideas to think about as a starting point for a new project.

What is the point of view?

What is this original creative idea about?

Does it excite and motivate you?

Before you start ensure to be well informed and widely read. A starting point may be why do I wonder about this subject or idea? Why do you want to investigate it? Whatever it is, for the successful development from the germination of an idea, advanced detailed planning is the prerequisite to success for the publication of the final content.

Beware, here is a caveat, the concept of less is more, and having a narrow focus is better than having a surfeit of complex ideas. The latter lead to confusion and uncertainty impacting the narrative.

How you craft and develop the story angle is the prime consideration in the initial stages. As a digital native why not use Google Earth, Apple maps, Wikis, and other online reference resources?

In the field make use of every resource possible. Use mobile phones for taking notes, audio recordings, photography, and videos to jog your memory and include these in the final project. They help recapture the experience.

Here multimedia notetaking becomes a trigger for writing. Never stop taking these digital notes. Whilst working on projects I am constantly recording digital content. For good practice, back up this content and save it to the cloud. Email - WhatsApp this content to yourself.

When you interview people do not be led astray by their personal agenda(s) or if they try to put their organizations' agenda forward. To counter this ensure you do things that appeal to and interest you.

In the physical context of the story on location record, include WOW! living the moment, breathing, and experiential content – not just facts or history. Your feelings and emotions may be woven into the paragraphs to help add color to the narrative and story.

To do this record things at the moment. What is this experience? Collect a range of experiences by responding to your emotions and feelings. Include these.

In another context, good sources for the article may come from local people such as taxi drivers and bartenders.

BACK AT BASE

It's important to reflect on and review the range of resources and assets collated for the story. Time must be created, and space is given before starting and commencing your narrative. Do not jump straight in. Go back to the original brief, what creative aspect and point do you want to develop? Can you find common threads in the story and then develop a specific argument or feature that you are making? Here it must be focused - you cannot put everything in it.

Think about the flow and balance of paragraphs and how to integrate a range of feelings, emotions, historical facts, and descriptions for your story.

For a starting point map out, plan, and get an overview turn from a significant feature. What are you trying to get across here?

Stories are rarely linear; they move and in places jump to another perspective. Move between the colorful immersive (first hand) experience and then move into a different style of writing. Mix it up to ensure it flows and it's coherent.

Have a starting point by using no more than two sentences. These must be sharp because it is not only the introduction but it's also the reason.

Clarity of purpose - clarity in writing is essential.

Proofread and constantly double-check by reading out aloud.

Consider if the story is worthy. What is the unique angle? Will other people be interested who is the audience all readers? Discuss and share with others for informed feedback.

Find your unique voice and asked what you want to produce about the place, characters, people, and narrative.

Check out this awesome production by an intrepid producer:

A Donal Boyd Production

Donal Boyd is a wildlife conservationist and fine art portrait photographer and filmmaker with the mission to promote "Conservation of Nature Through Visual Advocacy”. Donal Boyd Studio is a production company creating media that brings people closer to nature and wildlife through stories of human connections to the natural world.

Green New Deal bird life impact

As I roam the country lanes and footpaths, along the babbling brooks flowing off the fells, I am overwhelmed and in awe of the wonder of nature.

Yet, there is nagging doubt in my mind about how any wildlife can survive and compete against the merciless onslaught of continuous technological and economic development.

Who and what are the weak links in these powerful processes?

What is the impact of man's agency upon the environment?

An important signpost and distinguishing characteristic involve ornithology. Have you noticed that there are not so many swallows, wrens, curlews, shelducks and other birds around? Why?

Let's consider the proclamations of the political parties regarding the environment. How do these, business economics, and political proclamations impact the world?

Many planning applications are opposed with compelling arguments citing that wildlife and the natural environment will be destroyed forever.

At committee meetings in town halls considering these applications, a nod off the head, with no cognizance to the arguments about preserving wildlife, signals the approval to go ahead. It is a widespread practice and a feature in town and city planning committees. 

Check out The Guardians reportage on this environmental concern.