Andy Heather

The red autumn leaves on Karasuma dori Autumn in Shosei-en, Kyoto Moss and autumn leaves Red autumn leaves and bridge in Japanese garden Autumn leaf on a Japanese deck

Christmas at Kyoto Station via Tumblr http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ofriceandzen/~3/IG-CLyuu_OA/35901044149

Now you can change focus and perspective in Lytro shots! (Click and drag on images) via Tumblr http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ofriceandzen/~3/lZJ29DAyPB4/35869939071

After working on the photograph for a few days, I turned my and attention to the other design elements such as a wooden tabletop look, an old parchment look, a piratical font and a gold chain in the shape of 1.G.K. I did a lot of work on the lighting for this composition and although I’m still at an early stage, a lot of work and layers have gone into it so far. I haven’t decided on the final layout, but I thought it might be interesting to see some of the iterations I go through while I work. via Tumblr http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ofriceandzen/~3/vTDrDXP7raY/35640445696

In the age of the iPhone, even with iOS6 maps, it’s hard to imagine how difficult global positioning and timekeeping used to be. I recently learned the story of John Harrison, one of the many brilliant men who paved the way to portability. In the 18th century, the height of the sun was used to measure north and south, but only the correct time could tell sailors east from west. Unfortunately, time zones made time a relative concept. In fogs, drifting blind into neighboring time zones caused navigation errors, shipwrecks and the loss of thousands of lives. In 1714 the British Government offered £20,000 to the person or persons who could solve the problem of time zones, which caused sailors to lose track of east and west and had cost thousands of lives. The scientists of the day suggested celestial navigation methods that were impossible from a moving ship in changeable weather conditions. Their methods required observatories and controlled conditions which nautical coves could not enjoy...

Further proof, as if proof were needed, of my utter insanity: I spent hours and hours cutting a tall ship out. I selected and refined and selected and refined and painted and refined again and again to make sure I caught every rope and rivet. I then shrank it down to a dot and placed it in the shadows so that none of my hard work was visible. I then did the same with individual grains of sand on the footprints. Why? Well for a few reasons. First, I want to make everything better than it needs to be. Secondly, I like to unleash my inner Kubrick. I respect Steve Jobs’ quality control ethic. I like the concept of “insanely good”. Whether or not I ever attain “good” is, of course, not the point. The point is to aim at it. Plus, the hubristic voice in my head will not let me count out the possibility that my images might, one day, need to be blown up much larger. When parts of your image that are a millimeter in size on your iPad are suddenly blown up to the size of your head, the corners y...

I’m making steady progress on the image for the “Touch of Destiny” cover. I’ve reproduced the lyrics below the image you can see the kind of themes and images I was aiming for. Let me know what you think in the comments. Touch of Destiny (lyrics) VERSE 1 Adrift in Kyoto nights Between conveyer lives Her finger pressed send The extra puzzle piece To the future planned out east Like cookie cutters CHORUS In the summer she drifted to me Like a reed in a stream finds an eddie Now she’s nothing but faint memories Of a future that wasn’t to be And I’m searching for strange families In the cafes and lantern-lit alleys Under skies of a dead channel grey Fragile memories are fated to fade CHORUS 2 Just one day in every 10 years She steps off a ship of her fears Let the souls of the dead drift away, Til the sun burns the remnants of day Cos I’m searching for strange families In the clubs and the cable-strewn alleys Under skies of a dead channel grey Fragile memories are fated to fade VERSE 2 Tat...