[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD1ycOhppYk[/youtube]
I had a lot of fun doing this episode of Simply Science.
Digital Photography Workshops on April 10th
I’ve been asked many many times to do a workshop on photography, so I’ve finally set something up. On April 10th, I’ll be holding two workshops at the Cultural Exchange Center at 80 Border Street in the East Boston neighborhood. Here are the descriptions:
Digital Photography Basics Workshop
Want to learn how to use your camera to its full potential? Need a new camera (or even a first camera) and don’t know what to get? Spend two and a half hours learning the basics of digital photography from photographer and experienced technology educator Adam Weiss.
Adam will teach you how a digital camera works, what makes one camera better than another, and how your camera’s features can help you take better pictures — or when they can get in the way. Learn how to use your camera’s modes, when to turn the flash off, and how to overcome its limitations in tricky situations. Once you understand your camera, you’ll learn how to take more interesting photos with tips professionals use to take beautiful pictures.
Bring your camera to try things out as you learn (not required), and be prepared to ask lots of questions. This workshop will be highly interactive, with plenty of time for discussion.
Saturday, April 10 from 10:00-12:30, including a 15 min. break. Workshop followed by informal question time until 1:00 pm.
Cost is $35 per person. Limit 20 participants.
Sign up for Digital Photography Basics Workshop
Taking Better Pictures Hands-on Workshop
Do you want to take your photography to the next level? Wish you could get feedback on your photos to improve more quickly? Bring your camera to a hands-on workshop that will get you outside taking pictures and teach you how to improve your shots.
Photographer and experienced technology educator Adam Weiss will provide a brief overview of camera functions and photo composition tips, then you’ll move outside to practice for an hour before heading back inside to review actual photos taken during the workshop. By discussing photos taken by your fellow participants, you’ll learn how to improve composition and choose better camera settings — as well as seeing how others like to photograph the world.
The outdoor section of the workshop will give you the opportunity to experiment while getting help and guidance from the instructor (if you want it). A few volunteer participants will then have the opportunity to have their photos critiqued by Adam and the rest of the class, giving everyone ideas for how to make their shots better.
Saturday, April 10 from 2:00-5:00, including 1 hour of picture-taking time (weather permitting). Bring your camera’s USB cable if it is a non-standard type.Cost is $35 per person. Limit 15 participants.
Sign up for Taking Better Pictures Hands-on Workshop
Attend Both Workshops for Just $50 (Use the second option when signing up for the second workshop)
Entering the “Live Off Groupon” Contest
Groupon.com is running this crazy contest to find someone who is willing to live off of nothing but their coupon/gift certificates for a year. I thought it sounded really cool and decided to enter, which involved making two YouTube videos, writing an essay and a blog post, and of course being “eccentric” enough to actually want to do it. I’m putting the blog post (about the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square) up here, along with the two videos. Those of you who know me can judge my eccentricity:
Blog Post: Bogart at the Gym
Fifteen movies in Harvard Square for $2 each! Why did I hesitate on that Groupon?
The Brattle Theatre‘s offer of a year-long membership for just $35 was so popular that they called Groupon after just a few hours to plead “Please shut it off!” Even still, 1250 people got tickets to 15 films, discounted popcorn, and the satisfaction of supporting a 120-year-old cultural center. They would have kept it going, but they’d increased their membership rolls by 25% in less than a day, and they didn’t want to be buried under a mountain of paperwork for months to come.
Of course, I saw this Groupon just minutes before it sold out. Before I clicked “Buy,” I paused to tell a few friends — when I went back, it was gone. Luckily, I didn’t let my disappointment stop me from dropping in on the Brattle’s Creative Director this week. Ned Hinkle has been at the Brattle Theatre for over a decade (he actually built their first website by hand), and he graciously invited me to climb up into the balcony with him for a chat.
The theater started out as Brattle Hall back in 1890, and it’s been in pretty much continuous operation ever since. It started out as a social club and live theater, and had stints as a ballet school and even a police gymnasium along the way. It was retrofitted for movies in 1953, and has spent the almost six decades since then showing art films, classics, and cult favorites. It’s also started a couple of cult traditions, including one that lures Harvard students away from studying for finals to watch Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon — a tradition that Hinkle said made Bogart the classic icon he is today.
Brattle Hall also houses a great cafe and restaurant, making it a one-stop night on the town, right in the heart of Harvard Square. Even if you missed out on the Groupon, the Brattle is a great place to experience films you’ll never get to see on the big screen — whether they’re classics or current contenders for festival honors.
Visit:
Brattle Theatre
40 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-876-6837
Video: Interview at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORCyVqfTBbA[/youtube]
Video: “Live Off Groupon” Contest Introduction Video
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE5dy655g7U&feature=related[/youtube]
Simply Science is on Scitable
My series has been up on Nature‘s website for a few months now, and we’ve featured all sorts of scientists. Here’s one of my favorites so far, with Harvard’s David Corey:
My Mac20Q Interview
A couple of weeks ago, David Allen and I had a nice conversation on Skype that turned into this Mac 20 Questions podcast. Have a listen (if you want to hear me talk for an hour):