As someone who does the odd presentation (and I don’t mean my presentations are odd) to camera clubs and other special events, I’ve become more used to public speaking each time I do it. It took me a long time to feel comfortable with it, and even still, I usually don’t eat on the day of a major event. I worry about pulling it off. I replay the event over and over in my head. What I worry about most is the audience reaction.
There are tips for audience engagement, not the least of which is the notion of turning your delivery into a conversation, away from a monologue. People respond best when they feel you are speaking directly to them and pausing for them to react.
Whether in small or large groups, the ability to wander, to look people in the eye, to see their facial expressions and to anticipate their reactions is what can make or break an event. It’s easy to do in small groups, harder in large halls with dim lights. But how the heck do you replicate that in a video conference?
This week, our provincial authority once again allowed visits to local parks and recreation areas. Day trips only, no camping, no lounging. We can walk through, stop for a few minutes to see the sights, and move on, all the way staying wary of the need for social distancing and self-protection. Retail and many service businesses are also opening with restrictions.
I had ventured out for groceries, and to the drug store and pet store, and even made a stop or two at the home centre. All within my municipality – heck, all within 10 km. At no time did I wander – always in and out knowing exactly what I was there for. So no chance of being exposed – or so I thought.
Most of us have similar stories. In fact, exactly the same stories.
Over the past year, I decided to include filters in my camera kit. I took them on several trips and even on local outings, determined to take the time to use them properly. I started out with the standard collection of screw-on filters – a polarizer, a variable neutral density filter and a graduated neutral density filter. I quickly discovered the pros and cons of these types of filters and expanded my kit to include a square-format drop-in filter system. This consisted of a lens adapter, filter holder and a variety of 100mm square filters.
Recently, one of these subscription channels included a short discussion on how Instagram has influenced the way photographers approach their art. The premise was that Instagram has completely changed photography. Their argument: its technical requirements and this generation’s social norm of wanting instant gratification and continuous stimulation of the senses has resulted in a new standard for photography. What is that new standard? 
But first we had to decide what the heck is “fine art”? We’ve had several animated discussions in the past few months, even a field trip to our local art gallery. In the past, I’ve written about 
I’ve set myself a goal for the next year to become more proficient at Photoshop. I use a variety of editing tools now, most of which are slider-based. You move a slider and watch what happens on the screen. The sliders in most applications are laid out in a nice orderly fashion, and you can literally move from top to bottom and achieve a well-edited well-presented image.
Add to that the challenge of learning something new as an older adult. We don’t absorb information the same way as we did as a child. We don’t necessarily retain it even when learned. Memory declines in uneven ways too – with muscle memory and the memory of physically doing things changing at rates different from the memory of reciting things or recollection. So I’m not only setting a goal but trying to find the best method to accomplish it. 
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