Firemonkeyphoto

Saturday with the Glentress trail fairies, clearing new trail for a race, eating jaffa cakes and riding.

 

More here.

If you are walking in Edinburgh tomorrow and notice less determined young Americans on the streets expertly wielding DSLR’s is cos Ohio University Viscom’s students just cleared out  for another year. There is an annual field school run by Terry and Lyntha (pictured above) to give photography students a taste of overseas photojournalism. I got to talk to the students and teachers for a bit last night at their wrap-up dinner. A slideshow of fun-pix was shown, the quality of which indicates that whatever their assignments were, they hit them for six. In thirty two days the students go from knowing next to nothing about Scotland to navigating like natives and digging up interesting stories (people who fish bare-handed, munro-baggers, Benedictine monks, Jewish community, Polish immigrants) that out us locals to shame. One of the ways they do this, that struck me this year, was through social-networking sites like facebook. People can already have contacts (and contacted said contacts) BEFORE getting into the country. Contacts that are listed and grouped by interest, you can see how “up for it” they are, when events are happening and arrange to meet, or in one case, just make an educated guess about where he hangs out. I don’t do these social networking sites, but that is the ONLY reason I can think of to change my mind. To see more Viscom stuff check out Soul of Athens, particularly the beautiful “Simply Sassafras” by Go Takayma.