Some breathtaking video of Mr. Wolf’s trip down the Baja California peninsula.
Tag Archives: Photography
Photos: Title, caption, keyword
Just finished adding captions to the 2,490 photos and 33 videos in the Photos app on my MacBook. I’ve been diligent when it comes to giving a title to each photo and have waxed and waned with keywords. But not so good about captions because I really didn’t understand their function in the Photos app.
In the MacOS Photos app there are three primary pieces of information. The title appears in the Photos app, but not on the iPhone. I used to go a little crazy with Keywords but started over with this update. Since I have every photo in at least one Album, Keywords are not as important. I’m still thinking about how I’ll use them.
The Caption (the red rectangle above) is probably the most useful metadata and what I omitted on most of my photos. I think of captions like those descriptions people used to write on the back of a photo or in the margin. “Uncle Ernie and Aunt Betty at the State Fair in Des Moines on their honeymoon in 1937.” Captions can be as long or as short as needed with each word or phrase searchable. Where there is a corresponding post here, I include a link in the photo caption.
When I tell friends what I’m doing most are quick to point out that the Photos app has enough intelligence to find all “trees” or “flowers” or “pickup trucks.” What they’re really telling you there is no way in hell they’re going to put captions on thousands of photos. And I don’t blame them. If you save every photo and are willing to endlessly scroll/search when you want to find one… okeydoke.
I am much more intentional with my photos. Having half a dozen nearly-identical photos is just clutter because someone was too lazy to select the best and delete the rest. Keeping a poorly composed or blurry photo makes no sense to me. Just delete it. Which is easy to do… unless you wait until there are hundreds (or thousands) and the task becomes too daunting.
Who, you might ask, is ever going to look at those photos 50 years from now? Or read these blog posts in the unlikely event it’s still here? My answer: ChatGPT or one of her decedent’s. For the same reason archeologists sift the ashes of Pompeii.
Evelyn and Marie: Brownie box camera
The photo above (my mom and Aunt Marie) was probably taken sometime in the mid-1940s on the family farm near Broseley, Missouri. I’ve seen this photo countless times but not sure I’ve noticed the camera in my aunt’s hand. A little history from ChatGPT:
The “Brownie” box camera, introduced by Kodak in 1900, was a revolutionary development in photography. Designed to be affordable and easy to use, it brought photography to the masses and helped popularize snapshot culture.
Key Points in Brownie History:
- 1900: The original Kodak Brownie was released for just $1, with film costing 15 cents per roll. It featured a simple cardboard box design with a fixed-focus lens and a single shutter speed.
- Early Success: The Brownie was heavily marketed to children and amateur photographers, making it one of the first truly accessible cameras.
- Evolution: Over the years, the Brownie evolved with different models, materials (from cardboard to metal and plastic), and features like built-in flash units.
- Cultural Impact: The Brownie was instrumental in capturing everyday life, historical events, and even wartime photography. It remained popular for much of the 20th century.
- End of an Era: Though production slowed in the late 20th century, the Brownie’s legacy continues as one of the most influential consumer cameras ever made.
Evelyn: Before digital photos
The photo below is one of hundreds I hauled down from the attic after my parents died. No idea who Mrs. Schluleter was but mom would have been living in St. Louis in November of of 1944. I get chills thinking about what mom’s hand-written metadata adds to this photo. (see ChatGPT info below) Allied forces had invaded Normandy just five months earlier and the outcome of the war was still far from certain. My father enlisted in the Navy in May of 1943 and was discharged in March of 1946 and saw a lot of action (which he never talked about) in the Pacific.
Some might argue that today’s digital images are rich in data but most people I know simply shovel hundreds (thousands?) of digital images into the cloud with little or no context.
On November 5, 1944, the world was deep into World War II, and several significant events took place:
- Allied Advances in Europe: Canadian and British forces liberated Dinteloord in the Netherlands. Allied troops also reached Zoutelande on Walcheren Island, continuing their push to secure key positions in Western Europe.
- Pacific Theater Operations: U.S. Task Force 38, under Admiral McCain, launched strategic military operations targeting Japanese positions on Luzon and surrounding areas. During these operations, the aircraft carrier USS Lexington was heavily damaged by a kamikaze attack.
- Bombing of Singapore: U.S. Army Air Forces’ Twentieth Air Force B-29s, based in Calcutta, India, began occasional attacks on drydock and ship repair facilities in Singapore.
These events highlight the intense and widespread military engagements occurring across multiple theaters of the war at that time.
Photos by Alison Mays
I justified replacing my one-year-old iPhone 15 by gifting it to my niece Alison. I’d forgotten what an excellent photographer she is.
Sunrise over Missouri River
How Many Pictures Are There (2024)
The following statistics are from an article by Matric Broz at phototutorial.com. The article presents “photography and photo statistics procured with scientific and mathematical methods, including answering questions like “How many photos are taken every day?”
How many photos are taken every year?
- 1.81 trillion photos are taken worldwide every year, which equals 57,000 per second, or 5.0 billion per day. By 2030, around 2.3 trillion photos will be taken every year.
- According to Photutorial data, 1.2 trillion were taken worldwide in 2021 and 1.72 trillion in 2022.
- The global pandemic reduced the number of images taken by 25% in 2020 and 20% in 2021.
How many photos are taken every day?
- The average person takes 20 photos daily. This number is higher among younger people and lower among older people.
- According to Phototurial data, 4.7 billion photos are taken every day worldwide in total.
- By region, the number of photos taken by a smartphone user is led by the US: 20.2/day, Asia-Pacific 15/day, Latin America 11.8/day, Africa 8.1/day, and Europe 4.9/day.
How many images are on the internet?
- 750 billion images are on the internet, which is only 6% of the total photos that were ever taken since most of the photos we take are never shared.
How many images are on Google Images?
- There are 136 billion images on Google Images.
- By 2030, there will be 382 billion images on Google Images.
How many photos does the average person have on their phone?
- The average user has around 2,100 photos on their smartphone in 2023.
- iOS smartphone users have approximately 2,400 photos on their phones, while Android users have around 1,900 photos on their phones.
Other photo stats
- 12.4 trillion photos have been taken throughout history. By 2030, this number will increase to 28.6 trillion.
- Users share the most images on WhatsApp: 6.9 billion per day. 1.3 billion images are shared on Instagram daily, with about 100 million in posts and more than 1 billion on stories and chats.
- 92.5% of photos are taken with smartphones, and only 7% with cameras.
“Describe this photo of John Mays”
ChatGPT: In this photo, we have a classic snapshot of radio broadcasting history. There’s a person operating a turntable in a radio station studio, which suggests this might be a DJ or a radio technician from the bygone era of analog broadcasting. The studio equipment, including the large control panel with various switches and knobs, the overhead microphone, the headphones, and the vinyl records, all contribute to the vintage feel of the photo.
The individual is focused on their task, which could be cueing up a record or adjusting the levels for a live broadcast. This scene captures the essence of an era when radio was a primary source of entertainment and information, connecting listeners to a world beyond their immediate surroundings.
First fire of the season
And a few more photos taken with the new iPhone 15…
Flickr Batch Organizer
Flickr launched in February, 2004. I created an account and started uploading photos in March, 2005. So I guess I’m a long-time user. My primary photo repository is the Photos app on my MacBook (mirrored in my iCloud account): 2,449 photos. I make some effort to only save “keepers.” Flickr is where I post photos I’d like to share with the world. All under Creative Commons license for unrestricted use. I have about 2,500 photos in my photostream organized into albums and collections.
This 12 minute video (I know, too long) is a very cursory explanation of how I use Flickr’s Batch Organizer to manage photos.