Too good not to be shared: Carmen's most brilliant photograph.

Click on image to enlarge

Everything in this image is perfect: The composition, the colors, the subject's (Wolfie's) body language, his mischievous smile. Obviously, Wolfie, aged 1 1/2 years, was not told to say "cheese" - this most stupid invitation to make people to look 'photogenic' or 'happy'.

The photo was taken with a smart phone, and it makes me realize, painfully, as I have to admit, that we photographers of the old school -  whatever that means besides the heavy, at times quite cumbersome analog equipment we had to shlep around  -  seem to be out.

So, even though Carmen and Felix have undeniably some talent as untrained photographers, I doubt they will ever get a 'real' digital camera-camera. Actually, who needs one, except for serious amateur photographers and professionals,  when the results folks like Carmen and Felix get with their smart phones are good enough to participate in any type of a creative photojournalistic contest?

A Blog on a Blog.

Understanding each other's body language...

Photo: Isabel Muscat
Click to enlarge

http://fijisharkdiving.blogspot.com/2013/01/2012-good-bad-and-ugly-part-one_5.html

Mike has done it again, displaying his usual talent as a blog writer, his analytical skills, and his balanced (yes: balanced!!) conclusions on what he has been able to observe during the past year. As this is part one, there is more to come - the more explosive stuff.... :-)   We are looking forward to receiving the continuation of his year-end message.

Just the amount of time Mike has invested to put together his thoughts and assemble relevant links to make this one of the most comprehensive assessments of the developments in the shark world is quite impressive.

Mike does not claim to have the key to "truth" as a concept of absolute and indisputable knowledge - who has it anyway, anywhere? -, and he tells his readers that, 

"This is a blog reflecting personal opinions - not Journalism!"

which I don't agree with AT ALL!!!

Journalism is ALWAYS based on personal opinions and choices of reporting even if the author tries to be as objective as possible.  Mike's blogs are highly subjective, which makes them a delight to read, and they can be defined as journalistic pieces of the genre coined "Feuilleton" in Europe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feuilleton

Read the part: "Feuilleton Style", and you will agree with me that this does indeed apply to Mike's blogs.

The shark world should be happy to have Mike as one of its few independent, critical, outspoken, and original thinkers, unlike so many others, in fact most,  who bore their readers to death with their parroting of common places or unproven 'theories' (e.g. "no more sharks, no more oxygen to sustain life on the planet") - which, I have to admit, I myself have also fallen for it out of plain negligence.