Do you ever watch any of those cooking channels on TV? Ever hear of a program called the “Iron Chef?” The premise of the show is that they give a mystery bag of ingredients to a bunch of different chefs, merely to see what each is capable of whipping up, and the fun begins when each chef opens up the bag and is delighted (or horrified) to find the ingredients a panel has selected for them.
Imagine if they had a photographic equivalent of this?
Iron Photographer is a competition (challenge really) where the panel gives the photographer a list of items and we get to go out shooting (well, we do that anyway. The idea is we have to shoot what’s “in the bag” as it were.) The first grouping I was assigned…Location: outdoors, subjects: a shoe, a beverage, and something blue.
Ok, I cheated. I have blue shoes. And, a blue coffee mug. And, um, blue jeans, for that matter. Ok, so, shoot me, I have a lot of blue stuff. (But, as they say, “if the shoe fits…”)
This is also the first piece in a series of my self portrait (more to come on this later.) You see, these are, in fact, my feet. So, now you know what my feet look like. That is my coffee mug, and, um, for that matter, those are the bottom of my pant legs. If you insist, I will also certify that, yes, that really was my Sunday paper (Dilbert was freaking hysterical. Really. Too bad you missed it.)
While we’re on the subject of shoes, this week I happened upon the “Yeowza!” of running shoes. The running shoes that make other running shoes look like “skippies.” Ok, maybe just a little “tennis-y” or, perhaps, “walker-ly.” Let’s just say that, after seeing these, all other running shoes pale in comparison.
It seems that, if you have an ipod nano, you can now get running shoes that have a special sensor, embedded in them. There’s actually a hole in the left shoe, channeled out so that you can “implant” a sensor for your ipod into it. This sensor allows you to track your progress and upload information to your ipod and computer when you dock it. It tracks information like distance traveled, speed, calories burnt, and performance on a “course” as compared to other “virtual” joggers.
I find this entire concept of the ipod and the interconnected track shoe to be fascinating really. In a sort of “‘Get Smart,’ let me talk to my left shoe and get back to you on that,” sort of way. I mean, what a great idea-hook up your ipod to your shoes and rig yourself up with technology so that you can get the most out of your workout. Rig yourself up to be a lean, mean, electronic, jogging machine and then just run, baby, run.
It’s so inspiring. What a fascinating idea. I may have to think about it again, next Sunday, when I put my feet up and read the funnies.
I wonder though, do you think those fancy newfangled running shoes come in blue?
Until next…um…”jog”
