Origami Photos

What follows is a sampling of the origami figures I've made recently. They are, respectively, a frog, a crane, a phoenix, a snail, and a box.






I also made the origami bear from a previous post, by the way, but I ended up with unsightly (ghastly!) white stripes along the bear's back. The edges didn't meet up properly. My lack of skill aside, a thinner and more flexible kind of paper probably would have been more appropriate for the figure. If the paper is stiff, it becomes very difficult to fold multi-layered parts, and the folds become more three-dimensional, which results in edges that don't meet. That said, comparatively stiff paper is pleasant to work with, and it's obviously well-suited for boxes (of which I made several) and for less complex figures.

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Note: All of the above photos were edited using Adobe Photoshop. It was fun this time around, because I got to edit out little eraser shavings (or whatever they're called). It was amusing to flip between the original and the edited version, watching as the little white and grey bits appeared and disappeared ("light goes on, light goes off," etc.). It was also pleasing to use the sharpening effect and observe the considerable, almost magical, improvement.

Die Dreigroschenoper

Well, in reference to my last post, I certainly had the time to write about the Mendelssohn gathering, but I lacked the inclination. Hardly surprising, but rather a pity because I did want to write about the opera (at least).

The opera was Berthold Brecht's Dreigroschenoper (Threepenny Opera) -- an opera that I have actually seen once before, several years ago, performed by prisoners in William Head Prison (near Victoria, BC). The Berliner Ensemble performance was considerably more abstract compared to that of the prison's theatre group. Lighting played an important role, while costumes and props were understated and were often seen in silhouette. The costumes, specifically, were mostly black, so that the pale hands and faces of the actors stood out in the blue-white spotlights. The silhouettes and some of the costumes seemed as if they belonged more in the early 19th century than the early 20th century. Out of place or not, I appreciated the accompanying associations and liked the way those associations influenced the atmosphere of the opera.

My favourite character was the chief of police, Tiger Brown. He is not, perhaps, the most admirable character, but his eccentricity, his friendship with Mac and his good intentions were endearing. The following are two photos from the "Programmheft" (programme?), which we bought at the theatre. In the second photo, Tiger Brown is in the front, to Mac's left.



The makeup, by the way, was barely noticeable from where we were sitting. I think that was for the best, because I probably would have found such heavy makeup distracting. The effect from a distance, on the other hand, was agreeable and harmonious.

On the whole, I enjoyed the opera very much. It was entertaining, often funny, and well thought-out. I'm glad that I decided to go despite being rather tired from the day's other events.

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Note: The above photos were edited using Adobe Photoshop.

Another Note: I've decided to begin using Photobucket for images other than my own photos, but it seems to me that Photobucket images take rather long to load, and the website is cumbersome. That said, who am I to complain about free services? :o> In any case, the present arrangement appears to be satisfactory (quibbles aside).