every so often I think about how important it is to recognize that some stories work the best in certain mediums and that movies are not the end all be all ideal form of media that we should all hope to be elevated to. sometimes movie adaptations are good but sometimes they’re a disservice to the story. some stories are made to be experienced in the form of a video game and the same effect would not be had if the same story were to be adapted into a movie. sometimes an analog horror series is the perfect way of telling your story and it would lose what made it special if it were made into a movie. sometimes a story is meant to be a comic book and it wouldn’t be as fun if it was a movie instead of something you could read. please please please please please recognize that comics and youtube series and video games are just as good as movies and turning them into movies has the potential of ruining the impact of the story that’s trying to be told.
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Young men today being SHOCKED and APPALLED that the girls they're dating are reading dark romance like the closet in my grandma's spare room wasn't totally chockers with Mills and Boon books when I was a kid. "Our generation is RUINED because the young women are reading NASTY PORN" if you saw the shit 50 year old women were reading in the nineties you'd hurl.
He didn't steal 10 million dollars. They made that number up as a loss, they never fucking had it. Rockstar has spent more than a billion fucking dollars on GTA VI and will likely make billions more when it gets released.
Uber is a fucking shell game of a company designed to leech investor capital and output bootleg cabs.
Nvidia posted a profit in 2023 of $4.37 billion. This is like someone stealing less than a penny from me.
And they lock this kid in a prison hospital for LIFE?
What with GTA VI going up for pre-order i'd just like to remind everyone that rockstar conspired with the UK government to lock an 18-year-old away for life for hacking them.
if you are a child or teen on this platform you may get valuable information from heeding these words:
avoid the big fish in this pond. do not seek to become one. avoid the fandom aunts, the "big name fans", the One Discord Server.
consider that how someone treats the people they despise and whether you're brave enough to disagree with them, should they turn that conduct on you. and if it requires a significant amount of bravery to think about telling them they've been a bastard, you may want to reconsider being in that relationship.
there will be people on here who will suicide bait you for being happy. they are very sad people and it is not your job nor your responsibility to engage with them. it's up to them to decide to do differently.
try to decouple your sense of self-worth from metrics. the number can never go up enough. i have a project that's >90% positive feedback and over 200,000 downloads and that does nothing for me on my day to day. it's nice if other people like the thing, but it's worth examining why you're creating and sharing in the first place and figuring out what you actually want.
do not treat the dsm like a holy text that must never be questioned
do not go in on sexual or gender identity based taxonomics
do not be cruel to people you deem lesser than you
remember that you can practice and improve pretty much any skill, and there's no such thing as unskilled labour
you'll get the urge as an artist or a writer to say out loud the things you're worried about "the proportions are off" "kind of out of character" "i'm not good at summaries" "didn't get as much detail as i wanted" "i made a mistake and here's how" and that's the self-conscious part of your brain telling you "it's bad and if you don't tell them you know it's bad then they'll think you're stupid" but you've got to ignore that little voice and pretend you think it's good or else that little voice is going to ruin your life
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Understanding perspective and magnification really helped me become a more intuitive photographer. But all of the tutorials and online classes I've taken have done such a poor job explaining it. Photography education will often give you a rule and then tell you the effect. But there is no explanation why the rule has that effect.
If you move too close, the face distorts.
This was taken with an ultra wide angle lens. It was almost touching my nose. It's implied that this goofy level of distortion is caused by a wide angle lens. You'll even hear it said "wide angle lenses distort things."
Why? What is the lens doing?
It is said that a telephoto lens compresses facial features.
Why? What is the lens doing?
In both cases, these effects are not some optical quirk caused by the type of lens. The lens isn't distorting the image. The lens isn't compressing the image.
The effects are changes in perspective and magnification.
Here is a quick breakdown that may help.
Perspective only changes with distance.
Magnification is any time you make something larger in frame.
Magnification can be achieved by physically moving closer, zooming, or cropping.
So if you move the perspective closer, you also magnify.
But you can magnify a perspective without changing distance by reducing the field of view via zoomier lenses or cropping.
Put simply... if you move, that's perspective.
If something gets bigger in the frame, that's magnification.
Perspective changes our perception of distance and geometry.
In this example, I move closer and farther to some basic shapes to show how they distort.
A close perspective exaggerates distance and shapes. Near things look bigger, far things look smaller. But if you take a far perspective and magnify to equal size in frame, distances and geometry remain more stable and less distorted.
If you've ever taken any art classes, you may have learned about the vanishing point where all angles converge off into the distance.
Buildings are not the only thing that has a vanishing point. They just have simple geometry, which helps you observe the effect.
This close perspective of a dog is no different from the buildings.
Something without perspective is called an orthographic projection. This is where all angles are parallel forever—with no vanishing point.
As you move farther away, a perspective projection appears to be almost orthographic. And if you magnify that far perspective, it looks similar to an orthographic cube.
But the far perspective still has a vanishing point, it just takes much longer to converge.
This video game allows you to play with perspective or orthographic projections.
The near cubes look very different. But the far cubes have similar geometry.
Why does a close perspective look distorted? Why does a far perspective look nearly orthographic?
This all has to do with the relative distances from the point of view of the observer. Let's move on to the real world to help explain this.
Perspective distortion is caused when the lens is very close to a subject. Only wide angle lenses have the field of view and the close focusing distance to get close enough to create severe perspective distortion.
Despite erroneous claims of eyeballs being like 50mm lenses, humans actually have a decently wide field of view. If you hold the end of a long cylinder close to your eye, you will see the same geometric distortion and dramatic vanishing point. When people are accused of misjudging the size of... cylinders, it's possible they just had a very close perspective that exaggerated geometry.
Perspective can alter our perception of size.
So the lens gives you the ability to *see* the distortion, but it doesn't *cause* the distortion.
Image 1 is taken a few inches from the subject with an ultra wide angle lens. It is magnified by moving closer.
Image 4 is taken from much farther away. It is magnified by using a telephoto lens.
Why does his left ear disappear in image 1?
It's a simple case of obstruction. The cheek is literally in the way at that near perspective.
If I stand very close to this wall, I cannot see the walkway to the right.
The walkway is physically obstructed at this close perspective. I can't see around corners.
But if I change my perspective…
Light needs a clear pathway to the point of observation.
Why does his ear seem to grow larger and larger as the perspective changes?
If you'll excuse my bad drawring...
In the top example, the lens is only 2 units away from the nose, but it is 6 units away from the ear.
The ear is 200% farther away than the nose.
In the bottom example, the lens is now 30 units away from the nose and 34 units away from the ear.
The ear is now only 14% farther away than the nose. The relative distance is less exaggerated.
Distant ear percentages are hard to visualize. What if I moved only my nose 200% closer?
If we upscale this concept, it can be easier to understand.
(My examples are going to be shitty smartphone photos taken at night with my trash bins. I'm hoping you will forgive that. If I had more energy, I would have taken better photos with more appealing subjects.)
These two trash bins are only a few feet apart. The black trash bin represents the ear. The blue trash bin represents the nose.
If I take a photo from a foot away...
From this perspective, the black bin is roughly 80% smaller than the blue bin. The blue bin is very close to the lens. The far bin is several hundred percent farther away from the lens. So it takes up a very small percentage of the frame.
So, big nose, tiny ears.
What if we magnified this perspective?
Note the little box on the house far in the background.
If we crop the image and thus magnify the same perspective...
That little box looks much bigger. But this "telephoto" field of view does not allow us to see both trash bins. The perspective hasn't changed, just the magnification.
I am making something small in the background much bigger. The distant perspective makes the object more orthographic. And when I magnify that perspective, it appears more compressed, more flat.
This is a digital crop of a wide field of view. A telephoto lens is essentially an optical crop. It magnifies the perspective in the same way. The advantage of an optical crop is that it maintains all the detail. Whereas a digital crop throws away a bunch of pixels.
A magnification of perspective is often referred to as "lens compression." This is an inaccurate legacy term that causes much confusion. It would be more accurate to call it "perspective compression," but it is very hard to change terminology in photography education.
The lens is not compressing the object. I used a very wide lens and just by cropping after the fact, I was able to get the same perspective compression as if I had used a telephoto lens. The wide field of view makes far away stuff very tiny in frame. So we struggle to notice the flatness. It isn't until we magnify the distant object that the "compression" becomes more apparent.
What if I wanted to make the nose and the ears about the same size?
I'd need to change my perspective.
Now both trash cans take up roughly the same amount of space in the frame. They are still the same distance from each other. But from this perspective, they are both about the same distance away from the lens.
And now, let's magnify this perspective.
When you magnify a perspective, you magnify everything in the photo. The house behind is bigger. The light in the far background is bigger. Everything looks more orthographic. More two dimensional. And so it has that "compressed" perspective.
And because the perspective is from farther away, the percentage distance from the lens is much smaller. The black trash bin went from being 200% farther from the lens to 10% farther from the lens. The distance and geometry become less exaggerated.
Now let's line up all of the trash bins from both near and far perspectives and magnify them the same amount.
Look at that cute little guy.
How can we use this knowledge in a practical way?
By changing your mental model to perspective rather than the focal length of the lens, you can take control of how much perspective distortion you allow in your photos.
Let's use the humble selfie as our example.
Smartphones typically have a main camera with a wider field of view. And when you fill the frame with a face, you may get some unflattering perspective distortion.
I know that this distortion is not caused by the lens. It is caused by the camera being really close to my face.
So if I hold the camera farther away and change nothing else...
My face looks less distorted. However, it is taking up a much smaller area of the frame. But since modern smartphones have pretty good detail, I can just crop. I can magnify this farther perspective.
And when you compare the exact same framing from the near and far perspective...
The only variable I changed was extending my arm. It's the same wide angle lens.
You'll notice that the farther perspective made my head look bigger. I have a big head, that's fine. But this demonstrates another common photography fallacy. It is often said that 85mm lenses are the best for headshots and portraits. The idea is that compressing facial features is more flattering. But if someone has a big noggin, a telephoto lens may actually exaggerate their cranial prowess.
For people with larger or rounder heads, you may need to test different perspectives—different distances—to find a balance between compressing facial features and not exaggerating their head. 50mm might be more flattering for them.
I think photos of myself with a magnified distant perspective overwhelm people with the size of my dome and the luxuriousness of my mane.
At 85mm, the camera has to be farther away and it gives that imposing orthographic effect.
But at 50mm, I think my head feels a bit less... Megamind.
If you have a small or slender face, you may look best at 100mm or 200mm—because longer lenses force the camera to be farther away.
You can test what perspective works best for your head shape and facial features. But try not to think of it in millimeters. Think about how far away the camera is. This works even with a smartphone. You just place the camera at different distances, crop all the photos so your head has the same framing, and figure out which distance flatters you the most.
And then if a photographer is taking your picture and they seem too close or too far away, you can nudge them to the appropriate distance. And that distance will dictate what lens they need.
I hope this perspective of perspective gave you perspective on how to think about perspective.
My health has not been great and so I was working on this post since October. But it feels good to finally have it published. Hopefully you don't mind if I shove it back into the timeline to give it another chance with the algorithmic gods.
Some additional perspectives on perspective...
Perspective is not just a technical decision. It can be used artistically as well.
A close perspective gives the viewer a sense of intimacy. As if they are occupying the same space as the subject.
The lens has a wide field of view, but the photo is taken quite close and your perception feels that subconsciously due to the geometric cues.
What I call "common perspective" is based on the distance we are most comfortable when interacting with other humans.
When people say a 50mm lens is closest to the human eye, they are actually talking about this socially accepted distance. Our eyes have a wider field of view—so it isn't that our eyes match a 50mm, but rather the perspective the lens must use to fill the frame with a person's face matches our common comfortable perspective.
For headshots, photographers will typically move a little farther back than the common perspective and then use a slightly telephoto lens to magnify it. This still gives an intimate feel while flattening facial features and flattering proportions.
As I mentioned, it is important to consider head size and shape when using this farther portrait perspective. For big heads it can help to move closer and zoom out a bit. For slender faces you may want to move farther back and zoom in.
A far perspective with a wide field of view gives a sense of the environment. The space the subject occupies becomes a secondary character in the composition.
A distant perspective that is magnified can create an "observer" effect. As if the subject is being viewed from afar. This is great when you want to give the composition a feeling of isolation.
This is also why super telephoto paparazzi pictures can sometimes feel extra unsettling or invasive.
You can use perspective distortion to play with exaggerated size and geometry. A close perspective with a wide field of view can create some really fun and creative compositions.
And another cool perspective effect is to shoot from a low angle. This is often how "power poses" are photographed. You angle the camera slightly upward from below the subject's eyeline and it gives a sense that they are towering over you.
This can be subtle...
Or exaggerated...
In summary...
Close perspective is intimate.
Common perspective is comfortable.
Portrait perspective is flattering.
Far perspective with wide field of view is environmental.
Far perspective magnified is isolating.
Ultra distorted perspective can be fun and creative.
Low perspective can give a sense of power.
i got inspired by antique furniture -> decided to try and make a wooden doll.
she is whittled entirely out of balsa wood with a craft knife, and colored with wood dye. the cabinet has miniature hinges made of tube beads and a metal rod, and closes with a magnet. she absolutely should hold a sentimental & important object, but i don't have any that are the correct size, so i just put in some cute trinkets.
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i swear it used to refer to a story using a very formal, almost workplace safety-type tone of dialogue that's unintentionally jarring in context and feels like the writer is trying to make extra sure the characters come off as healthy and nice to the story's detriment, now it seems to frequently refer to characters having any conversation about their feelings at all or even stories that are about therapy/are deliberately evoking that sort of verbage throughout as a stylistic choice. very odd.
Out of curiosity, how do you go about creating a story?
Do you start with characters, dynamics, personalities? Do you start with the plot itself? With the world and its logic? Do you hop from here to there and add little pieces to all corners at once? Or is it a "Oh I've got a story" moment where it all pours out at once without thinking?
Extra question: How do you decide which hints and clues for plot, world building, and secrets to release when?
Very curious :D (If this has been answered before, sorry!)
Hello!!
non-anon asks feel so rare, it's a pleasant surprise to get one every time. And no worries, if it's been asked before I don't mind (I also can't remember if it has been. Maybe it has, but who knows. the depths of my ask tag probably knows, but that's not the point lol)
It's kind of a mix of things! it also depends on what I'm working on, exactly. Back when doing short stories and board pitches, since the characters were often already "provided", it was a task of thinking of what interesting situations would be best fit to compliment, or contrast, that character and their intended journey.
with something like Soli (and past, much older original characters and stories that are long now retired), it's born from building the characters out first, and as they're discovered, playing the game of what their story needs to say and how to say it.
Soli's story is built around the central protagonists this way in which all of them have a connecting theme and how they play together through interpersonal developments. With Maia largely at the helm right now, it requires navigating a character who is an anxious mess, socially awkward (if not inept--not out of malice, but out of deeper machinations that lead her down an uneasy road).
Knowing that basic setup with her lets me know how she approaches the path before her, how she behaves when alone, how she behaves when masking, and how she behaves when trying to do what she thinks others want of her.... and, ultimately, it lets me know how this creates obstacles that will lead to her character growth. What those obstacles are coexist in line with the world she lives in, the characters she compliments and contrasts, her own weaknesses and wants.
a tl;dr boils down to everything a character Is and Isn't informs their story and their world.
This same thing applies to Elias, who sits as an equally important protagonist alongside Maia, but is a lot trickier to delve into due to... well, reasons. lol reasons that will unfold as chapter 3 comes to an end, but yes.
Some characters will defy you, though, and act all of their own accord. Soli has one character in particular who absolutely refused their role and, as such, the story did evolve and change around them. Sometimes things just click into place like that. The mantra of storytelling is often "And, because of that" instead of "And then", which means that every action and every reaction leads into another, building and coiling back. That's how characters that defy you and build their own path, but it's still entertaining when they do.
As for how I pepper in hints and clues... I'm a huge fan of subtle hints (some that are so subtle you can blink and miss them) and peppering in mystery, dangling a much more obvious plot thread or a distracting moment with characters who are too engrossed in their own moments to notice something stewing in the background. With developing moments like that, it feels like it's something more of a game. Sly little hints that might seem uneasy or out of place can be a lot of fun to play with. Peppering those in carefully can lead to a really fun payoff later when something that might have even felt like a plot hole comes blaring back into the forefront.
So, I guess the easier answer to that is that you kind of feel like a giddy little child that has a secret but knows better than to say it outright. You beat around the bush a little, drop little hints to amuse yourself, but it's ultimately in the service of setting up that moment when you can blurt it all out--building to the payoff is fun both for you, as a storyteller, but as well for anyone who's paying attention enough to pick up on the background clues.
For little "ma" moments, like the current scene in Soli, it can also be a way to have those quiet downtime moments while also needling in something to hit hard later.
If you're writing anything involving cons, scams, heists, or morally questionable characters who are very good at lying, here are some free resources I've been using for research. Saving you the "why is this in my search history" anxiety.
1. The FBI's Famous Cases & Criminals archive (fbi.gov/history/famous-cases) has detailed breakdowns of real fraud cases, Ponzi schemes, and confidence operations. The language they use is clinical and precise, which is perfect for getting the procedural details right.
2. The FTC Consumer Sentinel Network publishes annual reports on the most common fraud tactics in the US. Great for understanding how modern scams actually work and what makes people fall for them.
3. The Smithsonian's American Art Museum has a free digital collection of forgery case studies. If your character forges documents or art, this is gold.
4. Court Listener (courtlistener.com) is a free legal database where you can read actual court transcripts from fraud trials. Want to know how a real con artist talks under oath? This is where you find out.
5. The Internet Archive's collection of old newspaper crime sections. Search for "confidence man" or "swindle" in papers from the 1920s through 1960s and you'll find incredible real stories that would feel too dramatic for fiction.
Bonus: The Psychology of Fraud section on the Association for Psychological Science website has accessible articles about why people trust, how deception works cognitively, and what makes someone a convincing liar. Essential reading if you want your con artist characters to feel psychologically real.
Reblog to save for later. Your WIP will thank you.
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A simple thing with big impact you can do is continuing to mask in public spaces.
Help reduce the spread of airborne pathogens and keep each other safe!
Covid was AND STILL IS a mass disabling event.
Causing cardiac and cognitive function decline. And it IS STILL circulating. People are still dying. The vax reduces severity of infection but cannot prevent Long Covid!!
There are still disabled and vulnerable people who are essentially forced to stay in their homes since masking was dropped. Who cannot safely shop for food, or access doctors appts bc of the lack of masking, and deserve to be a part of society.
