Random Friday Stuff

After having a look at my blog and seeing the ads that are automatically placed by Google, I realize that I need to post something different!  There are a ton of Christmas Ads!  OK, I'll try to ramble on about photography.  Maybe if I mention photography enough times, my ads will bring up photography related sites.  Again, support the sponsors, support for them means support for me, just keep in mind, The ads are generated automatically and I may or my not actually support what is being advertised here (if that makes any sense).

Today is the last day for 15% off Mpix orders.  It was a 2 or 3 day promo because they were having system problems early in the week.

I read an interesting article online today.  Check out the links Here , and Here to see details.  Apparently, someone purchased glass negatives at a garage sale for $45 that may be from Ansel Adams and worth millions of dollars.

Scott Bourne has a great article up on his blog today called "Five Things You Can Do Right Now To Grow Your Photography Business".  Have a look, it seems pretty basic, but but some stuff you may not have thought about.  Scott always has a ton of great advice.  I suggest following his blog at PhotoFocus.


I think that should just about do it.  Photography was mentioned a few time, and even a couple of Photographers and a Photography blog.  There was even a Photo Printing Service mentioned.  Lets hope the Google ad gods will be kind and reward us with Photography related ads.


Please visit the sponsors!

Hi, my name is Kevin, and I'm a twitterholic.

This is getting out of control.  I turn on the computer to check on the days tweets on twitter from the people or companies I am following.  The next thing I know, hours have passed.  I call it a "Twitter Blackout".  I just start clicking on these links and reading information on new camera gear, or a photography blog, or tutorials, or whatever.  Once I reach the top of the twitter list, I refresh my browser and there a bunch more new tweets.  This site should come with a warning.  "Caution, tweet viewing may cause loss of  time".  Why does everything have a video!  I can't stop watching!  There must be a support group... I think I'll look for one on twitter!

Thank goodness I have to work for a living or I would never stop.  Please feel free to share this on twitter (button on the right side) or follow me on twitter, here.

The 10 minute photo shoot I did as a favor yesterday, turned into a paying job today.  Granted is was just a small gesture, but it felt good to actually be paid for doing something I really love to do.  She said the photos came out great and was happy with the result.  At first, I refused the money but it was one of those:
Her: "here you go."
Me: "Oh, no please, it was nothing." 
Her: "Just take it!"
Me: "OK"

You know, I'm not going to turn it down but I don't want it to look like is a big deal either.  So, again, today was a pretty good day.  On top of that, the man in brown delivered a B&H Gift Card to me today.  The gift that keeps on giving!

Well, that about wraps's up my blogging for the day.  I'm off to read some of the other Blogs I follow (see list on the right).  If you're into photography, check some of them out.  There's a lot of great stuff in these blogs (well, the ones listed on the right hand side of this one at least).

Medical Photo Shoot

Well, it wasn't much of a photo shoot.  It took all of 10 minutes.  I'm not sure what the test was but the liquid started out clear and it turned red on the index card.  If you are completely lost at this point, see yesterday's post.

That's all it was.  A few drops of the mystery substance on the card, swirl it around for 3 minutes, little flecks appear.  I know, exciting right?  I used my 180mm Macro with a 2x teleconverter and a 12mm extender.  All that jazz let me get really close so I could get all the little flecks.  The circle is only about 1 inch around.  A little photoshop to add the blown up detail.  If this really excites you, feel free to order a print at my gallery site.

I told the people in the lab that I could take photos for them through their microscopes after I saw them and realized that my t-adapter is the right size.  Some comment was made that I would probably want to charge a fortune (jokingly... I hope) and I went on my merry way.  That one event actually made it a pretty good day at work today.  I guess you never know when an opportunity will knock.

You take pictures, right?

There I was as work today thinking "Well, it's Monday... only 5 day until the weekend".  You see, the daily grind is starting to take its toll on me.  I've been on the same project for a year now.  That's a pretty long stretch for me.  I's usually a couple of weeks (or days) here or there, then off to the next job.  It kinda keeps things fresh and different.  It's the same type of work, put at least the scenery and faces change.  With that being said, A year looking at the same place and same faces, day in and day out kinda wears on me.  I need something different!

The day started out like just another work day.  Work, work, work, gripe about whatever, work, work, work, joke about something, and so on.  In the middle of the morning, a lady from the lab comes in is looking for me.  "Oh great, what did I do now?  Did I turn the power off to something I wasn't supposed to?"  She walks over to me with a stack of papers in her arms.  "You take pictures, right?  Didn't I hear you say something about your camera?" she asked me.  I told her that I did and then she pulls out this index card with six circles on it.  It's blank, with come company name on it and six circles.  "We need someone who can take a photo of this."  In the back of my mind, I'm thinking, "OK, what's wrong with a photocopy?  Stick it in the copier and and press start."  She then goes on to say "This is a (whatever, technical mumbo jumbo) test, and when it tests positive it (insert more mumbo jumbo here).  It looks like little flecks of pepper."  OK, that much I understood.  "Do you think you could do that?"  she asked.  "Sure, I'll give it a try"

The weather is holding... for now

When I woke up this morning, I was expecting it to be another nasty, rainy weekend, ruining any possibilities for photographing scenery. To my surprise, it wasn't half bad out today! When I started out this morning, the sky was changing from patchy clouds to a solid grey sky. Could the weatherman be right? Is it going to rain all weekend? Fortunately, not. The clouds started to break and the sun came streaming in. While I was out on a trail, I spotted a white tail sprinting through the woods in the distance. I swapped out my lens to my big boy (which is actually not a very long lens) but, Bambi was gone.

First Blog Post Ever (well, mine anyway)

This is it. My first venture into the world of blogging. This is spectacular, amazing, a modern miracle... wait, who am I kidding? I'm just another guy on the web publishing my ramblings about my little world.

Basically, I'm just a guy trying to show off his work as a photographer. I hope to someday be semi-famous or at least fairly financially rewarded for my work. I'm really just starting out in photography with only about 2 or 3 years behind a camera. I primarily shoot landscapes and nature because it's something else I enjoy. Lately, I've just been like a sponge when it comes to photography. I'm always reading up on the topic, searching the web for new ideas, other photographers, equipment, or pretty much anything related to photography.