Whew! Easter Egg Hunt saturday; photographed over a hundred youngsters. Sunday a 6.5 hour session. Monday cancelled due to no contact with model. Tuesday moved to Thursday. Wednesday a quick session. Thursday a slightly longer, more planned set of work. Here's a shot from last night's session.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
I shot this
tonight at the end of a quick photosession. The model needed some photos for a specific purpose and I just played with a single light and headshots for a little while. In retrospect I wish I'd tossed on the other Neutral Density (ND) filter and opened the lens up a little more to maintain the darkness but lessen the Depth of Field (DoF). I also wish I'd thought to remove the watch before this shot. We took it off afterwards but I like this expression and the angles in this shot best.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
What matters. I can't argue the desire of someone I've never met to either choose to "die with dignity" or "fight for another day". Either presentation is a slanted one engineered to engender support and cast aspersions at its antithesis. I can't speak to why Michael Schiavo chooses to not simply divorce Terri Schiavo and let her parents work to sustain her life indefinitely with machines or whatever methodology might present itself until they've both died (whereupon the responsibility will presumably fall to her siblings and eventually the government). That's his choice. What I think I can speak to intelligently is that each state has custodial laws. Florida's laws allow for the closest living relation to make appropriate choices in the event that an individual becomes incapacitated and does not leave a living will. Fault Michael Schiavo for his choices is you want but don't fault the courts. The President's and Republican's manueverings to pass a law that would open up the proceedings to the Federal Courts system was a ploy to pander to their conservative constituents; being a conservative constituent I found it base and offensive. The one redeeming factor in this is that when the Federal judges had the case laid before them they adjudicated it not based on popular opinion nor on political pressure from the right but based on the merits of the case. They applied the same criteria to this case as to any other judgement or appeal. None of the federal judges said that the Schindlers (Terri Schiavo's parents) didn't have a case. They said that based on the case that the Schindlers laid forth they didn't have a winnable case. They didn't win based on the merit of the arguments that they chose. Terri Schiavo has been on a respirator for almost 15 years (at the time of this writing). There have been legal decisions for years that upheld the right of Terri Schiavo's closest, living relation to make decisions for her. To me its tragic that this person was struck with such an affliction that she has to live in this state. That's tragic. What isn't tragic is that her husband who took a vow and would have followed it to its conclusion years ago has been confounded by court case after court case, appeal after appeal and now even seen new legislation created solely to remove his right to choose for his spouse even when years of legal review have upheld his right. Now I'm not saying I would make the same decision he has; I just don't know how long I would stand by watching my wife not able to live without the aid of machines and knowing that in 15 years nothing . . . NOTHING has been developed that gives me a glimmer of hope that she would ever respond to me or anyone else who knows her and cares for her. Regardless of what I'd do in a hypothetical situation, Michael Schiavo is living in a real situation and every law that has been tested either in Florida courts or in Federal courts has upheld his right and responsibility to make decisions for his wife. I don't think any of the judges whose decisions I've read seem activistic; rather they seem to be making their decisions based on the same criteria that have been used for decades regarding life choices when an individual can't make choices for himself. These laws have been tested and appear to be well delineated.
Let me reiterate: this post isn't about supporting euthanasia nor "right to die." It is about recognizing that the fights that the family has fought and lost repeatedly over 15 years are centered on who has the right to make decisions for Terri Schiavo since she can't decide or declare her decisions for herself.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Here's another from the photoshoot on Sunday. I tried to create a sensual, dreamy effect. The lighting was done with sets of layered gels to create a yellow hue from the front light and a purple hue from the background light.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Wow. I worked on Easter Egg Hunt photos for at least half a day Saturday (none to show since they were of youngsters). Then I followed that up with a FULL afternoon of shooting on Sunday (1:30-8:00). We worked that session. I thought we got some good work so I posted several of them. As yet, I've gotten something like 3 comments. Oh well. Maybe they aren't to people's liking. The models seemed to like them and I know I enjoyed the shots from beginning to the final product. I've posted one here; you can click on it to be taken to the rest of the images from this session. Feel free to say what you like or don't like.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
I'm working with a young lady to build a portfolio for her. Here's a shot from last night's session.
Its taken several sessions to get many good images for her portfolio. I'm surprised at how many shots I still end up taking to get anything approaching outstanding work. We also tried to get a capture that I've been working on.
Lots of photography coming up: Easter Egg photos for kids with the Easter Bunny followed by modeling shoots on 3 consecutive days. I think I'll be so over photography by next Wednesday.
I did get another light today, though. Its an AlienBees B-400 and I'm using it for my fill light and have moved one of my B-800's to background/kicker status so that my accent lighting is evenly matched across the composition. This 4th light really has opened up another level of lighting.
I'm loathe to say much about work since apparently some people have gotten busted (though not where I work) for commenting on the careers in blogs. My work seems to be going outstandingly well right now. That's based on the exponential growth of responsibility and reliance placed upon me in a system that we're analyzing and designing. I'm LOVING this stage of the system. Query the users, interrogate their methods and map their work. Understand what they do so that I can help choose or develop something that enhances their workflow and makes their jobs more efficient and easier for them. Now this is great. Of course, as with just about anything that's good & good for you, its about triple the rest of my workload. Its very cerebral and I actually go home mentally tired but MAN is it enjoyable.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Just finished my first studio photoshoot with the Canon EOS 1Ds. Wow was it fun. I've printed an 8x10 and it looks outstanding. I'm ordering a print in 20x30 to see how it holds up. I can't believe how awesome this piece of equipment is.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
This is the Yamaha P-120S keyboard. It's amazingly like a piano and a church organ. We were both surprised at the quality of the sound that comes out of it. It has the real touch (tm I suppose) keys that have resistance. When you play it, it feels like a real piano.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Whew!
Yeah, so I think I need to go puke or something. I just sent a guy quite a bit of money. Why you ask. 'Cause I just purchased a used Canon EOS 1Ds.
Its a low numbered body but it only has 9800 shutter actuations. This body is rated to last for at least 150,000 actuations so I expect to use it far into the future. It'll be nice to have for some wedding and fashion work I have scheduled.
-SIGH-
I hope I'm as into this business thing as I think I am. I've been signing contracts and working on some paying deals lately. Now I have some interest in someone rep'ing my photos for fine art prints. This really seems to be going in the direction I want. Now I just have to live up to my end of the bargain and start taking money from people who benefit from my service and skill.
Thanks,
Kev
but have to keep going on.
I shot with 4 people this week, interviewed for one wedding, worked a regular week at my career (up until today when I took off), filed my taxes, spent hard-earned business money on equipment and delivered tons of images to people. WOW!!!
I got to shoot with some incredibly lovely young women but they all need their images to mail out immediately for a contest they're participating in. You've seen some of the images if you read the previous entry. Here's a shot of the young lady with whom I worked tonight. We started shooting around 8:30 and finished at 12:00! It was worth it (I think) and I look forward to working with her again. She had such a great personality and she (like the other girls before her) was a blast to work with.
NOTE: You can now click the link to see several more photos from this shoot.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
I don't support the "do what you want" theory in the extreme. I think you should live a principle-based life but that you should make some personally fulfilling choices in an organic way (where things don't always fit together with 90 degree angles and straight lines). You don't always have to have the answers and no one else needs agree with you.
For me, I get to photograph people who want to sit for me. Last night I photographed two young women who are trying to get into a calendar for a national chain. I've gotten negative comments about the choices I made as a photographer (none as a husband or father yet so you could always be the first if you want to take either of those tacks). As my wife said, "Are you satisfied with the work?" I have to answer Yeah. I like the shots.
In a mostly unrelated story, a guitarist for Korn (or would it be ex-guitarist) has had a religious/spiritual experience and decided to leave Korn news story. (thanks, Jim, for pointing out the correct info on this story)
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Work is going well lately. I found a solution that saved weeks of annoying messages popping up for end users. The last time the corporation upgraded users' software users had to make extra clicks every time they opened Word or Excel and those are two apps my business clients use everyday. I saved them that PITA. Good deal. To top that off, the application that I inherited from two other developers that has dragged on for months and months is finally going into Production in the next couple of weeks. Thank God!
The hobby is starting to pickup. I'm meeting people for wedding consultations and I'm getting pretty busy now that I have a studio where I can shoot high-quality images for people. Don't get me wrong, I like shooting outdoors and I enjoy the challenges that come with that but nothing helps my confidence like producing a relatively high number of keepers with even less frames shot. That is a direct function of being able to control all the lighting and background. I'm already wanting more furniture and a couple more lights, too. I shot today with a co-worker and I'm happy with what we produced. I have a couple of sessions this week after work and more next weekend. I'm starting to get booked a month or more in advance now. This is awesome. I just have to be satisfied with what I can offer and remember to save time for my wife and daughter.
Here's one of the photos from today. Click the image to be taken to the gallery where you can see all the images.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Got home Friday afternoon. Sat down in the floor to color with my daughter and we had less than 30 minutes together before she erupted like Vesuvius. She was on the carpet so I picked her up to reassure her that she was alright (she'd only thrown up once before I didn't know if she'd know what was going on). Yep, there came the next wave. Got me all over the front of my shirt. And before I knew it, there came the next round and it was all over my shoulder and down the back of my shirt. I handed her to her Mommy and she got to clean up the kid while Daddy stripped down to clean up the clothes and the floor. Fast forward 90 minutes and we're all back downstairs where she's held down small doses of Pedialyte. She gets up to run and -SMACK- there comes the next load. At least she didn't have as much to let loose with this time. She heads back upstairs to cleanup again and I took another go at the floor (thankfully this time almost all of it was on the kitchen floor).
Saturday I had to getup, get ready, setup the studio for an 11:00 AM shoot (photo to follow) and prepare for a mad dash to my evening shoot. Yep, I shot some portfolio work for a young lady from 11:00 'til about 2:30 and then left the house shortly after 3:00 to go to an event where I photographed (with my friend) the banquet attendees (hey, its contract work and it pays). I rolled into home about 12:30 am Sunday morning. Unload the van, setup the computer again and grab a bite to eat before heading to bed. Sunday I got up, got ready and rebuilt the studio that I had to tear down Saturday. I had a 1:00 pm shoot scheduled (photo to follow). The young lady called me just before the session and asked if it was OK to bring a friend. Sure, given that we'd already worked together before and I felt comfortable with her I didn't think it'd be a problem at all (see this shoot was for me; it wasn't for her portfolio or anything). They showed up and we shot for about 90 minutes or maybe a little longer and her friend had been making some comments about the shots and how she liked several of the poses and what we were getting. At one point I think she kidded the model about wearing spike heels (Yeah, I had her in 5" FMP's) and I joked with her saying that if she wasn't careful we'd get her in the shoot, too. She responded and seemed eager to join in. I figured what the heck, sounds good to me. We finished out the set with both of them and I'm very happy with the work we produced. I'm still not thrilled because I know there are girls & guys out there that shoot more polished, more provoking or more passionate work (and I want to reach that level where I can evoke emotion in my viewers - not disgust so much as appreciation or longing or excitement); I am, however, happy with the quality of work we produced given how long I've been at this and how my quality of work had improved.
Without further ado here are two photos, one from each session.
and
Thanks for reading,
Kev
I was talking to my wife at work when she got another call; we hung up; she called me back 10 minutes later just to say . . . I got busy and have to go. Hmmmmm. OK.
Since I've been doing a few paid jobs I've been waking up earlier and working more in the mornings but I still get to work late. I've taken to getting up at 5:00 in the mornings but by the time I get ready, get my daughter ready, deliver her to her grandmother's and edit wedding photos or print family portraits I'm still hauling butt to make work by 9:00. I've even been editing at night.
Invested in some fantastic portrait books by Amherst Media. One is on building a modeling portfolio for aspiring models. It includes some great material regarding how to shoot certain styles and how to help a model figure out both what she's "right" for and what she wants to do by putting her through some mental exercises where she picks out photos from magazines and describes things she wants from this type of career. The other book covers how to pose someone from the front cover to the back. It looks like it'll be a great resource.
There, finished in 5 minutes. Now you have an update.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
So I had the Monday night session to work on this weekend and I had already scheduled a photoshoot (see photo following). Then I got a phone call late Friday afternoon asking if I could and would shoot a wedding for a family. The groom-to-be just got his papers and he was shipping back over to Iraq for a 2nd tour. He had a couple of months but apparently he was going to be traveling and taking care of business so Saturday was to be the big day. I picked up a Quantum 2x2 battery pack and rolled to the church building. We shot from about 1:30-5:00. The family was wonderful. I have their proofs on schedule to be reviewed Friday.
Today was more relaxed since it was just a TFP agreement between the model and me. We didn't have to shoot any predetermined amount or time limit. We tried out several things and I got to really play with the lighting some. Here's one photo from that set.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
So I've gotten some paying business based on shooting portfolio work for models lately. I got some serious inquiries and some business for photographing groups and families, too. Now the business takes the next step towards being less unprofitable; I just signed a contract with a local hotel/banquet hall to photograph banquet attendees. I shot at this location once before for an organization's annual party and the photos turned out very good. If the next two events work out to the satisfaction of myself and the management at this hotel I suppose I can expect to obtain a long-term contract to work with them and they will offer my services on a consumption-based model to any type of attendees (businesses, conventions, reunions, etc) and also they will help me market to some wedding clients that use their services.
While this type of work isn't as profitable as it might at first seem, it is money for photography, it does get me working with people (something I enjoy) and its work that I can do and it doesn't persist after the event (since attendees will either pay for and pickup photos of themselves during the event or they can purchase them off the website afterwards).
Thanks for reading,
Kev
Talk about raining and pouring. I went from not shooting with anyone for a month or six weeks back in November to suddenly having 5 sets lined up over the next 3 weekends and another couple of people who want to schedule some time. A young model who had taken some time off is looking to get back to shooting a set with me. I got an order off a family portrait session that I need to fill and I have a request for bid for photographing families for a church directory. I'm getting more and more busy at work and spending more time with my wife and daughter. Whew! Who needs an umbrella? Let it rain.
Kev
A co-worker supplied this to me and I have no other attribution. Regardless, this is funny.
Subject: Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?
The following is supposedly an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry midterm. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues.
BONUS QUESTION: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Most students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.
One student, however, wrote the following:
First we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.
As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell.
With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.
This gives two possibilities:
My wife told me back at Christmas that she wants a piano. OK, says I. Why? My thinking is that I need to know whether she wants (A) a hulking piece of furniture that'll give me a hernia, collect dust and never be played or (B) something that can be hidden, is lightweight and can be taken anywhere so that there is no excuse not to play. She considers and wrestles with the idea; tells me that she doesn't want a keyboard and finally agrees to at least look at electronic keyboards. Fast forward to today and we drop by one of the local music stores (perhaps the only one), L & M Music. We take a peek at the Yamaha P120 and she decides that an electronic keyboard may not be all bad. It has Yamaha's "Graded Hammer" effect which cause the keys to respond to weight so that they both feel weighted like an accoustic piano's keys and they respond differently based on the amount of pressure you apply; hit it harder and you get a slightly different sound than if you press the key lightly. The quality of the sound produced is pretty impressive. It'll cost right at $1200 but she's excited about it and I figure its only money. It'll take me a couple of months to save up enough but we'll have it for her before too long, Lord willing.
On a separate but somewhat related note we worked around the house a little while our daughter napped this afternoon. My wife cleaned up some boxes and nicknacks from the bonus room over our garage and I put together a bookshelf for the library and cleaned up a little in there. Looks like I'll be moving my lighting/studio equipment to the room over the garage and moving the birds out (two cockatiels: Sam & Stan) and I'll be using that room for my studio. It's not really long enough but it'll do until I earn enough money and get busy enough to warrant renting/leasing a place. I have two sessions scheduled already and a third in the offing. One session is an artistic attempt by me to find some vision and capture something artistic so I'm paying the model. The other session is one where a young lady needs a portfolio started for her as she's doing some music and promotional work and needs headshots plus some different looks. We may shoot a CD cover for her either at the studio or later in the Spring; her cousin has worked with me before on environmental portraiture shoots.
The Steelers gave us all a scare tonight. I'm not a lifelong fan or anything but I'm pullin' for them this year. I hope they steamroll everyone else (sorry Payton) and crush their opposition in the SuperBowl.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
I mentioned some studies that I'm engaging in. These are more personal and artistically expressive so I've been reluctant to share my efforts at these very much. I should receive my neutral density filter (which lowers the amount of light that comes into the camera; thus allowing me to take advantage of the faster glass I've purchased) and tonight my wife has agreed to sit for me while I shoot some lighting studies. That type of study has more to do with technical expertise rather than artistic interpretation of things so I'll share those photos online more readily. Hopefully I'll be able to get a subject in my makeshift studio at home or perhaps a location that I can share with a co-worker and shoot more lighting tests.
Oh well, without much more ado here is my first public shot on women's leg/foot fashions. I figured I'd go for something a little more innocuous than nudes as its just easier to explain around the Sunday lunch table with the family and so many women may find these more palatable than nudes.
If you click the photo and follow the link there is a color version as well; just click the Next link in the upper right corner.
Thanks for reading,
Kev
