photography

dSLR vs. Point-and-Shoot

So, you’re considering buying a camera. If you’re like my friend Tiffany and her sister Sara, you’re not trying to be a professional or anything, but you’ve got a family or an active group of friends and you’d like to be able to take good photographs to remember the things you’ve done by. So, you’re not sure if you should buy a cheap DSLR or a top-notch point-and-shoot.

Here are a few things to consider as you make the decision.

Having a NON-interchangeable lens means you have less to worry about dust, about losing parts, and about being ready for the moment. This is a good thing.

And a huge downside to the DSLR (and there fore, a plus to the point-and-shoot) is that they are bigger and heavier. Do not underestimate this. The bigger and heavier a camera is the less likely you are to bring it. And the camera you bring is the camera you use. And any photo is better than no photo at all.

However, unless you’re paying THOUSANDS for your non-SLR camera (which you can do and get the best of both worlds in some ways) then you’re also getting a much smaller sensor. This equates to more noise, less quality, and a greater difficulty in those cool tricks like making the background out of focus, capturing fireworks, and working in really low light.

For, kids, especially young kids, nothing beats the speed of a DSLR. The point and shoots get close… really close… but they are not quite there. For macro photography and photos of flowers, the point-and-shoots have an edge due to the mechanics of the small lenses and small sensors.

In reality, I have one of each (and two more for good measure and I’m not even kidding). Based purely on the average person, I’d have to say the top-notch point and shoot may be the best option. One of the Panasonic travel zooms (like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5/TZ8), or the beautiful new Canon G11 (or even the Canon S50 if you swing that way). These cameras are all smart, and fun, and fast, and take beautiful photos and all cost the same if not less than a DSLR would.

But, if you want that extra oomph in quality and speed, and really don’t mind the extra weight and size, go for a bottom of the line DSLR. I shoot Nikon, but, truly, Canon is just as good. As long as you have something in the 30-50mm range for a lens, the kids photography will be covered. If you travel or hike a lot you might want 18-200mm range.

There are a few tasks that one camera style is more suited to than another. If you want to mess with studio lighting and dedicated flashes go for the DSLR (and shell out the moolah for the lights). If you want to shoot sporting events, go for the DSLR (and shell out the cash for a big, long lens). If you want to do long, artsy, night time photos, go for the DSLR (and throw down some dough for a wider aperture). If you’re into macro photography, go for the point and shoot. It really is the cheapest easiest way to get that job done. If you want to take the camera to the beach, underwater, or on hiking trips in questionable weather, go for the point-and-shoot since the waterproof housings are cheaper.

efficiency vs multi-tasking (or, the decline of a photographer)

Apr 16th, 2010

by Jim Reverend.

2 comments

My Photography has suffered lately. I’m not complaining really. I’m just taking stock, stating facts, and reorganizing as I so often do to make room in life for, well, life.

“Pretend you live for a living.”

–Buddy Wakefield

Flickr’s Navel Gazing Society (otherwise known as Explore) is certainly no measure of greatness. Neither that of a photograph, nor that of the life of a photographer. But accepting it as an indicator I present the following:

I had 46 photos hit explore from 4/5/2005 until 11/23/2007. That’s 18 per year.

My daughter was born in 12/2007.

I had 14 photos hit explore from 11/23/2207 until 12/13/2008. That’s 13 per year. A pretty steep drop from before, but still one a month. A baby does that to you and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

My wife left in 01/2009. After a few months of depression I was left refreshed, ready to take on the world, and with a young child under my care for roughly 75% of my previously “free” time.

I had 0 photos hit explore from 12/13/2008 until now. That’s 0 per year.

Again, I’m not complaining. I’m just trying to work it out in my head.

You see, the thing is, I’m very efficient, yet terrible at multi-tasking. Let me do one thing at a time and I’ll do it quickly and very well. Make me do two things at once and I’ll more than likely fail at both of them. Caring for a child takes at least some portion of my attention almost all of the time.

I don’t have time to take the photos I used to. It’s not that I don’t have time to hold a camera point it at things and release the shutter. Many would argue that a child makes a beautiful interesting photographic subject. And, despite always carrying far too many things, keeping a camera (or three) on me at all times is something I’m quite good at. I take plenty of photos. But photography is about more than just pressing a button. It’s about seeking out the light. It’s about waiting for the perfect moment. Looking for light and waiting for a photo are two things incredibly hard to do with a young child. They don’t like to sit still. And, doing so while watching a child is multi-tasking. So, I’m terrible at it.

I also don’t have time to edit. Editing photos is a two part process. First, we throw away the junk. Then, we make the good stuff look better. This takes time. Lots of it. Sitting in front of a computer isn’t something a young child enjoys, unless they enjoy it so much that they want to help, at which point, you’re not getting the job done at all. The good news is, I can do this when she’s asleep. The bad news is, that’s the only time I have to do lots of other things as well.

Finally, I don’t have time to promote. I used to spend a lot of time viewing photos, commenting on photos, discussing photos, and sharing photos. I have all but stopped doing any of these things.

So, now to the important part. How can I get back some of what I had without losing the wonderful things I have now? Because I can’t multi-task, I have to find ways to make what I do more efficient and to find ways to allow me to juggle tasks better.

Of course, just because you’re not me or not in this same situation doesn’t mean that these tips won’t make you more efficient too.

1) Take fewer photos

With film, releasing the shutter on your camera was a commitment to spending both time and money in order to actually see the image. Photographers acknowledged this and very few were willing to release the shutter until they were sure they had it right. When digital came along the mentality shifted: it’s just digital. Click away! Sort them out later!

In theory, if you’re looking for a certain shot taking as many as possible helps ensure you get the right one. In practice, if one of them is terrible, the rest probably will be too. Multiple shots approaching with different ideas and at multiple angles is one thing and certainly a good idea. But taking photographs just in case they might be good amounts to nothing but waste.

By spending more time looking and less time clicking, I might be more likely to anticipate a shot. And having fewer photos will drastically reduce the amount of time I spend in Phase 1 of editing, and somewhat reduce the time I spend in Phase 2.

2) Bring a Photo Friend

Bringing along a photographically inclined friend, particularly one with similar distractions (i.e. children, in my case) leaves us both with the ability to explore an idea more closely. As something strikes me as worthy of further examination, being able to trust my child in the other person’s hands as I explore an idea more fully will let me free my mind completely for the task. And my friend gets the same benefit. Additionally, as children often become the subjects of photographs, it allows one of us to photograph while the other helps adjust and collect the children.

3) Involve the Children

This is only a small break, but every little bit counts. But sending the children seeking for the elements you’re looking for in your photo, their minds focus a bit more and it makes them easier to monitor. Kids are great at looking for shadows, sticks, flowers, trees, letters, numbers, and things like this. Just don’t ask them to look for soft lighting on the side of a fire hydrant with minimal background distraction. Or, at least wait until they are 12 or so.

Involving them in the 1st phase of editing (and parts of the 2nd phase as well) is also a good idea. You’ll need software that allows you to rate photos quickly and with at least 3 or 4 different levels of rating (junk, keep for fun/memories, good, awesome). With this in place, children love to look at photos from an adventure they just took. Especially if there are photos of people and things they recognize. Making a habit out of unloading a photo card in the same way we unload our backpacks after an adventure will bring a child to anticipate doing so.

4) Involve Friends for Promotion

Nothing makes me want to photograph MORE than knowing that my work is enjoyed and appreciated. Promotion allows this to be fully realized. Friends can be a fantastic resource for promotion. Between Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Buzz, Blogs, and Email your friends can quickly and easily help get the word out about how wonderful a certain photos of yours is. Take the time to share with your friends and ask them to do the promotion for you.

And, if you are the friend of a photographer *cough, ahem, ME!*, share their work. Expose their art. Most social media outlets have icons you can drag to your browser toolbar to make sharing as simple as clicking a button. Here are some for Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, and Tumblr.

I hope this helps you with your photography. Do you have any other ideas to share that can help get better photos with a partially distracted mind?

five words

Jul 28th, 2009

by Jim Reverend.

5 comments

(Morgan supplied me with five words that reminded her of me to write about. Let me know if you’d like me to give you five words. )

Reverend
I include the word “Reverend” in my online Persona (which is really just regular ole me with a bit more courage). Many people have mistaken this to mean that I am a Reverend of a Church. While I am, in fact, a Reverend of a Church, it isn’t the Church that comes to their mind and that’s not what this word signifies for me.

Reverend is defined as “worthy of adoration or reverence”, and reverence, basically, means respect. It’s my not so subtle way of indicating that what I have to say is important and that my words and I should be respected. I don’t mean this in an elitist way. I believe everyone to be worthy of reverence when they take an honest chunk of themselves and cast it out there for all to see, no matter the nature of that work, the medium it’s presented in, or the meaningful nature of it to a particular recipient.

Chaotic
It’s interesting to me that this word was even selected. Chaos is the natural state of everything and, simultaneously, the enemy to all that we’ve built and organized. To be Chaotic is to be pure and raw and elemental; to allow ourselves to attain the most natural state we can imagine. Yet, at the same time, it is destructive. And destruction can be good, necessary even. But at some point, destruction is wasteful and, eventually, irreparable.

Photo
Photographs are a moment in time. A slice of reality with a frame drawn around it and everything else erased. If you compare a photographer to a painter there are equivalents. A painter applies paint, a photographer, however, captures light. A painter applies it to a canvas, while a photographer captures his on some film or a digital sensor. But the tool the painter relies on most is his brush. For a photographer, this tool is four edges. That’s right. The very box that bounds the photo is what changes photography from a technical trade into an art form.

History
History is really the only thing that separates us from monkeys. History allows us to learn, not only from our own mistakes and successes, but from the mistakes and successes of those before us. If someone hadn’t collected and shared the concept of Algebra, for instance, we’d be limited to what one man could figure out in a single lifetime. History brings each of us an opportunity for eternity. And in that same way, the destruction of history is the destruction of that life.

I rarely build something that I don’t intend to keep some aspect of. Even the failed relationships of my past have left me with puddles of goodness. So good, in fact, that many of those relationships have been rebuilt into something even better than they were before.

Fatherhood
This is single most amazing adventure I’ve ever been on. And, in the big picture, it’s only just the beginning. Nothing could have possibly prepared me for the feeling I had the first time that little creature, my own creation — an organic, natural, earthly miracle — wrapped her tiny hand around my finger. I know it’s an instinct and had little to nothing to do with me. But I didn’t care. I was hooked. This little girl would rule my entire world and I would happily let her do so.

Texas Coast, Day I

Jul 12th, 2009

by Jim Reverend.

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Fuel for Paranoia

It would be an understatement to say that I am generally paranoid. I spent most of yesterday morning packing for my trip and contemplating whether I should just call the whole thing off and stay in Dallas in case something happened or I was needed in some way.

About 2 hours after we hit the road, Jess called to tell me she’d been in a car accident with the baby in the car. Thankfully, everyone is okay. I’ll keep asking to make sure and worrying about it the time I’m travelling because that’s what I do, but I’m so very glad that everyone is okay. But stuff like this doesn’t help to calm my paranoia. Working it out helps, though.

There’s no way my presence in Dallas would have prevented that accident or any of potential consequences that may follow. It would have likely happened just as it did. The only difference I might have made was in how the situation was cared for afterwards. But Jess is handling it well and calls whenever she has questions or wants an opinion, so that’s good. It makes me feel like she is taking care of everything and that if something needs my attention or if a problem arises she will let me know. As long as I can hold onto that and trust in that, then there is no reason to worry about anything.

I hope working it out is enough to help me let it go.

So that’s that. Enough said.

A Bad Feeling

I’m also starting to see signs that, once again, my intuition can be trusted. This is very good.

Recently (now there’s a vague time word for you), I got a bad feeling about some aspects of some relationships in my life. Yesterday, while I’m fairly sure everything will be just fine in the end, I had a tiny scare that started a zygote of an idea which blossomed into full blown panic. It made me realize that sometimes the risk isn’t worth the payoff and that when my intution is telling me that it might not be, instant gratification is not always the best long term solution.

I continually seek comfort and communion with others and I’m okay with that. I think that’s part of what society is suppossed to provide us with. However, I seem to be seeking it in the wrong places; places that end up leaving me feeling less comfortable and less cared for and more alone. I think, in part, this is due to issues I have with vulnerability. I desire to be close to others but I shy away from the vulnerabilty that generally comes with that. So, instead, I seek action and responses that indicate familiarity and, eventually, comfort, but do so without that initial act of vulnerability. This rarely leads to the response I want which only increases frustration. I’m working on figuring this out. But in the mean time I find myself feeling frustrated and alone in the relationships that I do reach out in. So, while I work on things from this end, I’m hopeful that I find a friendship that will work with me from the other side. It’s not really something you can ask for though. It just has to happen, I guess.

SPOON!

Oh yeah. So, the part of the trip that happned outside of my head. We made it to the hotel around 6:30pm and wanted to get to Stubb’s (the venue Spoon was playing at) by 7pm, so not a whole lot happened before that other than driving and good conversation.

discarded memories

The walk from the hotel to the venue was nice though. I miss walking with a purpose. Celeste and I go on walks often, but the final destination is just back home and the walk, while fun, is mostly purposeless. It’s nice to walk with a purpose. I brought the small point and shoot camera and took a few photos here and there.

The concert was great, despite some technical difficulties. Spoon puts on a good show and when they perform they are just as tight and together as they are on their albums. The sounds was spot on and the bass was just enough to let you really feel the music. Outdoor venues, even in the heat of the Texas summer, are by far my favorite places to see live music.

looking for adventure

May 11th, 2009

by Jim Reverend.

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I had originally planned on taking a road trip out to Atlanta this coming weekend. Just get in the car Friday morning and not look back until Monday. But, as one thing leads to another, it looks like that’s just not going to happen. Not because I can’t, but simply because I don’t think it’s for the best right now.

But… I’m still doing something. It’s been far too long since I spent a weekend focused on Photography. So that’s the goal.

So, these are my options. While I may sound sarcastic and downplaying of each of these, I really am quite excited to do any or all of them.

Still go to Atlanta… Atlanta, TEXAS, that is. It was, after all, named after Atlanta, Georgia, so I’m sure it’s almost the same as the real thing. Once the destination is reached, just go where the photos take me. Possible sights include Atlanta State Park, Caddo Lake, Jefferson, and Daingerfield (one of my favorite state parks).
Visit Shreveport, Louisiana. Spend the day photographing urban decay (like Mike Rosebery does), spend the evening playing craps at some stinky casino.
Drive down to Austin and stop by Hippie Hollow to go skinny dipping for the first time ever, arguably legally.� Then spend the evening photographing Austin sights and night life. Probably visit Hamilton Pool as well.
See how many Texas towns within 4 hours of my house with stolen/borrowed names I can visit in the course of a weekend. Palestine, Italy, Oakland, Athens, Buffalo, and Eureka, are just a few candidates on a very long list.

Who among you will bring your sense of adventure and join me? I promise as much fun, danger, excitement, and expression as you put into it — which really is saying I promise nothing.

Road Trip planning, part 2

Nov 14th, 2008

by Jim Reverend.

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So yesterday I claimed I was going to Lost Maples.

Ha ha hahaha. Just kidding.

Lost Maples an 8 hour drive for me, each way, and I’ll have to do it alone which exactly what I don’t need right now. Additionally, right now on weekends, Lost Maples has a 3 hour way to get in. So Lost Maples is out.

I had started making plans to head toward Arkansas for the weekend, but I just couldn’t work it out to where i was happy. Then the best plan ever finally hit me. I’m headed for central Texas including Colorado Bend State Park.

Here it is. Times are rough because, hell, it’s a road trip. (view route on Google Maps)

SATURDAY
5:00am: Leave Home
7:00am: Arrive at Cleburne State Park (Cleburne, TX)
* Enjoy Cleburne State Park
9:00am: Leave Cleburne State Park
10:30am: Arrive at Lake Whitney State Park (Whitney, TX)
* Enjoy Lake Whitney State Park
1:30pm: Leave Lake Whitney State Park
3:30pm: Arrive at Mother Neff State Park (Moody, TX)
* Enjoy Mother Neff State Park
* Sunset
6:00pm: Leave Mother Neff State Park
7:00pm: Arrive at hotel in Killeen, TX
* Dinner

SUNDAY
4:45am: Get ready
5:15am: Leave Hotel
7:00am: Arrive at Colorado Bend State Park (Bend, TX)
* Enjoy Colorado Bend State Park
11:00am: Leave Colorado Bend State Park
* Lunch
3:30pm: Arrive at Mineral Wells State Park (Mineral Wells, TX)
* Enjoy Mineral Wells State Park
6:00pm: Leave Mineral Wells State Park
8:00pm: Arrive Home

Road Trip this weekend?

Nov 13th, 2008

by Jim Reverend.

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Who wants to go on a Road Trip this weekend? We’d leave Friday afternoon or early Saturday morning and head back Sunday or Monday evening. Hotel, gas, photography equipment and park admission is already covered.

If you follow me on Twitter (as you very well should) you may have witnessed my consideration of making an impromptu Road Trip last Saturday morning. Well, those thoughts have not subsided. Maybe I’ll have better luck if I start thinking about it now, two days earlier.

I’d like to visit the Lost Maples State Natural Area. I’ve been talking about doing this for several years now and simply never have. The point of the trip is to see and photograph the leaves changing colors as it features a�large, isolated stand of uncommon Uvalde Bigtooth Maple. According to the�2008 Foliage Color Change Report, last weekend was probably a better weekend to visit. A lot of the Maples have dropped their leaves thanks to the wind. On the good side, the Red Oaks are starting to change.

Of course that’s only the purpose, because it helps to aim your car in some direction if you have a purpose. The best part about Road Trips is what happens in all the unplanned parts, and how your plans twist into something even better than originally planned. I love Road Trips.

If I leave Friday night I figure I’ll stop off in Austin or San Antonio for the evening then head out again the next morning. If I leave Saturday morning, I’ll just head straight there. If I leave by 6am I should be there in time for a nice look around before sunset. For the return trip I’m planning to leave around noon. Leaving on Monday just gives me one extra day and can always be decided upon at the last minute.

If I do the Saturday through Sunday trip, I’ll have just enough time for a little hike and then a sunset. Then do a sunrise, and then have another little hike. Then head home. From sunset to sunrise I’ll bum around Kerrville, look for diners, decaying buildings, and things that would make for interesting night photography. I might also sleep. Maybe.

Of course if I do the Friday through Monday trip, I’ve got a lot more time. I can goof off in Austin or San Antonio Friday night. Take my time getting out to Lost Maples Saturday morning. And I’ll have a whole extra day for exploring or allowing for alternate impromptu plans.

I will get up pretty damn early regardless of where we are or how our plans change only because I really like sunrises. You’re welcome to sleep in the hotel room, car, field, barn, boat house, or whereever it was we ended up the night before if you’d prefer not to get up early. I won’t let the pigs nibble your ears too much.

So.. who’s in? Three people (plus myself) is about the maximum group size to make it fun and dynamic. I do pretty well by myself, but I’d much rather have someone with me.

Let me know SOON, because I need to book hotels and/or find couches to crash on in Austin/San Antonio and Kerrville.

I’m a photographer, damn it!

Oct 30th, 2008

by Jim Reverend.

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I’m a photographer, damn it! And it’s about time I started acting like one.

Sure, I always have a camera with me. I mean always.

Even on busy work days when I know there is no chance I’ll ever even take off the lens cap, I bring a camera with me. Probably a tripod too, just in case.

When the chances of taking photographs are even slightly greater than that, I bring two cameras with me. You know, something quick and easy, and then something more elaborate in case the occasion allows for it. And, just to be safe, I bring a bigger tripod.

If the chances of there being people involved are high, I bring lights as well. And stands. And remote triggers. And modifiers. I keep it all packed in a light bag ready to go, just in case.

Yes. I’m that bad. Really.

Just ask my wife. When we go out of the house — anywhere — I have more bags and equipment to carry than both she and the baby put together.

I take lots of photographs. And I edit lots of photographs. Just look at all the images in this post that I’ve processed recently. I don’t actually take any photographs.

So what’s the problem?

First of all, despite always being prepared, I don’t take nearly as many photographs as I could. Yeah. That’s me. I’m the dumbass lugging around all this gear and doing absolutely nothing with it. I have the time, the knowledge, and the equipment. Yet I don’t use any of it. When I do take photographs, it’s because I actually planned to and not because the moment just struck me.

Secondly, I have no new photography projects that I am currently working on. I have a backlog of unedited images that just don’t seem all that urgent since no one knows they exist but me. I have no new models lined up. I have no new location prospects. I have no new items on my long list of ideas in need of a model, prop, or location.

In other words, the photographs I am taking, while awesome in their own right, aren’t anything new or challenging or experimental or difficult.

It’s just not right.

And I intend to change that.

Starting now.

First of all, I’ll be taking more photos while I’m out and about. Not in that annoying “oh my god if you take one more photo of me with that damn flash in my face I swear I’m going to kick you in the balls” way as Kyro is prone to. More like the “oh my god, why is the paparazzi here? is there someone famous here?” that Jonathan exudes when he does what he does. Except with an added touch of “why is he taking a picture of THAT?” and “oh my god that photographer is HOOOOOOOOT” and “please, Mr. Photographer, take my picture have let me have 10,000 of your babies”.

Second of all, I’m detailing some new projects to work on and I’ll be revisiting some old projects. Many of them will require models. By models I mean YOU.

It’s difficult to use a model for a project that I’m not already comfortable working with. So, volunteer. Right now. Right this second. Tell me you’re interested in being in one of my projects and let’s set up a time to do a quick session and get to know eachother. Or if you have a project idea of your own, let’s hear it. Now. Don’t wait.

Finally, I’ll be making a more directed attempt at visiting new places that are photographically interesting and scouting new locations for photo sessions. If you like driving around aimlessly, standing in for test shots, and causing trouble with the locals, then you certainly want to come along with me. So say something. Now.

Stay tuned. You won’t want to miss this.

Event: Photography at Eisenhower State Park (11/1)

Oct 28th, 2008

by Jim Reverend.

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When: Saturday, November 1st, 6:15am
Where: Eisenhower State Park near Denison, TX
What: Sunrise Photography on the lake followed by hiking
Who: Photographers, Models, Hikers, and Sunrise Enthusiasts
Why: WHY NOT?

This Saturday, November 1st, I’m heading out to Eisenhower State Park for some sunrise photography on the lake followed by a nice hike on some of the park’s outstanding trails. The plan is to arrive there around 6:15am.

If you’re interested in photographing, being in photographs, hiking, or just watching the sunrise, let me know.

Yes, this is the morning after Skwid’s Halloween party. That makes it a no-go for many of you.

a day of moments and thoughts

Aug 5th, 2008

by Jim Reverend.

5 comments

I know that most of you didn’t like the auto-twitter posting that appeared on my site. In truth, I don’t really care for it on other sites either, unless I don’t follow that person in Twitter and so long as they have more than just nothing but Twitter posts for months on end.

At the same time, while a lot of what is written there is an ongoing conversation with people you may or may not care about, a lot of important stuff is said too, since the platform is so readily available throughout the day. So I’m going to try something new. Once a day, week, month, year, whatever works out in the end, I’m going to collect the important bits and use them as jumping off points for more thought and clarification.

Please, let me know what you think of this. As I’ve said many times before, while I write these words for me, if you’re not reading them they are pointless. Let me know if you like these all in one big post like this, or if I should spread them out into tinier posts throughout the day, or if I should just not do it at all.

# – We have been Wiifitted. Wee! Or rather, Wii!

It started out as a silly idea. I thought the WiiFit was an absurd idea for a “game” and at the same time, an absurd way to “work out”. In my mind, it didn’t fit either role very well. In practice, I was 100% right. However, it does have it’s own sense of charm. It takes all of the instruction, timing, counting and tracking out of exercise. While it doesn’t make certain you are doing the exercises correctly, it at least tries to make sure you stay balanced while you do them. That plus everything else, and it’s about 50% as good as a personal trainer that comes to your house whenever you want her to. And cheaper too.

I particularly like the strength exercises, the yoga practice, and the step aerobics. But, like others, # I find myself wishing the step aerobics were more varied. There are only two “courses” after which comes “free step” which is quite boring. A couple of people think that there will eventually be a Wii Step Aerobics game that will capitalize on this wish of mine. They’re probably right. So release the damn thing already.

# – I’m VERY sick to my stomach. Too much coffee, not enough food. Email me distractions for the next few hours until I can get lunch. Please!

As I get older I’m starting to realize that food can affect me quite a bit more than it used to. Too much of one thing or not enough of another and it can really throw me off. However, I haven’t quite figured out what’s good and what’s bad, what can be tolerated and what should be avoided at all costs.

Yesterday I had 6 “cups” (per the lines on my coffee pot) of coffee in the morning. By 10am I was spinning like crazy and very sick to my stomach. At almost 1pm I got something heavy to eat. Within an hour I felt 75% better. It wasn’t until a had a little down time and another meal that I felt 100%. But, by the end of the day, I felt okay enough to get on the Wii Fit again.

A special thanks to those who sent distractions. I find that, for many of my ailments, keeping me from thinking about them is the easiest way to get around them.

# – Time to build up my harem. Apps are being accepted! Especially if you like stairwells. Maybe this is a good time to use Craigslist. :)

This is a case of “ha ha only serious“. It’s clearly a joke. I don’t have a harem and therefore, don’t have a harem to build up. At the same time, the group of friends and special people that I share physical closeness with is dwindling for various reasons. I certainly don’t require a large group by any means, but, those that remain are largely unavailable. Physical closeness is one of those things that I crave and yet, at the same time, can be absolutely petrified of. It’s a need I don’t fully understand and yet feel very strongly about. It’s comforting. It’s safe. It’s sexy. It’s silly. It’s warm. It’s freeing. And, sometimes, it’s dangerous. All good things.

So, while I don’t actually have a harem, if physical closeness is something your situation allows and something you desire, then, please, really, “applications are being accepted! Especially if you like stairwells.”

Should I use CraigsList for such a purpose. Probably not. I’m better at being close with friends than I am with strangers. But, at the same time, it seems to be well suited to finding such new friends.

# – wanted list: friends: skype, stumble; wishes; harem members; photo: subjects, partners; dreams; dinner friends; progress; peace.

This doesn’t require too much explanation, really. It’s a list of things that I currently desire. Not matieral things. Emotional things. Mental things.

Skype Friends. Check out Skype. It’s the best cross-platform Video/Audio Chatting application I can find. You don’t have to have a camera or a headset to enjoy it either. Sure, it’s more fun if you do, but not required.

Stumble Friends. Check out StumbleUpon. It’s a way of browsing new, interesting websites, as well as sharing new websites that you like with your friends. It’s very easy to use and quite addictive. I’m looking for people to share their interests with me, for people interested in sharing my interests, and hopeful that people will Favorite my photographs so that others will be introduced to them through the world of Stumble.

Harem Members. See above.

Photo Subjects. It’s been ages since I’ve done a portrait session. My studio has been torn down, which makes this harder. But that doesn’t reduce my desire to create and to use the human body as a subject and muse. If you’re interested in being photographed, I’d love to hear from you. I’m specifically looking for people who have free time on weekends to go out to interesting places and be photographed in nature. Additionally, I’m looking for someone who would like to be photographed in the rain. I’d like to set up all the details and logistics so that the next time it’s raining, all it’ll take is a quick phone call and we’ll both be ready to go.

Photo Partners. This is similar to the above, except instead of being in front of my camera, you have your own to stand behind, or, at least, enjoy walking around in various places and stopping for lots of photos. It can get fairly boring to be out alone all the time. I’m looking for someone to share these times with. Someone to lean on for encouragement, to share the waiting with, and to get excited with.

Dinner Friends. See my post from yesterday — you’re invited to dinner — for more information.

Wishes. Dreams. Progress. Peace. These are all self-explanitory.

photography

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five words

Texas Coast, Day I

looking for adventure

Road Trip planning, part 2

Road Trip this weekend?

I’m a photographer, damn it!

Event: Photography at Eisenhower State Park (11/1)

a day of moments and thoughts

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