Photo Sessions are Fun!!

It was a great fall day today, and Cat and I went out to a little park I know in Ada for some portrait shots. I had used this park before when I did some senior portraits for clients, and knew it was a great place.

We had a terrific time. I think I shot about three rolls of film on her, which is pretty easy considering she's probably the most photogenic person I know.

We spent about 3 hours wandering around, trying different poses (and changes of outfits), and decided to head home as the sun was setting. As we were about to get off the highway to her house, I asked her if she wanted to try a sunset shot. She was game.

(Note: when I was in college one of the projects I turned in for a photo assignment was a shot of a friend of mine at the beach. She was holding the setting sun in her hands, it turned out really good).

So we raced up the highway to the west of GR, and get way out past Fruit Ridge on a road going west. We ended up in a drive area at a farm, and we hopped out of the car as the red sun hung low in the west sky. I showed Cat where to stand and hold her hands out, then I set up the camera and shot off a bunch of photos (bracketing is your friend). I got a real good feeling about those shots.

We then left and I got her home around 7 I think. I had a great time, and I hope she did. Film will go in tomorrow, and we’ll see how I (and her) did.

Yawn!!!

Why am I up at this early hour? I don't know. For some reason I just was wide wake at 5:30, and couldn't get back to sleep.

Time...

...goes by. I just saw that I haven't written any thing in here for almost three weeks. Either I’m that boring to myself, or nothing’s been going on. Or, most likely, I just forget to write in here, as there’s no one else who reads this.

And I’m not going to get on that kick again. Why beat a dead horse?

At least Summer’s here!! Woo hoo!! Almost 90 degrees today, and it’s about damn time.

Otherwise, I just keep on doing what I’m doing. The only thing different is that I got fired from that website job I’d been doing for a year. Oh well, if they think a newbie can handle it, so be it. Screw ‘em. They’ll be back, and then the price goes up.

Why Me?

Part sighfully complaining, part fun. Boy was this past weekend the yin and yang.

Saturday I had to work, but then open house at the hill. Jake and I premiered the new A/V show on the computer to - well I don't know how well it was received. After Dave introduced us as the ones responsible for it, I watched the premiere then went up into the dome.

Part of Sunday was good. Kendall IM'd me and said that he was installing the Gallery to the site, and asked me how I wanted it set up. Then he activated the www.astronomyguru.com. I guess I don't thank him enough for putting up with my requests, but I do appreciate the hosting and work. I've never been good at compliments where it counts. Especially when I have to thank customers at the store all day, I don't want to "thank" another person when I get out of work.

Then the day went to hell. GRAAA Board Meeting. Where we were basically given an ultimatum by one of our donors. And Dan B. was behind it all. We are all so sick of him... well, the less I write about him the better. Suffice it to say the day was ruined by this bomb dropped. And then, to make it worse, I was elected President. Which would be cool, but tainted due to this blackmail. And it's now my burden (along with the board too, but...). This is going to get dirty, and one of two things will happen: I will be remembered for being in charge when the club was brought down/disbanded, or be hailed as a great leader if we make it out alive. And although things look like they are on our side, who really knows?

Hopefully more fun news later...

Am I?

Digerati: di·ge·ra·ti [ dìjj rtee ]
plural noun

computer experts: people who have or claim to have a sophisticated expertise in the area of computers, the Internet, and the World Wide Web.

"Not too long ago, computer expertise was considered nerdy. These days, many people strive to be among the digerati."

[Late 20th century. Formed from digital on the model of literati.]

Or Not?

Think Think Think

That's what Winnie the Pooh says.:) Actually I was going to write in here about stuff, but suddenly drew a blank, as I really don't have anything going on. So I guess I'm writing this mainly because I'm in here, and nothign to do.:)

However... possible severe storms late Sunday. We'll see.

Addiction?

Recently someone said again how the internet and computers can be addicting. So I asked a friend of mine who is a doctor (MD) and who specializes in Addiction Consulting. Here's what he wrote to me...

"For something to be considered an addiction it needs to:

1. Take control of the person's life
2. Result in harm to that person or others and be continued despite the harm that it is doing
3. Be carried out at inappropriate times and to the exclusion of other important activities
4. Be associated with craving (withdrawal) when in a state of early abstinence
5. Result in excitation of the reward cascade (dopamine and endorphin) in the mesolimbic system of the brain

With these points in mind, I leave it to you to decide if this or any other activity contitutes a true addiction, or just something that takes up a lot of a person's time and energy. Just because a person devotes time and energy to a pursuit doesn't mean that the pursuit is addictive behavior."

So who's an addict? You tell me.

Messing With People's Minds

I just got a spam call (telemarketer) who was dumb as a post. Here's the conversation...

Me: "Hello?"
TM: "Hello, this is _______ from Talk America. Are you the person responsible for the telephone service at your household?"
Me: "We don't have a telephone here."
TM: "Oh, I'm sorry."

And then she hung up!!!

And they say people aren't funny anymore.

Important Strategic Note To Self!!

When doing things at the spur of the moment, take another moment to think about the situation.

Case in point: Got today off. Around 1:30pm I walked outside, where the conditions were beautiful for this time of year...

Temperature: 66 °F / 19 °C
Humidity: 46%
Dew Point: 45 °F / 7 °C
Wind: South at 15 mph / 24.1 km/h
Wind Gust: 22 mph / 35 km/h
Pressure: 29.78 in / 1008 hPa (Steady)
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy

So it’s nice out, for the last part of March.

And I know from the past few days that we have flowers coming up: crocuses, etc. So, seeing it was great outside, I grabbed camera 1, the macro lens, the only roll of slow film I had (Portra 160), and headed out to the front yard.

There were purple flowers, white flowers, and yellow flowers. Lots ‘o flowers. And I proceeded to lie down and take some really close-up shots.

I’m clicking away, checking settings, composition, etc., when suddenly I say, “Hey, why is my ass all wet?” D’oh!! It’s Springtime, you idiot. The ground is still sopping wet from the winter, and the recent rains.

Sure enough, I get up and my whole shirt is muddy, and so are my pants. In fact so bad, I went straight downstairs and threw them in the washer.:)

Ah, the tortured life of a photographer. How we suffer for our art! :)

Coming to Grips

Words still fail me about the events of Saturday, when the Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed minutes before landing. The words wont’ come. I know what I want to say, but I can’t say them. Just writing this is making me cry all over again.

So, until that time when I can put down my thoughts, here is a link to a little “tribute” I put up, plus the lyrics to the Rush song “Countdown” which Neil Peart wrote when they (Peart, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson) watched a shuttle launch. The words in brackets are NASA transcripts from the first mission of Columbia in April of 1981.

For the Columbia Seven – You will be missed, honored, and never forgotten.

STS-107 Tribute

"Countdown"
Lyrics by Neil Peart


Dedicated with thanks to astronauts Young & Crippen and all the people of NASA for their inspiration and cooperation

[Coming up on 45 minute point in out countdown. Everything going smoothly... T minus 45 minutes and counting…]
[Coming up on T minus 40 minutes. T Minus 40 minutes and counting… This is shuttle launch control.]

Lit up with anticipation
We arrive at the launching site
The sky is still dark, nearing dawn
On the Florida coastline

Circling choppers slash the night
With roving searchlight beams
This magic day when super-science
Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams

[…we are go for launch. At the present time, we know of no major problems, as we enter the final hold.]

Floodlit in the hazy distance
The star of this unearthly show
Venting vapours, like the breath
Of a sleeping white dragon

Crackling speakers, voices tense
Resume the final count
All systems check, T minus nine
As the sun and the drama start to mount

The air is charged - a humid, motionless mass
The crowds and the cameras,
The cars full of spectators pass
Excitement so thick - you could cut it with a knife
Technology - high, on the leading edge of life

[T minutes 27 seconds… sequencers start, T minus 20 seconds and counting…. T minus 15, 14, 13…
T minus 10, 9, 8 7 6 5 4... Main engines start, we have liftoff.]

The earth beneath us starts to tremble
With the spreading of a low black cloud
A thunderous roar shakes the air
Like the whole world exploding

Scorching blast of golden fire
As it slowly leaves the ground
It tears away with a mighty force
The air is shattered by the awesome sound

[T plus 30 seconds... 35... Columbia, Houston. you’re go at 40…]

Excitement so thick - you could cut it with a knife
Technology - high, on the leading edge of life
Like a pillar of cloud, the smoke lingers
High in the air
In fascination - with the eyes of the world
We stare...

[Columbia is now turning for it’s precise window in space for main engine cutoff…]
[Plus 2 minutes 40 seconds, Columbia now 39 nautical miles in altitude, 42 nautical miles downrange…]
[Columbia you’re looking a little hot and all your calls will be a little early...]
[Young and Crippin really moving out now – velocity now reading 6200 feet per second…]
[“What a view! What a view” “Glad you enjoyed it”…]
[Columbia Houston, we have 40 seconds to LOS, after LOS you’re looking good
for an over-the-hill and we’ll see you in Madrid…]
[“And we enjoyed the music Bob, thank ya.”…]
[“We enjoyed it. We just wanted to share some with ya.”…]