Tracie and I went to see Night At The Museum with her parents and sisters the other day. Let me just say that it was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. I give it two thumbs up, it is fine holiday fun.
Ben Stiller plays a man who becomes a night watchman at a museum where, due to an egyption curse, everything comes to life at night. I have to admit that the movie is a little Jumanji-esque, but Night at the Museum was way better. The plight of the main character plays a much bigger part in the movie rather than just finishing a board game designed to showcase special effects.
Go see Night At The Museum.
-Gary
Friday, December 29, 2006
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
What is a manger?
An amazing revelation manisfested itself to me this Christmas. Most people that I've asked; didn't know what a "manger" is. I'm going to tell you right now once and for all but first try to think of the answer yourself. A manger is not a barn or stable but a crib like container in which to place food such as hay and grain for animals. It's amazing to find out that people do not know this after all those years of hearing the nativity story.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR
Whose woods these are I think I know
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods filled with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods filled with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
New Favourite Restaurant
Lately Tracie and I have been eating out at Perkin's Family Restaurant. I really like it there. I have to admit that it is a place for old people, but that's one of the things that I like about it.
They don't have blaring loud music, there are no huge banks of televisons to distract you, and best of all, you don't have to shout for the people at your table to hear you. It is quiet and relaxing. The menu is a little plain, but the food is good.
Tracie was wondering how many people don't go on second dates because they can't hear what the other person is saying and they don't get a chance to have a conversation to get to know each other.
Fun is fun, but sometimes it is nice to relax at dinner.
-Gary
They don't have blaring loud music, there are no huge banks of televisons to distract you, and best of all, you don't have to shout for the people at your table to hear you. It is quiet and relaxing. The menu is a little plain, but the food is good.
Tracie was wondering how many people don't go on second dates because they can't hear what the other person is saying and they don't get a chance to have a conversation to get to know each other.
Fun is fun, but sometimes it is nice to relax at dinner.
-Gary
Friday, December 15, 2006
Picking up School Photos
People come into the studio to pick up their kids school photos.
They say, "I'm here to pick up photos for Lisa Simpson".
I say, "Are they studio photos or school photos?"
This confuses a lot of people. I can only imagine what is going through their head. The problem is that, while the photos are school photos, we did retakes at the studio.
They say, "Studio."
I look through the studio photos and can't find Lisa, so I say, "Are they a retake of a school photo?"
They say, "Yes"
That makes them a school photo even though we took the picture in the studio.
I think to myself, boy is this guy dumb or what. I look through the school photos. There is no Lisa Simpson. Now I'm not claiming to be smarter than 99.9% of other people, but I can alphabetize well enough to get Simpson together with the other Ss or in the S section if you know what I mean.
Sometimes there is someone else named Simpson that I can ask about, but in this case there isn't, so I say, "I don't see anything for Lisa Simpson, did you get a phone call about it?"
They say, "Yes yesterday"
I say, "Is Lisa Simpson the name of the student?"
They say, "No the students name is Carla Sassenfrass."
I think, "WTF? ARE YOU STUPID? HOW IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO GET CARLA SASSENFRASS FROM LISA SIMPSON?" I guess I should know all the step-moms in the entire city so that I can auto-magically connect them to these kids. In this situation I truely feel like I am not the dumb one.
In order to stop the madness, I have started asking if the name they told me is the student's. It cuts down on time spent looking for step-parents.
-Gary
They say, "I'm here to pick up photos for Lisa Simpson".
I say, "Are they studio photos or school photos?"
This confuses a lot of people. I can only imagine what is going through their head. The problem is that, while the photos are school photos, we did retakes at the studio.
They say, "Studio."
I look through the studio photos and can't find Lisa, so I say, "Are they a retake of a school photo?"
They say, "Yes"
That makes them a school photo even though we took the picture in the studio.
I think to myself, boy is this guy dumb or what. I look through the school photos. There is no Lisa Simpson. Now I'm not claiming to be smarter than 99.9% of other people, but I can alphabetize well enough to get Simpson together with the other Ss or in the S section if you know what I mean.
Sometimes there is someone else named Simpson that I can ask about, but in this case there isn't, so I say, "I don't see anything for Lisa Simpson, did you get a phone call about it?"
They say, "Yes yesterday"
I say, "Is Lisa Simpson the name of the student?"
They say, "No the students name is Carla Sassenfrass."
I think, "WTF? ARE YOU STUPID? HOW IN THE WORLD AM I SUPPOSED TO GET CARLA SASSENFRASS FROM LISA SIMPSON?" I guess I should know all the step-moms in the entire city so that I can auto-magically connect them to these kids. In this situation I truely feel like I am not the dumb one.
In order to stop the madness, I have started asking if the name they told me is the student's. It cuts down on time spent looking for step-parents.
-Gary
Monday, December 11, 2006
It's Funny Because I Don't Know Him
I've been watching video clips on Youtube.com lately. My favourite videos all seem to have a central theme. The misfortune of others. I don't know why I find it funny when some random skater hurts himself trying to do some trick, or why I can't stop laughing when I see a little girl hit her dad with a stick in an attempt to crack a pinnata.
It just is. I like watching crashes, failed attempts at jumping over stuff and cars crashing. Youtube is way better than America's Funniest Videos ever was. Type in the key phrase "Funny Accident" and you'll be set for hours. With no repeats.
I do feel a little guilty laughing at the misfortune of others, but it's funny because I don't know them.
-Gary
It just is. I like watching crashes, failed attempts at jumping over stuff and cars crashing. Youtube is way better than America's Funniest Videos ever was. Type in the key phrase "Funny Accident" and you'll be set for hours. With no repeats.
I do feel a little guilty laughing at the misfortune of others, but it's funny because I don't know them.
-Gary
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Istockphoto Success
I haven't written anything about how well I'm doing on istockphoto in a while so I thought I would give a little run down on how things are going.
My first $100 took from March 18th to September 12 and 234 downloads. I averaged 42.7 cents per download.
I hit $200.00 about two weeks ago on November 22. It took 215 downloads for me to make it, and 69 days. That means I was averaging 46.5 cents per download.
I haven't been adding new photos very consistently, it is hard to think of things to shoot, but I have been getting downloads from with in each new series that I shoot. When I do come up with an idea, it does sell, and I am getting good growth from them.
Here is my data for downloads so far since the very beginning:
03/06 : 1
04/06 : 4
05/06 : 7
06/06 : 30
07/06 : 63
08/06 : 90
09/06 : 93
10/06 : 103
11/06 : 82
12/06 : 4 (so far)
I downloaded a spreadsheet that makes predictions based purely on past performance. It predicts that by this time next year, I will be making $100 per month. I get the feeling that this might be a little conservative because it is still taking into account my start up few months. It also doesn't take into account things that you have been learning about stock photography itself, like what sells, and how to make images more useful for buyers.
I'm pretty excited about how things are going.
-Gary
My first $100 took from March 18th to September 12 and 234 downloads. I averaged 42.7 cents per download.
I hit $200.00 about two weeks ago on November 22. It took 215 downloads for me to make it, and 69 days. That means I was averaging 46.5 cents per download.
I haven't been adding new photos very consistently, it is hard to think of things to shoot, but I have been getting downloads from with in each new series that I shoot. When I do come up with an idea, it does sell, and I am getting good growth from them.
Here is my data for downloads so far since the very beginning:
03/06 : 1
04/06 : 4
05/06 : 7
06/06 : 30
07/06 : 63
08/06 : 90
09/06 : 93
10/06 : 103
11/06 : 82
12/06 : 4 (so far)
I downloaded a spreadsheet that makes predictions based purely on past performance. It predicts that by this time next year, I will be making $100 per month. I get the feeling that this might be a little conservative because it is still taking into account my start up few months. It also doesn't take into account things that you have been learning about stock photography itself, like what sells, and how to make images more useful for buyers.
I'm pretty excited about how things are going.
-Gary
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