The Glory Days

This is me when I was 17 years old. It looks like I was dunking the ball with ease back then. It got a lot easier the next year. I put on a few more pounds of muscle and had a lot more practice. The last time I dunked it with any authority it was the first week or second week of February the year I was 19. I can remember the exact spot, it was in a gym that has a no dunking rule but they had break away rims and the temptation to show off is pretty high. I did it again a few weeks later at an outdoor court just south of Buenos Aires. The 20 months that followed I was really hard on my body. I estimate that I walked close to 9,900 km in that time. It was really hard on my knees. I've never really been the same since, as far as jumping ability is concerned. After a long rest, I had just put on too much weight to be able to do it very well.



I was a lot thinner. I had more hair on my head and less on my chest and in my nose. I've put on 50 lbs in the 13 years since this video was shot. I have dunked it a handful of times, but no more than 9 or 10 and it was close every time, and the actual height of the nets has be questionable.

What brings it up is that I did it last night for the first time in about 2 years, but just barely.

-Gary

Tracie

I think this is what happened to Tracie, not just with a sense of style, but everything. The main text of the post starts under the two photos.

-Gary

I'm Dead Tired From Working

I just finished the busiest week of my studio's busiest season. My boss said that between us, we photographed over 10,000 kids. That's not including the college sports teams; 2 volleyball, 2 basketball, 2 soccer, golf and the administrators. It also doesn't include 25 volleyball teams at a local tournament or the three families that we did today.

I don't think that I've had so many 13 hour days in one week before. I'm tired, I've had a headache for 2 days. I just want to sleep.

Beyond the pain, I do have to admit that it was pretty fun.

One kid at a junior high.

Me, "Sit down and point your knees at my computer." I point at my computer.
Kid, remains in a fog.
Me, "POINT YOUR KNEES AT MY COMPUTER." I shake my hand as I point at my computer.
Kid, "What? Where?" more fog around this kids head.
Me, I point at my computer.
Kid, Walks over to me, "What?"
Me, I point at my computer and say, "Point your knees at my computer."
Kid, Lifts knee and touches it to the computer.
Me, "NO! SIT DOWN AND POINT YOUR KNEES AT MY COMPUTER!"
Kid, "Right here?" points to the ground at my feet.
Me, "NO! ON YOUR CHAIR. SIT ON YOUR CHAIR AND TURN YOUR KNEES SO THEY POINT AT THE LAPTOP COMPUTER ON MY TABLE!" I think to myself this kid is dumber than a bag of pucks.

At the Volleyball tournament.

Me, "Smile, one, two," Click.
Kid, Smiles
Teammates to kid, "HA HA! YOU'RE GAY BECAUSE YOU SMILED!"

Setting up for one of the high schools on Tuesday.

Female Coworker, "I was going to make those business cards for you, Gary, but I got distracted."
Me jokingly, "Saw something shiny, eh?"
My Boss, loud laughter.

Earlier today.

Female Coworker, "Blah, Blah, Blah, Blah, HEY DID YOU SEE THAT KIDS SHIRT!?!?! IT WAS REALLY SHINY!!! IT WAS xxxxx BRAND OF SHIRT........" Voice trails off.
Me, "Don't worry, I won't tell the boss."

-Gary

Photographing Stuff

Well, we finished the first high school last week and I did a junior high school today and tomorrow we are on to our first elementary school. Time is just flying by. It seems like the day of shooting head shots is going by much faster than it did last year. Maybe we've removed a lot of the kinks from our system or something. I'm pretty happy with how things are going.

On the long weekend I went to see my sister and shoot a wedding with her. It went very well. I think that shooting with me gives Jackie a little stress because I point out things that she would have missed. But she's pretty happy with my photos and likes getting help posing the bigger groups.

In fact she asked me to stay for a shoot she had planned for the next day with a group of 11 people Grandparents, kids, and grand kids. It seemed pretty straightforward to me, but that's basically what I do, families of various sizes. Jackie just wants to shoot toddlers and basically nothing else. She's making such a name for herself that she just keeps getting all sorts of bookings and she has a hard time saying no, at least a little.

I told her to just make her prices so high for the things she doesn't like doing that she can't refuse. I don't know how she liked that idea or if she took me seriously.

Anyway I had a really good time shooting with her. I think we learn a lot from each other every time we shoot together. At least I hope she's learning stuff from me because I'm learning from her a lot. Especially how to act around the kids. New schtick always helps.

-Gary

Longdriver

Longdriver

My brother-in-law Glen won a district qualifier for the World Long Drive Championship. Now he gets to compete at the World Long Drive Event in Mesquite Nevada.

Good luck Glen, pick us up some barbecue sauce while you're down there!

Out of body experiences

Probably by now everyone has heard that scientists now claim that they can produce "out of body experiences " by using cameras . What a crock. When they can produce the same effect on a person who has been declared clinically dead or even on a person that is blindfolded then they'll be doing something that we'll have to look twice at.

School Shooting

My Shooting Station

We finished our first day of shooting at one of the local high schools. I ended up doing portraits for 170 kids or so over the course of the day. The 8th and 9th graders are now mostly done. There are a few stragglers mostly kids who are still on vacation with their parents, probably a few who just didn't show up, and of course there are those who have moved to new schools.

I have to say several things about these kids.

First is that lots of them are in a complete fog. For example when one kid was finished getting his photos done, he asked the photographer where to go next.

"Go over to the printers, pick your stuff up and then go to the stage to get your locker." Imagine the photographer pointing at a table with four printers on it. The kid heads over to the printers and just walks right by.

"WHOA! YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR" He walked right past the printers.

"You forgot to get your stuff from the printers" says the photographer.

"Where are the printers?" asks the kid

"You walked right past them, come back five steps, the printers are right there on that table." You've got to keep in mind that the only thing in the entire room are our shooting stations and this table with four printers on it.

Second. These kids dress like a bunch of retards. The so called, "Emo" kids, are the worst of all. Five years ago these kids would have been called been goths. Now it's a lot cooler to dress like a goth, but call yourself emotional. That's why they are so sad all the time. I think they are sad because they get their hair done at a dog wash and it (their hair) covers their eyes like a sheepdog that hasn't actually had a haircut in a long time. Then there is the emo boy's pants. Actually they're more likely the emo boy's little sister's pants. Now I never was one for wearing a pair of pants that only covers halfway up your ass crack and maybe I'm a little stuck in the mid 90's, but, REALLY TIGHT FLOOD PANTS THAT DON'T COVER YOUR BUM AND LOOK LIKE THEY BELONG TO YOUR LITTLE SISTER ARE STUPID.

Another thing for you emotional kids. The world is not out to get you. It doesn't care enough about what you do, to be out to get you. You are not a special little snowflake unique in all the world. In fact nothing you are feeling is actually different from what the other 6 billion people in this world felt when they were your age. The difference is you're more whiny.

After that rant, I just want to say that I had a great time doing the photos on Friday. It is really fun. I'm looking forward to the 10s, 11s and 12s, on Monday. The first day went very smoothly. If everything goes this well on Monday and Tuesday we are going to compress the number of days we shoot at that school next year.

-Gary

Ethanol for fuel

There was an interesting article in the news tonight about the production of ethanol for fuel. They said that there is huge amounts of corn now growing in the state of Iowa that is slated to be made into alcohol for fuel. They also said that huge expensive ethanol factories are springing up everywhere. There are some reasons why this is all going to be a waste of time and money. The reasons are as follows. First of all the growing of corn requires fuel for the tractors and machinery. Some experts estimate that it will take more than a gallon of gasolene to produce one gallon of alcohol. Further more the price of corn has taken a steep climb and therefor the price of food has gone up. This looks like another fiasco. What do you think?

Mo and Steve

Mo and Steve

Last night I did some Photos for some friends of mine, Mo and Steve. We had a pretty good time, although we went out a little late and the sun was a little low in the sky to be just right.

I got a few really good shots that I'm sure they will be happy with. I really enjoyed the visit with them.

-Gary

The Simpsons Movie

I went to see the Simpsons movie today. I don't really know what to think. I didn't like it as much as I should have. I'm trying to figure out why. I suspect the main reason is that seeing it on the big screen was so much different than watching it on TV. I think there are several reasons.

With more money and time, they did more detailed animation. Sure it looked great, but it looked different.

I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure that the frame rate is different for tv than it is at the cinema. Those extra frames per second make a difference. Maybe I should say those extra frames per second make the program look different.

Widescreen format. I don't know why they would do this. It doesn't make sense that for 18 years or what ever to do a square shaped show then suddenly for the movie to make it widescreen. Lots of movies come out in a TV type format, why go to the extra animation expense. The strange aspect ratio threw me off.

Here's another thing. They made Schwarzenegger the president. Why the sudden change from Rainier Wolfcastle? It isn't as if we don't know Rainier is actually Arnold. I think they should have kept their regular characters.

All in all, I liked the movie, but I thought I would like it more. This movie is definitely a renter. Wait for the DVD, and get the one formatted to fit your tv.

Still Watching

I just watched the second episode of Flight of the Conchords. I'm just loving it.

The internet is just getting better and better. All sorts of new programs are suddenly available that I would have never seen before in a million years. Most of them are very good.

I recommend getting HBO or looking for Flight of the Conchords on youtube or some other website. Most of the clips on youtube are from their Comedy act, but there are also whole episodes of their show, split into three easily watchable parts.

-Gary

Flight Of The Conchords - The Humans Are Dead

I just watched the first episode of a HBO show called Flight of the Conchords.

Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band from New Zealand as they try to make a name for themselves in New York City.

This is a youtube clip of the two stars performing one of their songs. This clip is not from the show itself.

Istockphoto

Gary and the Teepee

Many photographers complain that microstock agencies are ruining the stock photography industry. That they are charging too little and replacing quality with quantity.

They argue that it is a bad thing that you can make 500 photographs with your digital camera for the cost of re-charging the battery. In the same breath they complain that people are charging less for a copy of the photo than it costs to make the photo. Obviously both cannot be true. I think that the real answer is that microstockers are charging less than it costs traditional stock photographers to make the photos.

On bit of accounting that I admit I and most microstockers overlook is the cost of the camera and lenses etc. Most microstock photographers are probably not including the price of their camera as a cost of making the photo. Even if they did, the cost of the camera would have to be divided between all the photos that they take, or at the very least submit to the agency. For me, from what I have submitted to istockphoto.com, each photo likely cost me around $10 in equipment expenses and maybe $2 each in my own time. I guess that means I have spent $12 per photo on average, to produce my portfolio. Over the last year and four months, I have made about $7 per photo selling them as stock.

That looks like a loss of $5 per photo on equipment, but here's the rub, the thing that the traditional stock shooters don't realize. Most microstock photographers had their camera before they started shooting for stock. The cost of their equipment is sunk. The money they spent is gone already. No matter what they do, that money is gone, they needed a camera to take pictures of the family and now they are using it for stock too. In the eyes of the microstocker, this is a $7 gain per photo.

I know how much I spent and realize that so far I am sitting at a $5 loss so far, but I have a spreadsheet that is predicting that I will break even at the end of November. If I shoot 250 more photos over the next year after that, my equipment cost will have dropped to $5 per photo meaning that suddenly the cost of my photos will have dropped to $7 but my profit per photo will have gone up significantly because on average it is likely the new photos will sell as well as the old photos and the old photos will continue to sell.

Another form of payment the microstockers get is hard to put a monetary value on. Many, many people love taking photos. Their friends enjoy modeling for them. They all love seeing the photos used. When a photo gets used it is an affirmation that you as a photographer are talented and that your friends as models are attractive. That is worth a lot. Self actualization, is worth big bucks to a lot of people. Heck, it is why I have the job I do, sure I would like to be making double what I am, but I love my job more than any other job I have ever had. I can't imagine a better job. I feel a lot the same about microstock. Over the last year and four months 2165 people have figuratively patted me on the back by purchasing my photos. That's almost 5 people per day, and it just keeps on rising.

Traditional shooters are moaning the death of stock as a viable career choice for photographers. What they don't mention is the high barrier to entry into the traditional rights managed stock photography agencies.

I looked into it several years ago, I can't remember what agency it was, Getty or Corbis, but they wanted potential photographers to submit a library of many thousands of photos and then, after a certain amount of time they would accept you or send you packing and by the way, don't apply again. Basically it was impossible for anyone except seasoned professionals with a huge libraries of photos to become contributing members of the company I looked at. Today I checked both of their websites and can't find a link on how to even apply anymore.

Now the barriers to entry to being a stock photographer are gone. Anyone can sign up at istockphoto.com. I've made almost $1600 since March 2006. $1300 of that came since the beginning of 2007. By the end of the year, all my camera gear will be paid off. Depending how hard I work making new stock photos, I will probably be able to buy a full set of studio lights as well. From only 240 photos so far.

Work

Karen The Beautiful Bride

This photo is by my sister Jackie and is not
from the shoot that I did this afternoon.

I had a really good day at work today.

The event of the day was a wedding shoot. It was a really fun one. I did their engagement photo a few months ago and they were really fun people. It is funny how that, with some people you can have the greatest time so easily, and yet with others, you can just be stumped. Like writer's block for photographers.

It is so nice when everyone follows directions well, when they laugh at your jokes and things just seem to flow. At one point I asked the two flower girls to kiss the groom on the cheek. One did, but the other didn't want to. I said to the other, "Well, will you put your hand on his shoulder?" She did, but it was more of a hit to the shoulder than something nice. Everyone saw it, so I said, "I love you Ike" and hit my fist on the table beside me. Everyone thought that this was hilarious.

I'm getting a little more responsibility at work. I'm laminating the photos now. It's a good thing, because this is sort of a slow time for us and I like having something to do.

It also allows my boss to working on programing the databases and other software that we use when we're photographing at the schools. There are several edits that need to be made because we are getting new cameras for the coming school year. Programing is really something that needs to be done without interruptions.

Also the more I know about running the shop, the more likely and easier it will be for me to buy and take it over in a couple of years.

It's good to be back in business. I really love my job.

-Gary

Baseball

DSC_1857

I went to play baseball with a bunch of kids from church last night. We had a pretty good time, and lots of kids showed up. There were only about 4 or 5 that actually were interested in playing, but most of the rest dutifully stood out in the field.

I hit a line drive into the pitcher's ankle. It wouldn't of hit him, but it scared him and he dodged right into it. I felt pretty bad about it, but he was ok.

-Gary

Long Beard

I'm growing my beard starting now. Seriously.

Job News

I went to see my boss this morning and I got my old job back. They've done a lot in the last month that I've been away. It looks like there is going to be a few new things, but nothing major.

I'm excited to be back there, I really love the job a lot and really like working for Duane. In the long term I would like to buy the business from him. But that's likely at least two or three years away.

On the apartment hunt, it looks like I may have an in. One of my Dad's renter is moving out and leaving his room mate behind. I may move in there.

So, I guess my ducks are all lining up.

I guess that leaves finding divorce attorney and getting the oil changed in my car.

-Gary

Home

I'm back home in Canada now. I guess that means I'm looking for a place to live and a job again.

Divorce

Tracie and I are getting a divorce. I'm coming back to Canada as soon as I can.

-Gary

We Found a Flat

Tracie and I have found a place to live. It is in the same building we were in before which is handy because we already sort of know our way around. The room mates are really nice too.

Things are going well, but I am still looking for a job.

-Gary