So it seems with so much to write about, I've been procrastinating. On the weekend, I made a quick trip to Lethbridge to see Heidi and meet her parents. We went to her parents house and I got to meet them along with her sister and brother in law and their kids. We had a great visit with her Dad and Mom. Apparently, her Dad googled me, and as I have gone to great lengths to be findable, it was pretty easy for him. I guess Heidi thought it was sort of weird, but it seems like a pretty smart thing to do in my opinion.
The next day we went to Waterton, we gave a friend of Heidi's a ride and spent the day in the park. I didn't bring my camera, which was a foolish thing for me to do considering the fact that I am a photographer. Anyway, we had a really good time. I love to walk and talk and all the stuff that goes along with that, tripping, stubbing your toe things like that.
I had a really great time and I wish I could see her again this weekend. Stupid living in different cities. That's the worst.
Anyway on Tuesday, I had my sleep study done. It involved sticking some short tubes into my nostrils, taping a microphone to my neck, and putting some sort of heart rate monitor thing on my finger. So it was pretty much a normal night. It went well, but about halfway through the night the finger thing really started to bug me so I put it on a different finger. Well it stopped recording after that and I had to do the test again last night.
As I was clicking the buttons on the machine I noticed that my heart was beating at 68 BPM and I thought to myself, "Boy I'm sure relaxed". As I lay there I imagined a nice flat graph of my heart rate and the idea soothed me. Just as I was falling asleep and very relaxed, !!!Ding!!! a text message startled me, then I saw it was from Heidi. And at once I knew that the flat graph showing my heart rate had been ruined. First from the scare, then finding out the message was from Heidi! I imagined a huge spike on the graph and started laughing. I can only imagine what the doctor will think. I texted her back and she got me going twice more with messages before I fell asleep.
In the morning I woke up and saw on the machine's screen, not recording, device unplugged. I must have turned during the night, and the finger thing had come unplugged from the machine. I plugged it back in, but it was too late, I was already awake for the day. I removed my finger from the device, to ease unhooking the other monitoring devices and it started beeping right away! Boy, I thought, why couldn't it make that beeping when your unplugged? I would have gotten it plugged back in right away.
The next morning I told the sleep people what had happened. They told me that they would call if I had to do the test again. I guess they need six hours worth of data. I'm getting sick of sleeping connected to that machine but I really want to know if I have trouble breathing while I am asleep.
Anyway, I'm doing well, and my next planned day to visit Heidi is coming again in another seven days if I can keep myself away this weekend.
-Gary Milner
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
A Really Good Weekend
So my friend Heidi came to visit me from the 12-14th and we had a really good time. Hanging out and watching movies with other people is something that I have really been missing.
We strolled around a few parks and spent most of our time chatting with each other. One thing I really like about her, and may seem silly, is that she can walk in a straight line.
We cooked for each other and my parents invited us over for dinner one night as well.
I was really when she had to go back to Lethbridge.
Then this last weekend, I helped put on an event of istock photographers. We rented a high school and found a bunch of models to shoot. There were 10 photographers and about 28 models over the course of the two days.
I shot about 750 photos and of that I thought that 200 or so were good enough to convert from the RAW format in to JPG. Of those 200 or so, not all of them will be good enough to upload to istock. I didn't look at them all at full size and seeing small copies of photos hides defects. In some of them for example I focused in the wrong spot, or the picture is just plain out of focus, and of course there are blinks and photos that are just too similar to bother uploading both.
I have uploaded 40 already, and I'll probably be uploading about 100 more. Which would be fantastic. It would mean that a quarter of my portfolio was created last weekend. I'd have approximately 500 photos online which is 25% of my new goal of 2000 photos for sale on istock. It seems like it is easily with in my reach now. Finding out how easy it actually is to find people that are willing to model for you just amazes me.
For one of my next shoots, I want to do a track and field theme, and I've already asked one kid if I could do some long jumping photos of him. He's pretty excited to do any sort of modeling for me. When I suggested long jumping he said that that would be perfect because he has perfectly symmetrical and rather large leg muscles.
Now it is just a matter of when I will be able to plan it for. It just feels like I have a lot on my plate lately. I guess anything compared to nothing feels like a lot.
I got a free eye exam the other day from a friend and so I asked him if I could do a portrait of him and his wife. I have 1500 photos to make into a slide show and somehow otherwise organize. I play ultimate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I want to go to Lethbridge to visit Heidi this weekend (and pretty much every other weekend as well.) On August 8th she we are going to see Spamalot in Calgary. Then on the 16th or 23th we are going to her parent's cabin in Montana. Then the last week of August is here and I'm back photographing kids in schools again and it is the busy season at the studio.
I guess I'm really lucky to have so many plans. This is one of my fullest summers ever, and I just want to pack more and more into it all the time. More photo shoots. More visits with Heidi. More sports. More everything. I'm really very tired.
Oh and I saw Batman on Monday. I give it two thumbs up, it's fine summer fun.
-Gary
We strolled around a few parks and spent most of our time chatting with each other. One thing I really like about her, and may seem silly, is that she can walk in a straight line.
We cooked for each other and my parents invited us over for dinner one night as well.
I was really when she had to go back to Lethbridge.
Then this last weekend, I helped put on an event of istock photographers. We rented a high school and found a bunch of models to shoot. There were 10 photographers and about 28 models over the course of the two days.
I shot about 750 photos and of that I thought that 200 or so were good enough to convert from the RAW format in to JPG. Of those 200 or so, not all of them will be good enough to upload to istock. I didn't look at them all at full size and seeing small copies of photos hides defects. In some of them for example I focused in the wrong spot, or the picture is just plain out of focus, and of course there are blinks and photos that are just too similar to bother uploading both.
I have uploaded 40 already, and I'll probably be uploading about 100 more. Which would be fantastic. It would mean that a quarter of my portfolio was created last weekend. I'd have approximately 500 photos online which is 25% of my new goal of 2000 photos for sale on istock. It seems like it is easily with in my reach now. Finding out how easy it actually is to find people that are willing to model for you just amazes me.
For one of my next shoots, I want to do a track and field theme, and I've already asked one kid if I could do some long jumping photos of him. He's pretty excited to do any sort of modeling for me. When I suggested long jumping he said that that would be perfect because he has perfectly symmetrical and rather large leg muscles.
Now it is just a matter of when I will be able to plan it for. It just feels like I have a lot on my plate lately. I guess anything compared to nothing feels like a lot.
I got a free eye exam the other day from a friend and so I asked him if I could do a portrait of him and his wife. I have 1500 photos to make into a slide show and somehow otherwise organize. I play ultimate on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I want to go to Lethbridge to visit Heidi this weekend (and pretty much every other weekend as well.) On August 8th she we are going to see Spamalot in Calgary. Then on the 16th or 23th we are going to her parent's cabin in Montana. Then the last week of August is here and I'm back photographing kids in schools again and it is the busy season at the studio.
I guess I'm really lucky to have so many plans. This is one of my fullest summers ever, and I just want to pack more and more into it all the time. More photo shoots. More visits with Heidi. More sports. More everything. I'm really very tired.
Oh and I saw Batman on Monday. I give it two thumbs up, it's fine summer fun.
-Gary
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Starting The Weekend Off Right
There's new news about my new friend. Her name is Heidi and she is from Lethbridge. She's in Medicine Hat for my crazy Sunday Monday weekend.
We went to dinner and a movie, we saw Hancock and had a great time.
I give Hancock two enthusiastic thumbs up. It is fine holiday fun. The movie is very funny and very dramatic. I enjoyed it more than the last 10 movies I have seen combined. (I watch a lot of movies though)
This is turning into the best weekend ever and it hasn't even really started yet!
-Gary
We went to dinner and a movie, we saw Hancock and had a great time.
I give Hancock two enthusiastic thumbs up. It is fine holiday fun. The movie is very funny and very dramatic. I enjoyed it more than the last 10 movies I have seen combined. (I watch a lot of movies though)
This is turning into the best weekend ever and it hasn't even really started yet!
-Gary
Friday, June 27, 2008
Hotline
I went to Calgary the other day and made a new friend. Now I feel like I'm 16 years old again. Feeling awkward is actually fun in a twisted sort of way.
The problem is that it seems like I am in a rush to end conversations.
"Hey Gary!"
"Hey nameless person!"
"You look great today"
"Thanks, nameless person. Well, see you around."
That conversation would be fine if Gary and nameless person weren't trying to be friends
About 20 minutes ago, I decided to call this new friend of mine. We probably talked for one minute and one second. I know this because all of my phone calls last between 59 seconds and 61 seconds and it seemed like a long conversation.
If it could even be called a conversation.
I don't know what my problem is I called them. I wanted to talk to them. I still want to talk to them. But I ended the conversation before I wanted to. That's messed up.
I talked to them for four hours straight on the weekend. They even commented on how easy it was to talk to me.
It is the stupid phone. I hate phones. Phones are my nemesis. One of the best working moments of my life was being fired, on my birthday, from a job that required copious amounts of phone conversations.
So, back to thinking about my friend. I would rather drive for 2.5 hours to where they live, talk to them and then drive 2.5 hours back to Medicine Hat than have the exact same conversation on the phone.
That's probably weird.
-Gary
The problem is that it seems like I am in a rush to end conversations.
"Hey Gary!"
"Hey nameless person!"
"You look great today"
"Thanks, nameless person. Well, see you around."
That conversation would be fine if Gary and nameless person weren't trying to be friends
About 20 minutes ago, I decided to call this new friend of mine. We probably talked for one minute and one second. I know this because all of my phone calls last between 59 seconds and 61 seconds and it seemed like a long conversation.
If it could even be called a conversation.
I don't know what my problem is I called them. I wanted to talk to them. I still want to talk to them. But I ended the conversation before I wanted to. That's messed up.
I talked to them for four hours straight on the weekend. They even commented on how easy it was to talk to me.
It is the stupid phone. I hate phones. Phones are my nemesis. One of the best working moments of my life was being fired, on my birthday, from a job that required copious amounts of phone conversations.
So, back to thinking about my friend. I would rather drive for 2.5 hours to where they live, talk to them and then drive 2.5 hours back to Medicine Hat than have the exact same conversation on the phone.
That's probably weird.
-Gary
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
Ordering Stuff on the Internet
It really feels like I've been ordering a lot of stuff on the internet lately. Late Saturday night I bought season 2 of a television series that I've recently started to enjoy. Today I purchased a light stand, umbrella adapter and umbrella, to mount my speed light on for some hot off camera flash action. Not to mention that Russian mail-order bride. I have now idea how the mailman will fit her in the mailbox, hopefully the shipper will punch a few holes in the box for her.
Everything and everyone should start showing up in the mail tomorrow or so.
-Gary
Everything and everyone should start showing up in the mail tomorrow or so.
-Gary
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Photomaton
In 1926, a Jewish inventor from Siberia named Anatol Josepho opened a photo-booth concession, the first Photomaton in the world.
It makes me want to find one and get some pictures taken.
-Gary
It makes me want to find one and get some pictures taken.
-Gary
Saturday, May 31, 2008
First Outdoor Sitting of the Summer
Today I had my first outdoor sitting of the summer season. It made me pretty happy. You get a little cabin fever being cooped up in the studio from September to May. You have to think in a totally different manner. You get to do things that you would never do in the studio.
It's nice. I had a really good day at work today. I'm so glad I have such a great job.
Oh and it looks like I have a date lined up for Monday. Life is looking up.
-g
It's nice. I had a really good day at work today. I'm so glad I have such a great job.
Oh and it looks like I have a date lined up for Monday. Life is looking up.
-g
Monday, May 26, 2008
Istockalypse Now
I am planning an istock minilypse here in Medicine Hat for July 19-20. I'm pretty excited for it. We had our first meeting today and it looks like we are going to get some top selling pictures.
We are planning for 15 photographers to make it manageable for ourselves as first time planners. We hope to rent a good chunk of a local high school and the YMCA.
We are possibly going to have a casting call for models here in town but we think we might know enough people willing to model that we might not even need to do that. Obviously we need school aged kids, teacher types and people that do fitness type things (people in shape and people that need to get into shape).
I'm really excited about getting this event off the ground.
-Gary
We are planning for 15 photographers to make it manageable for ourselves as first time planners. We hope to rent a good chunk of a local high school and the YMCA.
We are possibly going to have a casting call for models here in town but we think we might know enough people willing to model that we might not even need to do that. Obviously we need school aged kids, teacher types and people that do fitness type things (people in shape and people that need to get into shape).
I'm really excited about getting this event off the ground.
-Gary
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Facebook Poker
I've been playing facebook poker a little more often lately, and doing pretty well. Now, I'm not really that great of a poker player, but I seem to be a lot better than many of the other facebook players. I'm ranked at about 47,000 out of 633,000 daily users which is %7 of the total players. That ranking is probably out of date because I just made a cool 20k in play money and the rankings aren't calculated live.
There only a few secrets that I can see. First is to build your bankroll until you can actually afford to play at the bigger tables, the 100/200 tables. People will go in with a 2000 minimum buy in against people who have 20,000+ chips. It just doesn't make sense. Statistically the randomness of the games is going to put you out when the chip difference is that big.
Second is to play the bigger tables. The people at those tables play a little more consistently, and seem to react to what the other players do with a little bit of sense. I guess it comes from having more chips to lose. At the low stake tables, people will play too randomly and just get lucky on the river card. You can't play with a strategy or figure out what the other people are going to do in certain situations because they are behaving with out rhyme or reason.
-gary
There only a few secrets that I can see. First is to build your bankroll until you can actually afford to play at the bigger tables, the 100/200 tables. People will go in with a 2000 minimum buy in against people who have 20,000+ chips. It just doesn't make sense. Statistically the randomness of the games is going to put you out when the chip difference is that big.
Second is to play the bigger tables. The people at those tables play a little more consistently, and seem to react to what the other players do with a little bit of sense. I guess it comes from having more chips to lose. At the low stake tables, people will play too randomly and just get lucky on the river card. You can't play with a strategy or figure out what the other people are going to do in certain situations because they are behaving with out rhyme or reason.
-gary
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Ultimate Frisbee
So the spring ultimate frizbee league started on Tuesday. Today was our second game. The game on Tuesday was great the weather was really nice and there were lots of people. Today there were plenty of people but it was freezing cold out and the wind was just bitter cold. I was starting to get ear aches from the cold wind, I and wished that I had had some cotton to put in my ears.
It is a really fun game, but I need to work on my disc handling skills a lot. I'm in my endurance is above average right now because I have been hitting the treadmill for the last few weeks, but I also need to work on my speed. Losing 30lbs would go a long way and losing 50 would be perfect.
I'm on a team now. We are the yellows. It looks like a pretty good team. A few more weeks in and I'll be doing just fine. By the end of the spring league, I'll be ready for the summer competitive league.
Anyone in Medicine Hat looking for an Ultimate Frizbee team, check out the Medicine Hat Ultimate Disk League site hudl.ca
It is a really fun game, but I need to work on my disc handling skills a lot. I'm in my endurance is above average right now because I have been hitting the treadmill for the last few weeks, but I also need to work on my speed. Losing 30lbs would go a long way and losing 50 would be perfect.
I'm on a team now. We are the yellows. It looks like a pretty good team. A few more weeks in and I'll be doing just fine. By the end of the spring league, I'll be ready for the summer competitive league.
Anyone in Medicine Hat looking for an Ultimate Frizbee team, check out the Medicine Hat Ultimate Disk League site hudl.ca
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
I am Iron Man
I went to see Iron Man with a cute girl called Lisa tonight. I had a really good time. I really enjoyed the movie a lot, it was better than most of the comic book movies that have come out in the last few years.
Getting to know Lisa was the best part. It's been years since I have felt comfortable getting to know a woman other than as a co-worker or acquaintance, friend of a friend type things.
I do miss having someone that I am completely comfortable with to tell my secrets to, but I guess that will take more that sitting in a theater together and a dinner. At least I got to celebrate my birthday in style.
-Gary
Getting to know Lisa was the best part. It's been years since I have felt comfortable getting to know a woman other than as a co-worker or acquaintance, friend of a friend type things.
I do miss having someone that I am completely comfortable with to tell my secrets to, but I guess that will take more that sitting in a theater together and a dinner. At least I got to celebrate my birthday in style.
-Gary
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
I Come From The Land Down Under
See this photo, It is making me famous down under. Look for it about seven seconds into the clip.
It's already working wonders here in Canada, I have a date tomorrow. The ladies just love Famous Gary.
-Gary Milner
It's already working wonders here in Canada, I have a date tomorrow. The ladies just love Famous Gary.
-Gary Milner
Monday, May 05, 2008
Pedal Power
I went for my first bike ride of the year today. I rode to the Crestwood Rec Center. On the way there, I stopped at the bike shop to purchase a new lock and some new pedals.
I accidentally broke my left pedal a couple of years ago and should have had it replaced right away. Today it was replaced. The new pedals are amazing. They are a lot wider than my old ones, it makes me wish that I had just had the old ones replaced right when I bought the bike in the first place.
Wide pedals are the way to go for sure. They are so much more comfortable for your foot, and it feels like you can pedal much harder because more of your foot is on the pedal. It also seems like my foot is much less likely to slip off of the pedal.
I think that I will start riding my bike to work at least two days a week. Maybe Wednesdays and Fridays.
I accidentally broke my left pedal a couple of years ago and should have had it replaced right away. Today it was replaced. The new pedals are amazing. They are a lot wider than my old ones, it makes me wish that I had just had the old ones replaced right when I bought the bike in the first place.
Wide pedals are the way to go for sure. They are so much more comfortable for your foot, and it feels like you can pedal much harder because more of your foot is on the pedal. It also seems like my foot is much less likely to slip off of the pedal.
I think that I will start riding my bike to work at least two days a week. Maybe Wednesdays and Fridays.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Dating
Had my first date last Friday. We went to a movie and then to a restaurant for appetizers afterwards. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least.
I don't know what I was really expecting as I start my life over, but I have to admit that I had a really good time and I hope I can duplicate it again this week with another girl.
-Gary
I don't know what I was really expecting as I start my life over, but I have to admit that I had a really good time and I hope I can duplicate it again this week with another girl.
-Gary
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Grad Formals
I shot my second grad formal sitting today. The girl had a beautiful dress that must have cost a fortune. I haven't looked at the converted files yet, but I'm sure that I got a lot of very nice photos.
Graduation is my favourite time of year. The girls all look so good in their dresses, they are almost all excited to be their for their photos and they are almost always happy with how the pictures turn out.
Those three things make the job so much more fun. That and this is the beginning of the most creatively free time of the year. During the school shooting and to a lesser extent we have most of the poses pretty well planned and everything is choreographed to be as efficient as possible.
With grad, there is no real plan from person to person, each person gets an individual session. Within the limits of the photographer's style of course. I'm really happy that the formals are starting.
-Gary
Graduation is my favourite time of year. The girls all look so good in their dresses, they are almost all excited to be their for their photos and they are almost always happy with how the pictures turn out.
Those three things make the job so much more fun. That and this is the beginning of the most creatively free time of the year. During the school shooting and to a lesser extent we have most of the poses pretty well planned and everything is choreographed to be as efficient as possible.
With grad, there is no real plan from person to person, each person gets an individual session. Within the limits of the photographer's style of course. I'm really happy that the formals are starting.
-Gary
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Big News A Little Early
I promised some big news on Monday, but I guess I'll give it a little early.
The divorce is final today.
I guess I sort of thought of this whole thing as a place to share my feelings. It isn't. Not today anyway.
This will be the final post on the matter.
-Gary
The divorce is final today.
I guess I sort of thought of this whole thing as a place to share my feelings. It isn't. Not today anyway.
This will be the final post on the matter.
-Gary
Friday, April 11, 2008
Home Again
I guess I've needed a couple of weeks to relax after my vacation. I'm a big fan of taking a little while to chill.
That being said I do have a few things to write about.
On the way home from Bs.As. the plane waited patiently for it's turn to take off for over 20 minutes. Then there was a storm over the amazon river that we had to go around, not to mention the head winds. Which meant that at the exact time we landed in Chicago, my flight to Dallas was taking off. Which was fine. The lady at the desk was very helpful and suggested that I take a flight to Huston then back to Calgary.
Good. I always liked Huston. But as we all know there are lots of problems in Huston. Not the least of which was that the airline that the lady in Chicago had booked my flight to Calgary on, wouldn't honour my ticket. They said I could go standby, but that if I didn't make it on, I wouldn't have time to go make it back for my plan B.
So I went back to the original airline told them the story and they put me on a flight to Dallas and a later flight to Calgary. I got to Calgary 12 hours later than I expected. But at least I got to go to Huston.
At Calgary I hopped a cab to the greyhound station and bought a ticket to Medicine Hat. Did you know that there is a bus from Calgary to Medicine Hat at 1:00am on Saturday night? I slept the entire way. I had my headphones on and when the bus driver shouted to the people on the bus that, "We're in Medicine Hat, and would Gary Milner please get off, I know you're here I did a head count and we have one extra person and your luggage is here." I didn't hear him. He started waking people up, luckily I was in the second seat from the front. I don't think I have ever been in such a daze in my entire life. I was completely powerless to resist.
A few minutes of the cold Canadian air woke me right up. I called a cab and got a ride home. It was really great to be back in my own bed.
Now I have been working for two weeks and we are done taking all the grad photos, except for a few stragglers. Anyone who comes now is going to have a hard time getting into the yearbook, we already sent the photos to the schools.
On of our photo editors has moved on to another job, editing video now, so I have been recruited to do some of the pre-editing. I like it well enough, in fact it is very nice when there isn't a lot to do in the studio side of things. It helps us photographers be busy and keeps us out of our assistant's hair so she can keep busy putting the packages together and helping customers.
Work is going really well. I'm really happy to be back in the studio taking photos again.
Come back Monday for some big news.
-Gary
That being said I do have a few things to write about.
On the way home from Bs.As. the plane waited patiently for it's turn to take off for over 20 minutes. Then there was a storm over the amazon river that we had to go around, not to mention the head winds. Which meant that at the exact time we landed in Chicago, my flight to Dallas was taking off. Which was fine. The lady at the desk was very helpful and suggested that I take a flight to Huston then back to Calgary.
Good. I always liked Huston. But as we all know there are lots of problems in Huston. Not the least of which was that the airline that the lady in Chicago had booked my flight to Calgary on, wouldn't honour my ticket. They said I could go standby, but that if I didn't make it on, I wouldn't have time to go make it back for my plan B.
So I went back to the original airline told them the story and they put me on a flight to Dallas and a later flight to Calgary. I got to Calgary 12 hours later than I expected. But at least I got to go to Huston.
At Calgary I hopped a cab to the greyhound station and bought a ticket to Medicine Hat. Did you know that there is a bus from Calgary to Medicine Hat at 1:00am on Saturday night? I slept the entire way. I had my headphones on and when the bus driver shouted to the people on the bus that, "We're in Medicine Hat, and would Gary Milner please get off, I know you're here I did a head count and we have one extra person and your luggage is here." I didn't hear him. He started waking people up, luckily I was in the second seat from the front. I don't think I have ever been in such a daze in my entire life. I was completely powerless to resist.
A few minutes of the cold Canadian air woke me right up. I called a cab and got a ride home. It was really great to be back in my own bed.
Now I have been working for two weeks and we are done taking all the grad photos, except for a few stragglers. Anyone who comes now is going to have a hard time getting into the yearbook, we already sent the photos to the schools.
On of our photo editors has moved on to another job, editing video now, so I have been recruited to do some of the pre-editing. I like it well enough, in fact it is very nice when there isn't a lot to do in the studio side of things. It helps us photographers be busy and keeps us out of our assistant's hair so she can keep busy putting the packages together and helping customers.
Work is going really well. I'm really happy to be back in the studio taking photos again.
Come back Monday for some big news.
-Gary
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