25 Random things about me...

I was recently “tagged” on Facebook and the rules are that once you've been tagged, you’re supposed to write 25 random things about yourself.

Here are my 25 things.

1. I would love to be as tall and as thin as it says I am on my driver’s license.
2. Even though my girls are now teenagers, I go in their room every night and check on them.
3. I rarely sleep past 4am, regardless of when I go to bed.
4. At 53 I often think that two thirds of my life (at least) is behind me.
5. When many people were avoiding the draft, I enlisted in the army at 17.
6. I enlisted on Pearl Harbor Day.
7. Folks would laugh if they saw how I acted with my dogs.
8. I never learned to swim or ice skate, but made sure my children did.
9. I love the Simpsons.
10. My favorite Christmas movie is “A Christmas Carol”.
11. My favorite non-Christmas movie would be “Shawshank Redemption”.
12. I think the best movie I ever saw was “Sixth Sense”.
13. Reality shows that have the goal of ending up alone on an island counting your money is not even close to winning. I would rather be penniless with my friends.
14. Some bumper stickers are true, mean people do suck.
15. To teach myself patience I will often get in the longest line at the grocery store.
16. I met my wife while I was on a date with another woman.
17. I am no fan of the cold and snow; I often fantasize about being a snow bird.
18. I love Disney.
19. Most of my friends don’t know I did a jazz radio show.
20. Writing my blog has turned out to be waaaaay more fun than I thought it would be.
21. I don’t “get” sushi.
22. I love nature shows.
23. How government works makes no sense to me. Like the bank bailout - instead of giving the banks billions of dollars, give the money to us, we pay off our credit cards, car loans, and mortgages. People are saved from bankruptcy, get to keep their homes, and the banks still get their money - everyone wins.
24. Is it me or is every other TV commercial about erectile dysfunction?
25. The most embarrassing thing I ever did was 45 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was (around 7) visiting my dad, his new wife had just had a baby, there was a big family dinner to celebrate, and my job was to set the table. Well, being the brainiac that I was thought that my stepmom was coming home from the hospital and needed clean conditions and I had seen a big box in the bathroom that said “Sanitary Napkins” so I grabbed an armful and put one under every single fork on the table (Keep in mind this was in the 60’s and those “napkins” were the size of a twin bed). You can just imagine the reaction when everyone came into the dining room.

Lightroom 2.3 (RC) is available...

Adobe has announced Lightroom 2.3 Release Candidates are available for download.

Keep in mind this is a "Release Candidate", not an upgrade, and as such it will install separately from your current version of Lightroom.

When version 2.3 is released you will then need to uninstall the release candidate manually, as this housekeeping is not done automatically (though I think it should be).

Here are the links to download Lightroom 2.3 Release Candidate for Macintosh and Windows.

If you have yet to make the Lightroom move and are wondering what all the broo ha ha is about, you can download a 30 day (fully functional) trial version here.

Keeping in the Release Candidate "theme" Adobe also announce the availability of Camera Raw 5.3 (RC).

Maine Strobist Meet-up - January 18...

The turnout for the Maine Strobist meet-up was outstanding, especially considering the fact that it was held in the middle of a blizzard that left 20 inches of snow on the ground! Of all the folks who were scheduled to attend, only 2 or 3 did not make it.

You can check out some of the images on this page.

The only downside (for me) was watching the video, I came to the realization I really am fat and old. And all this time I thought folks were just joking.

;)

Thanks to Gary for hosting the event, it was a bunch of work and he did a great job.

I am a Disney Addict...

There, I said it... isn't that the first step to recovery?

;)

My family and most of my friends are Disney fanatics and this post is meant to amuse us, them, and any other Disney darlings out there.

If you would like to get this video customized with your name (or anybody else's), simply follow this link.

Baby photography that inspires...

I was looking at the work of Carrie Sandoval and it is just tooooo good not to share, her work is jaw dropping (and inspiring).

To see more of her work and to learn how she does it be sure to check the following links:

1. Here is a video of Carrie doing a shoot, it's part of the Nikon "Look Good in Pictures" series

2. This is an interview with Carrie and she share more tips and tricks for photographing babies

3. Or if you just want to sit back and enjoy some of the best newborn photography out there, watch her slideshow "2008 in review"

The best B&W conversions you'll ever see...

One evening I received an email from my friend Stacey Kane, it was short and to the point:

"These are the best black and white conversions I have ever seen" followed by a link to Bohemian Art Photography.

I knew these had to be good because Stacey does not hand out praise willy nilly, she has a critical eye, and she LOVES black and white photography.

So I followed the link and spent the next hour (or so) looking at beautiful black and white images.

Just to give you a bit of how Bohemian Secret came to be, here is Sonia in her own words:

"Bohemian Secret has been created to share my love and passion for Black and White Photography. I have been asked so many times how do I do it, how do I achieve my BW images?

So as I sat one evening, a thought came to me and suddenly I realized that The Bohemian Secret was born. It was important to me to take time and create the space within me for the Secret to reveal itself. So I dived into a world of shades of grey and beyond, thinking about each and every aspect of what I do, how I live, and even who I am. I spent a few nights putting things together, not realizing what for, just following the inner feeling and at times it felt like the Secret had a life of its own."

There are a bunch of things I like about Bohemian Secret, here are just a few:

1. It comes with a 35 page pdf, walking you through the process of coming up with your stunning black and white images. You aren't just given some actions and left to struggle through on your own, trying to figure things out.

2. It's not just 1 (or a couple actions). Though you do have the option of creating a "click and done" black and white, but if you buy these secrets it's because you want the depth that is possible, and you want the details that is available in the shadows AND in the light.

3. Sonia challenges you to think, to think about the process and to think about what it is you are trying to achieve.

4. The accompanying pdf not only walks you through the possibilities of each of these actions, for every action, every step there are also sample before and after images to show you the possibilities. It is like Sonia is sitting next to you walking you step by step from beginning to end.

Here is a screen shot of just the Basic B&W actions:

While reading the pdf you also get a sense of her passion for photography, and it comes through that she cares about yours as well. She wants you to get the absolute most you can from using her actions.

If you want to be challenged to think about light, if you want to paint with light and dark, if detail is important to you, then Bohemian Secret is for you.

And know that much of what you learn will carry over to all of your images, making you a better over all photographer.

It is not only the best thing you can do for your black and white photography, it is likely the least expensive as well, selling for only $55 I challenge anyone to show me this much quality for such an affordable price.

Two thumbs way up for Bohemian Secret.

I'm looking for a lens, can you help?...

If any of you currently shoot (or have shot) with the Nikon 35-70mm 2.8 lens I would love to hear about your experiences with it (and feel free to share an image or two).

I've pretty much made up my mind to get one, but having others confirm that it's a wise purchase is a good thing.

In my bag I have a Nikon 17-55 2.8 and an 80-200 2.8 but would like to fill the "gap" between the two. You would also find a Nikon 18-200 in there, but it's focusing speed is measured with a calendar, not a stop watch. It's a great vacation and outdoor shooting lens, but just too darn slow for any inside work (like weddings and receptions).

Lastly, if you know of one for sale (other than eBay) please let me know. Thanks.