Old Becomes New Again

"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." ~Ansel Adams

First, I want to say thank you to Stephen Haynes for his commentary on my last blog post regarding copyrights. Posting a link on his blog, Magic Flute Fine Art Nudes was definitely a kind enough gesture and I appreciate that. His own blog link has been on my blog roll for some time as a resource to all of you and I honestly hope that you visit it often, first to admire the artwork of a master, but second to be privy to the issues that face photographers and what you can do about it. As I mentioned in the last post, Mr. Haynes is on hiatus from the blog, but he has not taken it down or denied anyone access to it. You can most definitely learn a great deal from heeding the words of this professional. I've had to address with two models issues regarding 2257 and you can guess who's book I am referencing again before I speak on the matter. I'm afraid it might be prudent for many of us who have an affinity for the artistic nude to become  a little more familiar with this issue as it presently stands. Having the means to protect yourself with due diligence cannot be outside the scope of wisdom. A defense of ignorance will be no aid to anyone who's work is challenged on the matter. A model I met with this very day puts that issue to practice and I also just mentioned today as well, in a message with Brittany II, that I need to change my current policies to more, and better, reflect the newly amended regulation.

Its been interesting to go back over images I've taken in the past. Some of which are shots that I've taken during modeling sessions that I either overlooked or didn't bother to edit for one reason or another. On those images, its been interesting to take a second look and peruse the gallery for possible compositions with potential. Some are also a few shots that I'd taken on a CF card of one subject and then filled the card up with a model shoot or another event. I discovered some old barns that I had taken while in Kentucky, maybe two years ago, in the same gallery of a model shoot. I shot the barns while on the way to see the models, but had forgotten them. I wish I had gotten more, but there were only a few. Other images were "in-between" images, I shot while I was shooting something else. For instance, during another model shoot, I took some shots of flowers and rocks, but I never reviewed them again. So, I've spent the majority of this weekend doing just that and its been rewarding. The best of this past week's results have been model shoots I did not long after I began shooting digital. I shot film before this and I've very much progressed in my skill in Photoshop since those shoots. Granted, I wish I still had a darkroom...if only for the option, but I could not help but laugh at my original attempts at photo editing using PS7! So yes, there has been a dire need to re-edit many of these images. Presently, I am reviewing some of my galleries of images that were shot in film. Of these, almost every digital scan is very poor in quality. I'm contemplating rescanning them for better results in the future as the expense is not presently necessary.

“...Frankly, I don’t know if anyone thought we’d go from among the nation’s lowest for unemployment to its highest...."
 -Jeremy Aguero, a principal in local research and consulting firm Applied Analysis, Las Vegas Review Journal

On another note, I'm sad that I have elected to finally let go of my Las Vegas Art Models Group. Too many current concerns demand my more immediate attention. I haven't held a workshop in some time due to a lack of participation, mainly. For about two years, these workshops were central in my priorities, but at some point last year, the people just stopped coming. Part of it, I would imagine might be economic concerns. For the longest time, Las Vegas was No. 2 behind Detroit as the worst hit metropolitan in America. As of this past May, Vegas went over 14.1% unemployment and now lead the nation. And despite this, Congress, namely Republicans, kill the Jobless bill that would have extended unemployment benefits for all of these Nevadans across the state who are out of work. So that's one issue facing my workshop participants. The other is competition. My vision for the LVAMG is one that was never a function of profit. I charged money to pay the model and supplement my expenses to organize an effective workshop. It was nothing I could plan on living off of or pay bills with for sure. However, other organizers popped up who were able to provide better facilities, multiple glamour models, and have credentials of 20 or more years of photographic experience that they were willing to impart upon any and all who were willing to fork over the bucks. I paid the models out of pocket when participants stopped showing. And to be honest, my group was called the "art models" group...not photographer's group. The group was started as an effort to help art models get more work outside of the classrooms in art departments. Maybe I'll revisit this venture again, when my focus can come back to it and my resources can more effectively acquaint such an endeavor.

A Lil' Bit on Copyrights

"Only one thing is impossible for God: to find any sense in any copyright law on the planet . . . Whenever a copyright law is to be made or altered, then the idiots assemble."

- Mark Twain

Some things about copyrights are tricky, and then there are those that are clear cut. I admit that I don't understand everything myself. I'm not an attorney and I don't speak Legalese. I've listened to and read several blog posts, forum articles, and much commentary about how to copyright, what gets a copyright, and what's necessary to do it. I recently read an extensive article on copyrights and not one time did it mention the U. S. Copyright Office or the Library of Congress. Now it should be taken into consideration that I've already addressed the issue that I am not an attorney. Anything you read here about copyrights should be researched by yourself and concerns need to be taken up with someone who has passed a state bar exam for your area in the field of law. So in other words, Consult An Attorney.

To begin with, I'm only speaking to the copyright of photographic works. So I'm not covering all media of intellectual property. Photographically speaking, it's true that you own the copyrights to an image as soon as you release the shutter. So as soon as you capture the image, its your's. You can put the copyright stamp (the c in the circle...©, which you can produce by holding down the Alt-key on a PC and typing 0169). This is normally done in three parts, the copyright symbol, the year of the copyright, and the owner. So mine looks like this: © 2010 Terrell Neasley. Once you've got that done, you can place that notice anywhere on your photo you like. Some people put it across the center, so its not so easily removed. I usually put mine in a corner of the image and fade it a little. You can do what you feel comfortable with. 

Once you've taken the shot and included the copyright notice, all that is left is proving it's yours. This is where most people get into trouble. I've heard several theories as to how this is done, but there's no need to go into all that. The only thing that will stand up in court as proof that you own said image is your registration with the U.S. Copyright Office of the Library of Congress. Here is the difference between a registered image and one that is not. As it relates to theft, if another agency or someone else uses your image without permission, you can take them to court if you deem the offense serious enough. Mind you...court a'int cheap. Without a copyright, you have to establish somehow that the picture belongs to you. If you can't tough luck. But lets say the image still has the metatag data embedded in it and it identifies you and your camera as the owner. Great, now ownership has been established. All that happens now...I should say probably happen is that the judge will slap the offender on the wrist and say, "Hey...Cut it out! Quit using this guy's images. Court adjourned." And then you have to give your lawyer some money and pay the court fees. You might get fortunate enough to get the judge to order the defendant to pay some of that. ON THE CONTRARY... if you ARE registered, it would go like this. You produce the registration, the court slaps the offending party with Actual Damages by using the industry standard for licensing fees had the defendant legally acquired your permission (depending on how the image was used); You'd get Statutory Damages upwards of $150,000 just for him being a butt-head, AND the guy would have to cover your legal bills. See the benefit here?

So how do you register your copyright? Well first, you have to answer one question. Has the image been published? If it has, you need to make two copies of it. If not, one will suffice. You can't send in published images as a group via electronic means though. Its got to be hard copies.  The C.O. defines Publication as: 

Publication Under copyright law, publication is the distribution of copies of a work—in this case, a photograph—to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership or by rental, lease, or lending. Offering to distribute copies to a group of people for purposes of further distribution or public display also constitutes publication. However, a public display of a photograph does not in itself constitute publication. The definition of publication in the U.S. copyright law does not specifically address online transmission. The Copyright Office therefore asks applicants, who know the facts surrounding distribution of their works, to determine whether works are published.

Go to the website, fill out the forms, include it with the disk, send it in, and wait. It can take MONTHS for electronic submissions to get the certificate back (or even 2 years for hard copies), but that's okay. It's backdated to the day the copyright office gets it in the mail. By the way, send it registered mail and get delivery confirmation on it and file that away too. Within 90 days of creation, your image is covered. Outside of that, your protection is limited if the image is not registered at the time of an offense. So on day 50, if you see your shot in a magazine, you can still go register the shot (with the next 40 days) and take the magazine to court. If its day 93 by the time you see your unregistered image in that magazine, you can still go register the shot, and then sue, but damages will be limited or could be nil. So a newly born image is automatically protected for 90 days, registered or unregistered, at the time of offense. After that, it has to be registered before the offense. So if its a whole year (365 days) after creation by the time you register, and then at day 366 someone offends, you can still take them to court and make'em pay.

As a rule, many photogs send in all their new works created every 3 months. So every 90 days, they send in everything they did as a collective unit or single body of work at a cost of $50 (Its $65 for a group if published. Check current fees). You can save $15 if you use the electronic submission. You can visit the website to figure out what forms you'll use for hard copies. These have changed recently so you may need to check again, if you think you already know. 

There is a plethora of creditable information governing copyrights. My second most valuable source is Photo Attorney.com, run by Carol E. Wright. She is an attorney specializing in the law for photographers. In fact, right now her latest blog post covers protecting your images. You can more than likely search or peruse her blog to get a bunch of professional advice that cover the basics and bring you up to date on current issues. I've detailed only the basic info that you can easily find. Things like Fair Use, Licensing/Creative Commons, and Reg 2257 are topics that the pros and legal advisors specialize in. I can only generalize. In fact, here are some of Carol Wright's important articles as posted on her blog, of course if she says anything different from me, go with her's:

1. Help I've Been Infringed! - Now What Do I Do?

2. Registering Your Copyrights Using the eCO System

3. Using the DMCA Takedown Notice to Battle Infringement

4. The Fuss About Fair Use

I also recommend heavily Stephen Haynes. He has taken a hiatus from his blog as of a week ago, but you can still search through it for plenty of details and issues. He's an attorney also and wrote the definitive book covering this Reg 2257 stuff, "A Photographer's Guide to Section 2257" . You can get the soft cover version or buy it in PDF. I got it, its worth it. I recommend it. He's helping with a lawsuit against the government because of some of the rights photographers have that are infringed upon by 2257. 

I think this is one of the longest posts I've done. You're probably tired of me by now. So I'll forgo Creative Commons Licencing Agreements, and International Copyrights. I'm sure you can look that stuff up anyways. Take a look at TinEye, the reverse image search engine. I advise researching how to use metadata in your shots and being careful of where you place your images for display online. Its a simple thing to capture an image from online. It makes me wonder why we use unprotected sites like DeviantArt, Flikr, Model Mayhem, and even Blogger, to display our work. Why do we do that? What do we truly gain from the assumed risk? Anyone...

Bringing Back Sam

"Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again."

- Og Mandino

(This is how I feel sometimes!)

I can honestly say that I have just about adapted to digital photography in the way that I did with film. I could spend seemingly endless hours in a darkroom. While in grad school, a few years back, I'd easily say 75% of my time was spent developing film and prints in a lab. I've clocked more than 24 hours straight...minus the bathroom break and food on more than a single occasion. My academic peers struggled to understand how I could expect to handle the various class projects, papers, and exams since scholastic endeavors were not my priority. Nonetheless I finished among the top in my class for both degree programs. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy. There were many sleepless nights and days, for that matter. I just did what I had to do. Photo was important to me and I had to have it. It may not have been the wisest thing, but it has paid off. I've learned so much more because of my film background and its helped me appreciate fine art photography to a greater degree. The above cartoon was really funny to me. Trust me, I can relate.

Model, Samantha

I had just begun to play with darkroom manipulations when I ended up moving to Lost Wages, I mean, Las Vegas. I was dismayed because I was just beginning to discover my own style in the darkroom. Inspired by Jerry Ulesmann, I began to see what was actually possible with film that I never imagined could be true. I liken it unto Roger Bannister's quest to be first to break the 4-minute mile. It was imagined impossible until he did it, after which several other runners accomplished the feat within the next few years. This was the sort of effect Ulesmann's work had on my own art. Granted, I don't place myself in a Ulesmann category, but you get the idea. As for digital, its taken me another almost 4 years to began to feel comfortable enough to pick up where I left off in film. I've been doing more of this style lately, basically playing around in Photoshop and figuring it out as I go. I can pretty much look at a shot and get a general idea of what I want to do with it, but lots of it is trial and error. I still feel that there is a slight loss in craftsmanship in digital photography. Partly that may be because in most cases, a craftsman used his/her hands to mold, build, or create something from raw materials. It had an aesthetic value that was created from the common and your style or technique differentiated your own work from similar creations of another craftsman. I guess the same can hold true even though your efforts are in effect, inputs into a computer. I've looked at enough artwork though, that I can in many cases, discern  and identify a particular photographer's work just by the style of the photograph.

Back Patio, Sam's Place, Las Vegas

These are shots of Samantha. Its been more than a year since I've worked with her last. Things got a little busy in her life and we just never touched base with one another again. I was very much surprised to get a call from her while I was in Tennessee to express an interest in continuing where we left off. Sam has actually become a photographer in her own right in since I last met her and we've discussed a few collaborations of our own. Its always good to talk to Sam. You always leave her feeling upbeat and having been inspired from great conversations. These are some preliminary imagery that I sort of took off running with. I got almost 200 images in this session and have edited around 30 or so. You can follow her happenings on her blog Anais Productions as she details her activities as a photog and model.

My Buddy Umit Drops in Again

"I will avoid despair, but if this disease of the mind infects me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep my eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows."

- From the Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino, Ch. 10 : The Scroll Marked III, p. 66

Ironically enough, right after my post of how hot it's been in Vegas, the temperature dropped to more comfortable and reasonable measures. It lasted about a week or so before the temps started to soar again. I much appreciate the brief respite. It only got sweltering a few times a little after mid day. But best of all, we had a nice cloud cover over the weekend while my good ol' buddy, Umit was here. I got to spend the day with him on Friday and we drove around the city looking at shopping prospects. Umit is my grad school compadre who is here visiting from Turkey. I hadn't seen him for 4 years since we parted ways after graduating the MBA program at Murray State University in KY. In December of 07, I did a blog post entitled, "Tribute to Umit", in which I chronicle our experiences and how we met. I was excited that he got to come back to the States again and swing by Las Vegas. He was stateside once before a couple of years back but didn't get to stop anywhere close by. It was certainly good to get to talk to my friend in person for a change. I just wish we had more time to catch up.

Umit, shopping at Tommy Bahama at 

Town Square, Las Vegas

I came across this interesting article the other day: "Rare photo of slave children found in NC attic", by NICOLE NORFLEET, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jun 10, 2010. It details a few interesting points about the picture. First is that its of children. Second, its accompanied by a $1,150 Bill of Sale for one of the children which is no small amount. Thirdly, it was taken by either 19th Century War Photographer, Matthew Brady, who was famous for his Civil War depictions and portraits of President Abraham Lincoln and General Robert E. Lee, or one of his apprentices. A collector paid $50 Grand for the shot and the Bill of Sale. Who has 50 grand just laying around in an economy like this? I mean, Dang! Some dude had to have $50K that wasn't already allocated to anything when he hears about some rare photo and figures, "I think I want that...". How do you explain that to the Mrs? She's probably wondering why it wasn't already being spent on her! Nah...listen to me hating on the rich. It was probably purchased on credit, anyway. Glad I don't have his Visa bill. (Now I feel better.)

Looking out at the MGM and Tropicana 

from his Excalibur Hotel room

Mr. GQ! Yeah. I started to have him show some hair on 

his chest for ya'll, but then I thought...Nah, he's cool.

Blogger has some new template designs that I think I'll be trying out at some point. It doesn't appear to allow you to widen out the content area, so I'll have to figure that one out again. I'd been wondering when they'd have something new for us. The new look I've been searching for still eludes me. The current format is not a bad one though, but it lacks that "Oomph!" that I so desire. At some point, I need to establish my brand concept and have my website and blog in concert with one another. I want everything consistent. I've done that with my business card and some brochures. Your marketing needs to agree is all. So that's my goal...to have all my sites with my logo, color scheme, and feel to establish that brand recognition. Not quite there yet though. Incidentally, that quote above is of particular interest to me today. I've read everything Og Mandino has put to print. I should probably read him again. I particularly like the end, "...where the dry desert ends, green grass grows." Sounds like Las Vegas to ME! Therefore I will persist here until I see that green grass.

It's Hot! Damn Hot!

"A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water."

- Eleanor Roosevelt 

*Sorry... I just like that quote. Its got nothing to do with any of my topics.

"Hey, can you tell me what's your name? 

"My name is Roosevelt E. Roosevelt." Roosevelt, what town are you stationed in? "I'm stationed in Poontang." Well, thank you, Roosevelt. What's the weather like out there? "It's hot! Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest thing is my shorts. I could cook things in it. A little crotch pot cooking." Well, tell me what it feels like. "Fool, it's hot! I told you again! Were you born on the sun? It's damn hot! It's so damn hot, I saw these little guys, their orange robes burst into flames. It's that hot! Do you know what I'm talking about?" What do you think it's going to be like tonight? "It's gonna be hot and wet! That's nice if you're with a lady, but ain't no good if you're in the jungle!" Thank you, Roosevelt." 

--- Robin Williams, from "Good Morning, Vietnam!"

Summer has arrived here in the Las Vegas Valley a little early...like by three weeks. Already, we are getting record temperatures. At 108 degrees, its pretty dog-gone hot and the hottest time of the year is still a ways off yet. I don't feel all that smart when I walk outside and my mind asks myself, "Why are we here, again?". But honestly, where can you go? Wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, or blizzards...something's going to get ya. I still say we bring Al Gore back and force him to be Energy Czar whether he wants to or not. Something's gotta be done. Global warming really sucks.

Joanie, Dry lake bed, Nevada

On an entirely different note, I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and I was asked about celebrity shoots. Megan Fox came up in our discussion and he asked if she'd be my celebrity of choice to do a nude shoot with. When I said no, he gave me a look of disbelief, but threw out a few more model/actress names. Rhianna, Brittany Spears, and several more popular names were all dismissed. Still disbelieving me, he asked me to identify who'd be my choice. At first, I said that if the choice were mine, I'd select two of the first models I worked with, but only once. I didn't mention the names, but in truth, I'd like another shot at my friends, Sara and Elizabeth. This was not acceptable to him. He wanted celebrities. I'm not the star-struck type, but I did give him two names that popped into my head. I'd have to say if there were two celebs I think I'd like to work with, it would have to be ESPN Analyst Sage Steele, and the Travel Channel's own, Samantha Brown. My friend didn't understand my choices. He recalled Sage Steele, but had no knowledge of Samantha Brown. I informed him that his not knowing her did not disqualify her. She's on TV often enough whether she's on channels he watches or not. Traveling all over the world with a model is a life-long dream of mine anyway. Samantha is definitely a qualifier in that arena. So at any rate, they are my choices.

Joanie was very patient and never complained about 

putting her tush on rough spots.

I need to get back to doing my art nudes. Its been a loooong while since I've done it regularly. Joanie, is the only person I've worked with since October, I believe. Its been tough to find the time while I've had other concerns. I wasn't even trying to shoot any nudes. In fact, I would not have even gotten to shoot Joanie had she not asked me first. The shots you now see were done a month or so ago on a second shoot I did with her. I now have a few models lined up for the near future, that I've been in talks with. I was supposed to work with a friend while in Tennessee, but it just didn't work out. Normally, I'd have found a back-up, but I was sort of sure of this girl, so I didn't hunt for anyone else when she originally said yes. That back-fired on me, but such is the business. Right now, there are at least three new models that I'm looking forward to. Actually, I've shot with one of them before, but its been more than a year. There's also Faerie whom I'm due to see this upcoming weekend, but I don't know if we'll shoot. Its more of a social thing, but I'm taking the camera anyway. I never want to visit Faerie without my camera. So hopefully, I'm looking at 5 potentials (another one popped in my head.)

Abstract image of Joanie

Dave Rudin and I talked extensively last night and one of our topics was the nude drought we've both been in.  The two of us tend to envy Dave Levingston who seems to shoot daily. (BTW, be sure to update your links to DaveL's new blog site.) There's no way DaveR could handle that work load with his film photography. In fact, he discusses the 30 rolls he's still needing to develop from February, in his latest blog posting. I don't know if I could handle that load either. I still spend a lot of time editing and can easily get back logged. I could probably handle 4 to 6 shoots a month, though. One thing DaveR pointed out that I didn't realize was that actor Dennis Hopper, who passed away recently, was also a photographer. I knew about the exploits of Leonard Nimoy, Spock from Star Trek, and his foray into some serious art nude work, but I hadn't the slightest clue about Mr. Hopper. I came across this Chasing Light blog post by NY Photographer Doug Kim, who displays some excellent shots taken by Dennis Hopper. My favorite is the first one of Paul Newman. I just finished a Paul Newman movie called Exodus just a few hours ago, in fact.

I Wish I Had Given Al Gore More Consideration

"If you asked me to name the three scariest threats facing the human race, I would give the same answer that most people would:nuclear war, global warming and Windows."

- Dave Barry

The past few weeks, mainly all of May actually, have been an interesting one. Much of it has been contending with the Veteran's Administration regarding injuries and problems from my Army days. As of recently, the wrist has been wrapped up for the last 3 weeks, but trust me there are other issues too. This is the first time in my life where I've felt like the body is just breaking down. Yeah, I know...people keep saying I'm getting old is the rampant joke. I've never had an issue with my age, but at 41, I know I experience pains that should be a ways off, yet. I beat the hell out of my body and practically gave it away to the service of my country in my youth. I gotta tell ya... I'm paying for it now.

Daughter and Granddaughter

As mentioned in my last post, I got to spend a little time in Tennessee visiting my brand-spanking new grand daughter. My mom also flew to TN and that was a pleasant visit as well. It was a first for getting to spend time with just my mom. Usually some of the other siblings or family members were around, but during out stay, we shared a room at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. I don't remember ever having Mama all to myself. My daughter and her husband have two cars so I got the loan of her car to chauffeur moms around when necessary. Tennessee, especially the Nashville and Clarksville area were recently hit with record flood waters only weeks before our arrival and it was still raining. Waters were receding by the time we got there, but you could still feel the dampness in the air. Humidity was high. There was an extreme contrast in environments. I flew in from one of the hottest and driest places in the U.S. into an area of the country with the most water looming in the air still. My body hadn't experienced that since my deployment to Central America from Fort Campbell on a peace-keeping mission. We practically needed scuba gear just to walk off the plane. TN was also so green...a total opposite to the desert browns. I got lots of pictures that I am still editing on, mainly  pics of the baby along with family and friends who came to see the baby. These are a few of the miscellaneous shots I took.

Tugboat heading down the post-flooded Cumberland River.

So what's my title about, you ask...

I recently and finally watched "An Inconvenient Truth" which was made back in 2006. I'm 4 years behind on this documentary. I just never made time for it, mainly because I did't really like Al Gore all that much and I can't really tell you why. At the time the documentary was made, I wasn't keen on environmental change and didn't understand fully what we could do to make a real difference. I just didn't believe it could be done. The different advocate groups could yell and preach all they wanted but I just didn't see the rest of the world caring so much and thus my own attitude became very passive about the issue. We weren't giving up oil. I couldn't see electric cars replacing American muscle. Solar panels were too expensive and they look ugly on your roof. I guess I gave as much respect to the issue as I do they guy wearing the aluminum foil hat to keep aliens from controlling his mind.

Cameron, entertaining at his house

I watch many-a-documentaries, though. "An Inconvenient Truth" was on my list to see. It just never beat out the more interesting documentaries that discussed space, science, sex, religion, or elements of the human condition. What did get my attention a little was some of the cable television shows that made a series out of going green, particularly some of the house constructs that implemented  renewable energy tech into their homes that looked gorgeous. Also about this same time frame I was in grad school and touched on this a little while getting my MBA in 2006. The next year however, we really dove into this during my Master of Science work in Telecommunications. It was a misunderstanding on my team's part that made me stumble into this green tech thing head first. Our final class project consisted of basically wiring a brand new university for state of the art Telecom. Because of some ambiguity in the instructions, we interpreted it as building the entire school from scratch when the requirement was just for the infrastructure! We went all out in construction design, materials, techniques, and technology to build the school while minimizing our carbon footprint. By the time we finished, we had build the school for free (due to actual existing government grants, partnerships, and tax credits), we were completely off the grid and selling energy back to the Tennessee Valley Authority, and used as much local material and talent that could be acquired. We incorporated new and cheaper non-silicon solar tech (CIGSS), the latest and greatest in energy efficient IT (Virtualized Servers and MAID systems), and even a wind farm. We even had waterless urinals, for crying out loud. We were Platinum rated in LEED compliance. We didn't miss any element of infrastructure design. We built in consideration for the nearby New Madrid fault as well as social concerns such as the school shooting that happened Virginia Tech that same year in 2007. This was a great project management challenge and we did well with it.

Magnolia Leaf and Bloom

So that left me with a wondering of why more companies weren't seeing the benefits of this. This point in time was a complete 180 from where I was before. I moved to Nevada in 07 and was amazed at the fact that this state gets more sun and has more federal land than anywhere else in the US, yet we don't take advantage of it. Casinos are more tech savvy than the state, yet there is more that they could be take the lead in. They certainly do when it comes to protecting their money...how about the same with the environment. Agencies are doing a good talk about green tech, but I'm just not seeing enough action. I worked for the State of Nevada in a huge government building. I got a 3 hour tour of the facilities and explored everything from the HVAC systems to emergency controls, but not so much in green efficiencies. I've seen the nay-sayers and listened to their views. I've analyzed the propaganda of those who refute the obvious. I have never before seen so much organized effort that has wasted so much money and time. Wait, actually I have...from the same people who kept trying to say cigarette smoking wasn't really causing cancer. As you can imagine, many of the anti-global warming pundits are also backed by the oil conglomerates...like BP!

 So, yeah...I wish I had given Al Gore a little more consideration.

"The warnings about global warming have been extremely clear for a long time. We are facing a global climate crisis. It is deepening. We are entering a period of consequences." 

~ Al Gore

Minority Rule

A perfect example of minority rule is a baby in the house.

-- Anonymous

Child rearing myth #1: Labor ends when the baby is born.

-- Anonymous

If your baby is "beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule and burps on demand, an angel all the time," you're the Grandpa."

-- Theresa Bloomingdale

Okay, I've been away from the blog for a bit. Didn't realize it had been this long since I had posted though. The biggest news though is that I've had a chance to meet my new grandkid. She's a gem. Its been 20 years since I had a little thing like that in my arms so much, but it was still a very familiar experience. I guess you don't forget things like that. She seems to like my singing. She doesn't do so much fussing when I've got her walking around and humming a few melodies. Well, listen. I'll do some more writing real soon. Give me a few more days and I'll give you the dish on all the latest and greatest. In the meantime, my daughter said its cool for me to post some of the pics I took of the baby. She's about 4 weeks old here.

Grounded

"A muscle is like a car. If you want it to run well early in the morning, you have to warm it up."

-- Florence Griffith Joyner 

-One element of my last End of Semester Project-

Sound advice. I don't know how many of you have experienced muscular tears, but those of you who have can sympathize with me. I'm not sure which location is the worst, but a high hamstring tear has GOT to be close to the top. I've got to drop some poundage to take pressure off my knee. I blew that out some years back in the military, but in addition, lumbar and cervical issues have plagued me much more over the last few years. All this has kept me less mobile than what I'm accustomed to and it shows. All around the gut! Well, I realize this is sort of a catch-22, because the heavier I get, the more pressure on the knee, the less mobile I become....the heavier I get again. Determined to break that cycle, I've been doing a few things to burn some calories. The stupid part was when I tried running without warming up. Within seconds, I felt muscle fibers give way and rebound down my leg. And the worst part of it is that its a high tear, like right below the cheeks.

So now sitting down is problematic, especially when you're wrapped up with an ice or heating pack. It is soooo not nice. Ever try going to the toilet on one butt-cheek. Try it. Stick a couple of tacks along the rim on one side. Then you shall share my pain. But I know, why would you want to...right? Over the last two days, I've totally forgotten about being a grand dad. Some business follow-ups never came to memory. This high-thigh hammy pull has all the attention of a colic-y baby that's been sitting in the same diaper all day. This is day three for me and  the first two days were lessons of constant reminders of what I CAN'T do for the time being. Its easy to get comfortable and forget the lack of mobility. Suddenly you become distinctively aware of your lapse in judgement akin to the way an infamous Catholic school nun might bring your attention back to reality from a fantastic daydream. At present, I have been fully trained on these sensitivities and I do not make those mistakes even when I sleep. So now its all about recovery. I am quite certain this is only a grade-2 tear. Its more than a simple strain resulting in sore muscles that I can rub out in a few days, but its also not quite a complete tear across the muscle or detachment from the bone. I give my self 2 weeks. So until then, this kid is grounded. I appreciate the help from those who have gone out of their way to assist me, as well as the well-wishers who wish me a speedy recovery.

On another note, I just found out that my old college professor is teaching his last class period today. I learned well and much from Michael Johnson whom I took instruction from as a photo student. I took 4 semesters of undergraduate photography under his tutelage while at the same time pursuing graduate studies in two fields. This is how important photography was to me. In two years time, I acquired two graduate degrees. I received a MBA first, and then a MS in Telecom next. Every semester I was in school, I took a Michael Johnson photography class. I can tell you very accurately that about 75% of all my scholastic time was spent in his darkroom, much to the dismay of some of my graduate study peers. I was still able to produce GPAs of 3.5 and 3.8 in both studies, but at one point I even risked not attaining the second masters in order to get one final lesson from Michael. As it were, I simply finished the degree a semester late, but that's how important it was for me to get better in the medium of film.

I was not attempting to get an art degree. So there wasn't the same pressures on me compared to those who were. I could fail one of his classes and not be affected. However, I did impose those same pressures on myself to succeed in his courses and sometimes even moreso. I didn't always get along with all my peers in Michael's classes. The opposite was true in my grad studies. I'm not even sure where I stood with Michael at times, but he still gave me permission to come back every semester to take the next higher level of photography. It was Michael who first suggested I try my hand at the art nude. He noted that I liked to challenge myself and suggested there was no more difficult genre of photo than shooting the nude, or at least something along those lines. I mulled over the idea for a second and decided against it, fearing the inability to attain models. On a whim I, by chance, asked a girl to pose for me and she happily agreed. The rest is history.

Michael's course work consisted of lecture and then an assigned project of 4 mounted prints, maybe 6 per semester which were critiqued by the entire class and then he gave his view. He have us pretty much one roll of film to get 4 shots out of 36. Critiques were ofttimes harsh, especially among cliquish groups that never had anything good to say about anyone else's work but their own. At times I took issue and wished Michael would step in. More than once, a girl's efforts were condemned by some in the group and tears were shed. I didn't care when my own work was blasted and I could also take it when a friend did the blasting. To me, it was constructive and there's nothing any of them could say to me that would have been worse than my military days. At times, it took all I had to not call upon my days of old and verbally berate the clique groups who were mean to their peers. Then again, I had to remember that 90% of the class were the same age as my kids. These projects then culminated into a final project of I believe 16-18 images which were not peer-critiqued. These were Michael's alone. I still have the notes on my first final project where I got blasted to bits by Micheal at the end of the first semester, yet I came back for more. I never got another scathing review like that. I learned.

-This is one of the shots I got blasted for during 

my first final project review. It was by model 

request, but I didn't use it. It was only on the contact sheet. Michael hated it and 

sat me down with my contact sheets afterwards.-

-First Polaroid Transfer-

-First Nude Series-

One of my influences from Micheal was a love for film. The ONLY reason I switched over to digital was due to a lack of  darkroom access here in Vegas. Many of us also took on some of his personal tastes and disdains such as a lack of love for some of the Kodak processes and film. Much like a son may chose some of the same affiliations as a father, I loathe Kodak's C-41 processed Black and White film, preferring pro-grade true B and W instead. My usage of borders also stems from his stipulations. His "cup of light" explanations on exposure made learning photography very simple compared to many whom I know who cannot understand the relationship of shutter and aperture. Photo under Michael was laid back but you had better have your ducks in a row. The flannel shirt and jeans might have a tendency to fool the wary into believing art classes are about personal tastes and that you would couldn't help but get an "A" in a class so subjective. In four semesters from 2005 to 2007, I watched many take Michael for their first semester in Art, never to return, opting for painting or drawing instead. I don't recall how many years exactly he's been a professor at Murray State University but I'm sure its been more than 30 years. So on your last day, Michael... I salute you.

...And This I Shall Do

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he had imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

--- Henry David Thoreau 1817

The biggest news for me right now is that, as of last week, I became a grand dad. I've been asked if I began fathering children at the age of 13, but such is not the case. I was 19 when my son was born and my daughter came into existence a few years later. My daughter became a mom at an age older than I became a dad, so no, she wasn't just out of puberty either. I was young but I was not that young and neither are my kids. I'll get my own pics soon enough, but it bothers me to no end that I was not there for my grand-daughter's birth. My son-in-law's mother is getting plenty enough shots of the baby, who was born a very healthy and big red-head baby. I envy her greatly for her presence there but I am thankful as well. I'll be there soon enough, but I was present for both my kid's premiers and I'd have liked for it to have been no different for my grand-kid's world debut. Its just not easy scheduling a flight on a due date and rightly so, since she was a week late. So yes, I am a grand dad to a beautiful 8lb, 2oz, 20in baby girl. She shall call me Big Daddy T. Gramps just didn't seem fitting for me.

I got to sit out on my patio this evening and stare at a full moon while sippin' on a cup of Joe. Actually my coffee is always pretty sweet so maybe I should say sippin' on a cup of Joanna. This gave me a moment away from my computer to contemplate things in my life, from the challenges, the surprises, the dramas, and the also the blessings. Right now it seems like the blessings are on short supply, but I tend to weather most storms fairly well. One thing that has the heart aching a bit is a surprise from a friend I thought to be lost to me only to hear the return has some agony with it. My elation was quickly deflated when I learned that this friend is at extreme odds with another person also dear to me. Between the two, all is lost where a once admirable and flourishing relationship existed. Its almost analogous to a marriage. You are equally friends with both husband and wife and they suddenly divorce. And then it gets ugly. Its hard to talk about his and remain vague at the same time, but I don't wish to convey details when I have no real understanding of behind the scenes. I do know that steps were taken that has made the relationship irreconcilable and more harm and negative consequences may ensue. I know what love is and right now, I'm not seeing it. And it sux.I grieve for them all.

So I shall concentrate on what I can that's a bit more positive. I'll console where I can and give a shoulder as necessary. Mine are quite knobby and may be uncomfortable, but they are nonetheless supportive and sure. In the meanwhile, my focus lies with my grand daughter, my photo business, and my own emotional and physical well being. I've mentioned before about an inability to focus. Well, I'm still trying to get better at that. I have relationships right here in Las Vegas that need attending to. I need to be a better friend. I need to be better at practicing my own faith and living as according to my own values and beliefs. I need to get healthier, if for no other reason than because I'm not yet ready to let my son beat me at anything. He'll have his day, but not yet. May is going to be an interesting month. I've got to be prepared for it and engage it with the kind of enthusiasm that is more befitting my natural self; and this I shall do.

I hadn't worked with model, Melissa in a while. These are older shots that I've either re-edited or visited for the first time. Where have you been girl?

Best Practices on Photo Storage? I'm Asking...Not Giving

"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best"

- Frida Kahlo

Damon

Back-ups! Storage is definitely getting cheaper, which is a good thing, but the tech for my money needs to be more efficient. Okay, I'm a little frustrated over my computer storage. When I had this thing built about 7 months ago, I figured a TB and a half would do me for a while. I'm already halfway through that and I know its mainly the RAW files I shoot. I only shoot RAW and I really never get rid of them even after I do my conversions and edits to Jpeg. But remembering to back-up on a regular basis is a pain in the ass. I use external drives to back-up, but I can see that I'm going to have to look at some other options, like either a home server or online back-up systems. I prefer the online option. I'd rather have off-site storage. Right now, its cheap. But it ain't cheap for photographers. If you need to back up a few gigs...cool. When you have to do that with 500GB of images... not so cool. Especially when you like having a minimum of 3 copies of everything. That's redundancy for ya. So I gotta get better at workflow management. I'm reminded of the folks that don't understand why photogs charge what they do for a project. Other than crack, I can't think of a more expensive hobby or career choice. Oh, that reminds me...I still have a donations button on the right over there. You may have to scroll down a bit -->.

Maaike

Something I saw recently that I thought was pretty cool is the iPhone app for photography contracts. My friend, John showed it to me while we were in Zion last week. The thing is cool. you can generate contracts for anything right on the spot. Some are preloaded sample and general contracts, whereas others you can customize for your own needs and requirements. You basically plug in the pertinent info like names, dates, etc. and the ap plugs all that into a full into the contract. And the best thing is that you can SIGN IT right on your phone with your finger! When John told me that, I didn't believe him. At most, I figured you'd have to have a special stylus or something but when he demonstrated it, I went bonkers. Whoa...did I just say "bonkers"?

Angeli

What's the best movie you've seen so far this year? I gotta tell ya...for me, its "How to Train Your Dragon". I know, that may be quirky for a guy in his 40's but I don't need to have young kids to go see movies like this. I can walk right up to the box office counter and ask for one ticket, with no shame whatsoever. Anyway, I liked this film on a bunch of different levels. First, it was funny. Second the story-line was superb. It took you where you just didn't think you'd go. How many stories, movies, TV shows end up with the dragon NOT being the enemy or getting killed? Sure, it starts off like that, but wait til the ending. Third, I like the relationship that develops between a father and son. I think I also have a propensity to favor story lines and thems where the least significant can change the world. Think about Hobbits. And then there's the Bible which is full of that. You also have in this movie the voice of Gerard Butler who sounds even tougher and more bad-ass than he did in the movie, 300. Contrast his character with Jay Baruchel, who you also just saw in "She's out of My League". You can't even think of two more different personas in the world alive today. Craig Ferguson's character was also funny which makes this a not-to-be-missed kind of show.


These are shots of some new friends, Damon, Maaike, and Angeli, that I shot last month. Talk about some remarkable people! They are all some of the most interesting people I've ever met. It was definitely a good day, well...evening. Hoping to see them again tonight. Other projects: More nudes. I haven't been shooting many naked chicks lately. I guess I accomplished my goal of shooting less nudes. Now I'm in withdrawal. I think I'm going to revisit my self-nude project as well at some point. I abandoned self-portraits, not intentionally, but rather just out of it slipping off my list of priorities. That stemmed from Unbearable Lightness' challenge to me a year ago, so I want to revisit that project again. Shooting your yourself is not an easy thing. I've tried being my own model and its exceedingly difficult,which is why I want to get back to it. I've seen amateurs do it so well. They make it seem easy. I've got a few shots that I've done (some of which are posted on this blog somewhere, but I'm too lazy to search and post a link) but weren't satisfied with the outcome. I think its cuz I may not have the patience. Behind the camera, I can see the shot, zoom, compose, and focus as I wish, and take the shot. That's much more difficult when you are alone and in front of the camera. Well, at least for me.