Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
You can blame Matt Damon for this post...
I saw the commercial below tonight and really felt the need to share it... it tackles a very serious topic with just a little levity.
And it made me think of my own experiences. We know there is hunger out there but until we see the actual faces of the people standing in line at the food pantry, it's really rather abstract, a bit impersonal.
A couple years ago years ago I started using part of my Sundays to pick up food donations from some very generous stores and restaurants. There are days that my minivan is filled from the back of the drivers seat to the rear hatch and from floor to ceiling.
Then on Monday morning I deliver to local food pantries.
It seems the most important thing I deliver is bread, sliced bread.
One Monday I was running a little late and when I arrived there was a good amount of people who had gone through the line (as they had their bags) but were still hanging around, come to find out they were waiting for me. They were waiting for "the bread man".
It truly dawned on me that day the importance of what I was involved in. If not for those Monday morning deliveries these people would be going home without something most of us take for granted. A few slices of bread.
Then there are the days I see people I know... you never know who is at risk, who doesn't have enough food.
I don't usually talk about this, I don't do it for the recognition, I don't want a pat on the back. I do it because I can, and because the thought of children going to bed hungry haunts me.
But I am beginning to ramble, the point of this post was to share this commercial with you. In 30 seconds it drives home a very serious point AND makes you smile, that doesn't happen very often.
For you people new to the blog and are wondering what this has to do with photography, it has nothing to do with taking pictures. Chances a extremely good that on the weekends (if I post) I will wander of topic, sometimes WAY off topic, writing about whatever moves me.
So, now you've been warned, be prepared for anything on weekends. Tomorrow is Monday and I promise to be on topic then.
;)
For subscribers, as usual you will need to return to Weekly Photo Tips to see the video as they still don't get pushed through with your subscription.
And it made me think of my own experiences. We know there is hunger out there but until we see the actual faces of the people standing in line at the food pantry, it's really rather abstract, a bit impersonal.
A couple years ago years ago I started using part of my Sundays to pick up food donations from some very generous stores and restaurants. There are days that my minivan is filled from the back of the drivers seat to the rear hatch and from floor to ceiling.
Then on Monday morning I deliver to local food pantries.
It seems the most important thing I deliver is bread, sliced bread.
One Monday I was running a little late and when I arrived there was a good amount of people who had gone through the line (as they had their bags) but were still hanging around, come to find out they were waiting for me. They were waiting for "the bread man".
It truly dawned on me that day the importance of what I was involved in. If not for those Monday morning deliveries these people would be going home without something most of us take for granted. A few slices of bread.
Then there are the days I see people I know... you never know who is at risk, who doesn't have enough food.
I don't usually talk about this, I don't do it for the recognition, I don't want a pat on the back. I do it because I can, and because the thought of children going to bed hungry haunts me.
But I am beginning to ramble, the point of this post was to share this commercial with you. In 30 seconds it drives home a very serious point AND makes you smile, that doesn't happen very often.
For you people new to the blog and are wondering what this has to do with photography, it has nothing to do with taking pictures. Chances a extremely good that on the weekends (if I post) I will wander of topic, sometimes WAY off topic, writing about whatever moves me.
So, now you've been warned, be prepared for anything on weekends. Tomorrow is Monday and I promise to be on topic then.
;)
For subscribers, as usual you will need to return to Weekly Photo Tips to see the video as they still don't get pushed through with your subscription.
the BEATLES...
For those with children, you will (hopefully) appreciate this post, for those without children, probably not so much.
Don't you just love it when your children come to you with something not so new (or not so unknown) that they think 1.) they were the ones who finally discovered it and 2.) we are too stupid to have ever known about it on our own.
That's how my girls are about the Beatles, every time they find a new Beatles song the feel the need to come tell their silly old dad who is obviously too unaware to have known about it before.
But being the good dad I nod my head in agreement "wow, that is good", while inside I am thinking "yup, that was good 40 years ago too".
Thank goodness for the enlightenment that our children bring to us.
;)
Friday, January 28, 2011
What version of Photoshop are you using?
I am one of those people who upgrades my software as soon as a new version is available (if I need it or not), and I assume everone else does as well.
But I know that the truth is quite different.
So if you are not using Photoshop CS5 yet I want to give you some resources that will help you determine if upgrading is for you and if it is, options that will make it less painful to your wallet.
Resource #1: Terry White. There are a bunch of reasons to visit Terry's blog (like his must have iPad apps for photographers, 3 ways to show your work to clients, and taking advantage of Virtual Copies in Lightroom 3 to name just a few) but the first thing I want you to see there is his walk through of the new features in Photoshop CS5.
The video is over 45 minutes long and in it Terry gives us a detailed demonstration of the new and cool features of CS5. I like the fact that you can download the video to your computer (or mobile device) for future viewing at a time most convenient to you (or when you don't have internet access).
Resource #2: You don't think I could talk about Photoshop and NOT mention the Photoshop Guys, do you? Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, Dave Cross, and the rest of the crew put together a series of video tutorials over at the NAPP CS5 Learning Center demonstrating content aware fill, HDR Pro, improved noise removal, lens correction, and more. Not only will you find some great videos here, you'll also find links to other Photoshop CS5 resources available on the web, including their (NAPP's) 5 day CS5 launch webinar that has about 8 hours of tutorial/instructional CS5 videos.
Resource #3: Okay, so you visited all the links above and realize that life is just not worth living without Adobe Photoshop CS5, but you really don't want to sell one (or more) of your children in order to get it. The full version of CS5 is around $650 - $750 but if you have a student or teacher in your household you can purchase the full version of Photoshop CS5 Extended for just $198 at Journey ED.. You will need to provide proof of eligibility to Journey ED when you order the product and then again to Adobe when it arrives, so there are two small hoops to jump through but the savings are well worth it.
If you own a previous version of Photoshop (you can only go as far back a CS2), you can upgrade to CS5 for $190.
Don't have a previous version of Photoshop (or have a version earlier than CS2)? You can buy used version on eBay in the $100 - $150 range. You just need to make sure you are buying from a reputable seller, the two things I look for in a seller is a high positive feedback (97% or higher) and one that has a return policy (which tells me they back their sales). Buying from a seller with a return policy will work in your favor if you ever need to involve Paypal.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
VIVA LA WEDDING RECEIVES WEDDINGWIRE'S BRIDE'S CHOICE AWARDS™ 2011
WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, recently announced that Viva la wedding has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Wedding Planning/Coordination! Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Viva's past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.
Viva stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.
“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Viva la wedding for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”
We are happy to announce that Viva la wedding is among the very best wedding planners/coordinators within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. Viva would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011. To see a complete list of this year's winners click here.
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