Snow...And Dorks

We got a lot of snow. Again. Apparently, we got 30" or so, and after shoveling it and walking in it, I'm going to have to agree. Walking through the snow, it went above my knees, and shoveling the snow, there were definitely some areas that had a really large amount of snow. But that's okay. I like snow. I like shoveling snow. I just don't like the small talk that goes along with it.

"A lot of snow, huh?" No, actually, It seems like more of a dusting to me, and the blood in the Saw franchise is more akin to a pin prick than anything more substantial. Of course there's a lot of snow. You can literally see the snow. You can see the piles of snow reaching five, six feet high. It's pretty fucking obvious there's a lot of snow out there, so saying something stupid like "We got a lot of snow, huh?" doesn't really say "conversation" to me. If that sounds harsh, I'm not sorry.

Of course, none of these photos are from this storm, these are from last weeks, when we got around a foot of snow. We're dorks and wanted to play in the snow. Me, being a really big dork, I decided to set up my strobe in our room to take some pictures. I was just kind of hoping to take some pictures that didn't totally suck. By that time, it's basically pitch black, and I figured having a nice, bright light source should make for some magical moments. Actually, I just wanted to take pictures of the snow. And I was going to take what I could get. Fortunately, it kind of worked out.

I really like the picture above. You can see the flash blowing out the window, and how much it lit up the yard. Krissy is running back to the house, probably t fetch some snow or something. I really like the nice, hard rim light around her hat. And the warmth of the lamp, while a bit jarring, adds a nice warm feeling to the photo. Winter is cold, the photos are cold, but I think that small touches of warm colors like that make them stand out a bit more. Ideally, I could have had a bit more warm tones in there, but oh well. For a snapshot, I really like it.

This is me. I'm probably getting ready to pick up some snow, or clapping my hands together, because that's how I roll. I like the light on my back, it has a very soft feel despite the light source being very hard. I found that the white snow everywhere was very forgiving, which was awesome, because the light meandered its way to places it otherwise would not have.

I got a gift card for the Gap, and I got that sweatshirt with it. Gap is ridiculously expensive considering the low quality of their clothing. I think the retail for that sweatshirt was around $70. Already some thread was coming undone and needed to be repaired. Also, it's not very thick. I really don't see how they could value it at that price. I think I paid around $30 for it, and even that is asking a lot. If it was my money, I would have left.

This is me throwing snow in the air. You can't see my face, obviously, but it's me, trust me, I ought to know.

Here's me again, I like the rim light here too. It has a weird holy kind of feel to it, which to me is peaceful. But I can see how someone would look at this and think it's kind of creepy. Ideally, I'd have had another light to light the front of me, but lights and water do not mix. I'd rather not obliterate my nice strobes, thank you very much.

Krissy took this one (and the others, except for the first one). I like it. It's a bit out of focus, but there's just something about it that I like. Also, my autofocus wasn't working at all for some reason. I attribute it to the cold, or the snow, so focusing was kind of a pain in the ass, considering how dark it was.

This is Krissy. I have to be pretty selective in what photos I show, and I think this one passed through her filter because you cannot really see her face. I love this picture though. She is smiling, and her hat is like, perfectly centered in the frame, and it really pops, color wise. The rim light around it only serves to accentuate it even more. And there's a little bit of overlap from it on her (camera side) shoulder, which I adore. 

This is from the first snowstorm, on the 26th (Boxing Day). I took this almost as an afterthought at the last minute before heading inside. I just wanted to take a picture of the snow falling, and I like how it turned out. It's nothing spectacular, but I like the ambiance of it. The photo is very wintry, which is what it is intended to portray.

Here is the same storm, as seen from the front door. These are steps which have been pretty much leveled off in snow. I think this storm was around 8-12 inches. This was the first experiment with the strobe, too. It was very awkward, and involved a boom (which we decided not to use) and Krissy, the most beautiful light stand ever. I only took a few photos, because I felt bad for her holding my light, and I didn't want to go traipsing through the snow.

The color in this one is weird, but I posted it anyway. This is what's nice about snow being white, the light bounces everywhere. This is below the window, so it might not have been lit up otherwise. I like it. It's a nice snapshot of the Christmas storm.

Bakerella has nothing on these. The red velvet recipe made for a delicious cake that, when combines with the frosting, created the richest, most amazing sweet ever. The frosting basically tasted like cheesecake, so when you bite in, you get a cakey texture, with the chocolate, that gives way to...cheesecake. They were quite decadent, but really yummy.

Obviously my technique for coating them could use some work, though I prefer things to look a little sloppy sometimes. Sure, sometimes perfection looks delicious and tasty, but it kind of makes you not want to eat it. With these, they're a bit messy and sloppy, so no one feels bad about messing up the perfect exteriors. They are more inviting. They say, "Eat me. I'm delicious. You know you want to."

Marshmallows. This time around, they were really sticky. And they worked their way all the way up the attachments. It actually was pretty amusing to watch. Of course, they were delicious. Peppermint marshmallows, yummy. Too bad everyone had to wait a week to eat them due to the snow, though.

My attempt at a chocolate confection. I don't like dark chocolate, but I actually kinda liked it. Salt makes chocolate better. Always. (Actually, it makes everything better, but chocolate especially). The picture looks like a turd, though, which makes it kind of funny.

This is what we all look like after Christmas, and getting snowed in. If only the oven wasn't obliterated and falling apart (literally), I could maybe make some goodies to go along with the bread I made last night. (Note: using the broiler to bake bread because the heating coil on the bottom fell apart is not the best method to bake bread, but it kind of works, if you're patient and pay attention.)

I Love My Wacom Tablet

Every year, I never really know what I want for Christmas. I mean, there are always things I want, but when Christmas rolls around I just sort of forget, I guess. Though, in the past, I think that there wasn't really anything I really wanted. I didn't really have specific hobbies or interests that warranted requesting certain gifts. But this year, there are lots of things I wanted. Narrowing the list down was harder than you'd think, but I settled on the one thing I really wanted: A Wacom tablet.

My First Sketch. All Kinds Of Ugly, But Fun.

There are a lot of reasons I've wanted one. I've said on a fairly regular basis that I've wanted one. Krissy was probably sick of hearing "If only I had a tablet..." I like drawing, even if I'm not very good at it, it's fun. I will also be using it for editing photos, too, since a tablet is way easier to use than a mouse in that regard. Drawing, too, is immensely easier. Drawing with a mouse is like embedding a crayon in  arock and trying to draw with it.

So I've been messing around with my new tablet, and I like it. A lot. I don't know all the ins and outs of it, but I will. Plus, since my mouse died awhile back, I can use the mouse with the tablet for easier browsing and such. Mouse Keys and incessant tab-smashing is hardly an ideal situation for using a computer.

Castle, Mountains, Sketch. Foreground Kinda Blows

I haven't been able to experiment with my tablet as much as I'd like to, either, because The Sketchbook Project book needs to be mailed out by the fifteenth, and let's just say Krissy and I have been slacking. Having to do two sketches per day, makes it harder to sketch on the computer, since I'm not always feeling creative enough to draw. So I feel like I'd be wasting a sketch doing it on the computer instead of in the book. There will be plenty of time for virtual sketching to come I'm sure. I drew a pretty sweet owl today in the sketchbook, which I'm kind of proud of.


This is the tablet that I got. It's expensive, but really nice. Size wise, it's good, it just takes some getting used to. Since I'll be using it as a mixture of photo editing and drawing, I think medium strikes a good balance. It's not too small for drawing, but not too large for photo editing. So far, I'm doing fairly well in maneuvering my hand around it with minimal fuss. Using a tablet is incredibly fun, if you've never done it.

Below are some alternatives if your budget doesn't allow for this large of an expense. The Intuos4 line probably has some unnecessary features if you just want to doodle and do some basic photo touch ups. But if you want the easy maneuverability a tablet offers, and the fun-having a tablet affords (Krissy likes it, too), then I'd suggest the Bamboo line from Wacom. I don't think I'd recommend another brand. I've never heard of another brand, and Wacom has been doing it for ages. I trust them. Thank you for reading.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! I hope anybody reading this is having, or has had, a good Christmas/holiday season.

First, here is the back. This is Meatball. Originally, the card was just green, but I felt like something was missing, and that something was Meatball. I masked out everything but meatball from the photo and it really worked out perfectly.

Here is the front. I posted earlier some out takes from the piggies's photo session; here is the one we picked. You can see Max in the corner, hanging out. Jasper is looking at Max and has oddly pronounced lips. And Blondie is just being happy munching on some lettuce.

We're really happy with the cards we got. They're on nice, thick press paper (130#, I believe). They were printed at BayPhoto, which I'd recommend, and we will be using more of in the future. They have all kinds of photo products, too.

I hope you have a good holiday.

What Does Global Warming Mean For Santa Claus?

One day, children will ask where Santa comes from, and "The North Pole" will no longer suffice.

Maybe. But let's hope not.

There are a myriad of reasons why global warming is bad. Sea levels will rise, endangered animals will lose their habitat and become extinct, climates will shift, et cetera. But I think Santa Claus is one of the points that people often overlook.

Yes, Santa Claus is everywhere, and maybe he isn't really a jolly old fat man with rosy cheeks, a dozen reindeer, and countless elfin helpers. But what will we tell our children, or our children's children if, tragically, the North Pole was gone. I know that if that happened, there would be far greater problems (like, say, the millions of people dying) but the magic of Christmas would be gone.

Christmas was never really a Catholic holiday. Some people say there's a war on Christmas, and that we (liberals) are "taking the Christ out of Christmas" but the fact is, Christ never was in Christmas-- we put him there. Like everything else in the Catholic religion, it was stolen annexed. Jesus wasn't born in December, it was more likely April. But when you are conquering people, it helps if you leave them the one thing they have left: traditions.

Christmas is about Santa, not Jesus. So what will parents tell children when his home no longer exists? Or, what will they think if they know we are slowly melting away his home while he and his elves work hard year round to bring us toys not made in China?

If for nothing else, we should take care of the environment for Santa; our progeny depends on us.

Merry Christmas.

Causes I Believe In (Especially For The Holidays)

It's Christmastime, among other holidays, and it's a time when we often reflect on the year, and look forward to the year ahead. Granted, we also freak out about the fact that we still haven't finished our shopping, fret over gifts that need wrapping, and convulse at the mere thought of all the food that needs cooking; but all in all, it's a happy time. Even in the worst of times, we've got it pretty good here.

While we may spend our days pinching our pennies, wondering when things are going to get better (in about five years, if you're curious; sorry), there are people in the world in far dire straits than we. In honor of the season, and being thankful and hopeful, here are some of the causes I believe in because the reality that they need to exist kind of makes me sick.

charity: water is a pretty new charity; I believe they've only been around for a few years, but it's one I believe in. It's on the top of my list, actually. I've already decided that when I can start taking pictures for money, that the first $5,000 (every year) will go to charity: water so they can build a new well where it is needed.

charity: water exists to bring water to areas that have no access to clean water. To me, this is a travesty (that people don't have access to clean water, not the charity). If there is one thing that we take for granted in life, I think it is water. We use tons of water. We boil potatoes in it, make pretzels in it, boil bagels in it, take showers with it, wash our cars with it, et cetera. And yet, there are people who can't even get a glass of water, much less the gallons upon gallons that we use on a daily basis.

I don't know all of the statistics, but I also don't particularly care; ten people without water is too many. but according to charity: water, there are almost a billion people without access to water-- that's one in eight people. Almost every death resulting from unsafe, unhygienic water is a child. Bad water keeps children out of school and parents out of work. The walk to a water source can take a woman (because it's always the woman) three hours, the return trip carrying a forty pound jug of water, where they are extremely vulnerable to violence and sexual assault (among other things).

With a well in their community, this walk is transformed to only fifteen minutes (hooray! No more back pain!). Building wells employs local people, providing them with work. The wells also provide women with jobs, namely leadership positions which would otherwise be pretty much impossible. Wells allow for children to have safe drinking water, saving thousands of lives a year and allowing them to go to school because they are healthier. charity: water also provides the communities with latrines to emphasize sanitation and hygiene.

I really like this charity, and its rare to find a charity where 100% of your contribution actually goes to the charity's mission. Every single dime they get goes to building projects because all of their overhead is sponsored.

Twenty dollars can give one person with water for twenty years. This isn't one of those creepy "just thirty cents a day to sponsor Eli. You'll receive pictures and updates, et cetera" type deals. People are dying because they can't have a basic human necessity. Clean, safe water ought to be a human right, not a privilege, so give them money. Every $5,000 well provides water for 250 people. If you want to get something in return for your contribution (I understand, no worries), there are many gifts you can receive (or give to others). I'm partial to the Thermos. For $40 (that's, like, two DVDs) you can provide clean water to two people for 20 years and you get a sweet Thermos: win-win, no? I think the Photobook would make a good present too. Sitting on your (or someone elses) coffee table, it's sure to start up a conversation. The right kind of conversation.

Here's a video from a completed project:

Toms Shoes

This one isn't a charity; I'm just going to get it out there. But that doesn't make their mission any less worthwhile. Essentially, Toms is a company that will provide a pair of shoes for someone in need every time they sell a pair. They are for-profit, but there's no harm in that. I really like their shoes; they are extremely different from what we find here. They are (I believe) based on a shoe style from Argentina. The shoes are all pretty affordable, usually in the range of $60, some costing around $100.

I like these. They seem warm and fuzzy, but still stylish and masculine.



If you are looking for something more substantial for winter, they also offer boots. I like these ones, but these are also pretty agreeable.

We all buy lots of shoes every year, why not pick up a pair of unique, stylish shoes simultaneously helping someone desperately in need of shoes? (By the way, they have shoes for the ladies and children, too!)

K.I.N.D. (Kids In Need Of Desks)

I was watching The Last Word last night when I saw a segment on this charity run by UNICEF with MSNBC to provide desks to children in need of them in Africa. The segment started with a clip of Ann Coulter arguing that America is the most charitable country in the world, but that this is thanks to conservatives and not liberals, because liberals are apparently stingy or something. (Nevermind that progressive causes tend to focus on spreading wealth around, et cetera). Lawrence O'Donnell then went on to say that in a day his viewers had donated around a million dollars.

Regardless, kids need desks. Have you ever studies on the floor? Taken a test on the floor? It's not easy, I imagine, and is probably pretty discouraging, wouldn't you think? Each desk costs $48. That's probably what a nice bottle of wine costs. $48 provides a desk for two kids (hopefully they don't peek during those tests!), which is kind of a trivial amount, if you think about it. Want to outfit an entire classroom of thirty with desks? Only $720.

If you want to help provide desks to children in Malawi, head over to UNICEF and donate.
Here's the link.

Some statistics:
In Sub-Saharan Africa, forty-five million children don't go to school.
Only 20% of students who do go have desks.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Kids need desks, no matter where or who they are.

Be kind this holiday season (and beyond). There are people far worse off than we, and they can use some help.

Cute Animal Alert: Piggy Outtakes!

We've been going back and forth on several ideas for Christmas cards lately. We've settled on our idea and will be getting the cards printed next week, when money permits us to. Here are some outtakes from the other day.

This one is my favorite. This is Jasper, who is behaving surprisingly well, for now...



Here, Max is watching from the sidelines. He cooperated extremely well. Normally he'd plop down right in the middle of things. But, he is scared of my lights, so he will usually hide when I bring them out. Here, he is laying right next to one of them, watching the piggies for their mini photo shoot.



In this photo, Max is now on the other side, keeping an eye on Blondie. Even though he looks like he's going to trample the set, he stayed there. I like Blondie's help me! look. I like this picture too.



The last photo I'm going to share is Blondie escaping. You can see Jasper in the background munching on some lettuce. You can see Blondie knows he's breaking the rules by the look in his eye, but by this point, I was pretty confident I had something usable, so we let him wander about.



That's all, I hope you enjoy =)