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Henry says yes to the new 85!

I just got a GMail account. Kick ass.

More of that stuff...

Cuuuuuueeeeeernaaaaavaca!!!!!

A year ago today... Happy Anniversary!

My first day back at the headquarters office has thus far been miserable. I am intolerant to silly shit that normally wouldn't bother me. Example numero uno: A co-worker calls me and asks if I received the email he just sent. I say yes, but that I didn't have time to read through it or discuss it and that I'd call him as soon as I could get to it. Click. Within two minutes of the hangup, he is in my office wanting to discuss his email. Example numero dos: While I was out, a designated safety fucktard went into my office to do a "safety inspection". It was deemed that my trashcan sitting beside the side of my desk may trip me in in case I was rushing to exit in a fire. It was moved to the rear of my office and noted that I had a trip hazard. Example numero tres: I just completed a 5 week project in two weeks and some change, living out of a hotel, long hours, etc. You get the idea. This seven-thirty to four pencil jockey rolls in and asks why I'm so tired since "it's only Monday". Looks like someone's got a case of the Mondays. Arrrrrrg! I need more coffee -or- a loaded gun -or- a long, quiet nap. Maybe we could set up a Wheel of Fortune style spinner and let fate decide? I have yet to see my boss this morning. I have a lot of respect for the man. He is one of the better managers I've had in my life... and a pretty good friend as well. I have been a hermit except for Mr. Safety and Mr. Impatient violating my personal bubble unsolicited. I think I'll go make some social office rounds and get some lunch. Maybe jumping into the day with both feet was not such a cool idea on my part. EL and I played some good cards last night with Harry and Charla. I love cards. Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I have been trying to hone some of my Photoshop kung fu recently. I was going for the aged photo of yesteryear look in the ugly mug up top. I really want some studio strobes for Christmas. I'm looking at either the Alien Bees or the White Lightnings. The White Lightnings are more expensive by a wee margin, but higher quality. They are made by the same dude though... I think. After discussing it with EL, I ordered an EF 85mm f/1.2L for the wedding shoot this weekend. It is a stellar portrait lens and I really look forward to using it in the studio. I'll try to post a few sample shots before the trip. I should get the lens tomorrow. Lunchtime.

25 PHOTOGRAPHIC TRUTHS 1. The best scenic views are clearly designated by highway signs reading NO STOPPING ANYTIME. 2. Edward Steichen owned a three-legged dog, which he named Tripod. 3. The Post Office folds all parcels containing photographs. 4. Camera straps never fail above soft surfaces. 5. Lens caps and cable releases can become invisible at will. 6. Spotone bottles are designed to tip over when the cap is removed. 7. Financial success in photography is directly related to proper choice of subject matter. Falling airplanes, exploding volcanoes, and certain Presidential motorcades work best. 8. No two light meters agree. 9. The work "Daguerreotype" cannot be spelled correctly. 10. A new Hasselblad would take better pictures than your present camera. 11. 1/60 at f/8 is the correct exposure for all photographs. 12. When your friends finally realize that you are a true artist, committed to making sensitive and meaningful images, they will ask you to photograph their wedding. 13. Color slide viewing cures insomnia. 14. On any tripod, only two legs work properly. 15. Dust spot are attracted to sky areas. 16. YES, PHOTOGRAPHERS DO IT IN THE DARK... but they have to stop every thirty seconds to agitate. 17. There's nothing wrong with a 35mm that a 4x5 can't cure. 18. Ansel Adams has three Secret Zones known only to him. 20. Fast films compensate for slow photographers. 21. Mounting a photograph is a misdemeanor in Arkansas. 22. Owning more than one lens assures that you will always have the wrong lens on the camera for any given picture. 23. A camera store will charge $75 to repair a camera that has been adjusted with a butter knife. 24. Falling lenses are attracted to rocks. 25. Into every life a little grain must fall.

Mike and I went to see Satriani last night in the Woodlands. You know you're a good guitarist when you can play an entire set with no vocals and pull it off. Quite impressive.

Another of the same sword...

I've recently been fascinated with the photographic art of Andrzej Dragan. His distinctive style has been described in many ways, but most frequently as "grunge portraiture". My friend Mark sat still for me to capture a base image. This is my first attempt at the Dragan style... I have a long way to go.

I finished the project last night... 3 weeks ahead of schedule. It feels good. I was too tired to drive home last night. It worked out for the better because I ended up with a meeting this morning. I also got the opportunity to shoot my friend Tom's work at his place. He is a swordsmith... here is one of his Elvish Leaf Blades:

Well shit. Half Life 2 is pushed back until November. It's probably better since Doom 3 needs its fair share of attention. One word of advice... don't play Doom 3 in a dark room... alone... with headphones... well, at least not without wearing some Depends™.

Was at the office. Left. Went back. Left. Now I'm back. Fuck. You know, shit like this sucks. Nitpicky shit. So, I've been back working at the office for a bit... now I'm off to dinner. Big, fat, deep, Marianas Trench style jugs of liquor need to meet my liver. Soon. Cheers! ps. I miss you baby.

Eye on the prize. I've arrived at that plateau where everything looks the same without regard to direction and time has no meaning. Days of work with little sleep and more to come... that's my shizzle. I will be glad when I'm done with this and can spend some time at home. It's ironic... I have so much I want to write on my way to the keyboard, but when I sit down, I become lazy, unmotivated, and find myself at a loss for words. This morning, after a long night of serious network migration work, I am dealing with all the people bitching and complaining about the necessary outages that happen when this type of evolution goes down... the very same people that approved and bought into the outages that they are unsettled about. Corporate politics suck. Amazing how much people forget when they sleep.

What is it like as a pro photog at the Olympics? I'm guessing chaotic.