On the technical side, there’s many many hosting options — odds are your hosting company might even have a quick install option for WordPress, or you could go to other hosting options such as WordPress.org, Blogger.com, or Tumblr.com, to name a few. This site has additional info on various free blog hosting options: http://amty.wordpress.com/2011/03/20/top-25-free-blog-hosts/. It’s not necessarily the best list out there, but one of the first I ran across. For more insight, search for “free blog hosting”.

On the non-technical side, the key is to do what I’m not doing (lol) and write something regularly. Posts should be on topics you know, but also (if blogging to grow your business) be posts that your target audience (e.g., potential customers) would want to read. If you see your target audience as more other photographers, then write your posts based on your experiences that you wish to share — like giving a lesson at a Super Shoots event. Mixing it up is OK, when kept to a small number of areas (again, I’ve failed at this over the years). Using “categories” helps, as it will provide a way to delineate between the targeted audiences’ posts.

Some strive for a post every day or two, others one a week. I don’t advise to go too much beyond that as you may fall into the trap of abandoning it for months at a time (my biggest blogger failure area).
In any event, have fun at it and: don’t think too much about it.

The design of the cover, the feel of the notebook as a whole (cover material & paper), and whiteness of the paper all met my expectations. However, the lack of a solidly attached pad of paper has overridden any “good” that I can find in this pad. This is a shame, since they’re the only of the “premium paper” category of notebooks available with a gray cover.

Writing on it has revealed that the paper is slightly “grippier” than I’d like, but not to a degree of being “unpleasant”. The spacing of the dots, however, are much too tight for my handwriting size and will require double-spacing any writing i do on it to prevent cramping.

All-in-all, at only $10 for two it was a decent price, but with the glue on the margin failing I doubt that I’ll buy again — and cannot recommend this particular notebook. Fabriano does offer two alternate bindings (side stapled and side spiralbound) so I might consider one of those in the future if I really absolutely must have a gray cover. But I really doubt it, the paper isn’t that special.

So, why’d I switch from the Clairfontaine Basic Notebook? Well, for starters I always missed some sort of closure for the notepad (either I misplaced it, it fell off due to it being loose, or I didn’t get it, but there’s one in the review from the store I bought it from). Secondly, the pocket in the back sounded like it’d be quite useful — and better than simply sticking papers loosely into the back.

Other items I noticed right off:
* the elastic band had dented, and embossed, the cover
* the pages don’t lay as flat as I’d hoped
* the feel of the cover is nice in your hands
* the cover provides a nice stable, secure, feeling when writing while holding the notepad

All-in-all, this looks like it will prove to have been a good purchase decision, even if the $38 for two sounds high. If you’re looking for paper that’s a dream on which to write, look no further than Clairefontaine paper — available in either Clairefontaine or Rhodia branded notebooks/notepads. The smoothness, and ink-friendliness, is beyond anything that I’ve found.

The “Criminal Minds” episode a few weeks back was the culmination of a side story that had been building for several episodes around just such a love — the type that I had with someone a while ago. The end of that episode brought back some (most) of the feelings from just over a year ago from my own life. And, in a strange (and potentially morbid) way, offered up an alternate ending to my own tragically lost love. That being that she didn’t mysteriously leave without so much as an “it’s over” only for me to learn she basically lied about everything. Instead I’m looking at it as that she died in one of those hospitals in one of those far away cities she claimed to be in without having me listed as an emergency contact so I’m left without even the cold metal plaque on the side of a cremation urn to lean against and wish her here once more.

Does this change things for me? No, not really. I’m still getting on with my life. The pain subsides a little more with each passing day. Although I do stumble backwards from time-to-time with various unexpected reminders popping up in my life that reopen the barely freshly healed scars.

What is being left behind, however, is not the hurt, anger, or sadness, but the joy of the memories of those times spent together doing what we loved to do.

So… perhaps even lost love can, ultimately, still bring about an occasional smile when memories from a time long ago float back to the surface as the ropes tying them to the stones holding them underwater begin to age and break.

Still, I maintain that my life — and the character in “Criminal Minds” — would’ve been better if love had never been found. The small amount of warmth found now will never make up for those months and years of pain. Nothing can.

Gone is gone — whether it is from a conscious decision of someone to walk out or from an unexpected death — the pain, and the emptiness, is the same.

So… as “Agent K” (movie “Men In Black”) said in response to being told “You know what they say, ’tis better to’ve loved and lost”: “Try it!”.

My only hope is that she never again walks back into my life one day. Ghosts should leave the living (and especially the grieving) alone.

I did. What I can tell you is this: I won’t be sitting in the front several rows again.

Seeing a 727 (which several currently flown planes are based upon), in a controlled crash, have the nose snap off midway between the nose and front of the wings… Wow! Just Wow!

Had this been the plane on which I flew back from Chicago, I’d have barely been OK. Maybe. I’d probably have several broken bones… and maybe would’ve even been killed… just from the force of the impact. I sat above the cargo hatch in front of the wings. That was still attached — by 2 or 3 rows.

Sobering.

They say “no two crashes are the same”. So it’s entirely possible that had the rear hit first (instead of the front wheels), things would’ve been worse in the back.

But with all the cabling that came out of the ceiling along the aisle, I’m not sure I’d really want to be too far in the back anyway.

Like I said, you really should try to watch the whole show so you know what went into it. Or at least the last 45-30 minutes where they go into some of the data they gathered from the instrumentation. But… if you’re only wanting the 38-second version that doesn’t really tell you much, here’s a clip I found on YouTube of just the crash.

We still have a very long way to go.

He’ll let me hold him when I’m laying on the couch, but he turns into a tangled mess of arms and claws if I try to sit with him in the recliner.

He’ll let me hold him and introduce him to a male friend of mine, but claws, climbs, and jumps out of my arms if I try to do the same with a female friend.

All of these little lingering quirks, and all of the similar issues we had back when I first brought him home, combine together to tell me that someone — possibly an older woman — really mistreated him earlier in his life.  The way he acted with my Dad tells me that perhaps older people didn’t treat him well.  Yet, he’s perfectly fine with the ladies at the animal hospital.

I really don’t know.  All I can do is guess.  But whatever happened to him before has made his trust very slow to come.  Much slower than I was expecting, and much much slower than it did with Sergei (my late pet).

Please, whatever you do, if you have a pet, treat it better than you treat yourself.  If you’re unwilling, or unable, then give your pet to someone who will.

Pets only have love to give.  There’s no reason at all to mistreat them.

Current Needs

Cameras are tools, using the right one for the right task is important. It’s better to have “too much camera” than “too little.” If you want to shoot sports, or inside events, then a camera with extended ISO range would be my preference. If you’re wanting a camera you can easily stick in a pocket so you can capture memories while on-the-go, then I’d suggest a small point-and-shoot.

Make a list of what you are wanting out of your camera and take that list with you to the camera store, or email it to your friends who are more experienced in photography. It’ll help narrow down what types of camera will best suit your current needs.

Room for Growth

Changes come, we rarely continue to only do the same few things forever. Your camera purchase should reflect this. Give yourself room to grow into your camera, otherwise you’ll be looking to replace your camera in just a few months — which means whatever you spend on a camera now would be better spent towards buying the camera you need tomorrow.

That said, don’t just go buy the most expensive camera on the market as your first — it’s not financially responsible either, but more so, you’ll get frustrated quicker and give up on proceeding further with your photographic journey.

I bought a Canon PowerShot S30 back in 2003 so that I would have a small point-and-shoot camera in case my SLR was not allowed in some of the locations I was intending on visiting on a trip. I was disappointed in it from almost the beginning. While it was smaller than my SLR, it was still too big to easily carry around with me — and that was the whole point in my getting it. Also the 3.2 megapixel sensor in it wasn’t all that good, and it’s low-light capabilities were basically non-existent. So it’s sat in a box more than being carried with me being used. This is an example of not buying a camera that gave me room to grow.

Learning the Basics

Regardless of your photographic needs, be them to just take snapshots of your family’s birthday parties or to make fine art, you should familiarize yourself with the basics of photography.

Only using your camera on “auto” will lead to frustration — if not immediately, then eventually. There are situations, and they’re more common than the ads make it sound, that the automatic modes of your camera cannot accurately process. What you’ll get when that happens are blurry, over exposed, or under exposed images. Knowing the basics will help you overcome your camera’s limitations.

I fully suggest that you take a course on photography basics. The Nashville Photography Club has a member who teaches — free to dues paying members — a course which everyone who’s taken it says is great. If you live here, join and take it. If you don’t live around Nashville, TN, then check with your local clubs, perhaps one in your area has a similar course. If they don’t, or you aren’t fortunate enough to live where a camera club exists, then check with your local camera stores (they may know of a good resource or have courses of their own) or your community college (many have non-credit-hour courses which are not that expensive).

The route I took is not one I would recommend — it took most of my life and involved lots of trial-and-error, frustration, reading, talking, failure, guessing, making mistakes, frustration, nearly giving up, more reading, more talking, lots of club meetings, dinners, even more trial-and-error, countless hours of looking at others’ work, and even more hours reviewing my own photographs and the settings used. Trust me, if I had it all to do over again, I’d have taken a course on photographic basics years ago.

Join at least one local photography club. Even if you’re taking a basic photography course — or already understand the basics — you’ll geta lot out of the experience and learn quite a bit from the other members.

Just remember to set realistic expectations and don’t expect to be Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, or Helmut Newton overnight — they spent lifetimes perfecting and updating their craft.

Budgeting Correctly

The single biggest “mistake” I see people making when trying to get a “better” camera or to “improve” their photography is that they undercut their budget to the point that they’ll still be frustrated after the supposed “upgrade”.

Expecting the tack-sharp images of fast moving subjects, like seen in publications such as Sports Illustrated, from a $300 camera might be stretching it a bit. It’s technically possible, but requires a great deal of skill, knowledge, and prep. Could I? Um. I’d personally rather not try. Could friends of mine? Oh, hell yes. The one I’m thinking of possibly has done just that. Literally. Oh, and the lenses attached to that camera might have been a few thousand.

While it is entirely possible to get a used pro-model film SLR for just a couple hundred dollars, that’s without lenses and you’re more-than-likely wanting to get a digital camera as your first. At least those who’ve asked me in the past for advice have been wanting digital vs film. If you’re wanting to get a used camera, I’ve never bought from them but have been referred to them by enough people in-the-know whom I trust that I would not look any further than KEH.

“Everyone falls the first time.” — The Matrix.

My entry budget, back in 1993, was somewhere between $700 and $900 for an SLR body and two lenses. I later added an external flash and other accessories. That set-up lasted me 12-years. Due to a deteriorating rubber cushion, cost of film and processing, and a growing need to have the images digitized, I made the transition to digital in 2005. When I made the transition, I completely replaced everything (body, lenses, and flash) and was out around $1700 to $2000.

If you can’t really scrape together that much, don’t fret too much as there’s options which will allow decent shots while giving you room to grow for less than half that. Also, you don’t need to start out with multiple lenses or an external flash.

Starter Suggestions

For those on a very tight budget, yet have a serious desire to grow their photographic skills, I would suggest getting something like the Canon EOS Rebel T3 with the “kit”* 18-55mm lens and sells for around $500 new.

* “kit” is camera store speak for “bundle”

For those who can afford a little more, then I say “skip the kit” and buy your camera body and lens separately. This will allow you to get a “better” lens (giving you more range and control over which lens you get) while not breaking the bank. The 18-55mm lens will not allow you to zoom in that much, and so you’ll be somewhat limited in your abilities right from the beginning.

I said this yesterday, but it bears repeating: don’t be afraid of 3rd party manufactures such as Tamron or Sigma. I used the lens I’m recommending below for years and it’s still my go-to lens for general walking around when not knowing what I’ll encounter.

My recommendation, for those who can afford around $1000 or a little more, is to get either the Canon EOS Rebel T3i or Canon EOS 60D body and the Tamron 28-300mm lens (non-VC version). The T3i is selling for around $575, the 60D for around $865, and the 28-300mm for around $420.

Since I’m a Canon shooter, I’m not versed in the Nikon equivalents of these cameras, but a little searching on your part will allow you to figure that out fairly easily. I’m also not a point-and-shoot fan, so I’m not qualified to make recommendations on those type of cameras.

When buying a camera, it is important to first understand what you are currently wanting the camera for.  Second, you should understand that your photographic needs will change over time.  The third thing you should understand, is that photography is a complex art form (combining natural instinct, learned artistic skills, and purely technical skills) which will take a lifetime of practice to master. Lastly, you should understand that photography is an expensive hobby with almost all the expense at the entry-point.

Notice that brand and camera type were not mentioned. Brand is basically irrelevant. Yes, really. The brand of camera doesn’t matter. I happen to use Canon, but that’s what my Dad used and, as such, it’s what I learned with. It’s what I’m comfortable with. It’s what I know. Nikon is very good, as well, and I have lots of friends who use that brand. Sure we Canon and Nikon users poke fun at one another for using the “wrong” brand, but it’s all in good fun. We know that what matters is what you do with the camera — the photos you take with your camera is more important than the camera used.

There are other brands, and they’re probably fairly decent too. However if you’re not someone who enjoys going it alone, you’ll probably want to stick with a brand that has a large user-base — such as Canon or Nikon. This will make it easier for you to ask others about features you don’t understand or issues you encounter along your photographic journey.

As for lenses, for SLRs, don’t be afraid of third-party brands such as Tamron and Sigma. They both produce lenses for several camera manufacturers’ bodies and have great quality at lower prices. I’ll touch on this a little later.

The type of camera, digital or film; SLR or point-and-shoot; 35mm, medium format, or large format, all depends upon the four items

The type of camera you purchase all depends upon the four topics I listed above. Whether you get a point-and-shoot or SLR, you go digital or film, you get a 35mm format or something larger, all depends on your current needs, potential future needs, willingness to spend time learning, and your budget.

Major change has only come along a few times in my life: going to Michigan State, buying a house, and moving to Nashville. The normal sized and minor changes, such as changing jobs or moving just a few miles, have almost been too numerous to count.

I’m once again feeling a need to make a major change. Like before, I’m feeling apprehensive. However, unlike once before I’m not going to rush into making this change. If you’ve never tried finding, financing, buying, closing, and moving into a house in just half of the month of February — in Michigan — then you’ve never rushed into a major change.

I had twice that amount of time when I moved to Nashville, but I still made the mistake of moving before finding a job — and it cost me… a lot.

This time around I’m going to take my time and make sure that this change (and timing) is the right thing to do. A week, or so, ago when I wrote the 1st draft of this post I said that I was thinking “8-12 months”. I’m now thinking that might be a bit too much time. I just know that it won’t happen until next year — the lease isn’t up until the end of the year.

What I know are these:

• I will be moving to Chicago sometime in 2013
• The move will cost me a job I love where I’m getting to work for someone who understands me and with really good people
• The move will cost me a bit of money
• I’ll, more than likely, have to lower the amount that goes into savings each payday
• I, more than likely, won’t be able to keep my grill, which really sucks because I just figured out how to perfectly do true BBQ
• I’ll have to sell a lot of things (but I should’ve done that a long time ago)
• I’ll have to start over on the ole friend-front
• I’ll miss the live country music shows and songwriter nights I used to attend often
• I’ll be a reducing my distance to home by half
• I’ll be back in BigTen territory
• I’ll be back where, when it’s cold, there’s snow
• I’ll be next to a big ole body of water — and my favorite one at that
• I’ll be living, for the first time, in an actual “big city” (Nashville, which I thought was big, isn’t.)
• I won’t have to pass by places which remind me of people who brought serious pain to my life and caused me an extreme amount of financial hardship on a daily basis
• I’ll be able to “start over fresh”
• I’ll get into better shape, from all the walking I’ll have to do to get most places