January 14, 2012
apples
14:365
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January 14, 2012
leader
13:365My company sponsored this adorable 14-week old black Labrador to become a leader dog for the blind. She'll undergo over a year of training and then have to pass a test before she's given, for free, to her partner for life. It costs about $40,000 to train one puppy. I am grateful to work for my company, and now I'm also really, really proud. PM me if you want the deets. She's got her own FB page where you can follow her through her training and adventures. Right now she's here in Orlando with me!
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January 13, 2012
palm
12:365I got 20 minutes of outside time today. It was heaven.
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January 11, 2012
spoons
11:365Meeting kicked off with a bang this morning. I debuted a new global video with Collective Soul's "Better Now" as the music bed, after four days of arguing with a Brit whether it was the right song. It was. Long day, and it's not over yet. I spotted these spoons on a tray in the meeting room turned dining hall as the stewards were flipping.Time to go change my shirt and freshen up what's left of my makeup so I can plaster on a permagrin before dinner.
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January 10, 2012
tease
10:365At least when I walk through the atrium between meetings I can catch a glimpse of the sky. The indoor trees also help. It's still not the same, though. Sigh.
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January 9, 2012
nice digs
9:365Home for the next nine days. Here we go…
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January 8, 2012
found
8:365We've been getting good moving boxes for free off Craig's List. Today, I picked up a box to take it into the bedroom to pack and heard a noise. Upon inspection I discovered a few lonely puzzle pieces at the bottom. They were hiding under the flaps at the bottom of the box. They are going to seriously piss off someone who tries to complete the puzzle some day, but today they made me laugh.
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January 8, 2012
And then there was dark
M started taking down the lights today. We stood outside last night for 15 minutes before they went off, just watching. We have done this for years, but last night had special significance since it's the last year in this house. Like a lot of experiences these days it was bittersweet.
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January 8, 2012
living amongst the boxes
7:365We pack pack pack. Then we pack some more. Basement and darkroom are nearly done. Library and dining room completely done. We are tired.
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January 7, 2012
gear guilt
6:365Work bought me a new Canon 5D Mark II. I recommended it because Nikon doesn't have a single body even remotely comparable right now. And partially because I was curious to try The Other Side and could now do so without spending my own hard-earned cash. I feel guilty. Like I'm cheating. On Nikon. Yes, I realize that Nikon is a big, faceless mega-company that couldn't give a flying f*ck about what system I use. But still. When I was a kid, just dreaming about becoming a photographer, I lusted after Nikons. And that was way back in the film days. My first film body was a Minolta. It did a pretty decent job, although looking back our saleswoman was an idiot and over-sold us with a bells & whistles camera a high school student didn't need. When I started shooting again after years of dormancy (aka college, then engagement, then newlyweddedness) and found the Minolta busted, I realized my dream and got myself my first Nikon. She's a beautiful little N80 that feels great in my hands and has a shutter that is music to my ears. After a few years, digital increased in quality and I converted to a Nikon D100. It was heavier and thicker, but the shutter sang and I was completely smitten with digital. By this point I had acquired quite a few lenses. Which is what really ties a photographer to a brand. You can't just wake up one day and decide to go Pentax because that would render your entire camera bag obsolete.The D100 was trusty and true, never failing. It simply became a relic like all other seven-year-old DSLRs. M bought me a gorgeous D300, which has been by my side more than any other camera since that Minolta in high school. It's a fantastic body. Reliable, sturdy, comfortable. But then…The crop sensor on the D300 started bugging me. Not that it is failing…just that my NAS kicks into high gear every so often and I start hankering for something new. Better. Bigger. Like…a full-frame sensor. Drool. So I started looking at them. And was appalled to find that my beloved Nikon doesn't have shit in the way of a 21MP full-frame sensor DSLR that also shoots 1080p hi-def video. But Canon does. I feel like a noob all over again because I can't intuitively shoot any more. Things are backwards and I'm anything but graceful just trying to fire off a few snaps. I'll get there, but right now I'm struggling. I'm also struggling because there are things about the Canon that are simply done better than my Nikon. Yeah, my Nikon is 3 years old now, but there isn't even a current Nikon to which I can compare this Canon. So with every click of the Canon I feel a little guilty. The shutter sounds different, and I feel guilty that I don't hate it. The focusing screen is strange, and I feel guilty that I don't mind it. M is having a heart attack that I might seriously want to switch. I'm not there yet. I have the work Canon to keep me amused for awhile. But you're on notice Nikon. Step it up dudes. And get rid of that idiot Kutcher you have shilling for the consumer stuff on tv. Take the money you're paying him and put it towards much-needed R&D. Or I just might drop the guilt and just go for better gear.
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