Focus on the Positive...but Develop from the Negatives

If I continue at this rate, I will be...126 before I see all 50 states. :-( Create Your Own Visited States Map

Saw a variation of my quote today, photograph instead of photography. You could change it out on a sign with different photos ...neat idea!

It is easier to stitch a few loose threads before they tear completely apart than it is to sew two ripped pieces back together. Always mend your worn seams BEFORE they rip into a big hole, in life and clothing. Can you say that you live this way? I certainly try! 

I love being able to find beauty in the oddest places, that I am always able to see an aesthetic view....(even if no one else sees it the same way I do). While waiting for bloodwork at a hospital, I see all these pretty views I absolutely must take pictures of

According to Wikipedia, "Labor Day in the United States is...a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country."  It is a day to honor YOU, the hard American worker. A day to be proud of your positive labors, no matter how diminutive. In representation of the 30 days in the month of September: 30 Career Accomplishments, Special Skills, and Interesting Job Facts of Mine 1.    I currently work as a digital artist in photo restoration and retouching. 2.    I have digitally restored hundreds of photographs and edited hundreds of thousands of images over the years. 3.    I have scanned close to one million, if not more, pictures and imaged tens of thousands of slides and negatives. 4.    My count for pictures I have printed in the photo lab over the last three y

This past week in the mornings with my coffee before work and on my days off, I have been focusing even more than usual on editing images. I realized today, I could take a break from the photos for a contest I am entering, but only to edit images from a wedding I shot last week. And, I do get away from it when I go to work, but only to still be editing more images at my actual job! I am not complaining, as Photoshop is one of the most relaxing things to me. And, I am not trying to show off by making such jokes as often as I do, but just remarking how truly funny it is how much of my life is spent working in Photoshop! Even a customer once joked to me, "You use Photoshop at home? What, you don't get enough of it here?" And maybe, I am also just reminding myself to be thankful I have not gotten burnt out on this yet...reminding myself that although things are not perfect, how cool it really is I love doing this. I recall a conversation from a few years ago where some

A friend posted the question on her status, "Are you living your dream?" This has been a thought I have pondered and touched on the last few years.  After some time organizing my thoughts, my response was: "No, not to the extent I envisioned 10 years ago, but dreams change. If I break it down into smaller aspects of my dreams rather than look at it as one overall large-scale dream, then you could say I am living parts of my dream. And, hopefully I am working towards living more of my dream someday!" I think too often we expect all our dreams to come true. We don't recognize little dreams that have happened because they occurred absent from a much bigger dream and are not viewed as magnificent enough to count.  My personal example is my goal in college, like most, was to be financially independent and have a meaningful career. I have yet to achieve the monetary part, however, I have discovered the field I know I belong in, found work doing what I love

I sometimes joke if it is accurate to say I moonlight as a photographer, than I daylight as a photo restoration/retouching artist. Saturday, that statement was exactly correct. I worked my normal day at the photo shop and left early to shoot a wedding Saturday night. On days like that, I am proud of my accomplishments. I may not really have any large career or monetary successes to speak of, but I am fortunate that I like going to work every day and that sometimes I get to get paid for my hobby. In that sense, I guess I do have some success.  ☺

I have been thinking about this recently. Digital imaging, photo restoration/retouching, recolorizing...it IS who I am.  Restoration & recolorization done as a rush service No, it is not saving lives or helping people in a medical, protection, or education sense, but when I can "restore" some happiness to somebody by fixing their damaged photo of a precious memory or lost loved one, I do feel I made a difference, as small as it may be.  Most people probably don't realize there is a humane side in being a Photoshop Artist! I used to underestimate the importance myself.

And some of my favorite photos, too! I had just mentioned this to my best friend the other day, how driving home the other night, I was thinking about all the fun memories I have of us just driving around with no purpose. I miss those times and who we both were then (as does she). :-\ I think I need more of these nights/days in my life again.  *sigh* I am not making enough new memories these days, nor taking enough random pictures to remember 2014 by...

This was posted to a photo group of mine, and I really appreciated it since I work with film daily.

Haven't posted in awhile, so thought I would share this audio post I saw on FaceBook today, that posed the question, who still has and uses a turntable? My witty comeback was of course, only when converting records to digital at work. Hehe But this week I am actually working on converting reel to reel audio that have been a pain...splices breaking, the reel not big enough to hold all the tape, and content right to the end of the tape without a leader. Plus, besides the usual reverse audio, the tracks are changing speeds in the middle of the recording, making editing fun, too. The latest one actually was four linear tracks - both sides of the tape had a unique track on both the left and right channels! Still as frustrating as it got, being as multimedia-minded as I am, I enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to work with the old technology! Not sure what that says about me, how I enjoy the experience and being able to say I have used such mediums and