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Steven
I'm from the foothills of the North Georgia mountains. I was a woodworker for about 12 years. Well, up until I had the rug pulled out from under my feet, and I was laid off. I got back into photography in 2008 and decided to give that a try professionally, but haven't made any money so far because rednecks, white trash, and hicks are cheap. So, I'm working in a local grocery store where some days I hear and see the craziest stuff. I tend to complain a lot about things, but I'm too poor to afford a good therapist. So, I decided to make a blog and complain online to all of you instead. But I digress. I really just wanted to do the blog to share ideas and stories with the interwebz. =D
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

An Observation On The Value Of Photography


I find it ironic when people post photos of their parents and relatives on Facebook that were taken ages ago, yet they don't want to pay for photographic services these days. It's so crazy when high school aged kids post photos of their parents when they were their age. You know, back before mom's thighs got to be the size of tree trunks? Back before the all years of work and stress of raising kids took away her good looks? Before dad's hair fell out and he took on the shape of a pregnant lady in her second trimester? The kids are all "Wow! So weird. My dad was on the football team that made state." or "Check this out. My mom was captain of the varsity football cheerleaders, and won homecoming. She was so pretty then!" So yeah, mom and dad have photographs that their mom and dad likely shelled out some money for. Sure, it might have been less money then, but then again, gas was under a buck for a gallon too.

Parents, do you not want your grandchildren to see really well made photographs of how pretty your daughter was when she was on the cheerleading squad? Or, is it more important that you shell out for her to go eat at Outback in the middle of the week with the girls???

Students, do you ever think your children will post your iPhone photos on Facebook 20 years from now and say the same things about you? Do you even think those photos will still be around?

The harsh reality is that if you don't put some sort of value into an actual professionally printed photograph, then you will surely regret it when you are older. Remember all that "Carpe diem" mumbo-jumbo that ALL seniors of ANY high school write about in ANY yearbook? You'd better be paying attention before you wake up and you're 35 and you have nothing but crappy iPhone photos to show for your high school years.

And parents - Again - Don't let it go by either because your kids are your kids, and you and I both know that they have their heads up their butts worrying about who's dating who and all...

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Well, Here I Am :: The Fragility of Good Ideas

 Well, here I am. Let me throw out a disclaimer here first: This blog will have profanity in it. As I intend to complain a lot, and sometimes I get a little heated. This blog will name names. I don't care who you are. This blog will be upfront and honest as I can be about whatever it is I may talk about. With that being said, I'm not an expert, scientist, psychologist, social expert, or anything else for that matter... I'm just a man with opinions. Some count, some (most) don't. I like to think that my ideas and opinions are facts, but we both know that that's not always true...

 Now, without further ado, here's my first post. Enjoy!

 I'm not gonna joke around with you. This blog has been on my mind for months. Hell, I might have even thought of it last year. I can't remember. I do remember posting some garbage on Facebook about it after a day of mowing the grass here at the house.

 I have an 18" Cub Cadet push mower, and it takes me a long time to cut my yard. Therefore, I have lots of time to think about things. Seems like I have some of the best ideas while I'm out there sweating and pushing. I guess mindless work has that effect. Why do I push mow my lawn? Because the riding mower broke a long time ago, and I don't have the time or the inclination to fix it.

 Anyway, mindless work seems to have that effect on me. I could remember standing in front of the CNC machine at work, watching it and thinking about something completely unrelated. Over the last couple of years, I've been working part time at a local grocery store, and I'd have days where I'd come up with some of the best ideas while I was stocking the shelves.

 The worst part was forgetting the idea by the time I got home. I'm not talking about coming home and trying to remember what it was that I thought of in the first place, I'm talking about NEVER thinking about it again. Like, it never happened, gone...

 I thought I had cured that stigma when I got an iPhone. I signed up and downloaded Evernote, but the problem there is that the app is so damn sketchy, and it takes too long to do anything in it. I often found myself on an aisle in the store, fiddling with my phone, trying desperately to record a thought, only to have a customer walk by and ask me where the sour cream or the Ziploc bags were. By then, the thought or idea was gone. Or, if it wasn't, then it would be by the time I got my phone back out and waited on Evernote's slow user interface to wake up and work for me. Worse, I'd be caught by a manger messing with the phone while I was supposed to be working.

 So why are our minds like this? Why is it that I can sit around this house with a broken leg, all the free time in the world, and can't come up with a decent idea like I could if I were engaged in a mindless task? If you know the answer, or this happens to you, feel free to explain or share your thoughts in the comments section.

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