Our web diary

Updates

I guess I have been quite lazy recently in keeping this site updated. We have had a lot going on over the last month and it seems I can't seem to find the time to log it.

Let's see. I seem to be having the same problem Jason has with comment spam. I run this website and the Charlotte Camera Club website. Both of which have been deluded with spam over the last month. I also have some problems with my hosting provider - Canaca. They updated to a new control panel and in the process have screwed up some of the pathing so now Movable type cannot address the Image Magick plug ins to automatically create thumbnails. I'm still working on that problem and hopefully they will get it solved. Moving the camera club site is fairly easy because it is new, but this site is using over 1.2 gig of space already. Other website news: I appear to be a top search result for my Peta pictures. I am getting about 10,000 unique visits a month. Not bad for a personal website.

My photography business is growing quite well. I have my first on location commercial shoot tonight at the Rotary Club convention here in Charlotte. They are giving awards to about 60 members and I get to photograph the president handing the awards to each member. These are members that donated more than $10,000 to charities over the last year, so it should be a good networking opportunity. It's going to be interesting. I have to take 2 shots for each group in about 1 hour. OUCH! However, it allowed me to purchase some extra goodies. The guy I am doing this for is a member of Rotary. He also happens to be a CPA and it looks like I will be able to write off most of the gear this year. :) Good thing. Next year I hope to be in the position to start marketing for weddings.

My full time job is still busy. This time of year is always a pain for the trucking business because all of the retailers are stocking for Christmas. Our volume has not slowed down at all during the year and no we are trying to do twice as much work with the same amount of trucks. It amazes me how hard it is to find quality drivers in today's times. My guys make anywhere from 40-50 a year and I still can find enough good ones to put in the trucks.

I really need to take some time to get the camera equipment side of the site updated. I have acquired some real cool new gadgets over the last few months and I should be writing about them. The Canon 10D is a great camera and with the 20d release it has really been dropping in price.

The Ren Fest pictures are now updated in the gallery. The pictures are both mine and Marlene's. We have free tickets so we are planning on going back this weekend to actually enjoy the show. The last time was work. Of course, I am sure there will be a camera in attendance this weekend.

That is all for now.

Happy Birthday .... to me!!!

I am having a great day. Sean took me out for a lovely dinner last night at Monticello's -- a small slightly upscale restaurant in Uptown Charlotte. It was wonderful to spend a night on the town. This morning he made me breakfast, and mixed up some creme brulee for later this evening. And to go completely overboard there's birthday cake as well. Many of you have called or written this last week and I appreciate it more than you know. Tomorrow I'll reflect on how old I am now, but for today I'm just reflecting on chocolate cake.

A new toy ... for Marlena

Ooooh another early birthday present from my beloved Sean. On the agenda this weekend was a trip to the Renaissance Festival with the Charlotte Camera Club. When I expressed an interest in being able to take real pictures too --Sean happily(?) bought me a digital SLR camera so I could "play" as well.
It's somewhat intimidating and yet very exciting to try something new.

This morning we went to the Festival. What a beautiful day it's been. Although it started out somewhat chilly (43F aprox 5C), the sun was out and warmed us up quickly. We had access to the Festival a little earlier than opening so we could take pictures of the fair ground, and the unique people who work there.

We'll get some pictures up in the gallery soon, but this picture of Sean turned out rather well I thought.