The west coast has a lot going on. Some of the highest output blogger/photographers seem to be out there. Specifically Chase Jarvis (on the commercial end), Jasmine Star, and others. There is a real danger in being inspired while you're sitting behind a desk. As Chase pointed out recently, it is easy to be inspired. Not so easy to go and do something about it.

Last week there was a 5 day tube-a-thon of Jasmine Star preparing, teaching, and shooting an actual wedding in Seattle (through Chase Jarvis' co-creation "creative live." You can pay to watch it as a download from their site (I watched live for free).

It was interesting. I watched the chat room and the live stream. Many many people are interested in what settings are used to take photos. I suppose that is because people want great photography to be like cooking with a straight recipe. But, photography is like cooking. Anyone can have the ingredients but knowing what to do with them, how, and when make all the difference.

My take-away. I haven't been shooting enough. I get too busy on the business side to shoot every day. But I should be.

Also, there is the reality that you can't be everything to everybody as a professional selling services. This is obvious, but just looking at the front page here may make you wonder. I don't specialize per se. Why? Because I think all the genre make me a more complete photographer. Not as easy to sell though. Still, it's a work in progress.

Oh, on a different note I got an iMac over the weekend. It has been many years since I had a desktop computer (sort of... we have a smattering of machines including other imacs - I just didn't use them for me). So far so good. I'm not huge on the glossy screen. I had to re-arrange my office to point away form the window behind me. The upshot? I can look out the window now.

YOUTUBE VIDEO:

This is me looking at me for the first time since I moved my desk. It actually kinda works well. I can have a nice blank background. I should print out little 8.5x11's and hold them up so I can have picture in picture.