Day 115
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Archive: May 2009
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A little friendly Maven advice…
Two times in my life I have been in situations where Ive been in ordered lock down. The first was in Moscow, Russia when there was an attempted revolt and tanks/soliders were running down the street in front of my apartment. We were stuck there for 3 days.
The second time was when Katrina hit Alabama. After it hit, we were without electricity for about 10 days. It made me really grateful once we got power back on, especially the AC.
I dont think there is any need for panic, but this recent Swine Flu outbreak definitely has my attention and if it spreads as quickly as it appears it will, it may cause some unneeded stress. This particular strain seems to be very fast burning, (a good thing) which means its incubation period is short, in these cases, one of the best ways to battle it is to have everyone stay put and isolate the infections, get such patients treated and minimize the spread. Viruses cant live very long without a host, a good strategy is to let it burn out.
It appears the outbreak started in Mexico, they are now in a 5 day lock down. Chances are, it could (not will) happen in the US, if it does happen, you want to be ready for it before the order is given because it will be a mad house if it ever is. Again, Im not saying panic, its just that if we make a mistake in a situation like this, you want to be on the side of over preparedness instead of under.
If you don’t have some type of food storage, sometime tomorrow, go to the store and buy your next 1-2 weeks of groceries, even if you have plenty of food. Fill up your car with gas and get anything else you might need for at least one if not 2 weeks. Heck get some board games and puzzles too. I hope it doesnt come to this, but if it does you will thank me.
I havent heard of any outbreaks here in Az, but I am just going to assume its already here and its just a matter of time. Not going to the gym (looks like Ill be doing some P90X in the ol hotel room, no movies (that hurts!) or anywhere else there are high concentrations of people. Im lucky in that Im editing now and don’t need to go out that much. I think we will have a better idea by Monday or Tuesday of next week as to how bad it will be.
Im certain everything will work out and we will be ok, I just like being prepared.
Ideas for Attendee “Gift Packages”?
We are starting to plan out the nitty, gritty details of the workshops. Something I wanted to do was have little workshop gift/care packages for everyone that attended. Most importantly would be the information packet that would cover the lessons / shooting techniques we would go over, but I also wanted to throw some fun things in there too. Obviously, we would need to try to keep the costs down, and we would want them to be related to photography or the workshop in some way. Food for the workshops will be covered, but I thought I would ask, what would be some neat and useful things to include in the Gift Packages that dont cost an arm and a leg? This is my list:
– Workshop Notebook Packet
– Name Tag Necklace
– Writing Utensils
– 2-3 Special Gifts from Michael- I have a couple of these, I wont share because they are a surprise, but they are COOL!! 🙂
– Lens cleaning kits
– Camera Bag goodies (need some more ideas on these)
– Tee-Shirts?
– DVD Coupons (3 Day workshop Event Attendees)
Day 114 | Abstract Craziness
Still looking for new ways to tweak the 365. This was fun. Set the shutter for an 4-6 second exposure, aim it at yourself, and then walk around with it in your hands during the exposure. Works good with lights in different parts of the room. Totally weird and unexpected results. 
Great Camera Bag Item!
OCD would not even begin to explain how I am about my camera bag. It is incredibly important to me, which lens I have in there, as well as any accessory, so I offer this with high regard for the need to keep your bag as light and as efficient as possible. Its one of those things that if you need it and don’t have it, you will be hating life. There were a few times on Maui I started getting eaten alive and it definitely affects my shooting. I was looking for a very simple solution, but didn’t want to buy a can (too big and bulky/sometimes they stop working) or a spray bottle (too heavy, possibility of leaking = nightmare). When I saw this today, I bought a box immediately. They are so small and light, you will never notice the weight, and you can carry one or two, keep the rest at home and replace when needed. No more worries about bugs while on a shoot. 🙂
