davejenbarnes

unrealistically…

Jennifer — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:39:22 +0000

I don’t have a five on friday to post today, but I still wanted to hop on the blog and put up some quotes. I’ve been doing a lot of internal restructuring to my business so that my business is not my life, but serves my life instead. To that end, I read a business book in 3 days (business books are usually pretty dry reading) and am still on the inspiration rush of learning. I love learning new things. I would LOVE to go back to school and get a masters degree in business, and Baylor does have an MBA program here in Austin… I also love to dream. Like -me- going back and getting a masters degree from my [insanely expensive private school] alma mater, while primarily living off of a middle school teacher’s salary is being realistic. Pshaw.

Which leads me to the quotes. I may not be serious about an MBA from Baylor (though the thought is tempting, I don’t qualify for their Executive MBA program offered here in Austin) but I’ve been thinking about how most things in this business aren’t all that realistic. The hours. The myriad of skills you have to learn. The roles, that as sole proprietor, you have to fill (President, COO, VP of Marketing, VP of Operations, VP of Finance, Sales Manager, Advertising Research Manager, Production Manager, Service Manager, Facilities (oh dear, my office is such a mess) Manager, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Janitor, the list goes on)… and sometimes, in even the images we aspire to create… It’s not ‘being realistic’ for me to have started my own business two years ago in order to help my family three years from now. It’s not ‘being realistic’ to start a business and expect success in this economy. It’s not ‘being realistic’ to add up all the pros and cons and still decide to go for it. I have to remind myself at times –

“‘Being realistic’ is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity. Why would you ‘be realistic’? What’s the point of ‘being realistic’? [...] I’m gonna do it; it’s done. It’s already done, the second I decide it’s done, it’s already done, it’s just now we gotta wait for y’all to see.” (5:48 in the video)

“There’s a redemptive power that making a choice has. You know, rather than feeling like you are an effect to all the things that are happening. Make a choice. Like, you just decide what it’s gonna be, who you’re gonna be, how you’re gonna do it. Just decide.” (7:31 in the video)

I don’t know if this will inspire anyone to make that decision, take that leap, or keep on trucking but this is where I am right now. I have no Plan B. I never have had a Plan B. This is all I’ve got and I’m going to go for it. Now we just gotta wait for y’all to see.

Five on Friday

Jennifer — Fri, 04 May 2012 06:03:36 +0000

5.4.12

Some glimpses into my world from a few days ago.

Happy Friday!

5D :: EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro

My weakness…

Jennifer — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:31:09 +0000

…is this dude’s smile, messy chin and all. I am powerless to it’s charm and manipulation. He is one spoilt little man and I know it and he knows it. And he is only three.

We are doomed.

May? Already?!

Jennifer — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:43:51 +0000

How could I have let half a month go by without posting?!

(oh, right, I was working! hurray!)

I guess nothing MAJOR happened since the middle of April, or I would have had a reason to blog it. We’ve been busy trying to keep what little St. Augustine we have – alive, trimming trees and shrubs, playing outside lots in the evenings, generally enjoying this beautiful (but already too dry) “spring” here in TX. We’ve had job interview disappointment (I won’t blog about the details, to protect Dave) and happiness at his staying at CPMS (hurray!), growing boys, and insurance drama (bills mysteriously showing up 10 months after surgery that we thought were already paid… hmmm) a round of pinkeye and… um… life as normal, no biggie!

Soooo… what brings me here today is just a few pictures of some roses. I picked up a 50mm macro for a steal of a deal and the prettiest things in the house get the honor of being the first test subjects.

I didn’t buy it without doing my research as the price the guy wanted for it was borderline “too good to be true.” The decision was made, though, when I learned that the lens is less than 4 years old (thank you Canon for your date codes that actually give us information!) and realized that I have nothing that can do what this lens can do. I’ve been lamenting the focusing distances on all of my lenses for a couple of years now, so it’s about time I picked up a macro!

The cons – • I already own the 50mm f/1.4, so it’s a redundant focal length, • it’s one of the oldest lenses in canon’s line-up and as such is missing FTM (full time manual) and USM (Ultrasonic Motor) autofocus, and • it’s not a true macro as it only magnifies natively 1:2 (half-size).

The pros – • I didn’t already have a macro (or a lens that could even get close to being called “macro”), • it’s one of canon’s sharpest lenses (said by some to be even sharper than the $1500 EF 50mm f/1.2 L), and • a life-size converter isn’t as expensive as they used to be, making the upgrade to a true macro (1:1) an eventual possibility if I should decide it’s worth it, • it’s so totally and completely more accurate and dependable than my magnification filters, oh, and • it was cheap, practically dirt cheap, cheaper by about $100 than those offered on ebay.

I’ll try to stop by more often and actually blog again here soon!

5D :: EF 50mm f/2.5 compact macro :: 1/125 sec :: f/4.5 :: ISO 250

Mid-month iPhone dump

Jennifer — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:35:56 +0000

These diptychs are always fun to make. We’ve had a great month so far!

Two iPhone 4Ses :: Instagram :: Diptych :: PicFX

I heart Texas

Jennifer — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 05:01:02 +0000

I headed out tonight about 30 minutes before sunset to check the light at a location I’ll be shooting next week with a senior. We are starting our session down in a valley and I’ve been there at sunset before and the valley-ness of it just doesn’t make for a nice sunset view, so halfway through our session or so, I want to drive up to the 2nd location and get some stunning sunset images. I hadn’t yet checked it out at the specific time of day, hence the trip tonight.

IT. WAS. PERFECT.

I am so excited! On the way back to the van from scoping it out, I decided to get just one artsy fartsy image instead of the snapshots I’d been taking to make notes about the location. There was the scraggliest most trampled and abused little (miniature almost, compared to some I’ve seen this year) patch of bluebonnets, but I knew there was a way to make those babies shine. Most of them have already pretty much gone to seed (ours here at the house didn’t seed… boo!) and growing up, the seed pods were the most fascinating part of the plant to me. They’re as soft as velvet. Backlit, they’re actually quite pretty too. Even the weeds that are starting to overtake the bluebonnets are pretty in their own weedy way.

I actually like this enough to consider having prints made of it. THIS is the Texas I am in love with. What a gorgeous bluebonnet season we had this year!

5D :: 28mm

Five on Friday

Jennifer — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:31:44 +0000

I can’t believe I missed a month of Five on Friday posts. We recently had a pretty awesome 4 day weekend over the Easter break if I do say so myself… My bro came down and crashed at our place for a bit, we got some Minecraft time in, dyed some eggs, played with new cameras (Jer’s new 5D Mark III is amazing) and lenses, and played with yarn. Well, I did the playing with the yarn. But the most fun was that last picture up there. Settlers of Catan. Great fun when we have enough people to play it! Dave and I dominated. Sorry, Jer. We’ll just have to have a rematch sometime.

Happy Friday, y’all!

5D :: 28mm :: VSCO film

This. Kid.

Jennifer — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:48:00 +0000

I honestly don’t get how anyone can look at the world around us and not know that there is a Creator. Or look at their children and see God’s love reflected in their eyes. This one, especially, gets me every time he looks at me. I mean, really looks at me. I just love this kid. He amazes me at every turn.

5D Mark III :: 70-200 f/2.8 L :: © Jerry Knight

Frank. Hot Dogs. Cold Beer.

Jennifer — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:31:41 +0000

We have wanted to visit this place for about 4 years now, and finally made it down on Monday with my brother and the boys.

Of course Korben fell asleep on the drive downtown. Of course he did. And that means he was grumpy.

But we made it inside, and, as I had remembered to bring along a “real” camera, I took some quick pictures of the menu and the boys.

Jer sat next to me and so avoided being in any pictures, but I did get a snap of his dog.

And mine.

And Dave’s.

The waitress was a little … off and we ended up with 4 kids meals for 3 kids and she messed up my drink, but all-in-all it was a good visit. Expensive (nearly $100 for six hot dogs, an appetizer, and some fresh-squeezed lemonades and root beer, plus $7 for parking) and we won’t be heading back there anytime soon because of it, but definitely good eats, especially when you have company and want to try something unique to ATX.

5D :: 28mm :: VSCO film

Six and 3/4ths and beyond his years

Jennifer — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:01:36 +0000

I love this kid.

He is the most sensitive and thoughtful little boy I have ever met. His teacher says he is the most others-aware in the classroom and is constantly helping his classmates, aware when one of them is not having a good day and trying to make it better. Parents of his classmates have commented to me at birthday parties that their kid thinks of James as their best friend. I’ve even had a mom of a girl tell me that she is constantly talking about James at home.

I know the girl-awareness has already started because we were sitting in the van the other day and James asked me why he liked girls better than boys. I was not prepared for that moment, and while I know it’s not the birds-and-the-bees talk, it’s the door cracking open just a little and I’m not sure I’m ready for that part of parenthood. Not ready at all.

There are times he doesn’t like being the oldest because that means he has the most responsibilities placed on him, but there are other times that I think he loves it. He is in such a hurry to grow up, and I can’t wait to witness that happening, later. Much later. He is just right at six and three-quarters.

I love my James.

Kerbey Lane Cafe

Jennifer — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 02:29:46 +0000

I always think of a bowling alley when Kerbey Lane comes up in conversation. I don’t know why… other than the lane part, and I think Kerbey would be a good name for one. My brother is in town for his annual Easter weekend visit so we loaded up the van and headed out to eat Friday night after he arrived. I threw the new lens on the old camera for the evening and here are a few of the snapshots.

You can never go wrong with Kerbey Lane. Mmm-mmm, good.

30D :: 28mm :: VSCO film

April, already.

Jennifer — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:33:26 +0000

Another thing that’s happened in the past couple of weeks that’s prevented the motivation for blogging is this — my camera batteries all (yes, all four of them) stopped charging. I could not get them to hold a charge long enough to take the camera anywhere. It finally dawned on me to clean the contacts with my superdidooper 99.9% Ultra Pure Technical Grade Isopropyl Alcohol (available at your local Fry’s electronic store) and Ta-Da! They charge again. Well, two of them do. Which is a relief because soo many cameras use those same batteries. I guess that’d also be a benefit of replacing the batteries, too, that so many cameras use those same batteries. Unfortunately, they’re not AA’s and unfortunately, they’re nearly $50/each to replace.

And the big-mama film body was in the shop for most of the month. Not that it helped — the sucker still backfocuses. Grumble, grumble. Too bad the four other film bodies I have aren’t as fun to use as the big-mama. The holga comes close, but seeing as how I’ve still got 5 rolls of 120 to send to a lab… well, you get the point.

Needless to say, I’m back. Hopefully this will be a healthy month for us.

It’s 2:30 AM, so I’m going to bed now, but I just wanted to post that picture of the ONLY bluebonnet that survived in our front bed. *sigh* ‘Nite…

30D :: 28mm :: 1/640th :: f/2.0 :: ISO 640