I went on vacation at the end of July, long overdue if you ask me, we haven't done anything as a family in three years!  The plan was to drive to Virginia, drop down into South Carolina for my step daughters graduation from the Marine Corps, and then drive the lower route home.

Unfortunately Keri has suffered a setback and won't be graduating when planned because of a knee injury, so while in Virginia we changed plans and drove north, where we visited Washington D>C, and New York City, and a bit of everything in between.  We Stayed in Memphis, Tennessee and enjoyed a couple of days there, stopped in Nashville, TN, to see the full size replica of the Parthenon, visited Virgina Beach and spent five great days there, including a day at Busch Gardens, two days in D.C., and two days in New York City.  The drive back took us through Pennsylvania and Indiana where we enjoyed a few more stops.  All in all we went through 15 states, (not including the one we started in) and 4,585 miles, or roughly 7,379 Kilometers.  The states we drove through/ visited included: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri.

It was a great trip, we had a great deal opf fun.  Photos to follow soon

So, I came back to find my subscription to DA expired (Oh No!) What looks like Billions of messages, and a pile of work on my desk that virtually ensures I am unlikely to have much free time.

Ah well, it was worth it

...Unless it's with an emoticon !

I have a lot of work this past week, and the coming week is looking pretty busy too, so I may be out awhile.  But I wanted to send hugs to everyone and say I'm not gone, just a little overwhelmed

I am not one to bring my personal stuff, for the most part, to my journal at DA, I don't mind when other people do, but it's just not me.

But I find myself today unable to concentrate, and uninterested in the internet as a whole.  As I mentioned in my last deviation, a friend of mine passed away last week and I just found out about it.



Kirk was a good guy, he came through Albuquerque some years ago on his way to other places and his car broke down.  I met him through the veterans organization that I had been working for, (Kirk and I both were Veterans) and we became fast friends.  A short time later he also came to work for the same veterans group, and he loved it.  He was happy helping other people, excited to know he was making as change in other peoples lives.

Kirk and I grew close, and I got to know him very well.  He loved New Mexico Green Chili, (there's nothing else like it, anywhere else) and he loved those little plastic trolls that have the fuzzy heads. He enjoyed fiction books especially the ones written by Terry Goodkind, The Sword of Truth fantasy series.   He liked good movies, nature walks, and odd comedy bits.  He liked to see other people smile more than almost anything.

He helped me pick out one of my dogs, Rua Cu, who at the time was cute and reminded us of a big red beagle with big girlie lips (He called her "Butter Lips" quite often, interjected with funny names that were a play on her real name like "Rua Poo" and Rua Chew" depending on the no-no's she was involved in at the moment.)

Kirk had a problem at times with substance abuse, but his last letter was filled with excitement that he'd been clean for years, something I am so glad of now, I know it was something he was proud of. He eventually moved back home near his family, who he spoke of often and wistfully while he was here. I know he was glad to be close to those people he loved most in his life.  He struggled at times with inner demons that made staying in one place difficult, and so one day he moved on again, though we kept in touch.  The last few years we wrote less and less, as some friends often do.  He mentioned he had cancer, but I thought we had more time to chat.  (Isn't that the way it always goes?  I thought I had learned my lesson with John Ronin, a close friend of both Kirks and mine who was killed by a car ...  but it seems I didn't...)

I got the note yesterday that Kirk had succumbed to cancer, and I didn't react fully, I guess I was numb from shock.  It set in today while I was at work, and I find myself unable to concentrate on simple asks, I am so sorrowful.

Even though we hadn't been in contact so much, this is harder, knowing there is no chance now to speak to him.  So I decided it would be a good idea to write about Kirk, remind myself why we were such good friends, and introduce him to you all, who never had a chance to get to know him, but should have.  

I am going to take a day or two off from the computer, take some time to get myself back together and say goodbye privately.  I'll be back soon, thanks for letting me share.

Well, life may not be treating me so hot in real life where I sit, but on DA I have it good.  With the exception of the occasional nasty comment, or person who tries to use my stock in a way they aren't supposed to, I have enjoyed some nice exposure here.  

Today I received notice that I'd won The Week 50 contest at
[link]

The entry felt silly, here it is:



I hurried way too fast, but I think the idea wasn't a bad one, and I am very grateful to everyone who cast a vote for me.    There was some really great entries aside from my own, and the stock was fun to work with

Truth be told I didn't vote for my own, I voted for this one: [link] by   I loved the mood of that one

Long day today, so much to do here that I can't shake a stick at it.  So maybe I can be more active this weekend.  have a good one everybody

Alright, I broke down and made a new account, just for my stock.  I should have done it before I uploaded so much to this one.  I haven't figured out how to move this stuff over there without messing up anyone who's saved or collected the images I am moving.

Here is a link to the new account: [link] I've already started uploading some stock.  There's like 33 images of the same girl in different poses, but some of them I really like   If you get a chance, check them out.



I'll go around and add my buddies to that account, I like to keep an eye on you no matter where I might be... Moo-ha-ha!

I'm tired and still sick, excuse my lousy humor

Alright, enough for tonight.  I am off to bed.

Big hugs to everyone!

I've not been answering my messages or notes this past week for the most part, because I have been sick.  The kind of sick when you start thinking if you die in your sleep it would be alright, cause at least you wouldn't feel bad anymore... heh.     I am not totally better, either. I've gotten sick with something else, or I've gotten new symptoms, but this isn't as bad as last week, so I can function.  It'll be a few days before i get around to doing all the catch up I need to do though, so If you haven't heard from me, have patience...  I'm getting there

I was featured in a couple of journals this week, and bad me I didn't get around to thanking the wonderful people who did it for me until today.

It has been a rough and busy week!

Anyway...  

My first feature was , featured in this news article with lots of gorgeous little kiddies: [link], by

This is one of my favorite stock images, and I loved seeing it get featured!

The next feature was , featured here in this news article with some really great stamps: [link], by   I have become obsessed with stamps, in case you haven't noticed, so this was great fun to have a stamp featured!

The last feature was and can be found here in this journal: [link], by   who did a great feature on men stock images, some really great stuff here, I will be back by to collect many of those images myself

I was really appreciative to all those who featured me, and feeling bad for taking so long to say a proper thanks here.   Like I said, it's been a crazy week...  but it's getting better

I have something cool to tell you.

But before I do I thought I'd share the following, and see if any of you can translate?  

M R DUX
M R NOT DUX
O S A R
C M WANGS
C M B D I'S
LIB... M R DUX!

So, on to the news.... (drum roll please...)

Two days ago I went to the feed and seed (to buy feed and seed) and I bought...

Ducklings!!

Yup!  Those itty bitty things that go waddle, waddle, quack, quack!

        

Oh, the pictures right now aren't so great, because they move around constantly, and the lighting where I have them sucks, but they are soooo cuuuuute!  

Now, I know this isn't great news for anybody else, but seeing as I have no one else to share it with, I am sharing with you

There's more pics in my scraps if you'd like to see (with chicks and a blue chicken and Turkey babies too...) hopefuly I get something good enough soon to put in my gallery

I got started sharing my photos online because a friend of mine looked through my pics and said "Wow, these are pretty good Dawn, you should sell them as stock!"  I didn't know what stock was, or where to share it even when he explained.  But once I understood what he was talking about, out I went to sell my great photos.  

Except they weren't so great.  

Of course I didn't know it then, to me they were fantastic and my fan club (friends and family) all coerced me into believing I was the next Ansel Adams.  But enough rejections form the stock agencies cleared that issue up for me.  I couldn't get anyone to take my images to sell.

My buddy said, Hey!  no problem!  Try SXC! ([link] It's a place that gives stock images away for free, and you can practice you photography with them until you get good enough!

So off I went and submitted my images.... and they accepted about 2 out of every 10.  (Those odds crushed me, let me tell you.)

I've been with SXC about four years now, and my acceptance level has grown exponentially. My rejections are now about 1 in 25 (and well deserved usually.)  I now sell my best stuff at paysites, and take the rest and offer it here and at sxc.  

But sometimes I have other photographers I know locally who ask me why I'd even consider letting someone use my photos for free.

So, here it is:

1.  I am not going to do anything else with it, so why not?

2.  I've had a ton of publications, many of which I have tear sheets for, worldwide.  Those publications have helped my portfolio more than any sale I have ever made.  EVER.  (you can see a list of some of those publications here: [link]

3.  The models I use for my images frequently get tear sheets or other items they can use for their own portfolios, which has made me fairly popular with the local models.  

4. Every time I think I am getting good at photography, I can look through what I have offered in past years and realize how far I've come, and how far I have yet to go.

5.  I get far more critiques from the free stock I offer, which gives me some basis on which to decide what I need to work on.  

6.  Some of the people who've used my stock have helped me learn better PS techniques, as well as helping me know what kind of stock is most needed.   

So, thanks again to everyone who not only uses or collects my stock, but who sends me links so that I can see how it's been used.    Hopefully your interaction will bring much more and better free stock photos to come

So, I went through my message box last night and answered everything before I went to sleep.  What a surprise then to wake up to 52 messages first thing in the morning!  

It didn't take me long that I'd been featured as a Daily Deviation!  Woot!  TheArcher777 suggested the image (My stock pic, "Reaching" [link] and I was featured by Hanratty-Stock, so a big thanks to both of them

So, I am off to say thanks to all the peeps who've been collecting and faving and commenting.  I am excited to see what kind of work people do with the stock...  

UPDATE:
I ended up with hundreds of comments on that DD, it took me three days to say thanks to everyone, (I hope I managed to say thanks to everyone, I may have accidentally deleted a couple )

It drove my page views up about 750 views, which was amazing in a couple of days.  

I still can't thank Hanratty-Stock, enough for the DD.  

Also, a big thank you to Loojeen for telling me how to show icons when I say thanks.  It was a big help!

Okay, you may or may not have noticed I am adding Stock to my gallery.  Normally I don't put stock here, I submit to sxc ([link] there's a lot of stuff people there won't use that some peeps here might.  If you want to use most of my people images you still have to go to sxc, it helps me keep track of who's downloading them.  But I hope some of the stuff I add here will be useful to someone.  

If you want to use the my stock, you can find what's available here [link] and the rules for usage under each image in the artist comment section.  

I finished one of my recent projects and decided a few days ago to have a print made.  Not a Walmart cheapie, but a professional print.  There is a great photography studio just down the street from me, and she offers printing services as well, so I dropped off the CD with said image on it Wednesday, with promises that I'd get it back sometime Friday (today.)  

But woo-hoo! What a surprise, they called early yesterday and it was ready to go.  I saw it and fell in love.  I have to say it, as gorgeous as anything might look on a computer screen it can't compare to how stunning it is when printed, and printed well.  

I held my print happily and told myself this was enough.  Yes, I could live with having just the print for now. Being short of money, I can't really justify the whole matting and framing it bit, so I was just going to take it home.

Okay... well, maybe just a mat.  It'd look so much more FINISHED if it just had a nice mat in front of it.

So I left work early (yeah I'm bad) and went to the frame shop, and picked out a mat.  Except the available pre-cut mat which would fit the available pre-constructed frame was too small on the inside for my print.   

I bit my lip and decided to spend the extra to have them custom cut the mat.  After all, when I bought the frame next week, I'd want it matted correctly, right?  Yeah.

So when the guy came out with the mat all gorgeously cut and laying on my print, and my print was just AMAZING, who could blame me for deciding to go ahead and buy the frame (especially when it was 50% off) since I was already there.  After all, the print would look oh-so-much nicer in the frame with the mat, and it'd be safer too.

But, well, if we're discussing safer, I might as well add on the glare free glass to protect the print, and the acid free paper for the back, and after that what does it matter if I spend a little extra to have the hanging gear put on right?

So, I went home with my print, a day early and all decked out and ready for show.   I set it up on the table next to the bed and gazed happily at it all night long.  I'd forgotten how nice something can look when it's done and done right.  

Satisfying!

I have decided to go ahead and take in another file to print Saturday.  I don't intend on matting and framing it though, just a good professional print.  I can always get it matted and framed later, right?  

:grin:

Ah, it's been a long week with much going on.  How can there be so much to do and so few hours in the day?  
I've been updating my website, and I launched it without finishing it, which I think now was a mistake.  But with so much other work to do it's hard to make time for personal projects.  I shouldn't consider my website a "personal project", but that's the way it is.  

A good friends home was broken into last night and she and her daughter lost everything.  She'll get some of it back, but as in a fire, the things you can't replace are those times that are important not because they have a material value, but because of the emotional attachment one has to the memories that are built in.  She has things that had been given to her by her mother, and her grandmother that are irreplaceable, and it's breaking her heart.  I am going to help her clean up today, but I am saddened that the work my hands do can't heal her heart.

My youngest son joined track this week.  He had to have new shoes so we went to buy them yesterday.  I was stunned at how much a good pair of running shoes cost.  He paid for part of them with money he has saved himself, but I took care of the bulk of it.  He needs so many other things, but he asks for so little.  I have good kids.  Makes you want to do so much for them when they are so thoughtful

I am getting ready for a road trip this week.  I have two shoots out of state and have decided to drive rather than fly so I can do some personal photography along the way.  I'm having to do this trip alone because it's during the week and my friends are working themselves, so part of me is wishing I'd have company.  The other part of me knows this will be a great opportunity to enjoy the landscapes and find the time to enjoy my own company.  

I had forgotten to mention it, but a few days ago dear Maha featured me in her journal [link] has a couple of my images up there, (one of them is one of my favorites, actually)  hers was the first feature officially that I have ever had and I was so thrilled!  

Maha herself is quite an artist, with lovely sketches that blow my mind.

She has learned to do css in her journal, so it is really great looking.   I have considered doing css on my DA pages, but I don't really have time time to learn. I do css in my website, on a low level, but I have a bunch of customer sites I am working on, so my time to learn new things, as well as apply them, is limited.  

I have a girl, Felicia, who I hope to work with today as my model.  We'll see how that works out, as well as if I get to do a shoot this weekend at all.    Cross your fingers.  

What an honor, I was featured here [link] yesterday with one of my artistic nudes and I have to say I have some pretty talented company in this feature.  

I enjoy doing nudes, though I haven't done as many as I'd like, there's not a huge pool of models in this area who do nudes, or that have the look I am seeking.  I have plans for more this coming year so we'll see what happens.

Thanks to inextremo for the feature.  

I have five journals, outside of this one, not to mention several websites I maintain and three three different jobs I hold down (two full time, one part-time).   So it makes it difficult to keep a third journal, but every once in awhile I feel like it's important to say what's going on.  Get involved.  Do more.

I renewed my subscription to DA  yesterday, and while I was at it I invested in a print account.  I have a ton of stuff I print, but nothing I offered for prints here until last night.  We'll see how that goes.  

One thing I really like about DeviantArt is that I see what some people are doing and I really get motivated.  So much talent here, so much creative juices everywhere you look.  I am constantly stunned at the quality of work I see around me.  A few hours here and I am positively jonesing to do a photography shoot.  I have several models who I am ready to work with, but with the new college session just starting, half of them are too busy with school to work with me for several weeks.  

  Bummer.