There and back again.

Keeping it between the lines on the back highways.

Our niece's wedding is in October. This isn't much of a problem, but she lives in the Seattle area. My wife and I have a choice: Fly? Ride the Train? Drive?
If we fly, we'd take up little more than an extended weekend getting there, touring the area with my sister-in-law and her family and coming back. Rush. Rush. Rush.
If we take the train, it would definitely be an adventure. However, to do it properly would cost almost twice as much
as flying.
The third option is to drive. We'd bring the travel trailer and keep to the non-interstate highways. As a rule, they are far more interesting (like the views from the train). The truck would less stressed from avoiding the higher interstate speeds. Our mileage under tow is anywhere from 9-12 mpg at 55-60, depending on slopes and winds. Push it to 65 and that drops to 7-9 mpg. It does take longer, about five days out and five more back. But out of a 16 day vacation block, that leaves time to visit with family and a side trip or two to look up friends in Idaho and our first trip to Yellowstone National Park. It also would cost about the same as if we flew out to Seattle, rented a car and stayed in a hotel for a few nights.

You'll never know what you'll find on your
travels off the interstates. This dragon
made entirely of tires greeted
us off of US 18 in Iowa.

Another benefit to driving is that we won't need a puppy-sitter. The pooch can come with us just about everywhere except the wedding itself. We won't be able to eat at a lot of restaurants, but we like to do our own cooking in the
trailer, anyway.
Most times, the cost of a campsite with full hook-ups is far less than a hotel room (although we have been known to take advantage of a local hotel when there is a dearth of campsites).
We'll take separate routes out and back. We plan to follow US-2 from Minnesota all the way to Seattle. The plan is to follow I-90 as far as Livingston, Montana and then turn south for Yellowstone. From Yellowstone, the route will take us southeast to Cheyenne, Wyoming to pick up I-80 or parallel to it on US 30 for the return trip.
There are a bunch of interesting places on our routes. One is Deception Falls in Washington. It's a pretty place, but the falls themselves actually cross under US 2, making for a challenging picture like this one of Brownstone Falls in Wisconsin. We hope to be able to take in the Beartooth Highway on our way back if if it isn't closed due to snows when we get there.
I do look forward to the trip. Seeing my niece get married will be good, too.
Road picture: copyright 2013 W. Clinton Hotaling.
Dragon picture: copyright 2013 Mary A Hoffman, used with permission.

Working with Models or Talent

Stephanie and my Hat

In still photography, they're models. In motion imagery, they are talent. In either case, they are the people (and sometimes animals) you put in front of your lens to help you tell your story. They are also a big factor in your collaborative effort to deliver a product for your client.

Sometimes the hardest part of the whole process is simply finding the model or talent that you need. Most beginning photographers and videographers recruit from their circle of friends and family. My most reliable model is my lovely wife. She'll complain, but she models very well. College acting classes, small local agencies as well as nationally connected talent bureaus all are sources for recruiting that person that will work in front of your lens. It's just a matter of how much time and budget you have.

The first step in making sure you have what you need is to ask very specifically for what you are looking for: approximate age, gender, hair color, facial hair (men), hair length, height, body build, secondary talent (dance, singing, horsemanship, etc.), and/or anything else that would be what you have in mind for your imagery. Also, be specific in what type of role this person would play. For instance: "Physical comedy as an always ready to please, clumsy husband for a competent, but indulgent wife." Hopefully, from your listing you'll get a set of people willing to audition for you.

Quite often, with models for still work the selection process gets done through head shots, resumes, portfolios and availability checks. Motion talent usually must be "tested" to see how well they fit the ideal  for your project. (Benedict Cumberbach was the only one tested for the role of Holmes in "Sherlock". Martin Freeman was one of many who were tested for the role of Watson, but the instant chemistry between him and Cumberbach during Freeman's test cemented the role for him.)

Hannah: "This is awkward!"

Make sure that responsibility for secondary items like wardrobe, hair styling and makeup are clearly spelled out before your talent arrives on the set or studio. Almost always, you are responsible for any props or products, but these other considerations, if fairly basic, can be covered by your talent. (They should tell you if they don't have something specific that you asked them to bring, i.e. ripped jeans. If that's the case you will need to supply it for them. Be sure to get the correct size. Whether they keep what you supply them is up to you.)

Once your talent is decided, make sure they understand exactly what you want them to do. They are quite willing to do so if they know what you are after. For a commercial I shot, an actor deliberately fumbled the large assortment of tools he was holding. It was marvelously fake, and you could see that it was fake on the recording. I explained to him that the many items in his hands will naturally fumble when he selects just one to use, just let them do so. It looked much better (and was funnier) when he relaxed and just let the pieces fall.

How tight of control you use is up to you. I tend to be more collaborative, and only correct or re-do when something didn't work. Annoyingly for the talent, that might be something other than what the talent did. I've been known to retake a scene for minor corrections (see above), but I do enjoy letting my talent run with an idea.

Don't forget to make sure the appropriate releases are signed.

One last thing. Most models or talent are part-timers in this. Be sure to feed them.

Thoughts on the new year and knee

It'll be a spectacular scar!

 

As most of my friends, family and Facebook fans know, I had my left knee replaced just before Thanksgiving. I tried putting it off by losing weight (I lost 70 pounds, and so far kept 50 from coming back.), physical therapy, braces on my legs, injections with various substances, changing shoes...the whole gamut my physician asked me to try before succumbing to the inevitable: My knees were in sad shape and needed serious repair.

My surgeon and I figure that if we do the worst side, the other--less bad--side can limp along a few years before it needed to be done as well. So far, I agree with that decision.

As it turned out. I am well ahead of the curve for recovery from this kind of surgery. My day job expects me to show up on time as the end of the month approaches. And my wife thought I'd be bored out of my skull by now! Hah!

Blizzard Drake and my holiday lights.

Suddenly, a whole bunch of projects I was hoping to do while recovering become shoe-horned in the last weeks of my convalescence. There were a bunch of little projects that are mostly taken care of (The last of these is the removal of the outside Christmas lights, but that always waits for a January thaw. Otherwise, I'd be fighting to remove rather delicate wires from ice-encasement.), and a milestone in my photography work has been accomplished: I had a portfolio review. (Thank you, Andy Manis!)

I needed this review so I can refine the photos that I will eventually post on a web site. I have a host provider picked out and their prices are reasonable. I just need to show my vision for those who would want to hire me to capture imagery. Cross fingers that I can get this done before the end of the month. It is a reasonable goal.

Another project is this blog post. Enough said.

My third project involves scanning a bunch of slides my brother-in-law has into digital format. I'll have to clean the dust as I go, because they were housed briefly in northern Arizona. The grit gets everywhere there. I haven't even looked a the scope of that project yet, but I will soon after I post this.

Last, but not least, is the organization of dances and music for dance ball to be held by my history club in May. It may seem a long way off, but the need to familiarize and practice some 20 new arrangements makes the intervening months all too short. Fortunately, I don't have to choreograph the dances, just select them and get the sheet music to the musicians. For this project, I am already late, but not too late to avoid the ire of my fellow players.

One thing that has changed over the course of the last couple months is my set of priorities. Part of that is temporal: Seasonal items, like school projects and home decorations for the Holidays. A big priority was and is recovery from my surgery. That includes daily exercise and weight lifting activities. I have close to 30 routines--just remembering to do them all is an exercise!

Now, the priorities shift to where I want to grow as a photographer, hence the portfolio review and preparation for a website. Part of what I also need to do is just get ready for the day-to-day grind of my day job, a new semester of school and getting a business presence so my customers can find me.

I also have to cook for myself this winter. My wife got a generous allowance from our HMO to take part in a boot-camp workout and dietary food program over the next three months. She goes in before work five days a week for an intense hour of weights and exercises. For two months, they provide all her meals, and the last month she gets home-sourced food on the weekends--she still gets their food on weekdays. It's been fun so far to match the suppers they give her with what we have on hand, so she doesn't feel like I'm eating radically different food than what she's getting. It's been reminding me to keep on my eating plan as well.

It's not that I can't cook--my parents made sure I knew how--I'm just a lazy cook. I'd much rather have ready-to-eat goodies out of the refrigerator than spend hours preparing something spectacular, at least most of the time. I have to remind myself that if I want bread I have to slice it! My wife did freeze ahead a bunch of entrees for use when I went back to work. I'm supposed to eat them for my lunches while I'm convalescing, too. I do. It is a little hard when faced with a dozen tubs of pea soup to keep picking from that pile. I just have to keep on, then.

Crystal Still Life at Poynette Antique Market

The biggest priorities are my lovely bride and our families. My brother has new digs that he'll need help moving to, and our other siblings and their children are so interesting that electronic scorecards are needed to keep track of them all. Life really is a lot of fun (especially with my family) when you look at it as an adventure to experience, rather than drudgery to endure.

Quick Thoughts



Enjoying a staple of the Wisconsin State Fair:
Cream Puffs!

There is something that everyone should make time for: Going to your County and/or State Fair. My wife and I made the trek to West Allis more times than not during our married life. Usually on the years we can't we go to the Dane County Fair. Every time we take in the talents and genius of young people from all over the state in the Arts and Crafts exhibits.

A resident Turkey Vulture from the Schlitz Audoubon Center
spreads her wings to take in the summer sunshine.

We also like to wander the vendors to see what is "new" and "exciting". Sometimes we'll buy it (like some spiffy brushes that clean out our dryer vent), but usually not (Multi-use scarves, anyone?). There are also safety exhibits and birds of prey, a nature preserve with a self-guided trail, and tons of entertainers from street dancers and musicians, to big name acts on the stages.

A team of the Budwiser Clydesdales usually makes an appearance. It's fun just to watch them hitch up.
Lest I forget, there are also some of the cutest farm animals in the state, exhibited by 4-H youth.
There is also every conceivable food you can think of (and some I hadn't ever dreamed of) skewered on a stick. For instance, two years ago I was introduced to chocolate-covered bacon on a stick. It wasn't half bad, but way too rich for one person. My wife and I shared one. We didn't go for the deep-fried Snickers bar on a stick. The new one this year was deep-fried butter (it was battered to hold it together). We decided to pass on that one, too. We never pass up the cream puffs, the grilled cheese sandwiches, milk (of course it's Wisconsin!) and the baked potatoes.

Grapevine at Weggy Vineyard.

The State Fair is a place where just about the whole state comes to you. Most times, you have go yourself to see stuff that special in your home state. Today, my wife and I took in a wine tour at a small winery near Muscoda. We learned some basic vineculture that I'll be using for my own grapes and a lot about this delightful winery. We had so much fun there, we decided to visit two other (relatively close) wineries and taste a few (OK, over two dozen) of the local vin. We brought home eight bottles of different types. We were happy campers!
One should experience Life. You can only do so much staring at the TV or computer screen. It's hard to savor the iridesence of a vulture's feathers, the taste of a cranberry apple wine, the soft fur of a rabbit, the rumble of 16 one-ton horses in harness, or get the smell of a cow barn from pictures that flicker before you. Go out and see/smell/hear/touch/taste it!
Portrait of me is by Mary A. Hoffman. Other photographs are Copyright 2011 by W. Clinton Hotaling

Summer Breeze

Full Moon Over Fog in DeForest

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter." - Ansel Adams

How that observation opened up possibilities to me. The photo to the left was literally as I dropped off a friend after an evening of rapier practice. I was still parked in his driveway! After that, I dashed home, downloaded it to my computer, tweaked it a bit in Photoshop to look like the way I remember it. Viola! Here is a haunting night shot for you to enjoy.

The Fencing Lesson

A couple of the previous weeks, we've been travelling, but not very far. OK, Upper Michigan is a hike, but we'd do that trip again. We met a bunch of folks from our history club at a township campground in Gwinn, Michigan.

It turned out I was the only rapier safety officer at the event. They only had one fencer other than me there, ready to work out. She hadn't passed her safety test yet, but I was game to teach her a few basics. I also tried not to thrash her. New fencers need to have SOME successes. But why do these new fencers have to have such garish pants? By the way, that's me on the right in the plain blue pants. We can thank my lovely bride for the pictures of me and my student. It's hard to simultaneously control a camera and monitor a sword that's trying to poke me.

Miller's Castle, Pictured Rocks
National Lakeshore

After a couple of nights in Gwinn, we ducked over to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, because I'd heard it was worth the trip. It was and is. Next year, we're adding an extra day to the trip to include more of this lovely out-of-the-way national Treasure. We took advantage of the couple hours we had, and then made our way back home.

Tried Moose Drool beer, just to see what it was like. To quote what I sent my friend, Moose: "Conclusion: Moose Drool is an adequate, if potent, beer. The flavor is nothing special. It shure, strike that, sure has a kisk, strike that, kisk, strike that again, kisck, Really strike that, kick." Moose feels the stuff is best used as bratwurst marinade. None of his friends wanted to drink it.

One of the biggest lessons I learned is how much I value the trust given to me by another person. This last week we traveled again, but to the bustling metropolis of Boscobel, Wisconsin, for my local history club's annual event, affectionately named "WW" or "Dub-Dub". The last couple years, I've been on the set-up crew helping in various ways. One of the biggest projects for set-up is the assembly of the shower building. This structure occupies a 30' trailer and the 8' bed of a full size pickup truck. When assembled, it's about 10' by 45' with two 10' x 20' carports as roofs. Each half has its own water heater and it all drains into the Village's sewer. Ten shower stalls with changing booths to help accomodate the needs of a thousand campers in the summer sun. On Sunday morning, we take the whole thing apart again so we can store it and use it the next year.

Night at Warriors and Warlords 2011

Our Project Leader (Strawboss), Ed, aims me at problems that need solving. He's fully capable of taking these on himself, but by having me do them, it frees his time for other projects/problems. He also trusts me to get it right before going on to the next thing. I like working this way, if only my day job treated me this way more. Recently though, it seems my supervisor at my day job is beginning to appreciate my ability to solve problems. Maybe things are looking up.

All photos, except as noted, Copyright 2011 by W. Clinton Hotaling

Partners





It's important, I've found, to have a real partner that can help you get things done. My partner is my lovely model and bride of ten years. She's actually the breadwinner in our household, and I can pursue my dreams and cross off items on my bucket list because of her. Of course, I help do the same for her.

One of the things that crops up in my portfolio (unfortunately not yet available on-line) is that she is the featured model. There are a few reasons for this: She's usually available when I need a model for a project. She's cheap (as in free). Most importantly, she trusts that I won't make her look bad. My wife also wants me to do well with this hobby-turned-profession, so she's willing to put herself out there to help us, our partnership, thrive.

Among the things we do to keep this going is negotiate for our respective "toys". For instance, when we were down south a couple years ago for a history club event, my bride saw how my hand kept getting hit through the guard on my rapier (heavy renaissance-style fencing sword). So we went sword shopping among some of the best vendors in the country. At one of them, my lady wife homed in on a lovely rig. Oh. My. It was very nice. It was also more than our entire budget for the week. We settled on a much more utilitarian, but still spiffy, one that does the job quite well. Now my hand gets hit because I did something stupid, rather than someone taking the opportunity of a hole.

For her part, we heard about a weaver that was getting rid of her folding 38" floor loom. A mutual friend vetted us, and I went up to Stevens Point to look it over. Yes, it was worn and needed a little work (One part needs to be replaced, and I can do that with little effort. We also needed to replace some rusted heddles.), but it also came with oodles of extras like a variety of shuttles, a warping frame, a huge assortment of tools and spools of fibers. Best of all, I could fold it up and put it in the back of my pickup without worrying about screwing up the warping. (If you've ever warped a loom, you'll understand how tedious and nerve-racking a job it is. It's often the longest part of the weaving process.) Not bad for the price. We gladly paid it.

We also divide the work of the household. I know how to cook, clean and do laundry (Thanks, Mom!), but tend to put such chores off. I'm not a multi-tasker. So I have to keep at a chore until done (like this blog), or I have to give myself reminders when the next part of the task needs taken care of. My wife does most of the kitchen work, mostly because she likes cooking and hates leaving a sinkful of dirty dishes to sit. (Which reminds me, I need to empty the dishwasher before lunch today....) I take care of most of the errands, like grocery shopping, fueling vehicles and other flitting that needs to be done from time to time. Most of the bull work falls to me, like bringing baskets of clothes from the downstairs laundry, starting and keeping control of the rototiller and driving various fasteners into various things. I can and do cook. Dishes are sometimes done because I did them, and I'm often part of the team that scubs the floors when they need it.

It works. Because it does, I can work towards perfection as a photographer. If I keep doing this right, I'll begin to earn what my wife calls, "the standard to which I'll be accustomed." Thanks, Love!

Routines

Routines, habits, compulsions or whatever you call them, they are behaviors that make sure we don't forget important things, such as actions (feeding the dog and fish) or actual things (the coffee mug or the cell phone). Everyone has a routine.
Even my dog has a routine for different situations. When we get up in the morning, she waits until both my wife and I are in the kitchen before dragging herself (OK, groggily walking) up the back door to be let out. If she doesn't see a squirrel or rabbit on the fence or in the yard as the case may be (In which case, all bets will be off.), she'll wander along the fence line with her nose working hard to learn who, or more importantly what, intruded into the yard before selecting spots to dump her overnight loads of liquid and solid waste. The only clear area is within about 20 feet of the door. Even she doesn't like to step in the lawn bombs, so she leaves an area of high traffic alone. When she's done, she'll trot up to the back door and give it a knock to let us know she's there. A yip lets us know that her patience is wearing thin. Once we deign to let her in, she'll go by the cupboard door where we keep her treats and sit oh, so patiently for us to get one out for her. The routine is broken by whether we toss her the treat (She'll catch it.), offer it directly (She'll demurely take it in her mouth.), or hold a particularly desirable (read: stinky) one (She'll crouch down for one of those!).
My morning routine when I have to be at work by 07:00 is a bit regimented. If I don't follow it, things I need during the day tend to be forgotten. The clock-radio pops on at 05:30, and I roll over to check with my wife whether she'll be riding her bike that morning. If yes, I'll get up and go around the bed to take her CPAP mask, turn off the machine and give her a kiss. If not, I'll snooze the radio and get up. This kiss will have to wait until she's up and not wearing the mask. Either way, the next stop is the kitchen where I start my coffee and take my before breakfast pills. Then it's time for my turn to remove the night's waste, wash my hands then my teeth. This get some hot water in the pipes so I don't have to wait and waste water to warm up the shower.
Even the shower has a routine. First I prepare and fill a neti pot, rinse my nose, and then I soap up. Next I shave with the suds available (Don't get me wrong, I buy the cheap razors. However, this way each one will last weeks before having to throw it out. Yes, I do shave every day.), wash my hair (That doesn't use much shampoo; I don't have much hair!) and rinse off. Out of the shower, it's a quick towel off, and then deodorant. I'll powder some crevices if I expect to be sweaty that day. Then it's time to collect my clothes and kiss my wife and get her up if she drowsed or meet her in the living room while she works out.
I have to wait until my legs are really dry before I can put on my stockings. Yes, I'm a guy and I said, "my stockings". These are special ones because I have varicose veins from standing and working on concrete floors for thirty years. They won't slide on when I have damp skin and are extremely tight. So, I have breakfast before putting the bottom part of my clothes on, as it saves time and frustration to do so.
Back into the kitchen I go. I pour my coffee, add creamer and set up my wife's decaffeinated brew. My blood sugar needs to be checked before I eat, so I do that next. I pull down a bowl and the cereal, use the scoop in the cereal to measure my ration of Cheerios(R) and add my dollop of milk. When I put the milk back in the refrigerator, a piece of cheese comes back with me. A side trip to the kitchen table gets my breakfast medications and a piece of fruit. Everything but the coffee comes with me to the living room where my pants, socks, stockings, knee braces and shoes await my attention. If you've ever had cold cereal, you know that it must be consumed before it gets soggy. So I shovel it in before it turns to mush, consume my fruit as appropriate, and unwrap and enjoy my cheese. The cheese is a bit of protein needed to moderate my blood sugars during the morning. That way, I'm not famished at 09:00 and can enjoy a more leisurely lunch.
With breakfast out of the way, the stockings can be slipped on, with the more normal socks and the less normal knee braces (darned arthritic knees!) over them. Pants and shoes go on next, but I needn't go in every detail, unless you want me to guide you literally step-by-step. (I can do that; it makes a good party game.)
If I'm lucky, or not distracted by a news article on TV, I'll have time to refresh the computer and log my breakfast in my food diary, check for important (yeah, right) emails or Facebook posts (as if!). If it's Wednesday, I'll gather and take the trash out to the curb.
Now it's decision time for lunch. We brown-bag (OK, grey cooler) lunch to save money and clear out leftovers. My wife (mostly) and I (sometimes) pack soup and casseroles left over from meals into tubs to be frozen for lunches. We're constantly experimenting with often delicious results, but some edible, but unusual side trips (Can you say habanero pea soup?). All this goes in the cooler with a bowl to heat the whatever in more fruit and a snack bar or two.
By now, it's time to leave for work. Here's when routine is real important: Put on the jacket and hat, kiss the wife one last time, gather coffee cup, cooler, cell phone, camera bag, meter bag, reading book and walking stick. Arrange all so that I can maneuver, and head out to the vehicle for work.
That is just the routine before I even make my way to work, but it sets the tone for the rest of the day. Hopefully, a good one.