I'm just not sure

I just signed up for an account with Wordpress in hopes of getting some ideas or inspiration from some other bloggers.  This way maybe I can better associate with others from both sides of the fence.  What a bad idea that was.  The site wasn't very functional, and I think for a small fee you can actually post a blog.   This pros here are that blogger seems to make things very "easy-to-use" and somewhat simple for the newbies.  I seem to have more control here, and things are more simple.  Just a little food for thought if you plan on the Wordpress route.  I will continue to try to figure it out, because the frustration of the experience will eat away at me.  However, I will continue to use Blogger for the majority of the experience.  It just might be easier!

Technology and the Victims

I put this picture of me on here as a younger kid to give me some kind of focus.  A reminder that there was a time when things seem to be more simple.  Even though no one really follows this blog sometimes I feel better writing it all out.  I suppose it makes me feel accomplished in some twisted simple form.  Lately, I have tried to make my focus to learn from those around me.  With every step that I take the process seems to get more complicated.  With technology advancing at  the rate that it is, the frustration of the process seems to grown even more rapidly.  For every new website, or social networking site that pops up, there is 376 different ways of doing things.  More passwords, photo sizes, video, HD, and so on;  not to mention that the ol' pocketbook really takes a hit.  So my question to myself is "are there more simple ways of doing this, than the path I have chosen".  I feel grounded at the current time because of a recent computer crash, that has rendered my ability to fight the frustration useless.  I suppose it was about time to upgrade the Photoshop anyway.  I never realized how lost I could feel without my PS.  Some people smoke cigarettes or drink coffee, for me a few goods hours playing on Photoshop was my "happy place".  Do I have a degree in Photography? Yes.  Do I feel that it was worth it?.  Let's ask my Photo teacher a few years back how he feels?  Don't ya just love our current education process, and how it works!  I kinda feel that I was given the materials to make a quilt, and then was told to create one.  So how does that work?  Endless days and nights watching YouTube tutorials, reading blogs, books, articles;  trying to find a small shred of evidence that I was in the right direction.  To be more specific the photo degree that I received was half film, and half digital.  Somewhere in the middle of the course the institution decided that film was out, and digital was the way to go.  Kinda leaves you with half a quilt right?  So at this point I am forced to feel my way through the situation, and learn to teach myself.  Here's where the frustration enters.  When the curriculum is constantly advancing, how is one suppose to decided what is justified?  P.S. I don't have a sewing machine, so I am forced to learn from scratch with the little pieces of material I acquired along the way.  When you throw in the technological advances, it just makes you want to repeatedly beat you head against you keyboard for some relief.  So, like many of my friends would say, "I'm going to put on my big-girl panties , and deal with it!"  I suppose that not having a current version of photoshop, or anything at all, will give me ample amount of time to read, watch, and begin the learning process again!  Out of all this will come more understanding of how I can fight this frustration!  I will, because I have made it this far!  And between all of the videos, blogs, and books, I will be searching for that little piece of simplicity!  So for all of you websites out there that require a smaller resolution.....resize it your damn self!

Firework 2011

Aside from taking pictures this is just a clip of our own firework show in Rogers, AR just off the shoreline of Beaver Lake.

On a side note...

I could seriously shoot myself in the foot right now for not trying HDR (High Dynamic Range) before I did.  Im a little slow to come around, but like everything else, I will teach myself!

Shoots and Shuttters!

Travis

2011 Rogers, AR Snow Storm

After the cold had finally died down, and the temperature reached the double digits again I wandered outside with the trusty ol' camera and got these shots from an icicle hanging from my porch.  I have had cabin fever for about the last week, because it was so nasty outside I really couldn't leave the house at all.  Well, I suppose it's time to hunker down again, because we have another winter advisory in effect for the next few days.