Polling Place Photo Project
My sister in-law asked that I pass along the following info from her uncle (my uncle in-law?), William Drenttel. Yes, THAT William Drenttel.
"The Polling Place Photo Project is a nationwide experiment in citizen journalism that seeks to empower citizens to capture, post and share photographs of democracy in action. By documenting their local voting experience on November 7, voters can contribute to an archive of photographs that captures the richness and complexity of voting in America.
With citizens' images and the information that accompanies them, the Project becomes a research tool on how voting happens in America and how it can be designed to be easier, less confusing and more enjoyable. The project intends to collect photographs of every polling place in America, so you are encouraged to participate no matter where you vote, how large or small your polling place is, what kind of ballot you use, or what your party affiliation."
Passport
I've been meaning to get a passport for a few years, but without travel plans it was never a priority. Well, that all changed when my friend Brian made me promise that I'd come to visit him in Denmark next summer. He came here to visit over a year ago and we had a lot of fun. I was surprised by how well we got along, having never met in person before.
A few days ago I went to a government center to apply and pay for my passport. It all took about 20 minutes and only cost $110. I don't know why I put it off for so long.
Since then, I've been considering travel dates and looking at airfare. I'm getting excited. I've always wanted to go to Europe, but have never had a reason to go. I'm not a fan of traveling just to travel and prefer going places when there's a reason. Now that I have a friend to visit, that's reason enough for me.
My plan is to learn a little bit of Danish before I go. I've used the Rosetta Stone language software in the past and really like it, so I think I'll get the Danish version sometime this winter. I think it will make the trip more interesting, even though most people there speak English.
Any other tips for my first trip abroad?
Michael Grecco Shoots Scorsese
Through the magic of the internet tubes, I found a video of a time lapse video of a Michael Grecco photo shoot with Martin Scorsese. It's interesting to see the entire setup process, how many people were involved, and the very short amount of time with Scorsese that Grecco had to take the photos.
I'm very curious about how much a shoot like this costs to produce vs. how much the client pays. Anyone have some insight? My guess is that the client paid somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000. That doesn't seem too crazy based on the number of people on the shoot, all of the gear, and a high profile photographer and subject.
Video: Martin Scorsese Time Lapse Photo Shoot
Categorically Speaking
Since the inception of this site, I've struggled with posting entries because I've never felt like I had a clear focus. It's been hard for me to find a voice. I'm always thinking, "If I had photography blog, I'd post a review of this new photo book I picked up," or "Maybe I should start a junk food review blog so I can post about how there should be a Britney Spears candy bar."
A few months ago a friend suggested that I create categories for my posts. It took me awhile to get around to doing it, but after an hour or so of coding, it is so. I feel really good about it and it's like having a bunch mini-blogs.
What does all of this mean to you? First, it means that you'll notice a category next to the date of each post. Second, it means "watch out!", there are many more posts coming your way.
What's next? I need to update the code on the archives page to allow easy browsing of posts by category. I'm also considering adding a separate RSS feed for each category.
Break It Down
I've been transferring several audio cassettes to digital over the last week and needed a way to split out a single, large audio file into several tracks. I thought about using Logic Express
I started looking for something that was going to be very simple and fast. I just wanted to load an audio file, splice it, and let the application save the file into multiple, numbered tracks. Enter Fission, a ridiculously simple application that is EXACTLY what I was looking for. It was incredibly easy to use and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Scissors != Box Cutter
Note to self: Never use an opened pair of scissors as a box cutter.
Son of a...! I haven't bled this much in a long time. There was a split second that I thought I took my finger off. Thankfully, one of my friends was over helping me clean (don't ask) and told me to hold my arm above my heart while applying pressure. This was a GREAT tip. The bleeding stopped in no time.
I'm totally fine now and am already used to typing with a bandage on my finger, though it took a few minutes to get up to speed. I'm not sure that I'll be as comfortable with a Playstation controller, but I'm going to give it a try. I really want to finish Resident Evil 4
