Thursday, August 14, 2008

Snap Snappity Snap

So, I just entered a second photo contest today and I just sold my first picture!

I submitted my Lincoln at Sunrise and Hopperesque photos to FotoWeek DC 2008 and I think I might enter the 2008 National Geographic International Photography Contest. However, in looking at the caliber of pictures from last year's NG Contest, I'm feeling enormously intimidated. What I take from all of this is, this is really a hobby I enjoy and would like to pursue far more seriously.

As for selling a picture, someone who saw Lincoln at Sunrise at the Washington DC LDS Visitors Center just ordered a copy from me. I've been posting more and more of my pictures at ImageKind and hope that will produce some revenue, too.

*****

In other news, some of you know I'm getting ready to launch a website that will allow people to hire me for my writing skills. In particular, I'll be focusing initially on resume writing and all the materials one needs to be successful in one's career transition and continuity efforts. Eventually, I hope to expand my work to include technical writing, marketing communications/public relations, and manuscript editing. In the case of the latter three, I'd love to be able to hire others to do a lot of the work.

The glitch: My web designer still has not finished my website. Despite repeated emails firmly stating "I want this done by such-and-such a date" I'm not getting results. If we haven't launched by August 18, I'm going to go live with a temporary blog site I started creating a while ago. I can't afford not to get this thing going and start reaping the benefits of some of my own skills and abilities.

*****

I've been working on landscaping my front and back yards and let me tell you, my skills and abilities in that arena are sorely lacking. I've managed to kill almost all of my front yard grass with Round Up. I'm enriching the growing area, though, with some topsoil I've salvaged from my landscaping efforts in the back yard and I hope to reseed the whole thing in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, thanks to the sheer brute efforts of my dad, we've cleared out the dirt and weeds from the back and are preparing to lay pavers this weekend! I can't wait to double the parking back there!

Oh, and remember those nasty arborvitae bushes I had in the front? I dug all three of those out and I don't even miss them. Now I just have to decide if I want to plant all azaleas or do something a little more decorative like a Japanese maple and some boxwoods or terraced flowerbeds or what. Mostly, I'm making up a lot of this as I go along and am trying to keep the cost down.

*****

And speaking of numbers, did you know that more than 16,000 books have been written about President Lincoln? Sixteen THOUSAND! That's just astounding to me. I wonder who, aside from God in all of his/her disguises and formulations, has had more books written about them? Hitler, maybe?

Now there's a juxtaposition: Hitler versus Lincoln. Hm. No-brainer as to who is the more admirable of the two.

*****

That's all I have for now. As I type this, it's 1:30 PM. That's right! I'm ruminating during daylight hours.

The Dirty Bastard Cat is serenely asleep on the filing cabinet next to Bee's desk. Bee is... I don't know where. Hm. Perhaps in the basement, where it's cooler. This evening, we're meeting friends for dinner at a place called El Golfo. I hope it's as good as Guapo's. There's nothing worse than bad Mexican food. (Actually, bad Thai food is pretty awful, too.)

Oh, and I had my hair cut at the Aveda Institute. It's not too bad. I mean, heck, for $18 I can't complain all that much. Plus, I get 20% off my next appointment, so I'll be going back in five weeks. I can't think of the last time I paid less than $15 for a haircut.

There you have. Thoughts while the sun is up and reasonable people are awake.

Wait. That begs a question. Are reasonable people up during daylight hours? Now there, as the great western philosopher Winnie the Pooh might say, is a think to think.

17 comments:

Gilahi said...

Congrats on your first photo sale! I distinctly remember being pretty much railroaded into putting up some of my art for sale, and the feeling when that first one sold was almost overwhelming.

But I'm a lousy photographer.

So way to go!

Wicked H said...

Congrats on the sale!! Soon the flood gates will open.

I, unfortunately, am up during the daylight hours. Pesky work! Gets in the way of EVERYTHING!!!

Well, it also pays the bills. They did not tell us about all this when we were kids and wanted to be grown ups. Hmph!

lacochran's evil twin said...

Way to go on the photo successes!

Anonymous said...

Excellent!

Thai food... when it's really good, it's orgasmic, and there aren't that many things that rank up there in the stratosphere of effusing, glowing, heavy-breathing satisfaction.

Royale Plaza in DC is great. I could be biased towards the over-priced margaritas, though. My advice is NEVER order the premium margaritas - the basic is sublime enough. Foodwise, the shrimp enchiladas are hit enough that I dream about them from time to time.

Hugs to you. I'm hoping to attend that user's group in March - I'll keep you posted.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!! What a trip!

People who ignore deadlines make me angry. I'm glad you have a Plan B so you can get your cool business off the ground.

- Phoebe

Cele said...

Wow first sale, how awesome. Now I want pictures of the yard work. I've been doing pavers in my hot tub area this summer...will it ever be done? sometimes I wonder. Having your dad help you is great.

Bad Mexican is, yeah bad, but bad Italian just sucks.

Janet Kincaid said...

Gilahi: Thanks! It's been sort of heady. FWIW, I'm a bad artist.


Wicked: Thank you! I hope some flood gates open! As for adulthood and bills, I'm with you: we were conned as kids into believing being grown-up would be fabulous. Ah, the myths of life.


Evil: Thanks!


Sid: Do you mean Lauriol Plaza down on 18th and T? One day I'm going to have to do a survey on why everyone thinks that's THE place to go for Mexican food and drinks in this city. I've been there and thought it was overrated and a scene. Same with Rosa Mexicano. Having said that, though, perhaps I'm missing some subtlety, which as we all know, is often lost on me. :-D

Hope to see you in March!


Phoebe: I finally put my foot down last night. The final hurdle was/is a font for the site's name. I closed the door on that and said, if a font, which is small potatoes, is holding this up, forget it. Let's get this done.


Cele: Dad's coming over again this morning. After today's round of work, I'll take and post new photos. It won't be pretty, though. We're still in some rough stages.

sylvia/ticklethepear said...

Smithsonian.com has its annual photo competition coming up too.

How about signing up with Corbis and going professional?

Anonymous said...

Congrats, Tewkesy!! :-)

I'm envious about the Mexican food too.

RoeH said...

Congrats! I told you we'd launch you a new career with those pictures.

J.M. Tewkesbury said...

Sylvia: Another one?! I just entered the FotoWeek event based on your recommendation. I'm so clueless when it comes to this stuff around town. I'll definitely check out the Smithsonian one and will probably enter it, too! Thanks!


Di: Thanks! Just so's you know... Every time Bee and I have Mexican food, we think of you!


Lucy: It's kind of exciting, isn't it? Now, if we could just get NG to sell some of her stuff...

RoeH said...

Tell me what I owe you for those 'other' pictures.

Janet Kincaid said...

Lucy: NG and I still need to meet up so I can deliver her picture to her. And the reprint of your copy just arrived yesterday, so I need to get it off in the mail to you. I don't remember what the total is, but I'll include it and my address when I mail your photo to you. Thank you again for supporting my fledgling efforts!

Anonymous said...

To second what everyone else has already said: congrats on the photo sale! I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful career.

Janet Kincaid said...

Holly: Thanks! I hope I can make a go of this!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!

Anonymous said...

Madame: Thanks!