Today is the day of the big photo shoot extravaganza. And least that is what I've been lead to believe. My insecurities tell me that I will be stood up. However, I refuse to belive such foolishness... I can only cling to the hope that my vision for this portrait session will be fully realized.

Can I mention that I'm bloody excited? I didn't get to sleep last night until 2:30 because my brain was buzzing, but not due to the ingestion of any external stimulants. I have no such excuse.

Tonight I was like a caged housewife who attacked the unsuspecting vaccum salesman with tedious conversation. That's the type of life I lead you see, that of a trophy wife. A dusty trophy that sits on top of a high shelf with all the other useless awards that people collect over time. Or, if I were to relate the text to the photo I would say that I'm like one of those Royal Doulton figurines that are featured ever so prominently in the Sears catalogue. They're always so angelic with their vast skirts and demure faces, but they're useless except to look at and grace a curio cabinet and collect dust like those trophies I was referring to earlier.

In other news, I'm still looking for more work. I like my job of an hour a day. It makes me feel a little bit useful. I love that it's right across the street, because it takes no time at all to get there. It would be nice to get more hours though. I applied for another supplementary job today. At another location closer to home. I'm also hoping that more photography work will appear so I can keep the money lenders at bay.

I realize that I should finish my semi autobiographical short story that I've been working on for several years. I'm entering it into a writing contest in an effort to sustain the notion that I will one day make a living from my art... written or photographic. The deadline for entries is November 1st. Better get cracking.

High concept photoshoot scheduled for Friday. Watch for the goodness.

Just some of the recent photos I've taken and posted to my flickr photostream. I'm very pleased with the work that I've been doing lately... and really, that's what I consider my photography, work, but work that I enjoy immensely.

W. and I did our first individual portrait session for a client today (we've shot couples, weddings, and families... but never an individual client) and the session was fantastic. We geeked out all afternoon and evening editing photos.

It was fabulous and I feel so very satisfied with my day's work.

I would love to be a fashion photographer. Correction: I'm already a fashion photographer, I just want to get paid for it.

Check out my latest photoset and hire me for your next portrait session.

UPDATE: This photo was selected as Digital Photo of the Day on the Digital Photography Weblog (for September 23, 2005). I've now joined the ranks of International Weblog Sensations (a new categorization that W. and I came up with when he was thanked on another blog... of course he beat me to the punch and joined before me, and now this is a double victory for him because this photo is of him, but now he'll be famous for his body and not his face). No matter what, I'm as pleased as can be, pleased as punch if you will.

I don't exactly hide the fact that I adore musicals. One of my favourites has always been Singing in the Rain. So I couldn't help but appreciate this new ad for the VW Golf GTI.

Watch it here at Ads of the World.

watch my flickr photostream over the next few days for some fabulous photos from my most recent photo expedition. I've posted a few photos already, as the tempation was far too great and I could not wait another day.

Anyhow, this photo expedition involved pincurls, A.'s prom dress, fabric that was orignally intended for my bedroom, and of course the famous fedora and soon to be beloved beret.

This definitely had to be one of my best modeling experiences yet. My mood improved dramatically from the excursion (and yes, I will be posting several photos of my model muse... he was not forgotten).

comment on the photos please. I greatly appreciate the support.

when in Victoria I picked up one of the best magazines I had seen in a long time. It was the Communication Arts Photography Annual. It filled me with ideas and inspiration. If you're ever looking for a magazine subscription to buy me, I would suggest this magazine. I highly suggest picking one up if you're a designer or in any way interested in the world of design.

also related, W. just directed me to this new site called Ads of the World. I enjoy checking out different and new ads, like this one for Extra Dry. It's brilliant.

random poetry to contemplate (really random, I went to the poetry archives @ eMule.com and clicked random poem and this was the first one to come up).

Sounds of grief
by Sappho

Must I remind you, Cleis,
that sounds of grief
are unbecoming in
a poet's household?

and that they are not
suitable in ours?

feeling bleh last night, feeling a little blah this morning.

I wish I could join in the chorus of celebration that the weekend is here. I'm not excited in the least. My eyes hurt and my iron must be low. But the weather looks good tonight... so I might go and take some photos.

Here's a little something for the communication scholar in all of us... A History of Communications 35,000 BC - 1998 AD.

and in other news, I had a job interview this morning. I think it went quite well, but that never means that I am assured a job. It's not very much work at all (about five hours a week) but the job is in a very convenient location and it would give me plenty of time to do school during the afternoon... which I could benefit from tremendously. I'll see what happens later today... another candidate was coming in for an interview in the afternoon.

update: I would like to work more than five hours a week, but I'm caught in the struggle between wanting to concentrate on school full-time and do lots of additional research like I was able to do when I was living in Victoria and the pressure to work regular hours like everyone else.

update deux: this morning's interview was successful. I now have a part-time job across the street (perfect for the pedestrian in me). I start tomorrow.

from the wonderful world of RSS here are some items of interest...

• the very handy google blog search
• developing "social" browser called flock

for some odd reason this photo has been viewed 115 times. There is no logical explanation for that many views... it's not that spectacular of a shot (no offense to the subject or the photographer) but it was hastily composed and really consists of me acting like a bit of a fool and that's all.

Today I would like to comment that I wish that getting a job were as simple as going to the produce department of your local grocery store and picking a banana to buy too add to your cereal or yogurt. We always talk about finding jobs, but I'm starting to think that finding a job is the wrong term to use. After all, I've found plenty of jobs. Doesn't mean that I'm being contacted for any of them (really I should be more patient, it hasn't been that long since I've submitted my resumes, but I'm all for instant gratification). For once it would be nice for a job to find me... for another great job to fall into my lap and say, "you're exactly what I've been looking for." But despite all the lovely job opportunities out there and despite my lovely skill set, I seem to be at a loss. You can't get by on your talent, good looks, charm, and education alone. If you don't know the baker's son then you might as well throw your dreams of making sourdough out the window.

But despite my complaints my quest for work continues. I know that eventually a job will turn up.

onward and upwards as they say...

Tonight was my refresher course on what winter nights are like... no one to talk to, searching for movie trailers on the internet of films that I won't be able to see for months until they come out on DVD, and watching the clock hoping that the evening will disappear into nothingness. I am still without employment... I did not receive any calls related to work today... which means I remain in the poor house and everyone can continue to shake their head that I am a shiftless bum. I have nothing to look forward to. I feel like I'm wasting so much time and that everything I do is so minor and trivial. No one wants me, my advice is useless. Things feel like ultimate crap right now.

bitter is but one word you can use to describe me right now.

I came across this through the wonder of RSS a few days ago, but I didn't get around to checking it out until now. My response time was delayed simply because I am not a resident of the UK, therefore this service is not available to me. I wonder if (or rather how soon) this type of service will be available in North America...

The BBC, the bfi, Channel 4 and the Open University set up the Creative Archive Licence Group to make their content available for download under the terms of the Creative Archive Licence.

Unless you're in the UK you are not able to download any of the video clips available, but you can see the list and descriptions of what is available. I'm very impressed... just think of the quality of presentations that a person might be able to create using all the various multimedia tools that many of us have access to (and I'm not thinking "pp" the hideous program that cannot be named). When I think about the many lectures that I have attended, possibly the most effective lectures have been conducted with a really articulate instructor who used transparencies and the overhead projector rather than the program that I refuse to name. I will admit that in the past I have had to do my share of presentations that incorporated that program throughout... but my excuse will be that I had limited handouts... so I threw the statistical info up on the screen and any interested parties came to me afterwards to collect it. But I digress... the new creative archive license group definitely won't revolutionize instruction or presentations by any means... but perhaps it will - get this - allow for more creative presentations.

Creative Archive License Group
BBC - Radio 1 Superstar VJS

that I used to make my living helping people find work... It's so much easier to give people tips when you have steady income and the knowledge that when you leave the house the next morning you're going to the same office, rather than a series of different offices with your resume in hand.

in other news I left my camera at W.'s house and now I want to take pictures but I can't because I have no camera. I always carry so many bags with me that it is hard to keep track of all my possessions. I need a personal assistant.

I was looking up photoshop tutorials this afternoon, and I came across a site that gave some basic instructions how to create your own ipod ad. I have to say that the instructions were not very detailed, and I kind of had to make it up as I went along, and I still don't know how to create a realistic looking shadow beneath the one foot, and the ipod was a very rough and quick creation, but you get the basic idea of what I was trying to do.

I still think it looks okay though... considering my considerable lack of photoshop knowledge I'm doing ok for myself.

need to sleep... it's late, and even though I was tired when I got home tonight I couldn't fall asleep... hence my computer work.

Please note that this photo is not posted to my flickr photostream because I am honouring the terms of agreement with my friend and fellow photographic muse W. As some of may well know, I am back from my three week bout of face-to-face academia at Royal Roads in Victoria. It was a nice three weeks, but could have been better. I had a nasty cold for the majority of the time I was there... and I did not take nearly as many photos there as I would have liked. But the purpose of my trip was for school and not for photography, so I can't complain too much. Six more courses to go and then I'll have my degree.

Anyhow, in celebration of my return to Fort St. John (and in celebration of being "half the size") I was very verbally aggressive and I demanded that W. go on a photographic excursion complete with several costume changes. You can check out this set for photos from yesterday. You can anticipate that I will be posting more over the next few days... at random times throughout the day when I'm taking a break from my continued search for employment that will let me sustain this fabulous bohemian lifestyle that I lead.

In other related news, I came across this book of sample upholstery that my sister A. was given from some work experience she did with a local interior designer (read: curtain specialist). Some of the samples are ridiculously garish and with a little savvy camera cropping will work perfectly to create some funky portrait backgrounds (face only). I am considering trying some of it out tonight. I'll see if my model will consent to more posing. But really, who could refuse such a wonderfully verbally aggressive and argumentative girl like me?

I go back home tomorrow... back to no man's land... back to the land where there snow is due to arrive any day now. I really shouldn't perpetuate the stereotype of the frozen north... I'm sure the temperature will be average for september.

anyhow, I have one last night in Victoria, but all of my Victoria friends are out of town so I'm here all by my lonesome, packing, geeking out on the computer, and listening to music. I thought I might have time to hang around in Vancouver tomorrow, but that's not the case as I have to bus over and I will arrive with approximately two hours before my flight departs. But even then, that really only leaves me with an hour because I will have to go through security and wait patiently for my flight to depart.

I'm tired and hungry... so I'm going to go eat my last supper in Victoria and try to get to bed early. Tomorrow my day will be filled with planes, trains, and automobiles (ok, strike the middle one). Bring confetti and the marching band to welcome me home.