Day 221

I spent the afternoon looking on the Internet for stock photos that I could use for a large banner I've been promising to design for the Dalmatian Rescue group. You'd think I'd already have all the Dalmatian pictures I need, but I couldn't find any of my own that would work for this banner. I can usually enlarge my files to at least 30x40 inches, but the resolution isn't good enough for a banner that is ten feet long. I like working with stock photos anyway. They are great idea starters. I'll often see an image that I would  never have thought of myself and it will take the ad or campaign I'm working on in a whole new direction.

So far, I've been more of a buyer of stock photography than a seller of stock photography. I'd certainly like to change that. Come on guys, let's download a few pictures. They're cheap! You could use them to make a birthday card or something. So far, turning stock photography into another source of revenue has been more difficult than I thought. The stock agencies want photo releases for everything and I seldom bother to get them. About the only thing I can send to the stock agencies are pictures of flowers and bugs, because just about everything else requires a model or location release. I guess I could have ring binders full of model releases and charge for prints like other photographers, but it's so much easier to just give the client a CD at the end of the job and tell them they own the images. That's what they all want anyway.

Tonight is the fifth season finale of Dr. Who. I was planning to watch the show at 8 PM and then let you know what I thought about it. We were still eating dinner at 8 PM though, so it's on to Plan-B. I'll do the blog first and then watch the show when it's re-broadcast at 11 PM. It sure seems like this season was over awfully quick, but then the entire year seems that way. I can't believe it's almost August already.

While the dogs and I were walking today, we saw what appeared to be the world's longest kayak. The boat was being towed to the lake on a huge trailer and had four separate cockpits with space for four paddlers. I have a kayak myself and can't imagine why you would want to go kayaking with three other people in the same boat. To me, the whole point of kayaking is to enjoy a little peace and quiet, away from other people. What do I know though? I never understood the point of tandem bicycles either.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day