StephenElliot.com

This could be you!

(I made an offer to my small group that anyone who brings me some Blue Bell ice cream will get a post on my blog. =)

Okay so maybe I’m a smart alec, but I find it hilarious to fire off witty answers to general, programmed questions. What I mean is this: you go to the store and the cashier asks, “Did you find everything okay?” A classic Stephen response would be something like, “Well, no, I didn’t find everything. I mean, there’s a lot here! All I was looking for was an ink cartridge.”

So, I was just on the phone with my previous cell phone provider because I needed to cancel my membership (to switch carriers). She was very helpful in assisting me, and at the end of the conversation she asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Hmm…” I said, “not unless you’re giving away free bottles of champagne for everybody who cancels their membership.”

…yeah, that was the end of that conversation.

That’s right, my friends.  Today is National High Five Day.  Have at it!

My wonderful girlfriend is taking me skydiving this weekend as an early birthday present.  Let’s just say, I’m stoked!  =D

Pictures and video to follow…

I spent approximately 50 hours working on my latest tutorial.  I never imagined it would take that long, but it was definitely a lesson in learning.  I finished it last night, and already I got some fantastic feedback from a dude who’s work I respect very much (check out his flickr page).  His first suggestion was to break it up into smaller bits, and I couldn’t agree more!  I imagined it being a LOT shorter when I started writing it, but then it snowballed into something much bigger.  So, don’t fall in love with it just yet ’cause it’s gonna get whacked into 4 or 5 pieces.  Also, this gives me some room to expand it later on –I’m already seeing a Part VI…  =)

Lesson learned: Despite my tendency to be Mr. All-or-Nothing, in the end it’s often better to simplify things.

Thanks again, Mariano!

Eh, maybe I’ll keep it, but that’s just my excuse for saying this is just a stand-in.

Quick recap: This week has been insanely busy. I’m setting up a booth at a bridal show in (*Stephen looks at the clock) nine and a half hours. I’ve spent all week getting ready for it –updated services, prices, brochures, etc… That being said, I’ve not seen much sleep or much of anything else really.

Quick update: I DID figure out a nifty little trick for shooting photos in crappy weather (i.e. rain and snow). I’ll let you know what I came up with, but first, I gotta go. They’re turning off the power in my building (something about “maintenance”) in 90 minutes. So, all that to say, I’ll be right back.

I saw The Golden Compass last Friday in spite of all the warnings I heard telling me not to see it. I came away with a few thoughts –mostly from a filmmaking perspective– so I figured I’d channel them here.

I’m just gonna come out and say it: the film blows. Visually speaking, it’s quite impressive –it’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, but still, the guys who did the effects and animation deserve a round of applause. However, that’s all the credit I think it deserves.

If this movie succeeds at the box office it’s only because of its advertising. Even then I suspect the DVD sales will be rather pathetic. If last weekend’s box office numbers are any indication (a mere $25.7 million), the movie is far from being a success.

Based on what I’ve heard about the books, it’s an atheistic fantasy targeted at children. A sort of counterattack to Narnia, if you will. The first thing I noticed is that it was too broad and too shallow. They tried to create a rich fantasy world on par with Lord of the Rings or at least Narnia, but in doing so it felt too forced and superficial. This caused me to disconnect myself from the story at a couple points. I became disinterested and bored once I realized how shallow and illogical everything felt.

I thought maybe it was just me who didn’t “get it” until the movie was over. The music swells into something triumphant as the screen fades to black. In that moment before the credits began to roll I found myself wondering, “Is it really over? I feel like I’m missing something?” Then I heard about half a dozen people within earshot of me saying, “That’s it??” It leaves you hanging not in suspense but in confusion.

Granted, the movie is part of a trilogy. The story really isn’t finished yet, so in that regard it makes sense that it didn’t feel complete. However, a good storyteller (say, Tolkien or JK Rowling) knows how to lead an audience through parts of a story in such a way that they can stand on their own. That’s simply not the case with TGC.

My confusion about the film led me down another rabbit trail. “If this is aimed at children, then why am I having such a hard time understanding it?” Children’s stories need to be simple. There’s nothing simple about this movie.

As humans we have an inherent perception of the “story” built into us; this is especially true with children. You’ve got hero, the villain, and the reward. The hero must defeat the villain to get the reward. It’s good vs bad. Black and white. Simple.

However, the message behind TGC is atheism. Children are not naturally atheists; that’s just not how we’re wired. Atheism is complicated. When you take God out of the picture you’re left with a lot of explaining to do. That’s exactly the case with this movie. In order for it to make sense, it must be terribly complicated. And it is just that: terrible and complicated.

Apparently my friend Rose tagged me. I’ve never been tagged before. We’ll see how this goes. –Wait! Should that count as Random Fact number 1?? Oh, man, I think I’ve failed already!

1.) I won’t watch a movie if I love the soundtrack. Gladiator, Braveheart, Titanic, Last of the Mohicans, (I could go on). I haven’t seen any of them because the soundtracks are too rowdy awesome. As I see it, soundtracks are designed to compliment visual media. Therefore, listening to them is (for me) a playground of imaginational potential. I don’t want to be stifled by knowing what’s happening during any given part of the song. I’d much rather let me mind run free with ideas rather than constantly thinking, “Oh, this is there part where…”

2.) I’m a certified scuba diver. I spent the summer of ‘02 hanging with my brother in Burbank, California. I took the diving classes then and did a few dives in the kelp beds at Catalina and the Channel Islands. I’d love to go diving in the Caribbean or the Red Sea, but that’s not any too high on the priority list.

3.) I always order my food to go, unless of course it’s a sit-down restaurant. Fast food, always get it to go. It’s much more efficient, and when it comes to eating, efficiency is king. I have to eat entirely too much food to keep from dissolving into oblivion. Eating has become something of a chore, so the more efficient it feels, the better. …but then I couple that with the things I know about the typical American diet and it just becomes one big complicated problem.

3.5) I can hardly justify the time I’m spending on this. Why, oh why must these things be so fun and so time consuming??

4.) I’ve never taken an art class or a computer class. I homeschooled from 5th grade on, and my mom doesn’t didn’t know the first thing about computers. I never considered myself an artist –I still don’t– so I always thought art classes were for wickedly talented people. Somewhere along the line I think I turned out all right. You are welcome to propose an alternate opinion. =) See the comment thread below.

5.) I’m an introvert. To some who may be reading this, that’s an obvious statement. To others, it will sound like a lie. Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you, without hesitation, that I’m an introvert. I often feign outgoingness and extroverted tendencies just because I don’t want to be “that guy” who is completely boring to talk to. Honestly though, I would much rather just sit quietly and listen.

5.4) Only two more to go! I think I can I think I can…

6.) I’m a huge fan of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. Um, yeah, I have the entire Peanuts gang in five-foot tall cardboard cutouts that I made. Ya see, I started watching the cartoons on tv in 5th grade. I thought it was hilarious. I began quoting it and collecting the daily comic strips. Eventually I became a target for gifts and nick-knacks that had anything to do with Charlie Brown. Yeah, I’m a fan.

7.) I wanted to be a cartoon animator. Even before Charlie Brown was in the picture I wanted to draw and animate cartoons. My poor drawing skills finally convinced me otherwise, and somewhere around the age of 12 I thought I’d be more realistic and pursue engineering or architecture. Yeah, uh, I’m not really sure how a 12 year-old goes about pursuing anything like that. I guess I thought it was a decent answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Okay so I’m done, right? I think I’m supposed to tag someone else. Hey, that reminds me, 8.) I used to play “butt tag” with my neighbors. Basically, you run around in the confines of our front yard –you can’t step on the driveway or sidewalk– and you have to hit someone else on the butt to knock them out for the round. *…and why did I just verbalize this in cyberspace?? Um, yeah, I should stop now.

So, I’m gonna tag Archie, Jamie, and Brian.

Now, for anybody who subscribes to this blog because you hope for some element of worthwhile information, I’d like to announce that I’m working on another photography tutorial. It should be mucho cool. Stick around!

I’m torn.

Well… not really, but I figured a two word intro would make this post sound more exciting than it really is.  Here’s my predicament: I’ve taken hundreds of photos in the last four days (I’m guessing somewhere around 550 photographs).  One part of me wants to quickly edit and upload the photos so that I can keep my blog and flickr page up to date, but the other part of me thinks that I need to finish reading the instruction manual for Adobe Lightroom first.

Ya see,  one of my hard drives crashed recently.  This was the drive where I stored all of my photos.  I didn’t lose much, but I’m now at that point where I have a clean slate on which I can finally organize everything neatly and efficiently.  I know that my new workflow will rely heavily on Lightroom, however, I’m still quite unfamiliar with it.

So, I’m torn because I want to get the photos to everybody quickly and make everybody happy, but I can’t make everybody happy and be happy with myself.  =/  In an effort to maintain my sanity and to be more efficient in the future, I know I’ve got to get my ducks in a row before I can be of any help to anyone else.

Now, it’s time for Chipotle.

So… after writing my latest blog entry, my dashboard gave me this little warning message:

If I’m reading this correctly, 13,799 days from now puts us at July 20, 2045. I know I just got a Day Planner and all, but still, this is a bit ridiculous. I really don’t need to know anything this far in advance.

Several months back this lady calls me about a marketing opportunity.  I wasn’t crazy about the idea, so I said thanks, but no thanks.  I haven’t heard from her since.  Today I get this email from her.  The subject is “offers.”  I’m thinking, “Eh, you’re not helping your odds here, but I’m still listening.”  I open the email and begin to read, “Hi Steve,”  Oh goodness…  That was it.  “You lost me.” I said while laughing.  It doesn’t actually bother me when people call me Steve; it’s just that I have no respect for their sense of observation.

Moments ago as I was wrapping up another email I said to myself, “Man, I’ve gotten nothing done today!  …well, I guess that’s not really true.  I mean, I scheduled a couple meetings, filed some paperwork, researched some stuff, ran some errands, and posted some things on my blog.”  Then I paused and thought, “Oh, so this is what normal work feels like.  …It feels like you’re getting nothing done!”  =)  Ahh, I’m quite entertained by my jaded view of corporate America.

Let’s raise another plastic cup and drink to good times!  Cheers!

Frequent visitors and RSS subscribers to this site (I’m pretty sure that means, “All four of you…” =) may recall a recent post about my upcoming photo blog. Well, I’m happy to announce that today it went live! Click here to see it for yourself.

The main “Photography” link (top right) no longer directs you to my outdated Flickr portfolio slideshow. It will now send you directly to the photo blog. …I have to wonder why I ever directed people to the slideshow in the first place. I mean, I like the photos there, but it’s so static and boring. I have sort of a love-hate relationship with photographers, specifically the ones with an amazing portfolio who never update it. Sometimes I think, “Wait… You are are photographer? Or you were a photographer?” Something about seeing an artist put out new, fresh content is far more inspiring to me than a one-hit-wonder.

That being said, I hope you enjoy the new photo blog. Check back often for new photos, stories, and reasons to laugh with me. Currently there are four pages of photos, so there’s plenty to see. Enjoy!

Just wanted to send some digital props to a good friend of mine. David and Missy are the proud parents of Andrew Everett Russell. He was born at 8:33pm this evening, 7 pounds, 4 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. I, for one, eagerly look forward to seeing David’s flickr stream fill up with photos of little Andrew.

Congrats David and Missy! …now I’ve got to watch out for Andrew hitting on Naomi. =)

Occasionally (and we’re talking like, almost never, but maybe once or twice a year) I find myself wanting a cubicle and some coworkers.  The watercooler –as the title of this category suggests– is one such example.  Ya see, the watercooler is not just where you go when you’re thirsty, it’s where you hang out when you want to be part of the cool crowd.  If you can stand around the watercooler and tell jokes that make everybody laugh, well then, you’ve practically got it made.

So yesterday I heard about this thing called Faceball, and now I’m dying to play it.  Any takers??

I try to keep the content of SE.com limited to original stuff (whatever that means), but every now and then I run across something that I just can’t keep to myself…

Blogs are pretty much pointless if you can’t keep them updated with some regularity. As I see it, there are two camps of blogger burn-outs: those without enough content, and those without enough time. If my growing “Drafts” folder is any indication, then my problem is clearly the latter of the two.

Recently I’ve sort of fallen in love with the look of a well done photo blog. Unlike more traditional blogs, slow readers like myself can browse through a photo blog much faster or choose to stop and smell the roses.

In the last nine days I have taken over 300 photos. Nothing special; just life. I always have my camera with me, and I love to capture life as it happens. I was quite surprised at the quantity of photos I amassed in just a few days, and it has led me to consider that maybe a “life photo blog” is the solution to my infrequent posts and unseen photographs. Rest assured, that doesn’t mean this will turn exclusively into a photo blog, but rather I’m simply adding it to what I do already. In other words, on days when I normally wouldn’t post anything you’ll now find a new photo.

Like just about every other idea that rolls across my brain, there will have to be some work done up front before it’s ready for prime time. In the mean time, I’ve got to finish another wedding video…

Until the official SE Photo Blog kicks off, here’s what’s been happening in my small corner of the world.

Everything a man needs… (okay maybe something is missing)

Sunset on U Street

Ultimate Frisbee

Botanical Gardens

Music knows no age

Take Two

Screen on the Green

A Decent View

I’m still wondering how I got roped into this…

Man, last week was packed, but sooo good. From the outset, I knew it was going to be a long week editing photos and video footage. Having just come off a busy wedding season I was up to my eyeballs with work to finish. I enjoy being busy, so I really can’t complain.

Tuesday I got a call, and to make a long story short, I found myself driving down to Quantico Marine Corp. Base on Thursday to film a retirement ceremony. I had never filmed one of those before, so it was both an honor and a treat to work on something different. Even cooler is the fact that this job came as a referral from one of my recent clients. It always makes my day to hear that other people like my work =)

The weekend was equally busy, but very productive. The highlight though came on Sunday, my day off. My church does an annual Baptism by the Bay. We have a big picnic, play games, sing some songs, and then do a baptism at the beach. It really is an amazing experience.

You can find a few more photos here. By the way, as soon as the bulk of the wedding season is behind me I’ll be posting more tutorials and “teaching” stuff. I feel like most of my recent posts have been rather lame, so I hope to raise the bar in the near future. Thanks for putting up with me in the mean time! =)

I just noticed a few hits coming to my site from here.   Apparently it’s a huge database of all sorts of photography tips and techniques scattered all over the internet.  Somehow my Reverse Lens Tutorial made it on there.  I’m not really sure how that happened, but I think it’s cool!  I write tutorials with the hope that somebody will find them beneficial, so this simple link is one way of reaching more people, and I’m all about that.  Thanks whoever you are!

The greatest thing about the iPhone is it’s marketing hype. Fast forward several months and I think we’ll see a slew of disappointed people who realize that the battery is prone to the same fate as that of the iPod. Now, I’m sure there are a ton of cool features on the phone, but I dare say there is nothing that hasn’t been done before. Personally I could care less how many bells and whistles my phone has; I just want it to be as reliable and clear as a land line. Secondly, when I step away from my computer, I don’t want to be able to check email, or sports, or the stock market, etc… The more dependent we become on these little devices, the greater the disappointment we face when they don’t work the way we want them to. For instance, how many phone numbers do you know by memory? Do you know your friend’s birthdays without looking at your blackberry? Our technology is becoming smarter and smarter to compensate for our growing stupidity.

For the record, I have nothing against the iPhone. I just can’t stand popularity without substance.