Drape's Takes

Christopher Sessums has asked an excellent question using the "My Questions" Facebook application. Asks Christopher:

If you were asked to describe the role of a teacher, what images would you use and why? I recently heard teachers described as flight attendants serving on airplanes that never land. What images come to your mind?

It appears that I have been tagged - thank you for your thoughtfulness. Therefore, having never been accused of not being of random mind (meaning that I have been accused of having what Steven Wright terms "HD-ADHD") - I accept. Nevertheless, I choose to play by my own rules (I'm kind of a rebel like that).

Here are my rules:

1. I will not post the original rules. I told you I was a rebel.
2. I will list as many random facts about myself as I can think of - eight, while somewhat random itself, is no magical number for me.
3. I may or may not tag anybody else after listing my randomness - we'll see (1) how long it takes me to write this post, and (2) if I want to subject anyone else to such an experience.
   

1. I think that rules are important but have found few that actually apply to me. Really. Just ask my wife if you don't believe me. Any teacher, principal, or prison warden will tell you that 95% of the rules have been created to control 5% of the population. Oddly, that 5% of the population has no idea who they are.
   
2. I'm actually 35 years old. Really. Just ask my mom if you don't believe me.
3. I love to take pictures of clouds and mountains. I'm not exactly sure why (other than their beauty), but I think it's their elevated status that attracts me to both subjects. I took both of these pictures (Mountains is actually a stitch of several shots) and have found them to be perfect for my desktop background.
   
   
   Clouds
   
   
   Mountains
   
   
4. I love living in Utah. I've been to many other places but always long to return home.
5. I'm a Mac guy - except when I'm using a PC - then I'm a Linux guy - but then again, Vista's nice, and me + Office 2007 = TLA.
   
6. I enjoy keeping what I call a "photographic journal". Wherever I go, I try to take a self-portrait containing an important element of where I've been. Below are a few examples. Bonus points will be awarded if you can guess where I've been (from the pictures below).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. I love the outdoors - particularly the beautiful Uintah mountain range. These two shots were taken last summer (and comprise a part of my photographic journal).
   
   
   
   
   
8. I love to sit in my driveway, listening to the iPod or reading a book. The view is one of the reasons why (below, taken right from my chair while sitting in my driveway).
   
   
   One Of My Favorite Views
   
   
   
   
9. Numbers intrigue me - and so does writing. Even though I spent seven years of my life teaching kids about math, I find that the challenges of writing (and writing well) are now more enjoyable.
10. I love my family most. Behind that come (in no particular order) all things technology, baseball, Journey, Ray Romano, the smell of freshly cut grass, flip-flops, enchiladas, soccer, Man versus Wild and Survivorman, Johnny Cash, fleece when it's cold, Jerry Seinfeld, Mozart, whipped cream instead of ice cream, watching movies in the middle of the day, Kenny Chesney, learning, Ray Charles, lasagna for breakfast, and calm summer nights.
11. Elementary school was innocent, middle school was lame, and high school was little more than a false sense of reality. I finally began to find myself as an undergraduate, proved I could do it during my Master's program (graduated with a 3.98), and am hoping to simply survive my doctoral studies.
12. That's probably enough for now. I told you that there was nothing magical about the number eight.

I saw Leslie Fisher last year at NECC. I was so impressed with her no-nonsense presentation of photography tips, that I decided to see her again this year. Here is a list of tips that she provided, with my occasional takes in italics:

1. Not close enough. Often guilty, but not by choice. My point and click has a 3x zoom. However, I've since purchased a superzoom (10x).
2. Not in focus (focus point).
3. Camera shake.
4. Foreign composition.
5. Boring composition. I love the law of thirds - it conforms to the Golden Ratio.
   
6. Another Few Composition Ideas
   
   The Squint Test. I rarely use this test, but plan to more often in the future.
   Space makes you think.
   Shoot high / shoot low.
   If I see another... Take more action shots. They're far better than posed shots.
   
   
7. Missing the Moment. The story of my life.
8. Too much flash.
9. Too little flash.
10. Digital zoom. Why bother?
11. Photoshop Tips
    
    In order: Auto Color Adjust, Adjust Levels (looking for a bell-shaped curve - black, gray, white), Sharpen