Mind, Body and Soul ... A plan for a better (and happier) me!

Granted, New Year's Resolutions are cliche ... but, that doesn't make them bad nor ineffective. Having a goal, afterall, is the foundation for getting things done and writing those goals down is the best way I know to begin to develop a plan. And we all know, without a plan ... not much will get done. That's why I'm sitting here on New Year's Day taking stock of myself, blogging my goals in stark black and white ... and looking at where I want to be throughout this new year.

I think I'll call it the Mind, Body and Soul Plan.

Mind
This past year of writing ... 2010 ... stretched and exercised my mind, there is no doubt. So, I want to continue on that path, but with a few additions.

• Write: Blog more - Yes, you may have noticed my lack of blogging commitment (the last entry was April 2010) so I want to make a conscious effort to improve. Blogging is a way to express myself (even if it's only to me) and it stimulates those creative juices. Let's be reasonable here and shoot for 52 blog entries this year. That's one a week ... hopefully I will do more, but I think this is a realistic goal.
• Read: I love to read and find I sometimes put that pleasure on the back burner as I move more 'important' priorities up front. My new Nook should help improve that ... by the way, I love my new Nook and I never thought I would like this type of digital media. I was always such a hard-back book snob! But, I love it and I know this goal won't be that difficult.
  
• Learn: What I love about life is that there is always something to learn. With our business, this isn't hard. Between new photo techniques, equipment or philosophies and Web site building, html coding and other 'business' type stuff the opportunities to learn something new will be everywhere. I just need to be aware.

Body
Isn't this one of the cliche-est resolutions of them all? But, it's a real one so I'm writing it down. Of course, I want to lose weight but, more than that, I want to feel better. So, here is the plan.

• Drink: I have to get back to my water. I'm making this a definite goal because somewhere I lost that desire to reach for a water over a Diet Coke ... seriously, I need to fix that.
• Eat: This year I will learn about this whole carbohydrate thing ... this will be tough since my mainstay diet consists of pasta with tomatoes. Trust me when I tell you ... in this whole plan this may prove to be the hardest.
• Move: Fortunately, we are outdoors moving around quite a bit. But, I realize that is different from (shall I say it?) ... exercise. Our Kinect systems offers a pretty good exercise plan ... complete with a virtual personal trainer who tracks my every move through some techno-sensors that scans my body and splashes my silhouette (in all its realistic glory) on the television screen for all to see. Not for the faint of heart. But, someday I will see that silhouette improve.

Soul
This will be my favorite part. Feeding the soul is inspirational and taps directly into me. Now some of this plan may seem ridiculous but, I will not apologize for it. It simply is what it is ... and it's what will make me the happiest.

• Femme: I love being a girl ... how cool that we can listen to sappy music, watch tear-jerker movies, read romantic novels and have the opportunity to carry fashionable, designer camera bags! I will pay honor to the chick that I am by remembering I can be and do all of those things ... without regret or apology.
• Create: This may seem easy enough ... but, I have to get back to my roots and find the time to create in my photography. It's way too easy to get caught up in the business side and forget the passion that brought you there to begin with.
• Travel: There isn't a better time in our lives than when we are exploring some place with our cameras. It doesn't have to be far-off or exotic ... just away. Removing ourselves from the daily life and changing up the routine is rejuvenating ... and definitely feeds my soul.

And so this is my plan ... in all of its cliched glory ... for the New Year 2011. I've already done well ... this is the first post of my 52 blog entries, only 51 more (at least) to go. Success!

Death of a camera

With the dreaded ‘Error 99’ flashing with each press of the shutter ... I have come to grips that my beloved Canon 40D has hit the proverbial dust and must now be put out to pasteur.

‘Error 99’ ... for those who may not be familiar with it ... is Canon’s blanket troubleshooting code for ‘any number of electrical things that can be happening to stop your shutter from releasing.’ The only way to take a picture once this message appears is to turn off the power, turn it back on, press the shutter, then repeat ... not exactly good for long-term shooting!

It isn’t new to me that Canon has a weak and feeble shutter. My first digital SLR, the Canon 10D, died the same way during a night shoot at the fairgrounds. My next encounter was with this same Canon 40D just shy after its 1st birthday. This time, however, I had the shutter replaced. A simple process, really, the new shutter only cost $25 ... and a mere $250 to replace it! So, with my Canon 40D shouting this error to me again with practically every press of the shutter ... I must make some decisions.

Note: Now, before you run off and take your ‘error 99’ camera to be fixed, you may want to try re-installing and cleaning off all of the electrical connections ... battery, lens, and even the memory card.

My faithful friend is 2 1/2 years old ... not bad for a camera but when your business is photography, it may be time for an upgrade. Canon has introduced a fine line of cameras to choose from including options that were beyond my reach with the 40D ... namely HD video recording. How cool would it be to have the capability to shoot video through a plethora of fabulous lenses ... not to mention the advantages quick video tutorials will be for our photography classes. I’m excited just thinking about it!

So, I have my eyes set on the new Canon 7D ... bypassing the natural 50D upgrade for the video capabilities. And keeping in mind, that she will have all of the features that are important to me ... full manual control of creative options (white balance, contrast, saturation, hue and in-camera black & white filter choices) and the same fabulous CMOS sensor I fell in love with in my 40D. And really ... that’s all I need.

And while it is exciting -- the prospect of a new camera -- it comes with bittersweet feelings. My Canon 40D was a faithful friend ... one that I could depend on. I knew how to maneuver through her ... every button, every creative choice ... like an extension of myself. I could count on the exact addition of light, tone and color with each spin of the dial. She and I have experienced a lot together.

We’ve traveled to Maui and photographed the secluded rain forest of Hana to the majestic volcano-top of Haleakala; we’ve traveled to Denver and caught the elk running in packs through the quiet snow-filled mountains; we’ve traveled to San Francisco -- blocking our way through Chinatown, the Wharf and Golden Gate Park. Together we’ve traveled to Santa Monica, Catalina, Palomar Mountain, Julian and spent countless hours photographing practically every square inch of San Diego.

She was the camera who offered up prize-winning photos, sat patiently in my hands while learning new techniques, and it was she who saw me through our first book contract from beginning to end (as well as our second, third and even fourth).

And while the prospect of a new camera is very exciting ... I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness for a partnership gone by. I remember every image with fondness and every experience with gratitude. Rest in peace Canon 40D ... thank you my loyal friend.