Can you say diehlicious!!!???

I belong to a service called Pictage which is essentially an online proofing and photography print house. Now if I just left my blog with that sentence, it would really be lame and funny but only in a really dry way make no sense and would give cause to wonder what the heck is wrong with Brian? After all, if you were reading a wall posting I put on my cousin's fadebook you'd start thinking this...- (my new nickname for f-book). (I could make side comments and put them in parentheses like crazy... like I just realized how much I love nicknames, yep even mine when I'm teeing off, but only when I'm teeing off, hence its secretive nature). But I digress because that's not at all a part of my blog post today and really it's not to promote Pictage, but perhaps, promote the culture within Pictage's User Groups.

Photographers are wierd folks. We tend to have egos bigger than our waist size multiplied by our shoe size and well, honestly, mine can be big but going to the Pictage meeting we call PUGs is really really good for me because it just keeps me grounded.

Now I'm far from self-important and frankly judging by what my peers do, I am always a bit humbled and,- I emphasize AND, grateful for a community of photographers where we can leave our egos at the door and share our business, our stories and lives and learn and teach from one another. In this business, it is infrequent that you can work in the same city and essentially compete for the same prospects and not be lame and have jealousy/bitterness towards each other.

So last night, I had the opportunity to share and shoot with a handful of great photographers, share our photos and get to know each other better. Thanks to Kevin and Gino and our models that came. We had a great time, learned some and just had some good fellowship and frankly, I'm grateful for that as much as anything.

My POTD...A Hole In Two....

My Pic of the Day is also what could have been the play of the day even on the PGA. Today was the 8th Vineyard Church Golf Tournament I've played in. More often than not, someone from my foursome gets a closest to the pin and today was once again one of those occurences.
While I have two trophies from previoius tourneys, today was my pastor, Rick Francis'day to shine with an absolutely brilliant 130.2 yard shot. Really, I think it was more like 130.02 yards as you can see from the pics, and the 4 inches he went over was the difference this time of winning an $8,000 4wheeler so, the joy of the brilliant hit was probably overshadowed in his mind by the fact that he was so close to winning a really amazing prize.
That said, we had a great day, even though we played an average scramble. I could go on and on about golfing as it is one of my favorite hobbies. Had I found the fairway on the 13th hole I'd be the owner of the longest drive and that would be a first as I in years past have never been the longest hitter. Something's happened, perhaps it's my guys calling me "choose an adjective that's beastly and insert it in these quotes" as I don't really want to be called what they call me execept maybe, when I'm on the teebox. I'm sure you who have nicknames that aren't really flattering understand.
Regardless, I had a wonderful day at Hickory Stick with my Pastor, "shepherd" is one of my newest nickname for him, but it's one of those that he may not really like kind of like the one they gave me, so I'll just say that he's truly a great shepherd which is biblically what a true pastor should be and the major reason I go the Vineyard out in Mt. Comfort. Along with "Shep", Rick "The Bomber" Baumgartner, and Dave Hart which I have no nickname for except I could call him Casper as he's even more ghostly white than I.

Thanks to Charlie Cash at the Southside Vineyard for his great event and thanks to my buddies for a great day at the "track"

All play and no work makes B a dull boy....

I know I know, everyone probably thinks a man of my skill, aptitude, passion and the like would think that I'd have a wedding booked every weekend and I'd be getting church's blowing down my door begging for me to do their directory and singles pining and grovelling at the opportunity to have me help them look better online. Likewise, you'd think that every salesperson and business professional would have heard of me and how after they get their photos created, positive reflections of their own good name are subliminally transmitted through their great pics.

But alas, this isn't the case and so I'm asking for you, my 3 readers.... OH wait, that's just it. I have 3 readers and my facebook fan page has 60 some fans, maybe I need to take "IT" to the streets. No I'm not begging for work although Linus my parents dog's got the racket on a good life. He just has to look cute, sit pretty and dad's more than happy to plump him up with yummy's. I'm not so cute and I don't get cuter the plumper I become.

Alas, we can't all be Linus' and well, I'm not going to beg. I will ask however for any referrals, so for all my readers, (I know there's more than 3 btw), hook me up and share my diehliciousness with your friends.

Lafayette and 45th KeyBank New Branch Ribbon Cutting

To view the photos for this event go to http://www.pictage.com/client/eventPhotos.do?event=827413&category=0

VCC MtComfort Directory Outtakes and Gems

I had a ball!!!!

Yeah, you know, I'm a pretty punny guy and so I had to say it. But honestly, I did have a ball on this roadtrip with my parents.

I am completely and thoroughly blessed with my parents love for me and concern for my well being. Quite honestly, I would easily rate this in my top vacations I've ever taken. Ever. In hindsight, I know that it will probably be number one until I have, if ever that time comes, children of my own and I get to see them enjoy the world.

America's an awesome place. Rich with diversity, complexities, subtleties and a myriad of wealth and poverty. What I found interesting that, sometimes those with the most were the poorest compared to those with the least which falls right within the Beatitudes. (Matthew 5 for those that are curious).

That's not the point of this blog rather it's just to express the richness of the trip. Over the past week of blogging you've seen some humor, some beauty and some simple lifestyle photography that conveys the slice of life - "diehliciously". I hope you enjoyed.

Keep watching, I won't quit creating. I've got a city of a million peeps to photograph still and many square miles of Heartland to capture, so stay tuned.

Oh & back to the ball! The story of this sphere, believe it or not, moves. If you want to know the story, ask. It's fascinating and nothing moves it. It moves itself about 2 inches a year I believe. Of course when you have Superparents like I do, it moves a ton, but this is a secret and don't show the folks at the Marion OH cemetery these pics because then it'll hit the fan.

Isn't rain fallingwater? And can it erase 1's and Zeroes?

I was walking around Ohiopyle State Park and Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's most famous residential design that's located within this amazing state park in Pennsylvania. As I was photographing in the rain, I wondered as I wandered, if I for some reason fell into the Cucumber Falls or whatever falls fall around Fallingwater, would the water erase my files on my compactflash memory card. In other words, would water erase zeroes and one's?

Yeah, I know it's really a deep thought, but I just thought it was kind of a funny thought. But today has been really full of funny thoughts and signs and sayings. I only got one sign photographed today that I found funny. What I couldn't capture because I was driving though, was the best of all I've seen: "Dangerous Mountain Ahead". I just didn't know that mountains could be a serious threat, nor that there was legal hunting of the handicapped.

Pennsylvania is seriously an incredibly beautiful place, but, it's obviously a very dangerous place. I'd live here, but really think I'd have to get a gun permit. Mountains and people hunting me could get pretty freaky. Perhaps I'd be better off just roadtripping and visiting. I'd be happy to visit often though.

To see any of my pics, like always, feel free to double click and I love your comments, so please don't be bashful, share your thoughts and become a "follower"

Thanks!