Tuesday on the web

It's winter.  I've said it before but I'll say it again: I'm not a cold weather person.  Summer is my glory time - long days, lots of light and a photo frenzy.  In the winter, it's much harder for me to get motivated, get outside and shoot something.  On the very much plus side, I noticed last night that it wasn't dark as I drove home.  That means the days are getting noticeably longer and light is coming back into our lives! My image for you this week is my first-ever thrift/garage sale triumph.  Oh yes, I've bought tons and tons of stuff at secondhand sources that I wear or use all the time.  Fully half my wardrobe is thrift, if not more.  But this one particular necklace pictured below I bought for $10, along with a bunch of other stuff at a garage sale, and sold this week on eBay for $160.  Hooray!  And now, linkage.

On the Web

Every week I save my favorite links from around the internet and present them here on Tuesday.  Enjoy! Lighting Essentials Project 52: Week Two I successfully completed week one of this year-long project.  Don put up week two yesterday and I'm scared (we're supposed to photograph a stranger) but I'm on it. What does organic mean? I think about how my choices as a consumer affect the world and my community. This well-written article outlines what the word "organic" on products means - and what it doesn't. Sledding with your dog FAIL Yes, another FAILblog link - but this one is really good. How to ace the world's toughest interviews via Ramit Sethi I believe this is the first time I've linked to Ramit.  This guy kills basically the entire internet in terms of content quality.  This article isn't just about interviews - it's about how to win at life, like most of his articles.  Just go read and then read everything else on his site. lois hill necklace

Tuesday on the Web

Just another sunset for you here.  And then below, a quick shot of my new bento box!  George got it for me for Christmas and I'm just getting around to using it now.  The truth is, I love compartmentalization.  It is one of my great loves, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  The fact that everything in that box has its own little room brings me joy - actual joy.  So I thought I'd share.  Now, on to the links!

On the Web

Every week I save my favorite links from around the internet and present them here on Tuesday.  Lots of linkage for you this week - and good stuff, too! My first two links this week are very near and dear to my heart.  In fact, I started composing an entire post entitled "Ode to Google" but figured it was too off-topic to be included in a blog supposedly about wedding and portrait photography (or at the very least, photography in general).  Instead, I wanted to share a link that changed my life.  I don't say that lightly.  If you are a Gmail user, you need to go here. If you are anything like me, you will be blown away by the description on that website of how to set up a fully-functioning Gmail database.  Since Google is kind enough to give us unlimited space, it makes a perfect dumping ground for everything and yes, I mean everything.  I could get into it, but it's unnecessary.  If your interest is piqued, please please please hit up that link.  And when the tears of gratitude and joy are cleared from your eyes, you can check out the follow-up as well. One more Gmail link - Other Inbox, a free web app, will do all manner of sorting and culling and organizing for your Gmail inbox so that you can get back to square one and start doing awesome things, like the two links above show you.  It's very useful for people like ::cough cough:: my husband, who never archives anything and who lets important emails get shoved on back down the endless pile in his inbox. Just in case you're feeling a little heavy in the pockets after all those holiday presents, here are the best charities in America. Free online yoga videos This is a cool list of places to get yoga instruction online. I'm a practitioner myself (okay, only for six months now but a solid six months) and I always look for good online yoga so I can do something in the hotel room.  I'm pretty sure yoga has helped a lot with my shoulder pain from sitting at a desk all day.  I'm definitely sure it's made me more flexible and strong.  As for stress-reduction or weight-loss... well, I guess the jury's still out on that one. Set up and get to know your new Android phone via Lifehacker I spent a great deal of my lazy week last week learning about my Android and all the neat stuff it can do.  If you have one of these and it's just sitting around taking phone calls, you should probably drop by this article. Mom, this is how you use Twitter I'm not a Twitterer (that's probably not even how you say it).  Maybe I should be, who knows?  But this excellent little article very clearly outlines how to use the service, if you don't know how and think you might like to. And now three strictly wedding and professional photography related: Tutera's tips for selecting a wedding photographer This excellent video tells it like it is.  He gives very good advice for brides looking for a wedding photographer.  When your day is over, all that will be left are memories and photographs! Have models and clients sign releases on your smartphone I found an amazing $10 app that lets you have people sign releases with their finger.  Looks brilliant *and* saves paper! Junebug's best of the best wedding photos of the year This astounding collection showcases some of my favorite photographers, and one from my must-have flickr group, Starting a Wedding Photography Business.  Every single one of these images is inspiring. sunset over washington dc my new bento box!

Tuesday on the web

After the holidays and all that, I've really got very little creative energy left, I must admit.  That said, no matter where you are, what you're doing and almost always regardless of your camera, there's always a shot somewhere.  I knew before I came into today that I was going to photograph my coworker's blooming flowers for this post.  It almost looks like I'm outside frollicking in some lovely meadow, instead of inside an insulated office building, shooting against a frigid sky.  There are warmer temperatures predicted for New Year's and I'm really excited for them to come!  Until then, my web roundup.

On the Web

Every week I save my favorite links from around the internet and present them here on Tuesday.  Click around and enjoy! Five simple ways to get more out of Google Analytics This article taught me lots of things I didn't know about Analytics and I've been using it for several years.  Definitely worth a look if you have or are interested in Google Analytics (which is free). Most popular free Mac downloads of 2010 Some real gems for Mac users in this LIfehacker roundup of the best free downloads from this year. Advanced tips for tack-sharp images There is invaluable, genuinely "advanced" information in this article.  I'm going to try and incorporate all of these techniques into my shooting. The Kitchn's Top 15 how-to tutorials I'm a big Kitchn fan - they post a lot of really great stuff and lots of yummy recipes.  This is a roundup of basics - things we should all know how to do but maybe don't. I love lists, so I can't resist. The Brain Dump I attended a very interesting photography business seminar with Judy Herrmann a few months ago.  She gave a really interesting talk on how to grow a business and brand according to who you are and the type of business you want to build.  I've been reading her blog since.  Here, she provides an exercise to get all the bang-around stuff in your head down on paper and what to do with it once it's there - the brain dump. red flowers and blue sky