Category: Personal

I took the photo above at Carpinteria State Beach this past weekend. Bethany and I had a good time just getting away to be with some friends who were camping out there, and I got a chance to try out my new lens. Those are people you are seeing in the bottom right corner, so that should give you an idea of just how much you are looking at. As I look at this photo, it makes me sad to say that even though summer isn’t officially over until the 21st of September, it just feels as if it’s already come to an abrupt end.

Life is just full right now. We’re packing to move, we have lots of things going on at church, work is just as busy as normal, and I even have a few weddings coming up that I’ll be photographing–two in the matter of one week! For me, that’s full. And with the fullness of life comes the constant feeling that I missed out on something, like summer. I don’t think I completely missed the whole summer, but I’m always left with the feeling that I could’ve taken more time off or gone away with Bethany more. Maybe it’s because if you grow up in the American school system, you know that for at least three months out of the year, you don’t have to rush to make the bus to school and you’ll be running around the neighborhood with your Super Soaker, enjoying the nice summer weather? Those just seemed liked simpler times, and when you spend your summer weekends looking for a place to live and trying to stay on top of the work the Lord has given you, you start to think you missed out on something better or more exciting. In the end though, the Lord has had other things for me.

I was reminded this week as I’ve been reading Romans, that the apostle Paul could’ve easily felt this way about his own time, but he never did. He greatly desired to come to the Roman church and preach the Gospel, but the Lord had other things for him, and yet I don’t hear him complaining or desiring some kind of summer vacation. What I read from Paul is a heart without regrets, and a true care for people. All of a sudden my desires to have more leisure time away in the summer months seems far less weighty when compared to a man who spent his life for the sake of the Gospel and for people. I guess it just puts things in to perspective for me, and today I needed that perspective. I needed to realize that I’m more than blessed when I get to get away for even a single day, just to relax.

“Please excuse the crudity of this model, I didn’t have time to build it to scale or to paint it.” – Doc Brown

I said a few weeks back that Bethany and I were going on sale, and I wasn’t joking. And by “going on sale” I really mean we’re just trying to get rid of all the stuff in our life we don’t need or want anymore. You already know we sold the Jetta, but we’ve been trying to get rid of a bunch of other stuff too. This week alone we’ll be getting rid of an extra set of couches in our apartment, and I’m helping a friend take away the huge big screen TV we acquired a few years back–hence the model shown above. I actually was just trying to have a little fun with my friend who’s taking the TV off our hands, so I put together that illustration to show him the size and specs of what he’s getting. In the end I felt like it looked pretty cool so I figured I would share it with you all.

There’s a principle regarding art and photography that I’ve grown to use that says “reduce and simplify.” I heard it from a photographer by the name of Chris Orwig and I don’t know if it’s his original thought, but regardless of who said it first, it’s a good principle. In photography, it means you should always be looking for ways to reduce distractions in your photograph and simplify what the photo is communicating. It doesn’t mean you can’t have complex photographs or not have lots going on (e.g. it’s too simple), but it means you should be trying to find ways to see your frame and/or subject in such a way that it highlights what is being photographed. This could be background elements or other subjects in the photo that can take away from the main subject, and in a case like that you always want to remove those distracting elements. This is a general rule, but I think it does help me create better photos. I believe this same principle can be applied outside the realm of photography, and to our lives.

We’re in the middle of boxing up our apartment so we can prepare to move to our new condo, and we’ve been asking ourselves: “Do we need this?” or “Why do we have this?” Those are reduce and simplify questions. Questions like that help us highlight what’s really important, and keep us from having a lot of pointless or distracting things–not to mention, they even give us a little more closet space. The Jetta, for instance, was a distraction. It kept breaking down, kept begging for more money to be poured in to it, and sometimes it kept us from getting from point A to point B. That might be an easy example, but I think it’s a part of the principle. The Jetta had to go because we couldn’t afford it taking away from what we’re doing. I’m not trying to over philosophize about a stupid car, because I’ll be honest, I just wanted to get rid of the darn thing. But it does illustrate the principle that we need to always be considering what we can do to keep our heads clear of what’s in our lives, because if we don’t, it’ll just fill itself up with useless junk that ultimately gets in the way.

**Update #2 (8/21/09): As of last night the Jetta has been officially sold. I hope the new owner enjoys it.
**Update #1 (8/18/09): I have a potential buyer. We’ll see how it goes.

10. It’s got a tape deck. Easily the best way to connect your iPod or digital music device is with the tape deck adapter, and if you buy my car I’ll throw in the adapter for free! That’s a $10 value. Don’t waste your time trying one of those fancy “radio transmitters,” get yourself in the future…get yourself my ’98 Jetta.

9. The ginormous trunk. You may or may not know that the Jetta has a rather large trunk area and could easily fit any number of trunk-like items. I have successfully hauled an IKEA desk, bicycles, humans (that’s plural), and large amounts of luggage. When your friends ask for a ride to the airport, you’ll have no problem picking them up and their bags and safely transporting every one home to see mom.

8. I’m 6’4″ and I fit in it. The beauty of German engineering is they build cars for Germans, and let’s be honest…some Germans are just tall. That’s why I love the fact that I fit nicely in the driver seat of my Jetta and even if you’re taller than me you’ll be just fine.

7. I’ve never gotten a flat tire in my Jetta.* I’m not saying this is how you will fair out, but in the seven years I’ve owned this beautiful car, I have never once been stranded on the side of the road looking for the jack and spare. Though those would be easily accessible in the ginormous trunk (see #9)–I’ve never used them. *I am not responsible if you get stranded on the side of the road…that’s what roadside assistance is for.

6. It only needs a new transmission. It’s not like I’m saying you need to go buy a new body, doors, mirrors, windows, etc. just to make it work. You get yourself a new tranny and she’ll be good as new.

5. It’s only been pulled over one time, and that was in Oregon. In the time I have owned this car, it has never been pulled over in 49 of the 50 states. Let me just say this: if you’re going to drive faster than the supposed “posted speed limit”, then don’t do it in Oregon.

4. The driver side door speaker has a mind of it’s own. Some see this as a bad thing, but not me. At this point it’s more fun than folly. You just never know when that left speaker is gonna decide it wants to rock out with everyone and join in on the fun. This is especially great when you’ve had a long day and you just want something to go right, but it actually goes left!

3. It comes with a killer “Dash Mat.” Though my wife calls it a “grandma” mat, I think it’s a pretty deluxe addition to a fabulous automobile. It protects from the sun, keeps the dash board nice and soft, and in general adds a nice fluffy touch to the dashboard. Sometimes grandmas just know how to roll.

2. The memories you will have. Many memories have been shared, and much happiness has been had while driving this car. Whether it be the late night run to In-N-Out for a burger and shake, or the long haul up the entire West coast, this car has allowed me to have some of the best times of my life.

1. Her name is Angel. I didn’t name her–the original owner did. And when Angel was bestowed upon me, I knew there could only be greatness from our time together. You just can’t go wrong with a car named Angel. She’s white, German, and has impeccable taste (which can get a little pricey at times, but she’s worth it), and she wants to take care of you. Angel has shown me, my wife, and my friends some fabulous parts of the world, and she’ll do the same for you.

Interested? Need more info? Send me an email at buymy98jetta@gmail.com and I’ll give you any info you need. I look forward to hearing from you.

Here are a few photos that should really seal the deal:

(if you can’t see the above slideshow click here)

I’m away today in South San Francisco at a photography lighting conference and I would like to make this observation: adults still act like teenagers. Just let me explain.

I am one of the 700 people here today to learn from an incredible photographer about lighting. But what I’ve learned today has little to do with lighting and a lot to do with the human condition. Maybe I don’t get out much, but already I’ve seen grown men cutting in line, running to their seats, hopping over tables to get a good seat, and rushing to the front for autographs like a 12 year old girl at a Jonas Brother concert. These aren’t the “nerds” you might be thinking of, but normal, white, middle-class American men that probably make six digits selling insurance to your family. One gentlemen in particular has caught my eye as he paces back and forth documenting every piece of equipment on the platform (with his cell phone) while proudly wearing his favorite corporate logo on his tucked-in polo with matching messanger bag. I could be wrong, but I bet we could substitute those logos with “Gap” or “Abercrombie”, throw a pop star on stage, and lower the average age in this room by about 30 years and we could turn this seminar in to a KIIS FM block party bash!

Ok sure, these people (including me) are here to learn and understand more about photography, but to me it has all the makings of a rock concert for adults. So, I guess at our core we’re all really just teenagers. We’re looking for something to love, something to worship, and something to keep the days going from growing dull. I’m not trying to be harsh, I just find the similarities a little weird. Now where’s the merch booth…I gotta get my t-shirt signed.