Tardy

Posts to the blog have been rarer and less interesting than Unicorn shit recently but the truth is that I've been digging myself out from under a mountain of work and toward a taller mountain of work - that should be more rewarding and more lucrative. That's the plan anyway, especially as I've pretty much torched the last mountain and tortured this analogy beyond its break point. So I'll stop.

Needless to say it's been busy and continues to be busy... let's hope it stays that way or starvation may be in my near future... as ever we shall see...

Cold, wet but not entirely miserable

It's Saint Patrick's day here in Montreal and it's cold and wet.
We decided to skip the parade and head for the cinema (the too shaky camera's Green Zone)
Which is just as well because right outside where we were standing the police say a 19 year old guy was killed - after he jumped from a float, lost his footing and was crushed by the truck. Not great.

The wind is howling like a 3 year old denied an ice-cream allowed to her twin; the cats are curled up, Alex (our friend in from Singapore) is curled into a tighter ball in the hope of finding some internal heat and I'm so fat off dining out that I'm oblivious at the moment.

Still Velcro, it seems, is happy

Off to Toronto and a couple of meetings there, leave Tuesday and thinking about driving - depending on cost etc.

Nobody leaves without a photo

Our old landlord (that's ex rather than elderly) came over today. I like him. He has hair that I'd kill for. And the cutest son on the planet. And he's kinda cool. So naturally I plied him with orange juice and took as many pics of him as I could. Results are here.

Rest of the day has been busy closing up gum. Booze ended badly when I baulked at 1am e-mails, demands that I spend more time in NYC and general chaos. Was just not a marriage made to work. Like Kate and Jon or Pamela Anderson and anybody. A shame as there are good people all over it. Good enough to make my absence go unfelt I'm sure.

Looking forward to finally having the decks cleared and getting on with my stuff. Business is looking as though it's about to really take off and I don't want to be caught with my pants down (mixing metaphors?)

Right enough of my rambling - time to tidy before my beautiful and successful wife comes home

Deliberate

I'm in the middle - or rather at the start of watching what promises to be the excellent The Damned United

But every time someone speaks Jude hits suck on the vacuum cleaner - and drowns out the dialogue.

It's now quite comic.

As is the scheduling with one of the companies I'm trying to work with. Shambolic. Ho-hum.

It's time to bring back "fuckwittery" I think

Kinda inspiring...

in the last couple of days I've met people who are shooting a very cool idea with an amazing Hollywood director, gotten together with a gender challenging extreme burlesque performer, arranged to go to diary readings by 4 sex workers, have sat at the table with a guy who worked with Tom Ford at Gucci and built a huge fragrance franchise post that, to Diddy's Ciroc people and a host of others who have made my jaw drop. I've also not slept. So cool and killer at the same time. Home tomorrow. Thank God.

Back in NYC

Back in NYC and already it's starting to feel like spring. It's 7c, sunny and there's a hint of flesh back on display as Gap scarves are banished to that 'where did we put them?' place until next year.

Decent trip in despite stupidly short notice, a flight that wasn't actually booked and a pilot who circled like a vulture over the soon to be corpse of a C list celebrity (their faves) Still the man at immigration was a big Smirnoff fan... which was weird and held up the line as we chatted about the various misconceptions about the brand.

But mainly it's been about meetings and calls and more meetings, then calls to arrange more meetings during which we'd discuss upcoming calls. Must find a shoot to help distract myself.

More and better tomorrow... when I'll bend over backward to accommodate you (matron! missus! sauce! etc)

So the heat didn't happen...

We knew that the weather was going to be bad when everyone we talked with mentioned the 'cold front' and pointed to the pile of sweaters that they had at the ready. The diagnosis was confirmed when the guy delivering breakfast greated me with a cheery

"Good morning; it is a terrible day"

And it really hit home when our Hyundai AtoZ (why do we always end up in Hyundai's redundant micro-car? could it be that we're cheap) was plowing through two foot floods in the backwaters en route to Santa Clara (home of bits of the remains of Che)

But ultimately it didn't matter. Booking an all-inclusive was a hideous and horrible mistake. It felt like a bizarre version of The Biggest Loser ranch; where each of the massive people struggled to gain as much weight as possible by piling on the buffet then laying stock still and slurping Pina Colada until it was time to eat again. Just horrible.

Still we got out and about. We climbed through bat and cockroach infested caves, bounced through mangrove swamps on a jet-ski, drove to strange and wonderful places, took recommendations on lunch, photographed people at home and marveled at how all life in Havana seems to take place on a balcony... at least until night falls.

So not the warmed bone marrow that we'd been promised; but not a disaster either. Now who's up for a swish villa in September?

Time for a wee vacation

It's time for a short interlude... Jude and I are looking to leave the snow behind (yup, snow at last) and to get a little heat in our bones as we head down for 8 days or so in Cuba. The animal food has been stocked, instructions written and the people briefed. The bag is packed, the flight is booked and the dog is looking at us woefully (suitcases make her sad)

I've been shooting as much as I could this week... two women, one guy and hope to get some great shots in Havana and surrounds... but for now tales of supper with Newfies, of enhanced woman on the living room rug and of the meanest air hostess to fly the skies will have to wait

Until March - peace out people

Back in the land of the living

I'm in New York this morning (flying back later today) and enjoying a morning that allows me to think hard - but not stupidly hard about things that are important but not Haiti life and death daily important.

I think that what I bring to any company at the moment is enough detachment to be optimistic, a short enough tenure not to be exasperated and enough energy to re-start the rolling of balls. So it's all about making it feel easy again. Losing the detail that bogs down. And setting people tasks that feel exciting.
At least that's how it feels this morning. I'm sure that it will change.

Have a hard-drive full of edits that need making when I get back... sigh (satisfied sigh)

2am posts

So I'm just back in from a photo shoot for the very lovely people at Glam Gam and Jude is up due to a combination of ailments, medication for the ailments and my inability to enter the house quietly. And here we are, in bed - she listening to an audio book, me writing a blog in what just might be the most 21st century moment we've had (in the bedroom) in ages.

Got some great shots tonight - the Beercan lens really works magic when teamed with the A850... but as each image is 40MB and needs converting to JPEG I haven't actually uploaded any yet. A shame but good things come etc.

In addition to all of the stripping excitement, naughty cupids, auctions and general theatricality (Montreal blows New York away when it comes to intensity in performance) I've been hard at work on all manner of things that actually get more exciting the closer they come to happening.

All cryptic I know - and I apologize both for my inability to spill beans and my unavailability to take calls - it's all very 2am at the moment

Crazy busy

I am a bad, bad blogger but sometimes life gets in the way of cataloging what's happening in life. Actually SJP recently said that in New York life was what happened while you were waiting for a table... I liked that. So I've been up to the elbows in gum, and in thinking about a new process that I can run for big corporations, and in Jude's spasming back, and my need to do tax forms, PR documents, more tax forms, a lecture at a university, a couple of shoots, a U&A study, dentists, doctors, bankers and lawyers.

It's basically been a lot of hurry up, wait a while, hurry up some more, dash, rush, wait. Frustrating as all hell. But there you go. As an example of what I mean. On Monday I'm in Toronto talking projects, on Tuesday I'm in New York closing out a project, on Wednesday I have a shoot, on Thursday I have shots and stuff then on Friday I have final submission of a document and on Staurday I leave for Cuba. Feeling the pace and my age. And it doesn't help that the newest version of Powerpoint writes in a format that no other computer seems to understand.

Grrrr.

Still at least I got another playboy shot this week - from a 45 minute shoot! no idea when I'll find time to edit the images.

Another in the series

I'm shooting three people this week - and finally have some more women on the roster. The shoot today is a trick set up but yesterday was pretty simple. It's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but there's something to this one that rings true and I think that it's amusing, if not funny.

Today is a woman in full military garb - which means that I'm going to have to run out and find full military garb (there's a store I know) and Thursday is my fave body building lady doing something that was originally soft and feminine.

I also have my eyes tested today, and an appointment with a therapist who, bless him, seems delighted at the thought of a new client to to extent that you start to worry about either the health of his practice or his own mental health. I'm one sunny reminder of 'our appointment' away from fleeing for the hills. Do I need therapy? I think so... just wanna ride the coaster that is life without fear of becoming derailed. It's an indulgence basically - but one I can afford.

Mind last night I watched Hoarders (an America show about people whose houses are a filthy, cramped, full of shit mess) followed by How Clean Is Your House? (a low rent, seaside postcard British show that features the same kind of messes)... Hoarders sends in a psychologist to help figure out why people are hanging on to so much shit it's endangering their lives. She pokes, prods and cajoles people into 'letting go' as a cleaning squad disinfects. How Clean is your House sends in a heavy set 70 something who says things like "You've let yourself get into a terrible state, depressed and for what? Want of picking up a duster - you daft apeth."

I have to say that while Hoarders is better made and probably better for the people involved long term my sympathy lies with the sentiment of the British version - which is probably reason enough to head for therapy.

Home, home on the range

I made it back to Montreal.

A quick dash from Cadbury in New Jersey to Newark, a LONG wait at security (one line, two idiots, much murderous intent) and out before Stormaggedon headed in (26 inches dumped on Washington in a day) and home in time to catch The Dog Whisperer.

Last night we headed for dinner with these lovely people... modern Mexican all around and some of Jude's fast becoming a specialty canapes afore we ventured out.

This morning was a shoot for me while Judith tried to get some reviews done (I was making a lot of noise) and this afternoon we're off to a Nordic spa to partake in a bit of a scrub, massage and thermal bath treatment, rolling in the snow optional but encouraged.

C;est ma vie

Once again

I'm trying to leave New York

A major storm is heading in

It's scheduled to hit as I'm scheduled to take off

Sound familiar?

I'm in New York

I'm unexpectedly back in New York after last week's meeting got shunted to this week... and the back end of this week. Fingers crossed that it will go well because there are good people on the brand and they deserve a bit of a break after lots of slog, we'll see.

I don't have much time for me during this trip - it's all office,  run-thrus and American Idol back in the hotel but I will try to connect while I"m here and I am looking to shoot this guy while I'm here  if possible...

All I'm carrying is my camera, a flash that I can;t trigger wirelessly (until the part arrives from Hong Kong) and two lenses... both portrait (a 35-70mm and a faster 50mm f/1.4)... should make for something interestingly lo-fi I'm hoping.

Home by Friday and then in Toronto next week in a bid to ink a deal that will put PFish in business in Canada.

My eyes? itchy, getting sharper by the day - still struggling with the glare from the computer screen

Brrrrr

So with the temperatures settled in the -20c range and a wind chill that makes it feel colder still I am boxed in, looking through hazy eyes at my computer and wishing that it was warm enough to take my lovely new camera outside for an hour or two. Alas the forecasters tell me that there's no hope of having electronics friendly temperatures in the next oh who knows how long and so instead I keep forcing Jude in front of the lens in a bid to figure out which button does what and why,

Most useful so far is intelligent preview. You click the button, it takes the image and shows you what it looks like - then allows you to play with the exposure and depth of field until the image looks the way that you want it to - adjusting the settings for the next shot as you go. Smart.

having no built in flash when every wireless Sony / Minolta flash is triggered that way is a bit stupid though. Sony's $600 fix looks no better than Hong Kong's $30 fix - so I'll take the $30 version I think - and see what happens as a result.

That's about it for tonight - hopefully will have more (exciting) things to talk about from tomorrow on -as I'm back in the office and on the look out for interesting projects...

I am weak

Okay, so I'm weak. Really weak. And obsessive. But knowing this makes me stronger. I think. Had to spend 3 days in New York this week. And another three next week. Am working weekends. And it's -20c outside. So I thought "Why not splash one day's work and just but the A850?"

Now there's a very good argument that I should have stuck with what I had and invested in lenses. But those lenses would have to have been sold when I went full frame... and that's a hassle. And I have 4 very good Minolta lenses that will work on the 850.

There's a better argument that I should have waited a month or so until the camera shows were done and the price would have come down... but you can always wait, prices will always come down and you always end up feeling as though you're settling for last generation's technology. Or I do.

So I've decided to just enjoy it. And it's 40MB RAW images (new harddrive next I think)

This was the first pic outta the camera, no flash (it doesn't have one) just a 40w bulb in a 500 ft sq room. It's not great but it was enough for me to think - "Good decision"

More PRK side effects

So today I have vision that's great long distance but with the computer is hazier than Ronald Reagan's memory and more blurred than a Cybil Shepherd close up. I can't see a fucking thing basically.

Frustratingly this is normal - I'm due some corneal irritation as it settles and I'm getting it. With eye drops making me first wetter than a nymphomaniac in a sex shop and then dry than a nun's twot at a bible burning I'm starting to get used to the extremes. And to be zen about them. See... Zen.

It's actually not that bad and being able to see 90% of the time is amazing. Let's hope that the other 10% doesn't take too long

Oooh, 'ello

So after the PRK (eye surgery not a stint in North Korea) - I finally have the protective lenses out and am seeing well enough to type, to read documents and to generally make my every thought know to every person willing to listen. It's weird being kinda able to see (like the Karma Chameleon and to certain extent a few of my younger friends) my vision comes and goes. It should slowly firm up (older friend gag goes here) before stabilizing in a couple of months. A long way for a ham sandwich you might say - but only if you're the kind of guy who plays chess in the park and won't pay for coffee that doesn't give you change from a single.

Tomorrow I get on a plane and head toward New York (concrete jungle, off pitch chorus, club anthem) where I shall tout my wares one last time before giving up and concentrating on the real work and the real money here in Canadia (if not Quebecistan)... New York seemed like a good idea as I know people there, can get the cost of the flight covered and of course it has lots and lots of camera shops (well they're stores but you get the picture - oh I'm good, did you see what I did there?)

Hoping to be back before the weekend is out as Jude has a friend staying, who I dreamed about only last week. In the dream we'd all been charged with tagging as many rats as we could with silly string that we were shooting from cans when suddenly she appeared from the canal carrying a large crocodile and beaming as only Steve Irwin, a Used Car Salesman about to unload a Pontiac and a criminal (spot the difference between those three) can.

Lasik day

I have Lasik today. The old fashioned, PRK, eyeball peeling, 5 days of contacts, 4 months of sun glasses Lasik. I'm not doing it for vanity or even for convenience. I'm doing it for the metaphor... the idea of seeing things in a new way, relying less on tools I know and on being freed up to do things sans excuses is the lure.

Still I do feel a little like this about it all.