17 April 2007

Asked and answered

Kevin of kapgar asks:

1. From looking at a few of your photos here and there, I've noticed that you are incredibly talented. But what is your favorite photo of all the ones you have taken? Why?
Most kind, thank you. Hmm... First, let me say that I have at least a couple thousand (probably more) photos with no digital representation, so there are myriad shots I haven't seen in a long time. And I know some of them are pretty sweet. So if we just consider what I've been looking at recently, I'd say this one which is currently my desktop:
NV road

I love the blue of the sky- dark to light, the clouds, their shadows on the mountains, the black road receding into the distance and then just at the last moment, veering right to parts unknown. See how the diagonal of the clouds points that way too? That's a bit of awesome.

2. How did you get into blogging?
A few ways I suppose. 7 years ago when I was living in Tallahassee, I started an e-mail newsletter called Tall. Tales (abbreviated as T2s) that I shared with family and friends. Some of my posts are drawn directly or adapted from my T2 archives.

In the next year or so, I stumbled upon a student's LJ when I was working at a university. I made a couple of cool, younger friends and finally started my own LJ in 2003 to keep up with them after I'd left town.

I think it was late summer 2004 when I first came across WWdN (pre-exile days). I read a ton of Wil Wheaton's posts and sort of mistakenly got the idea/hope that blogging could lead to publication. I'm not saying it can't, it's just not a linear, given thing, and it isn't part of what drives me to continue blogging anymore.

In 2005, I over-thought what my blog (TTaT) would need to be for a month or two, and then finally, just started.

3. You are offered $1,000,000 to work for six months as a paparazzo for some sleazy tabloid. They will also cover the cost of any legal wranglings you may encounter as well as any medical bills you may incur in addition to what they are paying you. But they pretty much own your soul and claim rights to all your photography taken during that period. Do you do it?
Ooh... My gut feeling is that I would suck at this sort of photography, so I wouldn't care about them keeping the rights to those shots. It would annoy me that they would have rights to any non-paparazzo shots I might take during that time though. In the owning my soul realm, I assume I'd be on call 24/7. And since my shots would probably suck, I'd probably get yelled at a lot. I don't think I could hack that schedule and/or treatment for 6 months.

I would want to read all the fine print of my contract. What happens if I don't deliver acceptable shots, for example. If I get the money regardless, then maybe. For six months, I could indulge any P.I. fantasies I've ever had and repeatedly face down the fear of missing The Shot. (I've always thought of wedding photography as something I'd find really stressful.)

So... I think I'd want to say yes for a million dollars in 6 months, but realistically, I would be so uncomfortable fighting other paparazzi for a shot, harassing celebrities in public, and trespassing that I think I'd have to say no. 3 months, maybe. ;)

4. Parachuting or Bungee Jumping? You must choose one. Explain your rationale.
Parachuting. I've long been tempted by it, and I think the down/up/down nature of bungee jumping would make me sick.

5. Where is the first place you visit upon logging into the Web each day? What draws you there?
First off, I visit The Hunger Site and the 5 other charitable sites tabbed there to do my once-a-day clicks. Corporate sponsors donate money based on unique clicks received each day. Clicks at these six sites translate to food, basic health services for children, free mammograms, books for kids, preservation of endangered land, and food for rescued animals. Snopes says it's legit, and it takes me maybe a minute to do. I've been clicking most every day for a couple years now; it adds up and that's pretty cool. Even if I'm broke, I can at least do this.

**************
Now, if you'd like to be interviewed by me, just follow the instructions below.

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Bring on the q's!"
2. I will respond by e-mailing you five questions. I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

One year ago at TTaT: C'mon baby, light my vlog
Technorati tags:

10 comments:

  1. Funny thing is that I was going to drop question 3 down to 3 months. Maybe I should have...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mind reading, excellent!

    3 months I think I could survive, so I just might have to go for it. Just think of the book I'd be able to write afterwards. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bring on the Q's! (e-mail questions to: walisabeth@yahoo.com, thanks!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Definitely bring on the Qs! Whoo-hoo!

    And that's a gorgeous, gorgeous photo, Claire. Nice work.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you very much, Merujo. Now I'll get to work on those qs.

    ReplyDelete
  6. May I have 5 too, please? And I love a lot of your photos so much it's difficult to choose. I know one - but can't find it right now (on the road - mountain/cliff with tiny people under)...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bring on the q's (if I'm not too late)! Email 'em to meadowbat[at]yahoo.com. Love the photo and the window into your could-be paparazzo soul. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, you guys are keeping me busy! I'll try to get your qs soon.

    Scholiast: I think you might mean Hickman Bridge from this post. I'm pretty diligent about keeping people out of my scenic shots, so I think that's probably the one.

    Cheryl: Thanks. I was going to say it's more of a window into my greed rather than my "could-be paparazzo soul," but when I think about it, I'd put myself into any work I agreed to do, so I guess there could be a little paparazzo in me.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's the one! (Or here) And now, those questions... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Scholiast: Aha, that was my second guess. Those arches are rather majestic (the exposure in that particular shot is pretty awful though :)

    ReplyDelete