~ Holidays ~

Dear friends,

I have three new year's resolutions and I'd like to share them one by one. 'Cuz I'm just dramatic like that, and because I think all three are important in very different ways.

New Year's Resolution #1 (It's a biggie!)
START A PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS/BRAND

I know, I know, unbelievable right? But I've realized that 2010 is simply the year to make my courtship with photography official. Really nothing much is going to change: I still have a TON to learn and grow in. But starting an actual business will allow me to take pictures for people and establish the terms for doing so that will benefit both them and me. And I'll be changing jobs (and continents) next year, so it is a good opportunity to develop a business even if it only ends up being a part time pursuit.

Things that need to happen?
1. Buy a camera that will take photos with enough quality that I can be confident selling them to other people. Check! (Thanks honey!)

Yes, I got a Canon 50D for Christmas. I LOVE it. It's ISO processing leaves my old 400D in the dust. Wow. And megapixels galore. In case I'll ever need to make that really huge print. Wow, wow, wow!

2. Design a logo and build either a website or better blog.
My friend Andy is helping me with building a logo. I'm pretty excited. Thinking of a brand is really a "spiritual journey." You have to dig deep into yourself to truly figure out who you are and what's important to you. Actually, I have yet to finish the process. But for the logo I've grasped on to the idea of leaves blowing in the wind. Because life happens so fast, that I know at least for myself, memories fade quickly. But photography is really one of the best ways of holding on to that "leaf" so the winds of time can't blow it away. If you have any website or blog ideas, please let me know. Especially ones that deliver bang for the buck!

There is more, but I will save it for resolution #2. :P

Enjoy a couple pictures from my first day with my new 50D. Both of these pictures were taken with 1000+ ISOs. Yes there's noise, but it's so minimal that my eyes simply don't see very much of it (especially after being used to seeing 400D noise!) (oh, and the fuzzy stuff in the second picture is texture, not noise! :P)