75th Blog! Time For a Break

Hi Family and Friends!
This is my 75th blog posting and probably a good time for a break while we continue to work on our business, J&M Photography. Many people have asked me about the lack of postings, especially in November, and the reason is simple: time. The blogs take me between 4 - 6 hours each to complete and that time is now devoted to processing pics for J&M Photography.

So, for number 75, I would like to dedicate this blog to Mellissa, who still supports, loves, and stands by me despite my nutty ideas.

I used to love to go through the hundreds of pics following a trip and sort, edit, and enhance them, add text and upload to the blog. These days, my time is filled with educating myself on the new Epson printer, Adobe's Lightroom photo software, Canon's 40D DSLR, and the pro lenses.

Mellissa has been teaching me how to use the binding machine for our photo journals, and we have been watching on-line tutorials for Adobe Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, RAW vs JPEG, and other photography sites. Creating photo postcards, notecards, and journals is time-consuming as is building our website at www.fotogood.com.

We are getting closer to opening our photo booth and finally purchased our canopy, wire racking, tables, display boxes, SUV, and a million other items related to our business. The fabric for our tables and walls has been ordered, but you'll get the idea here on how this will look when we ultimately can sell at craft/street fairs and fine arts festivals.

The point is that we are having lots of fun being retired, and I finally get to spend a lot of time learning about the art and business of photography. I love going out in the mornings on photo shoots trying to get that one pic that looks halfway interesting.

I think that it will take a year of two for us to get it right, but we are off to a good start and enjoy working together. We have hundreds of photos to sell and are applying to craft fairs around the Bay Area for the 2008 Spring and Summer season.

The good news is that I still get to get out among the plants and animals and find something fun to photograph. Like many things in life, timing is everything.

Many of you have offered so much support and help, and I am very grateful for your tips and advice. I could not have done it without you.

So, there you have it: I will be working to become an artist! I'm half kidding, but that is what I like about all this - I get to try my hand at art, that elusive form usually reserved for those able to evoke a feeling or emotion through their creation. I'm nowhere near it yet, but it's a kick sometimes getting close.

I also try to remember that life is short and it's important to sometimes sit back and enjoy the view with someone who loves you. What's more important than that?

I will continue to improve the J&M Photography website and the Klein Family Blog, but Jeff's Blog needs a short rest. Thanks for hanging in.

J&M Photography Opens!

Looks like we are entering another new chapter and adventure in our lives. Mellissa and I have opened J&M Photography, a small business created to sell photo prints, note cards, photo postcards, and other photo products.

I must admit that a big part of the idea came from people like you who offered such kind and flattering comments about the photos posted on this blog. If craft fair patrons feel the same way, we might make some money. If we fall flat on our face and sell nothing, then I'll know you were all fibbing! ;-)

The good news is that while we may lack the booth and displays as yet, we have the most important item: decent photos! So, first order of business: build inventory. We are working our way to 1,000 photos for sale. I went down to the production department of J&M and took this shot of the photos waiting for the matting process.


We are ording our booth and looking at the various ways to weight it down for wind protection.

We are researching the street fairs, artists displays, application fees, and business licenses required to set up a home-based business.

Mellissa and I have had lots of fun going around to the various craft fares in the Bay Area. They all seem sort of the same and often have the same vendors that work the fair circuit. It will be interesting to see if we can "break in" and make it worth our while. If not, you all are going to be getting prints as gifts for years.

Here she is scouting out the competition. These display racks hold the photo note cards we intend to sell. These guys make a fortune selling this stuff. I've learned that people want to buy something at a fair. I am just trying to help them with what they want.

More competition here. I tried to get Mellissa to accidentally drop a match and eliminate some of the better booths that make competing prints. She gave me some BS lecture about us all being "fellow artists" and began using phrases like "let's not cheapen our craft" by burning down other photographer's booths. I said, "Hey! Do you want to make money or not? Flame on!"

I love this photo. Here's why: See the lady in the blue pants? She and her husband are flipping through $80. each prints that cost the artist five bucks each. And they will buy one or more. How do I know this? Check out the hat; she bought the hat ($79.) at the street fair and has hit the corndog booth four times.

The booth, matted prints, and display panels shown above are what we have ordered as well.

So, we'll see if we can make a go of this. It's been lots of fun to work on and we are learning a lot. Mellissa and I have always liked going to street fairs. There is something bright and springtime-y about walking around hand-in-hand looking at the tie-dyed dog collars for sale.

J&M Photography has been a lot of work however. Mellissa handles all the accounting, ordering, and finance. I take the photos, work the editing, matting, and printing. This photo looks like a joke, but this is our offsite darkroom. While at our trailer, I can't see the photos on the laptop because the glare from the windows is so bright. So I hunker under Lisa's blanket for better viewing. Hey, don't smirk; I understand that Ansel Adams did the same thing!

I almost forgot: I created our website, a real one. Check it out at http://www.fotogood.com/. Cool name, huh?
The site is my first attempt and rather lame, but it'll get better as I learn more. Let me know what you think.

Maximum Bird (Max) 1972 - 2007

This is my saddest blog to date, but I feel that Max should have a little tribute. My baby bird had to be put down as a result of paralysis due to a fractured spine after falling off his perch. He spent five days in the bird hospital and and never recovered. Mellissa and I talked a lot about it and ultimately made the tough decision.

I've had Max for 30 years and was told that he was five years old when I bought him in 1977 for $550.00. He was a Blue-Front Amazon parrot. You can read about the species here (although, unless you are a bird nut, skip it and just keep reading.)

In this old converted slide,we are getting to know each other many years ago. Max could be ornery, but actually liked Molly, my Blue and Gold Macaw. Well, he tolerated her. (I'm the thin one in the middle.)

Wild, and caught in the Amazon, Max wasn't the typical hand-fed, friendly pet, especially with strangers. What few realized is what a big wimp he was. Although extremely affectionate with me, I wish he had been that way with others, especially Mellissa, who always took good care of him. But, such is the nature of the Blue Front Amazon - tough birds.

Max and I have been through thick and thin together. Jobs, apartments, homes, and relationships have come and gone, but Max was always with me throughout all of it. Years later, when I traveled for work, I always knew Max was OK when Mellissa complained that he snapped, lunged, bit, threw water on, or otherwise threatened her. Although I was never happy that he tormented her, I always felt better because I then knew that he was doing fine.

Most people don't know much about large parrots (and why would they?) but the perfect bird is loud, noisy, destructive, messy, curious, fun, interesting, and affectionate. Max, therefore, was the perfect bird. Into, and onto everything he was.

Blue Fronts are rated as the fifth best talker among the Amazon parrots, but Max was a little slow. He was, as some phrased it, "special." But, he did talk often in two voices, mine or Mellissa's. Check out this video by clicking on the play button.

I'm heartbroken that I've lost my pal, but it's been a great 30 years for him - and even more so for me, something that many people don't get to experience. I think that we were both pretty fortunate having been together for so long.

No, we're not getting another bird, as many have asked, since we have new adventures ahead of us, but Max Bird will be greatly missed.

Here's to you, buddy.

Ten Days at the Trailer

For the 10 days since September 6th, I have been staying ("camping?") in our trailer near Sacramento, California. Fortunately, Mellissa was able to stay with me for seven of those days. We had a great time, relaxing, reading, taking pictures, and hiking around the lake and to the Cosumnes River. No one wanted the nearby forest fires, but because of them, sunrises and sunsets were spectacular.




Every morning, I awoke and went outside to watch the sunrise which was different every time. (Click on the photo to enlarge and then the back button.)







Pop out the trailer's "slide-out", hook up the water and electric, and you are good to go. You regular readers have seen this all before, but hey, I'm here for 10 days and need to shoot something.



...oh yeah, don't forget to prop up the awning....






Mellissa sets up the inside while I work on the outside.







All the comforts of home... In 30 years of working, I never took more than one week of vacation at a time, so it was wonderful to be able to stay out for such a long time.










OK for the first time, I can load video on this site and have a lame vid of the trailer here. Let me know if you are able to view this 34 second masterpiece. This will give you yet another view of inside the trailer and a shot of the lake. There is an extra bonus in it for those of you who, like me, love listening to hillbilly gospel. C'mon, that's everyone, right?

After a day or two in the trailer, I woke up early and decided to take a hike out to the Cosumnes River. Early morning is the best time at the lake. Quiet and beautiful, and no one is around.







I wander around the lake and head west. It's mid-week and early morning, so no people are out yet and the lake is calm. Perfect reflection huh?





(Photo buffs: white balance set to Tungsten lighting for this "blue effect.)

It was great to be out hiking again and to look for wildflowers. And, I always get a kick out of the reflections on the lake.







Even though it is so late in the year, I was pleased to find several wildflowers, like this cool sunflower.







...and his friends....







Unfortunately, the Cosumnes River was dried up this late in the year. It was really bone dry in parts, so I continued my walk and looked for photo ops like this one.







I hiked for a while up-river, but saw nothing and walking along a dried riverbed wasn't too interesting. I remember when this section was a swift flowing S-curve of a river just a few months ago. (Actually, I would have gone much farther, but the truth is that my Crocks were filling up with sand and I could barely walk.)

Check this out: here's a pic of the exact same spot in May of this year....




I did find these bi-valve mollusks, uh...freshwater clams in the riverbed. OK, any way you cut it, dead bi-valves are dead-ass boring, but I liked finding them.





The next morning brought another great sunrise even though the fires in Plumas County had been contained.

Probably the most common question we get regarding our trailer time is, "what do you guys do there?" In addition to the aforementioned reading, relaxing, hiking, and taking pictures, is good ol' cooking.

I should add searching for, and collecting fruits, vegies, and nuts has become a crowd favotite.We found zucchini, peppers, and two kinds of tomatoes in the free peace garden grown in the park. We also found ripe, sweet figs and a walnut tree. Our friends Bob and Roger gave us a fun recipe for white bean and ham soup in an 8-hour crock pot. We added the squash to the soup and used the rest for....

...GRILLING!

Mellissa taught me about figs and I am hooked. I am surprised that I like something that looks kinda weird and has a funny texture. If you have never had a fresh fig, give it a try; they're wonderful.

Other meals, snacks and desserts included these beauties~ Looks good, huh?

OK, what else is there to do? Well, there is fly fishing from an inner tube....

...and boating....

...bicycling around the area is very popular.

You can sit and watch Lou pull out the trailers from the storage area to a coveted lakeview spot.

Of course, kayaking works pretty well here~

Putting soapy water in a bucket, running your flexible wand through it, and waving it through the air is lots of fun too. The kids call it "blowing bubbles."

You can watch the sunrise, guaranteed to come up once a day .

Lately though, we like talking to the big green turtle. Cool huh? This huge turtle was built by some guy who took it to Burning Man where it was immensely popular. At night, all the yellow markings you see on the turtle are lit up by neon lights.

You hop in and turn the pedals and away you go. A front tire under the neck helps to steer. It's just amazing.

Or, you can just walk around and enjoy the beauty. Thanks for visiting the site and hope you like the pics. Until the next posting....