Get out and click

As a follow on to my post about reading, you MUST get out and practice. Test your eye to see if you can find interesting captures. Break away from your comfort zone and find new and exciting places to capture.

Most recently, I endured a drive from Dallas, Tx to Denver, Co.. Prior to embracing my love for photography, I had made this drive numerous times. I made many complaints regarding it's boring landscape and having nothing to take my focus away from the pain of a long drive. Granted, it's not like driving through Kansas or Nebraska or anything, but boring nonetheless. Well, on this occasion, I chose to take a different route which would include New Mexico and a region in Southern Colorado that I hadn't seen.

While the majority of the drive was fairly uneventful and non-scenic. If you are on the lookout for things to capture, you will always be able to find something. You will always be in a position to practice what you have read and review the results. This will help you to get better as a photographer. This will help your eye and mind compose better shots. This will allow you to have some fun with your camera. Regardless of my desires to improve in photography, I always remain focus on enjoying this love and not making it too rigid. This is my outlet that I share with others freely and I don't want to lose that freedom, peace and serenity I feel with the lens in my hand...

Even though I would not consider this a great pic by any means, this was one joy of my trip back to Denver. If I had chosen to follow the same route. If I had chosen to be closed off and not be on the look out, it's possible I would have never seen this place, never mind the opportunity to capture it. This photo represents me getting out and clicking. While I have other photos from the trip that I will cherish more for their quality, this represents an un-staged, unplanned and totally surprising opportunity.

Always remember to get out and click!

LeFora Forums

Such a random post, but since in this new role and company, I have been tasked with a lot of things. I haven't been able to blog like I normally do and such, I have lost a huge following. You will come back!

If any of you that happen to read this post are interested in creating a forum for personal and/or business use I would suggest you take a serious look at Lefora. I have been doing a bit of reading and these guys seem to really be focused on being responsive to their customer base. I actually like seeing a lot of technical support issues listed so I can also monitor how fast they are addressed. I am in a software development company managing development and software support so I do this by nature.

Well, check them out here.

Currently, these forums are free. I don't think there is a premium service fee or anything and that is another selling point.

free forums by lefora.

Thanks for reading and begin coming back more often. I am in a writing mood!!!

D

The Journey

Well, I have always known life is a journey where the destination is death and based on how this year started out for me, the mountains would be hard to climb. As I sit in a somewhat non-descript coffee shop, I ponder so many things. Should I actually pick up this book and start reading? Should I get more aggressive about the job search? Should I just go back to big brother, suck it up and realize that I am happy moving at a snails pace? Should I change my outlook on progress and success from true accomplishments in delivering software to customers or how well I build relationships and play the game of corporate politics? Am I creative enough to start something from ground zero and do I have the influential and financial contacts to invest in idea(s)?

Regardless, I have put wheels in motion and whether it's pride or the overwhelming desire to be happy with my work, I am not ready to go back to what I am comfortable with. I am enjoying time away, but would definitely rather be sipping on some "foo foo" drink in South America somewhere. In the past few months, I have definitely made some great contacts and things are moving, and not at a snails pace. I just have to ensure I know what I am looking for in my next opportunity. While that should be easy, it's not. I know where I ultimately want to end up (entrepreneur), but having a focus on technology and it's impact on driving business represents a small aspect of running/building a company. You might ask, well just start a software company. I am thinking about this as well. Key aspects to a software company besides the software:

• Customers - make something someone wants to purchase
  
• Sales - experience selling and setting up a sales infrastructure
  
• Marketing - someone has to glamorize what your software does
  
• Support - As much we think we can build perfection, it's not a reality and things break
  
• Services - What does an implementation look like
  

Creating a vision, leading and motivating people, creating and recruiting strong teams are all things I have done in the past with success. Services and support are even aspects of my past life that I could drudge up. Can I schmoooze with the best of them? SURE! That's only a small portion of the entire picture so the infrastrucutre of sales and marketing is something I want to have a better understanding of. I also want to be stressed out becasue of budgeting decisions and impact. Working with big brother has it's benefits and worrying about a few hundred thousand dollars of over spend is not that big of a deal.

There is of course a lot more to starting a business, but this is more about a transition for me. People leave jobs with no thought about it. I am leaving with thought and 10 years invested. The most interesting thing is the fact that I am leaving without the security of another position. Not that I am risk averse, but anyone that knows me knows that I am very analytical and usually will have plans in place for such a move.

Oh well. All I can say is this is my life and the journey continues.

R.I.Peace

Peace has come for you but I can't necessarily say I have it at this time. Like most of us during a loss, for selfish reasons we sometimes focus on "wishing you were still here". I am attempting to focus on the fact that you are not only at peace, but you made peace with your wife and God before leaving.

No longer do you have to have someone feed you and give you water to drink. You no longer have to wait for someone to clean you and move you around in your bed so you don't get bed sores. You no longer have to deal with the pain of this disease or you age. What about trying to be strong for those around you? Keeping the details of birthdays, significant events and holidays in your head?

Again

I find myself here again, writing. I don't even know if it's because I don't have anyone to talk to or just merely not wanting to talk with people around me. Maybe it's because there is this feeling to keep up the facade of being the strong one for everyone else. Not needing anyone else.

Maybe I will write more, maybe not. Maybe I will just.....

I guess it's just a lot going on and it's becoming overwhelming...