kaymanism

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SO it has been QUITE some time since I have updated or posted anything. Sorry for that.

Since the last journal entry I have gotten a new camera.  A 1DmIII and this thing is AWESOME.  With my new found power and speed I have gotten away from the usual things I do and more into action photography.  As most of you know I am quite a bit into Triathlons and Cycling and that is mostly what I have been taking pictures of.  I of course havent posted any of it here, because for me this has been more of an artistic outlet.  

Well that needs to change.  

So I am going to start posting more of my action shots and hopefully with some critiques from you guys maybe I can turn it into something artistic.  Who knows?

So expect more out of me soon  

Updates:

New Camera
New Wacom Tablet
New Mac
New Lenses
Broke My Thumb
New Bike
New Teeth (pics coming soon)
Moved to Seattle (look me up)
NEW PUPPY!!!! (pics coming very soon)

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Dedicated to Koni...god I hate how so many answers were the same...this was NOT an attempt at kissing arse...I swear on my daughter
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If I were a month I would be: December.

If I were a day of the week I would be: Wednesday.

If I were a time of day I would be: An hour before sundown.

If I were a planet I would be: Saturn

If I were an animal I would be: Cheetah

If I were a direction I would be: West.

If I were a piece of furniture I would be: Massage Chair

If I were a liquid I would be: Honey

If I were a tree I would be: Japanese Weeping Willow

If I were a flower/plant I would be: Ylang-ylang

If I were a kind of weather I would be: That chilling breeze a thunderstorm brings on a hot day

If I were a musical instrument I would be: Cello

If I were an emotion I would be: Jealosy

If I were a color I would be: Cobalt Blue

If I were a vegetable I would be: Sugar snap pea.

If I were a sweet I would be: Chewy Spree

If I were a car I would be: Black Audi S8  <--- No fair I want this one more

If I were a song I would be: James Holden - Breathe On Me remix

If I were a movie I would be directed by: The Coen Brothers

If I were a book I would be written by : Ayn Rand and Jack Kerouac

If I were a food/drink I would be: Pomegranate

If I were a place I would be: That perfect climb over the water with friends

If I were a cartoon character I would be: Aeon Flux

If I were a shape I would be: Nebula

If I were a material I would be: Whatever my mink blanket is made out of www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?…

If I were a taste I would be: Sweet

If I were a word I would be: Edification

If I were an object I would be: Of Koni's Desires

If I were a body part I would be the: Eyes.

If I were a facial expression I would be: Poker Face

If I were a style I would be: an ad out of Banana Republic

If I were a number I would be: 9

If I were a Beatle I would be: a rhinoceros beetle

I know it has been quite some time...and for that I apologize.

But I certainly will not apologize for anything I have done to keep me away.  I am a full Navy sailor now.  I have graduated boot camp (as an honor graduate) and just finished Corps School (medic school) as the Salutatorian.  I have done well and have become an even better person because of it.  For this I am thankful.  All of my hard work has paid off.  I was one of only 2 people from my class to be given an advanced school (I got surgical tech) and so I am heading off to

But enough is enough...I have seen TOO many things and my heart has broken every time I was unable to capture it with a camera.  I cant say it was a daily thing.  But the one that did it for me.  Goes something like this...

For those of you not familiar with the military tradition, colors is the raising and lowering of the flag.  When this occurs EVERYTHING and I do mean EVERYTHING stops.  You absolutely will pay homage to the flag and everything it represents (which btw is why I NOW understand why so many people are against the burning of the flag...I used to defend the burning of it as a freedom of speech but I wouldnt suggest doing it in front of me now)  One night coming back colors started to occur.  The color guard was JUST beginning to lower the flag when cloud cover broke and one of those cool rays of sun came down, through some trees and RIGHT onto the flag.  It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.  And it was when I would normally have had my camera on me.  I was sad.  Honest to goodness sad because I couldnt capture this moment...not just for this board but for everyone that couldnt share that moment with me.

So that is that.  I am now saving up for a Canon 30D and I have to replace all my lenses.  Over the next four months I am going to get the following:

Canon 30D and a grip
70-200 F4 (to start)
50mm 1.4
17-40L
100mm Macro
70-200 2.8USM (to finish)

So wish me luck...if you know of anyone selling them I prefer to help other photographers out (plus its cheaper than brand new) let me know.  I cant wait to get back into the game.  

Thanks for all the favorites and comments while I have been away these many months.  I will DO MY BEST to get back to every single one of you.

Until then hope everyone is doing well and being creative...and ive never said this before but

SUPPORT YOUR TROOPS   

I have been lucky enough to be able to travel pretty extensively over the last few years.  But this last trip really hit me pretty hard.  There I was traveling down a dirty road in the middle of Tahiti to see the largest water falls on the island.  In my backpack, between my camera, gear, lenses, ipod, cell phone, and laptop I had about 10,000 dollars worth of, lets face it, non life essentials.  One of the houses, if you dare call it that as it was nothing more than plywood on cement bricks off the ground with a tarp covering it, had a family of nine living in it.  It was a empathetic photographers dream, a cornucopia of heart wrenching pictures all over the place.  I didn't snap one.  My attention drifted to the kids (of which there were 7 living in this house) playing soccer with a ball woven together from strips of palm fronds.  Going through my pictures from that day I realized I didn't even end up taking pictures of the waterfalls.  

One of the benefits, which I came to realize is also the worst part of being a photographer, is that we literally rape (the classical use of the word btw www.angelfire.com/nj/persephon…) people, cultures, landscapes, moments, even emotions.  What do we give back?  What do we do for these people?  There are the rare photographers who actually do give back like anthonyasael.deviantart.com/&n… why aren't there more of us like him?  

I realize now that this was the moment my life had its epiphany and I needed to do something about it.  I decided to fuse a passion, a dream, an ability, and the will to make it all happen in due time.  I have decided to join the Navy and signed up for a surgical trauma program.  My intent is to learn as much medicine as my government will teach me for free, and actually I get paid the whole time.  When I graduate I will have a large enough savings to get my boat that  have dreamed of, and I will sail the world taking pictures BUT I will also target those areas that get the littlest and thus have the greatest need for healthcare.  I will be able to give back to all of which I have taken from.  I have already set the wheels in motion to start a tax shelter for people to donate items that I will need.  Total time for everything will be five years.  

The cons of course will include, time away from my daughter, thanks to our wonderful fucking ignoramus of a leader time spent in Iraq or Afghanistan, I will be shot at, it will be rough both mentally and physically, and of course the limited ability to take pictures.

But in the end…what I gain and will be able to do with my life…will be, as the stupid commercials go, priceless.

But as with all good things, or in my case mediocre things, must come to an end, or in my case a pretty long temporary hiatus.  This has been an interesting community for me for a good amount of time.  I have received and hopefully given so much inspiration I have little or no clue where to even begin.  Suffice to say though…if you inspired me you were told about it.  Not to worry though…if you didn't hear from me I probably learned from you what not to do  

Thank you again for everything everyone.  I ship out March 20th and will of course keep on contributing as much as possible.  I may do one more final farewell journal, but for now this will be my last one.  I hope this finds everyone in good spirits and if not…may you produce some beautifully depressing art  

This is the first journal that I would love, if not beg for, feedback.  Am I wrong?  Am I just being altruistic.  Any ideas I am not thinking of?  Any way you want to help?  Talk to me lovers...

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Edit Begins Here Fellow Deviants
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My first inclination was to block the comment made by ~fordch down below.  But I wanted to introduce everyone to the cancer that is my past. Besides he took the time and had the inclination to join this site just because of me.  I know everyone has one of these viruses that they can never seem to get rid of.  The kind that creeps into your life, destroys almost every shred of it, and then forces you to literally leave everything you know and love to start new.  Then after almost 5 years they pop back into it, call you their friend 6 times in a conversation and wish you well.  Then you log in to see a comment so vile you remember why you moved out of the state.

I won't go into details of the past for you guys can see into his moral character even in  this small example.  I am quoted twice, neither of which even come close to what I ever said.  (if I am wrong PLEASE tell me and I will recant this message and personally apologize to him) How does one interpret "My intent is to learn as much medicine as my government will teach me for free, and actually I get paid the whole time." to "rip off the government" I am not entirely sure.  I am doing a job for my country and they are training me to do it.  I personally know for a fact Chris that companies have paid for some of your certs and on the job training.  How is that any different? (that's a rhetorical question…I have no interest in hearing anything more you have to say)  In a recent survey of the Army and Navy times 78% of all recruits joined for educational benefits and bonuses.  Should they have all taken lovely Chris's advice and just simply joined welfare?  I would love to see the reaction of the soldiers, their friends, families, and loved ones at his assumption that all of these people deserve no respect from our community and instead should become even more of a burden on our society.  

Suffice to say, I could have done without your grand façade tonight Chris.  Why you popped back into my life I have no clue.  In your two sentenced simplistically neanderthalic diatribe, you have summed up your worth to everyone around you and how far askew you are to reality.  The next time you have the urge to say anything to me, inquire about my life or my family, or even think about contacting me again, please just stop the thought, choke on the words, and move along.  You want reality?  You could be choking, in the middle of a room filled by everyone who knows you in life, and the party would stop just long enough to watch you die.  Not a tear would be shed, a word said in memorial, or a finger lifted to help.  I cumulative sigh of relief would be heard and we would all silently walk out content.

I am doing a good thing for not only my country, but for my friends, my life, and my family.  I am sorry you are such a cancer on everyone around you that even you cannot see this but I guess that is your lot in life.  It does make me sad a little on the inside that you get lumped into that mix of people that I whose freedoms and way of life I too will be defending…but it's the bad in life that make us appreciate the good even more.  And that my non friend is what you are, a necessary evil in life to make us appreciate the good.  


Why oh why do I let people get to me. I know it has something to do with altruism and sticking up for the underdog that logic and decency has become in life. Its a bully I MUST stick up for...sorry for the rant everyone...some things are better to put on paper than to do in real life.