This last week, I’ve shot about 2,000 frames!
Want to know how I keep it all organized and manageable?

1st: Within 24-hours of any event/session, I save images to a hard drive, a flash drive, or a CD/DVD (or all of the above)

2nd: For ease of access, I organize the images into file folders by event and date (year/month_event; e.g., 1307_4thParade)

3rd: Within each file folder, I create a folder for “Delete”, “Keep”, and “Best”.

4th: Because time is valuable, I cull through my images quickly, moving each image to one of those three folders. There is no reason to keep 15 images of the exact same image, even if it is spectacular. Rather, I place one in “Best” and the other 14 in “Keep” or “Delete”.

Years ago, I struggled to delete anything. With this method, I can go to my “Best” and “Keep” folders to remind myself that I have plenty, so permanently deleting the nasty images becomes rather easy.

Images are only valuable if we can first access them and then create tangibles with them. Even if I never get around to post-processing a set of images, I can quickly access the very best ones within moments!

Hope this helps you keep your best images at the top of the pile!

 
Elementary school’s “Show & Tell”. That’s kind of how this one makes me feel. I always loved the “show” part – letting my friends see what I thought was cool. Scared to death of the “tell” – having to explain myself.

So… here’s my “tell”:
I just placed an order for this piece as a Gallery Wrap Canvas for my office… and I think that’s cool! See, it represents so much to me. I took the photo on my riverside walk one beautiful summer morning last year. That’s where I think and dream. It’s also where I have my best conversations with God! Some days, he seems absent. But look closely at the image… you’ll see… he’s always, always present! Perhaps he is blending in with my surroundings some days… but he’s here! And I love that!

Don’t forget to Show & Tell your images, too!

Not my trophy photo here!

Not trophy, but valued. That’s a fascination I have with photographs: they don’t have to be PERFECT to be highly valued. And our most valuable photos always tell a story!

Good luck in deciphering my story of this photo, though! It’s not about the subjects, not about the setting. It’s about a beginning. My first camera, first opportunity to “play” photographer, one of the first photos I developed in the dark room. Of course it wasn’t going to be quality. This was my beginning, and that was enough.

Pitifully so… I love this photo. Not only can I celebrate that I started something worthwhile, I can pause to appreciate the growth that I’ve experienced. And that’s worth a lot to me!

It’s almost a new month! Don’t be afraid to start your “worthwhile something”. At first, maybe you won’t be any good either. But some day – perhaps sooner than you expect – you’ll be able to look back and see how much you, too, have grown!

Oh… and… don’t forget to take a picture of your progress!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6fb503al5g

Music Credits: Marry Me by Martina McBride & Pat Monahan

 

Caramels!

Everyone needs some dairy products!
 
1 C butter (melt first)
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 C white syrup
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 t vanilla
 
Mix in saucepan, stirring constantly. I set my timer for 22-28 minutes from the moment I turn the burner on and start melting butter… cooking on low/medium heat. Butter glass pan and pour cooked caramel into pan and cool. Timing determines consistency. The longer you cook, the firmer/harder it becomes!

Enjoy!