Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

The Gallery is Open

Well, I’ve finally done it. I’ve been wanting to create a photo gallery separate from the blog for a while. I wanted a gallery because there are a lot of photos that I want to share, but not blog about and having a gallery is the best way to accomplish that. I tried hosting my own site using Gallery2 and it turned out to be more work than I was willing to do. I’d hosted my own site before, but that was when I had one kid and a little more time than I have now.

Since hosting my own site wasn’t an option, I started a 14-day trial of Smugmug and Zenfolio. Both hosting options were similar in a lot of ways and I’d heard some good things about both services. I liked the fact that I could upload RAW files directly from Lightroom 3 and it was easy to set up special galleries for clients and the general public. I also liked that I could upload as many high resolution photos as I want, without having to worry about file size.

I set up some public and private galleries on both and test a lot of the features that both offered. It was a difficult decision and both were really good products. But in the end I chose Zenfolio. What set them apart was the fact that I could get rid of the Zenfolio branding a lot easier than at Smugmug. For the annual price you pay, I just thought it was only right that I would have the option to hide their branding. Sure, if you’re familiar with their web templates you’ll be able to tell it’s hosted by Zenfolio, but with Smugmug it would have been too obvious. And despite how much I liked Smugmug, that wasn’t something I couldn’t overlook.

So “The Gallery” at theojohnson.net is open and ready for business (I might also start selling prints soon). Let me know what you think and leave comments. If you’ve used any of these services, let me know what you think of them. And if you’re looking for a place to host your photos and choose Zenfolio, use my referral code DYM-CAB-HB4 to get a discount.

http://thegallery.theojohnson.net

Nice Day for Basketball

It was really nice outdoors yesterday, so I decided to take the boys to the park after school. My oldest son is showing some interest in playing basketball and I wanted to give him a little practice time. Whenever I see either one of them interested in something sports or arts related, I try to find ways to slowly expose them to more of it.

While he was shooting, I decided to get some shots of my own.

Random Pics

I have tons of pics and it’s funny how I can see a completely different way of editing a picture when I take my time to really look over them. Here are some pictures I took during Easter. Our neighborhood homeowners association had an easter egg hunt for the kids and we took the boys to get out of the house.

The two black & white photos are some I took while we were out for another day at the park. In these economic times, the park is a great way for them to have fun and stay out of my wallet at the same time.

Afternoon Playtime

I took the boys to the park to get them tired before bedtime. I don’t think it worked too well, but they were able to get some good exercise. They move around so much and that it’s hard to get decent shots. Here are a couple from the bunch that I liked.

The more photos I take outdoors, the more I see the need to use a flash to get rid of shadows. I still need a course on flash photography.

Birthday Portrait – 34

Since I don’t get be in a lot of the photos I take, I’ve started a little tradition where I do a self-portrait each year on my birthday. Self-portraits can be difficult and time consuming, but I like the challenge and try to use some of the techniques I’ve learned throughout the year.

The pose I chose was due to the fact that I’ve spent a lot of time this past year in front of a computer. While this isn’t too uncommon of me, the projects I’ve been on have kept me in front of a PC more than usual. Fortunately, I enjoy what I do, so it doesn’t always seem like work. And as for the couch, I’ve spent many late nights in that exact spot, so I felt the need to include it in the shot.

Here’s to another year.

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