PixelBrat's Blog

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April 30, 2006

Let the packing begin!

One more week and I'll be sinking my toes in the soft sand of Topsail Beach!  I absolutely can't wait!!  After the crazy year I've had I can think of nothing more relaxing than spending hours on the beach, searching for fossilized shark's teeth, and sipping frosty adult beverages.  Topsail is one of those out-of-the-way beaches that not many folks have heard of.  Our rental house is right on the beach and there's no public beach access as far as the eye can see - it's all private.  Most of the beach houses have cutesy names like "Dances with Waves", "Lazy Daze", "Loony Dunes." (my personal favorite, being a Looney Tunes fan).  The house we rented has a name as well... although certainly not on par with the other cutesy names...  It's called "Smith".    Who knows what the owner was thinking (or smoking) on that one...

As I'm making lists of the things I'm going to pack I'm finding I'm listing more "props" for my stock photography use than I am clothing.  Hmmm.  Hey, I told you I was obsessed, didn't I?  I've got some beach toys, pails, brightly colored flip-flops, all sorts of stuff.  Hell, I might as well take advantage of the location while I can, right?  Before I close this post I thought I'd post a photo of a huge fossilized shark's tooth that I found at Topsail way back in 1999.  Finding a tooth this size is really rare so I was quite shocked at finding it.  Can you imagine the size of the shark this must have originated from?

If I can find another even remotely close to that size I'll be thrilled but I'm not too hopeful.  That's OK though.  Just the act of searching for these teeth on the beach, though unusual and pointless to some, is extremely relaxing and rewarding to me.  I can't explain it, I just enjoy it.

That's all for now.  Let the countdown begin!!  Just 6 more days! 

Posted by pixelbrat at 10:39 PM | Comments (1)

April 23, 2006

Where, oh where has Amy been hiding?

I'm still alive, really.  Quite honestly I've been behind my camera shooting like mad.  I have taken on a new obsession that combines my love for taking pictures with my desire to make money.  Put them together and you get stock photography.  Stock photography consists of photos and images that advertisers, graphic designers and publishers use in websites, newsletters, advertisements, brochures, etc.  I'm working with 4 different online agencies right now and doing pretty well with my small but growing portfolio.  It gives me an excuse to take pictures, which I love to do, and as a bonus I get paid for it.  Who could ask for more?  Admittedly, some of the things I take pictures of would normally be considered boring or unimaginative but so what, people buy them.  To get an idea of the types of pictures I take for stock you can click the links below to see a couple of my portfolios. (each will open a new window)

Shutterstock.com Portfolio
iStockphoto.com Portfolio

When I'm not behind my camera I've been riding my motorcycle. Spring has sprung and the weather has been awesome for riding.    Before I go I thought I would post some fun new kitty pictures below.  The top one is Wasabi hiding in his favorite Diet Coke box.  The next is a shot of all 4 of our kitties scarfing down some food.  Food, specifically tuna, is the only way you can get them all in one shot.

Bye for now!

Posted by pixelbrat at 11:14 AM