New Logo Design

Okay, after experimenting with several different design ideas, I came up with my current/final design while trying to create a DIFFERENT design I had in my head. It often happens that I stumble upon something I like on the way to something else. I guess life is like that though. You never know what you're going to find, but it's all about the journey.

Anyway, philosophical rambling aside, here is the design I finally decided upon. It's simple, stylish, and not gimmicky like several of the other designs I was playing around with. So take a look, and let me know what you think (if you haven't seen it already.)

Changes Over On Facebook

Okay, I have now changed my photography business name from "FMD Photography" to "Matt Fulkes Photography." I did this for a couple reasons, but the main ones were because no one really knew what the FMD stood for, and there wasn't any mention of my name so no one knew who the actual photographer WAS. So while it's not as cool sounding as FMD Photography, hopefully the new name will be beneficial and better to use as a branding platform.

I also created a new logo, based on the existing FMD Photography logo. I switched a couple letters around, rotated one 180 degrees, and you go from fmd to mfp. Then I reworked the logo a bit more, and uploaded an alternate version. So please stop by the site, and vote on which version you think looks best!

Matt Fulkes Photography on Facebook

That's it for now. Stay tuned for further developments. And please stop by the site and "Like" the page if you haven't already. Thanks, and have a great week!

Troubled Times

Suspended above rock bottom by a gossamer thread;
I feel like a caged beast,
Trapped within the bars of his own undoing.


Times are tough at the moment, REALLY tough. And I'm just talking about OUR life, yet alone the state of the Nation, and all the political nonsense that's being carried on around us. We need Sir Richard Branson to take our failing economy/country and make it prosperous again. I think he could probably do it, if he were in charge of things, WITHOUT interference from the Left, Right, or anyone in between. Because that's what he does. He takes failing ventures, makes necessary changes, and turns them into thriving enterprises. He's not afraid to take chances, and he doesn't let others dictate his course of action. If he sets his mind on something, he does it, not afraid to take life altering (and sometimes threatening) risks that may stand in the way.

At any rate, things are not looking so great in our small part of the world at the moment. I left I job that I was starting to hate, but that provided guaranteed income, to chase a dream that I've had for sometime now; the chance to turn my hobby of photography into an actual paying job. And it's something that's starting to unfold, and will become rather busy, and hopefully very profitable in the near future, but at the moment the situation does not look good. We've been down before, but I don't  think we've ever been this low. Poor Monica has been carrying us, as she always does when I venture off on one of my wild tangents, but it's not fair to her, and I hate myself for putting her through the stress and worry that our situation has inflicted on her. It's affecting her mental and physical well being, and that makes me feel all the worse, because she's had to endure so much over the past 10 years.

We are like the banking industry, in desperate need of a bail-out, but no government life-lines will be thrown our way. If WE screw up, we're basically SOL, and no one is going to come to our rescue. It really makes my blood boil to watch all these politicians and large corporations make one mistake after another, and then receive financial aid to bail them out, get them out of legal trouble, etc., all at the tax payer's expense. And then they turn around and claim that benefits that we, as working Americans, have funded for years might not, and probably won't be available when we need them. Now this does not come as a surprise to me, because it's basically something I've known and feared for years, but that doesn't prevent the anger and outrage I feel towards those parties who are sending this country spiraling into the ground.

At any rate, I hope that we can hold out for the next few weeks, until things start to pick up for me. I know that busy times are ahead, because I'll be helping with Senior Portraits, Sport Portraits and Action Photography, some Weddings, and numerous other projects, aside from any photography work I get on my own. But right now, we're in dire straits, and in need of an actual miracle, before things fall completely apart, and we crash into the rock bottom and end up broken and bleeding, lying in squalor with the neglected masses of the poor, the lonely, and the forgotten.

First Time In The Studio

I went to DC4U yesterday and practiced taking some portrait shots in the studio. Amanda, the niece of one of Mason's best friends (if I understand correctly,) was there with Mason's wife and one of his daughters, and Mason asked her to pose and be my model so I could practice taking some shots under controlled lighting situations. That was probably the worst photography session she's EVER had, because I'm not used to posing people, or telling them where and how to stand, and I'm also not used to taking pictures of people who are willingly standing still! Most of the time I'm taking pictures of our nieces, nephews, and other kids in the neighborhood, and they're always running around, making silly faces, and generally being kids. NOT the easiest little monsters to photograph! But it was almost more difficult for me, taking pictures of someone who was actually posing to have their picture taken. It was weird. Still, it was entertaining and informative (for me anyway. I'm sure Amanda was glad to get out of there! lol)

I took several shots, and I have at least one additional picture up on my Facebook page, but I thought I'd post this one here, because it's one of the ones I like best so far. It's simple, and I did very little editing to it. So here it is, one of my first studio portrait attempts.

Rise Of The Phoenix

Okay, so I just left a job that I've been doing for the past 5 or so years. I ran the print center at 2 different OfficeMax stores, one in Acworth (now closed apparently,) and the other in Athens (which is the one I just left.) The job was heading in directions that I didn't want to go, with more responsibilities being added to the position for no additional pay (and I was already earning less than what I started at 5 years ago, when I had zero experience with the job. But that's another story.)

At any rate, I left to work with a local photo studio, and pursue my dream of a career in photography. I'm not a GREAT photographer at the moment, but it's definitely something I enjoy, and I've been enrolled in the Complete Course In Professional Photography with the New York Institute of Photography since the beginning of the year. It's a study-at-home course that teaches you everything from the basics of camera operation, all the way to how to open and run your own photo studio. So far it's been quite informative, and there are all sorts of perks of being a student. If you're interested, check it out, and mention my name if you decide to register for any of the training.

So, back to the job situation. It was hard to give up a set M-F position, with essentially set income, but that job was stifling my creative side and at times it felt like it was crushing my soul. There was nothing wrong with the job as a whole, per se, and I liked the people I worked with, but it was time to move on. So when I was presented with the chance to pursue my dream job, I jumped at the opportunity. The ironic thing is that the studio is run by a guy who used to work at the same OfficeMax in Athens that I worked at. He was the Sales Manager at that store, until the position was eliminated several years ago, and he was laid off. He'd been doing photography on the side, out of his home, and after leaving OM he decided to open his own studio so he'd have somewhere official to work, and so people would stop asking if they could come over to his house and get their picture taken. :-)

He's trying to put together a team to handle all the photography, video, and graphic design services that his business offers, and he's apparently been having trouble finding someone who both had their own equipment, and who had the desire and drive to do the job. That's where I come in, because I have both, and one of them in abundance! (If you've seen my gear, you know it's the "drive and determination" that I'm referring to. *g*)

For months I've driven past the studio on my way home from work (it's about 3 minutes from our house,) and I always said to myself, "I'm going to go in there one of these days, and see what it's like," but I never did. That is until a few weeks ago when I decided to finally drop by and pay them a visit. I should have gone in sooner. If I'd stopped by back in February, he would have put me straight to work! Oh well, I've never been the best at being in the right place at the right time, but this time was different. I'm going to the studio this week to start learning how things are done around there, and I should staring working as one of the studio photographers shortly. I don't want to stop there though. I want to learn how to do EVERYTHING! I want to learn anything that he can teach me, and be able to run that place during the times he has to go out of town to do IT work, which is one of the several things he does on the side. He's trying to put a team of photographers and editors together so he never has to tell anyone, "The studio is closed on such-and-such days, because I'll be out of town." My goal is to become his right hand man, his 2nd in command. Someday I will open my own photo studio, but in the meantime I want to learn how to run this one, and be able to provide any of the services that they offer. I already know how to do a lot of it, and the rest should hopefully come easy, because it will be learning how to do things I actually WANT to do.

One of the best things about the work I'll be doing is that I'll basically set my own salary. The more I work, the more I get paid, but there's no set schedule for the most part. I honestly believe that this freedom from the constraints of a M-F, 8-4, same thing day-in/day-out job will allow my creative side to rise from the ashes like the mythical phoenix, and that I will flourish and prosper in this exciting new line of work. I'll continue to do work on the side as well, and MAY end up getting a part time job, just to have a set pay schedule, but I intend to put everything I have into this new pursuit, and to learn everything I can, and be the best that I can be. A new door has opened, and I'm boldly stepping through, not without a little trepidation, but I have my eyes, mind, and heart set on a new goal, and with a little luck and a lot of hard work, I shall succeed!

New Blog Design

They rolled out a new template designer here at Blogger, so I decided to change the overall look of my blog (I'll change my other one(s) soon.)

If I can't visit the beach, I can at least look at it. *smile*

A Sunny Saturday At Oakland Cemetery

It's been a long time since I've posted to this blog, because most of my posts lately have been predominantly photographs I've taken recently. And that's what this blog post is about, but I probably won't post any pictures right now, because I still have to sort and post process them, and that's going to take a while.

At any rate, Monica and I participated in the I HEART Faces Photo Walk at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta this morning, from 9 - 11 AM (give or take 30-45 minutes each end.) It's amazing how several hours walking around on a hot, HUMID day can just knock you right out (I just woke up about 30 minutes ago from a several hour nap!) It was a lot of fun though, and interesting to meet some other photographers from the area.

After the walk, Monica and I left the rest of the walkers, the majority of whom were meeting up at Six Feet Under for a post-walk lunch, and met up with Amy and Jason at Little Five Points to enjoy our own lunch together at Vortex Bar & Grill. After lunch we walked around Little Five Points, visiting a couple of the local shops, before returning to our respective homes, where Monica and I passed out. We both needed the rest though, Monica especially, who is battling a sinus infection.

All in all it was a good day out, and after I work my magic on the pictures in Photoshop, I will post some of my favorite ones, so stay tuned.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!

Anna Ruby Falls

Larger Re-Touches From Watson Mill Bridge State Park

More Random Pictures

Home Sick...Again

Well, today is the 2nd day in a row I've been home sick from work. I feel better than I did yesterday, but after another rough morning, there was no way I was going to go into work today. My ASM called a little while ago and asked if I was coming in tomorrow, and I've already committed myself to doing so, sick or not. Too many important things happen on Friday, most of which I'm responsible for. And while I know others can handle them, more or less, I would rather do them myself. Hopefully I'll be feeling back to normal by then, or tomorrow will be another day like Monday and Tuesday at work. *sigh*

At any rate, it would seem that Monica may be coming down with the same thing that slipped past my defenses (an extremely rare occurrence, since I almost never get sick.) She was feeling rough this morning, and has sent me text messages periodically throughout the day, telling me that she's feeling worse. Hopefully she hasn't caught the same thing I had, but it's starting to look that way. We'll just have to play things by ear, and see how she's feeling tomorrow. Maybe it will be HER turn to take some sick days off work *sigh*

It's been kind of rainy today, and I've had cabin fever from spending the past 2 days indoors, so I tried to take a cheery photo of the outdoors; the view through one of the side windows on our front door. Monica got this "Welcome" statue with cardinals on it the other day at the Dollar General. We both like cardinals, and they always remind her of her mom. So here they are, drenched in winter rain, welcoming all those who darken our doorstep.

NOW The Sun Comes Out

I went to meet Clare and the kids at Memorial Park today, braving the finger numbing temperatures and overcast skies that threatened freezing rain at any moment. It was SUPPOSED to have been bright and sunny, and around 40 degrees in Athens today, but it was nowhere near that this morning! Now of course the sun is shining blindingly bright, and I'm sure the temperature's warming up to above freezing, but it wasn't so when we were wandering through the park with our cameras, kids in tow. We had an enjoyable time though, even if it was brief due to the cold, and we stopped in and had lunch together at Moe's which was nice. I don't get to see Clare and her family as often as I did when I lived just up the road, so it was nice to meet up and spend some time with them.

Anyway, I didn't take many pictures, and they didn't come out as well as I would have liked them too because I'm still getting used to the new camera, but with a bit of retouching in Lightroom and Photoshop, they're not too bad. Here are a few of the better ones. Enjoy.

What I'll Look Like When I'm Bald (And Blue)

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebrities

New Camera...Pictures Coming Soon

I got my new camera today, and I'm itching to try it out. I just need to get some time off when it's not raining! *sigh* I want to go back to Watson Mill Bridge State Park and take some more pictures of the covered bridge, but I would like to find some cool places closer to Athens/Winder to go and take pictures. I'm sure I'll go to Fort Yargo at some point, probably when the weather gets a bit better, but if anyone knows of any good photo locales, please let me know.

Stay tuned, I'll post pictures as soon as I take some new ones! :)

Winter Solstice

So today marks the advent of a couple things. First and foremost, today is the first official day of winter, the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. The season has finally arrived, despite the fact we've been experiencing winter-like temperatures for some time now (interspersed with the spring-like temperatures of course!) At any rate, winter is upon us, and it looks to be a pretty intense one this year, with the weather patterns we've been experiencing very similar to the ones that preceded the "blizzard" of 1993. So stock up on firewood, make sure you have plenty of canned foods to eat, and candles to burn, and set aside a stash of good books to read, because if the rumors and portents are true, this is going to be a winter to be reckoned with.

Today also marked the official 3 year anniversary of my employment with OfficeMax. Now I have mixed emotions about this fact. To be sure, I'm extremely glad to have a steady job in this time of economic uncertainty, but I can't help but wonder if this is as good as it's going to get. I'm currently working for a salary that's less than what I started at 3 years ago, when I knew little about the position, and was completely inexperienced with running a commercial print center. Since then I have run the print centers in 2 different stores, but with my transfer to Athens, budget cuts within the company (i.e. - no raises this year), and my temporary step down from Supervisor to Associate while Stacey was still running the place, I took a salary hit that I still haven't recovered from, and it doesn't look like things will get much better in the new year.

So, do I stay with my present employer, and try to "convince" HR to pay me, if not what I'm worth, at least what I was earning before I transferred (and preferably a bit more, if we actually get raises in the coming year), or do I set out once again in search of a new career and a better lifestyle? Three years is the longest I've ever worked for a single company, and it's been nice to have an employer that seems to care about its employees at least somewhat, but I've got to be moving on if I've hit a fiscal glass ceiling.

I would like to go back to working from home, doing things that I enjoy and working on my own terms. I want to pursue photography as a serious hobby, and possibly a career. I think I could be good at it once I received the proper training, and gained the knowledge to move on from taking "snapshots", to shooting "portraits" (in the overall professional sense, not just shooting portraits of people.) Years ago, my mother gave me a book entitled Do What You Love, And The Money Will Follow, and that's just what I want to do. I love photography, and I want to strive to be better at it. Monica also shares a love for photography, and I think it's something that we could be good at together, and possibly turn into a money making venture.

So as this year comes to a close, it's time to reevaluate my situation, and decide where I want my life to go from here. I'm not getting any younger, and it's time I took back control of my life, and started walking a new path towards a brighter and more enjoyable future. I know I'm destined for more than this. I just need to find the key that unlocks the door...

We're Ba-ack!

Enough said. Woohoo!!!

Mandi Mandibles

My new blog header image is of a large (about 6") preying mantis that was clinging to the outside of our house, beside the window over the front door. It has been given the name of Mandi Mandibles (or just Mandi for short), and is one of our new guardian spirits. It's watching over us and our house, keeping us safe (or at least keeping the bug population to a minimum.)

Anyway, we're getting settled in our new house now, but things are still quite chaotic. The garage is full of boxes (and probably will be for a while), and we have a lot still to do, but we're taking it a day at a time. We still have some stuff at the old place too, but we'll pick that up soon.

We don't have Internet access at the house yet, so we have to come down to Monica's dad's house (14 houses down from ours) to use the Internet. But I hope to get us back online this week some time.

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and to those of you who are joining us for the ASL walk, we'll see you next Saturday! Peace.

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

To thee we'll soon draw nigh...

The End Is Near

This whole home buying saga is nearly at an end (or more technically a beginning, I suppose.) After weeks of dragging things out, the lenders (and everyone else involved), have finally locked in a time and date for the closing. As of 4 PM next Thursday (or whenever all the paperwork is finished and everything finalized), Monica and I will officially be home owners. :)

I wish we would have closed this past Tuesday (or last Tuesday) like we were supposed to, because I wanted to be IN the house on Halloween, not MOVING IN, but at least we'll be in by the end of the month (AT the end of the month actually!) It's been a long, stressful process (more so for Monica, because she's been the main one dealing with everything), but it's finally coming to an end.

Once we get settled in the new place, we're going to have a house warming party at some point, so those who want to can come visit us. Stay tuned for more details on that.

That's it for now. I have to get back to my Web coding, but I wanted to update this blog with some good news for a change. Have a great weekend everyone! :)

More Hoops To Jump Through

Today, after I got off work, I had to zip up to HD to pick up Monica, then fly over to Regions Bank to get a print out of an account summary, then take it BACK to HD so Monica could fax it to the FHA people. Earlier today we were informed that we were one of the "lucky ones" that were "chosen at random" to undergo an audit, with regard to our loan. Lucky us! We did find out that we have until the end of NEXT month to take advantage of the $8K new home buyer credit, but the plan was to be out of our current place by the end of THIS month, when our lease runs out. Supposedly this is still possible, but we were supposed to close on the house tomorrow, and it's only been, what, a MONTH since they accepted our offer?!? This whole process is really starting to tick me off.

What's next, jumping through literal rings of fire? I wouldn't be at all surprised.....