Friday Morning Update: 12/20/24

Friday Morning Update: 12/20/24

December 20, 2024

Holiday Worry [2013 original with AI background]

Nothing is quite as cruel a wake-up as stepping outside to the pain of frozen water hitting one’s face. We didn’t get snow, we got ‘mix.’ The result was a morning outside that was so uncomfortable that Hamilton even wanted to go back indoors. I could have slept had I remembered that neither teen has school today. Once I’m up, though, it’s too late. The cats have high expectations of me. The dogs don’t understand why it takes so long for me to get ready. The slower I move, the more noise they make. I’m pretty sure everyone was awake by the time the dogs were fed.

I’m trying to prepare for a possible government shutdown and the delay of social security checks. The problem is that the checking account is negative (again) and social security is the only thing I have coming in. Do I take out a short-term loan? What happens if the government stays shut down past January 1? And yes, I’m blaming the billionaires. I’m thinking we need more heroes like Luigi Mangione, only take out billionaires involved in politics.

The government isn’t the only thing shutting down. There are strikes at Amazon facilities. Starbucks employees are striking today in Chicago, LA, and Seattle. If an agreement isn’t reached quickly, hundreds of stores could be closed by Christmas Eve. What’s interesting is that a record number of people are expected to travel for the holidays. The catch: Air Traffic Controllers, you know, the folks responsible for getting your airplane up and down safely, are federal civil employees. TSA agents are treated like cops and still work even in a shutdown, but Air Traffic Controllers are limited and if funding isn’t found quickly, they may not be working by the time everyone starts heading for home. If you have guests coming to your place, you might want to prepare for them to stay a few days extra.

At least the kids’ holiday trinkets are secured. Thanks to a local charity, I was able to pick up new gloves, hats, socks, and other donated items. I’m not sure how they’ll feel about the ‘toys’ that are included, and all the books available were well below their reading level. Still, I appreciate the effort and sacrifice of time from those who made it all possible. I’d be hitting the day empty-handed otherwise.

Everything feels really dark this morning. The trash needs to go out. I need more coffee. Life continues.

For now.

Editorial / Photography / PotD

Beauty In The Cold: A New Gallery

February 5, 2017

charles i. letbetter - beauty in the cold

Loren Hawk defies the snow

Weather or not

The weather seems to be working against us. Each time we’ve planned on shooting outdoors, it has thrown some manner of difficulty at us, challenging and changing our plans at the very last minute. This shoot was no different.

There wasn’t snow in the forecast when we scheduled Loren Hawk’s return in front of the camera. Cold, yes, but no snow. Yet, we woke up not only to a lawn covered in white, but occasional squalls that momentarily sparked fear for what might happen next. Fortunately, the squalls were short, accumulation was small, and we were able to continue with only minor changes.

You’ve likely already seen part of this shoot. Loren brought along a friend, Melinda, and Melinda brought along her friend, Bella. We convinced both of them to participate and published those pictures on Tuesday. You can see the gallery here.

Our primary attention, however, was on Loren. It’s been a year and a half since we covered her in paint. This time, we decided it might be more fun to capture her softer, more thoughtful side. After all, Loren is a wonderfully intelligent young woman, something that too many people miss when looking at her pictures. We wanted to catch images that are closer to the every-day person, not just the model.

But then, it snowed.

If Loren was terribly concerned about the weather, it didn’t show. Well, not much. She didn’t really enjoy giving up her warm coat to stand in the middle of the sidewalk on Mass. Ave. She didn’t shy away from it, either, though. She handed her coat to Melinda and off we went.

The snow provided just enough context for the season. The squalls hit while we were driving downtown but managed to stop by the time we were ready to shoot. You’ll see the white blur of a few snowflakes in some of the shots, but for the most part we had little interference.

Kat had fun playing with Loren’s hair and used a very careful approach with her makeup so as to keep it lighter and more natural. We’ve gone darker on other shoots and wanted to stay away from anything that might appear too moody.

Having Loren here was fun. We certainly don’t want to wait another year and a half before she returns. Enjoy the pictures.

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Art / Photography / PotD

Tossing Kat In The Water

June 15, 2016

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it. —Lao Tzu

charles i. letbetter - tossing Kat in the water

Cats don’t normally like water and Kat isn’t especially fond of it either, but modeling’s supposed to be fun, isn’t it?

I think I mentioned something yesterday about going to McCormick’s Creek State Park and playing in the water. We showed you pictures of the waterfalls, the kids frolicking, and one very cool old man. I know most of you missed those pictures, so you can look at those later by clicking here.

What we showed yesterday wasn’t the only set of pictures we took, though. I was looking through the files last week and noticed that Kat hadn’t been in front of the camera at all this year. Here we are in June and not once have we managed to get her to sit even for a light test. What photographer doesn’t take pictures of his own fiancè? We needed to fix this problem quickly.

So, as we were packing clothes for the kids, I tossed a swimsuit at Kat and suggested, “Why don’t you toss this under your clothes and we can get some pictures of you in the water while we’re there?”

She laughed.

Okay, so maybe the swimsuit was just a little inappropriate and revealing to wear in a place likely populated by children other than our own. Our kids don’t even notice when Kat is looking hot; they’re rather used to that. Other people’s kids, though, might have wondered where the rest of her swimsuit was.

Kat knows how much it means for me to have pictures of her, though. She found an acceptable substitute and off we went.

Most anyone who has shot outdoors with me knows that I typically carry two non-camera related items in my camera bag: duct tape and petroleum jelly. Uses for the duct tape are innumerable; one never knows when they might need to fix something, fasten something, or patch a hole. The petroleum jelly is a bit more specific, though. I use it not only because it causes water to bead on the skin, but because it acts as an insulator against the cold. For some stupid reason, I left the petroleum jelly sitting on my desk.

Have you ever tried standing in cold water? Have you ever tried looking any way other than horrified as hundreds of gallons of cold water came crashing down onto your head? Have you ever tried to sit on a rock while your entire body is trembling from the cold and attempt to look sexy?

Those are the things I asked Kat to do. The task wouldn’t have been nearly as daunting if I’d brought the petroleum jelly. Kat would have barely noticed the temperature of the water at all. I left the petroleum jelly sitting on my desk, though. There was no protection from the cold. She did the whole shoot anyway. She gave me a mean look more than a few times but she did them and the resulting pictures are perhaps the strongest set she’s done since we first met.

One of the challenges of shooting in the water like this is that in order to get that silky look to the waterfall, I need a slow shutter speed. A slow shutter speed with a model means that she has to take a pose and not move. Go ahead and try to not move while standing in cold water, especially after your body is completely wet. Oh, and add a nice breeze on top of that. A bit of wind feels good when you’re warm and dry, not as much when you’re wet and cold. Kat had to call on the discipline instilled by her Marine Corp training to keep getting in that water and holding poses for several seconds at a time, not flinching, until I got the picture I needed.

Have I mentioned that I have an awesome fiancé who loves me very much?

Did you know that waterproof mascara doesn’t necessarily hold when being assaulted by hundreds of gallons of water?

The challenges to this shoot were considerable. Not only was the water cold, but Kat still had to keep an eye on the kids and keep an eye out for anyone who might cause problems and help me avoid falling on the slick rocks. I’ve not even tried standing in water to shoot for the past three years. We had to exercise much more caution than was previously normal.

What ultimately matters, though, are the pictures and I think we captured some great ones, despite the cold water. I like having Kat in front of the camera. Next time, though, I’m bringing the petroleum jelly.

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PotD

How We Face The Cold

January 5, 2016

You can’t worry if it’s cold; you can’t worry if it’s hot; you only worry if you get sick. Because then if you don’t get well, you die.—Joaquin Andujar

I am not a fan of the cold. In addition to the fact that cameras don’t tend to work quite as well at temperatures below 50 degrees, I find colder environments not conducive to thinking clearly; I miss details when my teeth are chattering. Yet, I know plenty of people who are totally comfortable in cold weather and rather delight in getting all bundled up and braving the elements. I don’t understand those people.

We live in a World War II-era house that could use a touch of repairs; the kind we can’t really afford to make. New windows and doors would do a lot to seal up the drafts that keep our feet cold no matter what the thermostat reads. There’s an especially significant breeze coming through one of the windows in our bedroom and, being the gallant, chivalrous person I am, I take that side of the bed. I don’t mind the air being a bit cooler at night because it leads to cuddling under blankets. But that cold leak coming through the front window and under my desks keeps my feet cold all day and makes matters uncomfortable as I’m sitting here at the desk.

Energy conservationists tell us that our winter thermostats should be set on 68. I’m sorry, but as much as I’d like to participate in that little exercise, I can’t. Anything below 70 degrees during the winter and my brain loses efficiency. When I woke up this morning, the pilot light in the heater had gone out; it was 69 degrees in the house andI couldn’t concentrate enough to write the first word until that issue was resolved. Perhaps I should feel ashamed, but for the moment, I’m enjoying the warm air coming through the vents.

Being the spoiled person I am, I can sit here looking at the weather app on my smarter-than-me phone and know that it’s 19 degrees outside, with a windchill of ten. In a few minutes, we will have to bundle ourselves well and take the children outside to wait on the school bus. I am not a fan of the early hour at which school starts in the first place, but this having to wait in sub-freezing temperatures strikes me as cruel and unusual punishment. Mind you, the kids stay warm just inside the back door. I’m the one who has to go outside and watch for the bus.

I would not have made a good pioneer. In fact, I can’t imagine my being very happy any time prior to the twentieth century and the advent of central heat. Yes, my head knows that comfort is largely a matter of acclamation. I remember in college being amazed at students from Alaska running around in shorts while the rest of us were shivering in our heavy coats. Because they were accustomed to the frigidness of being near the Arctic Circle, they found Oklahoma’s 40-something temps to be rather balmy by comparison. I feel the same way when I visit California in January. Our discomfort is largely mental, to a point.

A wind chill of ten degrees is no laughing matter, though. Wind chill is the measure of how much heat our body loses when exposed to the wind. Our body naturally protects us from the cold by radiating a certain amount of heat. Wind takes that heat away, leaving us with nothing but cold. Anytime the wind chill is below -20 degrees we are entering dangerous territory. Frostbite can occur within a minute of exposure under these conditions. I don’t know about you, but I would rather not have my nose frostbitten. NOAA has a helpful chart in case your phone doesn’t keep you informed.

Whenever I feel this level of discomfort, though, I think of those whose life circumstances have left them out in the elements for any reason. I know there are some wonderful, gracious people who make every reasonable effort to get the homeless inside, somewhere, at least for the night. Multiple organizations distribute coats, gloves, hats, and scarves. We are always happy to help out these efforts and are thankful to not need their assistance ourselves.

Still, if I sit down at the desk and feel cool air running up my calves, I’m going to shiver and thank the universe for hot coffee. Winter stayed away much of the month of December, but it’s here now, full force, and looking to cause trouble. We’re ready to face the cold, just don’t as me to be excited about it.

Art / PotD

Falling Leaves

October 29, 2015

Autumn Illusion – Falling Leaves

The falling leaves drift by my window. The falling leaves of red and gold. I see your lips, the summer kisses. The sunburned hands I used to hold.—Johnny Mercer

[one_half padding=”4px 10px 0 4px”]Autumn doesn’t mess around once it finally decides to do its thing. Only a week ago, I was able to take pictures of brightly colored trees in the neighborhood, their leaves golden and resplendent in the sunlight. I looked at the giant oak across the street yesterday afternoon and its branches now are nearly bare; a yellow blanket covers the ground around it’s dark trunk.

There are still several hours before sunrise as I write this, so I can only imagine even more leaves are down this morning. Wind howled by my bedroom window all night. Some gusts were strong enough to shake the entire house. Any leaves still on trees this morning are brave souls hanging on to futility; they, too, will fall. A horizon of dark, grey, nothingness is all nature has left us. Those not already prepared for winter had best hurry.

We keep saying we’re going to cover our windows with plastic to help keep out the encroaching cold. We’ve said that the past two winters as well; it hasn’t happened, yet. Like those leaves that still cling desperately to tree branches, we never really want to give in to the fact that winter is coming. We use the excuse of needing to wait for “Indian Summer,” and then find some other reason after that. We really don’t want to cover the windows; we want to be able to see.[/one_half]

[one_half_last padding=”4px 4px 0 10px”]Falling leaves are nature’s definitive statement on change. There’s no fudging the line as to whether the season is here or not. Summer’s out the window, winter is knocking at the door, and Autumn is doing its best to give us some kind of buffer so that we’re not still running around half-naked trying to find a way to heat the swimming pool when snow starts flying.

Neither is there any compromise on the plants in our garden. Harvest is done, even if there is one little orange-colored tomato still hanging on for dear life. We’ll leave that for the birds, or perhaps the neighborhood raccoon.

Relationships change, too. We instinctively recognize the need to gather close, to have someone with which to huddle and keep us warm through the winter. Even where there are no drunken Halloween parties to help, couples still manage to find each other lest they freeze alone in their beds. Besides, we need someone to help us rake all those damn leaves in the yard, going from yellow to brown.

There is no putting the leaves back on the trees once they’ve fallen. Brace for impact. Winter is coming.[/one_half_last]