November Begins
The last week has been pretty great. I have some pretty major projects happening at work, some pretty serious special effects that I wasn't that thrilled about attempting. My boss is good for me in the sense that he has a much grander idea of what I'm capable of doing. I am the first to push back, to put my hands up and say "Hang on a minute here, I've never tried something like this before, I'm not sure how long it's going to take me to figure this out". He always tells me I can, that he has complete confidence in my abilities, and presents a completely different timeline to me. If I think it's going to take 12 hours, he thinks it's 9. If I say 8, he says he thinks I can do it in 6. I usually end up about halfway in between, but he is always right about the fact that I can do it, and he is always setting me up to surprise myself with my skills.
Friday, especially, I started some preliminary work on a major composite I'm making for a large international publication. I kind of just threw myself into it, making it up as I went along, starting with the foundation of the image, cleaning and removing would I knew would eventually need to be removed in anticipation of other elements. That' s often the hardest part of retouching, removing something large from a photo. Because when you do, you have to re-create everything that was behind the thing. So in this case, I had to remove a woman who was taking up maybe 25 percent of the image - and re-create everything her body was covering up. So, the hardwood floor beneath her, fill in the painted patterns on the floor, the curtains behind her, everything. It was a huge task, and I only had so much source imagery to work with. It's the first time I've made my boss exclaim - he told me I was a STAR and bought me fish and chips for lunch. He is not heavy-handed with praise, it's actually really hard to get from him, so I feel really proud of this piece.
I was more focused this week than I have been in a long time. I was able to concentrate on my work more easily, stay on task longer... I don't know why. Sometimes when I have these huge composites, my mind wanders - it is hard to work on the same image for hours and hours and hours. I have started downloading NPR radio programes, specifically a program called Radio Lab, and I listen to them and learn while I work. You can also get lectures from MIT and the University of Berkley. It makes me feel good to do it, and they are very interesting.
Hallowe'en came and went without any significant fanfare for me. I didn't go to any parties or have a costume, and I didn't really care. I lent our green man some elmer's glue for his Mad Hatter costume. I love that he just raps on my window, big smile. He's such a handsome fellow, we're lucky to have him.
One thing I love doing around Christmastime is driving around to look at all the lights, but we get kind of jew-ed out in our neighborhood. However... they all go nuts for Hallowe'en. These rich people, it's crazy. Giant inflatable motorized ghosts looming up over the rooftops, dry ice pouring out of their windowboxes, skeletons pushing their way out from heaps of dirt all over the front lawn.... because these people re-sod every year. I got to peek in some of the windows on my way home on Hallowe'en night, and a lot of the home owners seemed to have set up elaborate tables in their front hallways, decorating their entire foyers with lighting and more dry ice and lots of costumes. One lady had set up a big long banquet table in the foyer, covered with full-size candy bars of every variety, and bottles of sick-coloured green gatorade in a big bowl of ice - it was 18 degrees celcius! I saw fathers being handed snifters through the doorway as their kids in designer costumes made their way through elaborate haunted houses.
I always drive by Yonge and Davisville on my way home. Yonge and Davisville has mostly apartment and commercial highrises in the vicinity, but there are two significantly sized residential neighborhoods on either side - and every year I witness the same thing. I leave the gym around 6:30, putting me at that intersection at nearly 7, when kids are already out or making their way out. But hardworking professionals, lawyers, traders - are often, like me, just leaving work. So, at about that time, all the parents in the residential highrises bring their kids down and walk over into the residential neighborhoods, with detached houses - prime for trick or treating - just as the most hard-working business folk in the neighborhood come down and walk towards the Davisville subway station. So every year, I get to watch the traffic signals change, and see a parade of half business people in trench coats and suits and carrying their heels in a little bag - peppered by sugar high kids and toddlers in plush costumes, chased by parents in costumes of their own. I watched a man in a three piece suit trying to hold up a casual conversation with a dad in the most beautiful cat in the hat costume ever, complete with a 30" red and white striped top hat and rubber nose. These professionals practically trip all over as witches and zombies and strawberries and cats run in and out and around them, unable to contain their excitement.
I was a big ol' bag of lazy on Friday night, making a delicious dinner, filling out my calories in/calories out log, watching all the television I missed this week. Last night Paul Dickinson had a big party at his loft, which is beautiful, and right outside the theatre district. I was really, really reluctant to go, I was kind of tired, and didn't know if I could pull outgoing and charming out of the bag right now. But I went, and the party was full of incredibly intelligent individuals, from interesting places and with interesting careers in advertising, science, medicine - everything. I had a fabulous conversation with a man whose job it is to help determine how many people see any given piece of outdoor advertising in a day. I asked what his degree was in, he said Geography. I jokingly said "My god, there IS a practical application other than teaching!!" and had to emphatically tell him no, I didn't really mean it.
Paul paraded us all up the roof, red beer cups in hand, around 2 in the morning, past a calm and complacent and indulging security guard who just smiled and called him Mr. Dickinson. We had a joint, that was of course, followed by a trip to Fran's for steak and eggs, club sandwiches, BLTs, etc. Great conversation, good people. A wonderful time, and I've done my social duties for at least until next weekend, I think? I gave someone a ride home - a man who supports himself very comfortably doing nothing but travelling all over the world winning Magic card tournaments... what the hell. He was completely handsome and socially adept, just... a professional nerd. There was a 24 hour Dominion attached to the parking lot where I was parked, and he consented to quickly come in with me and grab a few things. I had planned to go out today, but when I had the opportunity to deal with it then, and then rest today, I took it. So there I was, buying extra old cheddar, pitas, and english bacon at 4:30 in the morning. The cashier, nametag: Dan (Your Man) looked exhausted and told me his day job is at Value Village.
Today's agenda consists of mostly rest and relaxation. Some reading. A walk this afternoon... maybe to the Library!
Friday, especially, I started some preliminary work on a major composite I'm making for a large international publication. I kind of just threw myself into it, making it up as I went along, starting with the foundation of the image, cleaning and removing would I knew would eventually need to be removed in anticipation of other elements. That' s often the hardest part of retouching, removing something large from a photo. Because when you do, you have to re-create everything that was behind the thing. So in this case, I had to remove a woman who was taking up maybe 25 percent of the image - and re-create everything her body was covering up. So, the hardwood floor beneath her, fill in the painted patterns on the floor, the curtains behind her, everything. It was a huge task, and I only had so much source imagery to work with. It's the first time I've made my boss exclaim - he told me I was a STAR and bought me fish and chips for lunch. He is not heavy-handed with praise, it's actually really hard to get from him, so I feel really proud of this piece.
I was more focused this week than I have been in a long time. I was able to concentrate on my work more easily, stay on task longer... I don't know why. Sometimes when I have these huge composites, my mind wanders - it is hard to work on the same image for hours and hours and hours. I have started downloading NPR radio programes, specifically a program called Radio Lab, and I listen to them and learn while I work. You can also get lectures from MIT and the University of Berkley. It makes me feel good to do it, and they are very interesting.
Hallowe'en came and went without any significant fanfare for me. I didn't go to any parties or have a costume, and I didn't really care. I lent our green man some elmer's glue for his Mad Hatter costume. I love that he just raps on my window, big smile. He's such a handsome fellow, we're lucky to have him.
One thing I love doing around Christmastime is driving around to look at all the lights, but we get kind of jew-ed out in our neighborhood. However... they all go nuts for Hallowe'en. These rich people, it's crazy. Giant inflatable motorized ghosts looming up over the rooftops, dry ice pouring out of their windowboxes, skeletons pushing their way out from heaps of dirt all over the front lawn.... because these people re-sod every year. I got to peek in some of the windows on my way home on Hallowe'en night, and a lot of the home owners seemed to have set up elaborate tables in their front hallways, decorating their entire foyers with lighting and more dry ice and lots of costumes. One lady had set up a big long banquet table in the foyer, covered with full-size candy bars of every variety, and bottles of sick-coloured green gatorade in a big bowl of ice - it was 18 degrees celcius! I saw fathers being handed snifters through the doorway as their kids in designer costumes made their way through elaborate haunted houses.
I always drive by Yonge and Davisville on my way home. Yonge and Davisville has mostly apartment and commercial highrises in the vicinity, but there are two significantly sized residential neighborhoods on either side - and every year I witness the same thing. I leave the gym around 6:30, putting me at that intersection at nearly 7, when kids are already out or making their way out. But hardworking professionals, lawyers, traders - are often, like me, just leaving work. So, at about that time, all the parents in the residential highrises bring their kids down and walk over into the residential neighborhoods, with detached houses - prime for trick or treating - just as the most hard-working business folk in the neighborhood come down and walk towards the Davisville subway station. So every year, I get to watch the traffic signals change, and see a parade of half business people in trench coats and suits and carrying their heels in a little bag - peppered by sugar high kids and toddlers in plush costumes, chased by parents in costumes of their own. I watched a man in a three piece suit trying to hold up a casual conversation with a dad in the most beautiful cat in the hat costume ever, complete with a 30" red and white striped top hat and rubber nose. These professionals practically trip all over as witches and zombies and strawberries and cats run in and out and around them, unable to contain their excitement.
I was a big ol' bag of lazy on Friday night, making a delicious dinner, filling out my calories in/calories out log, watching all the television I missed this week. Last night Paul Dickinson had a big party at his loft, which is beautiful, and right outside the theatre district. I was really, really reluctant to go, I was kind of tired, and didn't know if I could pull outgoing and charming out of the bag right now. But I went, and the party was full of incredibly intelligent individuals, from interesting places and with interesting careers in advertising, science, medicine - everything. I had a fabulous conversation with a man whose job it is to help determine how many people see any given piece of outdoor advertising in a day. I asked what his degree was in, he said Geography. I jokingly said "My god, there IS a practical application other than teaching!!" and had to emphatically tell him no, I didn't really mean it.
Paul paraded us all up the roof, red beer cups in hand, around 2 in the morning, past a calm and complacent and indulging security guard who just smiled and called him Mr. Dickinson. We had a joint, that was of course, followed by a trip to Fran's for steak and eggs, club sandwiches, BLTs, etc. Great conversation, good people. A wonderful time, and I've done my social duties for at least until next weekend, I think? I gave someone a ride home - a man who supports himself very comfortably doing nothing but travelling all over the world winning Magic card tournaments... what the hell. He was completely handsome and socially adept, just... a professional nerd. There was a 24 hour Dominion attached to the parking lot where I was parked, and he consented to quickly come in with me and grab a few things. I had planned to go out today, but when I had the opportunity to deal with it then, and then rest today, I took it. So there I was, buying extra old cheddar, pitas, and english bacon at 4:30 in the morning. The cashier, nametag: Dan (Your Man) looked exhausted and told me his day job is at Value Village.
Today's agenda consists of mostly rest and relaxation. Some reading. A walk this afternoon... maybe to the Library!