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Spent the day at a photo show in Thornhill. About 500 people showed up and TorontoHomeMovies.com had area set up. For the first hour we were busy, then it back insane. With Aaron, me and Alex we could keep up with all the people interested in what we do!!  Looks like we will be attending more show. It’s a real good feeling when the oldtimers come up to me and compliment me on Aaron’s knowledge of analog. You should see their faces when they try to stump him on technical knowlegde.

Like all the photos on this site — just click on the photo to see it larger.

I love japan. I cannot wait to go back. At least one a month I check out prices for certain hotels, flights and tours etc. This next toy will become usefull in Toronto over the next few weeks.

Take a few minutes to look at his videos of Tokyo and you will understand my obsession

Thanko wants to dry your shoes via USB

And then again I thought that I’d seen everything possible on Earth powered via USB… And I was wrong. Just look at these 2 cute USB shoes warmer in the shape of a sleeping dog… So kitsch isn’t it? Well maybe this is not the coolest USB product made ever, but at least your feet will be hot this winter every time you are close to a USB plug.

http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-19327-Thanko+wants+to+dry+your+shoes+via+USB.html

Slowly booking 2011 weddings. Another one last night. Thanks guys!!Looks like 2011  is going to be a busy year for Excellence we are already closing dates! Closing dates means we are not taking any more weddings as we have already booked 2 for that particular Saturday. BTW the turn away number jumped to 40!!

Maria and Jason

Again today I was put in a position where I had to explain why I would not drop my quality to ensure a better price. We had an offer to shoot a production video for a very large corporation. In the offer we explain that we will need a minimum time for set up, time to plan out the shoot in advance, and of course editing time. There are standard fees and rates that everyone in the industry uses. This is for corporate editing and production.

Anyhow – this particular company was only interested in the price. Asking for a 30% discount. Now I don’t mind making a deal but its got to be reasonable. In the end I fired this client when they implied to me that I could cut corners on the editing, on the planning to make up the difference.

The way I look at it is this. I imagine that every completed project is going to be presented on a huge screen at Mann s Chinese theater in Los Angeles. If I am not proud enough to show our work there, then its not good enough.

Now what is likely to happen, this company will hire some hack off of Craigslist. There sill be MAJOR technical issues. This company will call us in a month and pay double for us to complete the job as a rush or have us reedit terrible footage mixed with another days worth of shooting. Karma?

Got an email late last night requesting I update my reading list. For you newbies – I read a lot. 2-3 books a week. Where do I find the time? Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Bathroom, break and Starbucks. Stopped reading while driving Marianna was getting upset.

Actually ran out of books last week, so I am re-reading 2 series of 10-18 books in each series. Going to go to Indigo tomorrow and start a new series of books. If you have any suggestions let me know.

http://www.travelinlibrarian.info/recluce/recluce/index.html

2.  The Wheel of Time (Boxed Set #1) [BOX SET] (Paperback)

~ Robert Jordan

(Author)

3. Readers Digest
4. Digital Photography - http://www.digitalphotopro.com/

5. Popular Science — http://www.popsci.com/bown/2009

wow – when I look at that list I realized I’m kind of nerd.

BTW — Please start following our TorontoHomeMovies.com updates on Twitter – click here to follow

Seriously, I am annoyed.

I did something very dumb today. I accidently looked at my competitors websites. I don’t even remember why, or which companies I visited. Suffice to say – wow. What happened??? When I first started 13 years ago there was a core of professional photographers working in Toronto. They valued photography as an “Art”. When you watched them in the park you could tell right away that these people took the creation of their photographs seriously.

Now I see a bunch of jokers walking around snapping 1500 photos in 8 hours hoping to get lucky.  Not one thought just click click click.

Rather than make this a sermon here is my top 3 pet peeves I saw today:

1. No concept of lighting
2. Composition seems to means tilt the camera
3. Photoshop gone wild!!

I’m not referring to expression. Because that seems to be the one qualifier. Every photo I looked at gauged expression as supreme. If the bride had a nice smile or cool expression than cool it must be good. Right??  Of course, there is a huge shadow, 2 people walking in the back and the photo is pixelated.

So to counter the mess that seems to be permeating  the Toronto wedding photography circuit here are 2 artists that have ruled the world of Art for the past few centuries. I hope that at Excellence customers will get a little exposure to great images and will start to see a explanation as to why we are so popular.

1. Rembrant  – As an artist, Rembrandt’s range was extraordinary: graphic artist, painter of historical and religious subjects, landscapes, and everyday life. He was a superb storyteller, interjecting sympathy and compassion with an uncanny ability to capture his subject’s innermost feelings

We learn from Rembrandt how to use light to create emotion

http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=Rembrandt_06

2. Picasso – A true visionary Pablo Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, his maverick attitude, although sometimes hindered by his violent temperament made him succeed at becoming one of the most valued and sought after, yet misunderstood artists.

We learn from Picasso that it is OK to be different, break the rules and push boundaries.

http://www.famouspainter.com/pablo.htm<br>

In the end I went for short term pleasure (relief)

I was able to find the chair on Craigslist for $895 and talk him down to $800. Still new. Not a mark. With a bunch of additions. Whoo woo!!!

Sitting on it right now.

OK I have used the chair for 3 hours now and already my back and feet feel way better. Strangely enough my hips are hurting a little. I think its like exercising  – will hurt for a few days until the core of my body learns the proper way to sit.

As a person who values quality above all else I have always had a problem making compromises.  Be it playing my horn or taking photographs, determining what is perfect enough has been a constant battle. The latest battle for me is my chair.

So I had a need – my current chair where I sit 10 hours a day is nice looking but after an hour I loose the feeling in my feet, my lower back hurts and so does my hip. I went to see Dr Green and he’s advice was to replace the chair.
OK – cool

I then went to the web and did research for the worlds best office chair. After a week I came up with theEmbody Chair by Herman Miller.You read an article about the Embody chair click here.

Now 3 month later I’ve saved 700$ and I am a little tired of waiting. I could borrow my from my line of credit, or credit cards, but I would then have to face the gatekeeper (Marianna). Of course, this is the best chair in the world so its worth the wait.

But wait!!!

Herman Miller had its first major success as chair when Designer Bill Stumpf created the Aeron Chair.

So its not the Embody Chair – Its still super expensive — but more resonable.

Herman Miller Aeron® Chair – Executive Fully Loaded Aeron® Chair -

Price: $1,297.00 CAD

The Perfectionists Dilemma – What should I do??? Wait or Buy?

Definitions of mass hysteria on the Web:

* a condition in which a large group of people exhibit the same state of violent mental agitation
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

* Mass hysteria — other names include collective hysteria, mass psychogenic illness, or collective obsessional behavior — is the …
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_hysteria

* the social transmission of a belief that produces excessive emotion amongst a group of individuals. Often a rumor, misunderstanding or …
anxiety-panic.com/dictionary/en-dictm.htm

So the whole family has been ill this week. Including the dog, and Quad2 (Thats my main video editing computer at home, all better now thanks to Dr.Alex and $200).

On Friday morning took one of the boys to the doctor. It was INSANE!! Our Doc is one of only 500 pediatricians giving the H1N1 flu shot in his office. He had enough for 500 people — booked up in 3 hours!

We had the family meeting and discusses this. The only real outcome is we are confused. We serveyed 20 of our friends – who in turned did the same. Talked to doctors, read online, watched TV, read on the internet.

End result?? Still confused.

But we are taking the following precautions.

An Ounce of Prevention…
The Best Solution is to avoid getting it.

The normal procedures for eliminating the spread of the flu apply here.

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough and immideately dispose of the tissue afterward.

Cover your nose with a tissue when sneezing or coughing. Visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1 for more information.

2. Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth to help eliminate the spread of the virus.

3. Wash hands often with soap and warm water. You can also use alcohol based hand cleaners including the wipes. It is a good idea to keep the alcohol based wipes with you.
Wash your hands with soap and clean running water. Visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1 for more information.

4. Stay out of crowded areas including airplanes when possible.

5. If you must be in an enclosed, or crowded space, or an airplane use filter masks to protect yourself.

6. Don’t greet people with kisses or handshakes

7. Don’t share food, glasses, or cutlery.

8. Avoid contact if at all possible with those who are sick. If it is not avoidable, wash hands regularly, use a mask if needed.