The Client Guide: Important Part of a Photography Business

The Client Guide: Important Part of a Photography Business

Guess It Doesn’t Matter

Guess It Doesn’t Matter
Copyright - 2012, Keith Birmingham
I don't ever call your number.
I don't say your name out loud.
And, I don't ask our friends about you.
When your not hangin' with our crowd.

And, it doesn't really matter
If I see you on the street.
When you just walk right on by me
My heart don't skip a beat.

Well, tomorrow you will marry
What once was my best friend.
But, I won't even notice
That my world is at an end.

I don't miss the smell of you perfume,
As I'm layin' in my bed.
And, I don't miss the touch of your hand,
Pulling softly at my head.

And, I guess it doesn't matter,
When I'm turning out the light.
That I know for me it's gonna be,
Another lonely night.

Well, tomorrow you will marry,
What once was my best friend.
But, I won't even notice
That my world is at an end.

'Cause I'll be sittin' in this barroom,
And, I guess that you can tell,
I'll be out with all of my new friends,
And, spending time in Hell.

And, I don't ever call your number.
And, my phone it just don't ring.
'Cause when I'm sittin' in this barroom
My life don't mean a thing.

‘Cause tomorrow you will marry,
What once was my best friend.
But, I won't even notice
That my world is at an end.

6 Tips for Successful Macro Photography

6 Tips for Successful Macro Photography

How to Photograph Bugs

How to Photograph Bugs

How to Photograph Christmas Lights

How to Photograph Christmas Lights

Concepts of Photography Composition

Concepts of Photography Composition

Colorado Belle

Colorado Belle, Laughlin, Nevada

How to Photograph the Stars

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-the-stars

Timelapse Photography Tutorial: An Overview of Shooting, Processing and Rendering Timelapse Movies

Timelapse Photography.1

How To Get Better Photos Of Christmas Lights

By Danny Eitreim

Here is an article describing how you can get better photos of Christmas lights. I've focused on the tree, but these concepts will work for most any lighting display.

This time of year, everywhere you turn there are pretty lighting displays - ones worth capturing with our cameras.

But... How?

While pretty, most of the Christmas lights we see are not very bright and come with a lot of photo problems if we hope to capture them accurately.

Christmas lights can be fairly tricky to capture since they are so dim. If we use a flash (on camera or off) we get a nice image of the base subject - the tree, decorations, presents and etc., for example. But the flash will totally overwhelm the Christmas lights and we either can't see them at all, or they are nothing but a dim glow that adds nothing to the photo.

If we DON'T use a flash and opt for a long shutter speed (to capture the tree's lights) we get a nice festive image of the lights, but the tree and other decorations aren't properly exposed and don't look as good as they should.

A middle of the road approach will give you results that are unsatisfactory at both extremes.

Here are three options you can try.

First - If you have a camera that is capable of doing a double exposure you have it made! Do one exposure with the flash turned on, then another with the necessary settings to maximize the lights!

Second - If you don't have a camera capable of double exposures, you can still take the two images described above and combine them in Photoshop or some other image program that will allow you to do such a thing.

But there's a third way to get better photos of Christmas lights...

Third - The third method requires a little bit of camera mastery and I highly recommend you take advantage of the season to learn how to do this!

You WILL have to take the camera off automatic and actually employ a few advanced techniques.

Keep in mind that EVERY setting you use in EVERY photo has both advantages and drawbacks. It is the various choices you make that will define your creativity and photographic "style".

Here we go...

To begin with, you must have a tripod. Don't even try to shoot Christmas lights without one.

Turn off all the other lights in the room so that the tree's lights are all that are lit. We don't want extraneous lights throwing off our exposure settings.

Next, you need to determine the settings necessary to best record the lights.

Our exposure will be concerned with three settings: ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed.

Start with your ISO setting: I recommend 100 or so. The lower the ISO setting, the less "noise" that will be introduced into the photo. Every individual pine needle will be sharp.

Next the aperture. Here is where we start making the creative - as well as the technical - decisions.

If you have a high quality lens, you can open up your aperture to the maximum size. (This will be the smallest F stop number. i.e F2.8 not F16.) On the positive side, this will allow in the most light. On the negative side, a wide open aperture will give you a very shallow depth of field AND some lower quality lenses tend to have aberrations at the extremes.

To avoid the aberrations and/or if you want more depth of field, most lenses have a sweet spot in the middle range - around F8. Begin there and adjust later if necessary.

Once you've decided on the aperture you want, the last way we can control the amount of light getting to our film or digital sensor is with the shutter. If we have used a low ISO and a middle of the road aperture, our shutter will have to be open for a very long time!

Generally, when we consider shutter speed, it is relation to some sort of motion or movement in our photos. In this case, there is no movement, and it is strictly a mechanical decision. (It has to be open long enough to get enough light into the camera.)

This will be a very long shutter speed. That's why you must have a tripod to get better photos of Christmas lights.

If your camera isn't able to give you a long enough shutter speed, if you MUST you can make adjustments to the ISO and the aperture.

Going from 100 ISO to 200 ISO will cut the needed shutter speed in half. Going from 200 to 400 will cut it in half again - and so on. Opening up the aperture one or two F-stops does the same. Try one of each until you get the right exposure.

Be careful... under exposure will eliminate the beauty of the lights, and you won't be able to see background object. Over exposure will blow them out!

Once you have decided on the combination of ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed you need to capture the lights, we need to turn our attention to the tree and other items in the photo.

While we now have a proper setting to record the lights, due to their strength and placement, they are not going to be bright enough to show the tree, pine needles, presents and so on.

Like any other low light situation, we need to add a flash.

Here is where it really gets fun!

Our shutter speed may be a long time - but our flash isn't! That is OK. Our flash will give us the burst of light that will properly expose the tree, while the shutter remains open long enough to capture the lights!

Ta-Daa! It's almost like a double exposure!

When shooting with a long shutter speed, most of your better quality flashes will allow you to set them so that they will fire either at the beginning of the exposure or at the end of the exposure. In this case, since there is no motion, it doesn't matter which one you choose.

If you aren't aware of these settings or don't know how they work, it's time to pull out your flash's manual and read it.

It's worth the effort. You'll learn a pretty cool option that can give you some interesting and creative photos all year long, not just get better photos of Christmas lights.

Then you are all set!

Decide what area you want a photo of, set up your tripod and fire away! The flash will fire and show you the tree, then the long exposure will allow the beauty of the lights to show.

BTW - Be sure your white balance is set to record the white lights as white and not the orange/yellow produced by low temperature lights. Unless that is what you want.

I hope this article helps! These settings really aren't as difficult to do as they may sound and to get better photos of Christmas lights and decorations they are essential! Plus the techniques you learn will translate to other types of photos too!

To learn more and enroll in a FREE "photo tips" course, go to: http://OnTargetPhotoTraining.com/PhotoTips

Bonus... You will also get YOUR free copy of "7 Secrets To Stunning Photos!" AND you'll get a FREE daily photo tips newsletter! Check it out right now while you are thinking about it!

Dan Eitreim has been a professional photographer in Southern California for over 20 years - his data base exceeds 6000 past clients, and he says that learning photography is easy... if you know a few tried and true strategies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Danny_Eitreim

Jessie - Keith Birmingham

Jessie - Keith Birmingham
Copyright 09/03/2012

Well this world can be an ugly place,
I’ve been here for so long.
I have seen the damage drugs can do,
My friends have come and gone.

I have often tried to place the blame,
On others in my past.  
But, I know by now it wasn’t them,
I take the blame at last.

Jessie, I feel so much better
Since you came into my life.
You have given to me everything
Missing in my life.

You have eased the pain of loneliness.
You keep me warm at night.
You are someone I can talk too.
You listen and you cry.

And, so many times I’ve made mistakes.
My life has been a mess.
And Jessie, if  I cannot sleep,
You take away the stress.

Jessie, I feel so much better
Since you came into my life.
You have given  to me everything
Missing in my life.

Jessie, I still need you baby,
To give comfort to my soul.
Jessie let me hold onto you,
When my world is dark and cold.

Jessie, when I fear I can't go on,
Your there to comfort me.
When you see me doing something worng,
Your there in front of me.

Jessie, I feel so much better
Since you came into my life.
You have given to me your everything
Missing in my life.

Jessie, I feel so much better
Since you came into my life.
You have given  to me everything
Missing in my life.

Family Tree - Keith Birmingham

Family Tree - Keith Birmingham.lyrics
Copyright, 2011
At 100 to 110 bpm in 4/4 time

Just a foolish lad chasing after dreams, never worried about the cost.
Running fast and running free, never missed what he had lost.
Chasing shining stars he drove the fastest cars, never giving up the pace.
Running down the road, headed for the gold, a winners smile was on his face.

When he became a man his life began to change the day hea headed off to war.
He learned to aggravate. He learned to fear and hate. He tasted blood and wanted more.
He watched his brothers die, and heard their mothers cry, and he held our flag up high.
Marching down the road with a heavy load, he never stopped to ask God why.

And, when he came home he was a different man, but he could not tell you why.
He never danced, and he never smiled, and you never seen him cry.
He was all alone. His love for life was gone, when she came into his life.
And, the light of his life was like a shining star and she soon became his wife.

And, the years they passed, and their love did last, and she bore his family.
And, the day she died, he sat alone and cried,  beneath a weeping willow tree.
But, what she left behind by the grace of God was to be his destiny.
Shining stars and racing cars were added to his family tree.

Oklahoma City - A Better Living, A Better Life

Life in the Key Of

A catchy 3 chord wonder in any key.

Life in the Key Of
Copyright:  2011 by Keith Birmingham
130bpm, in 4/4 time.  This is a simple 3 chord song. Choose your key.

A rising moon,
A setting sun,
It’s all good,
It’s all fun.

From valleys low,
To mountains high,
A deep green meadow,
Or a clear blue sky.

Radio blastin’ from
The back of my car.
I was gonna be
A Nashville star.

A country song, and
The girl of my dreams,
The world by the tail.
Or, so it seemed.

Life had losses.
Life had gains.
Life moved on,
And, I remained.

When life moved on
My dreams didn’t die,
But, I paid my dues to
The corporate lie.

I learned my lessons.
I learned them well.
I spent my time
Living in Hell.

But, now I’m living
The life that I love.
And, I’ve given my soul
To the Lord above.

From valleys low,
To mountains high,
A deep green meadow,
Or a clear blue sky.

A rising moon,
A setting sun,
It’s all good.
It’s all fun.

Repeat and fade.

Chasin' Dreams (on the Dotted Line) - Keith Birmingham

If you like the lyrics, and would like the chords, just zap me an e-mail: maddadkeith@yahoo.com

Chasin' Dreams (on the Dotted Line)
Copyright, 2011: Keith Birmingham

Something told me a long, long time ago.
That I should cut the strings and let her go.
And, today she's in the arms of another man.
And, tonight I'll sleep with another one night stand.

I've spent my life rollin' down the dotted line.
I was chasin' dreams that never would be mine.
Now I find my self at the end of the dotted line.
And, the dreams I've always had are all that's mine.

Though some may say I am a broken man.
I've always known exactly where I stand.
And when the piper calls I'll hold my head up high.
I'll kiss the moon and then I'll dance in a stary sky.

Lazy Man’s Blues - Keith Birmingham

Lazy Man’s Blues
Copyright: 2011 by Keith Birmingham
Key of A or  G, about 125 bpm, in 4/4 time.

You say your gonna own a mansion
Sittin’ high upon a hill,
Overlookin’ all the people,
That you pay to do your will.

But, you haven’t got a job,
And, you’ve never paid a bill..
So, how you gonna buy
That mansion on a hill.

Well, you say your brother Johnny
He is a selfish man.
And, you say your sister Mary,
She won’t give you a hand.

But, you haven’t got a job,
And, you’ve never paid a bill..
So, how you gonna buy
That mansion on a hill.

It’s time for you to get up
You’ve got some bills to pay.
Well, it’s time you paid your dues man.
And, it’s time you earned your way.

Well, you haven’t got a job,
And, you’ve never paid a bill..
So, how you gonna buy
That mansion on a hill.

‘Cause you haven’t got a job,
And, you’ve never paid a bill..
So, how you gonna buy
That mansion on a hill.

Repeat and fade.

A Rainy Day - Keith Birmingham

A Rainy Day - Keith Birmingham
Copyright: 02/25/2012


What do I do on a rainy day,
And, when life don't go my way,
When it's cold and I can't go out,
What do I do and think about?


When the rain doesn't stop all day,
I like to go outside and play.
I like to dance through the pouring rain.
I like to act like I am insane.

When my life seems like it's a mess,
It doesn't matter if I've done my best.
I sing a song or I hum a tune
And, I howl at a rising moon.

And, when it's cold and I can't go out,
I open windows and I like to shout.
And, my life won't get me down.
If I find my way downtown.

So, put on a happy face,
Be a star of the human race.
Be someone that you want to be,
And, your smile will be set free.

That's what I do on a rainy day,
And when life don't go my way,
When it's cold and I can't go out,
That's what I do and think about?

Thirty-five Years (Taking Back My Life)

On July 4, 1993 I attended some concerts in Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. These were the first concerts I had attended since the early '70's. These concerts, where I saw the rock group America, Stephen Still, and (for all intents and purposes) The Eagles perform, changed my life. I had lived in a personal hell for most of my life. But, without drinking or smoking anything stronger than a Pepsi or a Marlboro I was higher than a kite for at least 6 weeks after those concerts. Three months later I bought my first of 3 guitars for that year. I played guitar in every spare moment I had for the next three years, until hard times hit me due the mistakes of someone else. But, in those 3 years I wrote maybe a dozen songs. They were left in storage, and this is the only one that I have been able to find. The original title was "Thirty-five Years". I updated it to match the time for my retirement in November, 2009.

Thirty-five Years (Taking Back My Life)
Copyright, 2010 by Keith Birmingham. 4/4 time.

For thirty-five years I’ve been breakin’ my back
In the heat of a July sun.
For thirty-five years I’ve  busted my butt
On those cold December runs.
For thirty-five years I gave the man
The best years of my life.
And now I think it’s time for me
To be takin’ back my life.

For thirty-five years I gave the woman
Everything I could
For thirty-five years I have done exactly
What I said I would.
But now she’s gone. I’m on my own.
And, Lord I love this life.
Cause now I think it’s time for me
To be takin’ back my life.
Now I think it’s time for me
To be takin’ back my live.

Thirty-five years of sorrow and pain
And now I’ve been set free.
To talk the talk, and walk the walk,
Of the man I want to be.
So look out world I’m steppin’ out
In the prime of my life.
And now I know it’s time for me
To be takin’ back my life.
And now I know it’s time for me
To be takin’ back my  life.

I said now I know it’s time for me
To be takin’ back my life.
Blank
And, I’m takin’ back my life.

Workin’ Real Hard at Forgivin’

For the next several days I will be posting  the lyrics to at least one song almost every day that I have written.  I have about 25 songs that I am working with at this time.  If you read them, and are interested in performing them, please let me know. I only seek payment when they are used in recordings at this time. Also, I do not have the best situation to be recording songs in, but I will try to get something posted here soon that will show approximately what I have in mind for these songs.

Workin’ Real Hard at Forgivin’
Copyright: 2010 by Keith Birmingham

Well, I’ve come a long way in the past year or so,
But, I’ve still got no reason to smile.
And, learnin’ to live like a free man again,
Well, it’s something that just takes awhile.

CHORUS:
I’m just workin’ real hard at forgettin’
About the bad things that’s happened to me.
I’m just workin’ real hard at forgivin’
The one’s that have done them to me

And, the passing of time still brings no sign
Of what my future will be
But, I’ve made a new start in a place far away
From the things that were killing me.

CHORUS:
I’m just workin’ real hard at forgettin’
About the bad things that’s happened to me.
I’m just workin’ real hard at forgivin’
The one’s that have done them to me.

And, the future is not what I’m after.
 I’m just living from day to day.
I’m not searching for all of the answers.
I’m just living from day to day.


CHORUS:
I’m just workin’ real hard at forgettin’
About the bad things that’s happened to me.
I’m just workin’ real hard at forgivin’
The one’s that have done them to me.

What To Do About Yellow Jackets

When Yellow Jacket Control is Necessary

Whenever possible, leave yellow jacket nests alone and let them continue to prey on pest insects; the ensuing cold weather will cause the colony to die off. However, if the nest is in a well-traveled area and poses a risk, you may need to take action.


The easiest and safest the option is to hire a professional. If you're determined to do it yourself, know that the likelihood of getting stung is high.
Apply control measures on a cool evening. The insects will be back home from the day's foraging, and they're more sluggish in cool temperatures. Always wear protective gear, ideally beekeeper's attire.

Smother them. Mike McGrath, host of WHYY's You Bet Your Garden talk show and former editor-in-chief of Organic Gardening magazine suggests this procedure: Fill a wheelbarrow with ice and quickly dump it over the hole. Then cover the hole and the area around it with a heavy tarp weighted down with bricks, a piece of sheet metal, a big wooden board, or other heavy object. Then cover that with soil or wood chips. Or cover the hole with a thick piece of clear plastic, seal the edges tight to the ground, and the nest will cook in the sun once the ice melts.

Boil or drown them. Some gardeners report success with pouring 10-plus gallons of boiling water into the nest. Other say soapy water does the same thing. Remember, any insects that you don't kill on contact will come after you.

Spray them. Numerous wasp control sprays are available, including organic ones with mint oil as the active ingredient. There are also sprays that freeze upon contact. Some people report better luck using pesticide dusts rather than sprays. If you choose one of these methods, follow label directions very carefully, taking all precautions.

Do NOT pour gasoline, kerosene or any other flammable or toxic liquid into the hole. If it doesn't kill on contact it will infuriate the insects. And it will poison the soil.

Bug Out Time

When you look at the political chaos this world has been in for the past 30 years, and the damage of national disasters of the past 20 years, it is hard to imagine that the future cannot get any worse. Do you remember the chaos of Katrina? Do you recall all of the supposed improvements to some government program called Federal Emergency Management Agency? Well, for the past half an hour all that has been on television is interviews of citizens of New York and New Jersey with nothing but complaints about the lack of support from the government. And, all I can think about is “why would want anyone to rely on a government for help in times of crisis. So, my thoughts and efforts are turning toward what I can do to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. It is easy to see that many people in this country have become so convinced that a government handout is easy to get, and few people are preparing for the fact that it will not come.

Food: As a trucker I learned to keep a few days supply of food in my truck. Although I knew weather conditions could cause me to be cut off from a food supply more often than not it was shippers, receivers, and my schedule that caused me to miss meals on many, many, many occasions. So, I now have a week of supplies in a closet at home, and a few days supplies in the kitchen cupboards. And, I am putting money aside to make arrangements for the worst of times.

Clothing: I am not looking for clothing that shows a sense of fashion. I am hitting the garage sales, used clothing, and surplus stores. I am shopping for clothing that is comfortable and functional in the coldest of weather, and comfortable and functional in long days of extreme heat.

Grooming supplies: I have two of everything in my house, and one of everything in my “bug out” kit in the trunk of my car.

Gear: If I still had all of the tools that I have purchased over the years I could open a truck repair center, and a carpenter’s shop. But, it seems that the tools that I most have a need for are the tools that other people thing they need more than I do. My tools are no longer loaned to would be friends and neighbors. Today, they are stored in two places. Most of them are inside my home, and an emergency tool kit, and a “bug out” clothing and supply kit are in the trunk of my car. And yes, there is an emergency first aid kit in my car.

Weapons: mine are no longer stored in a safe place. Mine are sitting where they can be used the instant I see danger. I may be crazy, but I not only fear the real criminals, I no longer trust people that I know have not prepared for the worst.

Brief case: This is a list I keep of things that I watch for as a scavenger such as tools that I would like to get my hands on. I also list ideas and places that I may go to get bigger items that I might need. My brief case is where I store the most often needed office supplies.

For the past few months I have been searching for a vehicle that I can live in to do my work as a photographer and a musician. And, I plan to buy a small trailer that will hold even more things that can be very helpful, and will serve me well in case it comes time to “BUG OUT”. However, with what I now have, I figure I can have everything I will need in my car and be pulling out of my driveway within 3 minutes, and I can head for “higher and safer“ ground.

Why do this? Simply remind yourself of the chaos of the world over the last 30 years, and the natural disasters that have occured just in your life-time. That is why everyone should be prepared. And today, no matter which political party you belong to, you should realize that you cannot rely on a dysfunctional government in your times of need.

Mission of Bad Habit Enterprises

I am lucky in that I have no need for anything else.

No. I do not have any illusion that I am a good singer. Yes, I wish I were. It would make things so much easier for me. What I am is someone who tries to make the best of what I have.  And, what I have is a cheap guitar,  the ability to sometimes write songs, the desire to find someone to play the songs I write in public, and (I hope) a lot of time on my hands. And, the cover songs that I sing, I would say they come from a (however brief) part of my life that is important to me in that they tell why I am who I am today, and I want to see if those brief moments mean anything to someone else. Besides, I figure if someone that is no better of a singer than Bob Dylan (remember his work from the ‘60’s)  can make a gazillion dollars with his songs maybe I can learn to provide some entertainment for people from a sidewalk in downtown Megalopolis, America. So, I will keep working at my music. And, maybe someday I will have the opportunity to play for an audience that appreciates the fact that I at least want to use what I have to try to entertain them.

The best that I think I will ever be able to do, and all I really want to do, is make enough money to allow me to travel to work with my photography and music. My retirement pension is enough to keep a roof over my head, and to feed me. So, basically the breakdown of my income from my music and photography will go like this:
25% - to pay travel expenses.
25% - to buy business equipment, pay business expenses and grow my businesses of photography and music.
25% - personal salary for a better diet, luxuries such as entertainment, and an improved lifestyle.
25% - to charities such as Wounded Warriors, a child and elderly abuse center,  a cancer research center.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

*****

The Red-tailed Hawk measures 18 to 25 inches at maturity.  Common in farmlands, plains, deciduous forest, and open country.  Breeds throughout North America. Usually 2 o3 white eggs with brown spots in a bulky nest in a tall tree, often on a rock ledge surrounded by large rocks. This buteo hunts it’s prey as it soars over open farmlands or prairie, or from a perch from any high vantage point. The main prey of the Red-tailed Hawk is small rodents.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Muscivora forficata)

Oklahoma State Bird.

05/05/2012: d.022_4258. Nikon D700, 200mm, 1/400 @ f/6.3, shutter priority, ISO 200.

We Are Our Music

I hear some folks saying that Rock and Roll is dead. No, they have just grown older. Rock and Roll is evolving. It has been evolving, and ever since Elvis first stepped onto a stage country music has been a generation behind rock and roll in sound, look and feel. In the '80's country music sounded like the rock of the '60's. In the '90's country music sounded like the rock of the '70's. And, today we are listening to '90's rock on country stations. They are using the same guitar licks as back then. The only thing new, and the only thing that redefines it as a country song is the addition of the steel guitar and fiddle. The good thing is that it is played to an ever wider audience. But, music, almost without exception, is good for the soul.

In the '50's my brother used more Brylcream (a little dab 'll do ya)than my parents used gas in their cars. Actually, he went from waxing his crew-cut to the greasy glob of Brylcream. He wore a black leather motorcycle jacket from early fall to late spring. In the summer his cigarettes were rolled into the sleeve of his t-shirt. And yes, it was white. Remember "Grease". Remember James Dean. My brother, Pat, looked like Elvis Presley, and acted like James Dean. And, although my brother wore his pants 2" below his waist line his pants did not look as if he were wearing a loaded diaper. Gang fights were seldom more than 4 or 5 would-be hoodlums chasing 2 or 3 punks from another town down the street, and generally thankful that they didn't catch them.

In the '60's came the Beatles, and me. My parents no longer bought Brylcream. To this day I have never used anything on my hair but water. Beatlemania turned into an acid trip, free love, and some gal singing about some dumb White Rabbit. The  psychedelic light shows hypnotized the audience and the musicians. My eyes still see things that were never there. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and a whole passel more were lost to the drugs and booze. Free love made doctors rich from treating venereal disease. Everybody went to live in a commune. And, the hippies and politicians got together and lost the first war we ever lost if you consider the Korean Conflict as a draw. We are still on that losing streak.

God, I hate remembering disco. The beat of the music never changed. People were graduating from college, becoming teachers, and staying out of the military. They were so enlightened, and sickening. Thank God that didn't last long. But, someone busted their speakers at a rock concert, and punk music was born. Sic Vicious, Sex Pistols, musicians that were never sure of their gender. But, who cares. They were just pissed because there parents abortion did not take, and they were born.

And, then someone thought it would be cool to wear his pants like a convict. So, they dropped their drawers. Today, after every 3rd step they have to stop to pull up their pants. That's why the cops catch the bad ones so easily. And, they can't figure it out.

I started my music career at the age of 14 when my dad traded his Martin 28 D in, and bought me a Fender Mustang, door rattling, window breaking electric guitar. My music career ended in January of 1968 when I sold my guitar, got drunk, and took to vacations to Vietnam. Life took over after that. I spent the next 25 years with no music in my life. On July 4, 1993 I somehow landed in Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. I watched Sammy Kershaw, and a couple of other country musicians and a military band play that afternoon. That night I watched the rock group America, then Steven Stills, and the what was essentially The Eagles in concert. That night brought me out of the darkest years of my life. I was high on music for the next 6 weeks. And, three months later I bought an Ovation acoustic/electric guitar. Six months later I also owned a 60 watt Crate amplifier, a Fender Strat and a Gibson Les Paul guitars. But, that lasted less than 3 years before life took control of my finances. So, for 14 more years I went without making music. However, as of August, 2010 I am back at it with a cheap little Fender CD-140 acoustic/electric guitar, and a Fender Acoustasonic amplifier. I have written 20+ songs of my own, and I am fairly proficient with 70+ cover songs, and have an additional list of 200+ songs that I am working with.

Many of the songs I play are personal songs that pretty much describes my life as it was lived. And, that is what the best music is supposed to do. Music, with it's lyrics, notes, chords, instruments, musicians, and singers tell stories that pull at the strings that are tied to our soul. We are our music.

Defining My Retirement

Retirement does not mean dying.

*****

It is true. The best time to find work is when you are so busy you do not have time to look for work. At a time when I should have been out photographing local events I have been very busy working on another personal project, all summer long. Since my retirement from a 35 year trucking profession I have spent my life chasing 2 lifelong dreams that being in the working class of society did not allow me to do. Along with pursuing my photography career I am also pursuing a career in music. It is my plan to combine these two careers to enable me to travel, learn and enjoy the rest of my life. Life is short, and sooner or later everyone comes to the final decision of what to do with the rest of their life to make life worth living. Life is either a special gift from God or a random occurrence of nature. Whether it is a one time event for each of us or not cannot be determined. We can only hope and believe that it is not a one time event. Meanwhile we should make the best of what time we have.

Now that temperatures have cooled, and my preparations for starting a career in music is coming along at a good clip, I will be starting to try to get out and do more photographic work. I am, of course, revamping my life as a photographer. Although I will still shoot anything and everything that appeals to me I will specialize in 3 distinctly different areas of photography: industrial (trucking and oilfield), travel and event (especially music) photography. To that end this morning I will re-open my account with Pinterest to start promoting these specialties.

About my specialties: I spent 35 years as a professional over-the-road truck driver. You would think that with all of the traveling I have done I would have been shooting amazing photographs at many of the amazing places I have been too. Well, back then, I was not a photographer except in my dreams. I was a professional trucker, and I had a job to do. And, I done my job to the best of my ability.  I did not have time to stop and enjoy the places I passed through, or where I loaded and unloaded.  My job was to load, travel and unload. But now, I cannot be sure, but I think I will have time to do my industrial work as I travel from gig to gig with my music.

Three years ago I was forced into early retirement due to health concerns. In three years I have made a lot of headway in regaining my health. And, through all of it I have been looking toward the future that is drawing closer with every morning that I crawl out of bed. I am ready for it.

I would like to pass along one simple hint I would like to pass on to my readers. Get yourself a hobby. You may spend all of your life working at one profession while dreaming about entering an entirely different profession. Make your dream profession your new hobby. You may not be able to make the leap while you are pressed with daily grind of living, but I would like to urge you to continue to dream of your new profession. And, I would like to encourage you to work toward the day you can pursue your dreams. Nothing in this life can be totally guaranteed. When you have downtime on your job do not waste it. Use it to make yourself better at your dream profession. It will pay off in the end.

Lesson Learned

Lesson Learned
Copyright, 2012 - Keith Birmingham
4/4 time@ 120bpm

#1
Every day,
I listen to your stories.
Every day,
It’s the same old tale.
Someone else,
Has made you so unhappy.
Someone else,
Has caused your life to fail.

CHORUS:

Lesson learned,
My bags are in my truck.
Lesson learned,
I can’t stay another day.
Lesson learned,
And, it’s time for me to go now.
Lesson learned,
It don’t matter what you say.

#2
I’m so tired of all
The poutin’ and a whinin’
I’m so tired of all
The drama in your life.
Oh, Lord why,
Tell me why I have stayed here?
I don’t know why
I took you for my wife.

CHORUS:

#3
And, now time,
Time it is wastin’,
I must go,
I must be on my way.
I can’t stand,
To listen to your whining.
I can’t stand,
It hear another day.

CHORUS:

Lesson Learned

Lesson Learned
Copyright, 2012 - Keith Birmingham
4/4 time@ 120bpm
#1
Every day,
I listen to your stories.
Every day,
It’s the same old tale.
Someone else,
Has made you so unhappy.
Someone else,
Has caused your life to fail.

CHORUS:
Lesson learned,
My bags are in my truck.
Lesson learned,
I can’t stay another day.
Lesson learned,
And, it’s time for me to go now.
Lesson learned,
It don’t matter what you say.
 
#2
I’m so tired of all
The poutin’ and a whinin’
I’m so tired of all
The drama in your life.
Oh, Lord why,
Tell me why I have stayed here?
I don’t know why
I took you for my wife.

CHORUS:

#3
And, now time,
Time it is wastin’,
I must go,
I must be on my way.
I can’t stand,
To listen to your whining.
I can’t stand,
It hear another day.

CHORUS:

The Hunt Is On

It is almost 3 in the morning, and insomnia has me up and around. But, at some time today I will be going to Oklahoma City to kidnap my grandson for a couple of days. He won’t be home from school until late in the day, but I plan to spend part of my day shopping for a vehicle to help me start a new life in. What I think I need is a van.

I plan to convert it into traveling motel for one with the possible addition of a large dog. I want to use the van to travel for my photographic work, and to work as a street musician. I will make do with a van that has nothing more than the basic necessities to start with, - a driver and passenger seat, radio, a/c and heater, and in decent mechanical shape. It does not need to be a beauty to look at. Actually, I want it to look as plain and simple as possible. This will be a good safety feature.

My life on the road will be kept simple. I will take what I need for the work I plan to do, the clothes that I need for several days on the road, a place to store food, possibly a cook stove, a makeshift desk/table, and a twin size mattress. And, of course I will need room for a tool box, a spare tire and jack. The equipment I will need for my work is as follows:
A.) Laptop, external drive, printer.
B.) Camera bag, accessories bag, studio equipment.
C.) Guitar, 2 amps, accessories bag.
This should be all of the equipment I will need with me to start with. I figure that if I start doing more that  extended trips I can purchase a small trailer to store more belonging in until I think it is feasible trade up to a larger camper. But, actually I do consider that I will be better off if I can keep a home available that I can come home too. For the last 3 years I have been a homebody, but for 35 years prior to that I lived in a truck. Now that I have had a taste of a real home I figure I will start missing it again someday, probably sooner than later.

Although I currently hope to one day leave the common world behind and spend the rest of my life on the road I do understand that my best bet is to try to keep my apartment, and start my new life by building my way into it. A couple of important things I need to consider pertains to medical care. I will need to always stay fairly close to a Veterans Hospital, and I will need to be able to get my prescriptions filled which will probably required visiting a V.A. Hospital.

America 2016 Of Obama - Full Movie Video

Obama 2016

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Rock List

 I am doing some serious thinking about a visit to the music store. I know that many of the songs that I am now playing would sound so much better if I were in a band and playing on an electric guitar versus the acoustic/electric that I now have.

I am trying to organize a catalog for the ROCK tunes that I am playing, and a catalog for the COUNTRY tunes that I am now playing. Admittedly, I don't have them all down pat, but getting close.

Here is my partial ROCK LIST:

#    Song Title    Artist
1    After the Thrill is Gone    Eagles
2    And I Love Her    Beatles
3    As Tears Go By    Rolling Stones
4    Brown Eyed Girl    Van Morrison
5    Bye Bye  Love    Everly Brothers
6    Come Monday    Jimmy Buffet
7    Domino    Van Morrison
8    Down on the Corner    CCR
9    End of the Line    Traveling Wilburys
10    Forever Young    Rod Stewart
11    Full Force Gale    Van Morrison
12    Get Together    Youngbloods
13    Handle With Care    Traveling Wilburys
14    Have You Ever Seen the Rain    CCR
15    Headed for a Fall    Firefall
16    If You Could Read My Mind    Gordon Lightfoot
17    In My Life    Beatles
18    It Ain’t Me Babe  
19    Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door    Bob Dylan
20    Lyin’ Eyes    Eagles
21    Margaritaville    Jimmy Buffet
22    More Than I Can Say    Leo Sayer
23    Mother and Child Reunion    Paul Simon
24    No One To Run With    Allman Brothers Band
25    Play With Fire    Rolling Stones
26    Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood    Animals
27    Promises    Eric Clapton
28    Sea of Heartbreak    Johnny Cash
29    Dock of the Bay    Otis Redding
30    Solitary Man    Neil Diamond
31    Some Guys Have All the Luck    Rod Stewart
32    Southern Cross    Crosby, Stills and Nash
33    Summer Wine    Nancy Sinatra
34    Sundown    Gordon Lightfoot
35    Teach Your Children    Crosby, Stills and Nash
36    The Best of My Love    Eagles
37    Try and Love Again    Eagles
38    Young Love    Sonny James
39    Young Turks    Rod Stewart
40    Your Only Lonely    J.D. Souther, Eagles
41    Well, Alright    Buddy Holly
42    When Will I Be Loved    Everly Brothers
43    Wild Night    Van Morrison
44    Blowin’ In The Wind    Bob Dylan
45    Bring It On Home To Me    Animals
46    Garden Party    Ricky Nelson
47    Everyday    Buddy Holly
48    Bad Moon Rising    CCR
49    Who’ll Stop the Rain    CCR
50    Reason To Believe    Rod Stewart
51    Streets of Philadelphia    Bruce Springsteen
52    So Far Away    Dire Straits
53    Lonely People    America
54    Lodi    CCR
55    Lay Lady Lay    Bob Dylan
56    Imagine    John Lennon
57    If I Were A Carpenter    Tim Hardin
58    Homeward Bound    Paul Simon
59    Blue, Blue Day    Don Gibson
60    Love Hurts    Everly Brothers
61    The Sound of Silence    Paul Simon
62    El Condor Pasa (If I Could)    Paul Simon
63    Signs    Electric 5 Man Band
64    Midnight Special    CCR
65    Here Comes the Sun    George Harrison
66    Ramlin’ Man    Allman Brothers Band
67    Ooh La La    Rod Stewart/Faces
68    Simple Man    Lynyrd Skynyrd

Songwriting - How to Practice Writing Melodies

Kick Start My Future

OPINIONS NEEDED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:

I am not asking you for money. I just need your opinions. I am considering asking for crowd funding that will enable me to start making money (even if it is just a little) from both my music and my photography . I am asking that you please read the following information, and tell me if you think asking for crowd funding in this case is a good idea.

Retirement Sucks!!!

I want out of retirement. It was forced on me almost 3 years ago to begin with. But, I am healthier now than I have been in the last 25 years.

I am a self-taught photographer of some minor successes in event, travel, industrial, and nature photography. But, my primary photographic goal is to produce photographs for my own projects such as e-books, books, calendars, and my web sites. When you visit my blogs you will get an idea of what I want to accomplish.

In retirement I have also become a fair to good (singer, songwriter, guitarist) musician. The only thing that stops me from becoming great is time and a very mistreated body. My fingers do not always cooperate with my mind. But, I do not seek to be a star, only a player. My goals are to travel, photograph, play music as a busker (street entertainer), and pay my way in this world. And, I would not turn down an offer to play a scheduled gig. I cannot do that on my Social Security disability check. It would please me immensely to turn that check over to the Wounded Warriors Project, or other organizations that I would like to help, on a monthly basis.

My Plans.

Travel, photograph, play music, post and sell. I want to turn my personal blogs into commercial projects. I want to take the time to visit the people and places that I had to pass by as a trucker. I want to photograph the people, places and things that I see, and post stories, reviews and articles about them on MadDadKeith, my travel and photography blog. I want to photograph trucks and truckers at work. Trucking was my profession for 35 years. This will be my payback to the profession that I love in spite of all of it’s faults. I want to meet, photograph and tell the stories of the street entertainers that I will search for wherever I go. And, I want to post their stories on Tunesmith Tavern. And, I want to try my hand at busking (street entertainer) as a guitarist/singer.

Repaying Those Who Invest In Me.

I am taking this project one step at a time. If this project is approved helping me get this van will help me Kick Start extended projects in music and photography. Currently, I am asking for small investments that can be “made by you” and “repaid by me” through the simple purchase of my stock photography. Essentially, I am sticking with my lifelong motto: Keep it simple. Keep it fun. Get it done. I am in the process of rebuilding my SmugMug photography website to match the directions of the plans I am describing here. Through crowd funding my first photographic publication will be a calendar of street entertainers from Las Vegas. More info on this calendar will be posted very soon, along with the minimum amount of investment needed to get the calendar. When my web site goes back up you will be able to get immediate repayment by purchasing special offers from my photography site. I will furnish a link to my site where you can “immediately” download different sizes of my photographs for possible personal or commercial use. It will take far more work and time to get e-books and books ready for market.

What I have, and what I need.

I need something similar to a conversion van. I have a 2002 Acura (in good shape) that I will sell ($6,000 or best offer) to help me buy the van ($8,000 to $12,000 minimum) that I need. I can live in a decently equipped van, but not a car. I lived in the sleeper of a truck for 35 years, so I know exactly what I am in for. I do not need a fancy or new van, but it needs to be a mechanically sound van. And, it needs to be equipped with an “Auxiliary Power Unit” to keep me warm or cool without the need to run my van. The APU will also run my electronics for music, computer and photography. I can install the rest of what I want or need, or I can do without it.

I have most of the photo equipment that I would need to do any project that would interest me. Like every other photographer I know of, there is always something I want. But, for now, it is not necessary. I shoot with Nikon equipment.

I have a Fender CD140 accoustic/electric guitar, a Fender Acoustisonic Junior amp, and a Roland Micro Cube buskers amp. If my busking starts making money I would love to purchase a Fender Strat and a Tele, a Gibson Les Paul, and a higher quality acoustic guitar. First I need to find out if people are willing to “tip” me as a busker.

A Typical Road Tour for Me.

I am not soliciting for money to travel on. What I am asking for is help to get the “motel on wheels” transportation that would enable me to keep my expensed down to a minimum. The following would most likely be my first trip.

I would plan to spend about a month at a time on the road with the possible exception of favoring (perhaps) Las Vegas for my busking work, and travel only as a photographer. An typical extended (photographic)  trip would take me north out of Albuquerque, New Mexico, into what is known as Little Switzerland in Southern Colorado.  I would work my way through southern Colorado into Utah visiting and photographing historic and natural landmarks before dropping down into Nevada to photograph Las Vegas, concentrating on street entertainers. Eventually I would wind up busking in Las Vegas. When I leave Las Vegas to return home I would travel back across I-40 with side trips do photography work in the Sedona and Grand Canyon areas.

A side note: I am currently in discussions with a long time friend of mine who lives in Las Vegas. He is shopping to buy a hope there. I am discussing a relocation to Las Vegas to try to build a reputation as a permanent street entertainer in that city. My only hesitation about doing this is the current financial crises this city faces.

And, if this works?

Much will depend on the response to my music. I look on the photography as a source of revenue to look forward to receiving in future sales. Busking, if my music is accepted, will create immediate travel expense money where I can continue to work as a busker and a photographer. What I am hoping is to find that Las Vegas can be my central location. I have lived there before. I do not gamble. It is the energy that the city creates that attracts me. Future road trips would depend on acceptance of my music, photography sales, and my health.

Future trips would include both busking and photography. My photographic specialties would remain travel (including the R.V. lifestyle), event, industrial, and nature photography. All of these specialties would fit well with my travels. My music covers rock and country from the 1950’s through to today’s hits, some songs that I have written, and songs that are primarily enjoyed by people in the trucking industry.  I concentrate on music that sounds good as a solo guitarist/singer.

Why Are You Mad at Your Government

This should anger every Democrat, Republican, Independent, liberal, conservative, and progressive in the United States of America. We need to realize that we are being pitted against each other, citizen against citizen, by our government for the simple purposes of political power and greed. After we repair our broken government it will be easy to repair our economy.

What part of our original Declaration of Independence is applicable to todays Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches of our government. Below are the points of our Declaration of Independence that carried us into the Revolutionary War. Copy and paste this into your own document. Highlight in red what you know that today's government is doing that the King of Great Britain did to cause enough anger for the colonies to vote. Now, post it on your site, and let others copy, paste, highlight and send to their friends.

I have highlighted in red (it will not show up on Facebook) 10 of the reasons that caused our first revolution. I am sure you feel there are some that I have missed.

 To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

    He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

    He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

    He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
    He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
    He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
    He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
    He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
    He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
    He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
    He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
    He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
    He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
    He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
    For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
    For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
    For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
    For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
    For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
    For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
    For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
    For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
    For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
    He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
    He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
    He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
    He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
    He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.



Now, do you think the time for a new revolution is at hand?

Femto Photography - Amazing Stuff

 

Imagine a camera that records the speed of light. Imagine a camera that can see around corners. It is here.

The Political Way

The Political Way
By Keith Birmingham
07/17/2012

Well, a woman talked me
On a cold, cold winter day
Of how a man with this big smile
Would wipe her cares away.

She said he had a major plan
Of how great her life should be
And, he was gonna take a stand
He was gonna set her free.

He said I’ll mail a monthly check
For you to buy the things you need.
You don’t need to do a thing.
Just be sure to vote for me.

This man was chosen by the mass.
And, he went of to D.C.
He said he’d never let them down.
Said he'd take care of you and me.

Now time has come, and time has gone,
And, life is tougher than before,
But, he just smiles and makes believe
The wolves ain’t howling at our door.

But, that same woman said to me,
On one cold, cold winter day,
That if he ever showed his face,
There was something she would say.

She’d say, “Sir you lied to me,
And, I don’t trust you anymore.
You are not the man I need,
You’re a money grubbing whore.”

I saw that man the other day.
He was standing on her lawn,
Telling her to keep the faith,
It’s always dark before the dawn.

She wrote and handed him a check
He smiled and walked away,
She turned and smiled and said to me,
"That bank of mine will never pay."

A Busker's Roland Amp

 

 Top photo: Roland Micro Cube amp + Fender CD-140 guitar.

Bottom photo: Roland Micro Cube amp.

**********

Busking as a musician takes some special tools of your trade. I hope to soon try my hand as a singer/guitar player. I still need to purchase a microphone, but first I have to figure out which one to buy. Yesterday I purchased the amplifier you see here. Yep, it is a tiny amp, but I need something light-weight and easy to carry, but big enough to play for the small crowds that I hope to attract.

The Roland Micro Cube puts out a whopping 2 watts of power from a 5” speaker.  It has AC power, or battery power supplied by six AA batteries.  I purchased the amp at Guitar Center in Oklahoma City. I was not confident that this was the amp that I need, but they let me have a 30 day try-out period.

The amp comes equipped  with a digital “Tuning Fork” with 3 normal tuning key options, and can be used for heavy bottom tunings. Well, ok, I have no idea what they are talking about there, but I am used to tuning my guitar with a digital eNote tuner. The Micro Cube offers six different COSM amp types: Acoustic/JC Clean/Black Panel/Brit Combo/Classic Stack/R-Fier Stack. And, of course, I am too new at this stuff to know what the heck I have just written. But, after about an hour of turning knobs to try different sounds I started getting sounds that I like. So far I have not learned to adjust the acoustic setting to get the acoustic sound I want, but JC Clean, Black Panel and Brit Combo gave me some good sounds for the kind of music I play. And, I have another 29 days to figure this little power pack out. Although I do not know what this will sound like when I have both a guitar and microphone plugged in I have reasoned that if it don’t sound that good I will simply buy another one, possibly a small Vox or Fender amp. I plan to mount them on one of those 2 wheel grocery carts ( I have no idea what they are called.) made something like a suitcase with wheels.

And, it’s packed with more goodies: It accepts a microphone, and 4 types of EFX including chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo, and a separate “Delay and Reverb” effect in addition to the EFX. Also included is a REC OUT jack for recording and for use as a headphone out. The Micro Cube also offers ¼” jacks and a mini-jack for external input. And, there is a strap for easy and greater portability.

I have spent today running personal errands and buying rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. That made my wallet bite me, but it will pay off in the end. I was tired of shelling out Pepsi money on  AA and 9 Volt batteries.

Although I have only used the amp for less than two hours I think I will like it, and I will probably buy another one, a Vox, Fender or Marchall (if they make one) as soon as possible. However, I do have another 29 days to make up my mind.

Total cost: Roland Micro Cube amp = less than $109.00.
                  Batteries and charger = less than $100.00

Needed: Cut Rate Motel on Wheels

What I have, and what I need, are two different things.

What I have: 2002 Acura in darn good shape. But, it don’t have a bed in it. And, it don’t have an auxiliary power unit in it.

 I have the car. I need a van something like this one. An older one is fine if it is mechanically sound.

What I need: Any decent utility type van than I can toss a mattress in. I do need it to be reliable, have an a/c a heater, and an auxiliary power unit.

Why do I need this van: I will be storing everything I need to live and work on the road, in the van, while doing a crowd funding project. The project is a multi-part, multi-city, multi-trip, multi-month journey around the U.S., with the possibility of venturing into Canada and Mexico. The purpose of the trip is two-fold. I plan to begin a career as a street musician/singer. And, I plan to do a photographic documentary about buskers via “Tunesmith Tavern”, my music blog, with the possibility of several photographic  calendars and books coming from the project. And, there are other photographic projects I have that will be included in these trips on a “while I have the opportunity” basis.

A little about ME: I am a 63 year old male, now retired and living on a pension. I lived for 35 years as an over-the-road trucker. Everything I needed to live and work with was within 6 feet of where I sat to do my job. This trip will require no more than I carried in my truck. Sleeping in a van will be a lot cheaper than paying for a motel room every night. I plan to use truck stops along my way to have showers available, and the necessities I cannot carry in the van. I expect there to be little difference in this lifestyle than the way I lived as a trucker for 35 years.

What I am asking from crowd funding is your help in purchasing and equipping this van. Don’t worry, I have the camera, computer and music equipment that I need. My main concerns are to have a decent place to sleep. I am 63 years old. I have no desire to sleep on the ground again. My ambition is to establish myself as a musician. Once I start making money as a busker I will be able to meet all future expenses. I just need to prepare for bumps in the road.

Needed: Cut Rate Motel on Wheels

Needed: Cut Rate Motel on Wheels

What I have, and what I need, are two different things.

What I have: 2002 Acura in darn good shape. But, it don’t have a bed in it. And, it don’t have an auxiliary power unit in it.

 I have the car. I need a van something like this one. An older one is fine if it is mechanically sound.

What I need: Any decent utility type van than I can toss a mattress in. I do need it to be reliable, have an a/c a heater, and an auxiliary power unit.

Why do I need this van: I will be storing everything I need to live and work on the road, in the van, while doing a crowd funding project. The project is a multi-part, multi-city, multi-trip, multi-month journey around the U.S., with the possibility of venturing into Canada and Mexico. The purpose of the trip is two-fold. I plan to begin a career as a street musician/singer. And, I plan to do a photographic documentary about buskers via “Tunesmith Tavern”, my music blog, with the possibility of several photographic  calendars and books coming from the project. And, there are other photographic projects I have that will be included in these trips on a “while I have the opportunity” basis.

A little about ME: I am a 63 year old male, now retired and living on a pension. I lived for 35 years as an over-the-road trucker. Everything I needed to live and work with was within 6 feet of where I sat to do my job. This trip will require no more than I carried in my truck. Sleeping in a van will be a lot cheaper than paying for a motel room every night. I plan to use truck stops along my way to have showers available, and the necessities I cannot carry in the van. I expect there to be little difference in this lifestyle than the way I lived as a trucker for 35 years.

What I am asking from crowd funding is your help in purchasing and equipping this van. Don’t worry, I have the camera, computer and music equipment that I need. My main concerns are to have a decent place to sleep. I am 63 years old. I have no desire to sleep on the ground again. My ambition is to establish myself as a musician. Once I start making money as a busker I will be able to meet all future expenses. I just need to prepare for bumps in the road.

Moving Ahead With My Busking/Photography Plans

I am still angry about the fact that The Strip in Las Vegas today looks and smells more like Tijuana in the early 1960’s. But, I am also thinking that I do need to return there to shoot photography for the calendars and books that I have in mind. As for the people that are stinking up the city these days, well, maybe there is a story there too. I guess I just need to do a little work and find out. I am hoping to find that this fall will be a good time to do this project. I should be able to complete this leg of my project in a 2 month period. If I still feel like traveling I can hit the beach in southern California. There should be some busking in parts of the L.A. area. I just need to keep doing research on this.

Meditating About Busking

I have made some sales with minor event photography, some weddings, and other miscellaneous sales. I have written around 20 songs, and my repertoire is closing in on 130 songs. But,  no business can last without clients who know who you are. No musician can survive without an audience. And, no travel and event photography business can last if the photographer never travels and there are no events to shoot.

I retired from my trucking career in November of 2009 for medical reasons. I did not retire from life. I have worked very hard to keep my mind, body and soul busy in the hopes of returning to the work force. Last week I took a trip to Las Vegas. For the people I went with it was a vacation. For me it was a fact finding tour.

In my retirement from a 35 year trucking career I have worked hard at two of my life’s passions. In August of 2010 I bought an acoustic/electric guitar to help me pass my retirement time. A short time later a teenager’s dream came back to me. Fresh out of high school I had played in a band in California. We played 4 gigs that I remember. The first 3 gigs went great. The 4th gig was the gig that musicians never want to have. But, sooner or later, they all have them. We sounded terrible. The culprit that caused the catastrophe would not admit to the fault. We split up. I went to Vietnam. So went a promising career as a rock star.

In the early summer of 2011 I purchased a good chunk of the professional grade photography equipment I need to work as a freelance photojournalist. And, I have spent much of the last year adding to a catalog of images that I had already built with non-professional grade equipment. I also have several blogs that I post to about photography, music, and other subjects. It is my desire to specialize in travel and event photography.

As mentioned, my trip to Las Vegas was a fact finding tour. I went there hoping to find that I am ready to hit the road as a busker, and that Las Vegas is where I needed to be. And, I was hoping to find that Las Vegas would be the perfect place to start a documentary project on the art of busking. Well, I am ready to hit the road as a busker. I am not positive that I want to do it in Las Vegas, but I still think it would not hurt to either start there get through there. I was not overly pleased with the sight of the “would be” buskers that are now working on The Strip. However, I realize that this is another sign of a bad economy. Although at least 90% of what I saw on The Strip that was trying to pass as professional buskers were actually street people who had found discarded costumes in the dumpsters behind the casinos. There was very little talent exposed unless those street people were actually professional actors that were being paid to make the tourist nervous enough to leave town.

Overall, my plans have not changed. I still hope to busk, but I am considering starting a band to play local gigs in western Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle. I have to think more about busking in Las Vegas, at least at this time. I still want to use my busking and my photography to travel, busk and photograph. Let’s just say that I am spending some time to figure out a good project that I can get crowd funding that will help me complete the project while I travel, busk and do photography. And, it will probably include doing documentary work on the busking profession.

A Slum Called Las Vegas

The Vdara is a 56 or 59 floor hotel in City Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. We stayed on the 43 floor. It is a bit different than the average Motel 6.

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I should first tell the readers of this post that I have tried to find a way to live in Las Vegas since I first visited the place back in 1974. At this time I no longer have that urge.

The language in this post IS MEANT to offend the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, and especially the people who govern the city of Las Vegas. I apologize to my friends who read this, and get offended by what they read. But, you already know that I will not pull a punch when I am mad.

Way back when I was a child fresh out of the 4th grade my family spent the summer in Imperial Beach, California with my dad. And, of course, he took us to Tijuana, Mexico. In Tijuana I got my first glimpse  ghetto life. The smell was that of a sewer. I saw scantily clad hookers walking the streets. I watched grown ups that had nothing better to do that take a piss on the street. One man even dropped his drawers and squatted to take a crap. It was about that time that I asked my dad, “Can we go home now?“

Last week I spent 4 days in a SHIT PIT called Las Vegas. Tijuana has moved north. In two short years this city has gone from a city with major problems to being the stink-hole of the west. I was in Las Vegas from June of 2010 to November of 2010. The city had financial problems just like every other city in America. But, back in 2010 the city was still filled with confidence that some piece of pig shit in Washington D.C. would solve the problems, and that they would remain Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of the World.
Well, they no longer feel that way. They have lost all pride and self-esteem.

The primary purpose of my trip to Las Vegas was to speak to street entertainers to see if I wanted to return to Las Vegas to busk there. I am sure that there are more buskers there than I was able to see, but they could not have been more wretched than the ones that I did see on this trip. What is currently passing for buskers these days is, from what I saw, mostly nothing more that street urchins that have found discarded costumes in the dumpsters behind the casinos. And, those costumes had not seen a washing machine since they were first discarded. There was no entertainment from them. Most of the “would be” buskers were sitting against the wall, or laying on the benches along the street.

 The Strip is nothing more than a 6 lane garbage dump. In 2010 you could see the cities street-sweeper trucks almost daily along the strip. I doubt that those trucks run more than bi-weekly today. And, the garbage dump is being looted by Tijuana street urchins. If you think that my references to Tijuana is wrong I will simply say that it is a half-mile walk from the MGM at Tropicana Avenue to Harmon Avenue, the northern entrance to City Center. The shops and bars there used to be a family destination where you took your kids to purchase Las Vegas souvenirs. On Saturday night I walked to and from the our room at the Vdara in City Center with my grandson to watch a movie. The street was, of course filled with music. But, it was “ALL” Mexican music. That part, at least, of the strip now belongs to Mexico. All of them were so drunk they could barely stand. The men stood against the buildings like it was the latrine in a New York City subway station. The women looked and acted like inmates from an asylum.

The street in front of the Bellagio was clean. I never made it north of the Bellagio this trip, at least during my walks. We spent a lot of our time visiting friends and dining in places off of The Strip. I have had more meals in the last 6 days than I normally have in 6 months at home. That boy of mine, and his family, likes to eat. We spent $200 bucks to feed 5 people at one place. But, I was in heaven eating the filet mignon. I did not even have a mixed drink. A long-necked bud cost $5.50+. I drank a lot of water at $1 to $3.75 per bottle.

The problems that Las Vegas faces today cannot be blamed on the Bush administration. The problems are there because Las Vegas had a building boom that lasted from the mid-1080’s until about 2007. Of course the problems that face the city would not be as extreme if the whole world were not now in a recession. But, the problems stem from that socialist piece of pig shit called Harry Reid, that dumb-ass communist Nancy Piglosi, and the Liberal Savior (that cannot walk on water) Barack Obama. As usual, the Occupiers are protesting in the wrong places. Yes, capitalism has some problems, but the system is not broke. It simply has leeches that now live in Washington D.C. And yes, Wall Street has thieves there, but they would not be there if we did not have the leeches that are in Washington D.C. And, the sooner the American people realize this simple fact, the sooner we will leave the recession behind us.

If we had politicians in WDC with the balls to start doing their job today it would still take Las Vegas 5 years to climb out of the sewer that Harry Reid has created there. Las Vegas has their problems because there government is run by socialist. They are not Democrats. They are Socialist/Marxist.
And, another 4 year term by Barack Obama will make every city in America look, smell and be like the ½ mile section of The Strip that I have written about in this post.