Say Hello to Shiggs Photography

This coming Friday is an exciting day for me. I am officially launching Shiggs Photography, my basic camera-for-hire photography service.

My ever-growing interest in photography hit a milestone last year when I bought my Canon D600 / T3i and began experimenting with various kinds of photography. While I have found myself more interested in nature, portraits, and low-light photography, I ultimately have spent the past year becoming competent with the technique, the technology, and most importantly, my passion for the medium.

Photography is one of my favorite hobbies. I am not looking to make a living from shooting photos - that is a realm dominated by constant creative churn and pricey (and stressful) wedding shoots. Shiggs Photography is all about extending my intermediate (but growing) photography skills to the low- and mid-priced needs of anyone interested in getting professional photographs.

Because I do not have the same aspirations as those living on their photography, I intend to keep Shiggs Photography simple. Want affordable portraits? In need of consulting or photography tips? Need a second photographer for a major event? Just want some well-done snapshots in the park? Rather than charging for distinct types of sessions, I am offering my services for a flat, affordable hourly rate that will allow me to cover all the above and much more.

2013 is just the start for Shiggs Photography. As my experience grows, I hope to remain an affordable photography option for those in the Northwest Ohio area. The Shiggs Photography website is in a constant state of flux, so check back often for an expanding sample gallery, an upcoming blog, and new, experimental photography.

B3 out.

Page Plus + 1

Roughly two weeks ago I switched away from Verizon Wireless as my mobile phone provider. I had been with Verizon in some form or another for roughly fourteen years.

As the cost of owning a top-tier phone on their network slowly crept over $60, then $70, and then $80, I began considering alternative providers. With Verizon starting 2013 off with their super-expensive Share Everything plans (minimum cost for me: $90 + taxes and fees, coming to just under $100 / month), I finally decided to pull the trigger for cheaper service with Page Plus Cellular.

Page Plus is an interesting prepaid service provider. They are based out of Toledo, Ohio, which means it is easy to get support in person if I need it. Even better, it is one of the rare few providers that use Verizon's network, so my current phone runs on it without any modification. I only had to order a free port of my phone number and a monthly service plan to get started. Rather than pay the $80 / month I have been used to or the roughly $100 / month Verizon wanted on my next contract, I am now paying $40 / month with no contract and the exact same service I have been used to getting.

Yes, I have limited data on that $40 / month plan, but that is easily fixed with a still-reasonable $55 plan. So far, even only two weeks in, Page Plus has been a good experience with very few caveats. The money I am saving (better than $1,000 over two years) will be going towards many other great things (*cough*photography*cough*).

B3 out.

A Decade Of Growth, Mistakes, and Finding The Nice Guy

Ten years.

It has been ten years since I took the plunge into a new world that was supposed to change me. For much of my teenage years, I dreamed of accomplishing several goals - some driven by passion, others by romance, and a few by hormones. 2013 is the decade anniversary of many accomplishments in my life, but also marks the beginning of many failures, some of which continue to this day. While I always strive to learn from my mistakes, some of the past ten years represent me at my worst.

Still, the last ten years have been nothing less than the prime of my life thus far. 2003 kicked off a flurry of changes in my life: graduation from high school, entry into college, a ton of new friends in my life (thanks to Meijer and BGSU), a new career path inside Meijer that boosted my professional outlook, and of course, all those wonderful people that have influenced me over the years.

Near the end of high school I had almost no idea where I would have been in ten years. I had some vague predictions, though: probably working a decent job, married or close to it, and living in the Perrysburg area. It looks like I was mostly right: I love my job and I live in Perrysburg, but I have sacrificed my social life for my professional pursuits. I am nowhere near married and have no idea of when I will get there. But I have no regrets about this course. Yet.

I left high school as a social butterfly, but have since struggled to find that easy-going attitude that led me into so many great relationships back then. I consider this a form of poison at my age. With four years of professional development now paying off, I am in a position to meet new people, make new friends, and reconnect with old ones. Despite being so well off, I find that I have trouble moving back to that socially-inclined guy I was ten years ago, which brings me to the ultimate point of this post: through all the ups and downs of the last ten years, am I letting the "downs" get the best of my "ups?"

In ten years I have made a few critical mistakes that have forced me to seriously question what kind of moral person I am. Yes, that sounds like a serious charge, but I do honestly believe that a serious faux pas here and there have led me to lose confidence in myself. Ten years ago today I took a plunge that helped me understand so many teenage curiosities while throwing so many cans of gasoline onto a fire that I did not know existed. Ten years of festering on these issues and issues like these have came to a head in the last two months, bringing my life to a halt while I re-evaluate what I want out of the next ten years of my life.

As it turns out, its time for me to start being a nice guy again.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.

B3 out.