Lemme Hear Ya Say...

AAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!

Let's talk about The Day Job, shall we?

Aka, "The Real Job", "The Grind", "The 9-to-5", or -- my personal favorite -- "Dante's 10th Circle of Hell", our day jobs take up a humungous chunk out of our lives. Time that could be spent, oh I don't know... Blitzing, perhaps?

If truth be told, most of us find something we like about our jobs. Thanks to amazingly fun co-workers, most days I have a crazy-great time. Tim likes being out on the road and seeing the sights through that great, big windshield. But when those nice, little, "must-have" jobs take time away from what we are truly passionate about, it's sometimes hard to appreciate them.

Take this evening, for instance. Maestro Tim and I were just about to leave for an artist's reception at the local gallery, when his on-call phone went off. On-call isn't a normal gig, but this weekend is an exception. So, off he went to freeze his very tired, "I just want to relax" self, while I went to the gallery. Alone. Briefly. Sooooo not a fun Friday. Okay, say it with me: "AAAAAAAAGH! " Ya, pretty much. Obviously, the day job seriously cramped our Photoblitzing lifestyle tonight. It may rear its intrusive dragon's head into the rest of the weekend also. Sucks. And yet...

...and yet, it does mean Tim will get a little O.T., which means he can: develop a few more prints...gas up the Pathfinder for more adventures...fill up the coffee canister for extra energy...and maybe even sock a little away for that DSLR. (Since no Lottery-winning "Patrons of the Blitz" have stepped forward with Nikons for Tim and Lisa, we may have to resort to desperate measures, such as O.T.) So, even though this weekend's Blitzing activities may be interrupted by the job, there will be an upside to it. Besides, it's not like we can't Blitz at all. We just have to make the two activities work side-by-side. Which brings me to Summer Pierre.

Summer has written a great book called, "The Artist in the Office". It is amazing. You'll look at your creative, Blitzing self and your relationship with your job in a whole new way after checking it out. I love the design, the writing, the drawings, everything about it. Get the book, take it to work with you, make it your friend. It'll be the cool co-worker who encourages you to have some fun, while still doing what you need to do. In the meantime, check out Summer's blog here.

And don't work too hard. Hasta later, Blitzers!

Our Epic Quest: Update

It's not easy figuring out where to stand...

...but sometimes knowing where not to is pretty obvious.

We Concur.

To enjoy life is worth

so much more than it costs.

~ French Proverb ~

Level Five: The Ultra Blitz

You made it, Blitzers! Level Five! Woooo-hoooo! Good effort, everyone. I know you endured hardships getting to this point: Lugging around those heavy cell phones and pocket cameras; clicking pics of neat images all day, every day; going cool places; having to struggle through all these highly technical posts filled with really big words... But the good news is, today you can relax. Today, we talk about the Ultra Blitz. Dun-Dun-DAH!

Remember when we first talked about the Blitzs? The main reason for creating them was to help you make time to take pics, because, "...except for National Geographic photographers and Lottery winners -- who has hours to spend every day taking pics?" Remember that? Well, the Ultra Blitz changes all that. This is the time when you will have all the time you want to PhotoBlitz. The Ultra Blitz is a rare treat, a delicacy. It's for those special times when you go on VACATION, baby!


Aaaaah, vacation. Sweet-ness! Take advantage of all that free time and Blitz like you've ain't never done Blitzed before, baby! Take plenty of cards or film and don't hold back. This is your time! Are you feeling the excitement? Of course you are; vacation is awesome! It doesn't matter if you're enjoying a long weekend in the mountains, or taking a two-week tour of Europe. You are free. You have a camera. You have time. Blitz!


Unless you're boarding a red-eye to NYC right now, you'll have had plenty of time to Blitz before your next vacation. Very cool! Here's why: The more you've practiced, the more you've started to look at things in new ways. You see interest in the ordinary. You know how most people don't even know what's in their own neighborhood or town? They don't go to the local museums or interesting places. They just drive by them every day. It's usually the visiting aunt from Manitoba who goes off exploring and finds out all this cool stuff they never even knew existed -- in their own backyards! But, you, well...that's not you. Not anymore. Since Blitzing, we're pretty sure you've discovered something new. Maybe a lot of new. And that's good. Because if you can find interest in your everyday environment...


...you'll see all kinds of things when you step into a new one.




Some pics will amuse you, some will inspire you, some will just make you think, "Wow, that was really fun." We suggest putting one or a few of those pics up in your cubicle, or your office, or on the visor of your truck. Then every time you see it, you'll remember that it's a big world out there; a world with lots more to see. Keep your eyes open.


Keep on Blitzing!

Level Four: The Mega-Blitz

You've arrived! You've done it! You're up to Level Four today, you awesome PhotoBlitzers. Like the view from up here? Sweet, don't ya think? Cool. Ok, who's ready for lunch? We're hungry.


Right. Now you're all probably thinking you've reached a whole new level and you have...sorta. Just not how you might think. Remember yesterday's level? No? Um, the Standard Blitz. We discussed it, there were pictures...a couple of hours in a neat locale, five good pictures... 'Member? You 'member. Ya. Well, the Mega-Blitz is an extension of the Standard. You get to visit yet another cool place and do a second blitz on the same day. Like stopping here at Tio's Tacos after Blitzing Mt. Rubidoux, all in the ultra-cool city of Riverside, California. How fun is that?


"So all we're doing is another Blitz, on top of the one we just finished? That's lame." That's what you're thinking, isn't it? Our answer: Yes, it is, and no, it's not. Here's the deal: After you finish your Standard Blitz, go someplace else and do a Mini-Blitz or even another Standard, depending on your time. This place will involve food because you're probably a little hungry after the all that PhotoBlitzing you've been doing. Go to a quirky restaurant, or that neat cafe with all the paintings by local artists on the wall. Maybe a place with an outdoor patio where you can people watch. Wherever. Just Go Have Lunch.

Oh, just one little detail...you can't go alone.


There's one thing that sets the Mega-Blitz apart from and above all the others: A Mega-Blitz can only be Mega if there are two or more camera-wielding Blitzers in the group. You can't do this Blitz by yourself because the goal of the Mega isn't really about taking pictures; it's about having fun. More Blitzers equal more fun. Add chips and salsa, and you've got a party going on! Woooo-hoo!


Level Four is special because here is where PhotoBlitzing goes from being something you do to something you live. PhotoBlitzing as a lifestyle. Ya, we said it. A whole, flippin', awesome lifestyle, baby!


Here's what we mean: when you become passionate about PhotoBlitzing, you'll want to spend hours and hours at it. Taking pics, altering pics, reading about taking pics, cutting across two lanes of traffic just to snap another even more amazing sunset...you're all over it. And that's great and it's fun. But when you find others who share that crazy obsession with you, the fun becomes outta control. Everything becomes better. You share ideas, you learn, they learn, skills improve, creativity expands, and, ya, your entire quality of life changes for the Spectacular. No lie. Because now...now, you have found your people. Whether it's one person or a cast of thousands, you are among your own kind. And when that happens, you have to celebrate, right? Because that passion of yours is now shared and supported and will eventually affect other aspects of your life in ways too incredible to imagine. It's all win-win-WIN! And that's the PhotoBlitzing lifestyle: living life with creativity, enthusiasm, and Following Your Blitz.



Now go have lunch.


For More Pics, Click Here.

Level Three: The Standard Blitz

Welcome back, lovely people! Have you thrown yourself wildly into the spirit of the PhotoBlitz yet? We imagine that you are snapping pics with all the gusto of a five-year-old on his first trip to Disneyland. If you aren't, you don't get to Level Up with all the other kids. Nope. So back you go to Level One and Level Two. Complete a few assignments, then re-join us here. No, the puppy dog eyes won't work on us. We've been Blitzing like you wouldn't believe all weekend and we won't take any lame excuses for your lack of enthusiasm and participation. What's that? Oh. Wow. Well, that is a good reason. Okaaaay, you can stay with us. (But you really need to do Levels One and Two.) Alright, everybody, on to the level you've been waiting for: The Standard Blitz.

Guess what? You've already seen a Standard Blitz. Surprised? Remember our excursion to Oak Glen a couple of weeks ago? That was a Standard. It's basically an extension of the Mini-Blitz. Only now you actually have time to shoot some serious pics. So if you've been wondering when you could start slinging the SLR, the answer is now. Grab whatever cameras you want. Take a couple. Take a monopod. Take a tripod. Take an iPod. Gas up the ride and pack a lunch. You'll be out for a while.


For the Standard, you'll go somewhere REALLY COOL for at least couple of hours. Maybe up to the mountains, or the beach. We're partial to natural settings, but if you're a hep cat who digs a more swingin' vibe, hit the downtown or an arts colony. Megatons of possibilities out there, just pick one you like. Wherever you go, make sure you've got the things you'll need for two or even three hours of adventure. Nothing worse than getting caught in the rain without your gear, needing coffee and not having cash, or hiking a mountain on a hot day and running out of snacks and water halfway through. (Yeah, we did that last one yesterday. You wouldn't believe the desperation that can overtake you when you're hungry and thirsty...) So, gear up!


What's your goal with the Standard Blitz? Five good pictures. Why five? Why not? It's the number that we strive to hit on these Blitzs. Always good to have a reasonable goal. If you've been frustrated with your pics so far and five seems like a lot, remember: you'll take more pics than you realize. It's easy to take anywhere from 100-200 shots on a digi-cam in a couple of hours. Ya. Really. The odds of getting five pics you like are good. So don't worry. You got this.


Now, how are you shooting at this point? You're looking at everything, but mainly, you're looking for surprises. Not just overall composition, but details: the way the clouds seem to be surrounding a mountaintop, how trees are reflected in a lake, the patterns on the sidewalk, or the intense colors in a neon sign. The other Blitzs were conditioning your ability to look and to see; the Standard is like a boot camp for your photo chops. Don't be afraid to walk around like a gawking tourist. Look up, down, all around. Get close, back up. Open your eyes. If you've been shooting regularly, you've learned that pics are all around you, all the time. They're just waiting for you to catch them. The Standard is your chance to do it.


True story: While Maestro Tim and yours truly were out on Mt. Rubidoux yesterday, we met Archie, a very cool guy who's been PhotoBlitzing for so long, he still calls it "PhotoGraphing". (How retro-awesome is that? He's so our hero!) When Tim said that you can't go wrong taking pics on Mt. Rubidoux, Archie said, "You can't go wrong anywhere." The man's a total Zen master. And he's absolutely right. So when you are trying to figure out where to take your pics, remember what Archie said, "You can't go wrong anywhere." Get on the road to Anywhere, everybody. It's all good.


Coming up: The Deluxe Blitz.

For More of Tim's and Lisa's Pics, Just Click!

Level Two: The Mini-Blitz

The stars have aligned in your favor and all is right in the world. You actually have a break in your day. Ahhhhh, brilliant. But what to do with that extra 30 minutes, or -- miracle! -- full hour of spare time? Take a nap! That's always a great idea, one that we totally support. But you're also a rock-star creative type, so now what do you do? Skip the nap, take your place among your always-sleepy PhotoBlitz team, Tim and Lisa, and grab your camera. It's time to Level Up and do a Mini-Blitz.

The Mini-Blitz is a little more involved than a Blitzette, but still short enough to squeeze into your schedule. You'll want to grab your camera for this. A small point-and-shoot digital is an ideal camera to have on hand. One with a tele/wide feature is nice, but not necessary. If you only have your cell phone, use it. (My Samsung Solstice has just two mp and the resolution is good enough for 4x6 prints and web posts.) If you've got of those tiny spy cameras on a keychain and it works, use it. Now, if all you have is a film camera...use it anyway. With film, though, you might have to be a bit more conservative in your shots 'cause processing ain't cheap (unless you've got a darkroom or a trust fund). But when doing a Mini-Blitz, you probably won't be shooting more than one roll, if that. So bust out that Holga and do your thing.

Great, now you've got a little time and you've got your pocket camera; all you need is a location. It could be a small park, an outdoor shopping plaza, or even a building that has always caught your eye. It should be something large enough so that you'll find a variety of shots, but small enough so that you can easily cover it in the free time you have. You can't Mini-Blitz Disneyland; you can Mini-Blitz the little Farmer's Market downtown.

The Blitzette was about taking quick, random shots throughout the day, to keep you shooting and in practice. The Mini-Blitz goes a little further. The extra time and focus on one place allows you to start extending your creativity. Slow down, look around. Take the shot from various angles. Really observe your location, and think about how you will approach it. You don't have to come out with all cameras blazing. Relish the luxury of lingering, considering, and taking beaucoup de pics, all in one place. How conveeeeenient! Love it already, don't ya?

Okay, so what's the goal? Three good shots. This is totally do-able. If you have a digital camera, you may have an advantage because you'll probably take more pics than if you're shooting film. But either way, you've got time to shoot with some deliberation and, if you concentrate, you'll get some good pics. At least three. After you get a few Mini-Blitzs under your belt, you'll start getting more than just three... and that will be the beginning of photo awesomeness!

Maestro Tim, a master of the Mini-Blitz, took all the pics you see here during a recent Mini-Blitz after the day job. The location: Lake Evans at Fairmont Park in the ever-cool Riverside, California. The time: about one hour. The results: Sweet!

Next time: The Standard Blitz.
For examples of a Mini-Blitz by PhotoBlitz friend, John "Danger" Mills, click here.