Frame My Brain...

Well well! What do you know! I'm typing this and amazed to see that Amazon Gadget is back beside the typing space here in this blog! (of course you won't see it). But something is weird about it still!
Anyway, I'm not in need for it right now. I've been busy working on my own projects, and I don't even read much. Even the previously-available time for reading (bed time) is taken with my exhaustion by the end of the day.
Right now, I've taken pictures for some frames' samples taken from the frames shop. They are, however, totally different than the ones I've used already for framing my prints for the expo, but some of them were really nice. They are 27 sample in total, but some of them seem to be repeated or so. For sure I won't include all of them in the catalog or the website, so I will try to make a choice later on.

One of my favorite frames

Taking the shots for the frames was another story. It was a time to recall the flash unit (580EX II). My setup was simple generally, specially that I've abandoned the hand-made softbox and also I didn't feel like using those desk lamps. My room is in such a mess that I don't feel like moving anything.
After testing some shots, and saving some images with various settings for the on-camera flash and the dedicated flash (580EX II mounted on a bracket above the camera level), seems that the best way was to bounce the flash from the ceiling. However, as I was trying somehow a high-key feel to the images, I had to increase the exposure to one stop, and sometimes two, and there is a sign of some green cast on the images (because of the side walls).

Shooting Configuration

This is the round disk I've used before for making object-panorama some time ago, and using the translucent paper (maps paper, tracing paper) to cover for the hard edge of the disk at the back. Same configuration used in my hand-made softbox, but this time without any side constraints and things are hanging freely. Of course, everything was settled on the rotating base of the VR-head which was dispatched solely to fit the white disk on. By the way, that's the shadow of the tripod on the background and not a camera shake or a ghost!
Now, I'm trying to sort out the frames and maybe give them a code of some sort (probably I won't use this code after all), but the dimensions of each frame (the depth or thickness and the height) must be included, so the customers can make a picture of their final framed picture. I had to borrow a vernier scale from work to do this task as a ruler proved hard to be used with such measurements (because of the curves in the frames). However, I will try to pick some of them for the catalog and the website and not all of them will be included. I'm thinking of a number of 10 or lesser. I wonder now if this is like opening a gate for me to try my hands on products photography (commercial photography). Who knows!

I'm not doing much of photography now, but lot of ideas occupying this skull. There is a panorama that I didn't work with before, and now a new idea for another panorama came along as well, but I don't like to tell much of the details of my future plans. However, the first panorama which I was trying to do requires some physical effort and help, and that's why I couldn't do it yet, while the second panorama which I'm thinking of now, involves the flash, and a proper place to depict the idea and the look I'm trying to achieve. Above all of that, there is also the trial to go to Failaka and spend one night there. I've tried to go during the long holiday (for the national day) but I've failed (and good thing I didn't go because there were news about some entrapment for the visitors). No time now to think of Geltani, or Ayvarith.

Canvases...

Exhaustive week! I'm trying to prepare myself for an expo by next month, and I'm trying to get things ready before and also, trying to learn more about what to do and what I can do, and most importantly, pricing. As some experts (or so I think) are saying on some websites as I surfed about the topic, they advise not to sell myself short (i.e. selling cheap). I believe this is true since I did already suffer for taking these images in the first place (from here and from Ireland, singular shots and panoramas). Yet to come, framing them in proper frames.

I. Canvases Around:

I made the prints in two batches (i.e. two days) and even though I wanted to print more panoramas and I had some ambitions about making a very large print (2m x 2m; ~ 6ft x 6ft) yet for the time being and for such an experience like this, I think it is too early to do so (specially on canvas papers).

The shots, and just for fun, were shot with flash using my new flash gels to balance the color of the tungsten lighting in the rooms. The sizes of the major panoramas here were fixed with dimensions around 50cm X 50cm (maybe around 1.5ft x 1.5ft). One of them in fact had few centimeters in height more than its width but I can't remember which! The rest of images were printed around the ISO size of A2 (in fact smaller since there is a margin and a crop).
Now, I've picked my images to the framing shop and chose some different frames, and it did cost a fortune. I think selling those for a range of 100KD to 300KD would be fair (~$360 to $1080) and it won't be something I'm exaggerating with. What brings my budget down even more, is the fact that I've paid the bills of electricity and water for the house (without telling anyone), as I'm supposed to be the man of the house at the moment. The consequences of that are around one third of my salary is gone. Another third have gone with preparations for the expo, and some of the last third of my salary is gone on daily expenditures. I'm waiting for the end of this month, and I don't know how I will manage till then. We have a celebration coming along for the national day of Kuwait on the 25th and 26th of February which will fall on Saturday and Sunday, and I'm not sure an extra day would be given here (for Saturday, since it is part of the weekend). I need more sleep here.

II. Back to Ayvarith:

Now, because of the busy week I had here, and because I'm getting myself busier with my new books, I didn't get the time to work more on Geltani script and language, but I managed to snap some time to record the 5th chapter of Alexander's story. You can read the Ayvarith version and listen to it in here, or you can read the English version of the story here.
Now it is the time to record chapter 6, which is something impossible to be done in one day like I did with the previous chapters already. Thus, chapter 6 will be done on several days, if not weeks, or months! I just know my lazy nature already and how much I give myself some excuses just to delay things. I have to banish these habits, but I don't know how...

For the time being, I'm so sick of driving my car and the damn peace of gear which was supposed to be ordered since the end of the December, is not here yet and no one called me to pick the car to the garage. I hate cars and their problems more than I hate Satan himself. I'm starting just to hate the idea of going out of home because I know the suffering in advance. This said, maybe it is time now to rely a bit more on my credit card and stop paying things in cash or by direct deduction (by ATM card). I have enough, but I hate to believe, that this month I'm not saving a single penny...