Friday, March 11, 2011

Photo Friday

I'm returning with photos this week and hopefully can keep it up in the future. As I said in my last post, I went skiing alone on Saturday...just as I was getting bored and preparing for my last run, I met five great guys from Michigan that twisted my arm to join them for the rest of the day. I ended up skiing with them for three hours, doing Black runs and some tree skiing. The snow was so great and I was having so much fun that I decided to join them at Big Sky on Sunday, which is where this week's photos are from.
Lone Mountain, elevation 11,166'

Just below the tram line.

Craig and I getting ready to ski down Liberty Bowl.

All of us getting pumped up!

Friday, March 4, 2011

No Photos this Friday

Wow! Where have the last few weeks gone? I guess with having a job that I have to be present and accounted for, and having some time to figure things out really makes the time fly. Before long it is the weekend and I am busy for those as well. This weekend, I am making a point to go on a few dates...with myself and my camera. Hopefully next Friday I will be back with a bunch of photos again.

The plan is to take my BIG camera skiing with me tomorrow, however, I won't be in any pictures because I am going alone; part of the date myself program I'm on right now. On Sunday I'd like to go snowshoeing with Twist and check out an area that is new to me south of Bozeman.

Should be a great weekend...

Friday, February 18, 2011

Photo Friday

This week has gone by without much time for photography, as usual. I really must get out with my camera more, but I've been saying that for the last couple of months. Perhaps it is time to meet some new photography friends here in Bozeman.

I'm not really that into Valentine's day, but I still like flowers, so I just had to photograph the bouquet of flowers that I received. The bottom two photos are for last weeks' photography project over at Photography 139. The theme was one that I suggested: GO! Check out the other contributions and future ones on Monday afternoons under the RWPE Y2 header.

Valentine flower

Stop!

GO!

Friday, February 11, 2011

Photo Friday

Another busy week with interviewing for a new job and all, and last weekend was too cold to take my gloves off to take photos while skiing. Oliver is my only subject this week so it's a good thing that he likes being photographed. The top photo I was playing with zoom blur, and the bottom photo he is just being himself.


Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Luck

When I first decided to quit my job as a bench jeweler last September, I was excited about entering a different part of the industry. It might even have been great; to work in the gem sector would go right in line with my studies, and I would have someone to learn from. Well, that didn't quite work out as well as I had hoped. However, whenever a door closes, a window opens, right?

Many of my friends told me I was doing the right thing to change sectors. But some of them thought I was doing the wrong thing. Why give up on a talent and an eye for design that many people just don't have? For many reasons I agreed with both sides. I was bored with my job, sick of the drama, and sick of bad things happening to good people that I worked with. I was no longer inspired to design unless someone needed something specific. I needed to get back to that place where I could just sit and design because I wanted to.

After being a goldsmith for 8 1/2 years, I realized that doing something different was difficult. I had no idea what I was doing anymore; a far cry from what I was used to. I had known that I would miss being a goldsmith eventually. It just didn't take as long as I'd thought it would.

In December I decided that I would start designing on my own. I even came up with a name for my little company: Dilettanti Designs. The problem with making my own designs was not the lack of the ideas, rather the lack of money, equipment, etc. I had no way to move forward, something that I hated. I had decided that maybe it was time to go back to work, doing what I am naturally good at, and to be honest, what I love to do. But where? I didn't really want to move again but maybe I wouldn't have a choice.

This is where luck or perhaps fate intervened. I decided to do a search for a job in my town, and low and behold there just happened to be one. And the manager is best friends with someone that used to work for the same company I had, and he advised him to hire me, all before my first interview, which I had yesterday.

Now I just have to take a few tests and see what their offer is. I'm not one to hide my emotions very well, and this is no exception. I'm actually excited!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Photo Friday

Again, not much going on this week on the photography front. Hopefully that changes this weekend! Have a good one...

Old International truck

Dieffenbachia in sunlight

Friday, January 28, 2011

Photo Friday

I missed last week due to being in Missoula, and just plain didn't want to take the time to upload the pictures while I was spending time with my friends. Speaking of which, we had a blast! After appetizers at Finn & Porter on Friday evening, we went out to Al's & Vicks where we played pool with complete strangers. On Saturday we went to lunch at Bridge Pizza, and then I went on to meet a friend's newborn son. After a couple of beers at Kettlehouse, it was all about relaxing and watching a movie. Sunday was a great day for a bunch of us girls to get together with Amy before she moves to Thailand in February. We went snowshoeing/cross country skiing, then went to Jerry Johnson Hot Springs, and then on to the Lumber Jack. All in all, it was a busy, memorable day.
Bridge Pizza

Above 2 photographs are from along the Lolo Pass snowshoeing trail.

Sequence of Kimber falling (gracefully) while snowshoeing.

All of us soaking at Jerry Johnson.

Sarah and Kristen helping me out with the weekly photo challenge: Panning Camera Blur.