announcing

I have now joined the ranks of photobloggers! Now, I know what you are going to say. "Amanda, you rarely update this blog, how are you going to deal with another one?" Well, my doubtful friend, I'll be happy to explain the difference to you. This blog (Coming Soon) requires me to think, and sometimes that just hurts! I need to think of something to write about, and then actually do the writing. With the new photoblog (mandamarie.aminus3.com) I just need to post a photo a day. Which I have done, every day, since July 4th.

You may have noticed the link on the right side of this page (if you don't read this in your reader) which has been up for about three weeks now. If so, congratulations, you are a step ahead of me. I decided upon the name Manda Marie Photography because that was what I had wanted to name my studio (which isn't likely to happen). Amanda Reichelt Photography just doesn't flow like so many studio names do and should. My siblings all call me Manda, so it seems like a nice fit.

I wanted to get some photos posted before I told everyone about this new venture so that there would be some substance to look at. However, I will only be posting one new photo a day. I am going to try my best and post photos that I haven't already put on this blog. I've also had some time to recognize a few quirks of the site. So for your benefit, please continue...

Vertical pictures appear to be sized a little larger, making it hard to see the whole image without scrolling. At the bottom of the page though you will find an option to view small or large, I suggest to view small for the vertical pictures. Also, when you are viewing the blog in Google Reader, the image is cropped slightly and you don't get the description. So please, click the link and view the full image.

It hasn't been difficult for me to post one image a day, so don't expect me to miss one anytime soon. The hardest part will be having new photographs. I have already posted some that were taken years ago, although I still consider them some of my better shots. This will be my motivation however, to actually get off my butt and get out with my camera.

for sale

My life is a work in progress, continually, and I am ok with that. I kind of like not knowing what the next chapter is going to bring me. However, I have started to make a loose goal, or plan if you will. I would like to sell my photography.

Preferably on etsy at this point. If you have never heard of etsy, please go check it out. Wonderful handmade items from all over the world are sold in a somewhat ebay or amazon-like manner. There isn't a bidding war, but nothing you see there is mass-manufactured (other than maybe some of the vintage items, but those are vintage, they don't count).

Here are the issues as to why I have yet to just go for it and start selling on etsy.

1. The items that sell on there are so amazing and so intricately handmade, I'm not sure if my photography really can stand up to these artists and crafters.
2. Along with #1 I don't know if photography is a large portion of what actually sells on this site. Even if Ansel Adams himself was trying to turn a profit, is photography a large market on etsy?
3. I would want to devote time to making this endevor really last, and be entirely worth it. Meaning spending hours of my freetime keeping up to date on everything from listing to marketing to taking more photos.
4. IF this became a decent source of income for me, I would then have to know what I was doing tax-wise and business-wise. These are areas I'm definitely not an expert in.
5. I have no idea what to price my photos at.
   
6. I think there were a couple more, but we'll leave it at that for now...

So, here is what I am doing to try and combat all of these obstacles.

1. Attempting to keep up with updating this blog on a regular basis (training for keeping track of my listings).
2. Starting a photoblog (more to come on that). Again for training on daily upkeep, also to get my name out there in the photography world.
3. Joining jpgmag.com, this one similar to the photoblog, but also connects me with a photography magazine where I could gather interest in my photography.

When these things start to pick up maybe one day you will see my photos for sale. However, I still don't know where to go with the business side of things. I am open to any suggestions, but please bear with me as I don't plan on this happening just overnight.

home grown green

I just started submitting some photos to the JPG Magazine photo themes. For every issue they choose a few themes and hold judging on the photographs submitted. The top choices will get published in the magazine. Here is a link to my first submission, for the theme Color Theory. It's a simple explanation, photos that are mainly one color. Also, just taken today from part of Joe's garden extravaganza!

Submitted to JPG Issue 22: Color Theory. Is it a good fit? Vote Now!

over easy

This was taken at a time when the dogs were getting into a lot of things they weren't supposed to in the house. Like bags of potatoes, butter, avocado, anything off the counter they could find. However, this sad egg committed suicide when I opened the fridge. I thought it was so perfect that I had to pose Duke as if HE had opened the fridge. Here are a couple others:

dream a little dream

I have been having some really strange dreams lately, or maybe I'm just remembering them better. Either way, the oddities continue nightly. One even involved meeting a friend's newborn son for the first time, only in my dream he was a Barbie! I didn't want to insult the new mother, so I went along with it.

This one from a few nights ago made me really think. I enjoy reading about dream interpretation, but take the results with a grain of salt. The dream in question is riddled with symbolism, and I just couldn't resist. Here's the dream:

It was a wedding reception, of people I couldn't recognize, held at my parents house during the springtime. Although the house in my dream looks nothing like theirs or any other house I currently know. The reception was pretty casual, more like a housewarming party. I was in the upstairs with a group of people and suddenly noticed it was snowing. A beautiful full flake snow that fell beautifully on the huge tree in the front yard. When I ran down to tell the bride (no one was upset at the snow, because it was so enchanting) I found her sitting outside on the porch, where it WASN'T snowing! Crazy as that sounds I turned around looking inside the house and saw the basement engulfed in flames. Trying to bring attention to that fact I was yelling FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!, but no one was listening. Even my father, who was standing just inside the door with another group of wedding guests, ignored my calls of emergency. I woke up screaming FIRE! And that's where it ends.

I've picked out some of the main interpretations from this mess of a dream. All found at dreammoods.com

Wedding - To see a wedding in your dream, symbolizes a new beginning or transition in your current life. They reflect your issues about commitment and independence. Alternatively, your wedding dream refers to feelings of bitterness, sorrow, or death. Such dreams are often negative and highlight some anxiety or fear. If you dream that the wedding goes wrong or ends in disaster, then it suggests that there is more negativity that needs to be dealt with.

Snow - To see snow in your dream, signifies your inhibitions, repressed/unexpressed emotions and feelings of frigidity. You need to release and express these emotions and inhibitions. You may also be feeling indifferent, alone and neglected.

To dream that you are watching the snow fall, represents a clean start and a fresh, new perspective. It is indicative of spiritual peace and tranquility.

Fire - Depending on the context of your dream, to see fire in your dream can symbolize destruction, passion, desire, illumination, transformation, enlightenment, or anger. It may suggest that something old is passing and something new is entering into your life. Your thoughts and views are changing. In particular, if the fire is under control or contained in one area, then it is a metaphor of your internal fire and inner transformation. It also represents your drive, motivation, and creative energy. Alternatively, the dream may be warning you of your dangerous or risky activities. You are literally "playing with fire".

To dream that a house is on fire, indicates that you need to undergo some transformation.

(PS this wasn't my first dream involving fire in the past couple weeks)

Yelling - To dream that you or someone is yelling, represents repressed anger that needs to be expressed. If you are yelling and no one hears, then it suggests that you are being ignored. You feel that your voice does not matter or that your opinion doesn't count.

Father - To see your father in your dream, symbolizes authority and protection. It suggests that you need to be more self-reliant. Consider also your waking relationship with your father and how aspects of his character may be incorporated within yourself.

There are many others I could have included in here. Like, the house, patio, basement, party, tree... But that would have taken forever.

So just based on this information, what do you think?

hard hat required

Everything in my life is under construction! My house (well, the house I live in), my hotel (well, the hotel I work at), my road (the street I take to work), and my gym (the place I work out) are all making fixes at this very moment. It just seems a strange phenomenon to have so many areas being worked on at once. I don't mind that this is happening, in fact each one is bringing good things with it, it's just strange.

I'll start with the house. A few weeks ago the basement flooded. Laundry was being done, the pipes backed up, water flowed through the walls and into the living area. Becca, Joe and I spent a good hour soaking up, mopping and dry-vacing the good inch of standing water. Well, I won't go into too much detail with this, but long story short the basement needs new drywall and new flooring. Joe took on a lot of the demolition work himself and ripped apart the carpet, wallpaper and paneling (yes, there was still 70's style paneling down there). This is why it is semi-good news here. The basement needed a re-model eventually, and this way the lovely folks at the insurance company will split the bill! Workers started coming this week to make the necessary fixes, and hopefully it will be done soon. My bedroom is in the basement, but luckily did not get injured in the process. However, this makes it so that I walk through the construction zone daily (at least twice).

The hotel construction was expected, and very much needed. It was recently sold to a company that is finally willing to make the changes that have so desperately been forgotten. What this means is that everything is changing! From the light fixtures in the lobby to our bubbling carpet to the leaking roof. Oh, and speaking of the roof! I know that it needs to get done, but oh the noises! Today we started experiencing the worst of it. They were obviously working directly over our heads and all day it sounded like it was raining rocks on the ceiling. It was difficult to hear the person right next to me, and she was supposed to be making calls to clients! Then I heard what I can only describe as someone making a snowman out of rocks. Debris was falling through the vents, and I was just waiting for a construction worker to crash down on top of my desk. Many things are happening at once at this property, and it is exciting to get to see them finally get done and see the end result. I know it will take many months to get to a place where we won't need daily caution signs though, but I'll just be ok when I can hear myself think again.

The gym and the street are two small projects (I think). Since I am not directly involved or informed of these, I only know what I see. Central Ave had a small section being worked on the past few days. The bright orange sign said it would be done July 1st, but we never know how well to trust those. I really have no idea what they are doing because I haven't gotten close enough. This one is right in the middle of my drive to/from work and I always forget about it until I get there and have to take a (unmarked) detour. At the gym they are replacing a small carpeted section/ramp leading into the classroom. I don't know why, and it didn't really affect my workout, other than having to find a different space for stretching. I'm sure that one will be done today.

It's odd to go about your normal day and see everything in disarray. I am most excited to see what the hotel will turn into, and to paint the basement! For now, I may have to invest in a hard hat to go about my day.

(I was going to put some pictures here, but forgot to take them of the hotel. I will post basement pictures once that project is done and I can show a progression.)