Michael Ventura Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Happy Birthday Allan! My good thing today is that one of the regional magazines I work with on a regular basis, has just raised their photo use rates by close to 15%! I have gotten so use to stagnant or dropping fees in photography, that this came as a nice surprise! For my non editorial work, I have been trying to increase my fees some but not so easy when so many practically give their work away. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Standfast Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 4 hours ago, Allan Bell said: It is my Birthday. Allan Happy birthday young man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 27 minutes ago, Mr Standfast said: Happy birthday young man! Thank you kindly young sir. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 5 hours ago, Allan Bell said: It is my Birthday. Allan Divent gan berserk mind 🙃 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 6 hours ago, Allan Bell said: It is my Birthday. Allan Happy Birthday, and wishes for many more! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Bryan said: Divent gan berserk mind 🙃 Reads like Polish. I know what you mean but can't think of a good reply.😔 Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said: Happy Birthday, and wishes for many more! Many thanks Betty. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYCat Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Happy Birthday! 😇 Paulette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colblimp Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Happy Birthday, Allan! Here's a good thing that happened to me yesterday, To A***y: don't bother chasing, I made these sales direct for good prices... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 14 hours ago, NYCat said: Happy Birthday! 😇 Paulette Thank you Paulette. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Colblimp said: Happy Birthday, Allan! Here's a good thing that happened to me yesterday, To A***y: don't bother chasing, I made these sales direct for good prices... Thank you Andy and good on yer for the sales. Allan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colblimp Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 4 minutes ago, Allan Bell said: Thank you Andy and good on yer for the sales. Allan I hope you ate lots of cake! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 3 minutes ago, Colblimp said: I hope you ate lots of cake! DOH! 😞 I forgot to get cake. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAROL SAUNDERS Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Happy belated birthday wishes to a fellow Leo Allan, hope you had a fabulous day and many more happy birthdays to come😄 Carol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bell Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 17 minutes ago, CAROL SAUNDERS said: Happy belated birthday wishes to a fellow Leo Allan, hope you had a fabulous day and many more happy birthdays to come😄 Carol Thank you very much Carol. You know the funny thing is my wife was a Leo too and they say two Leos should not marry due to conflict. We had the best time together. Allan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAROL SAUNDERS Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Allan Bell said: Thank you very much Carol. You know the funny thing is my wife was a Leo too and they say two Leos should not marry due to conflict. We had the best time together. Allan Ah that's great to know Allan, I wasn't so lucky years ago with an ex Leo he had all the good traits except the Loyalty one🤨 but it was interesting....until it wasn't..... Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Standfast Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 4 hours ago, Allan Bell said: DOH! 😞 I forgot to get cake. Allan I had a slice for you. It was very nice👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb photos Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 I deferred my next months Jury Service until September 2022. Am relieved due to so many unavoidable issues. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hyde Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 We had a great day in Legoland, Windsor, on Sunday and then stopped at Reading Motorway Services as we were heading back to Bristol, on the M4, for a well earned Burger King. As we were leaving the services my daughter picked up a wallet someone had dropped in the exit foyer. There was nowhere to hand it in so we decided to take it with us and make a few enquiries ourselves to see if we could get it back to its owner. Using the power of the internet, by the time we’d travelled a few miles up the road, using a name from the wallet, Linkedin and Facebook Messenger, my daughter, Jo, had managed to contact the guy who has lost the wallet and agreed to meet him at Membury, the next services stop on the motorway. He’d gone back to Reading, having realised his wallet was missing, so we had a 20 minute wait for him to catch us up. I used the time to wander around the services area and grab the shot below for a stock upload. The wallets owner was extremely relieved to get his wallet and credit cards back. His reaction and gratitude made the short wait we had well worthwhile and I came away with a shot I’d never have taken that I was really pleased with… 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Morrison Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 1 minute ago, Steve Hyde said: We had a great day in Legoland, Windsor, on Sunday and then stopped at Reading Motorway Services as we were heading back to Bristol, on the M4, for a well earned Burger King. As we were leaving the services my daughter picked up a wallet someone had dropped in the exit foyer. There was nowhere to hand it in so we decided to take it with us and make a few enquiries ourselves to see if we could get it back to its owner. Using the power of the internet, by the time we’d travelled a few miles up the road, using a name from the wallet, Linkedin and Facebook Messenger, my daughter, Jo, had managed to contact the guy who has lost the wallet and agreed to meet him at Membury, the next services stop on the motorway. He’d gone back to Reading, having realised his wallet was missing, so we had a 20 minute wait for him to catch us up. I used the time to wander around the services area and grab the shot below for a stock upload. The wallets owner was extremely relieved to get his wallet and credit cards back. His reaction and gratitude made the short wait we had well worthwhile and I came away with a shot I’d never have taken that I was really pleased with… Something similar happened to me a while ago: finding a wallet in the street. The contents didn't reveal a phone number, but a few minutes Googling was all I needed. The guy was very happy to be reunited with his wallet, and it gave me a kick to do the 'detective work'... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Ventura Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 2 hours ago, Steve Hyde said: We had a great day in Legoland, Windsor, on Sunday and then stopped at Reading Motorway Services as we were heading back to Bristol, on the M4, for a well earned Burger King. As we were leaving the services my daughter picked up a wallet someone had dropped in the exit foyer. There was nowhere to hand it in so we decided to take it with us and make a few enquiries ourselves to see if we could get it back to its owner. Using the power of the internet, by the time we’d travelled a few miles up the road, using a name from the wallet, Linkedin and Facebook Messenger, my daughter, Jo, had managed to contact the guy who has lost the wallet and agreed to meet him at Membury, the next services stop on the motorway. He’d gone back to Reading, having realised his wallet was missing, so we had a 20 minute wait for him to catch us up. I used the time to wander around the services area and grab the shot below for a stock upload. The wallets owner was extremely relieved to get his wallet and credit cards back. His reaction and gratitude made the short wait we had well worthwhile and I came away with a shot I’d never have taken that I was really pleased with… A nice story and a nice ending! And a great life lesson for your daughter! Doing what you would hope others do if they found your wallet, phone etc.... My daughter seemed to be a magnet for lost wallets and credit cards and loved to reunite them with the owners....everyone feels good in the end. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted August 26, 2021 Author Share Posted August 26, 2021 (edited) I released 4 females and one male Monarch butterflies in July. There are seven chrysalises in my butterfly cage right now, and as of this morning, one has turned from green to black. The color is actually the darkness of the butterfly showing through what has become a clear chrysalis. A gorgeous butterfly may emerge today, or at the latest, tomorrow. I can’t wait. They can pop out in a matter of 30 seconds, so the odds of witnessing it is small unless I sit and stare for hours. Although my son & I did witness the last. It was a new experience for him, and he was thrilled, took many phone photos. I’ve witnessed it three times. I’ve just learned the gold dots seen on the chrysalis is where oxygen gets in. Edited August 26, 2021 by Betty LaRue 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Ventura Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 57 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said: I released 4 females and one male Monarch butterflies in July. There are seven chrysalises in my butterfly cage right now, and as of this morning, one has turned from green to black. The color is actually the darkness of the butterfly showing through what has become a clear chrysalis. A gorgeous butterfly may emerge today, or at the latest, tomorrow. I can’t wait. They can pop out in a matter of 30 seconds, so the odds of witnessing it is small unless I sit and stare for hours. Although my son & I did witness the last. It was a new experience for him, and he was thrilled, took many phone photos. I’ve witnessed it three times. I’ve just learned the gold dots seen on the chrysalis is where oxygen gets in. Wonderful series Betty! You are a great Monarch Mamma! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betty LaRue Posted August 26, 2021 Author Share Posted August 26, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Michael Ventura said: Wonderful series Betty! You are a great Monarch Mamma! Thank you, Michael! I love nature. 20 years ago when traveling 100 miles north from my Oklahoma City to Blackwell, OK to see my mother in my home town every week, I saw hundreds of migrating Monarchs flying south in September/October. To the point I was afraid they’d hit my car. As the years passed, there were fewer and fewer. Now the numbers are way down, and one day if nothing is done, they could become extinct. Used to, at any given time in the summer, I could find multiple Monarchs on my flowers. I think I’ve seen two this summer. People planting milkweed in their yard helps. Even then, the survival rate outdoors from egg to butterfly is just a few percent, due to predators. By bringing them in during the egg or tiny caterpillar stage, they can be protected until they become butterflies. I’m just trying to do my little part to help them. It’s become a compulsion for me. It involves a lot of cage cleaning (the caterpillars poop a LOT), constant cuttings of fresh milkweed to feed them, and everyday water changes in the milkweed tubes. It’s not just bringing them in and forgetting them until they’re butterflies. When I have an adult butterfly to release, there is a lot of satisfaction. One more breeder, or one more egg-layer. One more beautiful creature for our pleasure. Edited August 26, 2021 by Betty LaRue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Ventura Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 1 hour ago, Betty LaRue said: Thank you, Michael! I love nature. 20 years ago when traveling 100 miles north from my Oklahoma City to Blackwell, OK to see my mother in my home town every week, I saw hundreds of migrating Monarchs flying south in September/October. To the point I was afraid they’d hit my car. As the years passed, there were fewer and fewer. Now the numbers are way down, and one day if nothing is done, they could become extinct. Used to, at any given time in the summer, I could find multiple Monarchs on my flowers. I think I’ve seen two this summer. People planting milkweed in their yard helps. Even then, the survival rate outdoors from egg to butterfly is just a few percent, due to predators. By bringing them in during the egg or tiny caterpillar stage, they can be protected until they become butterflies. I’m just trying to do my little part to help them. It’s become a compulsion for me. It involves a lot of cage cleaning (the caterpillars poop a LOT), constant cuttings of fresh milkweed to feed them, and everyday water changes in the milkweed tubes. It’s not just bringing them in and forgetting them until they’re butterflies. When I have an adult butterfly to release, there is a lot of satisfaction. One more breeder, or one more egg-layer. One more beautiful creature for our pleasure. Which animals can eat them? I don't know that much about them but I understand that they get a toxin from the milkweed that makes them toxic to other creatures. Isn't there a copycat butterfly that mimics the look of a Monarch just so birds won't eat them. I imagine the biggest culprit to their dwindling numbers is the lack of natural milkweed that has been removed due to human encroachment/development into their habitats. So yes, you are doing a great thing by doing your part to help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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