Sunday TeaRoom 3/29/09 What do you want to be ...?

[Victoria]

Nice, interesting and different. I don't think I have seen this one out there? I am guessing Seigan? I hope to see it in the Hagi topic along with more pics!

What, this old thing??? hehehe ... Yes, Seigan.
ok

... other days I'd like to be a photographer for National Geographic.

And yet we never get to see your talent.
It's a shame I tell you.


In my cup this afternoon: White Peony.

[geeber1]

... other days I'd like to be a photographer for National Geographic.

And yet we never get to see your talent.
It's a shame I tell you.

Well, the National Geographic idea is a pretty lofty dream ... right now regular life has me too overwhelmed to put my heart into anything photo-related. Maybe in my twilight years I'll get the passion back. (and the $$ to buy better photo equipment to replace my crappy digital point & shoot) Maybe one of these days I'll find the time to do something 'artsy!'

Plus, Salsero, GeekGirl and others here are way beyond me talent-wise!

[silvermage2000]

I do not have the job I want yet but its not extremely out of touch. Today I have drank some teas etc tropical mist.

[Victoria]

... other days I'd like to be a photographer for National Geographic.

And yet we never get to see your talent.
It's a shame I tell you.

Well, the National Geographic idea is a pretty lofty dream ... right now regular life has me too overwhelmed to put my heart into anything photo-related. Maybe in my twilight years I'll get the passion back. (and the $$ to buy better photo equipment to replace my crappy digital point & shoot) Maybe one of these days I'll find the time to do something 'artsy!'

Plus, Salsero, GeekGirl and others here are way beyond me talent-wise!

Ha! They are for me too! But you could give me run for the money. hahaha

[Geekgirl]

Plus, Salsero, GeekGirl and others here are way beyond me talent-wise!

It's just time and practice... I always say if I can do it, anyone can.

I first got back into photography about 2 years ago, and still life shots last summer. And I have a LONG ways to go before I'm turning out photos like the ones by artists I admire. Here are a couple comparisons, all from the same camera:

2 years ago, my BEST shot of the day from the Chinese Classical Garden in Portland. The day was a nice mostly overcast, perfect for shooting:



A few months ago at the Japanese gardens, similar weather:



And, one of my very first tea photos:



One I like from a few weeks ago, although I can see critically that I have quite a bit to learn about lighting and comp. :



The biggest thing I've learned is to take my time setting up a shot, if the time is available. People say they need fancier equipment, and while it helps, time and lighting can make a world of difference. I've seen hundreds of photos taken by "crappy point and shoot" cameras that put my stuff to shame, and make any "talent" I might have look like fingerpainting with peanut butter..



I love seeing everyone's photos here. It's one of the reasons I like this forum so much, it's so visual!

[Dreamer]

Great poll question!!! Just for the record, any thoughts I had about being a photographer have been sufficiently laid to rest after looking at today's discussion!!!

I am living a pretty good dream right now...I get to be a part-time engineer (pays great, and satisfies the really analytical side of me) and part-time I'm building a science based people oriented business (also pays great and satisfies the caring side of me).

I shared a nice pot of Kenilworth Ceylon with the family this morning and this afternoon I'm enjoying O-cha Kabusecha (I just read that there will be a sincha version of this tea...mmmm sounds good).

I appreciated the transparency of the chatters in sharing their thoughts on this topic. It is so interesting to see how our world gives us so many paths to travel.

Keep dreaming,
Dreamer

[geeber1]

The biggest thing I've learned is to take my time setting up a shot, if the time is available. People say they need fancier equipment, and while it helps, time and lighting can make a world of difference. I've seen hundreds of photos taken by "crappy point and shoot" cameras that put my stuff to shame, and make any "talent" I might have look like fingerpainting with peanut butter..



I love seeing everyone's photos here. It's one of the reasons I like this forum so much, it's so visual!

GGU, you definitely have a talent and a passion!

My photo instructor in college used to say almost the same thing about depending on equipment over ability, but my equipment right now is seriously crappy, as in I can't take a decently focused photo at any distance! As far as time goes, I think that's my biggest issue - with my current work and home schedule, it's hard to find time to just play.

What I'd love to do is get my old film camera back into working condition. (My 35mm had foam seals that dissolved into goo - kind of a daunting task to clean it up and replace the seals!)

Anyhoo ... I LOVE the photos here on TeaChat that everyone posts. They are not only artistic, but I learn a lot too!

[Geekgirl]

What I'd love to do is get my old film camera back into working condition. (My 35mm had foam seals that dissolved into goo - kind of a daunting task to clean it up and replace the seals!)

Right there with ya on that one. I have one great old film cam with goo-seals, and another (its big brother, but still mostly manual,) with a malfunctioning shutter-winder. A good CLA + repair at a camera shop for both of these is going to cost me probably $175. Not to mention the time of getting them down there for the work. (I don't drive and it's a 3-bus ride to the camera shop. ) Not to mention the various vintage cams here I'd LOVE to have time to play with. Ha! Still...

[daughteroftheKing]

My goodness, quite the question.
I suppose my true dream career would be as a professional singer. And since I can be rather a clown on stage, think Patricia Routledge when she sang "I Want to Sing Opera". (Saw that on PBS, but can't find a link for it to add here)

A little more down-to-earth dream career would be as a Biblical Counselor. Considering it would be at least 3 more years of graduate work (its been a long time since I was in school) and the cost of school these days, well, I'm not really pursuing it right now. That probably contributes to the frustration with my job of the last 20+ years. It's a good job and was certainly what I was called to do for many years, but it's become absolutely limited in scope and I spend way too much time doing support/computer stuff instead of working directly with people.
(Sounds like I should take another look at that school $ thing.)

[daughteroftheKing]

Oh yes - drinking White Darjeeling today.
When to a local teashop yesterday but refrained from buying any more tea to add to my burgeoning teacabinets.

[brlarson]

Nice, interesting and different. I don't think I have seen this one out there? I am guessing Seigan? I hope to see it in the Hagi topic along with more pics!

What, this old thing??? hehehe ... Yes, Seigan.
ok ...

Your new bowl is really nice. Subtle coloring, and it looks comfortable.

I just had Zencha's ultimate sencha with a late supper.

[Ebtoulson]

Well for me what makes the job is the employer and working environment and since I'm still in college...its a maybe.

[entropyembrace]

I really have two dream careers...I want to do laboratory research in a biology field and I want to own and operate a tea house.

I think I'm in a position where I could end up doing one or the other in a few years...and maybe even both in my life but right now I'm in a limbo between high school and university while I sort out a different part of my life that I really felt needed to be dealt with before I started to really build a career or anything. So I'm not at all where I want to be but at least it's somewhere I need to go through to get there.

I had some jasmine dragon pearls today.

[Janine]

I'm grown up already
I've had different careers. I worked for publishing companies (English degree). I worked writing and broadcasting news. I was in charge of research for fledgling cable television programmer that later spawned off 2 huge successful networks (I should say that I *was* the research dept). I've studied voice & sung opera and jazz.

I have always written, but not for publication. It always was for myself. Now I have started combining two loves I've studied on my own: scripture/mystical theology and writing. I started a little blog that a some people whose opinions I value have begun to tell me is something special. I'm still shy about sharing it. But, it's like the beginning of something I always wanted to do more than the rest of what I've already done.