Washington is chilly and quiet. But I'm beginning to adjust.

I went to a great slideshow, about human trafficking in SE Asia, by photographer Tim Matsui last Wednesday. I enjoyed Tim's work and the after-party too. We talked about what I needed to learn most and what Tim could teach me this Summer. We decided to do a bit of wax-on wax-off off work, Mr. Miyagi style...



First off, I'll be learning post-processing techniques. This is something I need badly. I tend to import everything I shoot, leave it on my hard drive, and I don't have a system of editing in Photoshop. So... looking forward to doing that with Tim this Thursday.

Friday is even more exciting. While searching for a camera on Craigslist last week, I found a wanted AD for a photographer owning a Nikon D200 and available to shoot in LA. Sounded fun to me and I was almost a D200 owner, so I gave it a shot. I talked to the photographer, who lives in New Jersey, and booked my flight to LAX. The deal was I'd be paid $300 to shoot alongside her for the day. This would just cover the cost of my flight and one night in a hotel.

Mixed results. I can't say much right now, because I'm not sure what will happen. All I know is I have a non-refundable ticket to Los Angeles this Friday, and I'll be lugging a bunch of camera gear no matter what. After this morning's "news", I hope the bride's feet warm up quickly. Otherwise they'll be paying for a photographer who'll be relaxing on the beach in San Diego. It'll be an adventure.

I've sent a letter and mini-portfolio to the editor of a local daily newspaper. Fingers crossed. Brian Smale just returned to Seattle, so I'll be giving him a call today.