Spring Flowers – Lebanon Hills Park Eagan

Lebanon Hills is my favorite local park in Eagan. It is easy to get to and huge and I hardly ever get lost..

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All of my work is copyrighted by Wayne Moran Photography.
Copyright Wayne Moran Photography 2012
All rights reserved

Yes I have a web site and yes it has a modeling portfolio building section on it, but I am not advertising that at all. I eventually asked him and he said he was looking at a picture of the beautiful Diana Giebler that I had taken. Of course it had my brand logo on it so he looked me up from there. It is always funny to see how people find you. I digress.

Finally a nice spring day was forecasted so we scheduled our outing. I have a great spot at the Historic Sibley House in Mendota MN that I use for a safe get to know you place. It has great old brick buildings, gardens, a train track and a forest. It is perfect for many circumstances and occasions.

So we met. The day was perfect and it was time to get to know Mark a little bit better. Turns out he was brand new to modeling so I had to think fast to try to see what type of poses would work for a newbie. As I looked him over I was seeing this wonderful rugged almost Clint Eastwood look in him. That was one of the looks that stuck with me for the entire shoot. But then there was the Chris O’Donnell look from NCIS: Los Angeles. Both my assistant Mark PhotoGuy and I thought he looked like Chris. But weather it is Clint or Chris, either way it was the rugged look that would be the look we would be going for.

We only were able to spend about an hour and this is what we were able to do. My main focus in the early stages of capturing any model is to capture the eyes. To me the eyes are the most important part of any model. So that is the main focus of much of this session. Of course we have many more but this is some of the best of the best.

So, if you are interested in building up your modeling portfolio, contact me and let’s get together. Let’s do some brain storming to see what you are looking to do, what look you are trying to achieve and where we would need to go to capture it. I am all about working with you to capture the ideal you.

Let’s make it happen.

Contact me today.

Many of you may know that a countries debt is measured in a ratio that compares current national debt to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We know from Wiki that GDP, ”refers to the market value of all officially recognized final goods and services produced within a country in a given period.”

So what is a normal Debt-to-GDP ratio?  How about if we ask the question a slightly different way? What are the ratios of the countries that have terrible debt problems?  These may be a bit easier to find and easier to understand.

So the first thing I did was look for a list of the countries with the worst debt. This is a list of the 15 worst Debt-to-GDP countries .

1. Japan - They had terrible debt since the burst of their real estate bubble. The
   tsunami just made it worse.
2. Saint Kitts and Nevis
3. Lebanon
4. Zimbabwe
5. Greece – They are in the mist of their crisis.
6. Iceland – Thye have already had a huge crisis.
7. Jamaica
8. Italy
9. Singapore
10. Belgium
11. Ireland – They already had a huge debt crisis.
12. Sudan
13. Sri Lanka
14. France
15. Portugal

Japan was a surprise for me initially.  I know their economy has been terrible for almost a generation now but this bad? Not only had their huge real estate bubble devastated them but also add the recent devastating tsunami and you have a complete economic disaster on
your hands.  One may wonder if they will ever recover.

Many of the countries in the top 15 list are no surprise at all. They are either a banana republic or they are countries that have been experiencing civil war for a generation or more.

There are some that have been in the news for either going completely bankrupt and defaulting on bond payments like Iceland and Ireland and Greece is currently going through their civil unrest due to some of the austerity measures being put in place to attempt to stave off defaulting on their debt.

So let’s take a look at some of the more interesting countries that might be a better comparison to the United States.

Greece Debt/GDP Chart

http://www.economicsinpictures.com/2011/09/greek-debtgdp-only-22-in-1980.html

It is somewhere over 143% now.

Italy Debt/GDP Chart

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/italy/general-government-net-debt-in-percent-of-gdp-imf-data.html

Italy is sitting above 120%

Belgium Debt/GDP Chart

target="_blank" href="http://www.tradingeconomics.com/belgium/central-government-debt-total-percent-of-gdp-wb-data.html">http://www.tradingeconomics.com/belgium/central-government-debt-total-percent-of-gdp-wb-data.html

Belgium at 92%

France Debt/GDP Chart

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/france/general-government-net-debt-in-percent-of-gdp-imf-data.html

France is above 82%

Portugal Debt/GDP Chart

http://www.indexmundi.com/portugal/public_debt.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8404350/Portugals-economy-in-graphs.html?image=1

Portugal seems to be above 77%

Spain Debt/GDP Chart

http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=3t8

Latest numbers for Spain that I could find have the debt above 47%.

US Debt/GDP Chart

So what is the damage for the US?  We have heard of all the dire predictions
from the PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) of Europe so surely the US
has to be so much better off, right?

Take a look at this chart. http://dailybail.com/home/chart-us-debt-to-gdp-1940-2015.html

This is incredible!!!
Why are people not yelling this in the streets?  I have heard the arguments from TV talking
heads and “Smart Analysts” that America is so much stronger than all those
other countries and that this huge dept is not a problem for us.  Excuse my French, but I believe that is complete crap.

Do you remember during the .com bubble, when all the “smart” analysts were saying that “the rules of investing have changed permanently”?  They went on to day that “We do not have to value stocks the way we used to do it.” Well 2008 has proven them wrong and when the markets stop taking our IOUs and interest rates go through the roof these same “Smart Analysts” will be wrong again.

Conclusion

So the take away for this article is, what are you doing to
protect yourself and your family for when that day or reckoning comes?   I am not going to tell you how to do it, but
I would encourage you to start preparing for that day.  Prepare for the days of hyper inflation.

Footnote:

This chart shows total of several different countries.  This is mind blowing.

http://www.gfmag.com/tools/global-database/economic-data/10403-total-debt-to-gdp.html#axzz1qAHbC9LN

Cathedral of Saint Paul – Preparing for Easter

National Shrine of the Apostle Paul, Saint Paul, Minnesota

As we are in Lent preparing for Easter I had to get over to the St Paul Cathedral to attempt to capture they way they prepare for Easter in that magnificent structure. This is one of the images that I captured.

Notice how the dove (Image of the Holy Spirit) explodes with light at the top of the image. I had never noticed that before..

Check out their website www.cathedralsaintpaul.org/

In an article at OxRun.com Why Google Plus Failing and You Will Stop Using it, they show you what it is and why it is failing.

I have used Google+ quite a bit, I have what some would say is a pretty large following, but I must say I am getting to the point where I completely ignore it. It just is not interesting. But why?
Granted these arguments are pretty emotional and very subjective but hey, I am an emotive guy but I am also very intuitive and I am willing to bet many people will indeed agree with me.

Read the entire article.

“Here’s some advice. Stay alive.”

-Haymitch Abernathy

“Winning means fame and fortune.
Losing means certain death.
The Hunger Games have begun…”

“Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games”
-Peeta Mellark

“Panic begins to set in. I can’t stay here. Flight is essential.”…”But I can’t let my fear show”.
-Katniss Everdeen

“The more likable he is, the more deadly he is.”
-Katniss Everdeen

“She has no idea. The effect she can have”
-Peeta Mellark

“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”
-Effie Trinket

“Scores only matter if they’re very good, no one pays much attention to the bad or mediocre ones.”
-Portia

“Katniss, the girl who was on fire”
-Cinna

“It’s not a fair comparison really. Gale and I were thrown together by a mutual need to survive. Peeta and I know the other’s survival means our own death.”
-Katniss Everdeen

“I am not pretty. I am not beautiful. I am as radiant as the sun”.
-Katniss Everdeen

Cinna: “When you’re asked a question, find me, and answer it as honestly as possible.”
Katniss: “Even if what I think is horrible?”
Cinna: “Especially if what you think is horrible.”

Caesar: “Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what’s her name?”
Peeta: “Well, there is this one girl. I’ve had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I’m pretty sure she didn’t know I was alive until the reaping.”
Caesar: “She have another fellow?”
Peeta: “I don’t know, but a lot of boys like her.”
Caesar: “So, here’s what you do. You win, you go home. She can’t turn you down then, eh?”
Peeta: “I don’t think it’s going to work out. Winning…won’t help in my case”
Caesar: “Why ever not?”
Peeta: “Because…because…she came here with me.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games begin!”
Claudius Templesmith

“Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you.”
-Katniss Everdeen

Spring flowers in MN.

So being I am a Canon guy with the 5D Mark II there are always times when it would be nice to at least try to use the incredible HD video capabilities of the camera. I am not one of those geeks that have to try everything right when you get it so I have left the video side of the camera somewhat in the shadows. But my daughter was going to be singing with a group and I knew I really wanted to capture that video.

When the event came up I knew I needed to set the camera up on a tripod to shoot it nicely and use the best lens I could get my hands on. I did a few test videos in the room under the lighting conditions for the evening and I realize I would have to adjust the white balance so that the people and background were not too oddly colored. Being I was shooting in Aperture Priority AV all I had to do to set the white balance was select the WB button in the top of the camera and then cycle through the options until the color looked optimum. Turns out none of them looked good so I set white balance to the K (Kelvin Temperature setting) then set the specific light temperate. In this case I set it to 3200. I know this is crazy but light actually has a temperate (see more about light temperature setting on cameras).

So I finally shot the video. You can see it here.

As I look at the video I notice there are two problems:

1. When I shoot in an auditorium with low light the people seem to get overexposed (blown out) because by default the camera meters the light settings for the entire scene.
2. The on camera microphone does not do a great job of recording sound.

So what are the ways around these issues?

Overexposed People

I did not realize that you can actually shot the video in manual mode. What that means is that I can actually manually override most of the settings that would normally set if you were doing regular photography. There is a great article here that tells you exactly how to do all that. So now I am completely set for next time from a video quality perspective

Poor Sound Quality

Believe it or not, the sound on this recording is actually the best I had ever heard on my camera. It is decent in this case because the mics and the speakers were pretty well laid out in the room but they sound could even be better. I realized that I needed an off camera mic. But what in the world should I look for? I am sure there has to be a million options out there.

So I posed the question to my camera and video contacts. Again and again the answer came back; you need to look at the Rode Videomic Pro or the Stereo Videomic Pro. So I did some research. This video compares in camera mic with Rode mic side by side. The difference is so incredible.

Check out this review video here

Now it is clear to me, if I am going to be doing any more video work and especially recording music in a large loud room, it is time to get a real mic. Are you in the same place?

Check out the mic here…

After the movie “Act of Valor” came out, a friend of mine talked to me about how powerful the Chief Tecumseh poem was at the end of the movie. After that discussion I went out and found the poem and posted in a previous post. The response for that post has been one of the most overwhelming responses of any article I have published since starting blogging in 2003. The combination of this movie and this poem strikes people very deeply and they are willing to express their thoughts on the movie to the world. I encourage you to go read the comments. Some are so powerful they may move you to tears.

Many of the visitors have been asking me if they can buy a print or some kind of wall hanging of the poem to hang on their walls in their home or office. So after many requests I contracted with the design team at OxRun LLC to come up with something that is beautiful and respectful of Chief Tecumseh, the poem and the movie. I would like to present to you the result of that process. We hope this is exactly what you are looking for.
If you would like some different design or option, please let us know.

You can buy prints, framed prints and canvases at this Online Store. Thank you for all your great feedback.

Let us know if we can be of any other assistance to you.

Thank you

Wayne Moran

Act of Valor Trailer

Act of Valor Quotes:

“for all those who have been down range, to us, and to those like us, Damn Few.”

“You live your life by a code, it’s your shoreline, it’s what guides you home.  And trust me, you’re always trying to get home.”

“No one’s stronger than a man who can harness his emotions and his past.
Use it as motivation to write the most important letter of your life.”

Chief Tecumseh Poem

At the end, it had this amazing poem by Native American Shawnee Chief, Tecumseh.

The poem moved me very deeply and the first friend I spoke with today also mentioned the poem so I had to find it and share it. I hope it encourages you, lifts your spirit and helps you to strive for the greatness that you were created for. Respect others and demand that they respect you. Work hard to beatify the things around you.
- Wayne

With that I give you Tecumseh

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion;respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.