December Challenge

For what ever reason I have decided to challenge myself again in multiple areas. Life has become a bit mundane these last few weeks and I need to shock the system. I have a new format that has the goals listed with the challenges just for clarity purposes. All challenges will last until the end of the year.

Here goes....

I want to Keep up with my blog more. People seem to be reading so I'll give them more to read.

Challenge #1 Blog everyday with a new photo in every post. At the end of every post I will include my workout of the day. (you can consider this a bonus feature)

Today's photo. Drive by photo

Next goal is to be as fit as possible by the end of the month. Not to be as fit as I have ever been but just to have an amazing month of workouts and clean eating.

Challenge #2 Perform 16 crossfit and 8 PACE (interval sprints) workouts in the month of Dec.

Challenge #3 Eat all meals from my kitchen. This may not mean much to you the reader but if I cook anything it is 100% of the time super healthy. Eating out is where I slip up. Foundation to my diet is Zone/Burn the fat feed the muscle.

Next I want to continue learning the piano with a goal of playing 5 Christmas songs with my family.

Challenge #4 Practice 30 minutes 16 times before Christmas. Think I can learn 5 songs in 8 hours? I'm gonna do it!

Here's a tough one for me... I haven't been going to sleep before 12 this whole last month. I think I know what the problem is...

Challenge #5 Limit myself to one cup of coffee a day. Yeah you heard me right.

Challenge #6 In bed by 9:30 and up by 5:00

I have so many books I want/need to read. I have been in a reading slump for some reason.

Challenge #7 Read 30mins a day morning or night.

OK last one... I have stalled on some of my business Ideas. I want to set these up so I can leave the rat race and be financially free.

Challenge #8 Work on my business ideas 30 mins a day if not more. If i make small steps everyday I could be at the top of the mountain soon.


OK I think that's enough to do the trick. I should be a new man in a month. My good friend Dan told me once - If you do what ya did, you get what ya got. I have a vivid dream that includes a version of me that I am proud of. Here I come dude.

Crossfit Workout (does not count)

20 Burpees
12 Dead Lifts 135lbs
30 24inch box jumps
4 rounds for time

Saturday wasted

Man oh man. 4 days of vacation over thanksgiving and I catch a cold. I was down hard yesterday and today I'm about %50. I had to cancel an engagement shoot that I was super excited about. Oh well they are friends and we rescheduled for Sunday. Zinc lozenges rule.

My sister got 2 awesome lenses from canon professional services: the 70-200 f/2.8L and the 85mm f/1.2L. Oh man this is some nice glass. I have to mail them back on monday so I'm itchin to shoot with them. Here's what I got on thanksgiving....

The bokah is silky smooth in this image.

Stable of glass. we own the 2 in the middle.

So today in my bed ridden state I have been reading about off camera flash. Zack Arias is the master of one off camera flash. I really like how one light can modify a photograph. I think from now on I'm going to shoot like this. Hmmm ok so I'm going to need 2 pocket wizards, a vivitar 285, a huge soft box with stand.....

Ohhh look at the baby (cooing voice)

What a cutie! Here's Eric and Aubrey's beautiful new baby boy. Ethan arrived on the 10th and their lives changed forever. Here he is mid sneeze....
They asked me to come over and take some pictures. When I got there no one but Ethan was ready to be photographed. I'll get some happy family photos when they get more sleep.

Green Gruel

Here's what I ate post ride today....

Ingredients:
Cottage Cheese
Almond Butter
Vanilla Soy Protein Powder
Greens+
Splenda

It's Really gross looking but it tastes like ice cream. Every time I eat this at work my peers look at me like I am growing antlers. It's certainty not for everyone. This is my super healthy post exercise or before bed snack. My sister gave me this recipe and she found it from a book I gave to her. YUM!

Weekend in Flag

I took Friday off from work to get a head start on a very relaxing weekend in Flagstaff. My buddy Dan has an awesome cabin about 15 minutes away from Flag. I had my nose in a book most of the weekend so I didn't get a chance to take many photos. Here's one I took Saturday on a downtown walkabout....
We were in Flagstaff celebrating a new beginning in Dan's life. He put his 2 weeks in at work and is going to be a full time entrepreneur. The only down side to this whole story is that Dan is leaving his position in MMC and guess who will get all his work? Yeah that's right me. No worries I can handle it. I'm gonna need an intern :)

Flagstaff is an amazing place. The people here are very different than Phoenix people. There is just an inherent kindness to them. I always feel welcome when I go there. I'll have to go back soon.

I found 3 photography studios in downtown Flag. I made some new friends and I got invited to come back in a few weeks and show off some of my work. I better get to work on printing some of my photos. i took a picture of their sign so I wouldn't forget any names.

Messin around

I was at my sisters house this weekend. She has lots of really cool equipment and she lets me borrow most of it anytime I want - THANKS AIMEE! I was playing with the vivitar 285 flash and some pocket wizards. I had the flash on the table and I was bouncing it off a big white door.

The above picture is from left to right - Aimee, Grace, Abby, Grace, Norm. No one else would hold still long enough. According to Wiki this type of image is called a Polyptych. I have no idea how to pronounce that.

Whoa.. explain this.

I'm reading this new book I got on Thursday. It's on NLP which is a study of human communication among other things. Friday morning I was gathering things for work and decided to grab the NLP book for some reading after work in the park. I needed a bookmark so I grabbed one of the polaroids from last weekend. It was a picture of Shannon and I at dinner before the concert.

Ok so I head off to work, normal day, after work I head to the park to knock out a few chapters. I get to the end of the 2nd chapter, put the book down, and take this picture.....
Pleased with my creativity for the moment, I dive back into the start of chapter three. About 4 lines into the first paragraph I read this.... On the inspiration side is Dr. Edwin Land, inventor of instant photography and the founder of Polaroid Corporation. His little daughter wanted to see a picture of herself right away and asked her father why it took so long to develop pictures. This inspired Land to put the development process right in the film.

Umm.. Wha? Did this just happen? Am I in a dream? What a coincidence! I think someone is trying to tell me something. Weird and wonderful.

Sunday Fun

Wow what a fun day. Shannon and her friend Denise we in town to see Regina Spektor at the Orphium. We made a whole day of it starting with an incredible breakfast at Original Pancake House.

You could hang a picture with Shanon's posture.

These pancakes were soooo gooood.

We really had no plans except for the concert so we winged it and went for a hike. It was super hot so we stayed long enough for Shannon to get the essential cactus growing out of your head shot.

Den wanted to see some nature. So here we are

Shan blogged from the car. Ha so cool.

We found this cool old bookstore and Shan bonded with the locals.
Waiting for Scott meant more pics of Den. She is such a good sport.
Shan in action with HER 30D.

The place we wanted to go to dinner was closed (so was the rest of Downtown Phoenix) so we improvised.

We had a little time before dinner so we took some buddy shots. Notice the tree growing out of my head. Shan will be proud.

I love food shots. Shannon took this one.

After diner we were off to the show. I didn't get many shots of the Regina because she was putting on an amazing show.

Thanks girls for the fun day. It couldn't of been better.