Maybe a bit of a departure from nature photography, but I thought it might be fun and interesting to start a thread where everybody could share with others what they do to pay the bills.
This is a shot from a field trip today to Lake Atalanta, where my students do some water quality testing on Frisco Spring. I take all 140 or so of them (over two days of course) here every year to enjoy the outdoors during the fall. It also helps me get to know my students a little better, and ease some of the tensions that seem to build-up in the classroom. One the most enjoyable experiences is watching the girls scream when one of them touchs a plump touch-me-not. What a hoot...they think it's a bug I guess.
For those inquiring minds that want to know, the temperature of the water was a cool 15 C, pH was 7.9, 9 ppm dissolved oxygen, 3 ppm nitrate, no detectable phosphate (any Oklahoma readers out there?),
9 ppm chloride, and 145 ppm calcium carbonate - which means it's fairly soft.
In case you don't know about my current and former job. I used to be the Chief Photographer at Tv station 40/29 in western Arkansas. I shot news, sports, documentaries, death and destruction. I have shot in Italy, Austria,Honduras, and Mexico City. I've been to the worst disasters that this country has seen in modern times. After 16 years in Tv, I retired from full time shooting in 2001 to run a Tv satellite truck for national networks and cables channels. I occasionally get hired to shoot video for network Tv, but I'm usually out doing satellite shots for ESPN, CNN, Weather Channel (hurricanes), and the rest.
But my real love is being out in nature with my wife shooting images while exploring the best that Arkansas has to offer. I have a lot of time on my hands in between gigs, so I spend as much time as I can trying to become a better photographer. This forum and it's members inspire me everyday and I thanks each and everyone of you for it.
I look forward to what Bill has started. What do you do?
This image is from the inside of my truck from last week's "Monday Night RAW" on USA network.
http://satlink1.blogspot.com/
Pretty impressive clientele, Mike! Would you ever consider talking to a bunch of high school students in the Arts and Communication Academy at Rogers? I'm always looking for industry pros to motivate them with their real world experiences, and I think they would enjoy listening to you.
It's been years since I talked to colleges and high schools. Email me some time and we'll set it up.
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on October 1, 2009 at 10:32 PM
I'm not sure how to take a picture of me doing what I do to pay the bills. So I'll just make you all feel better about your jobs with my words .... I market and sell outsource tax compliance services to major corporations.
Our company is a privately owned service bureau, we prepare & remit sales, use, telecom and a bevy of other tax returns & payments on behalf of our clients. I can hear the yawns now ....
Now you know why I need to get outside with a camera occassionally.
Posted by Rob Graham on October 1, 2009 at 11:16 PM
I'm a radiologic technologist, working in CT, Nuclear Medicine, and diagnostic x-ray. I take b/w images for pay, and color images for fun :).
I took this photo of a radiograph a couple years ago for an image request showing magnification.
OK, I'll jump in here. For the past 21 years I've been the pastor of the Woodland Heights Baptist Church in Conway. That's half my total 42 years in ministry in Oklahoma and Arkansas. You can see me and read more at:
http://whbcconway.org/staff.html
I have the pleasure of being pastor to some very neat folks that include Mike and Karla Hall (see above) and a number of other accomplished photographers.
Always nice to have people close to you that appreciate and understand what you enjoy doing in your spare time!
Dave Hatfield
Posted by Scott Bean on October 1, 2009 at 11:44 PM
What a cool thread! I'm a research chemist for the USDA's Agriculture Research Service - though I'm not what most people might think of as a "real" chemist...My research is supposed to find new ways to use milo, my group works a lot on making the proteins work better in food products for people that can't eat wheat. The research is fun and I have a great group to work with but the administrative side of working for the government will drive you up the wall sometimes...that is when I grab the camera and head out the door...at least I don't need to get administrative approval for that and file form blah, blah, blah in triplicate!
Posted by Tim Buchanan on October 2, 2009 at 11:44 AM
This is an interesting thread! As a software engineer telecommuting from home, I spend my days looking at stuff like the above C++ code. There's beauty here if you like that kind of thing, but I'd rather be in the woods somewhere!
I'm a paralegal and work for a law firm in Topeka. I know - I can hear the lawyer jokes swimming around in your heads! Lawyers really aren't bad people, but some of them certainly have some attitude and that, coupled with the constant deadlines I must deal with, creates a lot of stress. I've been in the legal field for 20+ years and honestly I enjoy what I do. Last year I studied my a** off for about 3 months and obtained my Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) certification from the Nat'l Assn of Legal Assistants. Finding out I had passed was one of the greatest moments in my life, but it still pales in comparison to the feeling I had while watching and photographing the sunrise at Dead Horse Point in Utah a couple years ago. Photography helps me keep my sanity
Posted by Larry Daniel on October 2, 2009 at 3:29 PM
What do I do? As little as possible?
Help my wife in real estate, trucking company executive, budding photographer?, and now a little traveling.
Angela, evidently Dead Horse Point is a good site for sunrises? Planning to be in the Moab area the last of this month, first of next.
I've been in some form of Engineering and design for 25 years now, the last 10 at my current employer, H.E. Williams Inc. designing light fixtures. It's been a great place to work and to my surprise designing the fixtures is far more interesting than I anticipated. If anyone ever wants to be bored to tears someday just let me tell you about .IES files, fixture efficiency, T5 vs T8, paint reflectivity, etc. I will be happy to make your eyes glaze over. Here's 4 different designs from over the years.
Posted by Tom Kennon on October 3, 2009 at 10:52 AM
I am in the Metal Distribution business. We sell all types of metals to manufacturing business that use steel, aluminum, brass, copper and stainless steel in their products. We are really kind of like a supermarket for all types of metals. We do saw, shear and burn parts for our customers. The picture is of a high definition laser machine we use to cut parts from 16ga to 8" thick.
Posted by John Moore on October 3, 2009 at 11:53 AM
I've been in the ticket printing business for 17 years. We produce season tickets, parking passes, game credentials, etc. for many well-known professional and college sporting events. I'm constantly seeing a game on TV and exclaiming to whoever is around "We did the tickets for that!" It's exciting work, with each new day having a different set of challenges. A portion of my work is on the graphic design side. It's amazing what today's graphic artists do in Photoshop. I wish I could share a more interesting image, but I can't break security protocol.
Posted by Karla Hall on October 3, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Very interesting thread Bill. What a variety of people we have here! As for me, my principal job is a wife to Mike (see above) and our 2 beautiful daughters Taylor and Layne. In my spare time I hold down a full time position at Fast Foto, Conway as a Lab Tech, doing printing, photoshop etc...I worked as a portrait photographer for many years in Fort Smith and do still shoot portrait work for friends, but have really "retired" from that facet of photography. I volunteer for my church orchestra as an all around flunky, printing off music, scheduling and of course playing. Mike and I enjoy spending time together shooting and just out enjoying nature. It's been a pleasure to be able to hoan our craft among such great minds here on the forum. You all are great!
Posted by Merle Cook on October 4, 2009 at 4:05 PM
This is what I did - Not what I do.. I joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. February 21, 1966 as a Corrections Officer (Jailer). I retired 33 years and 10 months later as a Lieutenant/Watch Commander. In the ensuing years I worked 18 seperate assignments including Minimum/Medium/Maximum and Super Max Jails as a C/O, Deputy,Sgt. and Lt., Patrol as a Deputy & Sgt., News Media Liaison as a Dep. and Sr. Dep., Data Systems as Sgt., Traffic/Operations/Patrol/Watch Sgt., Watch Commander/Operations/Field as Lt., both East L.A. Mexican Riots, both Malibu Fires, Security on the Charles Manson Trial, News Media Liaision on the S.L.A. trials (Symbian Liberation Army)sp. - both Romero & Little and the Patty Hearst/Bill & Emily Harris trials. I was not involved in the O.J. Simpson or Rodney King fiascos - They belonged to L.A.P.D..
We moved to central Missouri in July, 2000 and haven't looked back. L.A. looks much better from 1800 miles away. I used to be "The cop that lives down the street" - now I'm "That old guy down the road that goes fishing all the time".....
Posted by Aaron Szabo on October 7, 2009 at 3:05 PM
I'm the owner of a small video production company call Imagine Film Company. I'm usually sitting on my butt editing video while dreaming about going outside to shoot photos or make films. Sometimes I don't go outside all day! I watch tons of movies in my home theatre and plan on directing a sweet feature film in the near future. I love ebay, macs, sharp lenses, big printers and new technology. I try to work half as much as most people while still making enough.
Oh, I also work a day or two at Bedfords on College in Fayetteville AR. If anyone ever needs LENSES or CAMERAS, I'm your man. We've got the Canon 7D's in stock, 17mm Tilt Shift, new 100mm IS macro, Nikkor 200mm F2 VR and lots great lenses right now that I can sell at BandHphoto prices or better...
Discussion
16 repliesThis is a shot from a field trip today to Lake Atalanta, where my students do some water quality testing on Frisco Spring. I take all 140 or so of them (over two days of course) here every year to enjoy the outdoors during the fall. It also helps me get to know my students a little better, and ease some of the tensions that seem to build-up in the classroom. One the most enjoyable experiences is watching the girls scream when one of them touchs a plump touch-me-not. What a hoot...they think it's a bug I guess.
For those inquiring minds that want to know, the temperature of the water was a cool 15 C, pH was 7.9, 9 ppm dissolved oxygen, 3 ppm nitrate, no detectable phosphate (any Oklahoma readers out there?),
9 ppm chloride, and 145 ppm calcium carbonate - which means it's fairly soft.
Let's see what everybody else does!
But my real love is being out in nature with my wife shooting images while exploring the best that Arkansas has to offer. I have a lot of time on my hands in between gigs, so I spend as much time as I can trying to become a better photographer. This forum and it's members inspire me everyday and I thanks each and everyone of you for it.
I look forward to what Bill has started. What do you do?
This image is from the inside of my truck from last week's "Monday Night RAW" on USA network.
http://satlink1.blogspot.com/
Our company is a privately owned service bureau, we prepare & remit sales, use, telecom and a bevy of other tax returns & payments on behalf of our clients. I can hear the yawns now ....
Now you know why I need to get outside with a camera occassionally.
I took this photo of a radiograph a couple years ago for an image request showing magnification.
http://whbcconway.org/staff.html
I have the pleasure of being pastor to some very neat folks that include Mike and Karla Hall (see above) and a number of other accomplished photographers.
Always nice to have people close to you that appreciate and understand what you enjoy doing in your spare time!
Dave Hatfield
Help my wife in real estate, trucking company executive, budding photographer?, and now a little traveling.
Angela, evidently Dead Horse Point is a good site for sunrises? Planning to be in the Moab area the last of this month, first of next.
We moved to central Missouri in July, 2000 and haven't looked back. L.A. looks much better from 1800 miles away. I used to be "The cop that lives down the street" - now I'm "That old guy down the road that goes fishing all the time".....
Oh, I also work a day or two at Bedfords on College in Fayetteville AR. If anyone ever needs LENSES or CAMERAS, I'm your man. We've got the Canon 7D's in stock, 17mm Tilt Shift, new 100mm IS macro, Nikkor 200mm F2 VR and lots great lenses right now that I can sell at BandHphoto prices or better...