Did He Just Eyebrow Me?

I finished my first storyline in Dragon Age Origins. I got to the end, with my jaw on the floor the whole time. I figure I’m safe talking about my ending, since unless I reveal my exact choices , no two endings are ever the same.

As we know, Jessmyn the elf mage was involved with Alistair. Of course they couldn’t marry, her being a mage and not a noble. Double damned as it were. They went on to defeat evil, and see him become king. Jessmyn became his Chancellor, and he stayed by her side until he was called to rebuild the Gray Wardens. Not a bad ending for those two.

But, I want to see more endings and more beginnings. So I’m now playing a human rogue named Tessa. A noble. The origin story was way better than the Magi origin. Holy cow, was it emotionally charged. Hell half the game is. And believe me, the whole lead up to the end will have you sucked right in. Anyhow, She’s completed Ostagar and is doing her thing, and of course…is involved with Alistair.

I was telling my husband this yesterday, about the romance options and such and how Alistair’s sarcastic, silly, smartass nature reminds me of him. I’m pretty sure he thinks I’m nuts. But it’s true. They share alot of the same qualities. Including…one that made me drop my jaw in shock.

See when Hubby is home, and I do something he deems questionable, he has…the eyebrow. He is one of those people that can lift one eyebrow. It drives me NUTS. So I’m running around, killing bad guys and we stop as we see the big Ogre and I forget just what Alistair said…but I remember the look I got with my response!

He totally eyebrowed me!!!

Tags: Dragon Age: Origins

And Here It Is!

The two lenses on your right are the two new ones (Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 with Image Stabilisation and ultrasonic motor, and Canon 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L with IS and USM for the curious), the bag is the FIRST equipment bag I have ever seen that didn’t look all manly and boring. Not to mention one that didn’t just SCREAM out “hey look! I’m expensive photo equipment!”. Unfortunately my monster laptop doesn’t quite fit. It’s made to hold a 17’ laptop, however while mine is 17”, it’s also deeper than average. Oops. But it fits my equipment nicely for travel and that’ll have to be enough.

I guess if we fly anywhere, one of the kids will have to carry it as THEIR carryon if I’m taking my laptop.

That is my whole set up right there. Camera, lenses, bag, filters, and flash. I can’t wait to try it out. Unfortunately, I still live in the state of Washington (emphasis on the WASH), and UPS didn’t deliver any sunshine.

Tags: Photography

Just When I Thought I Was Safe

What is it with me and drunken, sarcastic, dwarves with attitudes? Really…what did I do to deserve such a thing?

Here I am once again, a female elf, a healer doing my thing and being awesome at it. Suddenly, I have a Dwarf in my party. Not just ANY dwarf, but an AXE wielding dwarf.

“If you’re the grey warden’s best their standards must really be slipping” he says…the nerve!

But what can I expect from a little mountain midget that “pisses ale and kills little boys that look at him wrong” according to the rumors. Oh, and he confessed to being completely drunk while we’re fighting the undead under the city.

Here we go again.

I’ve thrown dwarves off bridges for less.

Tags: Dragon Age: Origins

My Own Worst Enemy?

Have I ever mentioned I do photography? Well I do. But I somehow can’t bring myself to say “Photographer” with an “I am a…” in front of it. Self doubt is a nasty thing.

I go into the PX almost weekly, and frequently see a guy with his little concession stand selling his framed photos. It never fails, I think to myself “I could do that” and then look at my own shots in print form and go “or not”. It’s disheartening. The idea comes out just as I imagined but the colors are blah, or the focus is off.

This is in part due to poor monitor calibration. There are tools you can invest in for this, but I never have. The other part is lenses. I’m lacking a couple key ranges in my lenses. Birds and animals tend to never be at the 250mm focal range when I’m around. Oh no. They see me and settle somewhere at the 400mm range. Or, I find that the lens I got thinking it would do, doesn’t do as well as predicted. Though that’s only the case in one of them, and it came with my camera.

The solution is simple. Get the calibration tool so what you see on your screen is what you see when it prints, get the lenses you’re lacking.

The follow through is the hard part. I COULD get everything I need.  I’ve taken care of every priority, I’ve done my research, I have a MILLION ideas and things I can do in my head but I can’t sort them out until I get through this wall of self doubt. The barrier erected itself just as I added everything to my virtual shopping cart on B&H Photo.

What if I’m not as good as I once thought I was? What if I’m like those people on American Idol auditions that think they’re good because family and friends told them they were awesome, only they are really bad?? What if if all the stuff people have said are really just Shmophies??

It’s not that I don’t trust my family and friends, I do! I just don’t see what they see. And that makes me doubt myself. So much so that I’ve sat here all day questioning whether or not my skill is worth the investment. Is it worth the final pieces I’d need to start doing something with this muse I’ve had rambling about in my head?

What if I get the stuff and I really do suck?

But worse, what if I don’t? Maybe I don’t shoot much here in Washington. But? What happens on that trip from here to the East Coast when I see that animal my lens won’t reach? or have that perfect print ruined by lack of proper color adjustment?

I have the will to do it. I have the ideas, and plans. I have a Do It Yourself (DIY) site saved for our new place. One that reduces the cost of studio lighting to wal mart prices. I could learn matting and framing, I could open an Etsy shop, I could rescue my self rejected shots by manipulating them in photoshop into something artsy.

But is this worth it? I may never recover the cost through the equipment.  And does that matter? Shouldn’t it be enough that I’m happy with my work and enjoying my hobby again?

What about Hubby? He’s always believed in me more than I did, but he’s also seen me lose the spark and let the gear sit here for months. What if he’s lost that belief after all this inactivity? Or would he be happy to see me passionate about it again?  I wish I could ask, but…that’s impossible at the moment.

No. I need to stop. I need to open my file cabinet and look at the paystubs from the 2 years I was selling my photos through C.I.L.M. for signature tags. People at one time DID pay for my photos.  Maybe not in the conventional sense of buying a print to hang up. But to be used in Signature tags and graphics. And Not to brag, but I made a pretty decent amount of monthly play money while I was under contract.

Why CAN’T I do that again? Why shouldn’t I invest in myself again? Why shouldn’t I replace what I had to give up a few years ago. Why should I not get the rest of the tools I need to BE what I was then?

Only one thing is holding me back. And as usual. It’s me.

Tags: Ponderings

Here’s To You Mrs. Robinson

Let me start off with, even though there is nothing shown other than faces and shoulders. You’ve been warned, this is the continuation of the kiss pictures yesterday. Also, depending on what you consider a “Spoiler”, there may be one. I’m not sure. I don’t think there is but continue at your own risk if you’re just starting Dragon Age. There are no story parts involved, just screenshots and my opinion.

When we last left Jessmyn and Alistair…they had their first kiss. I was buying stock in Kleenex and all was well.

Well as of late last night, she managed to seduce him…

I have watched movies, and read books with equally moving love scenes. However DA manages to do it with pure romance, and tenderness…no body parts shown. Just shared looks, and wonderful music, in a cut scene. You only see the cut scene the first time. Luckily I had Fraps running.

Again…reduced to mush…

Look…he even watches her sleep!

Bioware has done an awesome job with this game. I’ve been a die hard WoW fan for three years, but even I find myself saying “Man, if only Blizz could do that…” while I play through my story. And that’s the great thing. This post, doesn’t really give away ANY story, except my own player character’s.  I love that in the middle of the bigger story, she gets to have her own, based solely on her choices.

And frankly how could she not choose Alistair…he’s like LITERALLY a knight in Shining Armor. Or umm…without in this case. /giggle

Tags: Dragon Age: Origins