Spending a lot of time with BeFunky. I am really enjoying the program and the creativity it has sparked. I am finding life in photos that I liked but didn't LOVE. Here is another collage project and some photos I have been working on. I am putting together a new Art Series by Trayson Conner Photography and really just having fun with these. Contact me if you'd like to purchase a print.

     In preparing for an upcoming art show next month, I was asked to make a 4 photo collage to go to the local art association newsletter. I had never made a collage before and I had a deadline of "NOW". I know one can be made in Photoshop or Lightroom but I needed something with a much shorter learning curve. After watching a few how to videos on YouTube, I decided to look online for an alternative. I found Collage Maker by BeFunky. I had a great collage spit out in under 5 minutes and that include hunting down my photo file on my computer.

The upcoming show is at the beautiful, new, micro EB Gallery in OKC on February 2nd from 6-9PM.

    Here is a great read from one of my favorite people, Sir Richard Branson. He talks about being in the moment and being happy instead of doing things to make us happy. Here are his tips for happiness for 2018. I have always found Sir Branson to be approachable but this one statement really says to me who I think he is. This is something I really need to learn this year.

First Friday Art Walk in the Paseo District is tomorrow night from 6-10PM. I will be showing at the Prairie Arts Collective, a cute little studio gallery where owners Shawn and Patrick Patterson create and sell custom stained glass pieces. The shop is full of eccentric fun wares for your home with lots of local artwork among the treasures. Both Shawn and Patrick are so much fun. They are truly a happy people.

I will be displaying some new works printed on metal along with some classic favorites.

What started out as a trip to a small mountain bar photo shoot in Green Mountain Falls Colorado, turned out to produce one of my most popular images. This is going way back to May of 2008. The band Creating a Newsense hired me to go shoot photos of the Pine Gables Tavern, the bar that they had recently played and recorded in. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was greeted with this scene. It was straight out of a movie in my head.

This is unedited, straight out of the camera. This is what I saw. As I moved around for different angles and shots, someone started to notice me. I however didn't notice until I was home later and looking at all the images. Some of you may recognize the truck. You can barely see the passenger that has become the star of the image I call "Dog Days".

I saw a meme this week that said if 2017 had a name, it was Felicia. 2017 was the hardest year of my life. I am glad it's over. 

Today is Jan 2, 2018. Yesterday I watched my OU Sooners football team squander away their national title hopes, again. So I consider today to be the start of a new year. It begins a new year for the Sooners and for me too.

Today's beer: Founders Breakfast Stout. So good once it warms up a bit. You don't want to drink this brew or really any dark brews cold right out of the fridge. Cup the glass in your hand and warm it up a bit. The coffee and chocolate flavors will really start to come out.

Everyone makes new year resolutions although I assume there is no possibility in keeping them. This I also assume is not deliberate but merely a product of lack of a plan for the days that get in the way of these pseudo promises to ourselves. So how do we keep these resolutions in check? Here are a few tips.

1. Get a plan
2. Get a buddy for accountability
3. Have a specific goal/outcome that is truly achievable. Vague goals give poor results.
4. Make sure it has easy parts for those "in the way" days.
5. Preplan one day off a week/month to help with burn out
6. Write it in lipstick right smack in the middle your bathroom mirror for one month.
Clean it off and re-write it in a different color for another month. Do this every month.
7. Have an awesome reward at the end. Something you really want.

My resolutions this year are:
1. Write once a week or more. There should be at least 52 more posts on here this time next year.
2. Reach my weight goal by March and keep it through the summer.
3. Increase my photography sales by 10% by sharing and showing more

For the past few weeks, I have been working on Project: One Week in Colorado. So far I have a slide show of over 1800 images cut down from over 8000. This project will span at least 12 years of images I have taken on my family's annual summer trip to Creede, Colorado, a tradition that started well before I was born. It's massive and it's meant to be. My computer doesn't like it one bit. Here are 15 images, with at least one from each year as a teaser. This project is not 1800 photos that would be hung in a gallery. They are images of my hikes and Jeep trips, family pics, images of a place that changes year to year. Some years were green and some were black after the fires. Some years the creeks are full and others just a trickle. I love Colorado and this last summer was my 40th year to go. It was also the first year that my parents didn't get to go. There will be a lot of pictures that no one has ever seen.