Yes, It's December!!!

So, let's begin with some seasonal questions. Have you bought your tree yet? How about your Xmas/holiday cards, yet? How are you doing with gift shopping? Yes, it's December. 

Just to let you all know, my answer is a big, resounding NO to all my questions! Maybe I'll do all these tasks this weekend!

Here is a suggestion for a gift certificate. The Attleboro adult education program will be starting a new series of sessions near the end of January. Photography will be one that I plan on coaching. That would probably be a good time to offer another introductory class to digital cameras.

Many lucky people will be receiving new digital cameras from Santa and still will not really know much, or anything, about all those buttons and menu functions. Whether it's a point and shoot or a $1,200 dollar interchangeable lens DSLR, many of the functions are the same. 

And then, how about features of good composition, using available light, using the built in flash—on sunny days, some basic posing guidelines for individuals or family groups?  Do your past snow pictures look a bit gray than a nice bright white? There is a reason for that.

Anyway, send me an e-mail if you or a loved one would be interested in the class:  shoppix@photo.net . Also, if you want a more advanced class, please also e-mail me and I could possibly run two classes. Classes run for six evenings (once per week) and I usually try to do an outdoor shoot on a Saturday or Sunday, as the weather allows. That is essentially a little "extra" from me.

It will for FREE! Yes, FREE. Any families of military serving overseas and not able to be home for the holidays? Would you like to have some professional portraits and/or candids taken to send to them? E-mal me today, again, atshoppix@photo.net . Perhaps a church or civic organization would like to organize a group get-together for this purpose. I will offer my time and digital files for FREE!

And, just in today's news ... the US Supreme Court is going to seriously consider taking a case regarding, well, I guess the definition of marriage!!!! Oh boy, that's going to be one heckuva battle, discussion and then some! What do I think??? Well, make a quick decision and get on with more important issues that our country faces. I don't care what they call it, unions between gays and lesbians, but let them join together legally, collect their taxes and get on with it. And make this "union" legal in all states, not just where the ceremony took place.

So, what do you think?? Send me your yeses and nos, or your wrath and "not so good wishes." Let's hear it. Start plucking away on you computers and sound off. While you're at it, sound off to our congressional folks and tell them to continue with the middle-class tax cuts. Make them permanent, raise taxes on the wealthy by eliminating many of the applicable deductions, and taxing all, yes all, their income!