Getting ready for life

So my mother and BF have been getting on me about finding work. I graduated in Dec. of '08 and I still just work as a server, although I have done a few things, which I have sheared on here.

I have a few ideas for things I been wanting to do. Last night I wouldn't sleep at all and I just got out of bed and started writing down notes and goals for the future.

Goals:

1. Finish my Lodi grapes.

This is something I have been working on for a while. I live in a town where the grape is know. We have tons of wineries and places that have a grape image. I have gone around town and shot many of these areas involved with grapes.
I need to get a few more photos so I can finish the compilation.

2. Grapes from all seasons.

Mom gave me the idea to take pictures of the grape vines throughout the seasons of one year. I'm almost done with this one. I just need to go through all the photos and pick out which are best. From this a few opinions can be done.
1. Mom thought about doing a calender and see if some of the wineries would sell them where I would shear some of the profits with them as an incentive to help me. But I looked into making calenders and so far it's cost about 10 bucks, so to make it worth my while I would have to charge $25ish, but I doubt people would buy. I think I just need to keep looking into the possibilities.
2. Mom also mentioned I could talk to all the wineries to see if I could sell copies of my photos in their wine tasting rooms. This is something that can be done it will just take time to talk to the wineries and printing the photos.
3. My ideal was to do a art gallery in the winery. I've seen some shows set up in wineries and I figured I could do that seeing as where I live. They would be wall art, but also could be sold to a visitor. Again it would take the time to talk to the wineries and printing and possible framing the photos.

To do both 1 and 2 I will have to go to the visitors center (which I
have photographed many times) and get a list of all the wineries
so I can make sure that I can call everyone and get all the grape
images in my town, since some have a grape in their logo.



3. Get a website.


This is the big one. I have looked into this before. I purchased two site names through godaddy.com and my friend Joleen told me a site (bludomain.com) where she purchased her website (http://www.photographybyjoleen.com/). I picked some out a few months ago, but I to get the site purchased and get some photos, prices, info on the site.

To get this done:

1. Buy the site.
2. Pick out photos to post.
3. Set up the pricing sheet.
4. Make a design.
5. Need a photo of my by Joleen.

4. Start entering contests.

I've entered a photo contest with the Lodi Newspaper with the Lodi Grape Festival
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/70045388@N00/3812247546/), which I plan to
to talk about tomorrow in a blog.

I need to start entering the Lodi Grape Festivals (my mom has been on me for the last few years, and guess what? I missed it again this year). I need to look into the State Fair SJ County Fair (those should for sure have the photo contest). The Asparagus and Strawberry Festivals are nearby and close enough for me to enter, but I don't know if those include photo contest, so I'll have to look into them.

5. Food/Photo blog (Long-Term goal).


So James and I have been talking about getting our own place I have been buying many things for our home. I love going to Ross to looking at almost everything. I have purchased many things for the kitchen (Hint: a checkered cake maker). I want to photograph while working on the food and then the final product. I think it will be fun and productive.

This is something that is probably about 1 to 2 years down the road right now. It could be sooner depending on me getting a "real" job that can provide more than my three-day a week server job.

Teaser:

Wednesday: As I said I will post more info on the Lodi Newspaper contest I entered.
Thursday or Friday: Photos of Jewels (my bothers kid) from today's shoot.