Growing.

I recently did a survey to determine the demographics of this blog. What I found out was prtty amazing. Of the approx 3000 unique hits a week that read my little notepad over 50% were between the ages of 23-40.

That's mostly brides, grooms, ushers, bridesmaids, cousins, friends. The other large demographic was 55-70 year olds. That's like THM, FHM, MHM clients that read the blog by clicking on the site links and get hooked.

Knowing this I try and not just write about the happy wedding I shot, or get bogged down on how interesting our scanners are. Today though, I"m tired. I drive back to the studio last night after 9 and worked a few hours, then came back home and work a few more hours.

My newest task is to learn all I can about our new customer relations management system SugarCRM. What a lot of people dont realize is how many people our team actually interacts with on a daily basis. Keeping track is a monumental task.

When I was in school, I believed that once out I would get a job, make money and be happy. Imgine if understood I would be learning for the rest of my life?? I spend at least 10 hours a month learning new things from scratch. Here is my list of learning tasks for the next few months

• SugarCRM
• Adobe CS4 suite (Photoshop, Adobe Encoder, Premeire)
• New to find and learn a new acct system
• I want to frame my basement and need to learn how

Cccccvvccold

According to the temp gage in my land rover it's -9. Oi!

Www.jeanmarcotte.com

Cross the world phone calls today...

Spent the day working on fix its for Engagement portraits and on the phone. I really love the internet. Seriously. Its so cool that I can sit at home, call Matt in Boca Raton through Skype link in Andrea at the Montreal studio and have a conference call with Alex and Aaron in Toronto.

Also got a few slideshows up. Click on the photo to go to the site.







My new car!!!!





Few cool things -

• The 2e is designed to charge overnight your ordinary garage outlet (110v) so that it's energized and ready to start the new day with you.

• The Aptera 2 Series vehicle (electric and hybrid) will range in price from the mid-$20,000s to the mid-$40,000s, depending on options and powertrain.

And!!! I can plug in my iPhone!!!

Smart Phone Connectivity

Time to put all those playlists to work. Simply plug n' play music through the audio system, and with the push of a button, switch over for that important incoming call.

Embrace Aerodynamics

In aerodynamics, the word drag defines air’s natural tendency to slow things down. It steals your vehicles energy and decreases your fuel economy.

To be more efficient, we aim to reduce drag by becoming more aerodynamic . Much like a bird gliding through the wind.

At Aptera we learn from nature and apply those lessons to create forms that work with wind, rather than against it. The result is the Aptera 2e.

Introducing the Transportation Diet

Weight is the measure of gravity acting on an object. The more weight you carry, the more difficult it is to get moving.

To be more efficient, we reduce weight to be more nimble, much like a gazelle.

So we put the 2e on a diet. Cutting the total weight to nearly half of the average vehicle. Take that gravity!

Personal Armored Vehicle

Don’t believe us? Well, when you can carry the weight of two elephants on your roof with barely a dent you are doing something right.

To Aptera, safety is not a punch line. It’s a fundamental principle that encompasses the protection of all things of value in your vehicle, including and, most importantly, you.

Would love to

Stayed up late to finish Twilight series. I feel sort of weird. Sort of like a vampire and also like a teenage girl. Not cool.

So I went to the book store and had a look around. I think I"m going to go back to the classics. I"m a little bored with life improvement books (whats to improve? I have the best wife and kids int he world!) I read a lot of Fantasy, but that just perpetuates the myth that I am a geek. (I guess I should stop using words like perpetuate then?) Romance is cool but see above:

I hate mystery and horror, just don't see the point. So if anyone has any suggestions.



I really want to buy Marianna an iPhone. She insists that she is more than happy with her old school Nokia and please do not buy her any phones. I think she mentioned purses after that but I tuned out around that point.

But I wonder if I bought her this case for the phone???


Click here to visit the Louis V site and see the other iPhone cases- except you Marianna please dont visit the site. Please?

I'm out books!!

Darn.

I need to go book shopping again. Marianna complained that I was spending too much on books. She suggested shopping online.

I would love to, but I never sem to find the time to search for stuff to read online.Plus---- There is a Starbucks inside my bookstore. How perfect is that??

I sometimes like coming up with names or figure out what on earth the person is thinking for the photos I take.

For beautiful Michelle below:


"I wonder what that weirdo is doing in speedos in the backyard?"




"I'm so cool - I can balance a drink on my head for 45 minutes. "

Its Saturday --- Only 2 weeks left!!

Its so nice to wake up on a Saturday and actually not get dressed up in a suit. I know most of you get up Mon-Fri dress up and go to work so I shouldn't bitch, but that's your choice. The more we are exposed to violence on TV, Newspapers and movies the more I want to isolate my family from it all. Stay inside and watch Sponge Bob.




Of course that's not viable. For me. I love being able to choose what I do. Its a kinda freedom Marianna and I share. Yesterday Sammy and I were playing with stainless steel marble we found in the couch and it was really cool that I remembered another time I saw a stainless steel ball. Marianna and I were in Tokyo Japan visiting a famous park when I came across this huge ball. Funny. We probably have a dozen funky art pieces like this in Toronto/Miami and yet we would never think to take a photo of it. But, if your on the other side of the world you have to take photos of the strangest things.

My new Quad

So I said goodbye to my laptop for the next few weeks and moved all my work to a new quad processor. Wow is it fast.

I realize that just this change has increased my productivity significantly. The fact I am working in 64bit help too. Basically, where I save the most time is the switch from Lightroom to Photoshop is almost instant, where before on my laptop I had time to go to the bathroom.

Just a reminder.

Today 2 couples sent me songs to use in their slideshow - guess which slideshow I will be doing first?

Your correct theirs.

So for 10 or so brides that have emailed me asking "when" I can assure you the process will be faster if you select a song and send me the name. The problem is I am multi tasking (ordering photos, editing portraits, managing THM,MHM, FHM) and reading of course. Does it question my sexuality if I express how much I love the stephaine meyer vampire books. Saw the movie with Marianna and we loved it!!!

Busy season

It seems like I"m always in the middle of the busy season. From just before September until November Excellence photography is really busy. Then in January we start the bridal show season. This past 6 months have really been tough.

From October until December TorontoHomeMovies.com is really busy.

Good thing we leave for Florida in a few weeks. Of course, I travel with work, and am available online, basically anytime - its still nice to sit on the beach after a long day.

Book List!!!!

Few books I am reading

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer (Hardcover - Aug 7 2007)

Buy new: CDN$ 21.99 CDN$ 16.05

13 Used & new from CDN$ 16.00

Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping.

(17)

Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (Paperback - Sep 2 1997)

Buy new: CDN$ 11.99 CDN$ 10.79

14 Used & new from CDN$ 2.73

In Stock

Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping.

(37)

Few house keeping notices!!!!!

Excellence

If you are waiting for us to get your photos online - PLEASE send us music choices. As it stands those who have sent us a song will go online first. That goes for Engagement photos and Wedding!!

If you have not ordered your photos you will NOT likely be getting them for the holidays.

If you have not completed the VIDEO INFO FORM you will NOT likely be getting them for the holidays.

Please contact Marianna if you are still hoping to complete it all in time - 905-326-9622



MontrealHomeMovies.com

Over the past 6 months there have a number of people who have asked us to contact them. The best thing to do is to call us before stopping by. Although Andrea is working nearly fulltime - even she needs to step out of the office for lunch.

You can reach us at - 888-705-6380

Have camera will travel

On occasion we will get couples that just have to have their Engagement photos taken somewhere special. I gotta say this was a first for me. A very trendy night club shot during the day. The place is called the raq and wak. Click here to visit the website.


Just a note. I never put up what most couples would think to be the best photos. We reserve them to be seen at the design appointment with Marianna. In fact, I usually upload only photos that are most interesting to me. If you would like to see what most couples get click on the new slideshow for Melanie and Sean.

Now some photographers would immeditately be drawn to all the pool tables, but not me. I like to look for the interesting shots.


I love that there is a heart in the frame above them!




Of course, being the Fall in Toronto we had to go outside in the park for a little while.