Page created March 7, 2007
Sitting date:  December 12, 2006

  

I'm having a terrific time with Ashley.  Time is running out, but we have time for a few more images.

Also, thanks for letting me vent about my string of bad luck.  I'll not bother you with the stuff not related to photography, but there's plenty that is germane.  Review:

  • The old point & shoot digital camera failed to fire the strobes, so I bit the bullet & bought a new DSLR camera.
  • The camera arrived, but the lens was unsupported.  I had to wait an extra month for supported replacement lenses.
  • The PC used for my classic but wonderful scanner died.  I let it rest in peace, obtaining a new scanner instead.
  • My monitor is in terrible shape.  A new monitor has been ordered & is expected next week.

 

 

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Ashley's boyfriend puts his hands away & returns to the chair on the other side of the room.  I like this lighting, with a soft box suspended on a boom arm directly over the model.  But I think things will look better with Ashley on the floor.

 

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Yes, it is better on the floor (more distance between the model & the light).

Okay, back to the bad luck streak -- it's more than just the camera failure, bad lens with the new camera, scanner replacement, and monitor.  I also had trouble with my web host.

I had been with my web host for several years.  Recently, there have seen a series of acquisitions, and with each take-over, customer service suffered.  I should have taken action as soon as they stopped allowed customers to call with their support issues.

 

Early in 2007, I realized that I wasn't getting e-mail messages from visitors to this site.  I usually get a few messages a day, so when I stopped getting message, I noticed.

My web host's web site was working, so I entered a service ticket.  No response.  

I tried the e-mail addresses documented on the web host's web site.  The e-mails bounced.

I tried the old e-mail addresses I had from before the acquisitions.  These, too, bounced.

I tried all the phone numbers on the site.  The phone lines were disconnected.

I checked my credit card statements -- they listed the name of the new web host (the one who had acquired my old web host).  Again, all attempts to reach them failed.

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So, I can take a hint.  I started my search for a new web host.

Being a creative person, I developed a test for all the candidate hosts.  I called their technical support line & timed how long it would take for me to talk with a live, English speaking person.  Some put me on hold for over 30 minutes -- those got a bad mark, and I gave them a second chance a day or two later.  The best had me talking to a real person in 5 minutes or less.

So, I selected a new web host.  It is a large company (i.e. not likely to be acquired) with very good technical support.  Bonus:  it is significantly less expensive than the previous host.

 

Of course, it took several days for the new host to divert traffic from my old host.  It's funny:  since I had no way to contact my old web host, I had to call my credit card company to stop payment to them.  The person at the credit card company suggested that we try the phone number associated with the charge, & I said go ahead.  A few minutes later, the woman came back on the line & reported that the phone number had been disconnected.  I said, "welcome to my world".

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Moving this web site is not easy.  As of this writing, there are...
  • Roughly 1200 web pages, and
  • Roughly 8300 images.

I have DSL, and uploading the entire site takes over six hours.

More than that, I had to figure out a new plan to implement security for the Out Takes and the Secret galleries.  And I had to reimplement the few pages that e-mail information to me.  Finally, I had to rework several of the themes I use for some pages.

All this took a while.

 

Somehow, I don't think my recitation of my bad luck woes has distracted you from the lovely Ashley.  Seriously, though, I have to admit that all these troubles have been significantly distracting for me.  Through it all, Ashley remained enthusiastic, patient, pleasant, and supportive.

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Ashley has definitely been a bright spot.  She is so excited about her pregnancy and she is enthusiastic about working with me to document her progress.

Thank you for letting me vent about my streak of bad luck.  Perhaps some of you might think that I've devoted too much of my narrative to moaning about the camera, the wrong lens order, the scanner, the monitor, and the web host.  Perhaps you are right, but that right there is my recent life in microcosm -- I really would have preferred to be able to devote my full attention to Ashley, but the real world intruded, and I had to take care of all those issues.  Maybe that's why young folks can be the most creative -- they don't have these distractions, or at least these distractions don't seem to slow them down.  Me?  I hate being a grown up some times.

Still, Ashley was everything I could have asked for.  She was understanding, patient, and supportive (besides being beautiful & energetic & enthusiastic).  I'm sure we'll see more of Ashley. 

 

(Remember -- feedback is always appreciated) 

All images (c) 2007 Looknsee Photography

Ashley #1 Out Takes

Nearly 80 more images from this sitting are available in the Out Takes Galleries, which are available to those who have made a donation to the upkeep of this web site.  See this FAQ question for more details.

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