2013 is going to be a great year with great photography workshops. Join me along with fine art photographer Matt Suess on one or more of these amazing workshops. 

Turn your Blah photos into WOW photos in this online photography course from Matt Suess and me!

Launching with over 2 hours of content with an additional 1+ hours of bonus material to follow the next 6 months.

SPECIAL LAUNCH PROMOTION

The first 100 students who enroll can save 50% with coupon code "WOW-photos".

Click here for more info, to view sample videos & lectures, and to enroll.

It is winter again in Arizona! 

I am again showing my artwork at the Arizona Fine Art Expo, a 10-week show in Scottsdale that began on January 10 and will continue daily until March 24.

If you are interested in visiting the show, please contact me and I can send you complimentary passes.  This show is a great way to see my work up close and in person as well as meet me if you haven't already.

The hours of the show is 10am-6pm, 7 days a week.

Having a tough time finding that perfect gift for someone?  Or not sure what one of our workshops you want to take? Well, I have now made it easier for you with Gift Certificates!  I have multiple denominations available for any budget. Just check here for the details.

Keep an eye out!

24-hour Cyber Monday Spectacular Special

starting on Sunday at midnight until Monday at midnight.

Website wide 20% discount on:

• upcoming workshops
• specialty gift items
• gift certificates
• fine art
• & MORE

Use coupon code cybermonday2012 when checking out.

Happy Shopping! And Happy Holidays!

It is that time of the month again! At the beginning of each month, I choose one of my fine photographs to offer to my mailing list and Facebook Fans for an incredible savings of 25% off - AND - I will ship your photo to you for FREE!!! This is a great chance for you to become a collector of my fine art photography.

This month's pick is:  Inquisitive

Note that my Photo of the Month Special isn't just good for one particular size - it is good for any available sized photographic print - from Silver Gelatin Darkroom Photograph to a large 28" x 68" photograph.

It is also good towards any framing option - from traditional matted and framed, to giclee canvas, and it is even good towards my new HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition pieces. 

To see available sizes and prices click on the "Buy" link that appears above the large image when looking in my Photo Galleries. Don't forget to use coupon code PhotoMonthSpecial1112 when checking out to receive your savings. You can also call me at 303-578-2787 to place your order.

A savings of 25% off and FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE can save you hundreds of dollars!!!

You can view my current Photo of the Month here. Bookmark the page and come back at the beginning of each month to see which photo I have selected.

My Photo of the Month special is only good for the current month's photo and can not be combined with any other offer or photos.

*Prices listed in this article are current as of March 2012 and may not be the most current pricing. For latest pricing, see each individual photo.

Summer Special

For a limited time, I am offering many of my images as 16x24 Stretched Canvas Photographs for the low price of $250.  This price includes free worldwide shipping!  Visit http://www.christinehauber.com/p236676320 for the "Summer Special" gallery.

I have now been following Eat to Live (ETL) for ten weeks!  Looking back on the these past two months, I find it hard to believe that it has been as long as it has.  When I first started, it seemed so daunting, looking ahead to a six-week plan that included a lot of vegetables, fruit, beans, some grains and a bit of nuts and seeds. The list of things I could not have was huge….animal products, including milk, yogurt, ice-cream, cheese and meats, oil, sugar, salt, bad carbohydrates, coffee, processed foods, such as packaged chips, crackers, frozen meals, vegan junk food, gluten free junk food etc.  But now, ten weeks later, the six-week plan has turned into a lifetime plan. After week three, I no longer craved the foods that I could not have but instead started craving kale, salads and beans. I no longer missed going through the middle isles of the grocery store where all the processed food was. Shopping became easier because most of what I now buy is found in the produce department. With time, I found that salads filled me up without making me feel bloated. I also learned to buy foods that easily could be transformed into a smoothie or a cold salad or soup.  I learned that beans didn't only have to be eaten plain with just salsa or in Mexican food, but could be turned into homemade "refried" beans,  black bean brownies, bean and veggie burgers, chickpea flour flatbread hamburger buns, added to smoothies, added to salads and added to soups. Another positive was if I ever craved ice-cream then frozen bananas in the blender turned into a delicious soft serve concoction. I could change the flavor by adding other frozen fruit, unsweetened cocoa or nuts.  The most important thing I have learned is that I have yet to feel deprived even when hanging around people who are eating bacon, cookies or other items that I used to have to have.

Now to the most exciting aspects of this plan….I actually now fit in clothes that I haven't fit in for five years. In the past, even after running and walking 4 miles almost every day or swimming three times a week the weight was not coming off. I almost felt like I was just getting heavier. I tried blaming it on getting older.  I tried to refuse to accept that the food I was eating was the real problem since I was exercising a lot.  So I tried working out harder and more often and it just seemed fruitless.  

Finally, I happened upon Eat to Live. I read the whole book and many of the testimonials of people who followed ETL or follow a similar plant-based diet.  In ETL, Dr. Fuhrman asked for a six-week commitment. He boldly said that just "trying" was not going to be good enough.  Those who say they will try have already set themselves up for possible failure. Those who commit 100% have a far smaller failure rate.  So, at the end of June, I weighed myself, I tried on clothes to see if I could button them and I sat in a Body Pod to see how much fat I was actually carrying around.  My fat percentage was higher then I expected and it actually shocked me into a full 100% commitment.  

This commitment was well worth it!

If you happen to be in Arizona, come on down to the Arizona Fine Art Expo to visit my studio. Admittance is free if you mention you are there to see me.

Very often at my art festivals when patrons are looking through my unframed bin photographs I hear the question, "What are traditional gelatin silver photographs?"   To me the answer is clear but to many people who either have not studied photography or have grown up more recently during the digital age, this is an understandable question.

In today's digital age, technology has allowed everyone from the hobby photographer to the pro photographer to easily have access to printing their images at home, at local box stores or through online labs. In the past ten years or so, most of these processes have turned to inkjet printers, some with high end archival inks and papers.  Because these are the most common means of printing now, the traditional wet darkroom silver gelatin photograph has slowly become a lost art. As time goes on, there will be fewer and fewer photographers practicing this art of traditional black and white photography. Darkroom printing, by any standard, a slow, tedious, and inefficient method of recording an image and producing a photographic print. Those, like me, who continue printing in traditional and alternative ways tend not to be interested in efficiency, but rather the joy and satisfaction of creating a photograph with the rich tones and quality that can't be achieved by any other method.

For most of my patrons who ask, I quickly explain the gelatin silver photograph as "a photograph printed in a darkroom in which silver halides that are sensitive to light create the final image from my film negatives." For many people who don't quite understand this, I explain that most photographs in present day are printed using large printers from digital files, some of which started as film but were scanned for digital printing.  I add that very few photographers now even continue to print in traditional wet darkrooms.  Darkroom photographs are time consuming to create as there are many steps involved in creating just one perfect photograph from developing,  double fixing to the long wash bath, selenium toning, a second bath and the drying process. Even setting up the darkroom to get ready for printing and cleaning after printing is a time consuming process. 
(For this of you who want a more technical explanation, I have added that at the bottom of this blog posting.)

With me, even though I have a darkroom and love the photographs from the darkroom, I have been open and receptive to the digital process. In my own darkroom I am only able to print 16x20's and smaller gelatin silver photographs and thus have started offering larger sized photographs of my negatives using the digital printing process.  To me, the darkroom printing process is a very personal one. Since I print from negatives, I rarely am able to get the same exact final photograph each time.  For this reason, gelatin silver photographs are often looked at as One-of-a-Kind original photographs. A gelatin silver print, produced by the original photographer, is considered by many a collectible, and worth the higher price. Some pay thousands, and in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single gelatin silver print by a well known photographer.  When I print digitally, once I'm satisfied with final digital file it is relatively easy to make additional prints that are exactly the same.  So the time factor to print in the darkroom along with the individuality of each final photograph, my gelatin silver photographs are priced much higher then my digital images.

Technical Information
Archival paper is specially coated with a clear gelatin matrix holding light-sensitive silver halides. For gelatin silver prints, these silver halides are typically combinations of silver bromide and silver chloride. In a darkroom with a red light, exposure using film negatives in an enlarger is typically done, although contact printing is also an option for those with larger negative. When light passes through the negative and strikes the paper, the silver halides form small specks of silver metal on their surface. Light causes a reduction of the silver salt to silver metal. This exposure is the greatest in areas of the print corresponding to clear parts of the negatives, which become the shadows or high density areas of the print. This process is the formation of the latent image, as it forms an invisible image in the paper that is then made visible by development. When the exposed paper is placed in the developer,  the silver halide particles that have a latent image speck on them transform into metallic silver.  Within minutes in the developer, the image becomes visible, but the remaining unexposed silver halide must still be removed to make the image permanent. After the development is complete, the print is placed into the stop bath which stops development and prevents the developer from contaminating the third bath, the fixer. The fixer, typically sodium thiosulfate, is able to remove the unexposed silver halide from the paper by forming a water soluble complex with it.  After fixing the paper, often a second fixing bath is performed.  Then a long water wash follows and aids in the removal of the fixer from the print, leaving an image composed of silver particles held in the clear gelatin image layer. Toning is sometimes used for permanence or aesthetic purposes and follows the fixing step. Selenium, gold, and sulfur toners are the most common and act by either partially converting the silver to another compound (such as silver selenide or silver sulfide) or partially replacing the silver with another metal (such as gold).  These final photographs are typically displayed using framing with archival mats and backing board.

Santa Fe HDR Field Photography Workshop and Digital Darkroom Boot Camp 2012

September 26 - 30, 2012

Santa Fe & Taos, New Mexico

(to go straight to the registration page please click here)

Instructors:

Matt Suess & Christine Hauber

Study with them for two days, three days, or all five.

For five days during the last week in September, Matt Suess and Christine Hauber will be teaching both a field workshop and a digital darkroom boot-camp in one of the most beautiful and historic areas of New Mexico in Santa Fe and Taos.

Join them for the 3-day field workshop (limited to 8 students) or the digital darkroom boot-camp (limited to 30 students), or attend both.

"Frontier Gas Station" - New Mexico
You will have the chance to photograph this HDR friendly location.

This is the second consecutive year they have offered this workshop. The 2011 workshop was a three day event. For 2012 they have extended it 2 extra days to five to allow more time for photography as well as more time in the classroom learning how to perfect your images.

3-Day Field Workshop

Limited to 8 students
Sept 26 - 28, 2012

For three days you will photograph in and around beautiful Santa Fe and Taos. Most locations you will be going to are extremely well-suited to photographing in HDR. 

HDR stands for High Dynamic Range - or as Matt likes to say - Highly Dramatic Results. By combining multiple exposures of the same shot, it allows one to create an image with more dynamic range, more detail in the shadows and highlights, and ultimately more dramatic results. It also allows us to get natural or "artistic" results and we will teach you both ways.

Christine has some fun with a workshop student

During this 3-day field workshop Matt and Christine will be hands-on teaching how to determine how many exposures to take and how much to bracket by for, how to compose your image for maximum impact, creative vision and expression, and the study of light and shadow.

They will be your guides and instructors as you photograph locations and subjects such as:
 

- San Francisco De Asis Mission Church located at Rancho De Taos, where Ansel Adams photographed and Georgia O'Keeffe painted.
 

- One extremely popular and HDR photogenic location you will be photographing features both old and restored gas pumps, a few beautifully rusted old cars, old soda machines and other vintage Americana. This is where Matt photographed his "Frontier Gas Station" and where Christine photographed her "Packard" photographs.
 

- Part of the field workshop involves walking and photographing in and around the Santa Fe Plaza, home to countless galleries, artists, old adobe doors & windows, and the colorful Santa Fe street life.
 

- One "secret" location you will be photographing is this same classroom where Matt photographed his "1885 Schoolhouse" photograph.

Matt helps a student frame her composition in Santa Fe.

3-day field workshop outline:

Sept. 26 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 2 pm. Introductions, presentation & instruction, evening shoot.

Sept. 27 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 8 am. Photograph all day till sunset.

Sept. 28 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 8am. Photograph all day till 5pm.

2-Day Digital Darkroom Boot Camp

Limited to 30 students
Sept 29 - 30, 2012

Spend 2 full days in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico learning the ins and outs of Photoshop with professional photographers Christine Hauber and Matt Suess.

Watch on a larger projection screen as we go step-by-step throughout the process
of how we enhance and optimize our photographs.

In these 2 full days of classroom instruction you will learn:

- how to set up preferences of Photoshop & Elements

- learn what is the histogram, why it is important, and how to use it in the field and in photoshop

- learn why you should shoot in RAW and understand how much easier it makes image optimizing

- import and process RAW files using built in Camera Raw

- set correct color temperature

- adjust exposure, color, brightness, shadows, fix chromatic abberations, sharpening, and sizing of RAW files, and more

- learn tips and techniques for sharpening, removing dust spots, clone tool, noise removal, dodging and burning

- learn the importance of using layers and layer masks

- tips and how to stitch together multiple images for wide panoramas

- learn the basics of texture blending

- intro to learning how to use Photoshop plugins from Nik Software like Viveza 2 and Color Efex Pro 4 to quickly enhance and add creative adjustments to your photos

- learn how to process HDR images using Nik Softwares' new HDR Efex Pro 2 as well as Photomatix Pro

- learn how to process both natural and artistic HDR images

- intro to converting to b&w using Nik’s Silver Efex Pro 2

- printing basics for home printing

- optimizing for labs such as Bay Photo

- sizing photos for web or for print

- last hour of class devoted to you working on your own images from a “homework” assignment due prior to class. Christine and I will be available to help each student one-on-one at this time

After these 2 full days of learning you will become a wiz at taking care of common problems encountered with digital photography. Photoshop will not seem so daunting of a program. You will learn how to get the best color out of your photos and learn creative ways of enhancing and making your photography really stand out. And you will learn how to process your HDR photos using the two most popular software programs out there today.

Sept. 29 & 30 - Meet at a location in Santa Fe at 8:30am. Class runs from 9am to 5pm both days.

Photography Skill Level:

This class is intended for beginner to semi-advanced photographers. Basic knowledge of your camera and computer is needed.
 

How to Register:

To register and pay via phone, call Christine at 303-578-2787. All major credit cards are accepted or you can pay by check as well.

To register and pay online, click on the workshop link below that you wish to register for and register through our meetup.com workshop registration page.

Workshop Costs:

3-day Field Workshop only - register here

$695 per student. Early bird register before Sept. 1 for just $595
limited to 8 total students

 2-day digital darkroom boot camp only - register here

$295 per student. Early bird register before Sept. 1 for just $195
limited to 30 total students

Both the 3-day Field Workshop and 2-day digital darkroom boot camp - register here

$990 per student. Early bird register before Sept. 1 for just $745
field workshop limited to 8, darkroom boot camp limited to 30 students

Workshop Locations:

The field portions of this workshop will take place at various locations between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. The classroom portion of this workshop on Saturday and Sunday will be located in Santa Fe. 

Suggestions on what to bring:

You will need your own transportation during the 3 days. On the photography field days expect us to end up driving a couple hundred miles. Four wheel drive is not needed. Light walking is involved, and be aware of the elevation as we will be at 7,000' to 8,400' during the 3 days.

It is recommended that you bring your own laptop with photoshop, and software from Nik Software (you can download a 15 day trial version here). If you do not have the software you can still learn by watching and taking notes. Having the software, however, will allow you to follow us step by step on your own computer. We will take a one hour lunch break around noon each day. Remember to bring a lunch, snacks, and water / softdrinks.

More info on what to bring will be provided closer to the workshop date.

About Matt Suess:

I began my professional photography career in 1990 and for the next 17 years worked as an award-winning photojournalist, having my work published worldwide. I am a digital pioneer, working with digital imaging since the early 1990's and helped implement and teach digital image processing to fellow newspaper staff photographers in the late 90's and early 2000's. For the last 5 years I have been a full-time artist selling my artwork at fine art festivals throughout the Southwest, with collectors investing in my artwork Worldwide.

About Christine Hauber:

Christine began her professional photography career in 1993. A graduate of the Art Institute of Colorado and the University of Colorado, her photographs have been shown in galleries nationally and showcased in B&W and Photo Technique Magazine. The author of the book Working in the USA, Christine has been the subject of several television programs, including the Fine Living Channel's Radical Sabbatical and CNN's NewsNight with Aaron Brown and interviewed for such internet and podcast programs as the Candid Frame and Photo Talk Radio. She has been selling her artwork as a full-time artist for the last 5 years. Her website is ChristineHauber.com

The fine print:

- Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Payment is due in full at time of registration and is non-refundable. If you cancel participation in this workshop your fees may be transferred towards another workshop at our discretion only.

- Liability Limitation: Christine Hauber and Matt Suess aim to provide a safe, educational and enjoyable experience. We assume no liability for any act, error, omission, injury, loss, delay, mishap, or damage to persons or property arising from any cause during the course of the workshop or in transit thereto. We can accept no responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in the services to be provided. We reserve the right to change our arrangements should conditions necessitate, or to cancel any aspect of the workshop due to exceptional circumstances. In the event that we deem it necessary to cancel the workshop we will provide a full refund which the participant(s) acknowledges as full and final settlement. In the event of a workshop cancellation airline tickets, car rentals and hotel reservations associated with participation in this workshop will not be refunded. We recommend you purchase refundable airline tickets and make refundable car and hotel reservations. We also recommend you carry travel and camera equipment insurance.

- By participating in this workshop you acknowledge that you have read the information concerning responsibility and release Christine Hauber, Matt Suess, their guides, instructors and any cooperating agent from any liability. Christine Hauber and Matt Suess will assume no liability for injury, illness, or loss of personal property or expenses thereof associated with workshop participation. You also acknowledge that Christine Hauber and Matt Suess have the right to refuse service to anyone at anytime and that these policies are subject to change at any time.

It is that time of the month again! At the beginning of each month, I choose one of my fine photographs to offer to my mailing list and Facebook Fans for an incredible savings of 25% off - AND - I will ship your photo to you for FREE!!! This is a great chance for you to become a collector of my fine art photography.

This month's pick is:  Central Park Path

Note that my Photo of the Month Special isn't just good for one particular size - it is good for any available sized photographic print - from Silver Gelatin Darkroom Photograph to a large 28" x 68" photograph.

It is also good towards any framing option - from traditional matted and framed, to giclee canvas, and it is even good towards my new HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition pieces. 

To see available sizes and prices click on the "Buy" link that appears above the large image when looking in my Photo Galleries. Don't forget to use coupon code PhotoMonthSpecial0812 when checking out to receive your savings. You can also call me at 303-578-2787 to place your order.

A savings of 25% off and FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE can save you hundreds of dollars!!!

You can view my current Photo of the Month here. Bookmark the page and come back at the beginning of each month to see which photo I have selected.

My Photo of the Month special is only good for the current month's photo and can not be combined with any other offer or photos.

*Prices listed in this article are current as of March 2012 and may not be the most current pricing. For latest pricing, see each individual photo.

I find it amazing that with my previous sugar, caffeine and empty calorie addictions, that in these short four weeks, my body has completely acclimated to this new form of eating.  Previously, I could rarely start my day without craving that first cup of coffee. I could barely get through the afternoon without feeling worn out and weak. It was hard to make it out of the grocery store without buying something as low calorie and scientifically proven as unhealthy as a single bottle of soda or small package of processed cookies or a grab bag of Cheetos. And it was almost impossible to end my day without some sort of bad carbohydrate in the form of cookies, white pastas or potato chips. I knew the science behind the unhealthy food, but the addiction was so strong.

Now, I awake in the morning to a wonderful green smoothie that keeps me energized all morning. I crave salads. I really crave beans. I haven't felt like eating a burger, a piece of cake or a cup of coffee.  What is even better is my backaches have subsided,  I haven't had a stomach ache since starting, my mood is more upbeat, my almost daily headaches are gone, my allergies almost non-existent and my energy is high during the day yet I sleep great during the night.

Through this program and online forums, I have met all sorts of different people who are at different stages in this Eat to Live or Super Immunity (also written by Dr. Fuhrman). I am amazed by the progress so many people have made.  Many have lost a significant amount of weight, their blood pressure lowered, migraines gone and diabetes reversed.  I have been lucky enough not to have these issues, but now I see the great results of great eating.

Honestly speaking, getting used to this new diet was difficult at first. I had to change my way of thinking about food. I had to learn to enjoy food for its nutritional value.  I had to let go of my memories of how things with sugar, oil or fat tasted before.  Often I hear people say, "Oh, I could never do that diet."  I often wonder why. Is it the convenience of fast food? Is it the comfort of the familiar? Or is it just pure laziness or lack of willpower? I have learned that Eat to Live is just as easy as stopping at the store for baby carrots and hummus as it is going to eat fast food.  I have learned that once I got used to this new eating plan, that new items became my comfort items and I stopped craving the unhealthy food.  As for laziness and willpower....yes, it is easy to be lazy and not feel like cooking or cutting up veggies so that is when I just throw a couple heads of broccoli into the steamer or throw a bunch of tasty things in the blender for a smoothy. As for willpower..I can see that is the most difficult.  The people I have read about on the forum seem to have the most problem with willpower when others in the family are not committed or when they are invited to a non-ETL dinner where there is very little there that they can eat.  For me, I make sure I have my food with me or I eat plenty before arriving so that I am less tempted to indulge. At home, it is just me, so I only have the food in the house that is acceptable to eat.

But in the end, if I am able follow Eat to Live with my previous bad eating habits, then anyone can.  It just takes desire, hard work and commitment. And once people start seeing their own fat melt away and their health improve, it makes all this so much easier and exciting.

If by reading my blogs, you are not one to want to try Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman has other books that are well worth reading.

Disease–Proof Your Child
Feeding Kids Right

Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates how the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is most closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how a nutrient–rich diet increases a child's resistance to common childhood illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies. Additionally, Dr. Fuhrman illustrates how eating his nutrient–rich diet during childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future. Disease–Proof Your Child, provides nutrient–rich dietary recommendations for children, and even offers guidelines and recipes that get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy healthy food.

NEW Super Immunity
The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free

Super Immunity is a compelling, yet easy-to-follow approach that gets the body's immune system working to its fullest potential which promotes the body's strongest defense.

Fasting and Eating for Health
A Medical Doctor's Program For Conquering Disease

This book is unlike any other on fasting. It integrates this age–old health practice with state–of–the–art medical research to provide a complete diet and fasting program that will help relieve and even cure such maladies as psoriasis, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypoglycemia, sinusitis, and chronic fatigue.

I am officially halfway through the Eat to Live 6-week health plan and I feel amazing!  I finally feel as if I have completely acclimated to this new way of living, viewing food, shopping and preparing meals.  People who haven't seen me for a couple weeks state that my face looks thinner, brighter and clearer. I enjoy not feeling bloated anymore. My ankles haven't swelled since I started.  My stomach doesn't get upset after eating. I am sleeping soundly all night and have great energy during the day.

This six week program for most people would be considered a cleanse as it does call for me to eat all veggies, fruit, beans, nuts and seeds.  When I talk to people, they often ask if I have become a vegan. No, I tell them, I am becoming a Nutritarian. Being just a vegan does not mean one is more healthy than anyone on the Standard American Diet as they can be eating vegan junk food.  Vegan junk food can be products that still have too much fat, processed grains, processed sugars and other low nutrient food items. A Nutritarian focuses on eating high nutrient foods with limited added sugars, oils and salts. Nutritarians spend most of their time in the produce department, eating so that 90% of their calories comes from high nutrient foods.  When I get past the six week plan, I can be on a 90/10 plan where about 150 of my calories in a day can be of other products...such as 10 oz of meat a week or a tablespoon of olive oil or a half a bagel.  But I really plan on staying close to what I am doing now. I am enjoying how I feel and would hate to have these six weeks become just a distant memory.  I don't want to return to a poor diet of alcohol, sugar, refined products, fat and non-nutrient foods. 

People ask me what I do about food during my art festival shows or when I am away from home all day.  I have a cooler, so I can take a cup of beans and salsa, a container of gazpacho soup with lots of veggies, some homemade hummus and carrots and a green smoothie.  Instead of buying ice, I freeze containers of water that will thaw and be drinkable throughout the day.  If I am out doing a photo shoot and forget food, I can always stop at any convenience store for a banana or a grocery store for veggies.  I have realized that in the past, I was just a bit lazy and would grab comfort food or fast food before even thinking that there are plenty of healthy options for me.

If by reading my blogs, you are not one to want to try Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman has other books that are well worth reading.

Disease–Proof Your Child
Feeding Kids Right

Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates how the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is most closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how a nutrient–rich diet increases a child's resistance to common childhood illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies. Additionally, Dr. Fuhrman illustrates how eating his nutrient–rich diet during childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future. Disease–Proof Your Child, provides nutrient–rich dietary recommendations for children, and even offers guidelines and recipes that get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy healthy food.

NEW Super Immunity
The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free

Super Immunity is a compelling, yet easy-to-follow approach that gets the body's immune system working to its fullest potential which promotes the body's strongest defense.

Fasting and Eating for Health
A Medical Doctor's Program For Conquering Disease

This book is unlike any other on fasting. It integrates this age–old health practice with state–of–the–art medical research to provide a complete diet and fasting program that will help relieve and even cure such maladies as psoriasis, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypoglycemia, sinusitis, and chronic fatigue.

I have now completed two weeks of the 6-week Eat to Live plan.  I can honestly say I feel better then I have in a long time. I have a constant energy throughout the day instead of the mid-morning and mid-afternoon tiredness. I don't have peaks and dips of mood changes. I am no longer feeling bloated. My headaches have gone away. My stomach and intestine don't cramp. My cravings for sugar have dissipated. My desire to buy low nutrient foods is gone. I have lost weight. And finally and most important, I feel healthy and alert.

Completely changing the way I eat and feel about food has been the most difficult.  I have realized that I have an emotional attachment to food. It can be calming. Sometimes it can become an obsession. And since there is a social aspect to eating, the wrong food used to break my willpower. But since I finally got to the point of wanting to be healthy, I have been able to reassess my relationship with food. Walking the isles at the store was so difficult at the beginning of this process but now I try and focus on what I need rather then focusing on what I think I am missing. I think back and although it seemed like that piece of pie, bottle of soda or that can of Pringles was making me feel good but in reality it only tasted and felt good for a very small amount of time.  Soon, the thoughts of regret, the feelings of bloating and the sugar peaks and crashes would set in.  Three minutes of bliss was not really worth it.  Now two weeks later, I can still enjoy food but without the negatives.

With this process, I have also become so much more aware of how inundated we are as a society with food. There are restaurants everywhere. Where there are no restaurants, there are billboards for food.  Turn on the television and every other commercial seems to be about food.  Newspaper and magazines have ads and recipes. One can not escape it. So instead of trying to hole up and become a hermit with my healthy food, I have faced it straight on. I am getting more and more experience with learning to retrain my brain.

This cleanse has amazing health benefits and when I am eating something that doesn't have the oil, butter, salt or sugar I am used to having, I just remind myself that it is healthy. It has become mind over matter.  I am slowly learning to eat to live rather live to eat.  

A good place to start for inspiration is to watch the movie, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" at http://www.jointhereboot.com/?movieid=3.  This is based on a more extreme cleanse then Eat to Live but the science is there. The story of inspiration is there as it is about the life and journey of two fat, sick and nearly dead individuals.

The following smoothie is for beginners, children and those who just want something naturally sweet.

Pineapple Romaine Green Smoothie (for one)

1/2 cup Non sweetened almond milk
4-6 medium sized leaves of Romaine Lettuce
1 frozen banana
1/4 Pineapple or 1/2 can No sugar added Pineapple
1 oz Walnuts
1 tbsp ground flax seed

Blend until smooth.  Add water as needed. Ice can be blended in as well.

It is that time of the month again! At the beginning of each month, I choose one of my fine photographs to offer to my mailing list and Facebook Fans for an incredible savings of 25% off - AND - I will ship your photo to you for FREE!!! This is a great chance for you to become a collector of my fine art photography.

This month's pick is:  Waiting

Note that my Photo of the Month Special isn't just good for one particular size - it is good for any available sized photographic print - from an 8" x 12" (only $30.00* after discount) to a 24"x 36" print (only $206.25* after savings of over $68.00). I am even offering this image as a cutting board!

It is also good towards any framing option - from traditional matted and framed, to giclee canvas, and it is even good towards my new HD Aluminum Masterpiece Edition pieces. 

To see available sizes and prices click on the "Buy" link that appears above the large image when looking in my Photo Galleries. Don't forget to use coupon code PhotoMonthSpecial0712 when checking out to receive your savings. You can also call me at 303-578-2787 to place your order.

A savings of 25% off and FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE can save you hundreds of dollars!!!

You can view my current Photo of the Month here. Bookmark the page and come back at the beginning of each month to see which photo I have selected.

My Photo of the Month special is only good for the current month's photo and can not be combined with any other offer or photos.

*Prices listed in this article are current as of March 2012 and may not be the most current pricing. For latest pricing, see each individual photo.

Day 2-4

I began the Eat to Live Six-Week plan on Tuesday. I started the day with just what I had in my refrigerator that was allowable on the "plan"…an orange. I know this wasn't enough to eat but this was all I had.  Until now, my breakfast usually consisted of coffee with a nice amount of sugary creamer. This would get me through the morning.

My first trip to the grocery store that morning was interesting.  It was odd realizing how many things I used to just grab due to cravings.  In the future I will try not to notice all those sugar filled or preservative filled items that call out my name while I am walking by and instead beeline it straight to the produce section.  I purchased enough veggies, fruits and beans to get me through most of this week.

I was feeling great and motivated until later in the day when my body realized it wasn't going to get any coffee. A headache came on. It was a tolerable one so I just figured a good night sleep and lots of water would be enough to help diminish it.

The next day, though, not only did the caffeine withdrawal hit hard, but I believe I began experiencing sugar withdrawal as well.  My head ached and my body felt like it was experiencing the effects of six cups of caffeinated coffee. I was shaky, my brain foggy, my heart beat quicker than normal and I was sweating. I couldn't think, I felt exhausted, I was weak. I drank a bunch of water, took some Advil (that didn't help) and tried to eat even though i was not hungry and was too weak to cut up veggies.  

Day 3 withdrawals were almost as bad but with less of a headache.  With a weak, shaky body, I still attended my swim fitness class. While in the water, I felt wonderful. I worked out hard. But then back out of the water, I was back to my regular shaky, weak self.  I did manage to make it home and in between taking rest breaks, I made enough gazpacho for a few days, cut up veggies for a salad and dry-grilled tofu on my George Foreman Grill.

Now that I am on Day 4,  the withdrawals seem to be subsiding. I don't feel 100% but I am at least able to think enough to work on my photography and get this blog written. The withdrawals symptoms have forced me to really think about what I was eating. I thought I was fairly healthy but now realize that I had a constant low flow of sugar in my system almost all the time.  My mornings started off with sugar in my coffee and ended with some sort of sugar drink such as vitamin water or alcohol. My food intake from pastas to white carbs gave my body the sugar it craved. 

Tip of the Day

Banana "Ice-Cream"
Since I can't eat ice-cream, I get my dessert fix from taking a ripe banana, peeling, slicing and freezing it.  Once frozen, I put it in the blender.  It can't be blended too long as it will then start to warm up and become more slushy rather then like soft serve ice-cream.  Other ingredients can be added for a variety of flavor such as strawberries, nuts, blueberries or peanut butter.

Bananas that you buy and can't eat fast enough can be frozen for this purpose. I even buy extra ripe bananas from the store knowing they won't be wasted. If you plan on freezing a bunch of bananas, I usually will use Press and Seal on each banana and then place all the little packages in a freezer bag. The Press and Seal will keep the freezer burn away and keep your bananas from getting as brown.

This is a great an easy way to feed yourself and your family high nutrient ingredients all while enjoying what seems to be a luxury.

Day 1 of 42

I have decided to blog about my experience with the Eat To Live six-week food plan by Dr. Fuhrman.  For me, this is not necessarily a weight loss diet but a plan to take back control of my out of control food choices.  I have found myself over the past few years easily giving into the temptations that are not sound health based decisions.  These have included such indulgences as soda, coffee with lots of sugary creamer,  crackers, chips, alcohol, white pastas and too much meat.   My intake of good green veggies decreased because I usually filled up on the stuff that is considered to have low nutritional value. With this and getting older, I am finding the tummy getting bigger and my energy lower.  When I increased my exercising, weight was not coming off of me like it did in my 20's. Even walking, stair-climbing or running 3 miles a day was not affecting my weight like I would have expected.  Thank goodness, according to my doctor's visit last year, my readings for such things as cholesterol and blood pressure were in the very good zones but if I continued this poor way of eating, there would be very good chances of that changing very quickly.

When I started reading the book Eat to Live, I realized that for most of my life I followed a similar eating style to this plan.  I always enjoyed vegetables, fruits and nuts and thus tended to eat meat, pastas and junk food in moderation.  Coffee in my diet wasn't constant.  Alcohol was an occasional enjoyment.  I even had a soda once in a while at a special outing. All this was in moderation.  Slowly though, my habits changed for the worst. Although I continued to workout, I just gave in too easily to temptations. I challenged myself to return to moderation, but found I just was not fully committing to healthy eating.

So, I decided I needed to make more drastic changes. 

Dr. Furhman's Eat to Live asks for a commitment.  Not an "I will try."  So after reading his book and reading reviews and knowing what I am getting into, I have made the commitment.  

This plan may be tough but I figure six weeks of this "diet" won't kill me.

Having a iPhone has been a great way for me to be creative in a way that I can't be with my regular cameras. The variety of apps available allow me to be creative on the go.  I can photograph and use an app to make adjustments or completely alter an image before I even leave the location where I am shooting. What is nice is I always have the original as well as the altered image as long as I use any app after the image has already been captured rather then using the camera within each app.

AutoPainter is an app that takes an original photograph and turns it into a "painting" that is in the style inspired by a choice of four different famous painters, Aquarell, Benson, Cezanne and Van Gogh.  Rather then being an effect, it uses the original photograph as a reference and automatically paints the scene with different digital brushes.

Unfortunately, this app on the iPhone does not save the final image in the highest resolution. It is stated on their app site, "We feel this setting is the best compromise for the speed and quality. We have a Mac version with higher resolution for larger format prints."  So reading this I at least know that I have an option if I have a great image that I want to sell in a larger size.

Not all the styles work with all images, so it is entertaining to try and figure out what style will work best with what image.  I decided for comparison sake, that I would use one image with all styles.  Below are the results.

This is the original iPhone capture of "Santa Fe Wall"

This is the Aquarell Style using the Autopainter iPhone App

This is the Cezanne style using the Autopainter iPhone App

This is the Van Gogh style using the Autopainter iPhone App

If you decide you like this app, there is also Autopainter II and Autopainter III that offer other styles of famous artists.
 

The Soft Spot II

This image was photographed in Scottsdale, Arizona at the MacDonalds Ranch.  Each year, I spend approximately three months near this ranch while showing and selling my fine art photography at the Arizona Fine Art Expo.  I have always loved photographing my client's pets so the transition into photographing different animals as fine art pieces was seamless.

This particular horse had wonderful whiskers that when lit by the sun, just shined and added a great dimension to the overall piece.  After capturing a great shot, I then added a texture layer to the piece.  This texture layer was added primarily to the background thus giving a nice effect to the overall piece.

Because this image is the Photo of the Month for June, I am offering a great discount of 25% and free shipping off my regular pricing. This is a great offer that will be available on all the different printing choices I offer...from stretched canvas, framed photographs or aluminum photographs. All you have to do is measure your space and find the perfect size.  Click here for this Photo of the Month.

To my dismay, my favorite infrared film was becoming a rarity.

Kodak had decided to discontinue production nearly two years ago of its high speed infrared film. My supply in my refrigerator was running low so I had some decisions to make in regards to the direction I wanted to go creatively. I love the look of my resulting images from Kodak, but I could not cry over spilled milk. I had to continue on and continue growing by researching other options for my shooting style.

So after much research, I decided to start testing Efke ir820. This film is as near to Kodak HIE as I was going to get. True infrared films will be sensitive to wavelengths beyond 700 nm. Kodak HIE film was sensitive to wavelengths near 900 nm. The Efke ir820, is sensitive to wavelengths of 820 nm. Other films such as Rollei is 720 nm and Ilford SFX is 740 nm.

So with testing, I had to decide the best filter for the results I wanted. The use of the filter will only let the longer wavelengths expose the film, getting thus an image that has been obtained from the infrared spectrum. Just shooting this film with no filter would result in images similar to regular black and white film. So in order to get the dark skies I love so much in my photography, I would need a deep red filter. The dark red filter I had been using for my Kodak film was too dark for the 820nm of Efke. So, I purchased the Hoya R72, a nearly black red filter, which will cut off most of all visible light.

The following image was taken with the Efke ir820 on an overcast day. Because the blue sky is not showing, you will not see the effects of the dark red filter on the sky.

Angel. Efke ir820 film

Through trial and tribulations, I found that a good starting point was an ISO of 3 which put all my exposures at lengths longer then 1 second each at an aperture of no wider then 16. I continue to bracket my exposures so that I have more then one choice of exposures to work with and I continue to use my tripod in all of my shoots.

As with Kodak’s film, I still need to load and unload in complete darkness. A changing bag has become very handy when out in the field. When processing the film, I decided to start with the developer and times I used with my Kodak film. (see my blog on Infrared film) Luckily, these times resulted in acceptable image quality and wonderful tonal values with the Efke as well..

The problems I ran into had little to do with Efke’s film although I did hear about issues of it easily scratching, little black dots after development and static electricity during loading for processing. My issues had more to do with my own equipment. I love using my Widelux swing panoramic camera but because of its age, I can only shoot it at 1/125 of a second. With my filter of choice and having to set Efke ir820 at an ISO of 3, I could barely get away with shooting wide open. This resulting images were underexposed and sometimes not sharp enough in the foregrounds. So, instead I decided to start shooting using my Bronica medium format camera.

In the following image, I tested the depth of field and focusing of the film with the camera and realize with this setup, I will need to shoot at an aperture of no less then F22.

Efke ir820 medium format film shot with a Bronica medium format camera.

I have enjoyed shooting this film and have accepted that it is not Kodak’s HIE. I have learned to work with what my new results are. But, at about the time I really started to understand Efke’s qualities, a friend to let me use his digital camera that had been converted to infrared. You can read about my digital experience in my future blog.