My Fave Photo of 2008

If I had to pick one single image I loved best of 2008, it would be this one:

I was driving home from Edmonton after shooting with Bill Cowen and saw this in the rear view mirror of my car. I pulled the Matrix over between the yellowhead and rolled down my window. I was using my big lens, the 70-200mm 2.8 IS, and managed to capture a few good shots. This one was my fave of them all. I really feel a spiritual boast from this shot, it just came at a time in my life where I really needed some inspiration and this image speaks to my heart. It really gives me hope and a feeling like God is real and a part of my life. I was asked by someone to capture a picture of what I felt hope would be and this is what I gave the person who asked me. It was awesome because this person asked me to find this picture a weeks before I captured this. I felt like it was God's way of helping me with my homework. :)
-Randy

2009 is knocking

Almost a new year....2009 is coming quick. I am looking forward to 2009, there is a lot I want to accomplish and many things I want to improve upon. I think new years are great moments for people to take stock and try to do somethings better or different then they were doing them.

Photography goals for me this year I think are to try and work with other photographers more. I got to meet a few photographer friends in 2008, Mr.Bill Cowen and the awesome Tammy. I think it's fun to talk and work with other professionals. Gives me a chance to learn, share and just have a cool friendship with people that love taking pictures as much as moi. :)

In 2009 I really want to work on some portfolio areas that are lacking for me:

• Kids
• Families
• Men
• Maybe some pets
• lifestyle portraits

I guess there might be more then that but so far I think those areas need some work. I also want to get back to my roots which is nature photography. I've shot people so much lately I really miss getting some nature shots. Gear wise in 2009 I want to get:

• a good wide angle lens (fish eye possibly too)
• another body (if I win the lottery the 5dMII)
• Another L lens (any kind)

I also hope to start a photography class here in Vegreville and teach some things I have learned about photoshop. I would like to meet other local photographers and start up some kind of a group. Like the famous group of 7...hehehe, we'll take over photography and become rich and famous. :) hee hee. 2009 is the year baby!! :) Well, lots of things to look forward to and I am excited to get to it. I wish everyone a wonderful year and hope that it brings positive things for your life. I know personally I have so much growing to do. I think more then ever this is a year for me to make even better personal changes and start growing more as a person.

And lastly, lets hope the Oil crush the Flames tonight after losing to the Sens. :) heheheh, I can't wait to wear proudly my Oiler jersey. I'll need a pic of that to post in 2009. It's an awesome jersey. Well, this is my last post of 2008. Have fun peeps.

Holidays Rock

Yay, more holidays...love it. We're having friends over for supper and just enjoying the day. I better go shovel snow and get some fresh air. I love the time to just enjoy being home with our cats and the wonderful wife. :)

Monday

WARNING - THE FOLLOWING BLOG IS A GEEKS ACCOUNT OF A VIDEO GAME AND IS INTENDED FOR FELLOW GAME GEEKS....hehehe

So my buddy Sonny and me, played some Gears of War 2 last night. We are "older" gamers and sometimes do not do so hot vs the young guns on xbox live. However we played some games of wingman last night. Wingman is basically 5 teams of 2 player teams. You get one life per round and the first to score 15 points wins. Sonny and I were awesome, working as a team we won 2 rounds of wingman and to spare people the details I'll just say it is a TON of fun that game. We ended our last win by making the final two players on the other team crawl on the ground until Sonny and I walked over to them and picked them up to use them as meat shields. It was sweet, hehehehe, hopefully we'll get our achievement for wingman tonite by winning another round of it. Watch, our luck will have run out and we'll go winless.

Sunday!!

Just a nice relaxing day planned. Gonna watch some football, do some things like editing, maybe watch some movies, play some xbox.....just have a day of holiday fun. :)

Weekend

Jenn and I have had a wonderful holiday so far. Friends have been great to hang out with and we have had a super time so far. We are going to try and get outside this weekend for fresh air, even if it's cold...we've had enough being inside. :) Hope we don't freeze.

Boxing Day

Today was a relaxing day...slept in, enjoyed a nice breakfast with our friends before they headed home. We got some rockband in last night and had some fun playing Jenn's new boardgame she got for Christmas. Corey and her hubby Dale stopped in and visited on their way through to visit their family. Jenn, Corey and Dale all jammed and it sounded awesome, Corey played the new Seagull awesome, that baby of Jenn's sounds amazing. I am jealous, I wanna learn how to play now....anyway, not much new here...just loving holidays. :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Well, it's here, Christmas time for 2008. I can't wait....Jenn said I can't wake her up early.....heheheheh....we'll see about that. I love Christmas and CAN NOT wait to see Jenn open her gifts, she's gonna FLIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It'll be awesome, YOUTUBE video to come.....it'll rock. I CAN'T WAIT...hehehehe, it's 2am and I am excited I can't sleep. :)

Christmas Eve!!!!!

I made a playlist of some good Christmas tunes for people to enjoy. I also have a new list for 2009 of songs I am playing on my iTOUCH and they will be posted after the holidays. Hope everyone is having a good Christmas Eve. It's warming up here, only a mild -25ish, lol....oh well, where do I need to go today in this cold? I am going to go relax and enjoy Christmas Eve. :)

Merry Christmas

It's Christmas time and in a few days the 25th will be here. It's a special time of year for so many and a time I like to reflect on life. I am so thankful for all of the gifts I have been given. It's a time of year where so many have so little. Jenn and I have a nice warm home, great friends, 3 awesome cats and families that love and support us to no end. This past year has been one that I feel I have made some positive changes. I have a very positive attitude about this Christmas Season and look forward to time with Jenn and our friends. Christmas day we're having friends over and just looking to have a great time together.

To everyone that I have worked with in photography this year I wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS. May your holiday be a special time and bring you lots of great moments to cherish. Stay warm and safe and here's looking forward to an awesome 2009!! My plans for the holiday....

- xbox (fallout 3, NHL 09, Gears of War 2, Rockband 2 to name a few)

- Bluray and DVD's (we rented a lot of movies, my other fave thing to do)

- Be with Jenn (go skiing (maybe) and skating, hot tubbing in Sherwood Park)

- Visit my folks in Creston, BC (depending on weather)

Christmas Holidays are HERE

It's official, I am on 2 weeks of wonderful holidays. I can sleep in, do lots of fun things and forget about work. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ouch Oilers

Okay Santa, please, please, please......get a new coach for the Oilers for Christmas. I want them to win again, be a team I can be proud of. This joke of a team they have now isn't doing any Oiler fan justice. Ohhh well, 5 cups makes a fan have higher expectations, I need to see some Oiler dominance again please. Thanks Santa. :)

Long day today, got home at 9:30pm from the concert. A long day at school...hope the parents enjoyed the concert, it was a packed house. Anyway, I'm off to avoid watching the Oilers lose.....3-0 last time I checked (cringe). But yay!!!! Christmas is close at hand.

All I want for Xmas for the Oilers is a new coach please

Please Edmonton, get a new coach for Christmas. I am so annoyed with the lack of effort they are putting out. If anyone gave that amount of effort in their "REAL" job, they'd be fired. I blame the management and the coaching. This team is payed near the top of the league, they have skill players and yet they struggle in so many areas of this game. Their PK is weak, their goaltending situation is a joke, 3 goalies? Come on, make a decision already and give this team some focus. Start coaching these guys and getting them to put a consistent effort out on the ice. Losing 9-2 to a young team like Chicago, at home in front of a BIG crowd of fans is an embarassment. I guess MacT was just giving Chicago an early Christmas gift. What a goof he is, doesn't start a goalie who on the prior game had a shut out, sits players and makes line up changes after a shut out...this coach drives me and a lot of other fans nutty. It's time to change, they are going to always be an 8th place team at best under this leadership....sadly it doesn't seem to bother anyone in the organization, just the fans.....

I LOVE the Oilers and seriously want a new coach for Christmas. :) Speaking of Christmas, it's our Christmas Concert tonight, so I expect it to be a VERY long day. Great news is I am SO close to holidays after today!!! Yipeeeeeeeeee.

Last Monday of Work for 2008!!!

I have been playing with textures a lot...and using CS4. Love the textures and starting to find better ways of editing with them. Also loving that the year 2008 is almost done and holidays are on the doorstep. Hoping to stay warm and safe this week and looking forward to some rest and relaxation. :)

Hardstyle Republic - Resistance is Futile

I had to check out this style of dance again on youtube. If I could dance, I wish it could be like this. :) hehehe, I am too old but man, that is cool. I'd love to put down some moves like these guys, lol. :)

Christmas is Close

The holidays are coming quick. I am busy with work, trying hard to complete this part of the school year. So much is going on it does make my head spin, there is so much to do it almost makes teaching seem like a secondary thing I do. I am really hoping to get some photoshop time soon to do some more edits and hopefully do some new shoots before 2009 hits. However I do need to relax and re-charge the battery so I am ready to go again in the new year. I hope everyone has a happy holiday.

Thanks For the new Tool

Thanks to an awesome photographer friend for the cool blog template.....lets me do cool stuff like this. :)

~ Jenni B ~

~ Jenni B ~, originally uploaded by Randy Pond.

Another Jenni B Edit

~ Jenni ~

~ Jenni ~, originally uploaded by Randy Pond.

recent edit

Michael Jordan

a GREAT inspirational movie about success and failure.....wish more people thought like that about life. Too many people give up...

Nickelback - Something in your mouth

Got this song stuck in my head...hehehe

~ Samantha Valentine ~

~ Samantha Valentine ~, originally uploaded by Randy Pond.

Recent Samantha Valentine Edit

~ Hot Shirt ~

~ Hot Shirt ~, originally uploaded by Randy Pond.

Another recent edit

~ Red Couch ~

~ Red Couch ~, originally uploaded by Randy Pond.

Recent Edit of Lana