Photography and GMO's (Prop 37)

Normally I don't discuss propositions, as most of them are difficult to decide who is right and what the proposition will do.  However, I have made an exception for Prop 37 as it affects everyone who eats in California, and the nation (which, of course, is everyone).  I do not want to eat foods containing GMO's.  And if you value your health, you don't want those foods either.  Voting yes on prop 37 will let you me know which foods those are.  The ads against prop 37 are extremely misleading.  The latest one had a Dr. Sherry Franklin as the speaker, and she says there is nothing wrong with GMO's.  All the latest studies show the opposite (see my prior post and go to the links in it).  I can only speculate as to why she would say she is against prop 37 - perhaps money for the ad or from the corporations who produce the GMO's for her research, or perhaps she hasn't done her research on GMO's, or ?????????

Right now the only way to avoid GMO's is to find out which foods contain it through online sites, avoid processed foods as they are likely to have GMO's, or try to eat only organic foods which cannot contain GMO's (at least not directly).  Voting yes on 37 will make it a lot easier to know what you're eating.

Eating GMO food is like being part of an experiment or drug study, with an unknown outcome for your future.  By the time the outcome is known (much like DDT's outcome) the damage done could be catastrophic.
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This weekend, there is a women's paddle tennis tournament at Venice Beach, CA.  I will be doing some of the photography for them and will post pictures here (if all goes well) later in the weekend, much like the one below.  Have a great weekend, and a safe one.

Back to GMO's and Prop 37 in CA

About the "No on 37" ads - if you check the sponsors listed, they are all the ones involved in producing or selling products that contain GMO foods.  The ads say prop 37 is not logical; however, what isn't logical is why anyone would not want to know what is in the food they are eating.  And what isn't logical is if, as those companies claim, it does no harm, then why are they against labeling GMO's in food?  Everyone would be happy to eat them.  Unfortunately, GMO foods have been linked to many health problems - allergies, tumors, infertility, and more.

Keep in mind, too, that the companies making GMO foods are the same ones who made DDT and Agent Orange, claiming that they would be harmless.

Will it hurt the farmers who grow GMO foods?  Read this article about what has happened (and is happening) in India as a result of GMO crops:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/03/gmo-crops-affect-farmers.aspx

Vote YES on Proposition 37 as though your life depended on it (who knows, at some point in time, it may).

Every time I hear those misleading no on 37 ads, I feel I have to do my best to counter them in some way.  To protect our health, we really need to know what foods we put in our body.

PS - if you do not live in CA, but know people who do, please pass this on to them.

TGIF and Space Shuttle Endeavour

Happy Friday everyone.  This morning I was working on my computer, and kept hearing about the Space Shuttle Endeavour being parked in Westchester, about 4 miles from where I am.  I figured parking would be impossible as it was reported there were large crowds going over to take a look, so decided to ride my bicycle over to go see it and shoot some pictures.  Below are some of the ones I shot.  Hope you enjoy.

Elections and GMO's and Paddle Tennis

Elections are just about a month away.  Who should you vote for?  Whoever you think will do the best job, and that is all I will say about that.  There are enough other places where you can read in depth analyses of the candidates, some of which may be true and some may not.  Good luck to us all.

But Prop 37 (for California) I do offer an opinion on.  Vote YES (and please tell everyone you know to also vote yes, and give them the link below, and ask them to pass it on, too)...if you want to know what you are eating.  Rather than list all the possible dangers of GMO foods here, just click on this link to go to Google search for the dangers of GMO's.  Then you'll know why you MUST vote yes:  https://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&site=&source=hp&q=gmo+food+dangers&oq=GMO+food&gs_l=hp.1.2.0l10.2298.4724.0.17657.8.6.0.2.2.0.151.730.1j5.6.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.1.WUR9UUatmZ4

Remember that prop 37 just requires foods to be labeled as GMO if they contain GMO ingredients.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.  I'll be out at the paddle tennis courts at Venice Beach, either playing or taking pictures, or both.  Here are a few from last week:

What to look for in a Photographer

What should you look for in a photographer?  Because I photograph people, this post answers the question as related to portraits, headshots, and the like.  Before I get into my thoughts on this, I want to very briefly talk about one very important subject unrelated to photography.  And that is GMO food labeling and foods. If you want to know if you are eating GMO food, vote YES on Prop 37 in California.  GMO foods have been linked to a number of health issues and problems, from tumors to infertility.  Give yourself the option of whether you want to buy or eat these foods by mandatory labeling of them as GMO, then you will be able to avoid them should you choose to.  Now on to photography.

So, what should you look for in a photographer, or do when searching for one?
1.  Someone you can get along with and relate to, and who will treat you like a million bucks!  My feeling is that if someone hires me to photograph them, they are hiring me to photograph them as they wish to be photographed.  They will always have the final say in all photographic decisions.  I will do everything possible to fulfill they desires.  I will offer suggestions when needed in order to get the best image of them that is possible.

2.  If, after doing the above, I have been unable to meet or exceed their expectations, I will offer a re-shoot, if they are okay with that, or give them a complete refund of any money paid to me for the photography.  This includes any time I have spent on post-processing or any other work I've done relating to the current session.

3.  Check out their previous work, either through an online site or in person.

4.  Always try to meet in person to schedule your appointment, and feel free to ask any questions you may have.  The more you know and the better you know the photographer, the better pictures you will get.

5.  Is the photographer willing to reschedule for you if you are not feeling well the day of the shoot?  This is important because you want to feel your absolute best during the session.  I would actually insist on rescheduling if you are feeling less than your best.

6.  Although price may be important, it should be low on the list of what to look for.  If you were to pay $75 with no guarantee, and got terrible photos (bad lighting, bad pose, not sharp, etc), you just threw away $75. But if you paid $500 and got a photo that you that captured not only your looks (and they looked beautiful), but also your personality, that would be a priceless heirloom.  And if you weren't happy even if it did all these things, you received a complete refund - well, you can't compare the two.

7.  Photographer must be professional - by this I mean on time, open about everything you ask, know what he or she is doing, shows the client total respect - you'll know by how they act.  Should give you exactly what you want, and offer suggestions based on this.  Make sure you tell your photographer anything you would not be comfortable with.  If he disagrees, say good bye.

8.  I feel like a photographer should make your session fun and enjoyable, and I think you should find a photographer who does this.