Update on the move

First, I want to apologize for not checking in. I've been busy and have a lot on my mind with the trip that will soon be upon me. I just don't have time for blogging right now but once I'm settled in my new home I will be back.

I did manage to find a ticket for several hundred dollars less than expected but to get it at this price I had to leave at a later date. I have the ticket and it's for September 12th.

I'm just online long enough to post this as I saw in my email some of you had left comments on my previous post but I won't have time to check your blogs. But, as I said, once I'm settled I'll be back. Gosh, I sound like the terminator. ;) I've been told my computer will be getting set up very quickly but with computers one never knows.

I'm excited but apprehensive as well and of course, sad about things that will left behind especially my cats. But, I can't take them into someone else's home especially someone who has 2 dogs and my husband will look after them. But, I'm going to miss them so much.

I hope all of you are having a lovely summer especially here with all this cool weather we're having now. Take care and talk again soon.

Leaving France

Strange how life changes so quickly and without warning. Life in France has been a scenic wonder and my health is great but employment and housing have been non-existent and horrible.

I have a friend who lives in Toronto who has offered a spare bedroom for as long as I need it and I'm going to accept. I've only traveled once and that was from the US to France. I was newly married and in a dreamstate. I don't remember a thing. He took care of everything. I remember lots of stops, having to queue and a lot of walking. I imagine horrible nightmares of getting lost and missing my flight.

I will now be traveling alone on a very long trip and although I am excited about the move the flight is giving me quivers. I don't know what to expect. I'm having a problem finding the best place to buy a ticket. Using Google I'm hit with CHEAP FLIGHTS which somehow make me think 'might get you there'.

I know I've read about things you can and cannot take on board these days, but again I have no idea. I'm wanting to go as soon as possible while the weather is nice. If any of you can give me helpful links and advice I would surely appreciate it.

I wanna be me...

How did mirrors come into our world? I can’t help thinking how much easier life would be without them.

I’ve been running around in an old terry clothe bathrobe all day and I refuse to look in a mirror because I already know how bad I look. All that’s missing are the curlers in my hair.

My bathrobe was bought in the states almost 10 years ago and is only now becoming comfy after many many washings. I didn’t buy it because it looked good but because it was quality at a good price. Somehow the old bathrobe never looks sexy on me like it does on the fashion models.

Anyway, while I was standing out in the foyer smoking…I don’t smoke in my little apartment; I was smiling at how ridiculous I must look. I’m quite sure you would never see a French woman venturing outside her apartment looking like this.

Then I began to think about how comfy I was and why did it matter whether I was beautiful or not? Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have mirrors, that we were just accepted as we are in our own skin?

Can anyone else see the benefits of this or is it just that I’ve become a boring old person?

Selling your photos

I realize those of you who have been visiting this site are not interested in microstock but as I set this site up to promote my images I must do the occasional photography post. Bear with me please..

I’m not one of the big time players at microstock. These guys and gals don’t need to do this type of thing to promote themselves. The best cameras, studios, models…they have it all and reap the rewards.

The rest of us with our 300D and the like shooting mostly nature and a few object shots from time to time have tons of competition making it very hard to sell our wares. But, it’s not impossible.

I got into this business in 2005 and have managed to finally see enough of a profit to get a check from at least 2 of my sites each month. This is no small feat believe me especially when you shoot flowers, and landscapes.

But, due to the rise in photographers and the major sites having over 1 million images available things are getting tougher. When I started it was easy to get images approved, easy to build a portfolio. If I were starting now it would be much harder.

I say all this not to put anyone off but to prepare you for what can be a big letdown especially if you think your images are beautiful (don’t we all) and the stock sites will gobble them up. Unless you are a professional photographer with superb skills already under your belt it will be very difficult on certain sites to get accepted no matter how pretty your images are.

If after reading this you would still like to try earning a bit from those images that are just sitting on your hd doing nothing let me know. I will be glad to help in whatever way I can. All I ask is that you use me as a referral when joining one of the sites.

Feel free to ask questions.

My French Pharmacy

Yes, I have enough medication to start a small pharmacy. You may find yourself lacking in other things here in France but healthcare will not be one of them. It’s the best. I have had the best of everything from MRI, Cat scans, lab work, been referred to specialist and given every kind of medication available and I do mean every kind. If one didn’t work another was tried.

I have nothing but good to say about my medical care here in France but I do have one teensy weensy suggestion. Letting the expat who really doesn’t understand how things work know that she is not obligated to refill everything on the prescription every time she goes will save the government a lot of money and me storage space which I’m frightfully short of.

For years now I have walked home from the pharmacy with this overstuffed bag filled with pills and I cannot tell you the embarrassment I felt each time I had to get my prescription filled. What the pharmacist was thinking I could only imagine as I showed up every month for my fix.

It was only recently when I had to use a new pharmacy with an English speaking pharmacist that I learned I could actually tell the pharmacist what I needed, what I didn’t and how many of each. Imagine that? I walked home the other day with 2 little boxes of medication that I have to take whether I want to or not rather than a grocery sack full.

My French husband had no idea either. Did I say this was all free?

It's a dilemma

I started last week researching expat blogs particularly Americans living in France and was pleasantly surprised to find there are many. My one letdown is all seem to be young, newly married, just gave birth or raising young children which are of course the center of their lives right now. I understand, but…

My child rearing years have been over for a long time. I’m not domestic in the least and find it all quite boring (not you, the subject matter). I’m not even good as a mentor…believe me. If I ever did know a thing worth knowing about raising children and cooking it’s long left my brain for other things.

When the cat hair begins to float around in front of my face I know I need to vacuum and dust. When I get hungry I look for the easiest and quickest thing I can find so I can get on with my work. I occasionally like to do a cooking thing but it’s rare. One day I’m going to learn to make couscous just because I love the stuff but that’s one day.

What I want to know is where the dissatisfied, eccentric, menopausal people are? I can’t be the only one.

And why do most American expats live in Paris?

A tout à l'heure

Village florist

My neighborhood florist is the sweetest guy. He doesn't speak a word of English but we manage to communicate anyway. He always invites me in to take photos of his lovely arrangements. The shop is very dark lit only by these lamps and and lighting from the front windows. The shop is small and this is sufficient for running his business but hard as hell on me without the proper gear for taking these lowlight shots.

I love the colors and the lights.

A tout à l'heure

Just a bit about me

After spending the past couple of hours looking at other expat blogs and leaving comments at a few of them I thought maybe I should post a bit about myself just in case of a return visit.

In my previous post I mentioned my age. I do that so some will understand why I don't often know what they're talking about when it comes to music etc. I don't keep up like I did when I was raising a teenage daughter. I swear I read some blogs or forums and come away without the slightest idea of what was talked about and I feel stupid.

Anyway, back on topic...I'm married to a French man I met in Florida who I may or may not stay married to. I've lived in various parts of southern France for 9 years (I think). I don't speak French or not enough to carry on a decent conversation. Mothers make your child learn at least one foreign language while in school if for no other reason than to learn the mechanics.

I have no great skills although I'm told I have a great laugh and take a pretty good photo. I don't know about the laugh but after a few years of practice I'm pleased more often than not with some of my images.

I'm not as crazy about France as I once was and think a lot about moving on to some other spot for awhile. I'm spending a few weeks in Italy in September with a photographer friend and am really looking forward to it. Who knows maybe something exciting will happen and I won't come back.

I have a daughter and a grandchild living in the states and 3 cats living with me that I dearly love.

I spend most of my time with a camera around my neck taking photos or in front of my computer processing and then uploading them to the stock sites. This keeps me pretty busy. In between I clean my little one room flat, take care of my kitties, eat and sleep. Sounds boring doesn't it? I do read before going to bed and watch an occasional movie. I just re-read Pride and Prejudice again...I find it really hard to read but like it anyway. The last movie I watched was 'Take the Lead' with Antonio Banderas. I enjoyed it.

I hope that's enough. I really do hate writing about me except when I have the blues and then I always regret what I wrote. Don't fail to notice the name is ManicBlu. It is more than a nickname.

A tout à l'heure

Early morning fig

My early morning shooting didn't turn out well. The skies were overcast and the mistrial was blowing. But, not to be deterred I saw a lovely old fig tree in an abandoned garden with a few nice plump figs actually untouched by insects so I went to investigate.

The photo you see is one of many. It's slightly out of focus in its original size but at 15% it works fine for a blog entry. It's useless as a stock image due to focus and noise issues.

I did manage to get a few in focus but not without using my flash. I didn't bring my tripod so even with higher ISO I had problems. These figs tend to be undercover of huge green leaves as well which doesn't help matters.

A tout à l'heure

The first post

I've blogged too many times before to think this blog spot will be viewed by many, but I need a place to share my thoughts about photography, share images, get away from the mundane and mostly boring microstock world and rant when I feel the need.

As with all my beginnings and as a spontaneous and unorganized person I have no idea where this is going. I don't have a plan only a few ideas. No doubt, there will be plenty of images both a mix of images I have for sale and images I love that no one would pay a penny for. There will probably be more of the latter than the former.

If you're interested in profit only I will get into the different sites where you can sell your images including my opinion on each. There are many micros out there but only a few where you will realize any profit no matter how the ad reads.

I'm not going to worry too much about layout, fonts etc. for the moment but I'm sure this template will change soon once I find the time to look around. I could make my own but again time is something I don't have a lot of and I'm just not interested.

My clock says 6:23 and I want to get a few shots this morning. I'll be back later with an image or two from my morning adventure.

A tout à l'heure