My first published AND paying photograph!

Today was a fantastic day! One of the eagle photos I featured in my April 4th Random Photo Friday post was published in this week's edition of  The Georgia Straight, Vancouver's popular entertainment newspaper, which came out today - and they're sending me a cheque for the privilege! Wohooooo! I'm absolutely thrilled....to say the least. (I was delighted when a couple of my flower photographs were published before - used for the poster and promotional materials to North Vancouver Arts Council's annual 'Art in the Garden' event - 2011 & 2013.) It's the first time I've submitted a photo to The Straight and I sent it in just a few days after snapping the original shot down at Spanish Banks on April 1st.

Published in this week's Georgia Straight - April 17, 2014

I was pretty happy when they emailed me right back saying, "Awesome work, Katrina" and then, a couple of days ago, they sent me another email confirming it would be in this week's edition. Needless to say, I picked up a copy and Lorne, sweety that he is, came home with about 5 more 'spares'.   :-)

The original photo - taken April 1, 2014

I was amazed that the timing was so perfect for me to catch this shot in the first place, especially so close up, but to see it in print, with my name right there, is an amazing feeling - the fact they're apparently sending me a cheque too is pure bonus!

Naturally I shared this news on Facebook and have had some lovely compliments. Even a guy I worked with a couple of years ago (who's also an avid photographer and has had his pics published in the Straight) had seen my photo in this week's edition and took the time to send me a congratulatory note - we're not actually FB 'friends' but he messaged me to say congrats on a stunning photograph. How nice is that?!! :-)

Furthermore, in the past couple of weeks I've updated my Flickr photos, not least to include the eagle shots, but to add the pet portraits, that way I at least have somewhere to point people to (since I was asked) until I might get an actual website going. I noticed just a couple of days ago that The Georgia Straight also has a Flickr group, which you can join and upload 10 pics/day and they might get used/acknowledged on their website, while simultaneously linking back to you/your Flickr site, so I added my first 10 pics.

Imagine my double excitement when I checked my Flickr site tonight (to happily add the above photo to my 'Published' set) and I noticed they have already marked one of my first 10 pics as a favourite.

Selected today as a 'favourite' in the
Georgia Straight's Flickr group.

Heck, after a day like today, maybe they really are :-)

So much talent

Aaaah, so nice to have a couple of days off work - away from manic deadlines and such. Of course all my good intentions of things I intended to achieve these past couple of days seems to have slipped a little by the wayside......where DOES the time go??? That said, I've managed to upload quite a few photos to my new spot on Flickr.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/katrinaspix/ and have even had some positive feedback already - I'm very flattered :-) In fact, I can already feel the twinge of wanting to keep going on Flickr to load more pics and check for any more comments - is this how fresh blood Crack-book addicts start out, I wonder? Thankfully I haven't yet ventured into the world of Facebook and, despite those around me who've succumbed, chanting "one of us...one of us....", I've so far maintained my dissidence in that regard. There's something inherently creepy about it to me. Besides, I read Orwell's 1984 several times, with its sinister Big Brother espionage. (Not to be confused with a bunch of losers sat around bitching and sleeping together in front of 24/7 CCTV cameras at some remote studio/house.) I digress.....

Okay, Olympic stuff. It's almost over (yaaayyyy) and I suspect the city's going to slump into a period of 'mourning' after this, firstly because Vancouver has been so busy and just buzzing with excited crowds and passionate shows of patriotism, moreso than I've ever seen here - it's been quite contagious and secondly, because the bills for it are gonna start surfacing and that's when the brown stinky stuff will really start hitting the fan. Maybe we should soak up the next 24hrs of feigned ignorance and hope that Canada at least scores the gold for men's hockey (as did the women already!) to let us go out on a euphoric high.

I've actually watched quite a bit of the coverage (not least because it's dominating TV here) and was lucky enough to see some of it first hand last Tuesday night, when my sis' (via her husband's boss) scored 2 free tickets to the women's figure skating short program. It was great to go together, especially since we both spent several years figure-skating many moons ago (and giving it up at about 15 is the one thing I've ever really regretted). I understand it so much more now than I did back then - if only someone had explained to me just why I needed to do figures, why my program needed a step sequence and how to utilize my near double-jointed limbs to enhance my spins and jumps.

When Canadian, Joannie Rochette took to the ice and skated so beautifully, I literally felt choked up. Watching her was awe-inspring and quite moving - her artistry, courage, determination and incredible talent were a privilege to behold. What amazing strength to still perform - and to skate soooo well, winning a bronze medal - after the tragic and sudden loss of her mother just a couple of days earlier. Now that's an Olympian!

Yes the 2010 Winter Olympics is almost over for Vancouver but, for better or worse, this city will be forever changed.