I totally forgot to tell you...

So yesterday I mentioned I might post twice...obviously, I didn't. I thought about it as I was drifting off to sleep and was going to get up and write something, but I figured it didn't make that much difference. Plus, I was tired. :-)

Anyway, so what I was going to post about...I totally forgot to tell all y'all that I'm in training for a marathon. Again. If you're new to the blog, let me just tell you this will be the 4th time I've started marathon training in the past 3 years. My history:

• 2006, trained for the Chicago Marathon. Dropped out in week 12 because of an injury.
• 2007, trained for the Chicago Marathon again. Started, but stopped when they closed the course after 4 hours (I was at mile 16).
• 2007/08, trained for the St. Louis Marathon. 2 weeks before the marathon I came down with pneumonia and had to drop out.

Needless to say, I'm feeling less-than-100% confident that I can make it through the actual marathon itself. Now the good news this year is that Chicago is a bit later in the month, I won't be travelling the week before the race, and I've got 3 years of long-distance training under my belt.

I'm sort of tracking to Hal Higdon's novice training plan but am not as strict about it as I've been in past years. Part of it is that training started while we were on vacation, and part of it is I've got lots of other things going on and my time to devote to running is limited this year. Still, I can get enough training under my belt to finish, provided the weather is more cooperative than last year!

Last year I posted training updates on my now-defunct (but still on the web) blog, Runs With Perseverance. I haven't decided whether it's coming back to life or not. I'm leaning against it at this point...again, too many work/life things to get done, and keeping jtj3 plus my photo blog active is about all I can manage. But we'll see.

Wish me luck on the training! More later...

I'm in!

Yesterday, I posted about finally pulling the trigger and getting into the world of stock photography. After lots of research and reading, I picked iStockPhoto.com as the service to go with. I checked email this morning, and what do I find? A message that tells me this:

Congratulations, the iStockphoto administrators have determined that your files are commercially and technically ready for iStockphoto.com. Please begin uploading at your convenience.

WHOOHOO! This means I can finally quit my day job! OK, not really...being as how I haven't yet uploaded any pictures (other than the sample shots I sent up). Oh, and there's the whole thing of "How do I distinguish my photos from the other 3.1 million really good photos that are already out there???" Uh, I guess I'll worry about that later.

Interestingly enough, I listened to the Digital Photography Show podcast this morning on the way into work, and they talked about a couple listeners who'd moved from amateur photographers to "working" photographers (making money selling stock photos). Now, very few people are making a living at this, but they said the same thing I was thinking...it's more about validation of one's artistic skills and ability than the money.

As soon as I get this whole thing figured out and upload some shots, I'll see if I can link to them from here.

More later...

I decided I'm doing it...

Wow, two days in a row with something interesting to say. Look at me.

Ever had an experience like this...you're thinking about something, mulling it over in your mind--maybe for months. Playing the "should I or shouldn't I?" game. Trying to consider all the risks and benefits but realizing you don't know what you don't know. Wanting the upside, but being scared of failure or, worse, rejection. But then...you have a conversation with someone, they lay out a couple obvious questions ("What could it hurt?" "What's the worst thing that could happen?") and then you decide...HECK YEA, I'm gonna jump in.

Well, that's what I'm doing. I am breaking into the :deep inhale: stock photography market. Or at least trying to.

I had an email conversation with a bloggosphere pal yesterday (they know who they are!!!) and we touched on this subject. I've done occasional poking around for months. The service I picked (won't name it until I know they accepted me!) is one I heard about on a podcast a few months ago and have checked them out now and again. It's like looking at the inside of a fancy restaurant, then walking all the way in to where the maitre d' acknowledges you, but then backing out the way you came in. You look at *those people* in *that place*, you just don't think you fit it.

Well, dag-nabbit, maybe I do.

If I pass the 'artistic test' (they like the sample pix I submit), then I'll post more details later. For now--wish me luck.

More later...