Plastic Trash

Old Buildings

Add comment May 25th, 2008 at 09:43pm John

So I decided last night to do some sephia toned portraits for my Picture A Day project.
I took the images in color, converted to black and white, adjusted for contrast/brightness, and then added the sephia tone.

I really like they way these turned out. I ended up liking the second hat better because it was a lighter brown color and showed up a little easier.

Hat 1

Hat 2

As you can probably tell I enjoy taking self portraits. It’s not that I’m in love with myself (but seriously, who isn’t in love with me?), it’s just that I can really control everything. I am patient while I work out the lighting. I can always pose just the way I want. I don’t get nervous in front of the camera. I don’t have to talk myself into a pose or a shot. I know the exact look I’m trying to get. Also, I’m awesome!

Leave a comment and tell me what you think. The first picture isn’t on flickr, but the second one is, so you can comment on it either here or there.

While you’re at it, why not subscribe to my Picture A Day project and get updates automagically!

Add comment May 13th, 2008 at 08:28pm John

I’ve decided to start a new trend. It’s a little bit steampunk, a little bit power punk, and a lot of rock and roll.

Introducing the Handkerchief Necktie by John Wayne Hill

The Handkerchief Necktie is exactly as it sounds. Using a handkerchief as a necktie. Simply don your button down shirt, place your necktie around your neck, tie semi-tight, tuck underneath your collar, and fluff a little at the nape of the neck. This creates a sophisticated yet trendy look. All sorts of handkerchiefs can be used, but preference should be given to those with a small pattern on top of a solid color.

Alternate Look

As with many great fashion trends, there is also an alternate look for the handkerchief necktie. In place of a collared shirt trendy persons can instead use a t-shirt and jacket. This creates a lower key look. In this version the handkerchief necktie can either be puffed up around the neck to create a sort of collar, or it can be pushed down to have very little volume. This alternate look would be best suited for more casual settings or perhaps with jeans. Hats also suite this alternate look well.

Add comment May 8th, 2008 at 11:12pm John

Today there was rain, lots of rain. In fact, you could easily say that there was a flood of rain today; but we won’t.

I’ve never really liked the rain. It always decides to cling to my glasses and screw with my vision. Damn you rain, I need to see. Today, it also messed up other things. I had planned what might be my only camping trip of the summer (sad, I know) for tomorrow. However, due to the flooding rains (that are set to continue tomorrow), I will not be camping. I’m terribly sad for this. I miss the great outdoors, especially considering that I’ve been sick with bronchitis for the past three weeks. I just want to go and explore, hike, enjoy nature, and shoot some photographs. What’s so hard about letting me do that nature, huh?

So, even though great Mother Nature has decided to thwart my plans to enjoy her beauty tomorrow, I did manage to enjoy a bit today. The rain was long and hard. It made me sad. And as I was looking out my window, I saw my sadness reflected. Here is that sadness captured and held in ransom until Mother Nature gives me back my camping trip.

There’s Sadness in the Rain

1 comment May 7th, 2008 at 09:16pm John

Over the last couple of days I been working on a photo project depicting depression.
I’ve posted my photos on Flickr [like always], but I thought I would post a couple here as well. I would like to start a transition of this blog into a photo blog. I don’t post too much text anymore. In fact, I don’t really write much anymore. I guess writing just comes and goes like the phases of the moon. So, without further ado, here are two pictures from my depression series.

It’s a Cold and Lonely World

Breath Is Just A Clock Ticking

Add comment May 3rd, 2008 at 09:47pm John

As you may know, I’ve been working really hard on my photography this year. I started my Picture A Day project on Dec 31, 2007, and it’s been going strong every day since (given the name). I really have felt my photography lift up towards new heights. I love taking photographs and experimenting with lighting and technique. I’ve purchased a new lens, as well as a small pocket camera (that I can take anywhere with me), and I’ve loved using them. I feel connected and grounded with photography. Every week I get excited about something photographic.

Now, I’m not saying that every day I take an amazing picture. Nor am I saying that everyday I spend lots of time on photography. What I am saying is that on a weekly basis I feel something good come out of my photography. While everyday doesn’t produce a great photograph for me, everyday does lend to my knowledge, to my experience. And, the more experience I can get behind the lens, the better I will become. I read quite a lot about photographic technique, and I do my best to study other photographers (though this has mostly been limited to online studies). I’ve read and bought a couple of books and I feel knowledgeable. Basically, I feel really good about my photography, where I am currently, and my growth patterns.

I also joined up with the Bloomington Photography Club. A group that meets once monthly and discusses all things photography. For the past couple of years this group has put on a show at the SoFA Gallery here in Bloomington. Anyone in the club can submit up to four photographs to a competition to get to be in that show. The club has tons of members and it seems that merely everyone submits 4 photographs for this judging. After a little persuasion from a co-worker and fellow photographer, I decided to enter some photographs of mine. I entered four of my favorite photographs. I spent quite a sum of money getting them printed just right, matting them, and mounting them onto a piece of foam-core board (judging rules).

I am very happy to say (actually I effing ecstatic) that I’ve been accepted into the show!!!

Two of the four photographs that I entered where accepted by the judging panel. I’m really in a little bit of shock. This will be my first gallery show. I hope that you all dear readers will join me in celebration at the opening!

So, without further adieu, here are the two photographs that were accepted:

The Lazy Frog

Railroad Tracks

2 comments April 5th, 2008 at 09:13pm John

That’s right folks, I’m finally moving away from my old business website [Inter-Tech] and onto a professional online portfolio. I’ve been planning this move since 3rd quarter of last year. I started official development on the site late last year, and after many alpha iterations, I finally have a beta version of the site ready.

Now I know that the word beta is thrown around quite a lot these days, so let me explain the difference between alpha and beta for you. Alpha [in terms of websites] means that a site has the initial idea in place, but not much else. The site is really up for testing of the idea in the earliest of stages to get feedback and ensure that changes can happen easily. Most true Alpha sites go through major changes in the Alpha stage. Beta means that a site has settled upon a general look and feel, but hasn’t quite worked out the smaller kinks. Most of the site should be functional, but not everything is yet in place. No major changes should really take place in the Beta phase.

So, now that we have that out of the way dear readers, let’s get on with it.

Announcing the professional portfolio for John Wayne Hill - http://www.johnwaynehill.com.

This site is intended to show my talents as a designer, to help me get into a top graduate school for HCI/d, and to show my work to potential employers and clients. The site is still in Beta version. Not all of the content is yet in place, and there are some kinks to be worked out with Internet Explorer. Don’t worry you IE fans, I’m not leaving you out, it’s just harder for me to test in IE considering I don’t own windows. Upon final release of the site all major browsers will be officially supported.

Please send me all of your comments, praise, hatred, and laughter. Any feedback on my work is super valuable to me, even if that feedback is one word long. Thanks for looking, thanks for reading, and thanks for your support!

4 comments March 5th, 2008 at 09:06am John

Wow, and double wow.

This past weekend, in case you didn’t know, I was part of an amazing event called Startup Weekend. I was simply amazed, with my mouth agape and all, at everything that unfolded over the course of 52+ hours. I hardly knew anyone there. Sure there were some familiar faces, but most everyone was nearly a complete stranger to me.

I’m very happy to say that this is no longer the case. It’s pretty damn amazing how much you can get to know someone by working with them in one area for about 52 hours. I knew that the weekend would be big in Bloomington when Kevin Makice first asked me if I wanted to be in the first meeting discussing bringing the event to Bloomington way the hell back in November of ‘07. I just didn’t know that it would be so huge.

If you didn’t already know, I was technical director for the event. I was charged with getting multiple websites up and running, creating multiple widgets, as well as recruiting as much as possible. When we opened registration, I signed up to be a front-end developer. I was very excited about the idea. I can code XHTML and JavaScript quickly, efficiently, and in a standards compliant fashion. However, upon arrival of the weekend things took a different turn for me. Somehow I ended up being the Technical Director for the weekend as well. I lead the development team forward and wrote code for maybe 5 minutes late Sunday. My real efforts where in making sure that the developers had what they needed to do what they do best, code. I helped  them to get organized, set persons on different tasks, and in general kept everyone working. I was also in charge of informing other groups as to the development teams workings. I also kept everyone, as much as I could, out of the developers way so that they could get into a groove and keep with it. Come Sunday night, I presented our workings to the group for our private launch. It turned out that we couldn’t launch publicly (yet) due to some legal concerns.

The event was certainly a smashing success. We meet during the weekend, and decided to do this again and again. Bloomington Startup will not stop at just one weekend, there is way too much talent here for that. No, we will strive to hold these weekend events as often as possible.

Thank you Bloomington and all of the wonderful people who attended the weekend. A special thanks as well to all of you fans of Bloomington Startup and to all who watched our progress unfold. It was my shear pleasure to help bring this about!

Add comment February 11th, 2008 at 08:24pm John

I’ve been coding non-stop for what seems like weeks.
I’m preparing the Bloomington Startup Weekend sites, as I’m the Technical and Recruiting Director. Our gigantic, huge, fantastically awesome event starts tomorrow.

Some of the organizers are meeting up at City Hall at noon to prep for the 5:00 opening.
Lots to do, lots to do. But hey, that’s life right.

I think I’m growing as a photographer [Why don't you be the judge?].
I believe my  photographs to  improve with each and every shutter snap.
I recently bought a new Tamron 90mm Macro lens. I effing love it, or to be a little more pop, I (heart) it, very very much.

Just check out this picture why don’t you?

Pretty effing cool eh? My Nikon kit lens certainly couldn’t do this. I’m really excited about photography. I’m sure that my Picture A Day project has something to do with this. You have been following right? If not, shame on you. Well, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but I wish you would follow. Who doesn’t want followers right?

Anyway, I’m super busy with class, Bloomington Startup Weekend, projects, and of course photography. Not to mention that my car’s alternator (generator) decided to lock up and leave me high and dry for personal transportation. I’m just lucky enough to have great family who helped me retrieve said broken monster and tug it all the way to my gravel pit. I’m also lucky to have pretty good public transportation around Bloomington. I didn’t drive too much anyway, but having those buses helps a bundle.

So, give me your thoughts on my new photographs. And, if you were one of the lucky 100 to sign up for Bloomington Startup Weekend before our amazing sell out, I’ll see you tomorrow (and for the next 3 days after that!).

Add comment February 7th, 2008 at 08:52pm John

Bloomington Startup Weekend is nigh.
Repent ye sinners. Go forth and register yourselves.

A 54 hour mad rush of intense energy, ideas, and work, Bloomington Startup attendees will conceive, create, and launch a completely new company. Bloomington Startup Weekend will be a great chance for locals (from all over the midwest) to network with other motivated individuals, learn and practice new skills in the context of a real business, and put Bloomington on the international map as a center for technology and innovation!

We’ve already gathered quite the press online, as evident by at http://www.bloomingtonstartup.com/. We also fully expect an article in the Herald Times. We are also hoping to gather some press from the student paper at IU, the IDS.

Currently we have around 20 open spots left. We fully expect these to sell out quickly. So, if you’re interested in coming and you have yet to buy your ticket. You better do so now! I know I’ll be there, will you?

Add comment January 29th, 2008 at 09:31am John