Express News Lay-offs

Mark Sobhani, photojournalist for the San Antonio-Express News

Photojournalists provide an intimate view of the unique lives and world they are surrounded by, hoping that their images instill an emotional response in viewers, a compassion for humanity or awe-inspiring recognition of witnessing history. All journalists with cameras desire that their photographs be reciprocated by the viewer and society as essential and necessary, for being the truthful eyes of the world, the watchdog providing factual and historical information. We take pictures to tell the stories of others, and by doing so, share a portion of our own experiences in life.

The San Antonio Express-News laid off 135 employees last week, seventy-five of those working journalists in the newsroom. This was a wide-spread cut, including some of my most admired photographers.

I heard about papers around the country cutting jobs, and wasn't sure if the Express-News would soon follow. I heard about the lay offs when a KSAT 12 news crew showed up at the Ranger newsroom, interviewing my co-workers about how they felt working in a "dying field." This upset me, and I, too, found myself asking why I was working tirelessly everyday, motivated by my growing yet fragile passions, to work as a professional photojournalist.

I have big dreams, dreams I have needed to think long and hard about to make them dreams, to make sure this is something I really want to do. And amidst the terrible news and the feelings I carry, like I'm up against the world who has mostly forgotten to care about newspapers, I have been forced to take my life's dreams into much greater consideration. This isn't a totally bad thing, however, as it has made me begin forming a more concrete plan of what I really want in life and what I need to do to get there.

I still want to be a photographer, preferably a photojournalist, maybe a sports shooter, but never an exclusively wedding/portrait photographer. I have passions in the medical/nutrition field, and I have gone so far as to rethinking my life's career in these terms, treating photography like a hobby. But when I think seriously about that, it doesn't feel right. I take great pride and joy in helping people, and have always felt that the best way for anyone to live is by making a positive impact on people's lives and the world around them. But I need variety and change, a way to express my creativity. I want to be able to travel and experience the world, to really experience it, like no tourist can. And I have been reassured that my images can provide a lasting impression on people's lives, in their own vision and response to the world.

I don't believe photographs in news media will ever go away, there will always be a need for news photos as visual aids to stories. It's the community's value for print media and stories that are less "big" news and more local, human issues, that has brought me back to the drawing board, to form a backup plan and decide roughly what steps I should take. I don't know what will become of the newspaper industry in ten years, and can only guess that they will further be moved online. Photographs will travel with the news, how and wherever it ends up being told.

You can read MySA.com's article on the lay offs here


Courtesy of Mystand.com

Butterflies DoodleDallion Sheets - Pink, Light Blue, And Light Purple

3 printable sheets ( 200 ppi), sample in blue:


Butterflies DoodleDallion Sheets - Pink, Light Blue, And Light Purple

Price: $ 2.50 CAD ( ~ 3 MB )

I Love Saving Money!

Guess how much I spent?

First I have to tell you I have just learned the secret to coupon shopping and how to really get a savings using coupons and sales. I was asked to give a short mini class on this subject for our Relief Society (women's church group), but first I had to learn it myself, so I set off on the world wide web and started learning and boy did I learn a lot! And now I'm so excited!

I gave my class last night and so yesterday afternoon I thought hmmm...I think I'll give this a try. The husband went with me and he was impressed too! And I'd say he actually enjoyed it although I'm sure he won't admit to it. ;)

So did you guess? What was your guess? Ok, I'll tell you.....

The total value of these products is 137.00.

I spent.....drum roll please..... 47.00!

For a grand total savings of 90.00! Can you believe it!

In a nut shell what I did was I bought items that were on sale and then combined coupons with them. The non-food items I purchased at K-Mart on a double coupon day.

Here's a few examples of my savings......

The Chex cereal was originally 2.50 on sale for 1.50 if you bought 4. I combined that sale with a coupon for 3.00 off of 3 boxes, which made each box..... .75 cents!!

The Ritz crackers was originally 3.99 a box (you've got to be kidding!). On sale for 1.99 each coupled with a coupon for 2.00 off of 2, which made each box..... .99 cents!

The Cottonelle tissue was originally .99, on sale with an in store coupon of .79 coupled with a .50 off on 2 made them .54 cents each!

The Colgate toothpaste was 3.99 on sale for 1.99 with an in store mfg's. 1.00 off coupon for a total of .99 cents!

The 2 spray cans of Lysol originally 5.29 each. On sale at 2 for 10.00 coupled with my 2.00 off coupon (which I had 2 of--so 1 per can) and they were doubled, so it was the same as 2- 4.00 coupons (8.00off), for a grand total of 2.00 or 1.00 each!!

The 2 bottles of Cascade rinse agent originally 3.79 each, not on sale, but with the coupon (2 actually) they were freeeeeeee!!

Anyway that's just an idea of what some of the deals were. I can't wait to do it again and again and again! If anyone's interested I'll see about posting the tips and tricks that I learned sometime this coming week, but in the meantime I'll be off coupon clipping and searching the sale ads.......................

Polka Dotty Flowers - Fred's Flowers v1 Edition B

Please click image to enlarge for better view:


Polka Dotty Flowers - Fred's Flowers v1 Edition B

14 Printable sheets full of flowers and leaves ( pastel flower, darker version & darker version with dots ) - in JPG format ( 200 ppi)

Price $5.00 CAD ( ~8.2 MB )







Coordinating background papers coming soon :)

Structures and Reflections

Cheap Computer

Gather 'round all! It's Bargain Friday here and I've got a good one for you.

Dell is selling one of their highest rated basic laptops for $199. Today only!



Click here to check it out.

Life on the Via Bus

Riding the Via bus is like taking a forty-five minute glance into all the unique lives in San Antonio. When I began riding the Via, I remember looking up every time at those who stepped on, almost instinctively, and unconsciously examining the people as they dropped their fare of coins into the machine. Never looking on with judgment, but rather a thoughtless reflex to satisfy my eyes' curiosity, I am given a brief view of these people and their lives, their journey intersecting with mine and humanity embracing us.



I may glance up briefly nowadays, as my eyes have become more familiar with the culturally diverse world around me. Some things haven't changed, though, as when I allow my mind to escape from whatever homework I may be laboring on and enter into the minds of my fellow travelers, to imagine how and where they have lived, and where they are going.



I can only wonder about the homeless man who has managed enough money for a ride, sleeping across three seats on his way to nowhere (sometimes they just hop on, blabbing and making a fus with their belongings to force the driver to continue on, and hopping off a few streets down without ever paying). Or the by-sexual lovers who ride at night, on my rides home from a late assignment, making out across from the old woman whose scowl only fuels their ambitions. Then there's the new families, the young husbands and wives who fight while their children scream for what always seems the longest of bus rides. The business people, the nurses in the scrubs, the lawyers in business suits, the construction workers dragging dirt from their shoes.



And there's me, carrying my skateboard, wallet, and morning smoothies as I enter on the bus, balancing the textbook my neck is hurting over, scribbling on my worksheets as the bus bounces along the streets. I love riding the Via bus for the extra time I have to do homework, especially to day-dream about the people who ride as a collective sample from the world moving on the outside. Today's ride home was a typical five o' clock rush hour on the bus, people packing in like sardines as we drudge along in traffic. I always have to stand for about thirty minutes on these rides, forcing my homework to remain in the over-sized backpack I log around, and allowing me to observe the interactions among those riding, the gossiping or sleeping or those staring off outside.



There were two lovers who got on today, clinging to each other the whole way, until they finally got off as I watched a cloud of dust blow into them (and I laughed out loud). I have always felt compelled to take pictures of these unique people on the bus, why I havn't until recently, I can only say that my eyes have widened to see them as an important aspect in my own life, as subjects whose lives of this time in San Antonio have influenced me to think about my own place in the world. Like the great photojournalist Robert Adams once said,





"At our best and most fortunate we make pictures because of what stands before our camera, to honor what is greater and more interesting than we are. We never accomplish this perfectly, though in return we are given something perfect--a sense of inclusion. Our subject thus redefines us, and is part of the biography by which we want to be known."

Monique Mireles laughs with her boyfriend Luis Contreras as they ride on the Via bus together on Thursday, Feb 26.

Lonely...

Structures and Patterns

What I love about reeds are their incredible interesting structures which make them different each day depending on the light...

Wedding Dresses Style

When shopping for your wedding dress, you should first consider which gown style you prefer. When selecting your wedding gown style, consider the silhouette, sleeves, neckline, bodice and train. Following is guide to the basic terminology of popular wedding gown styles.

The Silhouette

* A-line - The A-line or princess dress has no marked waist and the vertical seams flow from the shoulders down to a flared skirt, creating a "A" shape.
* Ball Gowns - These gowns normally quite formal, reminding you of Cinderella. The bodice is fitted with a very full skirt.
* Empire - Empire gowns have a raised waistline that starts right under the bust, flowing to a slim (but not body-hugging) skirt.
* Mermaid - As the name indicates, the mermaid dress is contoured against the body then the gown flows out beginning around the knees. This is the sexiest of the styles.
* Sheath - The sheath or column dress has a slim shape that follows close to the line of the body. The straight design is form-fitting and doesn't allow for many body flaws.

The Sleeves

* 3/4 sleeves - end between the elbow and wrist.
* Bell - long sleeves, flare out toward the wrist creating a bell shape.
* Cap - rounded sleeves, just covering shoulders.
* Fitted point - long, fitted sleeves that come to a point over the hand.
* Juliet - long, fitted sleeves with puffy shoulders.
* Long sleeves - long sleeves that are normally form-fitting.
* Off-the-shoulder Sleeves - cover the upper part of the arm but leave the tops of shoulders exposed.
* Poet - long sleeves, fitted to the elbow then flared.
* Pouf - short sleeves, gathered to create a poufy look.
* Short sleeves - about the length of T-shirt sleeves.
* Sleeveless - strapless with no sleeves.
* Spaghetti straps - thin spaghetti straps with no sleeves.

The Neckline

* Bateau - close to straight across from the tip of the shoulder. Gives plenty of coverage.
* Halter - wraps around the back of the neck to create deep armholes. Often also a backless style, which is very sexy.
* High - covers most of the neck. Creates a formal, somewhat stiff look.
* Jewel - similar to that of a T-shirt. Creates a bustier look.
* Off-The-Shoulder - as the name indicates, the top of the shoulders are bare. Showcases your collarbone and shoulders.
* Portrait - a very wide scoop from the tip of one shoulder to the tip of the other.
* Scoop - classic U-shaped neckline. Can be cut low for a more sexy look.
* Square - squared neckline, often associated with empire gowns.
* Strapless - normally straight across. Not recommended for women with small busts.
* Sweetheart - shaped like the top half of a heart. Emphasizes the cleavage.
* V-Neck - dips in the front into a V-shape. Can be very deep.

The Bodice
The bodice refers to the portion of the dress between the neckline and skirt.

* Corset - a form fitting bodice with boning and lace-up closures.
* Halter - sleeveless bodice that wraps around you neck, normally backless.
* Midriff - fits very closely around the mid-section, accentuating your waist.
* Surplice - sections of fabric cross wrap in the front or back.
* Tank - sleeveless with wide armholes like tank top.

The Train

* Sweep - 8" to 12" in length, just a few inches longer than the gown.
* Court - extends about 3 feet from the waist.
* Chapel - extends about 4 feet from the waist.
* Cathedral - extends about 6 to 9 feet from the waist.
* Royal - extends more than 9 feet from the waist.

The Veil

* Birdcage - falls right below the chin, usually attached to a headpiece.
* Flyaway - ends at the shoulder.
* Blusher - worn over your face, about 28" long.
* Elbow Length - ends at the elbow or waist.
* Fingertip - ends at the finger tips or just below the waist.
* Ballet - ends at the ankles.
* Chapel - ends slightly longer than dress length.
* Cathedral - 9 feet or longer.

source : http://id.88db.com/id/Knowledge/Knowledge_Detail.page?kid=10212

The Wedding Gown Basic

Wedding gowns come in multiple styles and fabrics, and you should choose one that represents both the ceremony style (formal, semi-formal, or informal) as well as your personal tastes.

Traditional wedding gown styles include Ball Gown, Empire, Basque, and A-Line. A Ball gown resembles "Cinderella's" dress with a big poofy skirt. The Empire has a high waist (cropped just under the bust line) with a flared skirt. The Basque comes in both the "U" or the "V" shape, with the waist just below the natural waistline. And, the A-Line resembles the shape of an "A," slimmer up top and widening as you go further down.

Some of the more popular fabrics include satin, velvet, lace, tissue taffeta, chiffon, and linen. Satin is wonderful for fall and winter, but may be too hot and heavy for summer months, especially in warmer climates. Chiffon and linen, on the other hand, are great light summer fabrics. Lace and tissue taffeta are very popular for spring while the rich feel of velvet is appropriate for fall and winter.

Source : http://id.88db.com/id/Knowledge/Knowledge_Detail.page/Wedding/?kid=11371

San Diego Zoo

It's a bit late (in true form!), but I thought I'd dump some of my fav pics from the SD Zoo. It was truly SO fun to go. But next time I'll be going with someone to share it with.


The pandas were sleeping in the trees (the only disappointment of my visit)