OnBlueUnderCanvas

The blog, that is. Considering that I’ve been living in California for nearly three months now, it’s about time my blog reflects some of that ocean water and sunshine I see every day. (Yes, I know. Spoiled rotten.)

In honor of the redecoration, I thought I’d dig up the rest of the photos I’ve used recently as banner images. Looking through them, it’s fun to see where I’ve lived and traveled in this last year. (You can view them full size by clicking on the gallery at the end of the post.)

La Jolla Cove

Daisies on the cliffs overlooking La Jolla Cove in Southern California, April 2011.

I-70, Utah

Road trip from Michigan to California, January 2011. (Photo credit: Kirk)

Big Bend, Wisconsin

My parent’s backyard, December 2010.

Coon Lake, Michigan

Kirk chills out with a beer while watching the waterskiers, September 2010.

Freshwater Beach, Australia

Hiking from Queenscliff to Curl Curl, April 2010.

Manly, Australia

View from our apartment balcony, February 2010. (Photo credit: Kirk)

Highway 1

After the storm, somewhere between LA and San Francisco, January 2010.

Want to go back a little further in OnBlueUnderCanvas history? Have a look at these old OnBlueUnderCanvas themes from when I started this blog back in 2007. ☼

Oh hey, remember that little real estate photography business I told you about?

It’s still kickin’. Rather anemically, but still.

One month ago today, I shot photos of 4417 Arbor Cove Circle, our very first gig. After two appearances at real estate caravans, five trips to FedEx Office to print marketing materials, a dozen visits to real estate offices to flaunt our pretty faces (and to distribute marketing materials), we finally booked our second job: 2720 Avalon Avenue. And we thought getting the first job would be the hardest. Yikes.

The homeowner was still in her nightgown with a scrub brush in hand when we arrived. Apparently a stickler for details, she hadn’t had time to change clothes because she was too busy trying to buff and shine every square inch of her house. Besides having to hop-scotch around while we waited for her to finish prepping the various rooms, the shoot went well. Better to overdo [cleaning] than under-do, I say. Better a motivated homeowner than a laxidasical one.

I’m pretty happy with the photos. (Thank goodness this time around The Editor wasn’t off skiing in Colorado.) ☼

2720 Avalon Avenue

Let’s be realistic. It wasn’t going to be outlandish. We’re not inventing the next Ugg boot or human jetpack. We’re not peddling wares out of a pricey storefront in downtown San Diego or equally pricey hot-dog stand on Sunset Boulevard (the latter suggestion courtesy of my friend, Ideene.)

No, Kirk and my business idea is based on skills we already have. It requires only the money we have in our checking accounts right now (little to none).

And, the idea is something we’ve already done.

Real estate photography. I spent the year of 2009 shooting periodically for the real estate investment firm Ascendance Partners while I lived in Chicago.

Kirk loves real estate. I love photography. We both have a liking for what the other loves. Awh, how cute. An economic match made in heaven.

These last two to three weeks, we’ve thrown ourselves into it. We’ve got a website up and running. We’ve hashed out a pricing scheme. We’ve written content. We’ve designed a logo. We’ve taken each other’s headshots (and realized that both of us pretty much suck at shooting portraits. We pulled many teeth to get the final photos now on the site. Mom, I know you’ll try to protest my self-criticism. Trust me, I’m spot on.) We’ve cobbled together a meager portfolio. We’ve shot random buildings in Oceanside to beef up said portfolio. (And when I say beef up, it’s a stretch.) Some of this turned out to be harder than I thought. Like that whole taking pictures with a camera thing. (Haha, kidding. Well, only somewhat.)

And we made business cards.

This is our Print Shop. Yes, we think we’re fancy.

Desktop printer + blank punch-out business card sheets = cheap and easy, right? Ehh. Sort of cheap. Not so easy. We burned through a half dozen sheets until we finally got it right.

At nearly 2 a.m… done.

P.S. We have our first job tomorrow! 4417 Arbor Cove Circle, Oceanside. ☼

• sleep in
• lay on beach / first day Kirk doesn’t surf – bruised heel
• read Grapes of Wrath
• eat leftover taco salad
• kirk works on his AMH website