My hot Roomate :)

photo of yesterday (i'm always day behind )

My very sexy coworkers and friends

SoFly - photo of the day- green again

Tips for Greener Photography: Shipping

By Jessica Riehl

Most of us underestimate the impact of shipping our products and supplies. Did you know that components of photographic products are often shipped multiple times before they are assembled? Did you know that air shipping is the most carbon-intensive form of shipping? From Yvon Chouinard’s book “Let My People go Surfing,” here are a few statistics on generic energy costs to ship per ton:

Rail or boat: 400 BTUs per ton mile
Truck: 3,300 BTUs per ton mile
Air Cargo: 21,760 BTUs per ton mile
Air Cargo uses 6.5 times more fuel than shipping by ground.

We should not only ask questions about where things come from, but how they are shipped as well. As Elisabeth Rosenthal reported for The New York Times, “Under longstanding trade agreements, fuel for international freight carried by sea and air is not taxed” (Elisabeth Rosenthal, "Putting Pollution on Grocery Bills," The New York Times). In other words, no one is paying the environmental cost of shipping.

What can you do to reduce the impact of shipping?

• Build the extra time into your workflow to use ground shipping and inform your clients of the ecological benefits.

• Recycle your print boxes and sheets of cardboard used to protect your photographs. Cardboard sheets can be donated to art classes. Most local shipping stores will take your old packing peanuts and reuse them.

• Consolidate your orders. By ordering once a week or every two weeks you will reduce the number of boxes you receive and the number of trips a shipping carrier will make to your door.

• Reuse your packing materials such as peanuts and air bags. You can also shred old papers for a colorful alternative to buying peanuts.

• Utilize the home or studio pickup service provided by many shipping carriers. One less trip to the post office will save fuel.

• Support companies that are changing the way they do business. For example, use United States Postal Service priority mail boxes instead of other services. According to the USPS website, they are the only company which holds a Cradle to Cradle certification for their packaging. Cradle to cradle ensures all products of the manufacturing process are recycled, reused, composted or consumed. USPS also owns the largest fleet of alternative fuel vehicles in the country, and they already stop by your home or business every day.

• Use water-activated recycled gum tape instead of other types of adhesive. For more information go to Provincial Papers.

• Using the right sized box to ship in will reduce the amount of money you pay for shipping and the amount of packaging needed for your product.

• Let your clients know about the actions you take to reduce your shipping impact. Make a stamp or sticker to put on your boxes, letting your client know up front you reduce your impact on the environment by using ground shipping and recycling your packaging materials.

This is repost from Professional Photographers magazine

soFly Photo of the day - Just ashtray

Did you know that ashtrays could me piece of art?

This one is.

actually all Ritzenhoffs ashtrays are, but this one particular is by German artist Thomas Marutschke.

I'm slowly entering exiting cigar accessory world.

SoFly Photo of the day

yes, i know with my schedule it is hard to follow this contests rules, but even i skipped 1 day again....i will still do posts every day. soo...photo of the day today...sneak peak of night shoot

SoFly Photo of the day - Sunny Lunch time

I was visiting my country for 2 weeks in september..during that time a lot of good and bad things happened.

Good ones-

• i met my friends and had liquid cakes every day
• i photographed my friends wedding
• i found new friends
• i found peace with the friend who stole my husband
• i found peace with my new status

Bad things......

• food was so great that my new jeans does not fit anymore
• now i miss Latvian food again

GUESS (not the brand :)) what i'm doing again?

Right :) i'm on diet :)

nothing new ...will report results at end not start numbers

This was my lunch. Tasty and healthy....

i'm late for yesturdays post...but i was closing store...please forgive me

i'm late for yesterdays post...but i was closing store...please forgive me

and now pic of the day

SoFly Photo of the day 3 - cars cars cars

I went to old car show by my house ....and this is what i found..ssssoooooooooo cute

2 nd day photo of the day So Fly, John The Piano Man at Angry Moon Cigars

i know i skipped 1 day in this competition, but i worked all day and came home 3 am next day....please forgive me:) i will post today twice..Please

SoFly Photo-a-day - Living Green

OK. Let's start!!!!

SoFly Photo-a-day.

Every day i will post one photo of my life. Isn't that exiting?

Then years later i can look back and see how silly it was :)

So.........This is SoFly groups competition

Dear Friends, i need your help!!!!!

I can win gift card from H&M!!!!!!

If i get most comments on posts in this competition

You know what you have to do?....COMENT, COMENT and COMENT

I think i deserve some shopping spree. Don't you?

I promise to post only important things, not photos of my broken toe nail or neighbors car crashed in the wall or lizard smashed on walkway.

And stories will be shorter then todays.

Todays photo is Living and working Green.

As some of you already know i'm recycle freak, i use recycled paper for my paperwork, share files online instead of CD's (when ever customer agrees with it), use energy saving bulbs, i do not buy water in the plastic bottles and have my reusable bags when i do grocery shopping,i recycle ink cartridges etc etc. Ha...what else - I try to support local farmers. Need help in this from Florida locals :)

Now i have tomato plants, sweet pepper, parsley, dill, basil on my balcony.

Actually were i'm going with this is

- finally i'm announcing myself as a green photographer!

girls and baby's

yesterday was great night....girls and 2 adorable gentlemen's were having good time....

the Day:)

symbols, love and apples

symbols and love...

we all have some secret symbols or signs for goood luck, love, money etc etc...not all of us are brave enough to admit it and they are kept in the dark closets, deep pockets, cardbord boxes or drowers. Un you take them out only when nobody can see it. today i will take one of them out...

Apple!

For me apple allways was something special..-

Apple a Day to keep doctor away. my ex boss was doctor. Did not help, he shower up every day, but appple did not lose its magical meaning for me. May be Doctor was not real, not my apples magical abilities.

In my college times it was - sweet smell of home. My father always packed apples in "food bag" what i took with me to the dorm.

Then there is my grandma sitting in the kitchen and preparing apples for winter.It brings me back to feelings of security and endless happiness.

Starting my wedding photographers carrier i did one of my favorite ring shots "rings on an apple"...after these years it is still symbol and sign for me. It is still in my portfolio as my favorite Shoot.

Last MY "apple shoot" was done in Latvia..again carries a lot of meanings.

Apple from the fathers home, something what we as a kids always had in the pocket or backpack entering the big, scary world "school" .

In this shoot they had 2 apples. Symbolic? ...not like in the Eden's garden, were just Eve was the one who had The Apple..now they both have apples and they are equal. Nobody to blame if they will be forced out from Paradise.

And these apples were from brides fathers home....i picked them up shortly before she entered into big scary merid peoples world. Let's these apples keep all bad things and feelings away from you! The sun what they accumulated during the summer will always be with you the same as grovers thoughts and endless love.

My wish is- J and D, keep and cherish your symbols and love and please stay in your Eden's garden for ever!

i'm back :)

wedding at Kuksu estate

I LOVE MY FRIENDS!

nothing special...i just want to say-

I love my friends! They are the best!

Boudoir with Inga

Yesterdays session...

i would like to thank John and Candice for the creative Union/collaboration...

Thanks Inga for being so strong and being able to work all day.

It was long day, but we accomplished a lot.

Topic of the Day - Beauty sometimes is in diversity...

This is my new way to different boudoir..

first try..in busy day

next paper dress

i'm so excited...3 paper dress sessions are done and i'm preparing for next one..this will be dedicated to Twiggy. I love her..i love that time. I think i'm born to late. I should be living in 70 and 80 ties. look for updates

Paper Dress Sunrise Session