2010 G8 Summit Accommodations

As of now we are considering renting our house for the 2010 G8 Summit in Huntsville Ontario Canada. June 25-27 2010. There will be a great need for places to stay for the thousands of people who will be covering the event. Security, delegations, protestors, media and support staff. It will be a very interesting time to be in Huntsville but we would rather be in a quiet spot on a lake with our RV for the month. Accommodations will probably pay us not to be here.

If anyone would like information regarding renting the house please email us.

mike@Tint-it.ca

New Muskoka Photography Website up

Ok I have my new website up but it is not finished yet.

Let me know what you think. I am still working on it.

www.tint-it.ca/photography.html then click on new website

or www.tint-it.ca/Photo/PIndex.html

Happy New Year!!!

Just a quick note to wish everyone a happy new year and all that stuff. It is time for the list of things I want to change this year. First off is to shoot more photos. I plan to accomplish this by listing all the concepts or ideas on my whiteboard and then actually go out and shoot them. Sounds simple! so lets see if I can pull it off.

My list

• Travel Photos (ooooh my fave...so where will I go?)
• Backgrounds....I need to get out searching for good background shots.
• Bike shoot Bikes in motion where I am in a truck shooting bikes on the road. good idea?
• Model fashion and beauty....casting call for any people interested to get there photo taken. FREE!!!! Male or female young old or in between.
• Stock photography. I am a contributor for Istock photo and have sold 1 photo so far!!! I am short on concepts for this and need any help on ideas and again Casting call for any people interested in getting involved with stock photos.
• Fun by the pool
• fun on the beach
• hiking/camping/kayaking/canoeing
• Business world/office/computer/meeting
• Music photos...I have taken photos for a couple of bands. I enjoy it and want to do more music shots
• Artistic model shots including nudes...I have not shot nudes yet but have some creative ideas. Different weird locations and colours lighting and textures

that is a good start for my list and will be adding all the time. I am including a couple of recent photos of my family.

Corel draw tip Cut line

I found this valuable tip on line today and had to share it with you. I have been using corel in my sign business and had an awefull time getting a cut line around graphics. well here it is.

First, select all of the vector objects and press the Boundary button on the Property Bar. Note that this button first appeared in CorelDRAW X3 so if you have an older version, now you know a good reason to upgrade. This gives you a line around the outside boundary of your objects. If there are inside areas you also need to cut, use the Smart Fill tool and click on each of those areas. Again, Smart Fill debuted in CorelDRAW X3 giving users of older versions yet another reason to upgrade. If you needed to use Smart Fill, select the outer boundary and all of the objects created with Smart Fill. Combine those objects and you have a cutline. Simply assign the color your device recognizes as a cut color and you're all set.

To create a boundary around selected objects

1.Select the objects that you want to surround with a boundary.

2.Click Effects Create boundary.

New Web Site

I have been trying to get a new web page designed recently. My current site is www.tint-it.ca and I would like a new site for Mike McVittie Photography or "MMPhoto.ca". Anyone have a preference?

It has turned out to be a very large time consuming endeavour. First thing I had to get some software. Ended up with Dreamweaver, but it didn't end there. Next I had to learn how Dreamweaver worked!! So I signed up with www.linda.com and I have learned enough to get me going. The complicated stuff I will just have to do without for now. I just don't have the time to tackle it now, but it is on my list for future evenings.

I am on my third attempt and I am getting satisfied with the result. Logos,layouts and content it is getting there.

Maine Photo Workshop

This past October My family and I took a trip in our new 5th wheel RV to Bar Harbour Maine. I had signed up for a photography workshop with Neil and Susan Silverman and Matt Kloskowski.

We had a great trip and I got some great shots. We had some classroom time that turned out to be a fun and informative.

We spent most of our time shooting. Including getting up at 5am every morning until after sunset. There was not much family time other than traveling.

I came away with alot more confidence and many more ideas thanks to the teachers and the other participants.

I am also considering trying to sell some images on line and looking strongly at Photoshelter. If anyone has any opinions about on line sales, drop me a note.

Lake Superior Photo Trip

We packed up the trailer and headed out to Northern Ontario In search of adventure. Never being to Lake Superior Park before, I did not know what to expect. The landscape is vast and unpopulated for the most part. I was hoping for a dramatic storm to photograph. We were treated to calm summer weather for our mini vacation. We spent our time traveling to creeks,mountains and notable spots to view and photo.

We were told of a mountain with incredible views. After a long drive and a very difficult hike up and up we could not find the peek! I will never leave the gps at home again. It turned out to be good exercise and a fun adventure. We ended our days by the campfire playing family Monopoly.

I hope to return some day soon to capture a cold November storm or perhaps in the winter.