The Frog Blog

Soft focus

Frog Blogger — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 16:31:09 GMT

Might add some of the newest batch of photos to the top 40 as I need to make my choice for the gallery soon. Thanks for all the feedback—subtext appears not to email me when people feedback, so apologies for the tardiness.

(Almost) for sale

Frog Blogger — Thu, 31 May 2007 13:17:34 GMT

A local gallery is going to sell some of my photos! They want me to take over a selection for them to choose which they'll sell. I need to decide which ones I should take and I've narrowed it down to 40.

Please take a look at the Top 40 and comment on any that you feel would appeal to people visiting a fairly traditional gallery. Yes, that means the very modern lights still life series and speakers probably won't appeal to the gallery's clientele, but I added all the photos I thought had the most commercial appeal.

New uses for kitchen stuff

Frog Blogger — Tue, 15 May 2007 13:31:44 GMT

I know I'm a web designer and all, but sometimes you find a site that isn't gimmicky and just makes you laugh. Out loud. A lot. Go and look at No One Belongs Here More Than You.

Plus, the title has no small significance for me as I make my way in my new city... So I've ordered a copy. And I hope you do, too. Just on the basis of the website, I think it's going to be a very good read.

Another Winner!

Frog Blogger — Tue, 01 May 2007 12:20:20 GMT

Woo! I won third place in the Look at Me group’s 74th Weekly Contest: 'The world through my eyes' with this pic.

Since the competition was to show the world through my eyes, and everything seems to be about these at the moment, I see new beginnings in it. And not just because my life is full of those, but also because all the seeds from these autumn seed heads will be creating those at the moment, too.

Blossom

Frog Blogger — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:57:46 GMT

This is from Easter Monday, when we discovered a new walk (through the golf course!) and I took the camera out for the first time since before Christmas.

Yes, it really has been that long since I managed to find some time for photos—it’s been pretty busy around here, what with finishing off Head First PMP, and getting Head First Software Development ready, too.

Besides work, we’re also house-hunting, which means lots of walking around from viewing to viewing, lots of searching for aerial views, and lots (and lots and lots) of decisions. My only criteria are: a garden big enough for a four-legged friend and an office with a decent view to inspire me as I work on all these lovely new books… It’s pretty good fun and although we haven’t found “the one” yet, a few have come close.

A sneak peak at Head First PMP

Frog Blogger — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:16:08 GMT

You can get a sneak peak of some of the great work the authors did (and a little design stuff from yours truly! ;) on Head First PMP.

Edited: the sample chapter here is my absolute favourite because I had quite a hand in the design of this chapter—stick men are harder to draw than you might think… Especially when they’re on a cliff and there are bears in the area…

I haven’t linked direct to it as it’s quite a big file, but you can download a PDF of Chapter 11: “Project Risk Management: Planning for the Unknown” from the PMP page on the Head First Labs website.

Winner!

Frog Blogger — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 10:28:36 GMT

Okay, okay, you all thought I was dead, right? Well, I’m not dead, per se, just dead busy… The book the Head First team have been working our socks off to get published—Head First PMP—is due out very soon indeed.

That’s pretty much all I’ve been doing since the start of January, though I have a few bits and pieces I’ll post here for your delectation over the next while. The first of these is some exciting news: I won a competition!

I’ve been a member of the Look at Me group since I joined Flickr and although I enter most of the weekly contests, I’ve never yet had an honourable mention or been placed. I don’t mind, as it’s a good way to improve my own photography, so you can imagine how shocked I was to win the bi-weekly Manipulate This contest!

The brief was simple: take the previous winner’s photo of a woodchuck and manipulate it. Well, of course, I found myself wondering How much wood would a woodchuck chuck? My prize is to host Manipulate this – Week 27 – Oh I do like to be beside the seaside. :)

S'cuse the mess

Frog Blogger — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 19:06:16 GMT

Please excuse the mess. We’re currently re-decorating, so if things look a little plain or weird or anything else for that matter don’t worry, it’s just the decorators! ;)

Boston out

Frog Blogger — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:15:00 GMT

It’s been a very busy few weeks; what with getting the flat on the market (and keeping it looking show home nice), arranging the removal, actually moving, unpacking… and then packing again—for Boston.

Last time around I was being trained, this time I was helping to train new Head First authors.

It was an intense few days, but watching new authors “get” the learning principles behind the books is such a joy, plus actually meeting them all and grabbing food in the evenings made this another memorable trip.

During some bonus down-time, I explored Boston a little and made my way to the New England Aquarium which had been highly recommended. I spent a good chunk of the day there in the end and managed to get some good photos of the inhabitants.

There are no shots of the Giant Occean Tanks’s sharks because they had a nasty habit of sneaking up and appearing in the frame much larger than life just as I pressed the shutter release. Eek!

Here!

Frog Blogger — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 09:53:00 GMT

The Frog Prince and I are now in our new pad!

The move went really smoothly in the end… the weather held, the boxes were all packed by the time the removal company arrived, and the concerns we had about all our stuff actually fitting have turned out to be (mostly) unfounded.

We’re pretty much unpacked and settled with most of what we need day-to-day in some sort of semi-permanent home… and anything that we can’t find a home for (or haven’t used for all the time we were in Birmingham *cough*Lou’s stuff*cough*) will be sold/freecycled/charity shopped. All our stuff is now in fear for its life!