Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Well...  It's a bear... and he's in the woods...

What the heck do you THINK he's going to do?    

When you own a big dog, you really need to understand how to handle him.

My mother in law had a chihuahua.  When it misbehaved, all you needed to do was to stomp your foot on the floor and holler, "NO!!"  The dog would probably run and hide under the sofa for the next hour.  When I was a kid, my neighbor had a Saint Bernard.  That dog was a totally different story.  You could practically clock that dog in the head with a baseball bat and he would just stand there and look at you as if to say, "Did a fly just land on me?"  When that dog misbehaved, you had to be prepared to grab him by the collar and kick him in the behind or else he just wouldn't listen.

I don't advocate hitting a dog for no reason but my point is that a dog owner needs to know how to control his animal and to act accordingly when the situation calls for it.  If hollering at your dog is enough to make it behave, that's all well and good but if your dog needs to be grabbed by the collar and "manhandled" to make it behave then, so be it.

The bottom line is that it doesn't matter what kind of dog it is, you have to be the "big dog" in the house and you need to tell your dog what to do or what not to do.  If you don't, whether it is a chihuahua or a pit bull, that dog is going to control you instead of the other way around like it should be.

If you are out in the neighborhood, minding your own business, and somebody else's dog comes after you, it's probably going to be up to you to do the owner's job for him.  If the owner is in sight, you should tell him, "Control your dog!"  If he doesn't call his dog, it is your absolute right to do whatever is necessary to keep that dog from doing any harm.  If that means you have to "take out" that dog, so to speak, I wouldn't be happy to hear it but so be it.  You gave fair warning.

Before I got married, when I was still dating my wife (to be), she was outside in her yard when the neighbor's dog got loose and came after her.  Melanie is afraid of big dogs and the owner half-heartedly called it but did nothing to stop it.  Well, she ran to the front porch and called inside, "Mom! Go get my shotgun!"  The neighbor hastily ran over, scooped up the dog and took it home.

Long story short:  We never saw that dog outside again.   

It's not the dog.  It's the owner.

Did you know that, at the turn of the last century, Pit Bull Terriers were kept as family pets, specifically to GUARD CHILDREN?

It wasn't until the latter part of this century, in the 1970's, that Pit Bulls were bred and trained to be fighting dogs.

It is my belief that, if somebody's dog does harm to another person, it should be the OWNER who is held responsible just as they would be if they were driving a car and caused an accident.  If you were driving a car and had an accident that killed somebody you might be charged with vehicular manslaughter. 

I think the same thing should go for dogs.  The owner of that dog that killed the little girl should be charged with manslaughter.

It doesn't matter if you live in Iraq.  Every law abiding citizen has the absolute right to protect himself and his family by whatever means is reasonable under the circumstances.

Maybe you won't use a gun but there's nothing stopping you from grabbing a big stick and clobbering that darned dog over the head with it.

My greater point isn't about what you use for defense but that you have the RIGHT to defend yourself.

In 90% of all cases, pepper spray is the best solution for dog attacks.

Just for argument's sake, let's pretend that you found it necessary to shoot a dog that was attacking you.  Unless your first shot was lethal, you're not guaranteed to incapacitate the dog in time to stop it from hurting you.  Even with a bullet in it's belly, the thing could still keep attacking you.  You'd probably have to shoot the dog again.

Firing a gun, at any time, for any reason, creates a certain amount of danger.  The person who fires that gun is responsible for making sure that the bullet goes where it is intended.  When you are being jumped by a big, snarling dog, will you have the presence of mind to fire the gun in such a way that the intended target is incapacitated while preventing injury to bystanders?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  That's something you need to decide before you take on the responsibility of using a gun.

While I do advocate that all law abiding citizens should educate themselves in how to use firearms, I do not advocate that everybody should have one.

Pepper spray is quite effective on most dogs that have not been trained to resist it.  (Yes, military dogs are sometimes dosed with the stuff so that an enemy can't use to prevent dogs from being used against them.)  Pepper spray is in the class of "Less Lethal" weapons.  That means that it can cause harm to a person if things go wrong but, most of the time, it will only make a person, really, really "uncomfortable."  Hopefully, it will make them feel uncomfortable enough that they will go away before they can hurt you.

What I'm trying to say is that pepper spray is some really nasty stuff!  I really don't recommend buying it off eBay.
I think you should find a local dealer who you can talk to, face to face, and ask questions and get some in-person advice from.

Most gun shops in the U.S. also sell pepper spray and other "less lethal" defense items like stun guns and batons.  That's where I recommend you go.  Most gun shop owners will be very welcoming to women.  The good ones will be, anyway.  If you just go there and tell the owner what you are worried about and ask him what your options are he should be more than happy to tell you what you need to know.  He should give you the option for a firearms and a non-firearms solution.  If you walk into a store and you don't like the vibe you get, don't think twice about walking out.

My wife carries a firearm and she has a favorite gun dealer who is very courteous to women.  When she goes to the firing range, there are often a bunch of men there and, during the summer, it is common for them to walk around without shirts on.  The last time she went to the range, when she walked through the gate, the Range Officer called out, "Ladies present!"  All the men stopped what they were doing and put on their shirts.

If you go to a place and they don't behave like that or, at least, behave in a way that is acceptable to you, go somewhere else.  You can't learn about defense in a place that doesn't make you feel comfortable.

DING!  DING!  DING!  Give that Bear a cookie!     :lol:

I also like the idea of sending that other dog to a new home where it can have a happy life without worry of hurting other dogs or people.      

Excellent!   

It's one of those things that we hope we never have to use but, when we have to use it, we're glad we have it.

People need to understand that they are responsible to control their dogs just the same way they are responsible to control their car while they are driving.

When people don't drive safely, we are quick to point it out, make them subject to the law and force them to pay the penalties when necessary but, strangely, many people don't have the same attitude when it comes to keeping a dog.

It is unfortunate that we have to look out for other people who act like such idiots.

Whether it is a dog or a person, you have the right to protect yourself from danger.

What would you have done if this was a person attacking instead of a dog?
You probably would have told the person to leave you alone.  If that didn't work you would run away and call the cops.  If that didn't work you would have used whatever reasonable means was at your disposal to protect yourself.  Right?

Well, a dog is no different.  If a dog attacks and you don't have time to warn it (or the dog's owner) and you can't call the cops or run away, the only thing left for you to do is defend yourself.  If there is no other alternative, you have the right to do whatever is reasonably necessary to prevent harm from coming to yourself, your family, your property, your pets and any other law abiding person in your sphere of influence.  IF that means that the offending person or dog comes to harm in the process, it is unfortunate but it is necessary.

I don't ever want to hurt anybody but, if it is necessary, I will exercise my right to self-preservation by whatever means necessary and I won't apologize for it.  It was the OTHER person or animal that put HIMSELF at risk by violating MY RIGHTS and he should know that his intended victim might protect himself and that might mean that the tables might be turned on him.

First, I think that it would be a good idea for you to think about getting some military grade pepper spray and keeping it handy when you go out walking your dog.  (Or anywhere, for that matter.) 

If you are comfortable with other means of self defense like firearms, you might want to consider that option.  Even if you aren't comfortable with firearms, I strongly suggest that you educate yourself about firearms, how they work and how to use them.  (And how NOT to use them.)  You don't have to be a gun expert but knowledge is power.

Back to the dog:

This animal has attacked before.  It is a KNOWN DANGER.  It's owner has been warned.  He has been given specific instructions on what to do in order to prevent other attacks but he has CHOSEN to ignore them.  You can not count on the owner to look out for the safety of others in the neighborhood.  You are going to have to look out for yourself.

First and foremost, get the law involved right away.  Call your magistrate or police department and report that dog's owner.

Second, consider your self defense options, carefully.  You don't want to run afoul of the law but you need to assert your right to self-preservation.  Against dogs, pepper spray is probably the best option but you might need to get a permit to carry it.  Find out what the rules are.

Third, and finally, STAND TALL!  Your dog got hurt once.  You don't have to let it happen again.  You have the right to your own safety and you have the right to do whatever is necessary to keep yourself safe.

I don't like the idea of having that dog put away any more than you do but, if necessary, I will back you up.

Remember this:  Criminals don't get put in jail.  They GET THEMSELVES put in jail.

You are right.  The other guy is wrong.  It is HE who should face the consequences of his actions, not you.

I understand about the financial situation.  Even so, at least visit a camera store and check prices.  You never know.  They might have something on sale.  The ability to get your hands on a camera and try it is worth the extra money. 

Besides, a good salesman would understand your problem and wouldn't push you to buy something when you're not ready.  He could rake you over the coals and get a few bucks today but, then, you'll probably never go back there again.  He could talk to you and show you some products even though he knows you're probably not going to buy something today but the benefit comes later when you return to the store, over and over, to buy even more stuff than you would have on the initial sale.

Good salesmen know that it's best to delay a sale, today, in favor of making a lifetime customer.

Regardless of whether you go to WalMart or the camera store, don't be afraid to stand up for what you want.  Don't buy something just to have it.  Buy what suits you but don't buy until you find a camera the suits you.

It is also wise to try before you buy.  Ask your friends and family their opinions about the cameras they have.  Friends and family know you better than a salesman would.  They'll let you try out their cameras and, maybe, even let you take one home for a day or two.  Even if you decide that you don't like any of the cameras you try, you'll know what features you like or don't like.  Maybe one camera is easy to use but it doesn't let you download pictures very easily.  Maybe another one will be too "fiddly" to use.  Even if you don't buy a camera like your friends' you'll be able to walk into a store and say, "I want a camera that has 'X-feature.'"

I would love to sell or trade you a camera but, unfortunately, I own only one digital camera and almost all the rest of them are totally manual.

However, if I come across something that I think will suit you, I'll send you a message.   

Go to a real camera store, not Walmart or Best Buy.  At a good store, they'll let you try out a camera and see how it works before you buy it.

That's good advice for anybody but, for you, I think it's even more important.  I can read reviews on-line before I buy and I, pretty much, know whether I'll like a particular camera before I ever consider buying.  I have used several different types of cameras and I know what to expect when I use them.  You, on the other hand, probably won't know whether you like a particular camera unless you can get your hands on it and fiddle with it first.  You wouldn't want to pay all that money for a camera only to find out that it's too frustrating to use after you get it home.

If you have a friend who owns a camera, ask them to borrow it and let you play around with it for a day or two.  I borrow and try out different cameras all the time.

My favorite camera is a 1950's vintage Zeiss Ikon.  Totally manual.  Doesn't even have a meter but it takes great pictures!

Point and shoot cameras are, pretty much, just that.  You point and press the button and out comes a picture.

For you, I think this is the perfect thing.  :)

If you don't mind me asking, how well can you see?
The reason I ask is because many digital cameras work on a system of menus, etc.  You often have to press a certain button in order to download the pictures from the camera.  Can you, at least, see well enough to navigate through the menus?  Or, will you have to learn from memory?

I'm guessing that you use a text-to-speech "screen reader" program on your computer to use websites.  No?

One trick about digital cameras:  Press the shutter button half way down but don't activate the shutter.  Hold it in that position and you can temporarily "lock focus" on your subject.  Then, when you want a picture, click the button all the way down.  However, if you move the camera too much or your subject changes, be sure to release the shutter button and press it half way down again so that you can lock focus on the picture again.  If you don't remember this, you are likely to get a lot of pictures that are slightly out of focus.

I have this problem a lot.  I have a tendency to lock focus then move the camera before shooting.  I get a lot of blurry pictures because of it.  I don't have this problem when I use a manual focus camera because it forces me to pay attention.  This probably isn't an option for you, though.  Just remember the half-way-down button trick and you'll be all right.

Y'know, I have heard stories about blind photographers working in darkrooms and film labs.  It sounds funny at first but, when you think about it for a second, a darkroom is a DARK ROOM.  Where normally sighted people are at a disadvantage in a dark room, blind people are right at home!  :lol:

I might be able to offer some limited help in getting your photos edited and posted on the internet.
Had we been talking about this a month ago, I would have had a lot of time on my hands to help but, now, work is starting to pick up for me.  Although I can't do it all the time, I might be able to help, occasionally.

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it!"

Thanks, Arcto!  :)

Yes, we have many Build-A-Bears!  There are a couple dozen living here.
We love having them with us and they get fed regularly.  Cookies and scones and all sorts of other yummies.

There are more than 1,000 Bears living in our Den.  Most of them are manufactured and we love every one of them.

I mean that there is less variation in manufactured Bears.  With hand made Bears, there is much more difference between Bears even if he is the same pattern or design.

I'm sorry if I upset Arcto.   :cry:
Would a cookie make him feel better.  If we ever meet up, you can tell him that I owe him a cookie and an apology.  (But the cookie first!  )

Funny but true!   

A little bit of back story:
I work at a Cathoic college, run by the Sisters of Mercy.  About every year or so, they have a "Blind Walk" where people have to put on blindfolds and try to navigate all around campus without seeing.  They pass out white canes and they have guides to walk along with people so they don't fall down stairs and stuff.  The idea is to teach people to be more aware of what it is like to be blind.

Maybe this is a bit too cliché for your taste but it might be interesting to have a "Blind Bear Hug" where people put on blindfolds and meet up with different Bears.

What if every Bear you adopted out came with its own blindfold, too?
I don't know...  It sounds silly but it's food for thought.

For somebody who only recently took up sewing, I am impressed to see you jumping into Bearmaking so soon.  Then, to know that you are blind I am nothing short of amazed!

Your sewing skills will improve.  Just be patient.
Now that I understand better, I kind of like your Bears just the way they are.  When the seams aren't perfectly straight or the eye's aren't perfectly lined up, it adds a certain character to the Bear.  Mass produced, machine made Bears are somewhat sterile by comparison.  Of course, everybody who takes up a craft should strive to improve their skills but I don't think you should be in too much of a hurry.  Just let nature take its course.  You will improve with experience and time.

Don't be afraid to use the fact that you are blind as a selling point.  It might be just an everyday thing to you but other people don't know that and, up to the point where it becomes patronizing, it's important for people to understand.

Bam!  You nailed it, right there!   

I've been trying to think of a way to say that but couldn't come up with the right words.  That's exactly what I was thinking, only better spoken.

There's two things that I was trying to think of.  I hope you don't get upset at me for acting stupid...

First, most people don't understand that being "blind" is as much an identity as it is a physical state.  Maybe more.
I don't know whether you are fully blind or partially blind (so-called "legally blind") but it doesn't matter, really.  It is how YOU identify yourself, not how others identify you.  Calling yourself "Blind" is the same thing as calling yourself "White" or "Black" or "Chinese."

The second thing is that, as a Blind person, you don't "see" the way normally sighted people do.  Notice that I was careful to say "normally sighted" and not just "sighted."  That's important because you do "see."  You just don't see with your eyes.  You see by touch and you see by memory and imagination.  Normally sighted people who see with their eyes don't perceive things the same way that you do.  To be bluntly honest, normally sighted people take a lot of the world for granted.

Your family lives with you all the time.  They know you very well and they are used to you being Blind.  They probably take you for granted, as well.  (Everybody takes their family for granted, sometimes.)  Familiarity often makes things seem mundane.

The first time I looked at your Bears, I thought they were nice but I wasn't really impressed. Then, as I started looking at them closer, I started to see them more like the way you see them.  Now, I think your Bears are really nice because I finally understood that your Bears are seen with the hands, not the eyes.

As I look at your Bears, I think that the best way for a normally sighted person to "see" them is to do it the way you "see" them; with their eyes closed.  People need to touch them and hug them without relying on simple visual images and do it with their mind and their heart.

When it comes to your family, I wonder whether they need to be reminded of that and, for people that adopt your Bears, I think it would be a good thing to tell them from the start.

What do you think about this idea?  When one of your Bears is adopted, do you think that he or she comes with a little card that says, "Please hug me with your eyes closed so that you can see me the way my Bearmaker sees me."

Your Bears are special because they were made by you and I think it is important for others to understand that.

I'm sorry if I sound stupid or narrow minded but that's the best way I can say it.  It took me more than 400 words to say the same thing you were able to sum up in just one sentence:

"People who are visual love with their eyeballs, but it is still love."

Have the Bears been born yet?  Or are they all still being made?

If any of them are born, I would pitch a holy, stinking fit to the moving company!  If they are all still being made I'd just pitch a regular fit.

I'm going to have to do this in late fall but, now that you guys have that song echoing in MY head too I have an idea for a photo!

I need to find an old church with trees all around.  I want a picture of the steeple, framed by branches against a cloudy sky.
I'll, ever so slightly, sepia tone it so only the few leaves still left on the trees are brown. Then I'll selenium tone it so the shadows are blue-black.  I'll leave the midtones in the sky as gray.

When I think about that song, that is the image I get in my mind.  I've been meaning to make that photo, on and off, for years but I just never think of it at the right time.

Wubbie;

Okay...  So you don't see so well.  Big deal.  People don't always see with their eyes.
Did you know that fully sighted people get headaches when they are stressed out but blind people get "hand aches?"
Did you also know that deaf people sign in their sleep?

Maybe being a visual artist isn't in your skill set but that doesn't mean you can't be a "descriptive" artist.
You can tell us what you "see" in your mind.  Properly done, it's as good as a photograph. 

And the sky is gray...  In black and white photos.  ;)

P.S. - Three new photos are up.  I went to a butterfly release last Sunday.  Got some good B/W shots.  Took some color ones, too, but I have to finish the rolls before I can process them.

Will post those when I get them finished.

Roebic Crystal Drain Opener is 100% Sodium Hydroxide. (Lye.)

Available at stores like Lowe's, Walmart or Tractor Supply:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/drain-open … s--3001186

I use it to clean cast iron pots and to strip emulsion off film so that I can recover the silver from my scrap film and photographic paper.

In a five gallon bucket full of exhausted film fixer, there is approximately an ounce of dissolved silver.  There is probably half-again as much silver in the scraps of film I toss out.  I make a little bit of my money back by recovering that silver before disposing of my waste.  That's between $40 and $50 that would have gone to the Haz-Mat collection site which I can use to buy more film with.

Things aren't so bad, these days, in the darkroom.  Most of the chemicals used are no more toxic than any other household product. You probably use stronger stuff to clean your bathroom than I use to make pictures.

However, in the old days, they used to use mercury vapor, cyanide and lots of other "methyl-ethyl bad stuff."  In the civil war era, if you were developing a picture and you didn't rinse the plate (film) well enough between steps, you could carry some of the chemicals over from one container to the next and that would cause poison gas to be released!

Nowadays, things are MUCH safer.  The nastiest chemicals I have are for toning (coloring) the pictures after they are developed.  They smell like ammonia and they can cause minor burns or irritation on your skin.  It's about as strong as drain cleaner.  Just wear rubber gloves and safety goggles and you'll be safe.

But, other than that, unless you have an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in the chemistry, the risk is very low.

Funny thing...  The main ingredient in photographic fixer is the same as the main ingredient that they used to use in hair perming solution.  They've changed the chemicals used to perm hair since then but it still has a similar smell.

Stinky?!    It smells almost like Chanel No. 5 to me.
If my wife came upstairs from the darkroom smelling like film I probably couldn't keep my hands off her!      

Want to see something kinda' funny?
Go to Google and search for "unsinkable canoe."

There's a picture I took of my nephews playing in a canoe on the family pond, trying to sink it because somebody told them that it was supposed to be one of those "unsinkable" boats.  Well, the kids decided to see whether you really could sink an unsinkable boat.

I took a picture of them in medias res and posted it on Flickr.

For some reason, that picture now comes up as the number one item on Google Image search and, at last check, number seven on the general search.

I don't know how it happened but, for the last week, I have been getting one or two hits per day that come in from Google.

I have always been a little afraid to pump the contrast up too much but maybe I should concentrate on turning it up just a notch.

I can recompose most shots in the darkroom, at least a little.  The shots you see on Flickr are scanned from the negatives.  When I make a real print, I will use that same negative and project it onto a blank piece of paper so I can focus and compose before shooting onto photographic paper.  Therefore, what you see on the computer screen will be slightly different than what comes out on the final photograph.

I never thought of making a series out of those lighthouse pictures.  There's an idea!
That lighthouse is one of those cliche shots that everybody shoots.  If you are a photographer in Erie, you MUST shoot a picture of that lighthouse.  It has gotten to the point where I just don't "see" that picture anymore.  I just go there and do it automatically.  Whenever I get a new camera, test out a new type of film or if I just want to "try something" I'll go to the lighthouse and shoot a half-dozen shots.

The idea of putting together all the pictures of that lighthouse in one series is interesting.  I bet I've got at least 50 exposures of that scene, all from the same angle, that I have taken over the years.

BTW:  453 hits yesterday and 289 so far today.   

The "people pictures" are examples of my work so that others can see that I am capable of taking good portraits or candids.  I don't expect those ones to sell unless they are extra special.

I am looking for a job in the photo business.  When I go on interviews, those are what people want to see.

The photo of the tall ship, Niagara, is currently on display in a local gallery.  I went there, shopping my portfolio around to different places and the manager asked me, specifically, for an 11x14 in framed print of that one.  She also asked me for a few smaller prints, approx. 5x7 in. but she didn't specify which ones she liked best.

Two of the three galleries I have visited all expressed interest but they are mostly tourist stores or they specialize in nature or landscapes, etc.

According to my statistics, the top three pictures on my list are "Hitchcock's Nightmare," "Kayak Sunset" and "Old Boat."  The lifeguard picture and the carousel horses round out the top five.  I am definitely going to print the birds.  (The title "Hitchcock's Nightmare" is strictly a joke.  I don't think that will be the final title.  I think it will be just "Birds" or "Seagulls.")  For the kayak picture, I'm going to have to do a little work because it was shot directly into the sun.  It will be tricky to print a good version of that image but, because it is so dramatic, I think it will work out.

The "Bear Brunch" series was printed specially for display in a local coffee shop.  The idea of Bears having breakfast went over pretty well with the manager.  They were only on display for a month and, now, they are at home with me.  I am looking for a new home for Isabella's pictures but, as we agree, these are special pictures which need a special person to give them a home.

I agree with your assessment that most tourists want more "cliché" pictures.  I think the sailboats in the sunset would be a good fit for that.  Once I get my top five pictures printed out, I'll work on that one and a couple of the other sailboat pictures and offer them up to the same gallery that has my photo of the tall ship on display.

Those pictures taken by my father were done well before I was born.  They are 50 years old.  I inherited the negatives after he died because I am the only one in the family who has the faintest clue what to do with them.  I think I am going to print up a few of those ones and see if they will sell but they are all on 4x5 sheet film.  The enlarger I use regularly is capable of printing 35 mm and 60x60mm negatives.  I have an enlarger that is capable of printing them but it needs cleaned up and aligned before I can use it.

Once I get this project off the ground and I'm making enough money for the pictures to pay for themselves, I'll start working on the 4x5's.

The main problem I have now is to focus in on the top pictures in my portfolio and make them as good as I can.  As of this minute, we are approaching 450 hits on my pictures, just today.  The information gained from that and the comments you guys are giving me is really helping a lot!  :)

I can't thank you enough!

Maybe I'll make a special edition Bear picture and offer it at cost for somebody at Teddy Talk.