Let me set the record straight right from the start - I do NOT live in the country.

That being said, we live in a house that backs up to some woods and we seem to be a magnet for all kinds of wildlife and I am not talking about my kids and their friends.

I use my Z980 camera to take pix of our various visitors and thought that I would share them with you. Most of these photos were taken through our kitchen window using the 24x zoom on this camera.

First up - birds. I could do a whole series on this alone but here are just a few; a finch, small woodpecker, and a titmouse.

There is a rabbit that stops in from time to time as well.

Raccoons have been known to walk up on our deck and look in the windows. I wonder what they are thinking. Dang! Why aren't they watching that show I want to see on Animal Planet?

A newborn deer. I should send this one to Cute Overload. And another that is a little older but not much.

The deer make their way through our yard quite often. A big buck even showed up the other day.

We had a surreal moment recently. We have seen wild turkeys before but not 20(!) of them at once. It was just after Thanksgiving and Christmas so they must have thought that the coast was clear.

Here is a video (also taken with the Z980) of them ambling though. Do turkeys amble?

This Bengal tiger really surprised me. Okay, I didn't really see a tiger in our backyard but given the track record it is only a matter of time. My kids are hoping for a giraffe.

I took this picture, also using that 24x zoom, from a safe distance at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

So, that is the report from my backyard - chirp, gobble, tweet, etc.

Will you be visiting Times Square in the heart of New York City soon? Perhaps you will be in the crowd on New Year's Eve? If so, we have got something cool for you to try....

We recently upgraded our huge digital display on the 50-yard line of the Crossroads of the World. It is now networked and we have an app that will let you to share your picture on our sign. The cool part about it is that you control when it shows up.

Here's how...

1 - E-mail a photo of your choice to kodak@aerva.com. (Please ensure that your photos appropriate, you know the drill.)

2 - You will get a confirmation e-mail that the request was received.



3 - Once approved, you will get a second e-mail containing a code. Approval can take up to 24 hours depending on volumes. We will be on point during this week to shorten that period to meet the New Year's Eve demand.



4 - When you are ready to see your picture on the sign simply text the code to the number provided and your photo will appear at the next opportunity (a break in other programming). You will get a text message like this:



Your picture, with caption, will show for 10 seconds. you can do this up to 6 times over a 30-day period.

This will be interesting to see how it works with a zillion people in Times Square on New Year's Eve. We are going to do our darndest to keep up with the demand to give your photos a shot at the bigtime!

Are you ready for Broadway? We think so! E-mail a photo to kodak@aerva.com now!

Each year I make my own Holiday Cards. Last year I wrote a post that linked to a Gallery album that featured 25 years worth of them! Yes, I have been at this for a while.

This year's card was the first with both a hidden and a integrated online message component thanks to my son Reed. I wonder if he has caught the card bug too, hmmmm....

First, lets take a look at the "hidden message." This was inspired by the Fold-In concept pioneered by MAD Magazine's inside back cover art from the last 40 years. Here is the full drawing - click to see a larger view and the hidden message.



The paisley pattern was pretty involved but not too hard to make once I got going. I printed the cards at home (on a Kodak Inkjet printer of course! ;-) Here is a video showing how the fold-in worked.



My son has turned into a videographer. He has his own YouTube channel with 30+ videos so far. He has been producing many kinds of things such as stop action Lego Star Wars films (there is a whole sub-culture around this - who knew?). Anyhoo, he uses still digital cameras to shoot hundreds of pictures that he then stitches together to make a video. He is 12, I am impressed.

Reed made a 32-second holiday message of his own and we included a link to it on our card - true integration of analog and digital!

Without further adieu, here is Reed's message to you:



So, from my family to yours - Analog and digital wishes for a Happy Holidays!

The Eastman Theatre opened on September 4, 1922 fueled by the philanthropy of Kodak founder George Eastman. His intent was for "the enrichment of community life." Those words are etched in the frieze above the main entrance.


The theater complex is under going an extensive renovation and an aspect of that work was unveiled last night. The Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre was unveiled to an eager and sold out crowd. George Eastman had a hand in the original construction, stopping by most every day to check on the progress. His presence was felt in last night's re-dedication.



Pictured above is Eastman's original chair, with a hat rack below, that sits in the new Kodak box.



Posters announced the re-opening. The magnificent chandelier was brilliant. It is 14 feet in diameter and 35 feet tall. It weighs 5,000 pounds, has 585 visible and 670 concealed lights with 298 strings of glass containing 20,000 pieces of crystal made in Italy and Czechoslovakia. The new lights are "green" and it looks stunningly like new!



Two light fixtures in the upper balcony with an interesting story were kept intact. With the original opening in 1922 looming, light fixtures ordered from Italy had not shown up. Thillman Fabry, a noted woodcarver and plasterer, creatively made new fixtures by painting and accessorizing two galvanized washtubs. George Eastman thought they looked good enough to keep and they remain in place today.

The murals adorning both sides of the hall have also been cleaned and look vibrant.



The view above is from the conductor's podium.



The Theatre was ready, the red carpet was rolled out, the energy was palpable.



A drummer led a procession of guests down the street and into the Theatre. This drum was used to play The Star Bangled Banner during the original opening and again last night.

The crowd streamed in and were more than pleased as they looked about the renovated hall.



On deck for the evening's performance was piece commissioned especially for the occasion called Geo by Douglas Lowry, Dean of the Eastman School of Music. I thought it was great! That was followed by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - how can you go wrong with that!?



The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra along with the Rochester Oratorio Society filled the hall with an "Ode to Joy."

Wow, what a night! Truly, George E's goal to enrich community life is alive, well, and strong.

The photos in this post were taken with a Kodak Z980 digital camera.

A while back I did a post about painting from photos - last month I tried my hand using pen and ink.When drawing from photos I like that I am not tied to a location. I drew the following sitting outside listening to lectures or waves lapping the shores of the Chautauqua Institution.


The three pictures above informed the drawing below.



Having a few pictures to inform the view lets you see details you might have missed if you work from just one.



Drawing from photos takes me back to that place. Reliving that day, the people, the sounds - everything.



Call me selfish but I haven't found the same inspiration to draw or paint photos I didn't take myself - until now. My brother traveled to Tibet and took some fantastic pix. He told me that he was inspired by some of my photos showing close-ups of various subjects that round out the story of the place. That inspired me enough to draw this picture for him. It is a surprise so don't tell him! ;-)



The detail on this one was something else - what was I thinking?!



I draw from photographs. It is an analog outlet in a frenetically paced digital world. If other people find enjoyment in these all the better. What is your outlet?

Of course I am writing this blog post and will certainly be tweeting it so that brings it full circle back to digital doesn't it?

Social Media is a hot topic these days. Kodak, as many of you faithful readers, followers, commenters, and posters know, has been using these channels to reach our customers for a while now.

We speak at many conferences, seminars, webinars, colleges, and tweet-ups on the topic. We also get many requests from other companies seeking advice and, in the spirit of social media itself, we have been open to sharing  To that end, we put together a 16-page booklet that contains some of our experiences and insights on social media as it relates to its use by a business.
In it you will find:

• Brief description of the social media landscape
• Myths about social media
• 10 Social Media Tips from Kodak's Chief Blogger
• Top 10 list for Twitter usage
• How to get started in social media
• Kodak social media activation examples
• Troubleshooting
• ..and more.
  

You can find the booklet online at: http://www.kodak.com/go/followus
Links to our social media channels can also be found there.

To complement the downloadable PDF version we printed copies of this booklet that we will be sharing at Print'09 later this week at a seminar for dealers, partners, and customers. Of course Kodak technology was used to make the printed version -
KODAK  PRINERGY Connect Workflow System, KODAK APPROVAL Digital Color XP4/2540 Digiyal Color Image System, KODAK SWORD Excel Thermal Plates, and Kodak Magnus 800 Platesetter.

We hope that you find this booklet helpful. We also encourage the generous feedback that you continue to provide to us on our efforts and on our products. It is extremely important to us and much appreciated!