I can't believe I have to prep for the Holiday season already. I have to start the classes on their winter program 'costumes' (and I do wish that the directors and music teacher would be more specific in their wishes, it's a huge pain to have to come up with 20 ideas in the hope that 7 will be used simply because they don't want to take the time to think through what they want. ) The dance between being festive and yet not being too Christmas is also a tightrope walk.

But, on a better note, I'm able to enjoy prepping for the holidays this year. For some reason it doesn't feel oppressive and hectic, but really fun. The ceramics gifts were finished on Friday, Thanksgiving stuff is easy and the kids are having a blast. The embossing powder fairy left a huge bag of it in one of my drawers at home and we'll be making some fun things. The only project that is intimidating is the making of about 80 gingerbread mini-houses for them to decorate. But that's like a weekend of cookie baking, then another of assembly. Not too bad if I take it in stages.

But once that's past it's smooth sailing. So here's to the first fun holiday season I've had in quite a few YEARS. I'm so excited.

Well, as you can tell I use Poser and Poser-type programs to make pictures. I've browsed THREE other 3D users who have felt the need to defend Poser as an art form on their journals. Made me wonder why they have gotten flack from others for their efforts.

I personally have been in love with 3D pictures since the late 80s. There was a magazine named 'Omni' and it had these absolutely amazing images. When I found out about this program; instant love.

Now, no one has to like what I do. They don't have to praise, comment or (I think faving is a praise given here, right?)fave me.

BUT.... For god's sake, don't think for one minute that even a crappy image doesn't take heartbreaking hours of work to push out. That there isn't thought, effort, tweaking, agonizingly slow loads, poses, camera angles, details, lighting, compositing, texture management.... just a million little things. And you can get so distracted at all of the other million tthings you were doing that you STILL forget to move that chunk of hair a fraction to the left and it pokes through your model's shoulder. And then you wonder how you missed it!

There will be times that I get lucky and I can push out a picture in less than 8 hours, but not often and only rarely in THAT group is anything worth not deleting.

So, oh ye detractors- as with anything, please try to appreciate the efforts of people, even if you can't appreciate their work. I don't see photographers having to defend their efforts.