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This is the photo I used for the 36x24 canvas print. Can't wait to see it on the wall!

I did something interesting today…..and I’ll tell you about it inaminnit.

Before I tell you about this Interesting Thing I did, I have got to tell you this: I have been a wannabe photographer since I was about eleven years of age. The first photography moment I recall was when I was in Boy Scouts going for the photography merit badge. There were about ten of us and the Troop had made arrangements for us to hook up with a professional photographer so we could fulfill the minimum requirements of the merit badge and maybe learn something too. Well, Mr. Foote (vague recollection of his name) decided to do that and then do something even better….he gave us a “how-to” on making a pinhole camera. After making this little light capturing box we used it to make a picture!

Our subject was his flower bed which had roses and day-lillies, and we all sat there waiting for the light to do its magic inside our self-made cameras. Then we went inside his “darkroom”, developed the photos and had our very own Ansel Adams style black and white picture for our scrapbooks. About twenty years ago I found the picture I made and am going to try and locate it again…wish me luck! I will share it if I find it.

My Dad and grandfather each had a darkroom full of chemicals and red lighting, just like Mr. Foote, where they developed their own pictures. I recall my Father putting on his special apron (which kept the chemicals off his clothing), snapping on his almost elbow covering rubber gloves, turning on the red light and closing the door to the den tight. Then, about an hour or so later emerged to enthusiastically show off his latest photographic effort to the family. It was always magical and I never grew tired of the wizardry it took to make a photograph available for all to see. Camera to picture in 24 easy steps.

Because of my Father’s influence, the evolution of cameras from film creators into digital photo taking machines, and the unbelievable capabilities of Adobe’s Photoshop software to turn a computer into my own virtual darkroom, I have had some success in becoming one of my family’s’ Magicians of Photography.  These days I have a Canon 7D, some pretty good lenses, and a very strong laptop. These are the tools of the trade today and I actually use them to record the moments of my life. And sometimes the pictures are so nice I want to share them.

Now then, back to the Interesting Thing….I found a company called “Canvas4Life” that will take a digital photograph and print it to canvas at a VERY reasonable price. What makes that interesting? I have thought of doing this many times but have always been thwarted by the high cost of doing business. A nice photo is one thing, but turning it into a piece large enough to show on a wall is quite another! Last year when I was investigating this the cost was more than $400, and I didn’t really have anything good enough to show-off. Not for four hundred bucks! So when I searched on-line and located Canvas4Life.com yesterday and found they were charging ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for a larger-than-I-wanted print measuring in at 24″x36″, well, that is just super interesting to me!

So I jumped on it and processed an order this morning around 8:30.  After checking its status sometime around noon I found it has already been packed! If they actually ship it today I am going to fall out of my chair!

Updates to follow….