All Narfed Up words and photography by Bryan Villarin

Business

Tortilla Jo’s in Anaheim doesn’t want money

In Business, Review on 26 July 2010 tagged Anaheim, California, Downtown Disney, restaurant, Tortilla Jo's with no comments

We will never attempt to dine at Tortilla Jo’s again.¹

Last Wednesday, I went to the House of Blues (Anaheim) for Scream It Like You Mean It featuring Silverstein and Emery. We got there a bit early to grab dinner before doors open.

We randomly chose Tortilla Jo’s.

There weren’t many customers, so we were seated quickly. The host gave us menus, someone else brought us chips and salsa, and…that’s it.

About 5-7 minutes later, the host that sat us asked, “Are you done looking at the menus?”

“Yes,” I replied.

He took them and walked away. There wasn’t an employee that offered us water or took our order. I counted at least twenty times where an employee or manager² walked by our table. Nobody acknowledged us.

After being there for 23 minutes, we left. (I know the photo shows 18 minutes, but we were there for about five minutes before I started my stopwatch.)

I didn’t want to say anything because of principle. We waited until after the concert for In-N-Out (La Mirada) on our way home — six hours later.

We will never attempt to dine at Tortilla Jo’s again.

Share the Zen and Pocket Ten!

In Business, Deals, Photography on 12 July 2010 tagged Zenfolio with no comments

Are you looking for a place to host, display, print, and/or sell photos? Consider Zenfolio! I’ve been a proud customer since November 2008.

I use Zenfolio for my portfolio, selling prints, and client proofing (which aids in processing select photos). They have a lot of features.

Between now¹ and July 31st, use my referral code², then 1) you’ll receive $10 off your plan, and 2) I’ll receive a $10 credit to my account. Win-win!

Even if you aren’t a professional photographer, get an account for backups and on-demand printing/sharing.

Get to it! Zenfolio. Yeah.

College: Do I still need it?

In Business, Life, Photography on 12 June 2010 tagged audio, CinchCast, college with 3 comments

While I was in the middle of writing this post, I recorded audio of some thoughts on being a Linchpin, publishing (shipping) stuff, and perfection – with a nod to the Due Process Flickr group:

Now, onto the post.

*****

On Wednesday, I met with a Citrus College counselor. This is where I stand:

• I have several Cs which are bringing down my GPA to about 2.57.
• A few years ago, my GPA would be acceptable to CSU schools. Because of our recent budget crisis, that’s not the case.
• It’s not possible to retake classes in which I received a C since that’s technically passing.
• I’ve retaken every class possible. There aren’t any Ds, Fs, or withdrawn classes on my record. Academic renewal isn’t needed.
• I have my Associates Degree. (Associate in Arts: Social & Behavioral Sciences)

My friend, PJ, tells me I should try Pitzer College or any of the Claremont Colleges. (He graduated from Pitzer.) To paraphrase his advice to me or anyone in college: take classes you’ll actually enjoy or be miserable. Another friend, James¹, suggests to look into the University of La Verne.

They’re private colleges, so funding [is] a lot better than CSU and UC colleges. At La Verne, Undergrad Adult (25+) Tuition and Fees are substantially less expensive – that’s very cool. Regardless, I shouldn’t worry about money because financial aid should help. (See Student Loan Network – no affiliation.)

You already know I love photography. But, people seem to suggest that a major in business or marketing would be more helpful. My internal conflict is committing to a program for a couple of years that I actually like.

I’ve been subscribed to Rangefinder Magazine for almost a year now. I also follow several photographers online. What I’m finding is that a lot of them didn’t major in photography.

• Scott Bourne was a Political Science major.
• Scott Rinckenberger said, “Not one of us have an education in photography. We had college majors like English, French, Philosophy. You know, those subjects that inevitably prompt your parents to ask just exactly you plan to make a living with that degree. But what we lack in formal training is made up for in a blue collar work ethic, a disdain for convention, and a never ending search for new creative outlets.”
• Jessica Claire was an English major.
• Sam Abell majored in English and minored in Journalism. He said, “I have given many talks at universities across America to students studying photography. I’m often asked the question ‘What’s the most important thing a photographer can do to prepare for this life?’ and I always say ‘Learn to run a small business.’ John Harrington‘s book is that curriculum. You don’t have to go to college. You don’t have to major in small business administration, but you do have to read John Harrington’s book. This is the bible of running a successful photography business.”
• Chase Jarvis didn’t major in photography: “As with all things Jarvis, he took a very roundabout route into photography. He attended college on a soccer scholarship, and though he was majoring in philosophy and premed, it was the passing on of his grandfather that became a life-changing event for him. Jarvis found himself the beneficiary of his grandfather’s camera, and he took it and three accompanying lenses on a postgrad tour of Europe with his then-girlfriend Kate, who’s now his executive producer and his wife. They spent a great deal of time there, living out of bags and traveling from country to country, all the way from Portugal to Sweden to Moscow. Along the way, he taught himself to shoot, and once he returned from Europe, he immediately bailed out on postgrad med school. He had planned to be a doctor, but instead ended up living in Colorado for three years where he started taking pictures of his friends out on the slopes. These friends, as it turned out, were to be the future athletic stars of the extreme-sports lifestyle.”

I have friends with degrees which don’t apply to whatever they’re doing now. They essentially went to school for the experience, friendships and growth of discipline. Nothing wrong with that. I still have a lot of respect for them. (They have a Bachelor’s Degree, while I don’t.)

So, I’m at a crossroads.

After talking to James, I’m highly considering the ULV. For transfer students:

The application deadline for students applying for the fall semester is April 1. Students applying for spring semester should submit their applications by December 1.

My GPA is a bit short, but maybe I can talk to the Dean of Admissions about that. I have several months to think about it, but I’ll be pursuing photography no matter what – you knew that already. (Well, unless the band makes it. Then again, I think “making it” is a different beast than it was before.)

Ultimately, I want to be a Linchpin.

If you have any thoughts or encouragement, please leave a comment or send me an email. If you’re a Debbie Downer, don’t be surprised if I delete your comment. After all, this is my house. Thanks!

Linchpin

Seth Godin. Portfolio Hardcover 2010, Hardcover, 256 pages, $15.00

Saving money on U.S. Passport photos

In Business, Life, Money on 15 May 2010 tagged CVS, passport, photo with no comments

I almost got charged the CVS passport photo fee ($7.99) when printing a 4″ x 6″ photo with two 2″ x 2″ photos on it.

With the help of my friend, James, I took my own passport photos. I showed James how to compose the photo, stood in front of an off-white wall, then James pressed the shutter button. After making a few necessary color and lighting adjustments in Lightroom, I exported the file as a JPEG. Lastly, ePassportPhoto.com helped crop a single JPEG to output five 2″ x 2″ headshots on a 4″ x 6″ print.

I went to my nearby CVS (0.5 mi away), knowing that they charge $0.29 for an instant 4″ x 6″ print. All they had to do was take my $0.29. The kiosk did the rest. When I got the the register, cute cashier said they might charge the passport photo fee of $7.99 because of the intention of my photo. She called the manager to the front, and he told her to charge me the $0.29.

Cody, who used to work at CVS, explained that the passport photo price applies only when they take the photos for the customer.

When I went to the Temple City U.S. Post Office, I had no problems. Barbara carefully cut two photos out for me, reviewed my application, made a few corrections, then took my payment.

I submitted all that on Monday, May 10th. I’m not going anywhere, so there’s no rush. They estimated five weeks, but hopefully it won’t take as long.

P.S. I forgot to link to this blog post, “The Stupid Passport Photo Ripoff.”

Update May 28th, 2010: I just received my U.S. Passport book. That’s a turnaround of 14 business days. (Nice.) According to the information slip in the envelope, my passport card will arrive will arrive separately. None of this matters because I’m not planning on going anywhere out of the country anytime soon. I just wanted to have a a passport on hand, just in case.

12 Tips for Better Sales on eBay

In Business, Money, Tip on 23 April 2010 tagged auction, eBay, selling with 2 comments

After recently selling a few things on eBay, I’ve compiled some suggestions for you in hopes it’ll increase legitimate bidding activity.

Readability

• Use a large, readable font. On a 22″ wide screen LCD monitor, 14 point is ridiculously small. Try 18 point and the Georgia font.
• Create sections in your auction description with bold headings. (e.g. what’s for sale, why you’re selling, item condition, shipping or local pickup, retail pricing)
• Check for spelling, especially in the title.

Completeness and/or full disclosure

• Explain yourself. Most auction descriptions are too brief or simply repeat the item name. Why are you selling the item? How long have you had it for? What comes in the box?
• Even though eBay auctions have a built-in shipping, return policy, and payment tab, repeat the shipping, handling, and payment details in the description. (You know, for redundancy and decreasing miscommunication.)
• Don’t use stock photos. The bidders will usually ask, so save them time.
• Display several clear photos of the item. If you know someone with a DSLR camera, get a white foam poster board and take the photos of the item(s) on it. Try to take the photo in some shade. If it’s too bright, get a friend to hold a diffuser over the item(s). For best results, make a light tent. (See “How To: DIY $10 Macro Photo Studio” or “How to Make An Inexpensive Light Tent – DIY“)
• Link to a few glowing reviews of the item.

Don’t pay unnecessary fees

• Host photos elsewhere. There’s no need to pay eBay more money for photo hosting. If you have Flickr, WordPress/WordPress.com, or Tumblr, create a set/page with a gallery of photos for your item(s). Don’t forget to link to the photos within the auction description!

Increase views, watchers, and bids

• Use eBay’s first free image so it shows up in the listings.
• End the auction around 9:30pm, and if possible, on the weekend. This will help get more buyers looking at your auction, especially for more expensive items. If you end the auction at 3pm on a weekday, it’ll be more difficult for people at the office to participate in the last few minutes of a bidding war. Don’t forget to calculate the time zones you want to cover. (For example, if you want to end the auction at 9:30pm EST, start the auction at 6:30pm PST.)
• For a fee ($0.10), eBay can schedule your auction to start at a certain time and day. If you want to save that ten cents per auction, and you’ll be at a computer when you want to start the auction, fill everything out and save as a draft. You can post it later.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to take some photos of some more items I’m going to put up for auction.

Do you have more time-tested suggestions? Please take a few minutes to share them with a comment, and explain how it’s helped you. Thanks! (Back off, spammers. I’ll nuke comments and ban IP addresses without hesitation.)