The Betrayal with the Reward - Part II

...I'm pretty sure Coke came out my nose at one point.  And that wasn't too far from the truth.  

It's not that I'm not familiar with commissions.  Because I am.  Relatively.  Maybe not as much as my buddy Matt, but close enough.  I've done all sorts of projects for people.  Some of which have been a lot of fun and some, well, not so much.  When I tell people what it is that I do, they usually follow that up with hey, could you make me a (insert your desired goofy project here) comment.  I was once asked,  

hey!  You know that Photoshop program!?  Okay, this is what I want you to do...take this picture, see me in it there?

Uh-huh.  

I want you to take away some weight on my body, remove all my wrinkles, and change the color of my shirt!  Can you do that??  

Why?

Because it would be great! 

Oh, so you want to look like one of those Cosmo cover models that are so digitally painted on the magazine cover that if their Smashbox makeup kit saw them in the mirror, even it would freak?  Um...no.  Scram.  I didn't say that, but I really wanted to.  I got off on a tangent.  I do that sometimes.  Bear with me.  

My point is that I'm used to commissions in all shapes and sizes.  Like, this one time...oh crap.  I'm doing it again.  Nevermind.  

But this wasn't a commission.  This was something bigger.  Three childrens books.  Thuureee.  300-350 drawings.  I want this project.  I need this project.   So, I started writing a letter...

Dear Photoshop,
I know you and I have been close over the years and all, but sadly, I have to go away for a while and have an affair with Illustrator for a -

No, I didn't actually start writing a letter, 'cause that would've been stupid.  But I did reply to the initial email and the progression bloomed from there.  This was back in October.  On December 14th, I signed the contract and fully committed to the project.  I can't reveal much more about the books themselves other than that.  The first book is tentatively scheduled to be on the market sometime next Spring.  Having said all that, special thanks to Kallie for giving me this opportunity!  

Now, I'm going to switch gears, turn around, and back up the truck to about a week ago.  And you thought we were moving forward...ppffff.  Nope.  But I have good reason.  Stay with me.  I have to keep my 3.8 readers a day coming back for something, right?
  
I have a few friends that are awesome photographers.  'Bout 3 or 4 to be exact.  I don't include myself as one, because I don't think of myself as one...yet.  But I learn from them and they learn from me.  We're symbiotic that way.  But not in a Venom meets Spidey kind of way.  Anyway, a week ago, I asked this question to myself:

What if we all got together and started a photography blog?

To be continued...tomorrow.  Again.