The Mighty Oak, A Bards Tale - and some other stuff

In this post we wanted to share a little piece that we pulled out of my archive of "written but never published" articles. This particular creation came to be several years ago while I was experiencing my personal epiphany or awakening. This will be the prologue for a series of stories and short tales that I am writing which will deal with a number of emotional issues and life situations told from an observers perspective, the tree's.

The Mighty Oak;

I am an old and mighty oak tree.  I was born from the seeds spread by my father, and found a place to root and grow in the skin of my mother, the Earth.

I have held my place in history and nature for a long time, watching the world move and change around me as I grew.

I hold the memories of my father and those of all our fathers before him.  Stories passed down to me as a seed while I still hung from Dad's wide branches.

I have heard the songs of my mother, sung softly as she held me close in the soil, nurturing me and helping me grow tall and strong.

I have felt the sun shine, and the rain fall.  I have witnessed the mountains rise through the stories whispered on the winds, and I have seen great rivers rise and recede away.

My stories are those of the Earth, of Nature, and of Man.  Come sit under the shelter of my branches, enjoy the shade, and share the tales I whisper along the winds.

Stuff

As we continue our creative journey through life and share our work and experiences with you, our audience, we would very much like to get your feedback. What would everyone like to see more of? Art and photography? Personal growth and development articles? Please feel free to leave a comment or if you prefer e-mail me at rgp.robert@yahoo.com with the subject Share More.

Here are some of our newest gift designs on products in our stores at zazzle. We now have over 10,000 custom gift items with more being added continually.  Stop by and choose your favorite design for our "Great Wall of Images" project now going on at our main site  - www.RGebbiePhoto.com 

The Greatest Adventure

When every day you live becomes your greatest adventure life is an experience you are anxious to greet. While the concept is simple, the task can be overwhelming to accomplish. Maintaining hope and optimism from one day to the next can be a daunting chore in itself. It is always easier to have faith in an ideal than it is to live up to one. Daily events and the chaos of life can make it a challenge to consistently stay unwavering and on track in a person’s endeavors or journey.

For me, the greatest adventure has been to learn, grow and evolve as an individual, following my dreams and developing in directions I would have never explored without the opportunities my journey has afforded me. Each moment is a chance to learn from people, information, and environments around us. Everyone has the chance to better understand their world when one chooses to observe. Understanding the effect a single moment can have on a person’s progress is paramount when seeking to find one’s own self. The truth is often difficult to find, and even more of a challenge when we seek such honesty of ourselves. To understand the world outside we must first know the world within.

The fewer number of obstacles that obscure a person’s vision, the more clearly that individual can see a path to accomplishing their goals. When self improvement and growth are included in an individual’s endeavors, they will continue to excel towards their long term dreams. The desire to better ourselves and evolve as a person is not an overnight journey, and takes a lifetime to reach. The moment one milestone or pinnacle is accomplished, another will present itself and remind us that there is always more to learn and understand. Every individual must discover their own path and define their journey by the maturity, experience and desires of that person, themselves.

In my experience, every step forward presents a larger vision. Through observation and discovery, I have found a greater understanding of myself and the things around me. This forward evolution has helped to balance my life and bring me a peace and happiness I have never known before. The deeper I explored my own misperceptions and obstacles; the more clearly I understood the people, events and actions that molded me into the person I am. The deeper this understanding, the simpler many issues became. Small matters of guilt and emotional stress became much less significant matters to dwell on.

Most people spend a large amount of time discounting the knowledge and experiences of others. Many of the things we are told get judged and discarded without much consideration. Too often, individuals will hold onto the social, emotional or conceptual notions they have developed in their life, and quickly disregard the varied experiences of others. Even in the closest of relationships people often say and do things from a point of view limited by their own very personal experiences. One of the most valuable things a person can do to improve is to close their mouth, then open their eyes and ears to observe. Approaching people and information without pre-conceptions or assumptions is not easy, but will open a path to learning and understanding.

Everyone has more to learn, and each individual has something worth contributing. When people accept that others have lives and experiences which may be different, but just as valuable as their own, they can then see a larger perspective. When people can perceive a wider view on their world, the smaller less significant worries cease to be an issue in blocking success and happiness.

Operations Manager Introduction; Hello

As a form of introduction, this is contributed by Lori Gebbie, my wife and partner.

We started RGP on accident. Robert was working at a j.o.b. and needed an outlet for his creativity. Jim decided he wanted to buy a camera, and started asking Robert about photography. The bug was planted. They discussed theory and practical matters. Jim did some research and found Microstock, and this is where I come in. I joined a forum, found a few stock sites, read their forums, looked at legal documents, read through submission requirements, and wondered what the heck I was reading. While considering myself a photographer, I am more of a hobbyist. And I had no idea what overblown highlights, purple fringing, or artifacting was.

Through a severe downsizing at work, Robert was laid off in the second wave of layoffs. This is significant, because I wasn’t working, either. I was devoting my waking hours (literally) to learning Microstock and what the heck this keywording thing was all about. We decided we had been given a gift of opportunity, and took it. We went full time into Microstock.

It has been a very trying time. We’ve had great successes, and severe disappointments. We’ve almost thrown it in a few times. We’ve almost thrown our relationship in a few times, too! But we’ve grown stronger and more determined in every way to make our company, and our lives, successful.

I’ll be contributing from time to time on this blog, sharing information about our workflow and tracking systems. And giving out some of the information that I wish I had found quickly and easily when I was first starting out. Like the importance of a good title and accurate keywording. And how to embed information into your image. And what was required with a model release. And so on, and so forth.

I’ve learned a lot in the last year. I still don’t know how to set up lighting or how to work the F-stops, but I’m confident in my job as final pass/fail before the image goes up on a site. With over 80% acceptance rate with the Big 5, Robert is confident as well.