I keep hearing bits and pieces about how the postal service is going under and losing money. Yesterday I had a experience that made the reasons for this very clear. First off, I had been driving around with this box in my car for days putting off the post office and avoiding it. It needed to go out though so I headed over to the west university branch with my big package in tow. Despite being the middle of the morning there was, of course, a line. There was also one employee servicing the line.

While I waited, an older man came up to the counter to do something simple like buy stamps only to be told they do not accept checks or credit cards but only debit cards and cash. My guess by the looks of him was that he didn't have or use a debit card and, I guess, he didn't have enough cash on hand. So, despite his long wait, he left empty handed. I watched the postal clerk and, even when a little girl with a care package to mail smiled at her, she never smiled back. She was like an unhappy statue.

My turn finally came. My box was big and to send it priority was going to be about $30. Parcel was $15. Fine, except that to send it parcel (she tells me stone faced), I had to purchase insurance, a roll of tape, a new label and the postage. I could not use her tape or a piece of scrap paper or even her pen. I also had to get out of line to do all of this and then wait in line again. I left with my box and went next door West U Boxes Pack and Ship. There was one person in line ahead of me and the smiling clerk taped up the box and affixed a new label without question or cost. They accepted my credit card and even personally emailed the tracking number to me later that day. The cost was around $23.

The whole experience got me thinking about customer service in general though. I'm wondering is customer service on the decline or have we become more demanding? Or both? I do think we've become insensitive as consumers and expect more and more for less. We're living in an instant gratification age and having to wait for things makes us crazy.

We want it all, even when we can't or don't want to pay for it. We have amazing technology all around us but freak out when our phones drop calls. Many of us have become rude to the people who are there to help us. We blah-blah on our phones while checking out at stores ignoring the other person in front of us like they were a robot. Maybe that is where my postal clerk got her affect? Maybe she wasn't always an unhappy statue?

I've been trying really hard to remember the days when you called a company and got a human, their voice mail or a busy signal. Now we are all waiting in line in the order that our calls have been received. Even information (411) has gone auto, which makes me crazy because they never understand what I am saying. I can remember the days before cell phones when you had a cassette tape in your answering machine but before that, not so much.

I've worked in the service industry as a bartender, in the kitchen at restaurants and even as a telemarketer (I know, the worst). Now, as a business owner myself, I know how hard it can be to keep everyone happy. Really, it's impossible. Things happen, bad days happen and mistakes happen. We're just people and people have flaws and limits. Employees may be new or unsure. The boss can't always be there and even the boss makes mistakes too.

So, what do you think? Have we become too demanding? Are we demanding more because we see customer service and personal interactions slipping away? Are we as much to blame as the seemingly unfriendly person behind the counter?

Finnian is officially a first grader. He's a kindergarten graduate, complete with a grad cap and a diploma! It's bittersweet for me. I'm excited for him to be moving onward and upward but sad to see him leave the safety and security of his class. He's been in that same room since he was 3 and his teacher was Sayer's teacher as well. Sayer was in the same room from the time he was 3 until he went to elementary school. That room, that school and those teachers have been instrumental in shaping my kids into who they are today.

Not only have they been amazing guiding forces in my kid's lives, they have allowed me to go to work every day and be okay with it. I get to nurture my creative side and build something for myself while they do amazing things at school. I never worried about them being cared for, nurtured or loved. I always knew they were safe and being challenged in ways that I could not have done myself. They come home and tell me the names of the sun's layers! They can tell you about all the organs in the human body and where the biggest waterfall is in the world. They have been in the loving hands of experts and, for that, words cannot express just how grateful I am.

So, to all of the amazing teachers who have watched over the two most precious things in my life, thank you. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart. I will never forget you or what you have given us.

What about you my friends? Any favorite shots this week? Leave links to your images (blogs, etc.) in the comments section below or add them to my Favorite Shot Friday Flickr pool.

Happy weekend!

copyright, Keri Smith

I don't even know where this amazing little top 10 came from exactly. I found it on Facebook on a friend's page but it got there from somewhere else. So, I wish I could accurately credit this amazing graphic but I can't. If you can, please let me know! Ever since I saw it, I have kept in on my desktop. It's just so very true and I hope that it resonates for you guys as well.

For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog this year you know that 2011 is my year for putting my work "out there" in a new way. It's been really challenging. It's different showing people my art work. When I put my studio work out into the world it feels more insulated. It's tangible and concrete and, although I put my heart into it completely, it's a little less raw and personal. My art, though, is only about me and the most vulnerable parts of me too. It's much more vulnerable.

One of the best things about this year has been the feedback I have gotten from you guys. I can't tell you how much it means to me when you cheer me on with your emails and comments. Thank you for putting yourself "out there" too and sharing your stories with me. It makes me feel amazing when you say that I have inspired you too.

This comes from another person who inspires me. It's a blog post from Seth Godin.

Art is what we call...

the thing an artist does.

It's not the medium or the oil or the price or whether it hangs on a wall or you eat it. What matters, what makes it art, is that the person who made it overcame resistance, ignored the voice of doubt and made something worth making. Something risky. Something human.

Art is not in the eye of the beholder. It's in the soul of the artist.

So, my sweet friends, thank you for beholding my art, cheering me on and helping me face the voice of doubt. I appreciate you.

Edited on 5-31 to add: Many thanks to my reader who found the source of this great piece of art!  Turns out is belongs to Keri Smith and her blog is here.  I am in love with her site and think you will love it too! Thanks Keri for making this and inspiring all of us!

sweet, so sweet and tiny
sleepy and quiet
beautiful little boys
I don't think it has hit me that we'll have a sweet little babe like this in our house in November

Happy weekend friends!

Please share your favorite images with us! Post links to your blogs, Flickr, etc. in the comments section below or add them to our Favorite Shot Friday Flickr group.

Today my sweet little nephew, Gibson, is going to model for you guys. I am going to show you how a few simple fixes can dramatically improve some simple outdoor portraits. I shot these with my point and shoot on aperture priority mode (ISO 80, Shutter 1/320, F2.8). This first image is going to serve as our "before" shot and we're going to improve on it.

The first thing that I did was to move him to a shady spot in the yard (see the big sun splotches behind him?). Putting him into the shade before starting does a few things...it eliminates the shadows that would be all over his face and allows him to open up his eyes and not be squinting. It also helps his white shirt not be "blown out" or way too bright.

The next "fix" was to get in closer and minimize the tree that is growing out of his head and eliminate some of the unnecessary background space.

It's better but that tree is still a problem and I don't like the gardening shed in the background either. The next fix was super easy. I just angled him and moved him to the right by about 6 inches. This got rid of the shed, tree and even some of the splotchy light on the grass.

One other thing to note, it is always better (when photographing people) to zoom in to get closer rather than being zoomed out and getting physically closer. If you have the choice, choose to zoom in. It is more flattering on faces and even helps to soften the background a little. If you are shooting with your kit lens (the 18-55 type lens that comes with most digital cameras these days) try and always shoot your portraits zoomed in as far as you can. If you have something like a 70-200, anything in that range will work well so just experiment.

Often, all it takes is a few simple tweaks to make a huge change in the way your images look. In my workshops, I always encourage people to shoot more. The way I do it is that I take a few quick fast shots to ensure that I "got it" and then I start refining and styling. I'll change the pose, fix a wrinkle in a shirt, check the background, wipe a nose, get in closer, etc.

Do you have some images to share? Try these simple tips out and post some images in our Flickr Monday Lesson group! Happy Monday my friends!