Greed...

Cynder · 02-09-2005, 02:36 PM

This is an odd one...

A little background. I am an art student in my last semester of college. Well to get your batchelor's in Art, you have to do a senior exhibition, and it is a huge thing. Everything you've learned, all your hard work, it all comes down to passing this exhibition with flying colors. If you don't, you can't get your Batchelor's. Pretty intense...

For mine, I am doing the Major Arcana of a tarot deck. (22 cards). They are digitally manipulated photographs that are very surreal. This requires the use of a high end digital camera which I don't own. I have to barrow the camera I use from the school, and I only can get it out every two weeks for a period of 2 days. This doesn't give me a lot of time to shoot. I have until April to get these cards done for my exhibition. I have 10 more to do. I know it doesn't seem like much, but believe me, time is waning and it IS a lot.

So (now to the meet of the problem). my parents asked me to go out for a drink with them about a month and a half ago. They told me at the bar that they are very proud of me and that they've decided to buy me a very top of the line digital camera for a graduation present. (YAY!!!) They said I would be getting it early so I can use it to do my tarot cards for my exhibition. I was really excited.

Now it's been a month and a half, and my mom keeps telling me she is going to be buying it "this weekend." But she never does. Then she asked me "So when do you want to get your camera?" I told her as soon as possible so I don't have to worry about borrowing the school's camera. She said "Well I have just been waiting on you to tell me when you need it." So she told me she would be ordering it off the net that coming weekend. Well I saw her the following Monday. (For the record her friend Missy is a pro photographer with a $1000 dollar digital camera.) So monday when I saw her she says "I asked Missy and she said whenever you need a camera you can just borrow hers."

This is just as big an incovenuence for me as the school. Missy lives pretty far away for one, and I don't know how to get to her house. I don't even know this woman either. Also, being a pro photographer, I am sure she NEEDS her camera and doesn't want me taking it all the time. Also, what if something happened to it while I was using it? I'd feel terrible! I am going to need to shoot a couple times a week from now until april to get this stuff done on time. I don't think my mom nor Missy understands that.

So how do I approach this? I don't want to say "Mom when are you going to get this camera like you said you would..." because I would feel like a greedy brat. But she keeps getting me all excited saying she's going to, and then she doesn't. Also it's pretty obvious that it would help me out with my exhibition, (and my career afterwards.

I'm sorry this post was so long and hard to follow. I really need imput here. Thanks in advance :P

GettingOverIt · 02-09-2005, 02:43 PM

I'm a techie, and not an artist, so my question may seem 'inappropriate' or off-base, but I will ask it anyway....

You are digitally manipulating these images, right? Okay, so can you not take all the pictures in one swoop, then manipulate them later on your computer? I mean, in my experience with digital photography, that is kinda the point.... Shoot now, download when you get home, then do all your editing from there....

Help me understand why you cannot do all the shots in one sitting...

Cynder · 02-09-2005, 02:49 PM

Well aside from working 36 hours a week and going to school on top of that, I also am working with several different models in several different locations. I have to consider their schedules as well as mine, and some of the shots require certain weather. For some I need sun, for others there can't be snow on the ground (probelm this time of year in Ohio, lol.) For one of my cards I need a stormy sky. I shoot mostly on the weekends because that is uually whne I, and the Models, are free.

If I could just get all my shots in one setting I would have done it already, that wasn't really what I was asking for advice on.

GettingOverIt · 02-09-2005, 02:56 PM

Oh, I know that's not what advice you were looking for, I was just trying to understand better... Sorry.. I understand your project better now, and here is my advice:

1 - Keep checking out the school's camera until you have your own in your hands.

2 - Somehow your Mom is not understanding the urgency of your need for this camera.... If she is going to order this online, would she give you her credit card number and let you go ahead and get the camera?

3 - I would tell your Mom that borrowing the other camera is not really an option for you, because of scheduling etc. Be up front, honest, and help her understand why you need this camera yesterday.... Yes, you do realize this is a gift, and an early one at that. Express your gratitude for her WANTING to get you this present early, but stress that you really do NEED it early....

02-09-2005, 02:36 PM	#1
Cynder Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ohio Gender: Female Age: 31 Posts: 593	Greed... This is an odd one... A little background. I am an art student in my last semester of college. Well to get your batchelor's in Art, you have to do a senior exhibition, and it is a huge thing. Everything you've learned, all your hard work, it all comes down to passing this exhibition with flying colors. If you don't, you can't get your Batchelor's. Pretty intense... For mine, I am doing the Major Arcana of a tarot deck. (22 cards). They are digitally manipulated photographs that are very surreal. This requires the use of a high end digital camera which I don't own. I have to barrow the camera I use from the school, and I only can get it out every two weeks for a period of 2 days. This doesn't give me a lot of time to shoot. I have until April to get these cards done for my exhibition. I have 10 more to do. I know it doesn't seem like much, but believe me, time is waning and it IS a lot. So (now to the meet of the problem). my parents asked me to go out for a drink with them about a month and a half ago. They told me at the bar that they are very proud of me and that they've decided to buy me a very top of the line digital camera for a graduation present. (YAY!!!) They said I would be getting it early so I can use it to do my tarot cards for my exhibition. I was really excited. Now it's been a month and a half, and my mom keeps telling me she is going to be buying it "this weekend." But she never does. Then she asked me "So when do you want to get your camera?" I told her as soon as possible so I don't have to worry about borrowing the school's camera. She said "Well I have just been waiting on you to tell me when you need it." So she told me she would be ordering it off the net that coming weekend. Well I saw her the following Monday. (For the record her friend Missy is a pro photographer with a $1000 dollar digital camera.) So monday when I saw her she says "I asked Missy and she said whenever you need a camera you can just borrow hers." This is just as big an incovenuence for me as the school. Missy lives pretty far away for one, and I don't know how to get to her house. I don't even know this woman either. Also, being a pro photographer, I am sure she NEEDS her camera and doesn't want me taking it all the time. Also, what if something happened to it while I was using it? I'd feel terrible! I am going to need to shoot a couple times a week from now until april to get this stuff done on time. I don't think my mom nor Missy understands that. So how do I approach this? I don't want to say "Mom when are you going to get this camera like you said you would..." because I would feel like a greedy brat. But she keeps getting me all excited saying she's going to, and then she doesn't. Also it's pretty obvious that it would help me out with my exhibition, (and my career afterwards. I'm sorry this post was so long and hard to follow. I really need imput here. Thanks in advance :P __________________ http://www.nightmarepictures.net "High school woulda been awesome with a big Pal. He could've carried me to school!" ~Toki "Loo loo loo, I got some apples!" ~Butters I haven't earned a rep point in four years... and I aint' gonna' start now! <----------Artwork by Moi

02-09-2005, 02:49 PM	#3
Cynder Offline Bronze Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ohio Gender: Female Age: 31 Posts: 593	Well aside from working 36 hours a week and going to school on top of that, I also am working with several different models in several different locations. I have to consider their schedules as well as mine, and some of the shots require certain weather. For some I need sun, for others there can't be snow on the ground (probelm this time of year in Ohio, lol.) For one of my cards I need a stormy sky. I shoot mostly on the weekends because that is uually whne I, and the Models, are free. If I could just get all my shots in one setting I would have done it already, that wasn't really what I was asking for advice on. __________________ http://www.nightmarepictures.net "High school woulda been awesome with a big Pal. He could've carried me to school!" ~Toki "Loo loo loo, I got some apples!" ~Butters I haven't earned a rep point in four years... and I aint' gonna' start now! <----------Artwork by Moi

02-09-2005, 02:43 PM	#2
GettingOverIt Offline Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Out There... Waaaay out there... Gender: Male Age: 40 Posts: 638	I'm a techie, and not an artist, so my question may seem 'inappropriate' or off-base, but I will ask it anyway.... You are digitally manipulating these images, right? Okay, so can you not take all the pictures in one swoop, then manipulate them later on your computer? I mean, in my experience with digital photography, that is kinda the point.... Shoot now, download when you get home, then do all your editing from there.... Help me understand why you cannot do all the shots in one sitting...

02-09-2005, 02:56 PM	#4
GettingOverIt Offline Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Out There... Waaaay out there... Gender: Male Age: 40 Posts: 638	Oh, I know that's not what advice you were looking for, I was just trying to understand better... Sorry.. I understand your project better now, and here is my advice: 1 - Keep checking out the school's camera until you have your own in your hands. 2 - Somehow your Mom is not understanding the urgency of your need for this camera.... If she is going to order this online, would she give you her credit card number and let you go ahead and get the camera? 3 - I would tell your Mom that borrowing the other camera is not really an option for you, because of scheduling etc. Be up front, honest, and help her understand why you need this camera yesterday.... Yes, you do realize this is a gift, and an early one at that. Express your gratitude for her WANTING to get you this present early, but stress that you really do NEED it early....