Fandrix Portfolio 3.0

It kicked off late in 2009, but fizzled out by the end of 2010.  Then it was back by late 2011, but still it wasn't quite right.  Halfway through 2012 though, I think I've got it!  My portfolio, version 3.0 is complete.  These few years of trying to fine-tune what I wanted my portfolio site to be has really been a process of elimination.

I was always preaching simplicity for my portfolio, but I'd never really achieved it.  A clean start always seemed to snowball into additional pages for new projects, galleries, and so on and so forth.  My new business cards that I made for the new year were cool and straightforward, but my portfolio had quickly become a mass of self indulgence that held too much content to be a hub.  Frankly, that's what this blog is for!

I completed the redesign over my staycation and I'm really pleased.  Fandrix.com now consists only of a landing page and a network page that links to everything else. Simple, clean, easy to navigate, and ideal for self promotion when someone actually visits.  It's what I should have done from the beginning.  It's also what I'd been trying to do for so long with Editing Luke that I think I probably needed all of the trial and error to figure out what should finally be what.

Looking at my stats, traffic has gone up consistently every month so far this year, and my contact page has been getting a lot more use.  It was the right time to finally address this constantly under-construction project.  I also discovered that after not renewing editingluke.com in favor of fandrix.com, that original domain is now for sale for $1495.  Type it in if you don't believe me.  It's ridiculous! Ridiculously flattering.  

But, enough of my long windedness, it's time you check out what I've been talking about and head over to Fandrix before I realize I need to start on version 4.0.

Exploring the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alberta

A few visuals from the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alberta.

Minolta XE-5 Camera

My dad has always had a casual interest in photography.  Not so much on an artistic level exactly, but more so in a playful "I'm just going to shoot and see what happens" kind of way.  Traditions like our annual family picture in Police Point Park or the random images that I've seen him take on holiday seem related to this endeavor.  All things considered, in the mid-1970s he felt motivated to buy this relatively expensive Minolta XE-5 camera to pursue this hobby. 

I recently adopted the camera as a decoration, but aside from needing new batteries it still works.  That was actually the reason my dad had for retiring it.  The camera had no auto-off and if you left it on the two small watch-type batteries would run out.  They were costly to replace, and frankly, they still are.  It's a good looking camera though, and there's a part of me that's tempted to buy the batteries and film and test it out. Maybe one of these days I'll actually do it, but I feel like I need a special project to make the effort worth it.  Digital is too convenient, and it's spoiled us all.