For example, this image is ready for print and / or digital use.

It is rights-managed, model released and can be licensed here.

It is a term that describes the mass exudes of educated, talented, motivated, young creative talent that leaves the Valley for bigger, better, healthier, more lucrative, more metropolitan markets — never to return and taking their skills and disposable income with them.

Another term centered around this same topic is “boomerangs.”

This term describes the opposite affect. Boomerangs are individuals who grew up in the Central Valley and left to get a higher education, ultimately to return to the valley, bringing their skills and professionalism with them.

The Fresno Business Journal is tackling the boomerang concept in a specialty pub and they asked me to shoot it.

It was a real honor to work on this project.

First, I was able to meet some really caring people (Elliott, Tim and Allison) who have moved back to the Central Valley in order to make it a better place to live. The area is better off with them here.

Next, the staff at the FBJ (Melissa, Tracy, Jeanette, Dan, Kate and G-man) is awesome too — pure professionals. Looking forward to working with you again and seeing the finished product.

This was my Saturday afternoon as I stayed indoors with friends and watched Fresno State in the College World Series (CWS).

The upgrade from 10.4.x to 10.5 took a while, but in the end, I couldn’t have asked for a smoother transition. Everything worked as it should have. If it hadn’t, I was gonna be tore up from the floor up.

Next up, Snow Leopard.

It was my last assignment of the day and as I walked back to my truck I noticed the sign that was pointing towards the parking stall opposite my truck.

No, I’m not parked in the stall the sign is labeling, but it did make for a funny moment at the end of my long day out in the Fresno summer heat.

It’s probably not that funny, but I tell you the 100+ degree heat can really mess with your sense of humor.

I think it will hit 101 here today.

Even with the heat where it is, I can’t seem to focus on shooting.

Not having anything to do with the heat actually. Something a little more depressing.

McClatchy just laid off 1,400 employees today and there are rumors of more, including shutting the entire paper down in the next town over (Clovis Independent).

Two McClatchy photogs were axed here today (from the south valley bureau of the Fresno Bee).

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. Only supposed to hit 100.

I walk away from some assignments knowing that I have met someone extraordinary that has a true passion for their job.

It’s one of the biggest perks to the job and today was one of those assignments.

Alan “Al” Perry, CEO of Fresno’s VA Hospital loves the work his staff does and it shows.

As we walked the halls on our way to different sections of the hospital, Al said hello to every single employee we came in contact with. And not just a topical hello either. He knew absolutely every employee by their first name and that was usually followed by a question regarding something personal in that employee’s life that only someone who cares about you would know to ask.

Above the main entrance to the hopital is a sign that reads, “The Price of Freedom is Visable here,” so too is the sign of compassionate leadership.

I should be posting about something freelance, small-business tax-related with researched links, a helpful strategy or two, all ingeniously worded.

I’m too busy for that this week and well, you are already plenty sick of taxes and the like.

So instead, I offer a simple freelance / tax story that should brighten your tax-day.

And, to the best of my knowledge, it’s all true.

The IRS decides to audit Norm “the freelancer” and summons him to the local IRS office.

The IRS auditor is not surprised when Norm “the freelancer” shows up with his attorney.

“Well sir, you seem to have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you try to explain by saying that you win big money by gambling. I’m not sure the IRS finds this believable,” the auditor said.

“I’m an excellent gambler and I can prove it,” Norm said.

“How about a demonstration,” Norm said.

“Ok, go ahead,” the auditor said.

“I’ll bet you $1,000 that I can bite my own eye,” Norm said.

“It’s a bet” the auditor said after thinking it over for a minute.

Norm removes his glass eye and bites.

The IRA auditor’s jaw drops.

“Now, I’ll bet you $2,000 that I can bite my other eye,” Norm said.

The IRS auditor can tell that Norm isn’t blind, so he again takes the bet.

Norm removes his dentures and bites his good eye.

The stunned IRS auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost $3,000 with Norm’s attorney as a witness and is rather nervous.

“Wanna go double-or-nothing?” norm asks.

“I’ll bet you $6,000 that I can stand on one side of your desk and pee into that wastebasket on the other side and never get a drop anywhere in between,” Norm said.

The auditor, twice burned and $3,000 in the hole is cautious but decides there is no way Norm “the freelancer” can possibly manage this stunt, so he agrees to the bet.

Norm stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains and aims he can’t make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side — pretty much urinating all over the IRS auditor’s desk.

The auditor leaps with joy realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a break-even win.

Norm’s attorney moans and puts his head in his hands.

“Are you ok?” the auditor asks Norm’s attorney.

“Not really,” the attorney answers.

“This morning, when Norm told me he would summoned here for an audit, he bet me $25,000 that he could come in here, pee all over your desk and that you would be happy about it.”

Ag / farming stock imagery is a large sub-category of the stock photo business. So much so, you might want to consider adding pieces to the library of images that you offer up to photo buyers.

Ag and farming imagery speaks on a lot of different levels. It’s technology heavy now, it’s big business, it’s Americana, it’s rural, it’s family, it can be green and organic (which is all the rage right now) and it can be profitable for the stock photographer.

If you’re looking for a few agencies to move images through, try these:

• ag stock usa
• farm stock photo
• county, farm & garden stock

Now I choose to continue to host my images on PhotoShelter, so I don’t use or endorse the above agencies but I do know that they get photo buyer traffic and might be an outlet for your ag / farm imagery — do your own due diligence and you should be fine.

And, in case you’re wondering, roller derby is all the rage right now across the country.

And no, roller derby is nothing like pro-wrestling. These chicks throw down — nothin’ fake about dropping your competition to their ass while flying around the oval rink on good ol’ fashion roller skates.