Dan Hauk's blog and online portfolio

So I think I want to do web design for the rest of my life. It was just a few weeks ago I started working on the MessOfMusic site, and already I’m in need of more projects. That’s why I talked with my wife (whoa, she’s my wife now) and we thought it would be a cool idea to have a Hauk/Moretti family site.

It’s sort of an e-newsletter type thing. We’ll have family members register and write posts on the blog to keep everyone else updated with what’s going on. And a new website means more web design. I just love it so much, especially when things are quirky in different browsers and I’ve got to figure out what’s wrong. There’s something very satisfying about it.

So if you want to, check out the Hauk/Moretti Family website and let me know what you think. Corinne wanted more of a “cute, fun design,” so that’s what I’m going for. I’m pretty pleased with the way it’s turning out so far.

The designing is definitely getting easier, as I just started working with the code and everything this morning (it’s a slow day at work). There’s still a few quirks with IE, but that’s no surprise. For some reason IE adds margin sizes to total size of the div. Also, I think I’m going to get a book on Javascript sometime soon, because that’s something I need to learn more about.

I’ve decided to try my hand at the podcast/video podcast scene. It’s a little late, but I don’t feel like it’s reached its peak just yet. Plenty of time for it to grow. That being said, take a look at the new site I’m designing to go along with the video podcast. Some of the links work, others don’t. The only working links on the navigation bar are “latest episode” and “all episodes,” but there’s more to come.

What it will be is a weekly video podcast about music. Music news, reviews, discoveries, and anything else. There’s so much good music out there that doesn’t get a lot of play time, and I’ll try to bring it to light.

This won’t really start until after a few weeks once the wedding/honeymoon storm has passed. Then I’ll have some actual time to work on it. Check out the new site and let me know what you think. Comments, suggestions, critiques, any feedback is encouraged.

I have this widget on iGoogle that displays pretty amazing photos from around the world. Maybe I shouldn’t have installed it because it’s making me want to get back into photography more and more. One of the pictures today was this one from Machu Picchu, Peru. It looks surreal.

Looking at this picture made me look up more about Machu Picchu, of course. Check out the picture on the front page there. It’s pretty awesome. Then I started thinking about how amazing it would be to travel for photography and get paid. Almost makes me want to take a third shift job so I can do more photography during the day to get going with that.

Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV had a very inspirational keynote at the Web 2.0 Expo in New York. Certainly made me think about what I really love to do and how it shouldn’t matter whether I can get money from it. But there’s almost always a way to monetize what you love in this day and age. I would love traveling the world taking photos, journalistic or artistic. The real kicker would be to get paid and have the funds to travel.

Summary: I need more photography in my life, but I need more time first.

This past weekend my fiancé and I traveled to Lancaster for a huge art fest. It was all outdoor in Long’s Park. The scenery was beautiful and the art was fantastic. Probably between 75 and 100 artists I’d say. Each got a lot along the path to display and sell their art. There was also a wine/beer tasting stand for Iron Hill, a local brewery.

We signed up for a free raffle after paying for our tickets, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was for. They did have a separate tent with pieces of art that some donated, but for those tickets you had to pay. All kinds of artists were represented from all over the country: painting, photography, digital art, sculpture, fabrics, glass, metal, etc. Anything you could think of it was probably there.

While looking at the first photographer we came across I started thinking about how much I miss photography. I would definitely like to get back into it, but it’s difficult with little time and no access to a darkroom. But, Dan, you say, why not digital? There’s no need for a dark room, just a computer.

Here’s the thing. Digital photography can be great and quick, but I’d much rather be in the darkroom working with my hands and developing the film myself. It gives more of a sense of satisfaction having to wait to see the pictures. And then working manually to get the exposure just right. I feel like more of an artist rather than sitting at a computer. I loved spending hours in the darkroom at Millersville.

However, it is expensive. And one thing I don’t have a lot of these days is money. Some day soon I will get back into it because it is a great passion. If I could make a living from it I could die content. To be able to make enough money from photography that I could travel abroad to get amazing photos of other places in the world would be absolutely amazing.

If I start back into photography, would anyone buy my art? Even if no one does I’ll do it anyway. The photos in this post are mine, by the way.

‘Sup doods.

So I got a new car the other day. It was about time. A part of me will probably miss the little Chevy Metro with its lack of power anything, including steering, and horribly slow speeds. But with 140k miles on it, it was time for retirement. The new ride is a beauty.

I’ll get some pictures up at some point (maybe some “artsy” ones). A 2004 Charcoal/gun metal gray VW Jetta with black interior. I love German cars, built like tanks. Manual transmission which is hella fun to drive. Only thing lacking is the pickup. Not the greatest pickup, but definitely better than the Metro. I can always mod it with turbos and all that jazz.

Love it.