robinpeeples

<p>One strategy would be to assume (1) that it was probably either adjacent to a holiday (like July 4th) or on a weekend, (2) that it was probably at least 75 degrees (for everyone to be comfortable in shorts and sleeveless shirts), and (3) that it didn't rain, or didn't rain much (unless the memories of people who were there specifically suggest it did rain, which would also be helpful). </p> <p>So <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KISP/1996/7/5/DailyHistory.html?req_city=East%20Islip&req_state=NY&req_statename=New%20York&reqdb.zip=11730&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999">check out the weekend and holiday weather records</a> for the <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1996&country=1">months you've narrowed down</a>, and see when it was warm enough and dry enough to be plausible. Looks like June was pretty wet. </p>

<p>I'm still using the same d80 I've had since 2007, and for me, (compared to newer cameras) its biggest limitation is low light performance. I still use it in low light though — all the time. I just can't go into it expecting sharp, portfolio-worthy pictures. I go into it with the goal of capturing moments that will otherwise be lost.</p> <p>Most often in a dark indoor setting, I use a 50mm f1.4 wide open with the camera set to aperture priority. I don't usually go over ISO 1600 because I find the quality degrades so much—and I have pretty low standards for these kinds of photos.</p> <p>In a dark bar or restaurant, that'll usually make my shutter speed 1/40 of a second or slower. If I don't have a gorillapod with me (usually don't) and the shutter speed goes below 1/20 of a second, I sometimes set the camera on a table or bar, propped with napkins or coasters to the correct direction and angle.</p> <p>The last thing I do to try to salvage a picture is turn it black and white in processing. At least with my d80, it seems like high ISOs degrade first by turning wonky colors — especially if you try to lighten the exposure. Converting to b&w eliminates that factor.</p>

<p>The more stuff you put on your resume between the current moment and dropping out, the less important that blip will be. Depending on the path you choose, you may eventually find that you need to finish your degree to get to a certain level, but I don't think you're totally "screwed" right now.</p> <p>As a person who does "creative" work, I want to mention two things:</p> <ul> <li>Many people/businesses/etc don't want (or don't think they need) to hire people specifically to do creative work, but if you bring those skills to the table while also being able to do the job they're hiring for, you will most likely be called on to use them. Sometimes this means they'll overwork or take advantage of you (and you have to watch out for that), but sometimes it means you can eventually carve out a new position for yourself that uses the skills you really value. Either way, you're getting resume-ready professional experience using those skills that might help you get the next, better gig. Getting into an office job doing WHATEVER (data entry, being an assistant to an assistant, interning) is a decent start.<br /><br /></li> <li>"Creative" people are often expected to be jacks of all trades, and you might get more traction if you can claim some basic expertise in another discipline (like graphic design, basic html/css, copywriting, marketing, etc).</li> </ul> <p>You might check out what positions are open at local universities. Once you're in a system like that (no matter the position), it can give you access to a lot of new opportunities. They often have programs where employees can work on their own degrees for free or discounted.</p> <p>Good luck!</p>