little PHOTOGRAPHY | Secret Blog

And in with the NEW!

Click on over to the Revolutionary Blog to read up on the BIG change we just made.

You're in for a treat, my friends!

Well, I was planning to end the Secret Blog with a bang; but I was too busy. I think this is actually a fitting end though. I was always too busy to keep this thing up like I wanted to.

It's been fun. You can check back to remember the gool 'ol times; but there will be no more secret posts after this one.

So after you read this, turn off your computer. Get up from your desk. Stretch your legs. Rub your eyes. Head outside for some fresh air. Deal out some 'good game' butt slaps to your coworkers on your way out the door.

As for me, a new job awaits. Today is my last day at the studio. Tomorrow is my first day as the pastor of a church. I know what you're thinking: "What the mess?" I know it sounds crazy; but God works in mysterious ways.

Thanks for reading. And thanks for keeping this whole thing just between us.



*That's me on the right. No more awkward side hugs at LP after today.

This is how we help people capture pose #1 in the studio. Thought it might be helpful:


Napoleon Dynamite Videos

*When we watched this in the studio, a fly buzzed up to Aaron's head at the exact same time as the fly in the video buzzed up to Uncle Rico. They swatted at the exact same time.

Over the last year or so, we've tried to help you become a better you through more effective body language.

Here are a couple of final tips.



With slight repositioning of the hand and relaxating of the face, you can convey two very different messages to your audience.

Pose #1 says to a new acquaintance, "What a happy turn of fate that our paths should meet on this lovely fall day. Let's spread a blanket upon the dewy meadow and have tea."

Pose #2 says, "I will use my eyes to probe the deepest crevices of your soul."

Transitioning between the two can be tricky. We recommend starting with Pose #1, then very slowly relaxing the face and letting your gaze grow dull. If you transition slowly enough, your new acquaintance won't even realize it's happening.

Special instructions:





To position your hand properly while striking Pose #2, imagine that you're holding a phone to your ear. Your new acquaintance's soul is on the line and it's divulging it's deepest secrets to you.

Be sure to let us know how it goes by leaving a comment below.

Last year, we played pictionary during the LP studio Christmas party and brought you in on the fun by posting some of our drawings and letting you guess.

We ended it due to lack of reader enthusiasm; but here's one more for the road. Be the first to guess correctly in the comments section and you'll get a chance to see your picture in one of the final posts of the Secret Blog.

This one was drawn by Aaron and Scott (Cindy's husband). Parental caution is advised due to the graphic nature of Aaron's interpretation of the object.

There's no easy way to say this; so I'll just plop it out there like a raw pork chop: we're ending the Secret Blog on December 23 - next Tuesday.

CALM DOWN.

Let me explain. The SB was my (Matt's) pet project; and now it's time to gracefully put it to sleep. We promise, it won't feel a thing.

I'll no longer be at the studio in 2009 and everyone else actually works while they're here. Thus, no one will be available to chronicle LP secrecy for you.

But dry your eyes. We've had a good run. 133 posts leading up to this one and plenty of laughs and good times along the way.

Stay tuned between now and the 23rd. We'll be capping off some of our more popular features, purging the Secret idea archives, and wallowing in fond memories. There may also be an intensely emotional farewell message at the very end.

Please feel free to leave lots of comments during the next week as we close out the Secret Blog. They'll make us happy. And tell your friends to check it out. Let's end on a high Google Analytic note.

Thanks for reading this silly blog and if you have any questions about this post, feel free to ask in the comments section.

You experience a number of emotions under the sweaty wing of Aaron Byrum.

Joy.




Sadness.



Rage.



Confusion.



Revulsion.



Surrealism.



Photosynthesis.



All these emotions add up to one thing: life-altering education. There's nothing quite like it.

Just look at what his past students are saying:

"I'll never be able to scrub some of those images from my memory, no matter how hard I try." - Anonymous
"I [love] Aaron's guts. If I ever see him in a dark alley, I'll [hug] the crap out of him." - Anonymous

Please take a moment to watch this inspiring slide show of Aaron hard at work repairing the crumbling infrastructure of America's youth: