A picture is worth a thousand words. Or, sometimes, dollars. For the last couple of months, I've been subscribing to the Wild, Wonderful West Virginia Photo Pool on flickr.  

As a result, each morning, in addition to my news headlines, I typically have a few random photographs of my home state waiting for me - photos taken from places I recognize, and yet taken by people who I'll likely never meet.  Pretty cool.

In the next month or so, I'm going to have to go under the lens myself - like everyone in Hollywood , I'm required to have a stash of semi-recent,  semi-ridiculous headshots.  In preparation for the inevitable, I just now took a look at the website of the place I went a couple of years ago only to see that they have raised their prices to $985.  

NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE DOLLARS.  FOR A PICTURE OF YOURSELF.  

Actually, that's not even true - you're paying to have someone TAKE a picture.  If you actually want to hold/own this picture, it's 12 bucks an 8x10, and then well over a hundred for reproductions.

By contrast, here's an ad for the walmart portrait studio - for $5.88, you get your picture taken + a shitload of actual PICTURES.

Really, if it's good enough for this guy...



I think it's good enough for me.