Xerraire!
In the photomeme community there are 2 types of folks. Your photomeme moderators and your photomeme participants. We understand that some photomeme moderators claim to have photoblogs but for the most part, we've never seen them. But in general, photographers know their lot in life. Xerraire is a rare exception. She's Bi-Photomeme. She dances back and forth participating freely in nearly every meme and then hosts her own very nice particpatory Saturday meme.
She recently came to our attention and took her shaming like a good sport making us like her even more.
We pleaded with her for an interview which she accepted with grace and dignity. So much so that she didn't bother answering our daft questions about what she was wearing, leaving it to our rich imaginations.
We now present: Xerraire.
Who are you and why are you doing this to us?
I am Barbara from Maryland, USA. I am a recently divorced mom who has home schooled all three of her children. I try hard to earn a living from home to support them and still continue to teach them. Sometimes we struggle, but there is a lot of love in our home.
I was asked and have somewhat reluctantly accepted to do this interview. I’ve been interviewed before, but this one seems different somehow.
How is Xerraire pronounced? 'X-rayer'? 'Zee-rayer'? Or the more commonly accepted 'Char-uhlz'? And what does it mean?
Xerraire is a Catalán word meaning talkative. I lived in the Barcelona, Spain area for about a year and I learned a little of the Catalán language. While back in the U.S., I looked for a chat nickname that might attract people from that area as I grew to love it so much. This one worked like a charm. The “X” takes on an SH sound. Phonetically I suppose you could pronounce it Shuh-RYE-Ruh. I returned to Barcelona with dozens of new friends made on the net, chronicled here: http://www.xerraire.com/spain
Where else can we see your photos? Do you have any side projects? How did you happen to start Unique Exposures? What the hell else is going on over there?
On the net I have several side projects. I do web & graphic design from my home for various clients.
I have a personal site at http://www.xerraire.com that also contains my portfolio. In 1999 I joined with partners to start MXskinz.com which was meant to be a wallpaper and skins application site. That propelled me into the skins community, who are amazing people to know. However while working on that, I met a few who were photographers disenchanted with the places on the net to upload their photos. They wanted a smaller more intimate site that was exclusively for photography and a place that they wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. So, I created www.UniqueExposures.com
It started out only as a photo-sharing gallery, then by request, I added a forum. I love my members there, however, it’s a little too intimate, and so I am always looking for new members to feel free to join. I can’t say when I started it that I knew what I was doing. I dove in feet first and am learning as I go. Later, when a few photo-memes died out, I thought to add The Weekend Photo Challenge to UniqueExposures. As I am learning as I go, there are a few features my meme doesn’t have, but I would at least like to think it’s a friendly meme where others feel comfortable joining in, if nothing else.
About the same time, I began http://www.SkinsGallery.com . It was to make my life easier as MXskinz was totally html, and I needed something more modern, where people could upload their own skins and wallpapers. Now it has expanded to include MySpace Layouts.
I have many, many interests, so I began a blog to help me keep my thoughts straight, and it has become almost like therapy. I enjoy it, and the topics range from very personal to things I am curious about. http://www.xerraireart.com/blog
The blog is on a fairly new site that continues to grow, my art site, where I post my watercolors, my personal photography gallery, my photo blog, and newly added, a lyrics site: http://www.xerraireart.com Another item of interest on my art site is the Terragens I create. Terragen is a fascinating landscape rendering program that I am crazy about, but don’t get enough time to learn more. I have sold a few Terragens, and that was rewarding that others like them as well.
What other hobbies do you enjoy or enjoy inflicting upon others?
I like to go hiking/sight-seeing and I love all kinds of music. Both my children would say are ‘an infliction on them.” My music/mp3 collection » http://www.xerraire.com/music/mp3z.htm
What gives with gumnut?
I don’t know what gives. He is more a mystery to me each day. We do have a blog we do together when the spirit moves him or me: http://johndolphin.net/bozandoz
If you weren't doing what you do now, what else WOULD you be doing? Photographer doesn't count.
I majored in school to teach Spanish, hence the living in Spain, but somehow that didn’t materialize. I suppose I would be teaching, and since I have an interest in languages, I perhaps would be learning more.
Anything else?
Thanks very much for noticing me out of a huge crowd of talented photographers.
She recently came to our attention and took her shaming like a good sport making us like her even more.
We pleaded with her for an interview which she accepted with grace and dignity. So much so that she didn't bother answering our daft questions about what she was wearing, leaving it to our rich imaginations.
We now present: Xerraire.
Who are you and why are you doing this to us?
I am Barbara from Maryland, USA. I am a recently divorced mom who has home schooled all three of her children. I try hard to earn a living from home to support them and still continue to teach them. Sometimes we struggle, but there is a lot of love in our home.
I was asked and have somewhat reluctantly accepted to do this interview. I’ve been interviewed before, but this one seems different somehow.
How is Xerraire pronounced? 'X-rayer'? 'Zee-rayer'? Or the more commonly accepted 'Char-uhlz'? And what does it mean?
Xerraire is a Catalán word meaning talkative. I lived in the Barcelona, Spain area for about a year and I learned a little of the Catalán language. While back in the U.S., I looked for a chat nickname that might attract people from that area as I grew to love it so much. This one worked like a charm. The “X” takes on an SH sound. Phonetically I suppose you could pronounce it Shuh-RYE-Ruh. I returned to Barcelona with dozens of new friends made on the net, chronicled here: http://www.xerraire.com/spain
Where else can we see your photos? Do you have any side projects? How did you happen to start Unique Exposures? What the hell else is going on over there?
On the net I have several side projects. I do web & graphic design from my home for various clients.
I have a personal site at http://www.xerraire.com that also contains my portfolio. In 1999 I joined with partners to start MXskinz.com which was meant to be a wallpaper and skins application site. That propelled me into the skins community, who are amazing people to know. However while working on that, I met a few who were photographers disenchanted with the places on the net to upload their photos. They wanted a smaller more intimate site that was exclusively for photography and a place that they wouldn’t get lost in the crowd. So, I created www.UniqueExposures.com
It started out only as a photo-sharing gallery, then by request, I added a forum. I love my members there, however, it’s a little too intimate, and so I am always looking for new members to feel free to join. I can’t say when I started it that I knew what I was doing. I dove in feet first and am learning as I go. Later, when a few photo-memes died out, I thought to add The Weekend Photo Challenge to UniqueExposures. As I am learning as I go, there are a few features my meme doesn’t have, but I would at least like to think it’s a friendly meme where others feel comfortable joining in, if nothing else.
About the same time, I began http://www.SkinsGallery.com . It was to make my life easier as MXskinz was totally html, and I needed something more modern, where people could upload their own skins and wallpapers. Now it has expanded to include MySpace Layouts.
I have many, many interests, so I began a blog to help me keep my thoughts straight, and it has become almost like therapy. I enjoy it, and the topics range from very personal to things I am curious about. http://www.xerraireart.com/blog
The blog is on a fairly new site that continues to grow, my art site, where I post my watercolors, my personal photography gallery, my photo blog, and newly added, a lyrics site: http://www.xerraireart.com Another item of interest on my art site is the Terragens I create. Terragen is a fascinating landscape rendering program that I am crazy about, but don’t get enough time to learn more. I have sold a few Terragens, and that was rewarding that others like them as well.
What other hobbies do you enjoy or enjoy inflicting upon others?
I like to go hiking/sight-seeing and I love all kinds of music. Both my children would say are ‘an infliction on them.” My music/mp3 collection » http://www.xerraire.com/music/mp3z.htm
What gives with gumnut?
I don’t know what gives. He is more a mystery to me each day. We do have a blog we do together when the spirit moves him or me: http://johndolphin.net/bozandoz
If you weren't doing what you do now, what else WOULD you be doing? Photographer doesn't count.
I majored in school to teach Spanish, hence the living in Spain, but somehow that didn’t materialize. I suppose I would be teaching, and since I have an interest in languages, I perhaps would be learning more.
Anything else?
Thanks very much for noticing me out of a huge crowd of talented photographers.
posted by memeshame at 9:21 AM
2 Comments:
That was a very nice interview. Why wasn't I asked what the deal was with gumnut? It's nice to know how to pronounce Xerraire now.
Does she know Kerrin???
I enjoy learning about the photobloggers whose names I see on all the memes. Xerraire seems like a very cool person.
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