18 June 2010

It's getting busy!

There's a lot in the works I'll be blogging about in the next few days.
1. I'm preparing to leave for Nicaragua next week, photographing for the medical group, La Merced. I will cover the new dental clinic, a few key surgeries, the social welfare efforts of part of the group, and hopefully some follow up with subjects photographed last year. Donations are welcome and tax deductible. Email me if you're interested in more information!

2. I've been approved to lead Salisbury, Maryland's first ever worldwide Photo Walk organized by Scott Kelby and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. The link to sign up is here: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/salisbury-md-united-states/

3. I've just finished a couple of architectural projects for Becker Morgan and will be uploading some images from those shoots.

4. I've been invited to join the Board of Directors of The Art Institute and Gallery in Salisbury, Maryland. I'm hoping to help expand their social outreach via Facebook and Twitter, as well as work on offering some photography workshops.

Stay tuned!

13 June 2010

Lightroom 3 Final

Yay! Lightroom 3 has finally been released. I've become so dependent on the beta version, longing for the time when older catalogues could all be updated.

Tonight I went through all of my catalogs (general, client, event, wedding, family) upgrading, naming, converting to dng, saving metadata, organizing folders. One problem I encountered right away involved reattaching files to photos lightroom couldn't 'find.'

With my asset management, I only keep enough files in a folder which will fit on a dvd, so about 4.3 gigs. When I import a large quantity of files into lightroom, I have to split them up after import. This means I go to my finder (on Mac OS 6), create additional folders and move the requisite number of files there.

With lightroom 3, I could not get the menu command photo>show in finder to re-attach the missing photo or all the other nearby photos in the same folder. Frustrating to say the least. I quit the application and restarted. Still would not work. I restarted my Mac to no avail.

Finally, I clicked right on the question mark in the top right corner of the orphaned photo. That also took me to the 'show in finder' menu. I found the image, clicked okay, and voilĂ ! It worked. I'm not sure if this is a program bug or not. But at least the back door method worked in this case!

14 February 2010

Making the most of weather


Valentine's Day. My preferred way to spend the afternoon/evening was to make the most of a sunny day, unusual snow accumulations for our area, and a unique location.


It's no secret work has been slow, lately. Marketing is the first thing cut from businesses' budgets, and that means a lot less money for photos. So, I've been using my time to supplement my local portfolio. With a generally hectic travel schedule, time for capturing the beauty of our location between ocean and bay is rare. So today, I asked my Sherpa if we could spend the afternoon finding a great location for some sunset beauty shots. Preferable with snow and water.


Wanting to keep things simple while maintaining the ability to get in and out of the car quickly, I brought along my monopod instead of my tripod. I hadn't used it in awhile, but it worked so well, I think it will be coming along on a lot more outdoor shoots.


I wasn't sure about our first stop: a cemetery overlooking a power plant. However, as we drew close, I saw several charming statues which seemed promising for striking images. I also made use of the initially-thought-undesireable background for a few compelling compositions.



After the cemetery, we headed down to Elliott's Island for a lot of snow and water. Having a driver for these expeditions is important, so you can be constantly scouting ahead, either side, as well as behind to see what the varying light and elevations (the occasional mini-bridge over the marsh in my case today) will serve up. One benefit of the hardened snow piles along the road: an extra boost of height for a different angle. 


I try everything when out shooting landscapes: lying down, standing, stooping, shooting into the sun, away from the sun, in the shadows ... and often I am surprised by what I find back in the studio.


A few additional images from my time today are on view at my companion blog, [click]. Also, check out my flickr photostream (at the right) for even more!

11 February 2010

iPhoto '08 Angst in Snow Leopard

Since upgrading to Snow Leopard, I have not been able to double-click on movies to view them from within iPhoto '08 like I could under Leopard. When I clicked, nothing would happen. Tonight I found the solution.

In Apple's discussions forum, I learned that Snow Leopard installed a newer version of QuickTime called QuickTime X. Older movie formats on most point and shoot cameras are not compatible with that. Therefore, it's necessary to install QuickTime 7.

Here's the catch. Supposedly on some Snow Leopard Install CDs you can find the QuickTime 7 app in the 'Extras' folder. However, not in mine.

Fortunately, the discussion thread referenced above provided a link to a Snow Leopard version of QuickTime 7 [click here]. You must use this download link to install QuickTime 7 for it to work with iPhoto '08.

I downloaded, installed, and within minutes (and without restarting anything), my movies are once again opening automatically in QuickTime when I double-click from within iPhoto '08.

Huzzah!

01 February 2010

Succeeding as a photographer

I came across this review of a panel from 2009 DC PhotoWeek. Very informative and hands-on for photographers busy adapting to the current climate.

http://slides.sitewelder.com/users/LarryLevin3660/docs/ASPP%20panel%20discussion%20final.pdf

31 January 2010

Technology behaving badly ...

I had a close call this week with my 5+ year-old Mac G5 Tower (running Mac OSX 10.4+). The writing has been on the wall. I've had several issues with the computer suddenly powering down, then just as mysteriously powering right back up again in the space of 10 seconds. No data was ever lost and I could continue along in whatever program I was working. Then, one morning, I went to wake it up, and behold, not a breath of life came from the thing. I would hit the power button on either the tower itself or the monitor, I could hear the hard drive engage, but not a flicker of life on the monitor.


With a heavy sigh, I left it alone for a few days. My initial thought was, "5 years, needs replacing, but not possible in this economy." My second thought was: "Google."


Not having the luxury of living within driving distance of an Apple Genius Bar, I've learned to troubleshoot my own issues. And google has made it so much easier. By simply typing in the main words of my issue, I get pages of links. And at least one has always had the answer I needed.


Amid the numerous entries complaining of Apple's power supply issues (which to me, having my first issue in 5 years that just didn't apply), I found a few discussion threads where geeks-in-the-know advised average users to remove the battery, clean all contact points and reinstall as a remedy for varying power issues. While the success rate seemed sketchy, it was certainly cheaper than replacing the whole computer.


I disassembled the G-5, pulled off the outer door, removed the inner plastic shell, and then stared blankly at the boards and plugs inside. One thought: Google. This was easy. "Remove battery in G5 Tower". This brought up a link with a diagram for locating and removing the battery. After locating the battery, I thoroughly cleaned the entire interior space (5 years of dust inside, ugh), removed the battery, cleaned the contacts on either end, then cleaned the contacts on the battery seat. Replaced everything, powered up the computer, and voila. It's working like a dream! Over the past two years, the fans in my tower would regularly power up very loudly, like an airliner preparing for take-off. Since my major cleaning, that has completely stopped.


It's been working for a week, now. I'm hoping now to get at least two more years of service. Should the problem return in the near future, plan B (also found on google) is buy a $7 replacement battery. A lot cheaper than a new $2,500 machine. Thank you, google!

27 January 2010

oomphing up your website

Today I just added a new feature to my websites: a box to the right with ever-changing photos from my flickr link.

As a photographer, I've found flickr to be a little more beneficial than I thought. It's been a great way to get feedback from total, unbiased strangers about my work. I've had requests from flickr groups to join their group. I've traded correspondence with others for whom my work has impacted in some way. I've gleaned inspiration for some of my own personal projects. I've encouraged others in their own personal vision. And, surprise, surprise, I've had requests from people who would like to use my work in communicating their own messages. Some have been from non-profits for crisis situations, like my work from the flood relief in Villahermosa, Mexico. Others have been from organizations with actual, dare I say, budgets for images.

So, while in the past few months I've let my flickr world lapse for a bit... I've recently been encouraged to get back in the groove with posting choice images there. In flickr world, they can inspire creativity, controversy, good will, and reap benefits both monetary and soulful!

If you'd like to boost your own website's visual appeal, you can check out the link on how to post a flick badge, either html or flash (which I've used at right). Enjoy! And let it spark your own creativity!