Latest Acquisition

Well, there's actually nothing new about this acquisition since it happened back in November or so, but I finally got my hands on a Leica M series camera, specifically the Leica M4-2. It's basically one of the least expensive Ms you can get.

I also picked up a Leitz Summaron 35mm f/2.8 lens (chrome) for it. The camera itself is in BEAUTIFUL condition. It's a totally old-school camera -- all manual, rangefinder focusing, no light meter, and *gasp* it uses FILM!!

So why Leica? Leica (or Leitz Cameras) were the inventors of the 35mm camera. They've become known for their excellence in optics and precision mechanics in their cameras. They would be considered the Rolls-Royce or Bentleys of the camera world. Part brand, part craftmanship, part hype.

I took my very first photos with that camera on a business trip to NYC and posted them here.

Essential Mac Software

Ok, not really photography-related, Mac-related...so related if you really allow me to stretch here. So in no particular order, my top 10 essential pieces of Mac software, not including anything that is included when you buy a Mac (like iLife):

• Quicksilver - The best application launcher and document finder ever. I find it faster than Spotlight, and more stable than Google Desktop for Mac


• Google Desktop for Mac - Same as Google Desktop for PC, but for Mac! It's not quite stable and has the tendency to eat up gobs of your CPU for no good reason. I ended up uninstalling the app because of its instability but I think a re-installation would fix the problem.


• Microsoft Entourage - The only solution if you want to connect to a Microsoft Exchange Server. Get the Office for Mac 2008 version as that has a new "My Day" docking widget that gives you a quick summary of meetings/appointments and to-do's for the day.


• Remote Buddy - This is very relevant if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch. This basically allows you to enhance the remote control capabilities of the Mac, it's own infrared Apple Remote, and allows you to control the Mac with your iPhone or iPod Touch via a web-based menu screen served by a built-in HTTP server. Awesome


• iCalViewer - Allows you to view your iCal appointments and meetings on your desktop.


• Synergy2 - Not to be confused with a similarly-named application for iTunes, this wonderful open-source app allows you to use the same keyboard and mouse across 2 computers. It's cross-platform so this will work with Windows, Mac or Linux. I use this extensively at work on my Windows desktop. Once my Mac connects to the network, it's configured to use the Windows keyboard and mouse as if it was an extension of the Windows desktop.


• VLC - Because not everything plays on Quicktime.


• Vmware or Parallels - For those of us who need a Windows computer or needs some software that runs on Windows only, Vmware Fusion or Parallels for Mac allows you to run a virtualized PC on your Mac. It's like having 2 computers in one! Only good if you have Intel-based Macs. For those who are still running PowerPC, there's still the woefully slow Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac.


• Evernote - I just discovered this product that allows you to import any or all documents, images, webpages, e-mail, etc., into its document library and it will allow you to search your relevant document library for anything you're looking for. The greatest thing about this is its text-recognition software that can even read image-based text.


• TiVo Decode Manager - Obviously only useful if you have a TiVo, but this app allows you to pull your television programming off your TiVo and into a iTunes and iPod-compatible format. Do not use it to distribute copyright material. End of disclaimer.


• Handbrake - Same as above except you can rip DVDs with it into many many formats, including Apple TV, iPhone/iPod Touch, iTunes, iPod Classic and so on. Again, do not use it to distribute copyright material. End of disclaimer.


• AppZapper - Because sometimes just throwing the application into the Trash is not enough. You missed all the preferences that are tucked away elsewhere. Use AppZapper to delete the application and all associated preference files as well.

Aperture 2.0

Picked the upgrade for Aperture - Aperture 2.0 at the affordable upgrade price of $99. I think they simplified the interface a lot more, but all the essential elements and interface panels are where they are not to completely confuse everyone.

The most significant feature is that Aperture now has a plug-in architecture. While Aperture 1.x allowed 3rd party export tools, Aperture 2.0 has a full plug-in architecture that allows 3rd party developers to add plug-in tools, not unlike those found in Photoshop. This release finally fills in a gap that Adobe Lightroom had over Aperture as it had supported plug-ins since the summer of 2007.

As part of Aperture 2, Apple includes a Dodge & Burn plug-in that is self-explanatory. Also announced was that Nik Software that is prominent as a Photoshop plug-in will be releasing Viveza for Aperture. Also announced was that Noise Ninja will be released for Aperture in the coming months.

This is going to be an exciting for Aperture as not having plug-ins was a large reason why Photoshop was still being used by most photographers with digital workflows.

The only thing lacking that I find is that Aperture does not allow export web galleries as Flash movies. It's still using HTML-based galleries which I find is totally 1998. Lightroom has this option so I don't see why Aperture does not support it either since most photographer websites are Flash-based.

First Impressions of OS X Leopard

Yes, this is primarily a blog about photography and cameras, but since I do use Aperture as my RAW workflow, I'm going to take the opportunity to voice my likes and dislikes about Leopard.

First, my likes:

• Great evolution of it's already slick interface. As much as Vista was an entirely different UI for upgrading Windows users, Mac users would not be completely lost within the Leopard UI. There are some changes, which I will note, but many are enhancements to Finder and the existing UI.


• As much as Vista made it's GUI, gooey and somewhat goopey, Leopard is simplified and yet made the overall look of Mac OS X less globular. This has been a consistent change through each major release version of OS X.


• Firewall preferences moved to the Security System Preferences tab. Makes sense, doesn't it?


• Apple Mail - RSS feeds now available in Mail as mail messages. It's integrated the To-Do list from Apple iCal and has added a Notes feature. It's visually similar to the Notes app on the iPhone so it's not a stretch to guess that iPhones will eventually sync with Apple Mail Notes.


• Safari - Web clippings - Safari now has the ability to let you draw an area on the webpage that you can e-mail to recipients.


• Finder Dock Stacks - The Dock allows you to create a Stack, which is a folder on the Dock that shows you a preview of the folder contents, including image previews, document previews, etc. This is the replacement to the click and hold feature of folders on the Dock that used to show the folder contents in a list format.


• Finder - Cover Flow - My first impression: the Finder is now iTunes!! The left nav menu looks exactly like iTunes and Cover Flow was derived directly from iTunes. The Cover Flow view shows file previews for images and documents. It's an ingenious way of leveraging the navigation for it's popular software.


• Time Machine - Backups finally made easy and user-friendly. All you need is a USB drive and you're good to go.


• Spaces - For those familiar with Virtual Desktops, this is Apple's implementation of Virtual Desktops. It allows you to group you open apps in different desktops, all on the same desktop. It's for those of us who have/need a billion apps on the desktop at any given time.


• iCal icon on the dock FINALLY shows today's date. It only took 2 full versions.


• WAY better integration with Airport AirDisks. I no longer have to authenticate my credentials every time I access the AirDisks. I also automatically shows up in my Shared folders in the Finder. This was one of those "about time" features. Also gone is the AirDisk Utility.


• Back to My Mac - I haven't tried this featured, but it sounds intriguing. For .Mac users, it allows them to control their Leopard-based Mac at home remotely from another Leopard-based Mac.

Now my issues:

• Safari 3 rendered all my Safari plugins useless. Lame.


• Time Machine does not support Airport AirDisks any more. This was an initial feature that has dropped when Leopard dropped. Not happy. I'm expecting a $100 rebate on my Airport Extreme Base Station.


• New firewall settings are dumbed-down. No advanced settings that will allow users to specify particular ports that can be allowed through or blocked.


• Synergy no longer works. Synergy is a service that runs to allow you to share a keyboard and mouse across 2 or more computers. The best thing about Synergy was that you could share the same keyboard and mouse across different operating systems.

Overall, it's been a good experience. No upgrade problems except my Safari browser cookies got nuked during the upgrade process.

Latest Acquisition

A Leica R4...though I am eyeing a Leica M3 or M4.

O.P.P. - Other People's Photo (Equipment)

We were in St. Louis last weekend and it was the first time all the (in-law's) grandkids were in one place since June so we booked a photo session at this portrait studio (which I won't name -- but it starts with "Portrait" and the rest sounds like "intonations").

Anyway, I'm always curious about the kind of gear that the studios use since they've all gone digital. I know that Sears' Portrait Studio near my house uses Nikon gear.

Anyway, this studio used Fuji Finepix DSLR equipment and Tamron XR lenses for its imaging gear and Photogenic PowerLights for its lighting





I also noticed a sensor above the doorway on each of the two studios which I think was for the radio slave on the top of the DSLR.



Another interesting tidbit is that this chain of studios doesn't sell you the RAW images, but if you order enough of them, they will give you a CD containing JPEGs good enough for desktop wallpaper, but not good enough for to get any prints from them any better than wallet size. The original RAW images are also stored on the CD in case you want to take the images to another one of their locations to get printed, but the RAW files are encrypted in their own proprietary format. From what I can tell the encryption is based on some customer information, possibly some store info, and another piece of info on the CD. I think the encryption occurs at the sales terminal and not at the DSLR level.

The 6x8 Conundrum

I have always been a big fan of the 6x8 format. Ever since I saw the Fuji GX-680 and how it was so similar to the 8x10 aspect ratio, I had always coveted the camera. At the time, it was the only camera that shot the format natively. Unfortunately the camera was priced WAY out of my means (and still is for the latest version).

Sure there are other rectangular formats but I was never a fan of the 645 format so my first rectangular medium format camera was a Pentax 6x7 which resembled a 35mm SLR on steroids than your average medium format camera that typically comes with a waist-level finder. The 6x7 was shot at eye-level like a 35mm SLR. Since it resembled a 35mm SLR, it wasn't as flexible as other modular medium format cameras - It didn't support multiple backs or backs that could be changed mid-roll.

My current medium format camera is the all-manual Mamiya RB67 Pro S which also shoots 6x7 format. It has a rotating back so that you can shoot horizontally and switch to vertical shooting without changing the orientation of the camera - you just have to rotate the back.

What I learned recently was that there is a 6x8 back for the RB67, and better yet it was a motor-driven back so getting it was like killing two birds with one stone. I would get my 6x8 format and I would get an automatic film-winding system. To advance the film and cock the shutter on the RB67 is a 2-step process and is more time-consuming if you're trying to shoot rapidly. Ideally I would like the Mamiya RZ67 which is an automated version of the RB67. The RB67 is all-mechanical and does not use a single battery. Anyway, I found the 6x8 back at KEH.com for a VERY reasonable price but quickly found out that the light baffle on my RB has a smaller opening than the image area of the 6x8 back. The same is said for the opening on the revolving adapter that the back goes on.

I called up MAC Group (Mamiya America Corporation) and ordered a 6x8 baffle for the RB and found out it's the same baffle that's on my current RB except it has a number 8 on it. It was a bit of a let down to discover that I already had the correct baffle but I'm confused as to why the baffle opening and the image area on the back are significantly dissimilar. So I'm kind of at a stand-still with my 6x8 efforts. I'm in the process of looking for a 6x8 rotating adapter (I believe the Pro SD adapter might accommodate me) and then shooting a test roll with the appropriate adapter and 6x8 back to see if there's any vignetting on the resulting images and we'll go from there.

I'm also looking into acquiring a used GX-680 because the RB now weighs a ton with the new prism finder, new back (that requires 4 x AA batteries) in addition to the already significant weight of the camera, so it's not really a portable camera.

.Mac Web Galleries

I just picked up iLife '08 which includes iPhoto '08. The big addition to iPhoto and .Mac is the concept of Web Galleries. Web Galleries is the .Mac version of Flickr and PicasaWeb.

Yes, iLife '06 gave you the ability to publish web pages which you could turn into your own photo album web pages, but the .Mac Web Galleries is more...MUCH more than just web pages.

.Mac Web Galleries has an interface that is closer to iPhoto and iTunes except it's all done on the web with no fancy Flash plugins as it's all done with Web 2.0 technologies and Ajax.

I put up my own web gallery as an example of what the new web galleries can do. The color photo I uploaded from my iPhone and it showed up in the web gallery faster than I could say "refresh". The thumbnail slider control allows you to set the thumbnails smaller or larger. The Carousel viewing mode does a very good impression of iTunes CoverFlow browsing mode.

All in all, .Mac Web Galleries is a very good, and well-deserved, upgrade to .Mac, though it's too bad you need iPhoto '08 to activate the web galleries.

Also part of the .Mac upgrade is that user space has increased from a base of 1GB to 10GB. The data transfer limit has also increased to 100GB to a month.

Acquisition Mode, part 2.

Something I forgot to mention in the previous "Acquisition Mode" post...I'm also looking for a split-image, microprism screen for the RB67. Right now, I'm just focusing by sight through the viewfinder.

I did end up buying the 6x8 power winder from keh.com. Cheaper than eBay and it should be pretty good as it was listed as "excellent" condition-wise.

iPhone EXIF Info and .Mac Web Galleries

I found out that the iPhone aperture setting is fixed at f/2.8 based on the EXIF info from pictures I uploaded to Flickr.

Apple just updated some of their .Mac account features today (FINALLY). They've introduced Web Galleries which I guess is competitor to Flickr and PicasaWeb. Given that most people will opt to publish to one of those two services, it makes sense for Apple to give their customers the ability to do the same with their .Mac account. It's still hard to part with almost $100/year for such a service...granted, you can also upload video and you get a .Mac mail account and webpage publishing and the ability to host your blog...but their are enough free services that allow you to do those. The only thing Apple has going for it is that it's you only need to direct friends and family to one place and not a desperate collection of places if they want to see photos or read blogs or what-not.

Acquisition Mode Again

I'm trying to get my Mamiya RB67 (Pro-S) a little less manual and a little more automatic.

First on my list is the 6x8 power winder back. It's compatible with the RB67 Pro-S and any newer versions and it shoots in a 6x8 format that is closer to an 8x10 enlargement or the dimensions of your average magazine cover. There aren't that many cameras that can shoot 6x8, actually I know of only one - the Fuji GX680 which is probably the most awesome medium format camera I've never had the pleasure of using but I love so much because of what it's capable of. The second reason I'd like to have this back is that winding and cocking the shutter are two separate actions on the RB67 and I'd like to reduce it to one action.

Second on my list is a metered finder, preferably the Cds finder which has a TTL meter. I currently have a prism finder but I would love the convenience of a built-in meter instead of having to carry a handheld light meter.

I'm also considering a bracket for the camera so that the entire kit would be easier to hold in general.

So far I've found what I'm looking for on keh.com and eBay so I'm thinking within the next couple of months I'll get to where I want to go with my RB67 kit.

iPhone Review, pt. 2

After doing some more playing with the iPhone, here's my wish list for updates to the existing software:

• Ability to use your own sound files for ringtones


• Cut, copy and paste functionality


• Greater control of mail messages such as marking all messages as read instead of having to read each message to have them mark as read


• Ability to choose difference sounds for new mail messages, and other system alerts


• Ability to use keyboard in landscape mode for applications other than Safari


• iChat


• Direct push from Exchange server

This list will probably grow...

iPhone Review

Okay, my 2 cents on the iPhone consists of 2 works: UTTERLY AMAZING!

The UI and the transitions between screens are awesome! I've never seen any phone user interface or PDA interface looks so smooth and have so much eye candy. The Google Maps widget is better than the web app!

There aren't many things I can fault with this phone but I do have a list:

1. No way to highlight, copy and paste text


2. No advanced preferences for mail, like marking the entire account as read, or only downloading unread messages on first poll


3. Can't re-organize widget icons on home screen


4. No instant messaging app or widget


5. No Bluetooth sync - syncing is done through iTunes through a USB cable, but I can't imagine why you can't sync contacts and calendars through iSync like everything else does


6. YouTube widget can't be tied to an existing YouTube account


7. No video recording


8. No games???!!!


9. No one-touch dialing or voice dialing


10. Virtual keyboard not for people with big hands or large fingers


11. No way to use music in iTunes as ringtones


12. Needs a camera of a higher resolution

Okay, so that's the bad list...here's the good list:

1. Zooming in and out of pictures and text is a major breakthrough


2. Navigating through iTunes via CoverFlow is awesome
3. 
   
4. Navigating through list by scrolling and swiping a finger across the screen is so intuitive


5. iPod can play music through the iPhone's speakerphone


6. The screen is really bright


7. Anything I didn't mention was simply awesome...I'm in total awe of this device

So far everything has been pretty smooth. Even setting it up on my wireless network at home was simple.

Was the device worth the hype? I think for the most part it was. It's an incredible device that does most things really well and puts it in an absolutely beautiful form factor, but do get the 8 GB model since that available space is for everything, including the phone's OS.

iPhone Buying Experience

Here's my review of the iPhone that I picked up at the AT&T Store near my house. BTW, almost all of the AT&T Stores have sold out of their allotment of iPhones so the only place left where you'll find one is at The Apple Store, or on apple.com.

Anyway, the AT&T Store experience was strange. It was a VERY controlled environment. When I got in line, an AT&T rep came up and took my name and assigned me a number (actually they assigned it to me through Christine who got there and held my spot for me). You had to stay in line and wait even though you were assigned a number.

Once 6:00 pm rolled around, they were only letting in as many customers as their were available sales people. This usually meant that customers were being let in one at a time. Once you got inside, there was a staging area where a sales person greeted you and confirmed who you were when they took down your name while waiting in line. This procedure prevented people from jumping the line or have people hold spots for other people. It was a good idea and it worked, especially when there were 3 police officers standing in that staging area. After they confirmed your identity, they asked you some questions that were designed to help the sales rep completing your order to upsell certain products like their DSL service or cable or whatever.

The entire sales process didn't take that long at all. They even ran a quick rudimentary credit check and gave you a pre-authorization number so that the iPhone registration process that you performed online through iTunes wouldn't do the same credit check.

By the time I left, I had waited about 45 minutes in line after they opened the doors at 6:00 and there were about 12 people in line still. An hour or so later, there was no line at all.

The Apple Store experience was different in that the queue control was not as tight as AT&T's as they were letting in 50 people at a time and any of those people could hold spots for anybody else. One of my co-workers got there around the same time Christine got to the AT&T store and we both left with our respective iPhones around the same time.

All in all, it was an alright experience. Sign-up and activation was easy as expected. It's amazing that you can't do this with any other phone or provider.

Happy Canada Day!!!!

O Canada...our home and native land...

What does this have to do with cameras? Absolutely nothing! I don't care!

Still one generation behind...

I finally got my Canon 20D after waiting 2 years after it came out, which has now been replaced with the 30D. And soon after I picked up the battery grip to make the camera feel whole...and it looks a lot cooler! :)

My last 35mm film camera was a Canon EOS A2 with a vertical grip. The vertical grip didn't store an extra power source, but only duplicated the shutter release, AE lock, and focus point selection buttons when shooting vertically. I didn't matter. The camera felt so much more solid and beefier than without it.

The BG-E2 grip actually lets you use 2 normal batteries (Canon BP-511A) in the grip, or 6 AA batteries that drop the performance of the camera and are to be used in "emergency situations".

I *TOTALLY* love this camera now. The only thing I wish it could do is duplicate the multi-directional control (kinda like a stubby joystick) on the camera as well.

The one thing I'm not terribly fond of is the pop-up flash. I'm not sure why, but the quality of the built-in flashes have gone down. The built-in flash on my A2 was actually zoom flash and was pretty good! But the light fall-off on the built-in flash on the 20D is very noticeable. At around 10 feet or so, I have to increase the flash power compensation by about a full stop to get a decent exposure.

The quality of the photos is so much better than the 10D. I don't know if it's the extra pixels (2 MP to be exact) or the newer DIGIC chip, but I feel more confident of the results shooting at a higher ISO now.

I was tempted to get the 30D but I'd have to pay twice as much for only a few improvements - larger LCD mainly. I've also heard that the 20D shoots better at higher ISOs. The big downside is that the 20D is noisier in actual decibels. The mirror slap of the 20D is noticeably louder than the 10D and 30D.

Anyway, I'm happy with the camera and the price I paid for it...plus I got $50 back from the sale of the kit lens on eBay that came with it. :)

Extreme Makeover: Camera Edition

I just went through and am about to go through a massive camera switch.

My previous camera line-up:

• Canon EOS 10D


• Hasselblad 500CM


• Pentax 6x7

My camera line-up as soon as I receive my newest acquisition and sell one of my current cameras:

• Canon EOS 20D


• Mamiya RB67

I'm dire need of a DSLR which is lighter. The difference in weight between the 10D and 20D is HUGE! The boost in resolution is huge. I was tempted to go with the 30D but one of my colleagues indicated that the high ISO images from the 30D were noisier than in the 20D. I don't know if I would take advantage of Picture Styles in the 30D, but the larger LCD panel on the camera back would be a big help, but I'm comfortable with the LCD panel in the 10D which is the same as the 20D.

I went the eBay route for this camera purchase since I had sold a lot of stuff on eBay and had enough in my PayPal war chest to pay for a 20D.

I got rid of the Hasselblad because I've had the camera for over 2 years and hadn't used it because I couldn't afford a lens for it. I bought the Mamiya RB67 because I got a good deal on it, but it's a HEAVY beast of a camera. It's going to be tough to hand-hold.

The 20D, as mentioned, will be SO much lighter than the 10D so I'll be happy about that.

In the meantime, I've been getting acquainted with the ins and outs of selling stuff on eBay...it's been quite the interesting experience and I've been learning a lot about some of the best practices when it comes to selling on eBay. The tough part has been figuring out how to charge for shipping, guess the weight of the item (I don't have a scale), and the dimensions of the box that will be holding the item during shipping -- all important things that get factored into how much shipping will cost.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited about getting the 20D, but I'm also hoping to get a good deal selling my 10D.

Does that manual come with a manual?

I've rounded out my medium format collection after acquiring a Mamiya RB67 Pro S through eBay. It was a pretty good steal for a total of under $300. I had to win 2 auctions - one auction was for the entire kit consisting of body, 90mm lens and film magazine, and the other auction was for the waist level finder.

In case anyone cares, it's a completely manual camera. No batteries required. So why the heck would you want a completely manual and mechanical camera? No batteries required, fewer electrical components...BUT, more mechanical parts that will eventually wear down.

I've also got a Hasselblad 500CM that's also completely manual but it's sans lens...plus I need to get a decent film magazine because the one I originally bought is a pain in da butt to wind with.

But back to the RB67...it's a frickin' beast...like big and heavy. I think the box it was delivered in said it was about 8 lbs...but that also means it's built like a rock. There's a lot to be said about all manual cameras. They never require batteries, which these days are pretty expensive. Back in the day, they weren't cheap, but they didn't cost $40+ but nor were they rechargeable like they are now. Those familiar with SLRs will remember the Nikon FM2 which was probably the most resilient all-manual camera that could shoot at 1/250th of a second, or even the venerable Pentax K1000 which was the students' choice for a beginner-level SLR.

I just love reminiscing. Of course my daughter will grow not knowing what the heck 35mm film is.

"FerrrrrrrrAAAAARRrrriiii"

Nothing much to post about. Just the coolest TV ad if you're a Formula One racing fan, Ferrari fan, car fanatic, or just like ads. If you're none of the above, watch it anyways.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6keMAMmn8B4

Apparently it cost $3.9 million to make, which according to Shell, is the most expensive ad made for TV.

And if you're a real Ferrari fan, get some free stickers on the Shell website.

That's all...go back to your TV watching.

Okay so I've offended some...

...but that doesn't mean that I'm not entitled to an opinion. That's the power of free speech. When I'm wrong about facts, I'll admit to it. When my opinion has changed based on new facts, I'll correct myself. So here goes...

So I was contacted by the photographer about my posting about their website and some comments and observations I made during a photo shoot. I'm going to try to make amends here and posting any corrections to facts on the original post as well.

1. The sitting fee for the photo session was actually $25, plus a travel fee of $50, plus some other payment that was made that no one has information on. So that being said, $25 is not a bad sitting fee. I say that because $15 at Sears Portrait Studio will get you photos, but those are cookie cutter photos, and not necessarily anything avant-garde nor extremely creative.



2. The photograph of the tree that I went on and on about was not her choice. Personally I would have mixed emotions about posting that photo, but given that the photographer's website is not secured by client, they really didn't have a choice but to post it.



3. The photographer would like a better camera (wouldn't we all like a better camera?).



4. I'll re-state that I'm a camera snob, but I'm also a camera aficionado, so that's where most of my opinion about cameras and how they themselves can project an image about a person comes from. I could write an entire thesis about it, but the photographer disagrees with me about this point, which they are more than entitled to. I'll also say that her argument about the camera not being indicative of the person behind it is true in practice - the photographer that I assisted for many years ago used a manual focus Nikon in addition to a medium format camera. But shooting a wedding with a manual focus camera was a little strange to me given that auto-focus SLRs are so pervasive. But he was a good photographer and he knew how to handle his gear and how to manage their limitations.

After my last post, the photographer was dismayed (understatement) that I took my complaints public without talking to her first. First off, my complaints were observations and my opinion based on my experience and my own bias. Take those for what you will. Secondly, I'm not a disgruntled client, but I do admit I should have taken my concerns to the photographer first. That's my mistake and I take responsibility for that. Be that as it may, I'm not the one who commissioned the photos so I don't know if I had the right to make contact nor speak for anyone else. My opinion was solely my opinion and not of anyone else's. There's the disclaimer.

In hindsight, my critique was heavy-handed in a very Simon Cowell way. I didn't need to tear someone down to get my point across, so for that I apologize to the photographer. They have started their own business, gotten some favorable reviews and happy clients from their work so the photographer should be proud of that. I'm not going to take that away from them. I will also say that she was very professional throughout. She took the initiative to make sure the family members were satisfied coming away from this.

That being said, my opinion on all other things in the post stand as they are. And those are just that - opinions. If you don't like them, you can rebutt and try to change my mind based on facts, but you can't take my opinions away from me either. You're free to make your own opinions known here as well...anything juvenile or irrational will be ignored.

So, that's it about that matter.

As for me, I'm still contemplating about what I want to do with photography. I enjoy it...it's what gives me joy, but to make it my job might make me enjoy it less...so that's what I'm grappling with now. Maybe I'm just chicken-sh!t. I did learn that my friend Michelle and her husband are planning a business shooting weddings as a business on the side. Good for them!

I hope everyone mentioned in this post continues to be successful, I don't wish anyone ill will...Can't we all just get along? Maybe we can when I'm having a better day.