This beta app is lighting fast!
OOOOHHHHH BOOOOY! I just got my hands on the most exciting piece of software (for a web designer that is). It’s a beta seed and I am under an NDA so I can’t say what it is or what it does, but I can say this; I have a number of other apps I have tested for this same purpose over the years and I have always returned to the same trusty one. This time, however, I am switching to this new app after 4 years of loyalty to the other… want to know what it is? You’ll have to wait.
Camino 1.5.2
Camino issues a maintenance releases to 1.5.1
Camino 1.5.2 contains the following improvements over version 1.5.1:
- Upgraded to version 1.8.1.8 of the Mozilla Gecko rendering engine, which includes several critical security and stability fixes.
- Large download lists and corrupt site icons will no longer cause Camino to stop loading pages or opening windows.
- When viewing the source of a frame, Camino now uses cached data instead of requesting the frame again.
- When JavaScript code wants to focus a minimized window, Camino now properly restores the window from the Dock.
- Pages which perform actions when the tab or window is closed now function properly.
- Camino no longer adds site icons for local files to the site icon cache.
- Upgraded the “Block flash animations†code to use Flashblock 1.5.4.1.
- Upgraded the bundled Java Embedding Plugin to version 0.9.6.3.
- Improved ad-blocking.
[tags]Camino, Mozilla, Firefox, web browser[/tags]
micro-blog micro-fatigue
Staying tuned in is becoming increasingly tiresome as of late. Anyone who tries to keep up socially in the tubes knows what I am talking about; there’s Pownce and Twitter and Jaiku and Facebook and flickr and MySpace and 9rules and VIRB° and Tumblr and Bebo… did I miss any? Guys like me try to get our foot in each of these just so we can have some background knowledge on what’s going on with these and other upcoming sites and services. We are generally accompanied by the same cast and crew in each location as we tend find these sites and tell our friends and colleagues about them and then we engage in the same conversations… “What are we doing here?”
I have sort of been pulling back a bit from these sites lately and really focusing more on the ones I believe in more than the ones all my “friends” are on. I have left Twitter (more or less), and become more proactive on Jaiku (much faster and more flexible). I share more of personal life on Facebook rather than trying to promote my business through that channel. But most importantly, I am back to putting content on places where it will benefit ME most… Back on MY sites, that I make, that I host, that belong to me. I don’t need a service to allow me to micro-blog… I am a web designer… I know how to do it myself.
So what transpired to make me come to this realization? Time management and the fact that I am trying to find time in my schedule to start a podcast (for what I can’t say at this moment) and in the shuffling around of my schedule I realized that I commit WAY too much time that really aren’t serving the company as well as I had hoped.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still sign up for all of these new services, etc… I have to… it’s part of my job. I just won’t set my hooks in so deep… I’ll just hire an intern for that! 
Having fun and capturing it in your work
Some of the best shots in wedding photography are the ones where something silly is happening or when people are just busting a gut laughing. The trick is being able to make that happen at will, so I’ve written an article to help you get the most out of the people you are working with. Go and have a read.
Steve serves some iPhone humble pie
Was there any doubt? Of course to the Leo Laportes of the world who couldn’t ever imagine that Apple could possibly know what they are doing, news like this might come as a shock, since he would have it known that Apple is the biggest bunch of retards for not allowing this sooner…
Steve says:
Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone…
Of course you do. You wouldn’t have put an operating system of such stature on any old cell phone…
we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc.
And the fact that 1.0 firmware was hacked, slashed and otherwise rendered completely helpless to persevering programers who would have there way with it is certainly cause for alarm, in my books.
We think a few months of patience now will be rewarded by many years of great third party applications running on safe and reliable iPhones.
Who would of thought that was so much to ask… LEO!
P.S.: The SDK will also allow developers to create applications for iPod touch.
Signed, sealed, delivered! I hope Leo Laporte has enough humble pie to go around because he need to take quite a helping for himself.
To the Merlin Manns, John Grubers and Macalopes out there, thank you for being the voice of reason in all of this.
[tags]iPhone, 3rd party apps, Steve Jobs, Leo Laporte, SDK, developers[tags]
The wedding party holds the cards
Weddings can be stressful for all involved; the bride and groom (obviously), the caterers, the decorators, the parents… and yes, the photographer. But people forget how much stress is on the bridesmaids and groomsmen, actual wedding party. Considering this fact can make all the difference in the results of your imagery of the event. Simply put, the wedding party and their mood and emotions can make or break your day so I have put together a few tips for lighting the atmosphere of any photo shoot.
1. Be a friend to your clients
The wedding party may not be the ones paying you, but you should treat the brides maids and groomsmen the same as you would the bride and groom. Get friendly with them. Be compassionate. Allow them to talk about what things, good or bad, transpired on the days leading up to the wedding and be sure to make them feel like they can trust you to keep their stories in confidence.
This is your opportunity to get some inside details on the bride and groom. Find out what dynamics between each member of the wedding party has between them and the bride and groom; how they met, funny stories, sensitive topics and so on. Knowing this information up front will help you compose shots later on.
2. Be an equal
I shouldn’t have to bring this up but it is worth stressing. You should never look down at your client. But the other side of the coin is, you should never let your client look down upon you either. If you do, you fall into the trap where the client demands you shoot this way and that despite your better artistic judgement. And yes, the bridesmaids and groomsmen will indeed make compositional demands on you.
Instead, try to establish a solid rapport with the clients that demonstrates your confidence in your creative ability while at the same time respecting their position of likes and dislikes in photography. Don’t bow to their every whim, but at the same time try to demonstrate some flexibility and understanding when it comes to taking their picture. This is ever so important when it comes to photographing women; they don’t like this side of them, or this angle makes them look chubby, or whatever their concerns might be. Work with this as best you can but keep in mind that good composition is good composition. What a camera sees and what someone sees in front of a mirror are often to different things.
3. Read your clients
This is a tricky one; you either have it or you don’t. If you do then you have the advantage of gaging what your clients are all about. Chances are this is easier with the bride and groom because presumably you have seen them and interacted with them on a few occasions prior to the wedding day from meetings and engagement sessions, etc, but what about the wedding party? The wedding day is often the first time you’ve met or even seen any of them. You don’t know who they are, what they do, what they like and dislike, etc… That’s why point 1 is so useful. But you can’t just rely and getting friendly with the bridesmaids and groomsmen.
You need to get a little deeper into their psyche. Watch how they interact with each other and more importantly, how they receive you and your attempts at befriending them. Are you viewed as one of them, or just a fly on the wall, or are you intruding in their little circle? Do they all like each other? Are they lifelong friends, or were they thrust upon each other do to the circumstances? Your take on this will heavily influence the role you try to play in their day. For instance, if they are a tight nit group, give yourself a little distance between you and them. Shoot them interacting and show genuine interest in the results of your photo taking. They will be quick to do one of two things; put on a show for the camera or invite you in to the circle to have you share what you have been shooting. Either way is a winning situation.
If, on the other hand, the party is comprised of an eclectic group of yesterdays classmates and todays colleagues who have little, if anything in common, you might find yourself being the bridge that closes that gap. You can do this by shooting this person or that person and then sharing that with a member of the party that hails from a different era in the bride or grooms life. It’s the icebreaker, so to speak, and before long you should be able to get all of them interacting more. And when they do… shoot!
4. Build on relationships
Nothing conveys better in an image than the bond of dear friends. Often times in a wedding party you’ll have a one member that is best friends with another member of the party. By briefly highlighting those relationships and centering out what is sure to be a special moment for them you earn there trust and appreciation and you will find that they put in more effort into the day and work harder for the camera thereafter. Of course this is only true if you tease them with a sample of what you have just captured. They will feel as though you have done something special for them and in-turn reciprocate the favor by, perhaps, being on their best behavior for the rest of the day. One can only hope.
5. Laugh at yourself
The quickest and easiest way to get people to loosen up and have fun is laugh at yourself first. Make a spectacle of yourself. This is where reading your client comes into play since you will scale your antics based on the mood and background of the people in the party. A younger playful group may respond better to flirtation, blue humor, and locker room antics while an older group could be in favor of a more reserved, sophisticated repertoire. Often times there are at least a few members in the group with children so I find that tails of the trials and tribulations of parenthood are richly rewarded with jovial smiles and free spirits.
Humor may not come naturally to most. I am fortunate enough to be the class clown who can morph into what ever comical persona the group needs. A lot of people aren’t so lucky so I recommend arming yourself a catalogue of joke you can rhyme at a moments notice. The internet is a great resource to find an endless supply daily funnies.
6. Show enthusiasm
If it’s your first wedding you are probably terrified. If it’s your two-hundredth wedding you are probably bored. Expressing either one of these emotions will kill your career. What you should convey to your clients at all time is complete and total enthusiasm. Enthusiastic to be there, enthusiastic to work with this group, enthusiastic about the results you are getting… That excitement and enthusiasm gets the party excited and into it. They can’t wait to pose for you so they can help you realize your artistic vision. They figure if you like what you are seeing they can deliver more and they can work it better.
Being a photographer is like being an entertainer; you are only going to receive from the crowd, that which you give them. Just remember; a big grin and a belly laugh may not always flatter the vanity, but it sure does warm the soul. Have fun!
Leopard has a date
Apple has just announced an official release date for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
Packed with more than 300 new features, Mac OS X Leopard goes on sale Friday, October 26, at 6:00 p.m. at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers, Apple announced today. And, beginning today, customers can place pre-orders on Apple’s online store. “Leopard, the sixth major release of Mac OS X, is the best upgrade we’ve ever released,†said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “And everyone gets the ‘Ultimate’ version, packed with all the new innovative features, for just $129.â€
I just spent a few minutes reading through the full set of over 300 new features, and I must say that this is the first time I have been excited for a new OS X release. My favs are the new features in Automator, Safari (most of which I have now in the beta), and the advancements in graphics and media which I suspect software developers are going to take up rather quickly.
[tags]Mac OS X 10.5, Leopard[/tags]
RW Updates welcomes Classic-RWThemes.com
We are happy to have recently added Classic-RWThemes.com to the roster in our Daily Digest. This is an off shoot of the original RWT site from Gary and offers some of the extensive back library of older RWT RapidWeaver themes. Have a peek at some of the classics they have to offer.
New theme, more articles and a wedding
Busy, busy, busy…
I have had my hand dipped in a great number of projects over the last few months, and indeed the last few weeks have been intense. There are a two sites to be release in the coming weeks which I am quite excited about. Neither of which I really had much say in the actual design of, but was the keystone when it came to turning the concepts into functional websites. I’ll keep you posted about those.
New theme…
Something else which has been all consuming is is the release of THEME 007 from THEME WEAVER, a very nice new RapidWeaver theme. As I am sure some of you know, I am heavily involved in everything that THEME WEAVER puts out and THEME 007 is no exception to that rule. I was more or less left to my own devices when it came to that one and I couldn’t be happier with the results. I even went so far as to offer a discount for it on my own RapidWeaver theme site.
Get faster, get better…
I recently wrote and extensive article on nutMac.com about looking and learning your way to better productivity and sped up workflow on the mac. It’s a good read if you make your living on a mac.
Recent wedding…
A recent wedding has left me with a ton of new material to write for Merrifield Photography so keep your eye out there for more photography related reading material. The results of this wedding have actually got me rethinking my position on never doing weddings again (which I say every time). I might just get back into again. I certainly get asked enough.
RW Updates does the body good
Report have come in from a few developers that RW Updates is indeed driving traffic to their sites. For those that post news regularly, RW Updates is in the top 10 on the list of referring sites. That’s no small feat!
We’ll continue to push RW Updates to be the best it can be, improving the technology as we go. I hope to be the ultimate, streamlined news source for all the developers, swiftly cutting through all the extraneous noise out there and getting straight to the developer source.