< rant > Vista / M$

iRead something today that greatly disturbed me. This is nothing new iGuess, but it was the first iHeard about it. M$ is including a DRM technology in Windows Vista that will severely handicap your computer for audio/video if you are not using all hardware that they have deemed to be compatible. You know when you get the Windows-logo-testing-drivers-boo-hoo-hoo-company-X-didn't-pay-M$-enough-money-so-you-need-to-click-Continue-Anyway dialog when you install some drivers? Well, Vista will cripple your audio/video now when that happens. They are very vauge in describing this. It might just be DRM'ed audio/video. In any case, it is SO STUPID for M$ to try and tell you what hardware you need to buy. Only hardware vendors that pay the fee to be "windows logo approved" won't get your system borked.

This is just one more reason to abandon all things M$. As pictured above in my little artwork, iNow more than ever want to move to the OSX platform. Is it the best OS the world will ever see? Let's hope not. However, it is a huge step in the right direction from where iAm now. Plus, iThink it's pretty ;)

< /rant >

Pre-install Vista Thoughts

Due to a Microsoft technology professional promotion, I have a full copy of Windows Vista Business edition. I have heard a lot of things about Vista, but I want to try it for myself. I would like to hold judgment until I have a chance to see how it does on my hardware and how my software runs on it.

I would like to comment on Microsoft’s new upgrade policy. Windows Vista will be the first M$ OS that will not allow you to perform a clean install from an upgrade license. If you had Windows 98 and upgraded to Windows XP, you could buy an upgrade and do a clean install from that disk. It would ask you to put in your Windows 98 CD at the appropriate time and then install it to a cleanly formatted HD. Not so with Vista. An upgrade will only be able to be installed on top of an existing qualifying OS installation. I don’t like this. I like to have the flexibility to install fresh. Also, when I have to re-install my OS, I don’t want to have to install the old one first and then install my upgrade. That’s just too much work.

This also seems to be another step closer to M$’s goal of selling Windows licensed to a machine, not to a person. Apple does this, but they are selling it as a bundle, you get the hardware and the software all in one package. M$ is only selling the software and they are trying to tell you that you only have the right to install it on one computer. When you get a new computer or make enough “significant hardware changes” to your system, you will need to re-buy Windows. I think this is horrible. Just tell me to only install it on one system at a time. When I build a new system, I want to be able to move my OS, I don’t want to re-buy it! We are only one small step away from that now.

So, off I go into the new world of Windows Vista. We’ll see what happens.

Another from the latest wedding

This is one of the flower girls from the wedding. While everyone else was eating still, she was a little bored and found the bubbles. I managed to shoot off several shots without her seeing me. These are the fun shots I like to get. The ones you can't plan for or set up. I had a long lens shooting from afar. Window light, image stabilization, and a high ISO let me shoot without a flash. I'm still loving my Canon 30D. This shot wouldn't have been possible without my 30D and my 70-200IS lens. 

Wedding decor & food

 

Studio Lights

Well, I made the plunge. With the profit of the last wedding I photographed, I bought studio lights. This was much needed and will help doing protraits a lot. For indoor portraits I have been bouncing flashes off reflectors, using window light, a Lightsphere, and anything else I can think of to attempt to emulate studio lights. A friend at work was able to get me a very good deal on some nice lights from one of our lab's customers.

The wedding went really well, but like all weddings there were small glitches. The bride is Japanese and her family speaks no english. The bride was the translator for during formal pictures and she had lost her voice. Despite the bumps along the way, I am very happy with how the photographs with my new lights turned out. The above image has had white balance adjusted to a grey card setting and has been cropped to an 8x10 - that's all! No exposure/desity adjustments at all - that's the way it came off my CF card :D

More to come soon...

Indiana Jones 4!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/01/georgelucas.indianajones.ap/index.html

I first heard about this 3 years ago I think. They are finally going to start filming it this year! So, yeah, May of 2008 is awhile away, but I'm looking forward to it! Harrison Ford is getting a bit old though...

Broken Transmission – My Guardian Angel?

I had an eerie experience this morning on my way to work. My transmission in my Ford Explorer has been giving me problems; it hangs in neutral sometimes for a few moments before engaging in drive. This can be very annoying when you need to move quickly when you step on the gas. It is a problem that started after we had the transmission serviced and I just haven’t wanted to think about the cost of fixing it, so I haven’t looked into getting it fixed yet.

I pulled up to a stop light the same as I do every morning. This particular light is at an intersection where the cross traffic is going 45-55 mph. I was enjoying listening to Michael W. Smith’s new album and song, Stand. The light turned green and I put my foot on the gas pedal – I was in neutral with the engine rev’ing. I was a little annoyed, but I am getting used to it. I took my foot off the gas to wait for it to engage into drive (it jolts a little bit). At about this time (maybe 3 seconds after the light turned green) a semi barreled through the intersection in front of me at probably 55 mph. I put my foot on the break and listened to the words of the song that were playing on my stereo:

I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand my soul Lord to You surrender
All I am is Yours

I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand my soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul, Lord, to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul, Lord, to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
I'll stand
My soul, Lord, to You surrendered
All I am is Yours

Needless to say, this got my attention this morning. A lot is going through my head. Too much to write here, especially while at work. I just had to share that much. I am a firm believer that everything in life is deliberately planned out and orchestrated by God…He is the giver of all life.

Updates coming soon...

Photos from my most recent wedding photo shoot and Christmas are coming soon...really.