I’ve Switched…

After an entire lifetime of using Windows (and DOS) based PC’s, I’ve purchased my first Apple Mac, a MacBook Pro 15″ laptop.  My beloved (and very long lived) Thinkpad died recently.  I’ve had one IBM Thinkpad or another since 1999.  I thought long and hard about getting another Thinkpad, but for two reasons, I could no longer pull the trigger.

First, IBM sold the Thinkpad line to Lenovo a couple of years ago.  Lenovo is a Chinese company.  The two instances where I’ve needed support since the Thinkpad sale to Lenovo have fallen short of IBM’s previous impeccible standards.  Although I personally like China, I also figured that enough of my money goes to China in so many other purchases.  I know my computer was still manufactured in China, Taiwan, and/or Mexico.  But at least some of the purchase price went to one of the few remaining innovators left in the American market.  The American economy is in deseperate need of vision/innovation.  See Detroit, SUV crazed Auto-Industry for examples of lack of innovation/vision.  So I decided to reward a company that once struggled severely but has risen again through vision and innovation.

The other reason is much more practical and direct.  Although for years I enjoyed the challenge of tweaking and customization that Windows-based PC allowed, I no longer have the time (and thus the patience) to spend coddling an operating system.  When I’m on a computer now, it’s to get something accomplished, not to mess around adjusting settings and answering a never-ending stream of prompts and queries.  Quite simply, the Mac is a machine built to get things done.  Sure, I lose a little flexibility, but at the end of the day I believe I will be more productive on a Mac.

So far, I’m thrilled with this laptop.  To help the transition, I’ve installed Windows XP natively using the Boot Camp option.  Other than to install Windows, I’ve yet to use Windows at all.  The transition has been remarkably easy and satisfactory.  The LED screen on this laptop is stunningly beautiful (by far, the best screen I’ve ever seen on a laptop).  While no laptop screen is good enough for critical color work, this one, after calibration, at least appears to be somewhere in the ballpark needed for fast in the field tweaks.  Apple’s attention to detail and design really makes using this laptop a pleasure.  Something as stupid and basic as a cleverly designed power plug that makes traveling easy puts to shame every other laptop I’ve seen and used before.  After a long day of travel to stormy Wisconsin, I can’t begin to tell you how such a small detail as a functional and cleverly designed power plug can make a difference when you’re already carrying 25-pounds of photography gear.   I’m still working on learning some of the keyboard shortcuts, and dealing with a new keyboard layout (where’s the backspace button!?  Oh, use the fn key with delete, etc.)  But so far I’d give the switch nothing but the highest praise.  More updates on the switch (and Wisconsin) later…

Never Too Late to Remember: Memorial Day 2008

Sorry about the long absence. My work schedule has been ferocious of late, and I just have not had the energy or will to spend time in front of the computer. Anyway, I thought I would share a couple of pictures from Memorial Day weekend 2008. Liz and I spent in hour at dusk in the National Veteran’s Cemetery in Santa Fe. Liz found the tombstone of a women who had served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. We speculated that this woman served as a nurse through three wars, and imagined the horrendous images of suffering that must have ran through her mind over the years. It was quite a powerful evening, walking among the thousands of headstones with the American flags blowing the in breeze. Enjoy the images…

Pueblo Dancers at Museum Hill in Santa Fe

“Dancers”

Another from Pancakes on the Plaza

“Stilts”

Another image from last year’s Pancakes on the Plaza.  Maybe not a technically sound photo, but I thought it was fun, so I took the image.

Straw Hat and Americana

“Old Straw Hat“

You guessed it, another image from Pancakes on the Plaza from last 4th of July in Santa Fe.   I was attracted to the old Straw hat and the kitsch Americana shirt that this women was wearing as she ate her pancakes.  I don’t know that I like the fact you can see her hand and fork, but then again it gives the idea of an outdoor picnic.

Suspenders

“Suspenders“

Another portrait I took on the Plaza last 4th of July.  I need to try to take more black and white images.  I have a lot to learn about that medium. It is a fun challenge to see the world in black and white.

April Wallpaper: American Himalaya

“American Himalaya“

This month’s featured wallpaper is from the Alabama Hills of Lone Pine, CA.  There, the Sierra Nevada soar over 10,000 feet above the Owen Valley.  This is Mount Owen basked in incredible sunrise alpenglow.  For a moment, I thought I was in Nepal or Pakistan, with soaring towers lit by incredible alpenglow surrounding me (and a ferocious wind making sharpness a real challenge).

The image is available in 2 formats, either 16 x 10 widescreen or a standard 4 x 3 rectangular monitor. Image description and installation instructions after the break.

4-Wheel Drive

“4-Wheel Drive“

Another image I took last 4th of July in Santa Fe. I guess I was in a red frame of mind.

Young Fireman, Santa Fe Plaza

“Young Fireman, Santa Fe Plaza“

 

This image is from the 4th of July Pancakes on the Plaza in Santa Fe in 2007.  I saw this young child with a great red fireman’s helmet on his head.  I wanted to capture an image that featured the mixture of youth and the dream of being a fireman.  I purposely choose to remain standing and take the picture looking down on the child, both to increase the impact of the fireman’s helmet and the emphasize the smallness of the child.  Once again, I used selective desaturation to bring an old-time feel to the photograph.

Change of Pace: An Image from Last Summer

“Fourth of July on the Plaza, Santa Fe”

 

Last Fourth of July, Liz and I decided to be tourists in our own town. For the first time, we headed down to the Plaza in Santa Fe for Pancakes on the Plaza, the annual Santa Fe Fourth of July Event. I captured many images of flags and Americana. I think this one is my favorite. Once again, to simplify the image, I used selective desaturation to give the feel of a black and white around the colors of the flag.