It’s been a couple of weeks of technologic challenges. Starting with our main computer deciding to live in triage at the Apple store ( they gave us a new one, still kernel panicing), then the shared printer decided that every time we put a new color cartridge in, what it meant to say was that it needed a different cartridge.
Won’t bore you with the rest, but thankfully alternate desktops and laptops keeps us going. Plus the triple back-ups and DVD copies of critical stuff.
Man, very happy that that the families home movies are all on tape. The hard drive video cams scare the heck outta me.

OK…back to the inky madness. Was about to make the donation either at Costco or Staples for the 6 colors used primarily for printing out research articles, maps, lists, forms, etc. for about $65-75 dollars. (The photo is linked to our Amazon store, but Best Buy had it cheaper. Although by clicking, you can save tax,shipping, gas.)

Couldn’t do it. Sure the Epson 2400 and the Epson PictureMate4x6 printer need their inks and have served us well, and will continue to do so. We’ll feed those monsters. They have specific photo purposes.

But it became like “mountaineer feet”; couldn’t put one in front of the other.

[photopress:4197LHRw_nL._SL500_AA280_.jpg,full,alignright] So this time went for an HP All-In One Deskjet 4280. For about $63.00. With ink. and a scanner.
True, did give up one feature for another: this one doesn’t print on CD/DVD. But honestly the Epson had issues every time we tried that function. Open for suggestions on what you’ve found out there that works well.

And the cost of the inks for the HP? about $30. for both (yes, as in 2) cartridges. Had it for a week and so far so good.

Look, like we said Epson 2400 for real finished prints, Epson PictureMate for the 4×6 prints (great with the bluetooth adapter at parties: everyone shoots with their phone and prints as they like), but the trend started with Kodak on saving ink costs is spreading.
For the office printer, the HP does just what we need. Less cost, less cartridges, less hassle.

So what are we doing with the other printer?
Donating it. We like to donate something when ever we get a new thing.
Not instant karma, but keeps the “stuff” down to a dull roar.
and hopefully, the inky madness will now stop.

Last week we did the weekly giveaway a little differently.
[photopress:simplesave3.jpg,full,alignright] Along with giving product to the correctly numbered reply, we asked you to tell us why the item, in this case, HP SimpleSave DVD’s, would be a good thing for you to get.
Well, the response was terrific, and we wish there was enough product for everyone.
OK, there is, but you’ll have to go to a store or online to purchase it.

More importantly, was the fact that you shared experiences that, no doubt, others have had.

Jason N. of Irving Texas wrote:

“Here is a story for you. Working on a new landscape job (photographing their final properties to update their portfolio) and my mother board on the lap goes out. I have all my files on a hard drive except for the two houses I was going to work on that night. Lost all photos to those properties. Gets even betterâ€:I had pulled the file from my external hard drive to the desk top to work on. The file was very importantâ€:my trip with my wife to New York and my graduation from the Defense Information Schoolâ€:.goneâ€:all of them..and now my wife is really p***ed.”
Continue Reading »

Let’s continue to take a look at this expansive country and culture. This time we come from a photojournalistic point of view in this massive volume from Taschen; China-Portrait of a Country by 88 Chinese photographers.
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With visual tracking of history, this 424 page volume gives you a taste of the years of change in China.
You can actually see a shift in style, from the time of Mao to the current opening of this culture to the rest of the world.

The book is physically large in classic Taschen style, and some brilliant images live properly in a full-bleed (page edge to page edge) presentation.
However there are a bunch of photographs that do suffer, in my mind, by having the image span the “gutter” the center binding of the book.
But it is a complete portrait adding in timelines and one thing we particularly loved, biographies on each photographer.
Shooters deserve their props, and rarely get them, especially in volumes of this size.

So to perhaps enhance your viewing and immersion in the Olympics, or just to get a photographic, historical look at China,
this a a book that should live on your shelf. First on your lap, then o your coffee table, THEN on your shelf. Have to remember that order.

And this is how we figure out who we should send a free copy of this book to:
First of all you MUST be signed up for the NEWSLETTER. Then…. Continue Reading »

[photopress:fe54cc343543532ae8223d438f2539e9_getty_81972990cpzex101_olympic.jpg,full,centered]© Getty images
Get ready to be married to the media. The TV, Internet, Magazine, Newspaper coverage for the Olympics , starting with the opening ceremonies later today, will be like you’re living with it 24/7.
And the good part, is all of the classic photographs that have yet to be taken.
Just imagine being a sports photographer assigned to cover this world class event.
Does the phrase “Manna from Heaven” come to mind?
There are so many stories surrounding this years Olympics, between the air in Beijing, to the thorough drug testing, to the protests being sequestered to a specified area, it seems like fertile ground for, dare I say, decisive moments to become indelibly burned into our collective memories.

We’ll try to select the most impressive images and see what you think.

As a little refresher, take a look at one of Getty Images key sports photographer, Harry How, who is over there as we speak.

And go to the VIDEO page and the Exclusives tab to see the other 2 videos in this series with Harry How. And while you’re there, you can view about 70 other cool photo based vids..

And good luck to everyone today. 08.08.08 should be a good one.
Heck, I even scheduled a shoot for today.

We bring you another in this series of working pro photographers, sharing their secrets of the tools of the trade.
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This time, Mark Savage from Corbis, shows us his simple set-up, that works like a charm, and gets the job done.
Plus, his portable lighting gear may make you rethink your options.
He loves the simple life.

Plus here is one of his coolest, simple tools, that made perfect sense to us.

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A card case on his camera strap. Perfect.

Make sure you check out his personal work at soulsandpassions.com, a 10 year journey photographing poets and artists in Los Angeles.
As always, a higher quality program will be on our VIDEO page.