The decision:

Right now, I am NOT going to make the move. That’s right. After all this madness I’m going to stay on Blogger.

Why?

The same post that took me nearly 7 minutes (6:15 but I left out one of the pics) here (Cell Phone) took me only 3:50 on Blogger.

I typed everything up in TextEdit, then just copied and pasted it into each editor. I then added the images and arranged them as I required. If an image-heavy post like that takes me twice as long on WordPress, I can’t afford to make the switch.

Main issues: there is no default click-to-enlarge option on photos. You load them at one size and clicking on them does absolutely nothing, like the photo below:

You can (with some fiddling) change it such that the image links to itself… but the linked version opens in the same window and at the same size as the smaller image in the original post! That is both maddening and totally worthless! With a LOT of fiddling and more than twice as many clicks per image, it is possible to have an image load on the original blog post at 60% of the loaded resolution, then have it link to itself at the originally intended resolution (100%). That’s a lot of clicking, and a slow internet connection (like the one I have right now in Frederick, CO) makes it take even longer. It produces the desired effect, but at a much higher cost.

Issue #2: although WordPress says it can import your previous blog posts, it doesn’t bring in the high-res linked files that Google (Blogger) made of all your previous posts… so i can see the itty-bitty pictures, but i can’t see them at full size (just click on any image before my posts today and you’ll see what i mean).

Those 2 issues are so important to me on this project, that they will keep me from switching.

In the process of messing with my blogs today, I learned of a feature in Blogger called “Blogger in Draft” that changes your dashboard and ads a few features to the post composition form (like strikethrough and underline) and I was pining after. It also seems a little bigger, even if it isn’t. To access it, log into your Blogger dashboard, scroll to the bottom of the page. Under the “Tools” column you should see “Blogger in Draft”. Click it, then click  the box next to “Make Blogger in Draft my default dashboard” and you’ll be able to use the improved editor all the time.

Also, using a service by StatCounter, I added a hit counter to my blog that will allow me to track how many people visit my page. Sure, I have to go to a different site to see how many hits I get (30 seconds), but it’s better than spending an extra 3 minutes on posting pictures.

That’s that!

A fun experiment, I suppose. I learned a lot and was able to teach a few of my blogging colleagues who were considering the move about what is required and involved in the process.

Cell Phone

Oh I do love cell phone photography.
I’ve been avoiding my D300 recently, trying to take a bit of a vacation from hauling around big gear and just using my cell phone for the odd picture or two that I find needs taking.

I shot these over the last couple of days, pulled them into Photoshop, increased the image size, reduced the noise and added an artistic filter to cover the crappy-ness and make them feel a little more… artsy.

Here you are:

(6 minutes, 16 seconds)

A test/first post

Well hello, and welcome to the same Vault Blog that you know and love, with a new look and a different company.

I’d first like to apologize to you, my readers, for an inconvenient move. You no doubt have my old blog on your favorite RSS feed. I am not moving so much for you than for my own selfish reasons, some of which are laid out below. The move (though insanely easy, courtesy of WordPress’ “import from Blogger” feature) brought over the thumbnail version of my pictures, but if you are in the habit of click-to-enlarge on my photos you will be disappointed; WordPress doesn’t have the ooomph necessary to pull the high-res versions and apparently mis-linked them from Google… so they are unavailable at bigger sizes. Each new photo I load (like this one) should be click-to-enlarge-able.

There are a few reasons that I decided to move to WordPress. I’ll let you in on a few of them, and likely add more as I continue to get used to the new system.

First and foremost, WordPress as a MUCH better posting system. I can edit posts like this with just a little window:

Or like this full screen in my browser (much better):

As a part of that, in the post editing system, when I load an image into the post, it loads where my cursor is, rather than the top of the post. This allows me to get the words on the page and then load the pictures, or any combination of the two.

Second and nearly as important, my dashboard on WordPress has a built-in hit counter with a graph showing me how many hits per day my blog(s) get. I’ve always wondered how many people read my blog, so now I’ll finally get to find out!

Third, when you are commenting on my blog (like you should!) you can read the post above the comment field, allowing for easier referencing to the content of the original post.

Fourth, I get bold, italic AND strikethrough options (as well as block quote) in the top editing bar (as seen in the images above) though surprisingly no <u>underline</u> (which is ok, since I know the HTML for underline anyway)

– Whoa! I just discovered a feature called “kitchen sink” which adds Underline, Justified type, font folor, eraser, special characters, indent size, single/double spacing and a whole bunch of other options to my editing toolbar at the top! –

Fifth, I can customize the theme and “Sidebar” (far right bar) with ease. The them I am currently using came with a very different picture in the header… but I was able to upload the current header image and crop it using WordPress’ tools. I can also choose which “Widgets” I want in the sidebar, in addition to my current gravatar, search, calendar, archive and twitter sidebar widgets, I can add all sorts of things. Granted, i could do some of these things with Blogger.

In all, the move is much more for MY convenience than for my readers. Being able to edit and post easier means each post is less effort for me, and makes it much more likely that I’ll do it in the future.

So far, the only issue I have with it is the spellcheck. In Blogger, words that are spelled incorrectly are highlighted in yellow. Here on WordPress, they are given the red squiggly underline like in Microsoft Word. I find the red squiggly a bit harder to see, though when I’m editing in full screen mode, it’s not too bad.

That’s where I’m at right now. Assuming all goes well, i will post on the old vault-blog directing everyone here, at which point I will discontinue using Blogger altogether.

A photo test

Hmmm… not sure I’m getting the appropriate click-to-enlarge ability… let’s see.

Ugh! I just can’t win! In Blogger, I get to chose the size of the in-post photo (usually medium), and then when clicked the image always displays at full size. In WordPress, I can only chose the size of in-post photo, and then with some tinkering I can have it be clicked to display the exact same size (perhaps a little larger) in a different window, but it doesn’t default to that like Blogger does!

Ok, i figured it out. It takes me 11 clicks per picture to get it to display and em-biggen the way I like. In contrast, it takes about 3 clicks + repositioning in Blogger, about an average of 5 clicks per picture. This miiiight be a dealbreaker, since the only reason i’m really switching is for my convenience.

(Google) Blogger fail

I know just a little HTML coding.
In my recent post titled “Why Pay?” I used the [strike] tag to get a strikethrough on a few words for humor. Blogger, in its infinite wisdom, decided it would help me out and add a bunch MORE strike tags…
Effectively striking out entire paragraphs and requiring me to go into HTML editor and delete scores of unneeded strike tags.
Blogger also adds each picture I post to the top of the page. Very annoying as I usually write what I have to say, then add the pictures. Doing so, I am forced to drag each picture through all the text (usually not very much) to its rightful place.

Things like this (the little things) are why I would consider moving this blog to WordPress (as David duChemin of Pixelated image suggested I do ages ago).

I figure, perhaps if I get the word out and complain a little, Blogger (and subsequently Google) would consider giving blogger a little makeover.

If they were to do this, I would ask for just a few features:

1. The ability to edit posts full-screen, like in WordPress
2. Load photos where I place my cursor before loading, (like in WordPress) instead of the top of the post
3. Don’t insert unneeded tags, after I’ve done the HTML correctly in the first place
4. Give us an underline as well as the bold and italic buttons on the editing bar (like in WordPress)

Addressing little things like that would make me MUCH more content with blogger and my blogging experience… especially because the major competitor already has them. I’ve already got so much invested in blogger (250+posts and photos) that it would be a real shame to switch over entirely…

Why Pay?

This is a topic that has been dominating my thoughts recently. Why on earth should anyone pay to get a professional portrait session? Digital cameras are cheaper than dirt. For the same $200 that buys you a family portrait from an experienced professional photographer, you can buy a point and show (P&S) camera and a tripod, set the camera on a timer, and take the pictures yourself! Not only that, but you get to keep the camera and take pictures in the future, instead of hiring a photographer again at graduation, or heck, even the wedding! This solution is WAY cheaper over time!

BUT…

One of my favorite sayings is “Everyone can buy a camera and take pictures. NOT everyone can take GREAT pictures (and take great pictures consistently).” This is pretty much all that professional photographers have going for them these days. We take pictures that are considerably better than what Joe Schmo comes out with on his P&S. Sure, our cameras are higher quality, but any REAL photographer, professional or not can take the same amazing picture with a disposable 35mm film camera as with the $5000 DSLR. The difference is that the $5000 DSLR makes it easier, faster, and more convenient for everyone involved. In the end, it isn’t the camera that makes the picture, but the photographer who knows how to compose a great image and press the shutter at the right time.

What it really comes down to, is how much YOU (as the person in need of pictures) value quality. If you don’t really care about how your pictures look and you just want to prove that you do in fact have a family, then grab the cheapest POS P&S you can find and take the picture yourself. IF, however, you value high quality pictures that not only prove that you have a family, but show how you interact together, and provide a glimpse into each person, then you need a photographer who knows how to make that happen. Yes, it is more expensive, but the quality (and thus value) of the pictures you get from the photographer is MUCH higher (on average) than those your take yourself .

To answer my own question, i suppose the only reason anyone should ever pay for a professional photographer is: to get great pictures.

1 reason? That’s terrible.

Looking at the pros (getting great pictures) and the cons (scheduling issues, costs in time and money) I’m not convinced.

Let’s think a little harder though. Sure, everyone wants great pictures… but WHY? So you can print them and display them in your home. So you can send them to grandma and grandpa. So you can send them out in your holiday letters… But that isn’t it.
The real value in great photographs isn’t how many pixels they have or how big you can print them, it is how they capture a moment in time, a memory, and save it forever.

Memories, I think, are some of the most valuable (and undervalued) things around. When I look at a picture from my childhood, I say “Wow! I was so fat cute!” But the important part comes after that, as I try to remember the moment the picture was taken, and the surrounding time period. A photograph can bring back powerful memories, and every time you look at the image, your memories come rushing back. I submit that the best reason to get a great photographer is so you can save memories. This makes the most sense with an event like a wedding. Duh, hire a photographer (or 2 or 3) to capture every moment of your wonderful day. Wedding photography (in my opinion) describes best the true value of images as memory-holders, as well as the true monetary value of photography; established wedding photographers make serious $$$. But something as simple as a family portrait isn’t done nearly as often, and isn’t valued nearly as highly by many. I’d suggest getting a professional family portrait once every year, or at most every 2 years… but the sad reality is that most people end up being photographed by a pro maybe 3 or 4 times in their life.

1. Baby photos!
2. High school senior photo
3. Wedding
4. A family portrait somewhere in there

In the clients that I deal with, a straight up photoshoot is a very rare experience. I think that explains why people are often so nervous and uncomfortable in front of a camera; they have no practice.
Just think what would happen if you were photographed once a year with your family. You would become increasingly comfortable in front of the lens, and (assuming you hired the same photographer) you would also become more and more used to the photographer. That would allow you to loosen up, have more fun and thus improve the general quality of your photos! You would probably stray from the usual “Stand here, face here, smile!” portrait and end up doing fun things with your photo shoots and creating memories and photographs at the same time.

So… again to the beginning: Why Pay?

1. Save and create memories
2. Get GREAT pictures to show off to family and friends
3. Improve the quality of future photos

There are the Pros, lets look at the Cons

• Costly in time and money (30 min – 1 hour, and around $200 depending on the photographer)
• …..

Hmm. Looks to me like the Pros outweigh the Cons.

What do you think? Why should (or shouldn’t) you hire a photographer?
Comments are welcome!

Cute Cousin

Ok, so… technically Kelsey is my first cousin once removed… but cousin works fine for me.
I shot these at a family get together while she played with my dad. The two of them were as cute as can be

(those are my dad’s humongous blue Crocs adding such great color to the picture)

I’m spending some time relaxing and doing nothing while house-sitting for some friends. Expecting to get some more photo gigs in the near-ish future

Also, voting ends Sunday at midnight for the Summer Shutterbug Contest over on Emily Murdock’s blog (link). If you haven’t gone over and voted yet, please do so!

Jade

I did a photoshoot with the fantastic Jade Davies. She found herself in need of a senior portrait and I was oh-so-happy to oblige.

We got a couple really good shots:

She and I both LOVE black and white, but the one color photo in this series is too fantastic for me to pass up. One of the reasons I love it so much is that Jade wears glasses…. all the time. When she took them off, her eyes just sparkled. Photographing those eyes was a true privilege.
Jade is also (when she has a camera) a fantastic photographer. Some of her best work is her self-portraiture so I was honored that she let me photograph her (rather than doing it herself). Because I like her style so much, I decided to shoot (and process) a little outside of my usual realm of comfort to better match her style and vision. This explains the more-contrasty feel of these photos.

To come: I have no idea. I’ve given up predicting what i’ll be posting here.

another random photo

This is from the photowalk in Estes Park.

Photo Contest!

Woohoo!

One of my photos was chosen as a finalist in the Summer Shutterbug contest over on Emily Murdock’s blog

The winner will be chosen by votes, so please head over and vote for your favorite picture. (especially if mine is your favorite!)

http://emilymurdockphotography.wordpress.com/