Safe Updating on Mac OS

Before running any software updates...wait a fews days to a week. If there are any problems with the updates you will hear from me if you are one of my clients.

Then when you are sure there are no problems follow the directions below. Updates do best on a “quiet system” ... no applications running, nothing printing etc.

1. Restart
2. Run Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility - select the disk on the left, Click Repair Permissions
3. If there are issues, call Steve, if not continue
4. Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility - select the disk on the left, Click Verify
5. If there are issues, call Steve, if not continue
6. Do the software update or installation or whatever

Anthem Triathlon, Broomfield, CO Photos are posted

Photos of the bikers at today's ( 7/31/2010) Anthem  Triathlon in Broomfield, CO are posted at EventPictures.com

Use http://teachtech.eventpictures.com for a more direct link. Many bib numbers were obscured so participants may want to search for "unknown" as well as their number and partial numbers.

The Anthem Triathlon is a production of Redline Races. 

Photos are all © Steve Gandy Photography.

Nikon settings for tracking a bird in flight...

I'm certainly not the final expert on this subject. Bird photography is not really my "focus" at all. But I always try to follow a bird in flight when I can just for the skill enhancement, eye/hand coordination, and practice on resetting my controls quickly. These images are current on my Nikon D3, might be slightly different on other models.

First, you want the Focus Mode (front of camera near lens) set to Continuous not single or manual. This allows the camera to keep following the subject once the system has "locked onto" the subject. You want Auto on the lens switch as well.

Then you want the Auto Focus Settings (rear of camera near the Multi-Selector) set to Auto Area. This will let the camera use the entire central portion of the frame and all the focus points to try and acquire (and keep) the the subject...which is hard to do! This makes it easier.

Note the picture shows Single point selected not the Auto Area.

Finally, the Release Mode, should be on CL or CH (Continuous Low or Continuous High) (on top left of the camera) to allow for quick exposures. The CH can be as high as 11 frames a second.

Then fire away. If you lose focus try again. Practice makes perfect. Well, "perfect" probably isn't a great word for this but it will make you faster and better.

Great Blue Heron

Apple Mail application preferences corruption issue solution

I had an interesting problem with a client's Mail today. After migrating to a new i7 iMac Mail worked but crashed and had to forced to quit whenever you tried to edit the preferences.

After searching the web and Apple's support site with no luck I devised a plan to trash the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist file and then manually rebuild the accounts. The mail in folders is unaffected by doing this but I made a backup just in case.

Before going to all this trouble we called AppleCare and we were bumped up to a Mail engineer that approved of my plan. But while talking we decided it was worth seeing if we could get the old iMac to re-write the prefs, then copy them to the new iMac.

I created a new email account on the old system. Closed Mail, which apparently did force Mail to re-write the preferences file, and copied the prefs over and it worked! The file's corruption was fixed.

Since this wasn't documented anywhere I decided to blog it myself.

Digital Photography Intro classes

I have 2 upcoming classes on the calendar:

1. Saturday, Feb. 20 and/or Mar. 6 at Mojo Coffeehouse in Lafayette: Just 4 seats available $90. To hold a spot on this one I need a check. I will hold that until class day. There is a 50% cancellation fee.
2. Thursday, April 22 at the Boulder Digital Arts classroom in Boulder: Lots of seats available $125. Registration is handled by BDA on their website. See the site for cancellation details.
3. Landscape Photography Tour in Utah: I'm also leading a landscape photography tour to southeastern Utah, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks, May 2-6. Let me know if you want more info on that. Limit 6. $500 plus food/lodging/transportation costs.

Here are some links to info on the classes:
http://www.boulderdigitalarts.com/training/details.asp?offering=21
http://www.stevegandy.com/photography/classes.html


The class is always well received is great for beginning to intermediate levels of expertise. About half of the day is spent on photography with hands-on time and half on the computer with the image software, again hands-on.

Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be traveling 1/28 - 2/5 on a photography tour to Costa Rica so my responses may be delayed.