New Projects Online...

I did warn you earlier that it would be a while before I posted again, ha ha. Things are a little calmer now and Little League season is over.

Somehow, though, I'm back to having three new Web site projects in the hopper along with some other gigs. Word of mouth is a wonderful thing.

But at least I've managed to (mostly) finish up a couple of other projects first:

The Zink Bippus Tennis Camp site recently went live. And this year's Cocalico Dodgers baseball movie is done, too - so far parents and kids have been giving rave reviews, ha ha...

Which reminds me, if you like the baseball movie, I can do stuff like this for you, too. Of course, it doesn't have to be baseball-themed. These movies make great anniversary or birthday gifts, or gifts from children to their parents, etc. Check out my familystories.tv site for more info.

Huge new Mac and Windows updates

Your favorite two operating systems each have major new revisions/service packs awaiting your download and install.

On the Mac side, Leopard users can download 10.5.3, a “long-awaited” update which is supposed to fix a lot of bugs and problems that have been with Leopard since day one. Depending on what type of Mac you have, the update is anywhere from 120-some megs to a whopping 420 megs. Software Update will detect the proper version for your system. I always recommend that you clone your boot drive to a backup external drive before applying an update like this. That way, if it goes south, you can just clone your old OS from the backup back onto your main drive - no harm, no foul.

I’ve applied the 10.5.3 update on my Mac Pro tower, and have not had any issues. The first thing I noticed was that iCal wanted to sync a whole bunch of stuff, which fits in with reports that 10.5.3 brings a lot of fixes to iCal syncing. The system seems to be a little more responsive on my LAN as well, finding and mounting other volumes on the network a bit quicker.

I also applied the update to my Macbook Pro, and - hurray! - the incredibly annoying problem with closing the lid and then not being able to wake from sleep seems to be gone! I’ll be watching it carefully, though, as this seems too good to be true.

On the Windows side, Windows XP Service Pack 3 is going to start showing up in your Windows Updates alerts any day now. Businesses using their own centralized Windows Software Update Server can already download it and deploy to their users.

I haven’t tried XP SP3 yet, so I can’t report on its stability. I’d hold off a month or two if possible, anyways, and monitor the tech media for any news about major issues.

It’s more difficult to clone a Windows system properly if you don’t know what you’re doing. So you might want to give me a call and we can talk about support options when the time comes.

In my case, I’m not working with a physical XP machine but a “virtual” XP installation, which means I’ll be able to test this service pack very easily with no risk of goofing up a working XP installation. To my Mac, the entire XP operating system, programs, and files is just one more program among other Mac programs. (The program that lets you run an XP virtual machine is Parallels - and note that this only works on Intel Macs). The XP installation doesn’t consume an entire physical hard drive - it’s just one file on my disk (albeit a big one - 12 gigs).

All I have to do to “clone” my XP system for safety before installing SP3 is back up that file, then launch XP and install SP3. If the update doesn’t work out, I’ve got my original virtual hard disk. Pretty sweet.

If you’re in the market for a new computer, this is a very compelling reason to consider a Mac. You can use XP (or Vista, or Windows 2000, or Linux, etc) as a virtual machine which you can easily backup or clone, yet you still get all the OSX goodness.

Using a Flash bracket

I’ve never been much of a flash photography guy. I do a lot of nature and outdoor sports photography, so most of my lighting is geared around natural or available light subjects, and I spend a lot of time finding the best ways to shoot in low-light situations without flash.

Recently, though, I had to quickly become better acquainted with my flash system to handle some indoor event photography. One piece of gear that I found really helpful was a flash bracket.

If you tend to shoot indoors a lot, especially events such as family gatherings, weddings, parties, conferences, and so forth - consider trying out a flash bracket as well.

Not to be confused with exposure brackets, flash brackets are those gizmos you see old-school newspaper fellas using in the movies, usually right as a gangster comes down the steps of the courthouse with his entourage and reporters in-tow.

Not much has fundamentally changed about them over the years. They’re meant to be used with external flash devices or strobes, raising them upward off the camera body (usually by six inches or more). This does two things, generally. First, it greatly reduces the risk of red eye, because you’re not shooting directly into people’s faces. Also, it helps spreads the light around in a more natural way and really cuts back on shadows. This all serves to reduce the amount of post-processing required, which is why you’ll see a lot of wedding photographers use flash brackets. They’ve got to take hundreds or thousands of shots for a single event, and don’t have time to spend correcting redeye and shadow problems in Photoshop.

A major downside for some people is bulk and weight; a bracket with a camera and flash mounted on it can be a drag to carry around after four or five hours. It gets heavy. And for quick shoots - like a school play, for example - you might not want to drag out all that gear. Also, unless you purchase quick-release adapters for the camera to attach to the bracket, you may be constantly attaching and detaching the bracket - and this futzing around time can lead to lost opportunities.

You’ll need an off-camera TTL cord as well, which bridges the flash shoe on the top of your camera body to the external flash mounted at the top of the bracket. These cords are usually specific to your camera body type and strobe type, so check into it first to make sure you're getting the right kind. If your flash and camera support wireless communications, you can use that too instead of a cord; the distance is short enough that I've never run into a signal problem. But be aware that for wireless use, the camera’s on-board flash has to be up - it’s what sends the signal to the remote flash. But that onboard flash, even if you don’t specify that it should be powered for actual shots, generates enough light to lead to redeye. Anyways, if you do get one of these cords, keep in mind that they aren't cheap (although they should be), and they’re easy to break and easy to lose, so take care.

There are two main kind of flash brackets - flash-rotating and camera-rotating. They each do one thing: help you change orientation from horizontal to vertical. Flash rotating brackets are the more common type, where you can turn the camera vertical and then twist the arm around so that the flash is still above the camera, instead of on the side. With camera-rotating brackets, the flash always stays put at the top, but the actual camera - mounted on a special plate - rotates within the bracket.

I have a Tiffen Stroboframe camera-rotating bracket like the one shown on the right. So far, so good - although I haven't beaten on it that hard yet. One bonus with this type of bracket - you can set the entire rig down on a flat surface, and it'll all stand upright on its own. With flash-rotating brackets, you typically can't do that because of the wingnut on the bottom side of the bracket; everything must lay on its side in a very wobbly fashion.

Google for Domains - Wow!

I posted a blog about using Gmail back in April. I’ve taken that one step further, and started using Google for Domains. I've been telling my geek friends about it, and basically they all have said to me "Calm down, you're totally spazzed-out!" I get excited about these kinds of things, what can I say?

Google for Domains is part of the Google Apps family (Google Docs, Google Calendar, etc) and it's basically free email hosting for your own domain name. Sign up, verify that you own the domain name, and you can start adding up to 100 email accounts of your very own. I’m talking about full-featured email hosting OF YOUR OWN here; this is not the same as signing up for a freebie yahoo or hotmail account. If your business has its own domain name such as myownbusinessname.com, Google will host email for it.

My email for vin@keystonewebs.com is actually hosted at Google. Previously, my domain email was hosted on my own server using mail server software. Now, Google and its quadrillion-dollar data centers located around the world take care of it. It’s totally transparent to those I communicate with - Google doesn’t add any links or ads to messages I send, and all email I send appears to others to come from my own domain just as before.

What a FANTASTIC mail hosting solution. For starters, it features a robust control panel for administrating things like user passwords, out-of-office replies, forwards, “nicknames” or alternate email addresses, catch-all accounts, and so on. If you’ve ever worked at an organization that used Microsoft Outlook with an Exchange server, or are familiar with Outlook Web Access, you’ll appreciate how nifty these features are. Oh, and Google for Domains also uses the Gmail anti-spam engine, too. That was a biggie for me. I didn’t want my Web server polluted with so much spam traffic. Now it’s all offloaded to Google. I think it even does a better job than the Barracuda firewall which my mail server was previously sitting behind.


Some of the admin area controls for an email account.

On the email side, it’s built on the Gmail engine, so you can check your domain email over the Web as well as configure a standard email program such as Outlook, Apple Mail, or Entourage to access your mail via POP3 or IMAP. You can also have Gmail pull in mail from other, external email accounts in the manner I discussed in that April post. The real beauty for me is that no matter where I sign-in, I have access to the same inbox, the same sent-messages folder, and the same deleted items. It’s not like POP3, where once you download something to one computer, it’s no longer available on others computers you use. This is great for me, because I’m a heavy email user who works from a variety of computers.


Composing a new message.

Setting it up was fairly straightforward, although still not for beginners. You have to establish your business or organization account first, and set up the same email accounts you already have on your current mail host. This step helps ensure that no mail gets lost during the transition. Next, Google will ask you to perform a few task that helps it verify that you’re the actual owner of the domain and authorized to do this. You’ll place a simple HTML file on your Web site with a particular name and piece of text provided by Google. Click the “I’ve done this - verify now” button, and Google will check the site to see if the page shows up. If it does, you’re good to go.

The second and perhaps more complicated step for some is to update your MX records. MX records are used for mail traffic, telling mail servers where mail for keystonewebs.com is supposed to go, for example. Google provides six MX entries you can make for your domain, which is great. With my previous setup, I only had one mail server. Google’s got a bunch, clustered and configured for failover, and that is sure to make things faster and more reliable.

The whole process, including waiting for Google to visit my verification page and waiting for GoDaddy (my domain registrar) to propagate my updated MX records, took about two hours. Not bad, considering what I’m getting out of the deal.

Speaking of which, it’s free, so what’s the catch? Well, first, there is a premium version that offers support, uptime guarantees, and so forth. It’s expensive at $50 per user per year. But mainly, when you read your email messages using the Web interface, Google displays its AdWords links (paid Google spots) on the left, and it displays ads based on the content of your email. That’s it. And in truth, I didn’t even notice those ads until I read about them somewhere else!

Well, some would say that it's problematic to allow Google to "keep" so much of your own information. That doesn't bother me too much, though. Being a mail server adminstrator for years, I can tell you that there are most likely copies of every email you've ever sent or received stored somewhere by some system or another. This would be a good topic for another post, perhaps - the whole privacy issue in the information age.

Another new web project launches

Just another quick mention of another new Web site project I recently completed: Catering Concepts Unlimited.

Owned by James Myers of Character’s Pub fame, Catering Concepts is a top-notch catering and food service company. Be sure to check out their custom BBQ sauce, too - I've got a few bottles of my own which I can't wait to try out...

Photography resources

If you know me at all, you know that my number one favorite hobby is taking pictures. I just love photography - all aspects of it, from finding locations to shooting technique to lens mastery - and even post-processing and printing. And of course sharing photos with friends, family and co-workers (whom have all been very supportive over the years).


A photo of me playing photographer, by Scott Kriner.

Now, I just so happen to know for a fact that there are at least four or five professional photographers reading this blog, along with several whom I’d put in the advanced amateur category, like me. So, forgive me if you already know all this stuff. Move along, nothing for you to see here.

Sidebar: Of course now you’re wondering what “advanced amateur” means. Advanced amateurs obviously haven’t made photography into a full-time career, although from time to time we might make a few bucks to help pay for gear. We might eventually capture something good enough to use as stock photography for other projects, or maybe even sell a print or two. We generally know what our cameras can do, how to make manual adjustments, how to frame good shots, what sort of light to look for, yadda yadda yadda. But we know that there's a lot we don't know, and bug you pro photographers for tips and recommendations all the time. A lot of our friends and family seem to like and respect our work (a few are probably “just being nice”) but nobody from National Geographic or Sports Illustrated or AP is knocking on our doors (yet).

A real pro, on the other hand, makes a living from his photography. He knows the business-end of things just as well as shooting and lighting techniques. He knows his way around a studio, can quickly set up lighting rigs, and has developed workflows that maximize the use of his time and therefore maximize profit. After all, he’s gotta keep the lights on. People pay for his images, whether they appear in advertisements, newspapers, Web sites, etc. He carries photo release forms and business cards in his gear bag.

Can an advanced amateur come off with a shot that a pro would admire? Of course. My point is, there’s a big gap to be bridged before moving to the pro level, and it doesn’t always have to do with what kind of camera you own or how nice your photos are. And yes, this is all a gross oversimplification so don't nitpick.

Anyway, back to the point of this piece. As with computers, I often get asked for advice about cameras and photography (for whatever reason, a lot of my friends and clients are into digital photography). Sometimes I even provide personal training or “tutoring” for aspiring shutterbugs. Although I’m not a pro photographer (yet), I am a professional communicator and have trained thousands of people on all sorts of subjects over the years. So that’s what makes me kinda qualified to at least teach beginners some digital photography basics.

Of course nothing beats a one-on-one, hands-on lesson when it comes to photography, especially if it’s ‘in the field.’ That can get expensive after a while, however, and time is a factor. For those who really want to learn more about photography, you're in luck - practically everything you’d want to know can be found online, and most of it’s free and waiting for you to come along and absorb it. Only my friend Scott has taught me more than what I’ve learned online. That’s one of the great things about the Internet and the Web - all the info you could want on practically anything, with free refills!

So, without further ado, here are some resources for you to get started:

photo.net - my favorite resource. It’s got some great articles and forums, and the members aren’t snooty and for the most part won’t look down on beginners. That said, please do use the search tool before posting a question; no matter how nice or not-so-nice a particular forum’s members are, they are often irritated (myself included) by somebody who posts a question that’s been asked and answered a dozen times already. If you subscribe to photo.net (just $20 a year) you get your own gallery space and personal address (mine’s http://photo.net/photos/vincedistefano), where you can post your own shots and even invite the community to critique your stuff and/or rate your photos. I often browse the Nikon forum, with no particular question in mind, just to see what sorts of questions others are asking - and what answers they get.

Thom Hogan - If I may be so bold, Thom reminds me of me, only with a LOT more experience, greater skill, a nicer tan, and obviously far superior time management habits. He’s a computer guy from way back and is now a tech/Internet/photography writer who’s also a tremendous photographer and workshop teacher. I don’t know how old he is. Hopefully he’s at least twenty years older than I am, so that I can constantly remind myself “Calm down...you’ve got twenty more years to get to that level...” People ask me how I manage to squeeze in all the different things I do. Trust me, I’m freshman pledge fodder in the fraternity run by guys like Hogan.

Anyhow, Thom is a Nikon man, but you Canon people can still find a lot of good stuff on his site. For example, check out his recent "Get ing the pixels right" blog post. He also produces really nifty “complete guides” to cameras which are said to blow away Nikon’s own publications. I’m thinking of getting his complete guide to the D300.

KenRockwell.com - Ken Rockwell is another Nikon shooter who does a good amount of writing, including lots of photo gear reviews. For some reason, though, some of those “in the know” let out a hearty “hrummph!” when they hear mention of a Rockwell product review. I guess sometimes his opinions are a bit controversial, but I haven’t noticed it. I do know that his “Seven Levels of Photographer” satire piece is pretty funny, but any time somebody mentions it at another photography site or forum, a big flame war ensues.

digital-photography-school.com - good tips here. Their articles tend to be easily digestible, “ten things to remember”-style pieces. They have a weekly email list, a critique forum, and also a “Weekly Assignment” activity which I plan to try out at some point.

PCPhoto Magazine - great printed mag that covers a wide range of digital photography topics. It’s nice to do some “offline” reading from time to time. Note that the “PC” in “PCPhoto” does NOT mean Windows, as opposed to Mac. It means “personal computer.”

Digital Photography Review - when you’re feeling a bit spendy, go to this site first to make sure you're not making an expensive mistake. Their reviews can be very technical and comprehensive.

Adobe’s Lightroom Forum or Apple’s Aperture Forum. Only applies if you use either of these programs, of course. (I recommend Lightroom, thanks for asking).

B&H Photo - the one most photographers cite as their fav online store for digital cameras and equipment. Good selection, good prices.

shootsmarter.com - just recently discovered this one, looks promising.

* IMPORTANT POINT WHICH I NEARLY FORGOT:

READ PRODUCT REVIEWS. Even if they’re for a camera you already own. You would be amazed at how much you can learn from incidental information like this.

OK, maybe this isn’t a huge list of resources. But honestly, if you’ve got time for much more than this, you’re not out taking enough pictures.

Now, you pro and advanced amateur photographers out there - post back and tell us about YOUR favorite resources!

Latest Web site production job launches

Just a quick bit of self-promotion: One of several web site projects I'm working on just launched today. I did all the graphic design and programming.

The site is www.garikow.com, and it's a really fascinating story about Russian painter Ivan Garikow, featuring a gallery of his works and extensive biography written by local writer Steven Nesbit. We're at Phase One right now, and I hope to help the site's owners build on garikow.com going forward.

Thanks for looking!

Backscattered?

Are you seeing a bunch of email bounces in your inbox - bounces from emails that you never sent in the first place?

For example:

From: Some System Administrator
Undeliverable
Subject: Your message "Swanky Rolex Watches" could not be delivered
Error 1234; see attached for details

I am.

Fortunately, it (probably) doesn't mean that somebody has hijacked your email account and is sending email as you, getting rich from selling swanky Rolex knockoffs. There's always a chance your email account has been hijacked, no matter how remote; however there is NO chance anybody's getting rich on swanky Rolex fakes. Is there? Hmm...does anybody really buy fake Rolex watches, besides maybe duped characters in sitcoms which of course aren't real people (except for The Simpsons). Or maybe costume designers for TV and movies? Which I assume has to be a very narrow market. But I digress.

It's called backscattter or "collateral spam," and unfortunately it's the next wave of trouble we can expect from email on the internet.

Backscatter is a message you receive, informing you that email you did not send was not delivered to someone you do not know. Spammers or viruses send out mail forging your email address in a the reply-to, knowing that it will get blocked by anti-spam firewalls. (Note that this is different than hijacking your account - hijacking means that somebody has real access to your email, sending messages through our own network surreptitiously. That's a far worse situation).

Spammers are banking on the fact that there are so many improperly configured mail servers and firewalls which will accept those messages and generate Non-Delivery Reports (NDRs, or bounces) to the forged address in the reply-to. That's you.

So, this is an indirect way of sending spam, relying on social engineering. I'm sure a lot of people see these "Message could not be delivered" emails and open them - after all, it could have been an important email you sent which never got delivered. But instead you've just been tricked into opening spam.

And these messages pass a lot of firewall test because they're non-delivery reports. The email subject line itself generally doesn't contain anything which looks like spam, and the actual message is often contained as an attachment.

For now, all you can do is grin and bear it - and keep hitting the delete key. If you want to learn more about this subject, have at it here or here.