Breaking News: New Dell arrived today!

Thank God! My new Dell Alienware computer arrived today! It was sitting there all nice and pretty in a larger than life black box in front of my desk at the Denver Post. It's gonna take two people to help me get it downstairs to the garage and into my car.

The forced vacation time gave me a chance to rest after a busy spring shooting special events. But after a few days of not being able to edit, I thought I would pull my hair out! Dell customer service said it would take up to 15 days for them to build my new computer and ship it, but they made extraordinary time, getting to me just eight days after a technician declared my XPS 710 could not be repaired. Dell is no longer producing that PC and didn't have any parts to replace the dead motherboard and power supply.

Friend and fellow photography colleague Tiffany Trott has offered to help me transfer my files from the XPS hard drive to the new Alienware hard drive. And I can't wait to see how Adobe Photoshop CS5 will behave on a new Windows 7, 64-bit operating system. For the past few weeks, I and numerous other CS5 users have been coping with a "Not enough storage is available to complete this operation" error that causes Bridge to seize up after editing photos for about an hour. I would have to reboot my entire computer once Bridge froze. Some have said that Windows and extra RAM prevented the issue. Meanwhile, Adobe technicians have since discovered that a Norton security program may be causing the memory error. Check out the forum conversation here.

Again I'd like to express how pleased I have been with Dell customer service. Don't skip out on those extended warranty plans. Because I was still under warranty, I was able to get a brand new computer for free. And my clients get the benefit of a new computer for faster editing and process return times.

Now let's get this baby out of the box!

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Here is my favorite "What the Duck" comic from this week. Rock on Aaron! "What the Duck" is an online comic strip created by Aaron Johnson. I just love how Aaron's wry sense of humor reflects the current state of the photography industry. But what really freaks me out sometimes is how much they reflect whatever situation I'm currently experiencing as a professional photographer ...whether it's working with clients, desperately trying to stay on top of equipment and technology upgrades or trying to figure out social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter.

The genius of his strip is the way viewers can interact with Aaron and his comic character. Folks are welcome to link, post, copy/paste, or save the strips to their own sites, blogs, forums, newsletters, etc. Aaron also allows viewers to suggest titles for his individual strips, and post photos of their own plushy and stuffed W.T. Duck working or hanging out.

Get Connected: Business project with a Mary Kay consultant

BEFORE, a fresh face
AFTER, a glamorous makeover by Lisa Young, a Mary Kay consultant

This month, myself and photography colleague Jason Peckovitch of Illusive Dreams Photography are developing a partnership with Alicia "Lisa" Young, a Mary Kay independent consultant that we hope will be profitable boons for both our businesses. The plan is still evolving, but basically when Lisa holds her beauty consultations with new clients, Jason and I also will be there shooting "before" and "after" images and selling prints on-site of their new glamorous makeover. The arrangement is going to be fantastic and I can't wait to get started this month!

Image of Jason Peckovitch by Picture Your World Photography

Image of Lisa Young by Adrian Michael Green

Jason met Lisa last month when he manned a vendor booth for Picture Your World Photography at the 2nd Annual Diversity and Outreach Fair. I was out of the state that day driving back from Ali's Quinceanera in Nebraska. Jason didn't make much profit that day shooting photos and selling prints because a rainstorm shut down the event early. But a chance networking encounter with Lisa (Jason took her photos and explained how our photo booth set up worked) lead to the great opportunity we have before us now.

Earlier this week, I took before and after shots of several of Lisa's coworkers to jump start her Wonder Woman Portfolio. I will be writing more about this project in future blogs as it develops. It was a lot of fun to see the transformations take place under Lisa's adept tutelage and makeup artistry skills. Even I couldn't refuse when she said I needed my own makeover. I loved the results so much that I'm now using the image as one of my business portraits! "You were already so pretty I just waved my magic wand and let the fairy dust settle on the pretty parts LOL!" Lisa said. But I think she's underestimating herself. Her choice of colors helped my features popped, and I was amazed to discover that I do have eyebrows!!!! I personally can't wait to try her oily skin/blemish prone skin care. She promises me she has a product to help end my "shine." I tell people I produce enough oil on my face to supply fuel to a small country. :)

Here are several more of my favorites from the shoot. These portraits haven't been edited yet since my desktop is still out of commission:













If you are interested in getting your own makeover with Lisa, contact her at this link and have me take your portrait! We would love to help you reaffirm or rediscover that you are a WONDER WOMAN!

Here's a personal note from Lisa:
"Calling all WONDER WOMEN! I am completing a Wonder Woman Portfolio.
Ladies join me in spreading the word on what makes you WONDERFUL!
MEN nominate your lady friend, female companion, coworker, MOM, daughter and girlfriend to join me to show the world our BEAUTY inside"

I think this is the start of not just a great business opportunity but a beautiful friendship!

Get the Goods: A brand new Dell powerhouse desktop!

Wow! I'm truly amazed at the Dell customer service I received today! Earlier this week, I blogged about my XPS 710's motherboard dying an untimely death just three years after I purchased it. But I was still under warranty, so Dell sent out a technician to replace the motherboard, power supply and front panel. Turns out Dell doesn't make 710s anymore and the company was hoping that a 720 motherboard would work.When it didn't, the technician called in, told them the issue, and a customer service rep determined that I would be receiving a brand new Alienware Aurora.

Dell bought out Alienware which produced powerful gaming machines with expandable performance, amazing 3D quality graphics, HD gaming immersion, and lightning speed with no lagging. The Aurora's standard features should be plenty for my photography needs. But I dropped a ton of change when I purchased my XPS 710 because I had numerous upgrades, including a souped up processor, video card and extra memory. So the technician told me to make sure that when I get the new computer that I check its manifest against my XPS 710's manifest to make sure I at least had all the upgrades I had before or something better. The new Aurora comes standard with Windows 7 64-Bit, so that will be an instant upgrade from the Windows XP Professional I was working with.

I should be getting the new machine in about 15 days. Until then, I've got to take the old 710 hard drive out and back it up. My photos are all safe and sound on external hard drives and a SmugVault. But I've still got some music files and documents on the old hard drive. And of course I will have to reinstall all software such as the new Photoshop CS5 and the latest OnOne plugins.

That's are hardship I can live with if I get a new and better operating computer out of it! Dell rocks! Now I have an AlienWare computer to match my AlienBee strobes!

I recognize that while this may be a beneficial outcome for me, it is going to be a major inconvenience for the Dermer Family, whose reunion photos I was in the process of editing when my desktop died. I am offering the Dermer's a free 1 hour photo session and a free 20x30 enlargement of their favorite image from the reunion in hopes of stemming the disappointment of waiting so long for their finished CD.

Get the Job Done: Second shooting for a photography instructor

This evening I will be second shooting an event with Efrain Cruz, director of Illuminate Photography Workshops in Denver. My readers know that Efrain Cruz was the instructor of my first digital photography class three years. His encouragement and support during those first crucial weeks is what I credit as the reason I'm a photographer now. I was all set to drop that photography class thinking everything was way over my head. Back then, I was too afraid to take my camera out of the box. All the dials and modes scared the crap outta me. And words that other students used fluently such as "aperture" and "depth of field" flew through one ear and out the other. I was lost and confused - a place no self respecting control freak likes to be.

It was Efrain who told me that he recognized I had "an eye" (even if I didn't know that what meant just yet) and that if I stuck it out in his class, he would make sure I learned something and became comfortable with my camera and the new language of digital photography.

And the rest, as they say, is history!!!

Tonight, I finally get to begin the process of thanking Efrain by being his second shooter! We will be covering the unveiling of a new alcoholic beverage, and the event includes a tasting and a cocktail party hour. Efrain has a quick turnaround in that he has to have images ready for his client within 72 hours I believe. So he said it was important for him to work with a second shooter who knew how to cover an event like this and understood their equipment because he doesn't have the time for complicated post processing. We have to get as much of it right as we can in camera from the get go. Efrain will take all of my images and edit them quickly himself, most likely using presets in Lightroom.

To think that Efrain has that kind of faith in my abilities has really helped me recognize just how far I've come since the first time he and I met. Thanks Efrain for your support and I can't wait to shoot with you tonight as a true photographic colleague! Let's rock it!

Breaking News: Dead Motherboard!

WE ARE EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES....

Thank God for my Dell extended warranty! Last night, the motherboard on my Dell XPS 710 died a sudden and most unexpected death. I tried to reboot, but nothing happened, save for a steady yellow light on the power button and a continuously moving (and extremely noisy) fan. A few checks on my purchase documents showed that I am still covered under warranty until May 2011, so I called Dell and was thrilled to find out a technician will be out this Wednesday to basically give me a brand new computer....free of charge!

I will be getting a new motherboard, a new power supply and a new front panel on my tower -- something that the technician said would have cost me $1,500 to replace myself, or basically the cost of a new computer.

It may seem like a large chunk of change to add those warranty plans when you are making such a large purchase as a new computer. But it was definitely worth it for me. Even though my current photo editing orders will be delayed, my clients will benefit from a new, more efficient operating system.

STAY TURNED

Get the Goods: My first stint contracting out post processing services

ORIGINAL IMAGE (with my own post processing)



EDITED BY RETOUCHUP.COM



The more backlogged I get with my photo editing, the more I have been thinking about trying to save time and get caught up by contracting out editing and post processing services. I've always loved editing in Photoshop. It's a different way for me to be able to work some creative muscle. But as demand for my services has grown, the time I take post processing has prevented me from building my business.

I've researched numerous online retouching services from those that specialize in editing weddings and other multiple photo events to those that work on individual portraits. Choose from basic retouching such as softening wrinkles, whitening teeth and head swapping to artistic enhancements and B&W conversions. Some require the RAW image for processing, while others will accept a JPEG. And of course they vary in cost. So far, I've liked the services offered by and may likely

Retouchup.com
Silverback Imaging and Design
Great Touching
399retouch.com

I decided to try Retouchup.com for my first trial run because it was offering it's first 10 retouches for free. A few of the images taken during the 2010 Success Summit & Expo in June needed some glass glare removal. I did everything I could with my limited Photoshop skills but just couldn't get the look I wanted.

After signing up with retouchup.com, I uploaded six JPEG files on Thursday, July 29 at about 4:30 a.m. and the photos were completed and ready for me to download two days later. I opted for the "Complete Plus" service because it includes eyeglass glare and brace removal along with standard retouch services such as facial glare, stray hairs, whitening teeth and eyes, removing blemishes, softening or removing bags under the eyes, even fixing spots in the background. You get all that for $5 -- that's per image not per head in the photo.

Here's some before and afters:
BEFORE



AFTER



BEFORE



AFTER



Considering the previous hours I spent cursing and unsuccessfully trying to remove the glare, I think the work the artist Rossi did was incredible. The turnover time was quick and the overall upload process easy and convenient. While the first two images I posted are fairly true to form and still look like the subject Hanifah without appearing overprocessed, I think the third image was edited more heavily than I would have done, especially around the eye area. When I edit, I like to try to keep the subject's face looking more human rather than magazine airbrushed. I actually prefer the specular highlights commonly seen on the nose, cheeks and forehead (although I like to soften them alittle). Retouchup.com knows that every photographer's style is different, so I think next time I will specify a softer touch on the skin shine removal. I will definitely be using this service again. Make sure to follow Retouchup.com on their Facebook fan page as well to get coupons and free orders.

I can't wait to see what Hanifah thinks, as I've given her both options to choose from when she downloads digital images from my website. I would also love to hear which photos you think look best.