Remember that card and print orders need to be placed by December 8th to ensure hoilday delivery!
Holiday deadline
Picasa 3
Friends and family often ask me what software they should use to edit their pictures. While I'd love to tell them Photoshop I know that it's rather pricey! For a long time I would tell anyone that asked to use Paint Shop Pro. I LOVED PSP! I used it for a long time rather than Photoshop because it was what I knew, and it was great. This was back a few years ago, when it was Jasc Pain Shop Pro, before Corel bought them out. Now I hear rumors that it's just not as good as it was back in the day. Sad. It was a really good program! (Eric still refuses to use Photoshop and uses the old PSP.) =)
The newest software that I would recommend is Picasa (picasa.google.com). Free software by Google! For anyone with a point and shoot camera or someone who might be looking for a quick one click fix, Picasa is a program that you need to check out!
I think I may have been a little behind on my Picasa software updates, because last week Eric told me there was a Picasa 3 beta out and I think it has been out for some time now! =) Anyways, I decided to check it out. At first I thought that it was basically the same, but look closer, they have added so much more! If you're looking to remove red eye, it can. If you're looking to do some basic touch up, it can. If you're looking to make a collage, blog a picture, send a picture via email, share a web album, it can, it can, it can, it can!
If you haven't checked it out yet, head on over to picasa.google.com and download it now. You'll be happy that you did!
This is just a quick collage that I put together with some of the images that I have been using for color calibration.
Server relocation
The server that hosts kellyannbrown.com is being relocated. We should be back up and running tomorrow if all goes well!
Sorry for any inconvenience!
TESTING...
Google and ye shall find!
I use google daily. Last night I was looking for something. What you ask? I don't remember. That's how my googling goes. I tend to find other random things are are more interesting that the initial search!
Last night I found my way to You Tube and was laughing so hard Eric had to ask if I was okay! By the end, I was nearly out of breath and almost to tears I was laughing so hard. That's the way I am... Once I start, I can't stop... and I'm LOUD... Eric had to tell me that too! =)
Anyways, I thought I'd share the video that I found. I wanted to see if I could embed a video into this blogger blog so this is my test!
New Templates...New Logo?
I've been looking into buying (and making) new templates over the past few weeks and I had one that I wanted to share!
Isn't he the cutest? Don't you love his curls?
Site Update
First the good news! My issue with the company I was purchasing my site with has been resolved! The bad news, it was in the form of a refund, a month later.
I feel the need to let the world know that in dealing with Blu Domain (www.bludomain.com) I think I may have located the worst Customer Service in the WORLD! If you're ever looking for a web site (photography related or not) I could give you a list of other places to try, just ask me! Oh, and in case you're wondering... No one even said 'I'm sorry.' That's really the last straw!
Moving along to better news! I have confirmed the company that I will use for my website! They are just wrapping up the finishing touches on the shopping cart and I hope it won't be too much longer! They were honest with me when I asked how much longer it would take, telling me they 'guess' at just another few weeks, but didn't want to give an exact date because they would rather delay a day or two to work out bugs, than release a buggy product. I respect that, I'm just going crazy with excitement and don't know how much longer I can hold it all in!!! =)
New site...
For some time now I have been talking about a new site. I normally like to pad dates, such as saying that I will have something by the end of the summer, when I fully intend to have it by mid summer... Just in case something goes wrong. I thought this was the case with my new site as well.
I was wrong.
I have been dealing with a company (I will omit the company name right now, because I am still trying to work with them) for over a month now, with no end in sight. I am to the point that I have started to look for new options. I just wanted to let everyone know that I am working on making my main site more than it is now, and offering a shopping cart so that you have the ability to place your order and pay right away rather than having to email or snail mail the order form to me. What I do have in mind will be outstanding... It's just trying to move forward at this point.
For lack of a better way to put it, I am going to have to say that the new site is "COMING SOON-ish!" Please just hope with me that all goes well!
Movie Wednesday!
Well, really, movie Tuesday. Did you know that if you sign up for a Regal Crown Card (or whatever it's called) and show your card when you buy your ticket on Tuesday, you get a FREE small popcorn?! Eric loves to go to the movies, so I insist on going on Tuesday nights because a) It's nearly empty b) I get free popcorn! (Well, I pay $.50 to upgrade to a medium.)
Last night we went to see WALL-E. It was great! I don't know that there was any dialog for the first 20 minutes or so of the movie, but it wasn't lacking for it! It was just an outstanding, cute, funny movie! I can't single out the best part of the movie, but what I can tell you... I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat a Twinkie again!
Mac vs. PC
Many photographers prefer to use Macs over PCs. Years ago, when I need a computer for my dorm room I thought long and hard trying to decide between a desktop PC or an ibook. My major was computer science, and my minor photography. The final decision... an HP desktop! While I have complaints about the actually computer I purchased (actually more so with the idiot that sold it to me!) I will never regret my decision! Sure, Apple has a rockin' design team (I will admit everything they make looks good) and a top notch marketing department (Microsoft, take note!) but unless Microsoft totally falls asleep, I can't foresee any reason to buy a Mac.
I... am a PC user! My family knows all too well how I feel about the Mac/PC debate. =) I change the station when the Mac comercials come on. It sickens me to hear what they can say about Microsoft! Anyways... I guess it's best if I don't rant on about how I feel about Apple... and Mac users... I just want to post a few comics that Eric sent me (from http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php)to express how I feel...
San Diego
My trip out to San Diego was outstanding! Amazing weather, unique animals, great food... the only thing I could have asked for was a better flight. The flight out to CA was not all that bad but the flight home was the worst flight I have even been on! Needless to say we won't be flying Northwest again, but let's not dwell on the bad!
I guess these notes to follow are a bit more for me to remember for the next time, but if you're heading to San Diego they may be of some help! Oh, and if you are looking for suggestions for a trip, please keep this in mind... When I book our travel I normally come up with a kick butt vacation that's cheap... I think if I added up the cost for each night in the hotel it would be very close, if not cheaper than the one night we spent at the Marriott! I think budget vacations allow for extra vacations which is why I hope to head back to San Diego again later this year!
Balboa park has free museum's on Tuesdays. Remember to check the web page in advance... and the Air and Space museum is not the same as the Science museum. *doh!*
Sunday at 2pm there is a concert in the park. If you eat at the Japanese Garden you can get a good place to sit in the shade and still hear the organ well. Another note to me... don't get the miso soup next time.
Sunday the international houses open at noon. Next time I need to have more cash on hand to buy food at each house! It all smelled so good!
Peet's coffee and tea has outstanding coffee. Sorry, but it was FAR better than Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts or Tim Horton's. They also have dog treats on the counter so your pooch can have a little something too!
At Arrivederci I had the best Italian food of my life!
I normally don't like to eat out at places that I have back home, and normally I would say that any fast food/drive thru would fall under that, but Carl's Jr. had really good milk shakes and the chili fries were good too!
I LOVE Greek food! We had Greek at the Detroit airport on the way out to CA, but then we returned to a Greek restaurant that we found the last time we were out there. I think it was called Chicken Plus Greek. It's just a small dinner but the food's quite good and it's ultra cheap. We ate there twice on the trip... though each time the waitress forgot part of my order. Oh well, that's why I had room for those Carl's Jr. milkshakes!
The Corvette Dinner is another place we ate on our last trip to San Diego and returned to this time. I talked about ordering the Garbage Plate from the time I booked my airfare until the waiter came to take our order. You get a LOT of food for your money!
My cousins (I can say that now as Michelle married my cousin Billy last weekend!) told us to check out a Mexican restaurant the last time we were in San Diego. We were going to eat there until we saw the line out the door. We decided to eat next door because they could seat us right away. I wasn't thrilled with the food (I honestly don't even remember the name of the place) but this time I was ready to wait if need be to eat at Cafe Coyote. We didn't have to wait, but it would have been worth it! It was so much better than the place next door!
Oh! And I almost forgot my pizza pretzel! The last time we were in San Diego we went to the Fashion Vally Mall and had cheese on a stick, a fish taco and a pretzel. This time, only the pretzel place was open. I guess I really didn't need deep fried cheese, but it's tasty!!
I guess those are all of my notes that don't involve animals. We did see seals on the beach in La Jolla, and we spent most of our time at the Wild Park and the Zoo. The Zoo and Wild Park also have really good food, and shockingly it's cheap too! The Wild Park has HUGE breakfast buritos that I love! But with all this talk about food, I need to remember to bring more quarters next time for animal food! I feed a handfull of endagered animals, including a NeNe Goose, which may have been the cutest goose I have ever seen!
So! Feed the animals, eat good food, donate to the zoo, sleep at the Super 8, and don't fly NWA! Happy travels!
***
Side note to Buffalo locals: Wines in the Wild, July 30th at the Buffalo zoo, https://www.buffalozoo.org/fee-based_events.html. Tickets are $30, support our zoo!
The warm sun is calling!
This weekend I am heading out to San Diego for a little trip (and work for Eric). I am very excited to head out, but there is one small problem with leaving! Currently, my web page, kellyannbrown.com, is hosted from my home. We (I say we like I'm actually involved in all the work that Eric has to do! Ha!) are working on a backup server, but it will not be completed before we leave. I am going to move some of the files to a free server for the next two weeks and I will use the link section here to so that you can still access them.
For anyone that has been checking out the web page, I know there have been a lot of changes over the past month. We are working on getting all the kinks worked out (such as the STRANGE things that IE6 wants to do with the page!) I hope to have a new site (with-off site backup) up by the summer. *Fingers Crossed*
June sessions:
I have talked to a few people about booking a June session that have not confirmed the date yet. There are only three more weekend dates left for June (15, 28, 29). Please send me an email if you would like to book any of those dates.
If you need to reach me between now and the 4th of June when I return, please email me at Kelly@KellyAnnBrown.com as I am not sure that I will have access to my voice mail.
Welcome to the Web Log!
Hello! Thanks for stopping by!
Many photographers say that their 'blog' has helped their business more than their web page. I myself have been putting this off for a long time now. Years ago, back when I was in high school, I had a web page where I would post pictures using my Polaroid Fun Flash digital camera and write a short bit on what my friends and I were up to. By my second year in college I realized that it was silly and thought, 'who really cares?' so I stopped updating my site. Wow, that was so long ago that I couldn't even find a google archive of my page (I just checked). I guess I should be thankful as I seem to remember an orange page with a rooster, and my About Me page was BRIGHT pink with blue text. Ouch!
Oh, how times have changed! Now everyone is involved in some sort of social networking. My Aunt emailed me and asked me to be her 'friend' on her My Space or Facebook page. A friend of mine who claims to know nothing about her computer or the Internet has her own 'blog'. For someone who carries a pocket computer and checks her email on her phone constantly, I feel like I am falling behind here!
Okay then! This is my web log! (Yes, I do plan to call this a web log rather than a BLOG, I really hate that word!) We'll see how my networking goes from here! =)
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