Michael Shivers + mdshivers Creative Media » Blog

which photo editor?

2009-08-04T03:02:56Z

Evening August 3rd, 2009
Twitter Post #1.

Going through old photos trying to find dates of my kids events. Wow, memory lane! I need to plug Aperture up to my TV.

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30 min later after working on some other photos I find that Aperture really has a hard time at doing Split tone editing. Call me crazy but it's much easier to do in Lightroom.
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Twitter Post #2:
if it wasn't for my 500gb Aperture library, I'd consider switching to LightRoom. When I need fast creative editing, I export from Ap to LR

This is my brain on Twiiter.

gear purchasing

2009-08-02T19:22:37Z

There is always a need for new gear, but to stay in budget and to keep a good control over finances, you've got to make those choices wisely and effectively. I've been researching some new gear for some weddings that I will be filming coming up and I'm pretty excited about it. I've come to learn that shooting the hybrid HD material on the 5d MarkII is a lot of fun, but you've got to be really prepared for it. CF Cards, balancing tripods, audio capturing to name the few. But the image quality that comes out of it is just spectacular. I'm not going to go into detail of what I'm getting just yet- so I can have an element of surprise. But it should be a lot of fun and stay tuned for the final product!
I'd also like to point out that a 16GB Sandisk Extreme card cost $85 dollars while a 16GB P2 card is $900 dollars. That's is just unreal. While I love my HVX200, it's very costly to keep running especially for shooting events like weddings!
Hopefully P2 prices will come down even more and become more a of reality when shooting long format shows.

twitblog

2009-07-15T15:33:48Z

Wow- I've been twittering a lot more than blogging. 140 word limit is kind of fun:)

early morning ( and also testing publishing from iPhone)

2009-06-18T19:00:17Z

early morning, originally uploaded by mdshivers.

Yes folks two posts in one day. During rendering times I have a few moments to post quick things, so I am testing out how easy it is to publish with Flickr/iPhone and my blog. Hope that this doesn't bore you too much!
Photo taken with 5dMKII and 50mm lens.

Usefulness of iPhone software 3.0

2009-06-18T18:15:17Z

Just updated my iPhone software this morning. I was going to do it last night, but Apple's servers were seriously being tasked. There are already plenty of reviews out there , so I'm not going to go into detail. But I am very happy about the updated camera software, landscape keyboard in safari and cut and paste. To try all this out in a practicle way, I'm writing this entry on my iPhone. I've been using Twitter for a while now to do the same thing. It links to my website, but the data is on their side. By posting on this blog, I can write longer and it's contained on my site. So it's slot easier to write longer now and I can cut and paste some articles or links to here. Now I just have to figure out the best way to upload/post photos from here. Facebook, Twitter and Flickr make it so easy!

micro blogging can be easier

2009-05-23T02:48:37Z

Well as you can see, I've been using Twitter more lately to update my website on what I've been up too. It's just so easy! I have it on my iPhone or computer. I probably use the iPhone the most- just because I can Tweet while I'm rendering or waiting at a red light or in an elevator. Blogging software is a little more laborious to say the least. But blogging does have it's purpose and it still has it's purpose on my website. Speaking of purpose and my website.... I've been trying to update it a little the past few days. It's really about to get overhauled- through what pages I have and what sections I have. The structure for me needs a little revamp, because I am not using certain sections like I use too. When I first made the "links" page in 2001, there was no software that let you bookmark your web browsing favorites and then have it sync to multiple computers. You either had to email the link, or export your entire bookmarks and then email that attachment to yourself. Well- I just started making links on my website that I went to a lot. I was traveling all over Europe and the States and this is was the best way. Now- I've got Mobile Me for Safari and Xmarks for Firefox. And when I don't have either, I go to iGoogle and save links there. So the link page the way I have it now will be disappearing.
Also going to just do a general clean up of other things as well. I've been so busy working on client stuff that I've failed to keep my site the way I want it. So here's a heads up. :)

Also you will notice that I finally have a real print store up and running. You can now order prints directly from my website and have them professionally printed and shipped right to your home. I plan to add a lot more of my prints on there, so keep a look out.

I'll write a separate post about the print store soon. But in the mean while, take care and thanks for stopping by.

Men with Potato Guns.

2009-03-06T19:34:01Z

Fun little video I made about men blowing up things with Potato Guns while at a Men's retreat. The retreat was great and something I really needed. This little break in the day was much needed and glad that we could shoot something while at it.
the direct link to the HD version is http://vimeo.com/3502746

Men with Potato Guns. from Michael Shivers on Vimeo.

2009-02-20T16:19:16Z

i joined Twitter recently and giving it a shot. I'm going to use it as a communication tool to other people in the industry and to also have my Twitter feed on my front page of my website. When I have a quick thought about something, posting Twitter tweets on my iPhone is much easier than logging into my blog account and posting something that way. I think a lot of other people think the same and that is why twitter recently got another huge VC fund boost.

So I'll be keeping my thoughts rolling both here and on my front page (or twitter account).

This is the first year in a really long time that I am ready for winter to be over with. I usually love the cold and love all that comes with it, but with two small kids, I am ready for spring. Kids are like germ magnets! Well at least when I am older my immune system will be thankful for this time.

I saw a video the other day made by an Atlanta photographer named Zack Arias who was discontent and stuck in a rut with his photography. This video is extremely powerful and really struck a cord with me. It got 10,000 views in the first 12 hours, so I am thinking a lot of people are feeling this same struggle.
http://www.zarias.com/?p=284

The new labri.org site is Live!!

2009-01-16T03:50:28Z

With great joy, I would like to announce the complete new redesign of the labri.org website.

After going through 4 different models, and many pieces of paper, I created one that I think will help L'Abri Fellowship's online presence through functionality, usability, design and ease of use.
I have had to recreate every single page from code to graphic and have made a model that will be easily updated and easily refreshed. It's about 100 pages and it was a fair amount of work. But now using CSS and some other technologies, I'll be able to update to update the site with much more ease.

Please have a look and enjoy the new site!!
http://www.labri.org

letting it live

2009-01-01T02:42:17Z

I just wanted to give a quick post as it will be my last for 2008! Lots of things have happen over this year but over all it's been a good one.
I had some prints made yesterday of some photos that I worked on over the past two years and it was pretty rewarding. They have only lived on my computer and so it was nice to see them in print. As I was looking at the colors and textures in the analog format, it provided a warm and inviting experience.
Life is kinda like that too. Something lives in your head - an idea for a short film, a poem, a book or a photo. It lives in you for a while and you start to develop that idea. Then at some point it reaches it's fullest potential without you acting on it. And from there you either act on it, or let the idea die. It's not like you are telling it to die, but it's more of a slow process. Like decaying fruit, but there is no smell or sign of rotting. It just starts disappearing.
So at that moment you should really think if it's worth making it live. For me, yesterday was the moment that I needed to see some of my photographs printed. I needed to see it live outside of my computer and I needed a physical representation of it. So my idea hasn't died and I am seeing it through. Same with a video. I've got a lot of footage that I need to edit. It's just a little artsy piece to show off some HD footage and to show off some coloring ideas that I have been working on. But it's just sitting there and hasn't come to life. So hopefully this post will jump start that project :)
Well- I need to get back to friends and family and start kicking some some but on the Wii.
You guys have a Happy New Year!!

Apple's last Mac World- with no Steve Jobs.

2008-12-16T22:11:07Z

A big bombshell was dropped a few minutes ago- Apple has announced today that the 2009 Macworld will be their last one. Also Steve Jobs will not be giving the keynote. If you have ever seem him speak, live or on video, the guy is truly amazing. Every public speaking class in High School and College should watch at least one of his presentations. He has got a gift.

I also can't believe Apple is getting out of the trade show business. Yes the internet can get the information to you quicker, but trade shows really do provide a lot of publicity. It's a sad day and an end of an era.

Macworld story

Apple Press Release

comments

2008-12-12T19:59:06Z

had to take comments off because an excessive amount of spam. I've got a spam blocker on but somehow it was circumvented. If I can figure it out, I'll turn it back on. Again, thanks for stopping by and sorry that I had to take off the comments.

back seat

2008-11-24T15:54:19Z

I've actually been taking a back seat lately and have been discovering and reading some new interesting blogs instead of writing on this one. I've also been quite busy in my personal life, which has been a beautiful thing. As I have read and been told, take time for your family. In the end that is all what matters.
So what has been cooking? I've got several video projects out the door, a few photography assignments and I am working on a complete redesign of the L'Abri Fellowship International website. I have actually really enjoyed going back in forth between disciplines lately and it has stretch my creativeness. Once I start a project, I really dive into it, immersing myself in the language, current trends, etc. And yes those two things change constantly.

One video that I just completed was for Emory University, School of Medicine's Cardiology department. I made this video for the annual TCT Interventional Conference. The symposium features live procedures originating from more than 25 leading US and international medical centers featuring world-renowned operators performing complex interventions. Emory University, located in Atlanta Georgia, was chosen to do several live cases this year and this opening will be played before each live case starts to show what the city, staff and surroundings are like. Attendance is around 30,000 doctors and industry professionals.

So check out the video and I'll be writing soon on my thoughts of video portfolio's and presenting your video projects on the web.

Emory Opening for TCT conference from Michael Shivers on Vimeo.

Wired.

2008-09-30T02:25:31Z

I love Wired Magazine. I have had a subscription for about two years. But for the past six months I just can't keep caught up. They are thick and full of info. But you really have to take the time and read them.
My goal in the next month is to get caught up. We'll see.

Step 1 is to skip the ad's. I did that with two of them and I just plowed through.

Step 2 is to read the long article's in the back first. Because at first your attention span is full on and you can handle it. The short stuff in the front is all about short attention span.

Step 3 is to bring them with you everywhere. After a full day's work and then handle all the stuff once you get home, it's never going to happen.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Thoughts about deleting your photos

2008-08-28T21:37:39Z

Vincent totally articulates what I think about the subject. I went digital six years ago, and it's been a long and interesting road. I've been able to shoot thousands and thousands of photos and a lot of times they get lost in my archive. But I have been using Aperture for about two and half years now and it has really allowed me to process and edit the new, but also visit the past very quickly. I've found some old gems that I totally missed at the time, but have become some of my best work. I never delete and my library is about 400gb now.

Have a read a Vincent Laforet's blog has some great thoughts about if you should delete your photos. He is a world renowned photography and just recently got back from shooting the Olympics.