I almost cried...

For those of you that I've shot for and am shooting for you know what a Canon and Apple enthusiast I am. It's not that there's anything "wrong" with Nikon or PCs I just find great comfort in superior products! All joking aside, I stumbled across this link this morning and I seriously almost cried. While I appreciate Canon's fervor for providing excellent quality products I think that I could deal with a scratch or two on the exterior of a camera body or lens for a discounted price. The story I read happened about a year and a half ago but I'm sure that it's happened more than once. Every now and then companies like Canon will keep their inventory in storage or make huge deliveries to companies like B&H and some of the equipment shipped or stored will become damaged. The damage isn't always something that is truly significant but Canon can't become liable if a small damage were to cause any problems for a consumer it could be a HUGE loss for Canon in the court room. So lenses like the one below and amazing Pro DSLR bodies were destroyed with hammers along side cheap little point and shoots and $5K video cameras. I have to be honest, I really did get a sick feeling in my stomach when I saw this picture:



It just seems criminal...okay maybe not criminal but really really sad.

The other side of the lens...

The last time my wife and I had our pictures taken we were walking down the aisle together, almost four years ago. Since then I've spent little to no time having my picture taken by other people...not because I'm camera shy but because I'm always working. This past weekend my good friend, BJ Walker of Four Feet and Raining Studios, helped me to surprise my wife with a photo shoot. Being on the other side of the lens really made me appreciate how much thought my clients put into picking their outfits and really letting me shoot how I know best while they're kissing and being sweet; often times in front of 20+ people.

We spent Friday evening and most of Saturday shopping to make sure we had the right look for our photos. Needless to say, the photos look amazing and I'm really excited to have BJ shooting with me more in the near future.

It happens...sometimes

Today I was shooting with my 70-200 and my 50. I had laid my 50 down, both lens caps attached, and sat down to take a shot with my 70-200. Wouldn't you know that when I stood up I accidentally knocked my beautiful 1.4 50 to the ground three feet below me. My heart sank...and sank...and then sank a little more. You have to understand that this is only the second time I've ever done this in 10 years of shooting!!! My gear is sort of like the small child I don't have yet so when I heard the 50 hit it was like watching your kid fall on the pavement that very first time. Okay so maybe I'm being a little over dramatic but it's not a great situation to be in. So I called Canon and I'm shipping it for repair today. I just thought I'd post a shot of what makes up this great little lens.

Jonathan & Sarah Margaret E-Shoot

This weekend was really busy but really awesome! Saturday I shot with two couples who are absolutely crazy about each other. I had a blast with Jonathan and Sarah Margaret so I thought I'd post a few shots from our shoot.

I'm communicating again but no thanks to Apple!!!

First things first, I've picked up an older AT&T phone until my replacement iPhone reaches my anxious little hands. However, the Crabtree Valley Mall Apple Store made this entire process WAY more difficult then it needed to be. I'm not the kind of guy who enjoys talking about how insufficient companies can be. In fact I LOVE being able to refer my friends, family and clients to businesses that have done a really great job for me in whatever it may be. But yesterday was one of those experiences that pushed me to my limit.

A short while ago I had made mention of how I was part of a developer's project to come up with new apps for the iPhone that help photographers. Well, I had downloaded the new Beta OS 3.0 for the iPhone (legally) and was really enjoying a lot the new features that Apple is going to offer while testing out some of the developer's apps. For some reason, Apple decided to expire the beta this weekend thereby locking up my iPhone and instantly converting it into a paperweight. I was more than bummed. So I didn't have my phone this weekend and we were out of town.

Fast forward to yesterday. I had scheduled to meet with an Apple genius at the Crabtree Valley Store. I've been in that place a million times and I don't even want to talk about how much money I've spent there over the last couple years. Aside from that I've converted many friends and family to Apple and they have proudly walked out of that store with a new Mac. I know several of the Apple geniuses by name...that store is like a second home to me; and if you've ever met me you know that I am a HUGE supporter of all things Apple...until yesterday.

Apple makes great products and 9 times out of 10 their service is second to none. I'll be brief. The current manager and the genius that I dealt with yesterday were the equivalent of a kamikaze and a train wreck. It was miserable having to deal with them yesterday. They did not want to help me in my situation. Regardless of the fact that Apple expired the license and bricked thousands of developer iPhones this weekend the manager offered no solution other than I purchase a new iPhone at the $700 price point or wait until the summer for the new full version of the new release. Even my wife who gives everyone a fourth and fifth chance to make things right was livid after our 2 and a half hour ordeal yesterday.

So fortunately the phone support for Apple Care was AMAZING!!! They knew exactly what I was talking about and offered to replace my iPhone immediately. So while I wait for my new phone I'm rocking a Razor like it was 2005. My hat's off to Apple Care phone support, but I will definitely proceed with great caution whenever I'm in an Apple store.

My iPhone is down...

The beta 3.0 is giving me a lot of problems and I can't get to the genius bar until later tomorrow. So if you need to get in touch with me just email me and I'll take care of you! Have a great week!!!

Jim & Meghan Ranieri

I don't think that I could have asked for a nicer day to shoot than this past weekend. Saturday and Sunday were AMAZING days to shoot and Jim and Meghan were great clients to have this weekend. A huge thank you to the North Hills Country Club for being so accommodating of whatever I needed to capture Jim and Meghan at their best and Joe Bunn DJ for keeping things exciting. Here's a preview of their perfect day.

Jim & Meghan, to be continued...

Here's a quick shot from my really amazing Saturday with Jim & Meghan. I'll post more a little later this week.