If you noticed my last post about UPS you'll know that they have had a package "Out for Delivery" for me for four days. I checked with our regular driver today and he says, "I don't know ... if it isn't on my truck I don't deliver it". So I called the Goleta office (they don't list the address/phone number of these facilities where you can just Google them up and the driver doesn't know the number.) The nice young lady, after looking on two computers, says, "Since there hasn't been movement on it in four days it's probably stolen or on the wrong truck and you will have to contact your shipper." So, they know it hasn't "moved" in four days because it is in their computer but they just ignore it. Then, even though they lost it, I have to report it to the shipper and start a claim. I'm incredulous. It's not like they think they delivered it and didn't ... they know they had it and now they don't and no one signed for it ... so they should contact the shipper and report that they lost it! Now I have to waste my time explaining and explaining when all I ever did was order a remote shutter release from B&H and they took my money. I guess I'll just start paying a couple of bucks more and go with FedEx when I have the option in the future and hope that Brown is overtaken by the recession and incompetent business practices.
Travel Safe!
Dwight
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
When Brown, Flush Down II
Well, here we are again! Back in November I blogged about how terrible I thought UPS was and that their tracking information often is misleading. I am waiting today for a package that was indicated as "Out for Delivery" yesterday at 7:00 AM. Well, I guess it's still "Out for Delivery" because we are closed for today and it's still not here! You can check on it yourself: 1ZE6W3110399193577 and see what's happening. Hopefully it won't cause me all the pain that their last four-day late delivery did. And it would sure be nice if they'd say why they failed to deliver it in the tracking information, but that would be too helpful I guess, sigh.
Update:Well, another day has passed without delivery or explanation other than an updated delivery date (for the fourth time) so it will be at least four days late and unlikely to show today, moving us into a three-day weekend, so I expect it to be at least a week late ... although more than likely it's lost. Naturally there's no way to query what the problem is so I just have to sit and wait for another week and then contact the merchandise vendor. What a sad way to run a business. On the up side, maybe they'll be another business to go down in the flames of the recession so my vendors won't be able to use them.
And again, I still have not had a single problem with FedEx! On Time, Every Time! And accurate tracking information.
Update:Well, another day has passed without delivery or explanation other than an updated delivery date (for the fourth time) so it will be at least four days late and unlikely to show today, moving us into a three-day weekend, so I expect it to be at least a week late ... although more than likely it's lost. Naturally there's no way to query what the problem is so I just have to sit and wait for another week and then contact the merchandise vendor. What a sad way to run a business. On the up side, maybe they'll be another business to go down in the flames of the recession so my vendors won't be able to use them.
And again, I still have not had a single problem with FedEx! On Time, Every Time! And accurate tracking information.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
"Outlet for My Creative Self": Helene Glassman @ Lepp Institute
Another amazing weekend spent up in Los Osos, California, at the Lepp Institute! This time with Helene Glassman, of Santa Barbara, California, and Atlanta, Georgia. Helene is a photographer (as is her husband, Jim Divitale.) She has done PJ. She has done weddings. She has done lots of things and sometimes just needs to "to do her own thing" to let the creative juices flow. And apparently this flow has been into specialized greeting cards and bookmarks. And over this weekend, Helene walked us through both the business and the workflow aspects of this process.
Before I forget, I need to mention that I am always amazed at the quality of people who turn out to be my fellow students. Often doctors and lawyers although no indian chiefs, yet! Susan is just a hobbyist with no intention of selling anything ... turns out she has been a math teacher and computer programmer (and knows several languages that I know, too.) Greg does dogs! Cynde, who has been in two or three other classes with me is a professor and hospital administrator. And Alice has already been doing this for a while. Fascinating high quality people with wonderful personalities and amazing life stories. We all sat around in the break room chatting several times until Victoria herded us up like kittens to get back into the digital lab.
So, Helene showed us her products, both physically and "on the big screen". Then she looked through our stuff making suggestions and offering direction. While most everyone else had animals, landscapes and flowers, I as usual had well known entertainers, sigh ... same old boring stuff!
Next she reviewed many ways to put images onto cards and many types of cards: triptychs, Thank You note, vertical, horizontal, in series with lots of variations. She talked prices. She talked supply vendors. She talked software.
Then she had us shoot a bunch of flowers she had assembled in vases ... plus an old chair that she had found dumpster diving behind the Institute! Out came the cameras. I have just purchased a G10 and that was what I brought! I normally lug a big Pelican Case up with $20K worth of stuff but I needed to expand my horizons! I did discover almost immediately that I needed a tripod (I'm big into tripods!) I borrowed a RRS plate and tripod. I have since ordered (and received) a RRS L-plate for my G10. I also have a cable shutter release coming.
We then took our images and started working our way through her techniques. I, as usual, didn't use my new images but pulled up entertainers and worked with them. Victoria really likes this so I normally use Tom Jones as that's her Mom's favorite ... and when I come back home I leave all my Sir Tom Jones stuff for her to send to her Mom.
As we neared the end, we were printing off cards left and right. Some of the other students were amazingly artistic. Then Helene and Victoria ran down to the pizza place, grabbed an employee, brought her back and made her judge our output and pick a winner! I didn't win which I am sure was a mistake!
And now the usual disclaimer: I am not compensated for reviewing the Lepp classes I take in any way by the Institute, the instructors or the sponsors!
Travel Safe!
Dwight
Before I forget, I need to mention that I am always amazed at the quality of people who turn out to be my fellow students. Often doctors and lawyers although no indian chiefs, yet! Susan is just a hobbyist with no intention of selling anything ... turns out she has been a math teacher and computer programmer (and knows several languages that I know, too.) Greg does dogs! Cynde, who has been in two or three other classes with me is a professor and hospital administrator. And Alice has already been doing this for a while. Fascinating high quality people with wonderful personalities and amazing life stories. We all sat around in the break room chatting several times until Victoria herded us up like kittens to get back into the digital lab.
So, Helene showed us her products, both physically and "on the big screen". Then she looked through our stuff making suggestions and offering direction. While most everyone else had animals, landscapes and flowers, I as usual had well known entertainers, sigh ... same old boring stuff!
Next she reviewed many ways to put images onto cards and many types of cards: triptychs, Thank You note, vertical, horizontal, in series with lots of variations. She talked prices. She talked supply vendors. She talked software.
Then she had us shoot a bunch of flowers she had assembled in vases ... plus an old chair that she had found dumpster diving behind the Institute! Out came the cameras. I have just purchased a G10 and that was what I brought! I normally lug a big Pelican Case up with $20K worth of stuff but I needed to expand my horizons! I did discover almost immediately that I needed a tripod (I'm big into tripods!) I borrowed a RRS plate and tripod. I have since ordered (and received) a RRS L-plate for my G10. I also have a cable shutter release coming.
We then took our images and started working our way through her techniques. I, as usual, didn't use my new images but pulled up entertainers and worked with them. Victoria really likes this so I normally use Tom Jones as that's her Mom's favorite ... and when I come back home I leave all my Sir Tom Jones stuff for her to send to her Mom.
As we neared the end, we were printing off cards left and right. Some of the other students were amazingly artistic. Then Helene and Victoria ran down to the pizza place, grabbed an employee, brought her back and made her judge our output and pick a winner! I didn't win which I am sure was a mistake!
And now the usual disclaimer: I am not compensated for reviewing the Lepp classes I take in any way by the Institute, the instructors or the sponsors!
Travel Safe!
Dwight
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Big Monitor and Sound in the Studio
With the two new 20 amp circuits in place I decided to upgrade a bit. First I put my 30" Dell monitor on a pivot arm and added a glass shelf underneath to put my laptop on so that I could tether to it. The monitor swings out so that the model can see it or it can be turned back so that "visitors" can see it. I almost always shoot tethered in the studio using EOS Utilities and pulling the gray card images into Bridge to check exposure. The only down side is that the little jpeg preview the camera embeds in the RAW file starts to pixelate at this size.
I also bolted up three other glass shelves next to the laptop setup, unboxed my old stereo components and bought a couple of JBL wall mount speakers. Now I have SOUND in the studio ... the most requested addition by models. Anybody know if there are adapters for iPods to RCA plugs?
So, I had just shot a few images of my daughter and decided it was a good time to get a couple of shots of the new additions. Starting on the lift is my new big beauty dish turned up toward the ceiling to light the scene. On the floor right next to it is a QUADX 3000 generator. Camera on tripod tethered to laptop is 1DsMIII with Really Right Stuff L-plate & quick release on Gitzo legs. Behind the camera is laptop with Dell monitor overhead. The power strip shown is plugged into one of the new 20 amp circuits. Above the monitor you can see one of the new speakers. To the right of that stuff are new glass shelves: top to bottom is 200 watt per channel amp, 5-CD changer and pre-amp. The copper wire is the test speaker wire that I expect to replace today with Monster Cable, with the cable run being in #6 screw hooks in the ceiling ... since the speakers are mounted in removable lift out adapters I will have at least 25' of cable to each and will be able to move them elsewhere as needed, although they are a bit heavy. For those offended by exposed speakers I will be putting the grills on them ... my wife can't stand to see the speakers, sigh. Underneath the stereo are wire rack shelves.
I also bolted up three other glass shelves next to the laptop setup, unboxed my old stereo components and bought a couple of JBL wall mount speakers. Now I have SOUND in the studio ... the most requested addition by models. Anybody know if there are adapters for iPods to RCA plugs?
So, I had just shot a few images of my daughter and decided it was a good time to get a couple of shots of the new additions. Starting on the lift is my new big beauty dish turned up toward the ceiling to light the scene. On the floor right next to it is a QUADX 3000 generator. Camera on tripod tethered to laptop is 1DsMIII with Really Right Stuff L-plate & quick release on Gitzo legs. Behind the camera is laptop with Dell monitor overhead. The power strip shown is plugged into one of the new 20 amp circuits. Above the monitor you can see one of the new speakers. To the right of that stuff are new glass shelves: top to bottom is 200 watt per channel amp, 5-CD changer and pre-amp. The copper wire is the test speaker wire that I expect to replace today with Monster Cable, with the cable run being in #6 screw hooks in the ceiling ... since the speakers are mounted in removable lift out adapters I will have at least 25' of cable to each and will be able to move them elsewhere as needed, although they are a bit heavy. For those offended by exposed speakers I will be putting the grills on them ... my wife can't stand to see the speakers, sigh. Underneath the stereo are wire rack shelves.
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