So over the weekend, my fiance needed to go to the mall. Her favorite store H&M is right next door to the Apple Store. I went in just curious to see what the iPhone can do... low and behold, I walked out with one 20 minutes later.

Using it in the store was fun. I can't stress this enough - it was really easy to use. Very intuitive. I had 2 minutes of struggling time before I realized the button at the bottom that brought you to the main menu. After that, I coasted through the tools.

When I finally brought it home, I did have some problems. I ended my old network through Sprint and moved my current number to this new phone. That had some trouble. For some reason, my iPhone kept asking me to insert my SIM card which was already in there. Also, it dropped signal instantly. Through iTunes, I had to do a system restore to get my phone to recognize my number and service again.

This problem also occurred each time I docked my iPhone to iTunes. Anytime I would sync the two, I would drop my service.

Fortunately, the problem resolved itself over the night. I don't know how it happened, but at least it's up and running at 100%.

After that madness, I was able to easily add my email to the phone. Putting up contacts was a snap. Browsing the web was really fun. So far, I get a pretty strong connection when I'm in a WiFi hot spot. I'd like to try this in a location that is void of it. The Google maps feature is my favorite. This will come in handy when I travel long distances for wedding photography. It functions in the same way Google Maps does on the web with a normal computer.

The one feature that I'm really surprised with is the camera... it's actually not bad... for a camera phone that is. I'm not saying that these photos will rival your Powershot or anything like that, but it's definitely better than my last camera. Of course, the screen is way bigger than ,my last phone, so that could be part of the illusion.

Overall, once you get the phone active, it's a great phone. Let me break it down using the five star method (5 being the best, 1 the worst):

• Phone Use: ****
  
• Internet Use: ***


• Google Maps: ****


• Text Messaging: *****


• Email: ****


• Camera Phone: **


• Misc. Features: ****


• iPod: ****


• Overall: ****

The one thing that I almost forgot to mention was the iPod feature. I almost forgot that was in there. I've never owned one, so having it in the phone is pretty sweet. Granted, I only have 4 gigs on this phone, but it turns out that 4 gigs is more than enough. I loaded over 100 songs and it has yet to crack the one gig mark. I'm going to try adding video to it next to see what happens.

I hope that this was helpful. I'll keep updating my review as I continue to use the device.

I used to be a writer. I had aspirations of writing novels and hitting the New York Times Bestsellers list. I only wrote to novels, though. One was published, but didn't sell very well. Those are the breaks.

The connection between writing and photography is similar... at least in my mind. The common link is the block. With writing, it's Writer's Block. With Photography, it's... well, Photographer's Block, I guess.

This Photographer's Block does not stop me in all of my photographic work. Not at all. When it comes to weddings, the flow is all good. But that's mainly because the events are happening right before my eyes. All I need to do is capture the moment.

No, my Photographer's Block is in another field. It's the art photography. I haven't done the art side in quite some time. I'd like to think that I was good at it. With art, I loved bringing the photojournalistic aspect to them. I love the idea of a photo telling a story.

The way I normally fix this problem is with mini-vacations... I need to step away from the lens . Fortunately I have a break coming (in between weddings). I'm looking forward to a nice time away and regrouping.

... and I needed to vent. Thanks for listening. :-)

Cheers,

Here's an interesting article that a friend of mine found on CNN.com:

New filter promises crisper photos

My friend thinks that this new filter will replace all professional photographers, meaning that anybody will be able to take perfect photos.

I strongly disagree.

While this article is interesting, it still doesn't really say much about the new filter's technology. I very much doubt that this new filter will make the average joe into a professional photographer. Will it help them? Sure. Will this replace the pro photographers that make a living off of taking pictures? Hell no!

It comes down to the basics... what makes someone a good photographer?

I was taught early on that a good photographer can take great photos with any camera. The true skills are in the person. The equipment is just the icing on the cake.

Knowing how to compose a shot, know how and when to capture the right moment is something that can be done with any camera. Any camera can be used to tell a compelling story, or a perfectly composed portrait.

That's my take on the matter.

Cheers,

What the Duck - an online comic strip by Aaron Johnson - is a must-see for any photographer. Not only is it funny, but it's true to life... apart from the duck part... maybe.

The comic is updated every weekday. It's one of the first things I do on the computer (God forbid I might start working). Check out the site at www.whattheduck.net



The main character is the white duck. Judging by his colors, I would say he uses a Canon camera, while the black duck with gold camera strap uses a Nikon. They're pretty heated rivals in the strip... they bring the funny. The savage duck is a photographer too. He made his camera from a piece of cheese, so natually I would say he represents Sony... but that's just me.

This is rather funny. It's technically a photography news item. I thought that this was funny. Check this out:

http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2007/06/the_forgotten_v.html

Enjoy.

Cheers,

A few years back, the March issue of Na Nago Magazine became the most popular month because of Jenny Thomas. You can look at the gallery by following this link.

It's been ages since I last looked at her photos. I don't recall when we photographed this series, but the location was the CFNAP studio in Lawrence, MA. The building is an old textile mill. The old feel of the building was evident when you turned off the lights. We cracked open the big wooden doors to let in the sun. This crack in the door was our only light source for the photos.

Jenny was a great model to work with. I tried my best to get her to stand relaxed, at ease. She has this tranquil look and I was eager to make her feel at ease to capture that look.

These photos were taken early on in my photography career. I used my trusty S7000 to take the photographs. I forget what settings I used. The camera made my work relatively simple - if I recall. But this was a while back. I wonder what the photographs would look like if I used my 5D back then.

Without question, Jenny was one of the best models that I ever worked with. She helped shape the way photograph my subjects in shadows. I wish to share those photos with you again.

And - of course - a very special thanks goes out to Jenny Thomas. Thank you!

As I expand on this new web site design, I'm also going to expand my photo galleries. I only have a couple to pick from right now. In the coming days, I'm going to go through my stored files and repost some of my old photo galleries from Na Nago's former Magazine days... and I'll post new pics from my current projects.

Just thought I would give that heads up. In the meantime, enjoy the galleries that I have so far.

Cheers,