Yeap, back in the Southwest again, just 100 miles from where we were a week ago. Today, we found a whole other kind of color.
Then there is this beaut! It’s a work of art. Check out the detail in the tire in the big view!
I truly, really, honestly, sincerely appreciate folks wanting to see my images. That constant encouragement to some degree keeps me out shooting. It most definitely is why I keep blogging like a mad man, to get the images I’m so fortunate to take out to the public as well as the story behind them. I want to inspire YOU to get out behind the camera! And while the vast majority of those out there understand and respect that the images on our site are to be enjoyed, there is that small minority who think that if it’s on the web, then it’s must be free.
When someone grabs an image off my site, prints it up 8×10 (pixealted as all hell) and mails it to me to autograph and return, you realize some just don’t get it. When a corporation steals your images off your site, includes them in their annual report with a line item in their budget to pay the penalty if they get caught, you realize the problem goes way beyond just ignorance. The file of WRP images stolen is about three inches thick, you have any clue how much wasted time that is to deal with that? You have any idea what a pain in the ass it is after a long day of shooting and working it is to deal with having to process images to protect them so I can post them here for you to enjoy? I’m a shooter and I want to be shooting, not dealing with any of this but that’s not the case. I have to deal with it. I’m one person, we’re one very small company with a massive, giant, humongous goal of infecting the world with my image to preserve it’s wild heritage for future generations!
So, not only am I sorry some are inconvenienced that they can’t view my images on their iPhone/iPad or RRS reader and have to come to MY site to see MY images, but that’s the way it’s going to be until folks stop STEALING MY images or BIG companies stop pissing on themselves and make certain technologies available! You want to write to someone about not seeing my images, then write THOSE who can make it happen! Seriously, this is one big, grand world and the better we can share are own vision of that world, the sooner we can all, ALL can reveal in the marvels we are so fortunate to have inherited.
Those who follow my Tweets and Facebook sites know that ever since last Friday, I’ve been talking about the iPad. Actually, if you as my good friend RC, you’d find out I’ve been not only talking about the iPad since before it was publicly announced, but planning making use of this incredibly technology. I’ve had a number of folks ping me and ask that now that I have it, what apps do i find useful or cool, or both. The iPad specific apps that I really like are many. 
The one that really makes me incredibly happy is Pages. This app permits you to write using the iPad, not just write but type. Working in the landscape mode, I’ve gotten pretty darn good typing two handed. What’s really cool is it saves your text as a Word document. Pages does a whole lot more but that’s the main thing I’m using it for right now. With the great battery life and my travel schedule, this is one hot app!
I also really like the fact that each morning, I can now check the news really easily 
and fast and READ it! AP News, USA Today, NPR, BBC News all have iPad apps which are full screen, interactive and make it really simple to keep up with our world. I’m loving that! What gets me is, all these news apps and material is free. I’m not complaining but I’d be happy to pay for a subscription so they continue to keep coming.
I also really like the new RadarScope app. This weather along with TWC MAX+ help me keep up with the weather for all the places I travel too. Having this info large screen really makes it easy at the end of the day when the eyes are tired and attention span for detail shorter.
Then there is TIME and Zinio. The TIME app which is free but you have to pay to read a particular issue, is simply, without a doubt, freakin cool! I’m not talking in particular about the content but the presentation and especially the possibilities. I firmly believe this is the hope of saving the editorial market! Zinio which is not new but now has a iPad app permits you to read your magazine subscription on your iPad. All you can do is read, there is no TIME Magazine interaction but it’s still all new.
WRP actually got a couple of 3G 64GB iPads and other then the major bug of buying your data plan I first came up against, I have been completely thrilled with the 1st generation iPad. We hit the road again shortly, I’ve got movies loaded, 3G up and going and looking forward to road testing this bad boy and see if what I envision as a great business tool panning out. Oh, for those who have asked if I’m going to use this for my photography, not how it is now. I have 30Gb of free space, I’d eat that up in one morning of shooting. And until there is some type of FTP app to move images off quickly, I don’t see this as a direct photographic tool. Not yet.
UPDATE: FTP to Go Pro looks like a promising FTP app for the iPad which includes the ability to wirelessly obtain photos taken with the iPhone. I’ve used it enough to bring it to you attention but not enough to say it’s the solution. I’ll be putting it to the test on the road, it will be interesting to see how it flies.
My good bud Doc Brown has been very busy, in fact he rushed me off the phone Monday to finish his new very cool 3D type video (check it out, freakin cool!). Today he’s released his Watermark Panel. For many photographers, this is just killer. Check this out!
And Doc’s offerings don’t stop there! Yesterday he posted his all new Dr. Brown’s Adobe Photoshop CS5 Scripts. I depend on these and rarely does a day go by and I don’t use at least one of them. Not only is it all free, it’s great stuff, check it out and grab it!
No doubt you’re more than aware of the massive oil spill in the gulf. As a veteran of the Santa Barbara oil spill of ’69, my heart goes out to those who are effected by the spill. And the toll to the wildlife, well, that’s just brings me to tears. But more of our lives and environment is effected then just around the booms. Nat’l G site has a pretty good page on information that is worth the quick read.
Yeap, the Nikon Learn & Explore app has been updated and now my Nikon World piece is available on your iPhone/iPad. You’ll find my piece in the Fall 2009 along with an online special piece by Jay Maisel. It’s free, it’s a great resource and now you know it’s available. I know it’s a little thing, but it still excited me.