One tool I use quite a bit but never think about is SynergyKM, an open-source app that lets you control multiple computers with one keyboard and mouse without a physical KVM switch.
My primary setup is a PowerMac G5 workstation which I do all my photography editing on, but for coding and work I have a PowerBook that travels with me. When I am home I enjoy being able to use both but I don’t want the hassle of switching back and forth between the two. Synergy solves the problem very simply. The application installs as a preference pane on both machines and setup is easy.
Here I have my PowerMac G5 ‘Ogden’ setup as the server, and my PowerBook ‘Asana-2′ (why did I name it -2?) setup to the left of my displays. On the PowerBook I just tell it to look for Ogden and since they are on the same network they connect to each other. Now I can just swing my mouse over to the left and just like with multiple displays it transfers mouse and keyboard control over to the PowerBook. When you leave the current computer it takes the mouse cursor and just drops it dead center on the primary screen indicating that its in a kind of ‘idle’ state. Mac’s and PC’s work seamlessly, and you can setup multiple locations as well – I have profiles setup for home and work so when I’m at the office I just switch profiles and it connects to my work PC.
Its open-source so its free, and it removes the clutter of a second keyboard and mouse from the desk which is huge for me since I enjoy a clean work area. The biggest benefit is that it removes the confusion or mental jump between machines – when you’re in a workflow you don’t even think about it, it’s seamless. Be sure to head over to the Source-Forge project page and check it out.
It’s the first of the month – a great time to double check how your backups are doing. My full time job is doing IT support so I see first-hand the dangers of either not backing up data or not checking your backups. Remember: just backing up your data is not good enough! CHECK IT!
How do you know your backup set is good? Most people don’t check until they are already in hot water. Don’t gamble with your data – run a ‘fire-drill’ every few months. Pretend your main computer just crashed – shut it down and walk through what it’s going to take to get you back on your feet. Do you have a spare machine incase your motherboard fails? Do you have a spare hard drive to swap in if its a drive crash? Do you have your software installers and more importantly the license keys? What applications do you need to get your workflow going? Planning this out before something crashes, that way when it does you know what to do.
Remember – backup drives are just as fallible as internal drives. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by storing all your documents in one external ‘backup drive’. You are not protected until your data is on two separate devices. In my experience you can usually expect hard drives to last between 3 and 5 years, however if it is a mission critical drive I would replace them every 1 or 2 years.
Backup solutions are very affordable these days so there is no excuse for not having at least something in place. Check your backups on the first of the month and run your fire drill once every few months, that way if something ever happens you’ll be in great shape.
Back from my honeymoon with my amazing wife, refreshed and ready to take on the new year. Looking forward to a great year for myself and the website, lots of new things are cooking so be sure to come back often!
I set myself a number of goals for the upcoming year that I am committed to fulfilling, so I was happy to find a great list of 2012 resolutions from professional photographers (a few of which I really look up to and love their work). Read the full article over at Photoshelter.
I was stuck at work but managed to sneak out back and take a quick snap. Remember, the best camera is the one you have on you!
Gorilla-Studios is now on 500px.com, a new photographic community for discovering and sharing great photographs. I’m still setting up my profile and getting my work uploaded, but if you want to share your work be sure to join soon.
Happy New Year everyone!
Here’s to making 2012 a great year. I usually don’t make resolutions but this year I will be investing in my photography – dedicating more time and hopefully upgrading equipment as the year goes on. In 2011 I was focused on getting married and working my full time job, so now this year I am going to spend more time learning, shooting and expanding my portfolio. My immediate goal is to at least go out shooting once a week and try to get a portfolio image every month. I want to learn more and hone my skills, I will be really pushing myself and sharing my knowledge and experience here. I have quite a bit planned for the site this year, more post ideas, reviews, critiques and more!
So happy shooting and happy 2012 everyone!
Chris
The newest addition to my setup is a brand new Black Rapid RS-7 sling camera strap. Prior to finding this one under the Christmas tree this year I was using a homemade setup that consisted of a guitar strap secured to a post from an extra tripod mount – not the most professional setup in the world.
The Black Rapid RS-7 is simply the best camera strap I have come across in years. It allows me to go hands free when setting up a shoot, moving lighting around or directing my subjects while keeping my camera at my side right where I need it ready to go. It comes with the main strap and a fastener that attaches to your SLR body tripod mount (or long lens if need be). The strap clips into the fastener with a locking carabiner that sits well on the underside of your camera. I have a battery grip with vertical controls and the while the RS-7 attached I don’t find it uncomfortable shooting vertically. The fastener sits right in the center of my palm without any discomfort. The carabiner swings out of the way and freely spins on the strap without un-screwing the fastener from the SLR body.
The whole setup feels great to use – I am usually paranoid about straps and hanging on to my camera, but I have no doubts when using it. As with any strap I always have a hand on the lens while walking in crowds or around anything that I can bang into, but I have no worries about it unclipping or detaching and dropping. Sliding the strap up to shooting position is very quick with little resistance, same with sliding it back in place at your side.
Another great feature is the locking ‘bumpers’ on the strap that keep the shoulder padding in the right place. There is a back bumper that you lock in right where you want the camera to hang – this way if the padded portion of the strap moves when you pull your camera up to shoot, as you slide your camera back down it catches the bumper and moves the strap back into the proper location. There is another front bumper that you can move down to lock the camera down by your hip which really reduces how much it swings around when you are hands free.
The RS-7 is also compatible with Black Rapid’s Mods – like the BRAD strap or storage for memory cards or a cell phone.
Overall the Black Rapid RS-7 is a beautifully made camera strap that any photographer worth their salt should have in their bag. I only had the chance to shoot with it a few times, but I am in love with it and highly recommend it. Check out the RS-7 at Black Rapid’s website. Don’t believe me? Check out Jared Polin’s (aka FroKnowsFoto……DOT COM) video review. All images courtesy of Black Rapid.
