Photography Tip

For those of you using Nikon RAW files and have recently upgraded to Windows 7, you may have been wondering how you can preview your RAW files in windows 7 without having to resort to Photoshop or Lightroom. Here's a great link to an article that shows you how to do it on x32 or x64 bit versions in windows 7.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to wish all my friends, family and readers a Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Climate Article

I just finished reading an article on Newsweek about the turning points on Global Climate Change. Despite latest scientific evidence, there are still people in the science fields (dont even mention political field!) who are contrary to the idea that fossil fuels are contributing to greenhouse gases which in turn affect climate change. From everything I've read in this article to the past several years worth of climate news, I have a simple question that I believe we all should think about. From a very layman point of view, when I'm asked as a citizen of this planet: Do I want to make changes or not in my lifestyle and use of fossil fuels (i.e. decrease even if means my standard of living is less than what I'm used too) or face dramatic global climate change that can potentially destroy us? I'd rather error on the part of change than risk destructions. Its as simple as change now or face destruction of our planet. But then again I'm a simple person though I think if every person on this planet was asked this question, the majority of us would opt to change.

Just my thoughts for the day....

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Homecoming for a local Hero!

Last night my sister asked if I could take photos for a local san jose serviceman who was recently injured on his second tour in Iraq. As someone who comes from a military family, I didn't have to think twice about volunteering my photograph services.

Here are some of the best photos from the event. On a personal level, it reminds me how much current and past military servicemen have sacrificed for our great country. If you see a veteran, please shake their hands and thank them personally for all they have done for us.

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JPP Daily Photo

The last time I was at my brother-in-law's place, he asked me about some photos I took of their cherry tree from their previous residence in mid-2000. This past weekend, I found them. Although they were technically okay photos, I thought the color and exposure could be corrected. So I took about an hour of editing this past weekend. I added my custom frame in photoshop. And, presto!, here they are. I'm gonna drop them off tonight when I see my sister and brother-in-law.

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Article about the war in Iraq & Afghanistan

I found this very eloquent quote from a rabbi about the war and the casualties in an MSNBC article today.

In the quiet of his office at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield, N.J., Rabbi Douglas Sagal devotes part of each Friday afternoon to the war.

Using a Department of Defense Web site, he gathers a weekly list of those who died in Afghanistan and Iraq and reads their names at Friday night services just before the Kaddish, the prayer for the dead.

"It came out of my belief that really the great sin of our time, maybe the great sin of our generation is we send people to war and we insist on living our lives as if nothing is happening," he says. "I made a promise to myself that we are going to know the names of those who have died in the service of our country."

As an avid reader of history, I think the real difference between this war and say the Vietnam War or WWII, is that we as a society do not feel like we are at war. If anything, we have become numb to this conflict which has been going for over 8 years.

God Bless every soldier who may he bring each one home to their families.

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Photography Tips

Nikon school has got a great article on exposure called "A-Basic-Look-at-the-Basics-of-Exposure".

Nice article for new users and a refresher for more experienced photographers.

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In Memoriam

A tribute to those brave soldiers who died, not in action on foreign soil, but in Fort Hood Texas last week, may God grant them rest.....

P.S. This touches me personally because my brother was stationed in Fort Hood when he was serving in the Army in the late 80's.

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JPP Daily Photos

I sent out an email invitations to all my past and current customer's inviting them to sign up for my Family Holiday Photo Package 2009. I designed some photo greeting cards using the photos of the families from last year. Here's some of the samples.

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Technews

I'm a geek and star trekkie at heart. So when I read this article on MSNBC about NASA working on replicator technology, my first reaction was "Wow!". Here's quote from the article.

"Space explorers have yet to get their hands on the replicator of "Star Trek" to create anything they might require. But NASA has developed a technology that could enable lunar colonists to carry out on-site manufacturing on the moon, or allow future astronauts to create critical spare parts during the long trip to Mars."

You can the entire article here.

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JPP Daily Photos

Here are some of the photos I took of the vendor tables at the recent Healthnow Forum I attended last month.

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