So it’s beginning to get a bit pathetic just how infrequently I post on my own blog anymore… chalk it up to being really, really busy with the things I’m about to tell you about. Prepare yourself for the abridged version of all the cool stuff that’s been going on in my life for the last two months…
- TRA2 – The Revenge! Largely because I was so busy with TRA2 for a couple weeks around launch, I didn’t actually get around to posting about it. So in case you’ve been living under a rock without internet access for the past couple months… it’s here! It rocks! Our second set of Photoshop actions comes with 57 new ways to spice up your images and polish your pics. The actions definitely have a different overall look and feel from the first – less bright and glowy, more gritty and worn. We sorta took cues from the direction our photography (Chenin and mine, individually) was taking, mixed that in with some broad industry trends, and distilled it into some fabulous new tools. BAMF B&W might be the coolest BW conversion ever, IMO. Check Them Out! If you like em, Buy Them! I’m still trying to slot time in to get some recipes up and do a couple video tutorials… soon. I would have had all that done by now, but I’ve been busy with…
- We bought a new house! After living in our condo in Ladera Ranch for a few years, we decided it was time to get something with four walls. I blame the new neighbors that moved in, and bought their kid a drumset, encouraging him to bang randomly upon them for hours at a time in the middle of the day. The unit next to ours was practically empty for the three years we lived there, and the gal that lived in the unit on the opposite side was never home. So it was nice and quiet, and a great place to work from. But my office was in the garage. The kid with the drumset was in the garage next door. Those garages shared a wall. So if I didn’t answer your phone call between May and July, it’s because I knew that I would have just had to tell you to call back later anyway, on account of the “music”. Maddening. The worst part is that I’m a drummer myself, and have had to forego owning a kit for years because we lived in condos and apartments. You don’t get to have a drumset if you share walls, I thought. Because it’s, well, rude. So it was like a kick in the balls to have the little kid next door get to bang randomly on the skins while I sat next door, drumless, trying to get work done. Anyway, moving and home improvement has taken up a disproportionate share of time the last two months. Basically I’ve only had time to do the minimum with the actions, surf a bit, and play with power tools… but I’m glad the home improvement is getting taken care of now, because…
- I’m gonna be a daddy! Sometime early next year, we’ll finally stop torturing our parents and give them a real grandbaby (unlike the furry one that’s been an acceptable substitute since 1999). It’s been a long time coming. Chenin and I have been married over 6 years, and dated for 7 years before that. Slowly, relentlessly, our aversion to the idea of having a small person running around waned, and eventually, we decided it might not be the worst thing ever. Heck, we’ve managed to keep our dog alive way longer than nature would have liked, and he still seems happy… maybe we wouldn’t be awful parents after all. I mean, I’m sure our kid will hate us once they turn 14 anyway, but until then, we’re super thrilled to be adding another little creature to our family. Bummer is, we won’t be able to do the tradeshows next year because of the timing. Good part is, it doesn’t screw with wedding season for Chenin. Speaking of weddings…
- My little sis got married! Two weeks ago. To a lovely young British boy. And now she’ll be living in London pretty permanently. We’ve become accustomed to missing her, since she’s been living in the UK almost full-time since college. But it was different saying goodbye to her this time… I shot the wedding, and it was refreshing to know that I still know how to use a camera. Kinda. And Chenin shot some as well, in between being the maid of honor, and lamenting the fact that she was the only one there that couldn’t drink. And Chenin’s frequent second-shooter Nic filled in the gaps for us, and shot most of the reception, so we could try to relax a little and at least pretend we were just going to a family wedding like normal guests… Check out the pics at Chenin’s Blog. Congrats Carrie and Adam!
- Chenin got me a bitchin license plate! Not that it took up any of my time, but it sure does kick ass. I do get the occasional dirty look from people who completely miss the irony, and instead assume that I’m just another self-important prick that thinks people should thank me if I condescend to fart at them. But I’m not, and they’re wrong, and I like it.
- Surf’s been great this summer! I’ve had a whole lot of super-fun sessions at Uppers, San-O, and even Oceanside, where we expected knee-high mush one morning, and instead found head-high beachbreak barrels. Almost made one of em, too (they were all pretty much suicide anyway). Bought a new 6′1″ Al Merrick Flyer II early in the season, and have been trying to break it ever since (rocks in Cabo, rocks at Trestles, rocks at Salt Creek). I’m surprised the thing still floats after as many times I’ve tried to snap off a fin or bury the nose in the sand at a beachbreak. Also picked up a 6′4″ Flyer for smaller days. Super fun board. And Labor Day weekend was killer, again (last year it rocked, too). Surfed all weekend. My arms feel like I just swam over here from Tahiti.
- I have a real office! Like a big boy! With furniture that didn’t come from Ikea! One of the up-sides of all the hassle of moving is that I have an office with a window and air conditioning. With a fully finished floor. And I bought some big manly furniture to put in it. And a new Mac Pro, which means I’m pretty much just another grunt in the Apple Army now. But it does have its perks… like pretty animations whenever I switch applications. And ridiculously fast DVD rips for our Apple TV… or my iPhone… or the waterproof headphones for my iPod shuffle that I take surfing sometimes (told you I was Apple crazy). Anyway, I still have enough PC parts sitting around to coordinate a mission to Mars, but I’m thinking more and more lately of just putting them all on Ebay – “Whole shitload of PC parts – NR”
- We’re Your Favorite! Bludomain’s blog readers voted the Totally Rad Actions their favorite, beating out Kevin’s stuff, JB’s stuff, Jesh’s stuff, and others. Quite an honor! Thanks to all who voted… I promise to keep making kickass tools that you can’t live without. Or at least to keep coming up with the best names for actions that I can.
- In other, minor, action-related news, we have a new tutorial on the site on using Yin / Yang, Big Blue, and Green With Envy. It’s been up for a while now, but I never actually posted about it. Showcases a cool way to use them that you might not have thought of. And I’m going to be contributing regularly to the new DWFU section of the Digital Wedding Forum with video tips and tricks… the first video is online now, and covers how to use multiple raw conversions to extend the dynamic range of your photos, in a quasi-HDR technique that’ll save your bacon someday. Check out the Yin / Yang video in the Tutorials section of our site, and the DWF video at DWFU.
- I also just picked up a refurbed Deardorff after my old 8×10 took two successive dives off the tripod, face first, onto the concrete. Which is fine, because I’ve always wanted a Deardorff, and this was a good excuse to get one. Also picked up a minty 250mm f/6.3 Fujinon-W to go with it, and to compliment the 14″ f/6.3 Kodak Commercial Ektar I already have (which might not even work properly after taking the brunt of the first fall to the concrete). Made a new ghetto-style homemade lensboard for the 250, and just checked the camera for light leaks… looks good to go! Anyway, it’s been way too long since I shot anything, and I’m going to force myself to get back in the saddle, now that most of the springtime craziness is behind me. And the new lens is a lot more modern than the old Kodak… syncs at 1/400. Which makes me happy because outdoor flash stuff likes 1/400. Copal-2? Dunno… I like it, though. Gotta get busy making some of those images in my head come to life… Look for some LF stuff sometime soon. (update – I thought the 250 would cover 8×10, but I’m pretty sure it’s made for 5×7… vignettes pretty bad even with no movements… so I’m back in the market for another wide lens for 8×10)
- Found a really cool old rusted ceiling tin at an antique store, and just screwed it to the wall in our living room last week. I like it. Prettiest piece of $50 junk I’ve ever seen.
That’s just about all I can think of for now… Now that life is somewhat back to normal, I’m going to try to get back to posting and shooting some more. Been way too long.
What have y’all been up to?
Tanya Perez
Awww congrats on the new baby coming. You will be awesome parents!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 12:11 pm
Fed
Wow u been busy! Congrats on the House and big congrats on the Kiddo. My little girls totally rock my world! They make it so worth everything. Advice: start getting more Harddrives cause you two won’t stop taking shots of the lil’ one.
Sep 02, 2008 @ 12:43 pm
MsBunn.com
Hey, what’s wrong with furniture from IKEA??? :D
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I can’t wait for the day I get to post a blog about expecting a baby of my own. My husband and I have been trying for over six years without any luck, even after many treatments. But, I always love to hear about couples that have conceived, it gives me hope.
Sep 02, 2008 @ 12:54 pm
Ray Soemarsono
Congrats on the baby & the new digs! Life is good, Doug. Life is good.
Sep 02, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
Joseph Prezioso
Wow Dude you have been busy!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
Michelle O
DOUG AND CHENIN! CONGRATS! I am so happy for you both! Kiddos are so much fun. Enjoy every moment! And congrats on your new home!
Michelle :)
Sep 02, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
Kat
Wow, that’s a lotta info to blurp out there in one post. Huge congrats on the new lil Rad-ette on the way. I’m sure you’ve already been told that he/she will change your life… NOT an understatement…. a wonderful change awaits you both. Love the music you reccommend… BYOP is fabu! I’m very guilty of just lurking…. a bad habit I’m determined to break. Thanks for all that you shre.
Kind regards,
Kat
Sep 02, 2008 @ 2:38 pm
jenniferL
wow… that’s a lot of stuff happening! congratulations on being parents! and the new house!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 3:43 pm
David of DavidHam
Wow. You certainly have been busy. I suspected you and Chenin must have gotten a place since she has been twittering the fact that you two are doing home improvement stuff.
Big congrats on the little one coming you way.
And a question for you Doug, since you’re probably as much of a power user as I am. Does LR2’s interface on the Mac Pro seem a little laggy versus on the PC? I run both OS here in the studio and as much as I love my Mac, there’s a lot I miss about my PC when I am on it. Especially the explorer shell versus finder.
Sep 02, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Karen Ziemkowski
WOW!!! When is Chenin’s due date? It seems like a lot of us young photographers are busy starting families lately (I’m due on Thanksgiving). You guys are going to be Totally Rad parents, how lucky your kid will be! Congratulations to you both!!!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 4:53 pm
Troy Schneider
Congratulations guys! Lots of great things happening in your lives.
Sep 02, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
daryl brewton
Doug,
Congrats on the new baby! That is awesome! My baby girl, Gabrielle is 18 months old now and she is the coolest! I love being a Dad and I know you will too! When they run into your arms and just squeal and hold you is the coolest feeling! I’m so happy for you guys! I know you’re just beaming!
Congrats on the house!
God Bless,
db
Sep 02, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Josh Solar
Congrats on the baby! It’s gonna completely rock your world!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Khara Plicanic
Baby Boutwell!!???…. very exciting! :) I’ve been busy helping my husband release the beta version of our album proofing app… http://www.bantiproofing.com…. I hope tons of photogs (and their clients!) find it very helpful!!!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 6:17 pm
Khara Plicanic
PS: Congrats on the house too….. it looks gorgeous! Great place for a little one…. ;)
Sep 02, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
[ b ]
dude… that’s a lot of your plate. plus you started Twittering… you should add that. congrats on all the good things in your life. you deserve it all!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 7:38 pm
Heather Cole
Doug and Chenin,
Congrats on all the wonderful things coming your way! ESPECIALLY the new bambino about to come into your lives. So happy for you both. Love ya.
Sep 02, 2008 @ 7:54 pm
stephanie
I love you and your wifes work!!! hope everything works out for the best!!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
Tony Bisson
Buried the lead a bit on the baby news. Congratulations!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 10:04 pm
Tony Bisson
Buried the lead on the baby news. Congratulations!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
Jasmine*
OH MY GOD!!!! CONGRATS!! So happy for your new license plate!! ;)
No, really, you&C are going to be some amazing parents. So happy for you. So, so happy for you!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 10:16 pm
Jan
Whoa! What a post!? That is beyond awesome! So happy for you guy!
Sep 02, 2008 @ 11:30 pm
Marlin Munoz
Congrats on all the blessings in your life! My advice for soon to be parents: enjoy your sleep now!!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 12:57 am
Bob P.
Congrats on the baby!!! It will turn your world upside down. But, in a good way. Love all the actions.
Sep 03, 2008 @ 5:41 am
carlie.renee.
ok doug so the comment about the kid next door banging on his drums.. well i pretty much thought it was hilarious since now gabriel and i get to hear the sweet music. two nights ago we had an amazing concert while editing photos. why should i listen to radiohead when i have my own concert next door? i am thinking about walking over there and stealing his drumsticks. and yes i will get a sick pleasure out of doing so.
Sep 03, 2008 @ 1:10 pm
jac
congrats on everything guys! the house, the baby, the actions, and all your totally radness. cannot wait to meet baby boutwell…he/she is going to be one lucky kid!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 2:09 pm
admin
Thanks everyone for your kind wishes! Y’all have made our day!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
joy bianchi brown
woo hooo!!! so fun! you guys are fantastic, and I love your actions! :) Congrats!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
Miguel Pola
That’s Awesome Doug! Congrats! Looks like you’ve been doing more than packing and moving! ;) Really , congrats!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
jules bianchi
OMG you two are amazing. I wanna be YOU when I grow up!!! LOVE the new place! Congrats on the Boutwell-to-be!!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 7:14 pm
erika
all great news doug! I’m really excited for you guys! baby coming! wow! that’s amazing! I’ve just had my first baby and she’s now 4 months old. It’s pretty scary I know and yes, they are a lot harder to take care of than dogs. I can tell cause I have two 9-year-old dogs! but all I can say is, you’ll learn fast! human being instinct! and man, you’re just too funny! I was laughing out loud here reading your stuff! Congrats again!
Sep 03, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
Eddie Bojorquez (Studio 512)
Is “congratulations” even necessary at this point. Super stoked for you guys – wow!
-E
Sep 04, 2008 @ 12:27 am
Rachel B.
Congrats on your bun in the oven! and on your awesome license plate!
-Rachel (a loyal blog stalker)
Sep 04, 2008 @ 5:31 am
Susan Dodd
LOVE the orange Honda!!!! Very cool.
Oh, and CONGRATS on everything else…the baby, the house, the office, the camera, the sis getting married, the cool ceiling tin, the best action award! All of it. Great, great post! I read it all the way through! Ya lost me on the surfin’ stuff, but GREAT post!
Sep 04, 2008 @ 7:01 am
rik
doug! so much sweet news, i hardly know what to say. all the congratulations are so very due: the house looks awesome (especially the office and the junk on the wall), super rad news on the little one (the coolest little punk baby around, i bet), the license plate is absolutely perfect…so much going on! hope all goes well with the baby and that chenin’s feeling ok through it all. =]
Sep 04, 2008 @ 7:16 am
Orbie Pullen
Congratulations on Everything! Can’t wait to see the new house when I come down and get some So. Cal Surf.
Sep 04, 2008 @ 8:47 am
Nic
I can’t believe 36 people have been hanging around waiting to post on your blog after years of inactivity! What losers.
Sep 05, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
Theresa
YAH!!! on the baby part! You know how much I love the TRA’s, so let me send you the love over to my parenting site…and tell
you to ask away anytime…no obligation! You made my photography life easier, it is the least I can do! You guys will be great parents, and I promise your kid will love you at 14, 15, 16, and beyond!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Sep 07, 2008 @ 8:51 pm
Mia-DWF
CONGRATS on the baby!
Sep 08, 2008 @ 4:17 pm
Ricki Ford
enjoyed reading all the new post dude.
Sep 09, 2008 @ 7:50 am
Dean
Congrat’s guys on all the news! How exciting :)
Sep 11, 2008 @ 7:20 am
Joy Kaminski
YAY! A happy post! So glad for both of you!
Sep 11, 2008 @ 7:17 pm
r. j. kern
Wow. Kiddo on the way. 4 walls. An office… you guys got all growned up… but then made time to surf and shoot with some legacy camera tools! looking forward to meeting you at Image-X.
Sep 15, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
Amanda Auer
I am SO jealous of your junk art. I’m looking for something just like this for my dining room… killer.
Sep 18, 2008 @ 3:33 am
Andrew
What a filled life you live! Congrats on a your new upcoming additions
Sep 22, 2008 @ 6:55 pm
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Sep 27, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
Amy Carruthers
I was one of the attendees at Chenin’s workshop in New Orleans and my mind is still reeling from her *delightful* inspiration! Congrats on the soon to be “creature” joining your family! I just had to say that I adore your honesty about having a baby! It’s so rare to hear anyone speak their real thoughts about the idea of bringing children into the world! It’s good to know we’re not the only ones out there who are taking a while to warm up to the idea!! Having seen you two together in person, you are an absolutely adorable couple and will make fabulous parents!
Oct 23, 2008 @ 12:00 pm
Prairiemaiden
Congrats to all the exciting things happening in your life!
That $50.00 piece of junk would make a really cool photoshop texture.
Keep up the good work PM
Dec 30, 2008 @ 10:31 am
Doug
Thanks! Definitely would make a cool texture, huh? Hmmm…
Jan 02, 2009 @ 2:01 pm