Category Archives: Gadgets/Gear

Real World Pokemon Go

Posted by on August 11, 2016 2 comments

UPDATE 08/14/2016: Old Towne Manassas has about 30 3D Pokemon hidden.  Some of which include some Glow in the Dark JigglyPuff and Clefairy!!

Update 08/12/2016: New batch ready to be hidden:

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NOTE:
THIS IS THE PAGE I WILL BE UPDATING AS I PLACE MORE OUT IN THE WORLD.
CHECK BACK SOON

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Like most people I have been playing Pokemon Go.  It’s been a blast and Sarah, Andrew, and I have all had some great adventures in our quest to “Catch Em’ All”.  We certainly met some great people and possibly some new friends in areas that we didn’t normally visit.  Ventured out and increased our step count by leaps and bounds.

But I was missing out on something.

Catching pokemon on the phone is great, but one of the cool things about being out in these cool areas is seeing the sights, which you can’t do while staring at your phone waiting for the next Squirtle to pop up. After you catch him he is now confined to living inside your virtual Pokeball inside your phone.  When your phone turns off, he becomes Schrodinger’s Squirtle!!

But what if you could catch that Pokemon and have something to show for it afterwards?

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As an avid fan of 3D printing, I frequent Reddit’s sub for the hobby.  About a month ago one of the guys posted that he was hiding these small, easy to print, pokemon at different locations in his home town.  He said the kids loved it and he liked seeing people find real world creatures.  Many other folks also mentioned wanting to do the same.  Since I didn’t see anyone covering the VA/Manassas area (my home town) I decided to take up the charge and fired up the print machine!

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I have been printing these for about 2 weeks now and hidden close to 100 models around Manassas VA.  Mostly around Old Towne and occasionally at some of the parks.  (Hint, a great place to look is at the Ben Lomand Historic Site)

Since posting about it on Facebook, it’s been shared in a number of places, so I thought I would create a post here, on my site, so that I can continue to provide updates on when I stash some and where you can potentially find some.

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Updates will be provided on the top of the page so they will be easier to find.

Some of the other runs of prints:

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I made some things!

Posted by on May 22, 2016 No comments

I know I don’t post here often enough, and every time I think about it, I just kind of brush it away, but hey, I am doing it now!  Mostly because A lot of the stuff I would post regularly, I do over on the Comic page.  It’s no good excuse, but aside from the comic and work, most of what I have been doing has been pretty mundane.

Till now.

If you follow along on the comic, you know that I picked up a 3D Printer and have been having quite a bit of fun with it.  It’s been a blast.  We have made all sorts of useful things for the house and some costume pieces as well.  The most exciting thing to come from it has been a dive into 3D design using 123D Design (it’s a simple CAD program) that I have used to design some game boxes for card based games like Fluxx and the Looney Pyramid games.  Not to slight the boxes they come in, but the StarFluxx box used to travel with us in Sarah’s purse for play while we were out and it got pretty beat up.  So I designed a cool box that holds the cards and travels well.  Likewise, the Pyramid bags are cool, but they get cumbersome.

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Also, on kind of a dare/challenge from my Son, who is really into period re-enactment, I made a wooden looking version of one of the Pyramid games, that can be taken to events and not look like a 20th century plastic game.

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The printer I picked up is a Makerbot Replicator 2, it was on sale from Amazon for a fraction of the normal cost.  It’s build area is roughly 11x6x6 (inches).  Since it’s not one of the new fancy versions of their printer, turns out it’s incredibly easy to work on.  If you have ever been around any sort of 3D printer, you would learn quick that all sorts of things can happen to them from jamming to parts failing.  So having something that is easy to fix and repair is vital.  

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This is what happens when your extruder is leaking and it’s not caught in time.

Downside to buying an older version is that you don’t get all the bells and whistles, so I have had to improvise.  One of the great things on newer versions is a build in camera to show the print as it’s happening.  This way, if something goes wrong, you can address it quickly.  Also, it’s great fun to watch something getting built.  You may think it’s boring, but it really is fascinating.  To make up for this shortcoming, I have setup two cameras that stream to the website and show the current build as it happens.  

Sometimes I am building plain stuff, other times it’s cool stuff. So if you are interested, just click this link, or check out the tab on the top of the page for 3D printing.

In the meantime, get out there and make stuff!

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Coffee Shop Portraits – Manassas Parade

Posted by on December 8, 2013 No comments

This weekend was the first real test of my project idea, “Coffee Shop Portraits”.  The idea is simple, set up in a local shop and take photos of patrons.  They end up with a nice photo, and I get some experience shooting portraits.  I was pretty nervous going into it, but the reception was pretty good and I think it went pretty well.  It wasn’t the huge influx of people wanting their photo taken that I had feared, since most folks just wanted to come in from the cold, get their drink, and get back out to the parade.  While there was a good sized line though, there were enough people interested that I had a good time.

The setup was very simple.  I shot using my [amazon_link id=”B00FOTF8M2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]D600 [/amazon_link]connected to my [amazon_link id=”B0042X9L6A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]SB600[/amazon_link] speedlight for external flash.  Inside the camera was an [amazon_link id=”B002UT42UI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Eye-Fi Pro 8GB[/amazon_link] card that was set to transfer the RAW file to the computer. I had my [amazon_link id=”B00FG7MVJU” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Surface Pro 2[/amazon_link] connected to a large LCD monitor so that people could watch the processing and provide input.  I processed in [amazon_link id=”B00CH6ATMO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Lightroom 5[/amazon_link] which was set to watch the import folder and automagicly bring up the last imported files.  So within a few seconds, I could take a shot and then start editing it.

People seemed to love the process just as much as the photo.  Watching the editing and providing a little extra input was great, and at the end of the day, I didn’t have to go home and work on a bunch of photos, they were all done!

I think for future versions of this project, I may have some templates set up so that I can just upload the files to my site and e-mail out a link to it.  Overall I was very happy with the results and the owner of the Coffee Shop (Grounds Central Station) was very pleased with the extra attention and uniqueness of the project.

You can see all the photos here: https://www.wizzersworld.com/gallery/index.php/Gig-s/Coffee-Shop-Portraits

Gadget Review: Surface Pro 2

Posted by on October 30, 2013 2 comments

Surface (P365-296)Ok so one of the benefits of finding a job again is that I have income again!  Which means I can afford to get some of the things that have been needing a refresh.  My laptop, for instance, is my main system that I do most of my photo processing and ….pretty much everything else on.  It’s an Asus republic of gamers behemoth laptop that I bought back in 2009.  (hey, in computer years, that’s ancient!)  It’s served me very well and I still use it for all sorts of home use.  The problem with it is that it’s giant.  Yeah I know it’s a laptop, but it’s big.  Way too big to actually take places and be mobile.  I have been planning to replace it as a home system with a full desktop that I can update as needed for gaming and general home use, but that means I still needed a laptop.

Today’s tech trends seem to be leaning towards the tablet types, and I love my iPad for it’s portability and ease of use…but I can’t run Lightroom on it.  Yes, I know I can process pictures on it, to an extent, but I can’t really do all of the things LightRoom allows me to do.  So running native Windows apps was very important to me, but I liked the idea of a portable tablet.

Enter the Surface Pro 2

Norman Who? (P365-302)I wish Microsoft knew how to market this device.  It really is an amazing piece of tech, but it’s just not getting the market share it deserves.  For starters, it’s not an iPad replacement.  I still use my iPad all the time for general browsing at the couch or in bed.  The iPad is lighter and much simpler to navigate.  (Not to say that Windows 8 is complex, it’s just different, and I bet it would be easy to adjust).  No, the Surface is a laptop replacement.  Plain and simple.  You can use it with or without the keyboard, but with is much easier, which just makes it a small laptop anyways.

I have had it for a week now and here is what I have been doing with it.  For starters, I have left my iPad at home, to force myself to use the Surface for everything on the road.  It fits nicely in my camera bag.  I bought the 256gb version with 8gb ram and the i5-4200 “Haswell” CPU.  I have installed LightRoom, Photoshop, Steam, and a few other “new computer essentials”.  Most of my latest P365 shots were processed on the Surface, as well as the latest RnR Comics assembled there.  So, that being said, here are the Pros and Cons I have found in the week of use.

Pros:

  • Windows 8 in touch screen format = Easy to use
  • Nice bright screen with good color
  • Stylus makes everything better
  • Small and Light enough to carry in the bag
  • Powerful enough to run everything I have thrown at it (it’s only been a week)
  • Battery life = Amazeballs for a laptop

Cons:

  • A little heavy for extended handheld use
  • Windows App library limited
  • Screen is still small for serious LightRoom use, but good for Portable
  • One more USB port would be good
  • Slight screen edge drift with the stylus.

Overall I am really happy with it.  It does exactly what I bought it for and I hope to get a lot more use out of it.  I am thinking of doing a future project (after P365 is done) where I sit in a coffee shop and do on the spot portraits, processing and all.  More on that later though.

if you have any questions or want to know something specific about the Surface pro 2 that I didn’t cover here, please ask away in comments or via facebook or twitter!

Gadget Review: The Pebble SmartWatch

Posted by on October 22, 2013 No comments

Pebble (P365-275)I recently became very intrigued by a new gadget.  While I am not normally a watch type person, I have tried to wear a watch on many occasions.  Way back when I had a Goofy watch that I got in Disneyland and it was great.  Very low profile, fit my personality, light, and easy to read. (except that it ran backwards…it was…goofy).  I have not been able to find a good light watch since then, and my poor old Goofy watch has broken beyond repair.

I tried to use the iPod Nano as a watch, and things started out great.  It wasn’t super huge (much bigger that I had wanted, but manageable) and it had some great features: different watch faces, music, storage, step tracking.  But…..  I had to charge the thing nearly every night.  This meant that there was a good chance I would forget it on the charger when I left, or it would just go dead on my arm.  Also, having to connect it to my PC every time I wanted to switch things up on it or sync the steps was kind of a pain.

We are now in an era of the SmartWatch.  With Samsung and Sony being the heavy hitters, it would almost appear like everyone has decided to build a smartwatch.  The underdog in this battle?  The Pebble.  The Pebble started as a kick-starter and was met with a huge amount of support.  The idea is simple. An e-ink screen and low power Bluetooth connection to display info from your phone.  Be it notifications, e-mails texts, or incoming calls.  The benefit?  Instant access to your information, long battery life, less interaction with your phone.  All through an open source development.

Like I said, intrigued.

After watching the information develop for this watch, I finally pulled the trigger and picked one up.  It was $150 at Best Buy, and when you think about it, a good watch can cost WAY more than that.  I was not disappointed either.  Out of the box it was very easy to set up (Install the app on my Droid) and within a few seconds I was transferring watch faces to it.  There are a lot of apps that add functionality available via the market, but I almost wish that the main Pebble folks would incorporate some of these functions into the native app.

I have now been using it for roughly 2 weeks and here is my typical usage of it:

  • Notify My Android: Handled by Pebble Notifier
  • Facebook: Pebble native
  • Twitter: Handled by Pebble Notifier
  • Work E-mail: Handled by Pebble Notifier
  • G-mail: Pebble native
  • Outlook: Handled by Pebble Notifier
  • Pandora Music control (skip, pause) Pebble native
  • Weather: Glance for pebble
  • SMS replies (stock pre-generated): Glance for pebble
  • Phone control: Pebble ringer (I wish Pebble native would do this)

ht_allerta_pebble_smartwatch_dm_120418_wblogSo far, I have been amazed.  The battery life of the e-ink display, even with the back-light active on shake (which is a cool feature) lasted 7 days.  I was expecting about 3-5.  There are a number of things you can do to extend this, like disabling the back-light, powering off the device when you aren’t wearing it, etc. Since I have started using it, I noticed that I don’t tend to look at my phone near as often too.  If I am sitting at work, my phone is now on silent and I get notified on my pebble.  if it’s something I need to respond to (e-mail, twitter, etc.) I just use my desktop.  If I am out and about, I can either use a quick reply, or just use the pebble as an informative and reply back when I can.  This means that my battery on the phone lasts longer as well since I am not turning on the screen.

Now, it’s not without it’s faults.  Because of it being open source, and everyone developing apps that do cool things for it, I now have about 6 pebble related apps installed on my phone.  These are things that could be rolled into a single app.  While the shake back-light is cool, it also causes the light to go off when it’s not needed. i.e. clapping at a concert.  (I know I can disable it). Picture messages don’t notify either, which is just strange.  I have heard that the iOS integration is not as good as Android.  So your mileage may vary.  There is a much better open source community on the Android side of the house.

Overall I have been very impressed with it as a supplemental device.  I haven’t even tested the fact that it’s waterproof as well.  I have heard that many of the competing watches have yet to match the Pebble in battery life, which was the primary selling point for me.

If you see me around, feel free to ask me about it, I will gladly show it off.

The Niantic Project

Posted by on November 28, 2012 No comments

As much as I am on the Internet and paying attention to trends and games, this one blew right past me. I only learned about Ingress while on one of these work trips and a work buddy started talking about his Android friends (the phone users, not actual androids) who were playing. I thought, “Hey, I am an Android user! I should be playing this!” So I set out to learn about The Niantic Project.

A few months ago Google came out with a fun app called Field Trip. This app runs in the background of your phone and alerts you when you are near something historical or interesting. I get a kick out of it sometimes when I am driving around and find out I am near the largest ball of twine, or the location where George Washington’s third horse is buried. Little did I know that it would lead to their new Augmented Reality game called Ingress.

Augmented reality apps have been around for a while now, but none of them actually held any value past a good “Yup, that’s a thing!” You use your phones camera or GPS to tell where you are and your phone displays something virtually where you are physically. For the most part it was only for just that, to view something. Google stepped it up a notch with Ingress. You aren’t just viewing things anymore, you are
interacting with them and everyone else around you. Under the guise of “The Niantic Project” which is the secret organization behind Ingress.

Two warring factions are fighting for the well being of mankind. A crack in the universe has caused something called Exotic Matter (XM) to leak into our plane of existence.  Much of it was concentrated around Portals. These portals can be hacked and linked up to other portals to create a field. This field is a protective barrier that covers those who live under it. Got all that? So using the software on my phone, I can go to a portal location, which is only visible on the software, and hack that portal for my given side. By
hacking it, I have the chance to gain some equipment:

  • Resonators – Attached to portals to extend their range and link to other portals.
  • Bursters – Weapons used to attack other resonators.
  • Shields – Protective devices that can attach to portals to prevent damage from attacking factions.
  • Portal Keys – A virtual link to a specific portal
  • Media – Documents and pictures pertaining to the origins of the portals and XM

Resonators come in various levels (1-8) and can only be used at the level you have reached. (if you are level 4, you can use any item L1 to L4). Each portal can hold 8 total resonators, and their combined level averaged is the level of the portal. An unclaimed portal has no level, while one with all level 5 resonators is a level 5. Depending on the total of the level of resonators, that portal may be able to link to another portal. There are plenty of charts out there to show the distances.  Resonators degrade 10% of their energy each day and need to be recharged if they are to stay active.

Bursters also come in levels and can only be used by their respective level user. It’s a simple 360 degree bomb that takes out enemy resonators. The higher the level, the more damage.

 

 

Shields can be attached to portals, like resonators, and can deflect some of the damage from Bursters. Up to 4 shields can be added to a portal, and as of now, I have only seen 3 types of shields.

 

 

Portal Keys are interesting. They give you a link to the specific portal you have hacked. This link can show you it’s status, allow you to remotely recharge the resonators, and they give you a way to link a portal over a great distance. If you are trying to link to a portal that is out of range of your local map, you need it’s key. From what I have been able to tell, hacking a portal may “Steal” it’s key from its owner, same with destroying all of the resonators.

Media objects are just some documents that lend to the over arching back story. I have managed to collect 4 if them.

 

 

Using these tools, you can add the “Mind Units” of a covered area to your factions totals. The factions are:

  • Enlightened – The group who feel that the portals are part of the greater good and look to use them to influence mankind to their way.
  • Resistance – Those who want to keep free will and mankind away from influence from outside sources.

Now, there is a larger story going on that hasn’t yet been released. The Website NianticProject.com has been leaking out documents and videos that tell us there is something much bigger coming. I guess we will have to wait and see what that is.

I am currently on the side of the resistance. Time will tell how it ends up for us.

I love my new Razr Maxx HD

Posted by on November 27, 2012 No comments

You know what else I love? Living in the future. Right now I am about 30,000 feet above the US hurling through the air in defiance of whatever laws of religion/science you can imagine and doing it sitting comfortably while typing on my touch screen computer. A few more thousand feet up and we are talking Star Trek. But all that aside, I wanted
to do a post about the new phone I picked up and have been delayed due to more work
travels. On the plus side, this has given me the chance to really break in my phone.

A few years ago the 4G market for phones started to take off and I got excited about the
prospect of high speed mobile devices. I got myself the Verizon Thunderbolt and really
liked it. That is, for a few months. The biggest complaint about the TB was the battery
life and it lived up to that. Something about the combination of components just drained
the battery to the point that the power user (that would be me) could only get about 4-
5 hours out of it. I know laptops that have better battery life!! Add on to that the blatant
lack of support after only a few months. The TB stopped seeing any of the newer IS
updates and even the MOD community kind of gave up on it.

Soldiering through, I made it almost two years before I just couldn’t stand it any more. The rag tag ROMs I was able to find weren’t stable, I was getting lots of reboots, and was extremely jealous of my wife’s new Razr Maxx by Motorola. She is not a power user and had managed to go for about 3 days without charging at one point. That and it was a world phone. With my work travels and our potential vacation travels (like that trip
to London) I was going to need something better.

With my ear to the Ethernet I heard rumblings of a new Razr Maxx, the HD version. It was pricey, but the screen was amazing, it had NFC (Near Field Communication), and came standard with the ICS OS version. Best of all, one of my co-workers bought one first so I got to get some hands on with it. (Thou shalt not covet thy co-workers Cell Phone). Once we learned he was able to root it with ease, (OWN IT!) I made the decision to get one.

I am two months in now and I love this thing! It’s on par with size of the iPhone 5 (a
little wider and a tad thicker, but barely). The stock home screen was easy and quick
to adjust to so no need to add a new home launcher. I did keep some of my more
favorite apps, like the Magic Screen Unlocker, for a separate lock screen, and the Full
Screen Caller ID. Which is, of course, one of the reasons I love Android, if I don’t like a
functionality, there really is an app to switch it.

With the travel I have been doing, I have been on my phone a lot. Emails, Tweety pages and Facey spaces, etc. It’s almost weird to look down and see that I am at 40% battery life and not panic thinking I only have about 5 minutes left. Due to the ease of use, lately I have found myself using the phone instead of my iPad to check online. (Crazy, I know!).

I am sure that something will come out that is newer and fast and better than my Razr Maxx HD, but I really have a hard time believing that it won’t last me a good 2-3 years.

Now if you will excuse me, I told myself that if I got through this blog post I would read some more of the new Cold Days by Jim Butcher, while I stare out at the fluffy clouds.

Resisting the urge to hibernate

Posted by on October 24, 2012 No comments

FALL!

It’s Fall!  As we inch closer to winter I am feeling that bearish urge to close myself indoors and be super lazy while I eat all the things and put on my winter weight.

MUST RESIST!!!!

 

I am looking for the motivation to get out and take pictures.  Fall is one of the best times of the year to take photos.  The colors are amazing, especially around this area.  There are a few upcoming events that should prove fruitful.

The Passport MINI Halloween contest!  For the past few years the dealership out in Alexandria has hosted a “Dress up your MINI” contest.  This year the POD will be going as……..Yeah, I’ll post pictures after, don’t want to spoil it.  Should be fun though!  After that it’s off to Fredericksburg for the annual Halloween party!

In the meantime, on the gadget front. I gots me a new phone!  The old Thunderbolt was starting to get very old.  Early on I had flashed the ROM and the Radio on it so it could be updated and it would appear all of the updates for it have stopped.  No one seems to be supporting it any more.  It’s sad because for a while it really was a great phone.  The major downside to it was the battery.  I had even bought the extended battery for it, and that might get me through a full day.

With that I upgraded to the brand new [amazon_link id=”B009P5WWPC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Razr MAXX HD[/amazon_link].  Sarah has been using the original MAXX and it’s amazing!  The battery can last 2-3 days with average use.  The new HD version did not disappoint.  I have been using it for about 4 days now and I need to remind myself that I don’t have to plug it in.  Ok, I am going to stop here because I may try and do a full review of the phone later this week.

In the meantime, here are some apples. (hopefully Apple won’t sue me)

What are you (Wanting) to play?!

Posted by on October 16, 2012 No comments

It’s been awhile since I have done a good “What are you playing” post so I thought it was about time to bring it back.  Now, you may notice the difference in the title, and with good cause.  If you have been listening to the Retro-Nick podcast that we have been doing, you may have a feel for the types of games that I enjoy.  One of those types of games is the Space-Sim.  I have loved the space sim since space sim’s started to get big.  The concept of flying around in open space, exploring, dogfighting, etc. It’s all awesome.

One of the biggest Space Sim’s out there was a series called Wing Commander.  There is something about the story based saga that led me down the career path of Commander Blair that just made me feel like it was my story.  When the Tigers Claw was destroyed, I was devastated. (if you played, you know).

So when I heard that Chris Roberts, the creator of the WC games, was working on a new game, I got excited.  The best part about it is that it’s the game I have always wanted to play!

Wing Commander Cockpit

Let me explain that last bit.  I love space games in general.  the physics, the concept, everything.  I love Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly, and nearly every other space adventure show/movie. (still struggling with Babylon 5) The idea that a game could allow me to experience that myself, instead of just watch it, is amazing.  A great example of this was in the early beta of a game called Star Wars Galaxies.  The beta was for the space combat portion of the game where you could pilot ships like the X-wing, and YT-1300 (look it up).  My friends and I were in a YT-1300 and I was piloting.  One friend was navigating, one in the Turret, and one running around the ship repairing damage that was happening in the fight we were in.  The experience was outstanding.

Sadly, the actual game didn’t live up to the initial experience.  Those of you who played SWG, know that Sony Online broke all the best parts of the game while emphasizing all the crap.

Chris Roberts is a gamer.  He knows what we want because that’s what HE wants.  I have faith that this will be the Go-To space sim game.  Go check it out!  http://www.robertsspaceindustries.com/

In the meantime, I have been brushing up on my space skills by re-installing Freelancer on the PC, playing Galaxy On Fire on the iPad, and I just picked up Evochron Mercenary, on Steam.  I am waiting for my Saitek X52 Flight Control System to arrive today.

Oh, and a little Borderlands 2 to mix it up.

What are YOU playing?

The Un-intentional Photographer

Posted by on October 11, 2012 No comments

This last weekend was very exciting for us.  Sarah’s step-sister was getting married down in Richmond VA, so she got to spend the whole weekend down there doing very girly bridesmaid type things.  Meanwhile, I got to stay home with the pets and catch up on Fringe (I am in season 4 now, no spoilers!).  That is, until Sunday.  The plan was that Sunday morning, I would drop off the dog at the doggie-sitters house (Thanks Stacy!) and then pick up Sarah’s Grandma and head down for the wedding.  We would sit for the wedding and then go home and enjoy the extra day off on Monday.

Oh plans.

Remember kids, no battle plan survives first contact!  Most of the morning went fine, well, sort of. I had forgot the umbrellas, and to feed the rats, and a few other things, so I had an extra trip back to the house.  Now, I had heard a rumor that someone was expecting me down at the wedding early to snap some photos before the ceremony, but it was all rumor. No one actually said anything to me about it.  There was also a rumor that they were able to hire a photographer at the last minute.

When I arrived at the venue, I headed up to were the wedding party was preparing and noticed a lack of anyone taking pictures.  I had attending various weddings before and knew there there are some pictures that are on “The List”.  You know, those shots that are kind of important.  When I asked where the photographer was, they said she was downstairs.  I rambled my way down and found someone, standing at the doorway, with a “camera” around her neck.  She was just standing there.  Not shooting, not testing light levels, not scoping locations.  Just standing there.

I put “camera” in quotes because she held a Sony cybershot camera.  You know one of those crossover type cameras that aren’t quite a point and shoot, but not a DSLR.  Now I am not in a place to start calling out on equipment.  My Nikon D5100 is not a high end professional level camera.  It’s a crop DSLR meant for the level I use it at.  The weddings I have been to always had a photographer with high end gear.  Usually two people, with two camera’s each and lenses staged everywhere!  But even more important, THEY WERE TAKING PICTURES, not standing around.

Disgusted, I went and grabbed my gear (never leave home without it) and headed back upstairs.  The rest of the wedding, I took pictures.  After the ceremony, I quickly scoped locations in the area, arranged poses, and made sure that “The List” got fulfilled.  During the reception, I relaxed some and tried to let the “hired” photographers do their job. Oh yea, turns out that the girls husband also had a small camera and was shooting as well.  He, at least, made some effort to walk around and take some pictures.  She sat on her butt.

The last few days I spent sorting and processing and, while I am not the best wedding photographer in the world, I think I got some pretty great shots.  I took a total of 941 pictures and sorted out to process 135 of them.

[zenphotopress album=107 sort=random number=5]

https://www.wizzersworld.com/zen/Special%20Events/Emily%27s%20Wedding/

Disclaimer: I really hate to bitch about someone else trying out photography. Normally I would give all kind of kudos to someone branching out and trying something as daunting as wedding photography.  It’s stressful   as all hell, which is why I really try to NOT go about doing it.  BUT, if you are being PAID to take pictures at an event, TAKE PICTURES.