Andrew Gransden Photography Blog

More on iCloud and iWorks

2011-10-22T10:24:00.002+01:00

Apple iCloud logo

After several days of playing with the latest operating system upgrades to my Apple iPhone4, iPad2 and Macs - namely iOS5 and OS-X 10.7 'Lion' - I've learned a couple of useful things about sharing documents between these devices. Let me share them with you.

First of all there are 2 different online versions of iWorks. There is the one in Apple's new iCloud - for sharing documents between your iOS devices - and one called iWorks Beta - for sharing documents with others. Confused? You will be or already are. Why Apple insists on using the same name for 2 different and unconnected services I don't know.

Let me start with the iCloud one. You will need an Apple ID which you would have been prompted to set up when you first powered up your device in iOS5. This is the key to all iCloud use and for purchasing Apps from the App Store. You will also need to purchase from the App Store iPhone or iPad versions of Apple's iWorks compatible applications - Pages for word processing, Numbers for spreadsheets and Keynote for presentations. These are not too expensive but I recommend you only get those you need.

To set up document sharing you must switch on 'Documents and Data' in Settings/iCloud on each on your devices. Now create a new document using, say, Pages. Type in a few lines of text and then leave the document by tapping the Documents button (top left). You will see your document appear on as an outline and, if you are connected to the Internet (the Cloud), you will see a countdown ribbon as the document is uploaded to iCloud. Once completed, the document will appear on all your devices logged into your Apple ID account. It can also be accessed via any web browser at www.icloud.com/iworks. From there you can download the document to your Mac (or PC) in Pages, PDF or Word format to work on. As with all downloads, you will find it in your Download folder.

There’s another catch. You can edit a document on your Mac (or PC) but uploading them to iCloud is not so seamless. You need to open ∫ in your browser and then drag-and-drop the saved document from Finder (or Explorer) onto the iCloud browser window. It will then upload and be available to your iOS5 devices. The difference is when you create or source a document on your Mac. You upload in the same way but it cannot be downloaded again until it has been opened on one of your iOS5 devices. The reason seems to be that the document has to be converted by your iOS5 first as not all fonts and formatting is supported.

The other and completely different iWorks mentioned above is ‘iWorks.com beta’ (www.iworks.com). This is integrated through the Share menu option in Pages on your Mac and allows you to upload and share documents with friends and work colleagues via the web. I haven’t explore this in any detail but it seems ridiculous that Apple would use the same name and not integrate the two services.

I hope readers find this useful. Please leave a comment with your experiences.

Upgrading to iOS 5 and Lion

2011-10-18T21:14:00.000+01:00

I admit that I am a techie geek and collector of gadgets. However, in my previous life as a software engineer I learned long ago not to jump in too quickly to get the latest thingumajig or upgrade. So I have waited before upgrading to the latest Apple OS-X upgrade called ‘Lion’ due to the little announced but much tweeted loss of older Power-PC compatible software. That said, I only waited a few days for the latest iOS5 upgrade for my iPhone 4 and latest new gadget, my iPad2. The experience has been relatively painless and has taken a couple of days to complete.

I worked with Microsoft Windows and PCs for a number of years from their introduction in the mid-80s. I learned to work around the idiosyncrasies of the PC and Microsoft's Windows and applications. I could dig into the deepest settings of the Registry. When my PC crashed some 6 years ago I decided to switch to Apple at home to support my photography business. Apple has become an icon of design and coolness thanks to the direction of the much missed Steve Jobs but it was the technical design and engineering excellence that drew me to the Apple Mac. The Mac just works.

So how did the upgrade go? The new iPhone 4S and latest iOS 5 were released on Wed 13 Oct placing such a load on Apple's servers that many users were left frustrated by the software downloads and reported crashes. I waited until the Saturday and both my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 were upgraded without too much difficulty. The problem came when I tried to get my head around the new iCloud and issues surrounding the key role Apple ID plays.

iCloud as the name suggests is Apple's move into the 'cloud' - the storage of your data on remote servers on the internet that can be accessed via wireless or your mobile phone network. You access iCloud using your Apple ID which can be the same one as you use with iTunes or Apple's MobileMe service - the predecessor to iCloud - but must be an email address. The problem is that when I originally registered with iTunes I used a 6 character name whereas the MobileMe Apple ID used an email address made up of your name followed by @me.com. The point is that you cannot merge your iTunes purchases with your MobileMe ID. The solution is to access your iTunes Apple ID via the Apple Support website (http://www.apple.com/support/appleid/) and change the account name or ID to any valid email address you own (ie. your hotmail address). You will need to remember the right password. If you forget it and need to change you will not be allowed to use one you used in the previous year! Once you have your Apple ID everything should work together allowing you to synch your data and settings across the devices you own.

Should you wish to use your Mac or MacBook with iCloud you need to download and install the latest OS-X Lion 10.7 operating system software. This is where the fun starts. I had put off installing this update because I did not want to be forced to upgrade my Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac with its Word, Excel and Entourage (email) applications. These were originally designed for the older Power PC Macs and ran on the previous OS-X 'Snow Leopard' 10.6 using the Rosetta emulator. Apple in the wisdom have decided to remove this support in Lion. Other older software will also be affected, like my Nikon WT-4 wireless setup utility.

I decided to first install Lion on my MacBook Pro. It took nearly 8 hours to download on Saturday - it was after midnight before I was able to start the install. The install went very smoothly but before you can start using it you will be asked a series of questions to set up iCloud using your Apple ID. It is therefore a good idea to set up your Apple IDs before your start the install.

What software is no longer useable under Lion? Affected programs are marked by a greyed out circle with a diagonal bar superimposed on the icons in the Dock. If you try to start these applications you get a dialog stating that they will not run. Well, I knew that Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac would not work but others affected included my Epson V750 Scanner Copy Utility, my SpyderPro2 colour calibrator software, my Nikon WT-4 wireless setup tool and the Mac version of my weather station software. Bugger! I decided to use the AppStore to download the latest versions of Apple’s iWorks where Pages can read Word documents and allows documents to be share through iCloud with your other devices. The prices are reasonable but soon mount up.

One last point. In place of Microsoft’s Entourage mail application, I decided to switch to the Apple’s built-in Mail application which also integrates with iCloud. However, as I would lose access to my Entourage email archive I first had to import over 10,000 emails into Mail. This should be an easy process but I found that the import would crash if there were more than 1000 emails in a mail folder. I therefore had to first copy my emails into several folders - typically 6 months of emails in each - before importing. I had to ensure that the same number of emails appear in the source and destination folders. This took a couple of hours but is essential before you try to install Lion (especially if your old emails contain important information for you and your business).

So far Lion and iOS5 appear to working fine. There were a few issues but that is for another blog.

Have you had your Pre-Wedding Shoot?

2011-07-04T22:21:00.004+01:00

How comfortable are you in front of the camera? It is a question we often ask our couples and the usual answer is "I'm OK". The truth is that unless you are a film star or model, most people change the instant you point a camera at them. They stiffen and put on their camera smile.

Most good wedding photographers know this and will offer couples an engagement or pre-wedding shoot as part of their packages. The pre-wedding shoot has a several big advantages. It allows the couple to relax in front of the camera and gives them confidence in their chosen photographer and an insight as to how they will work on the big day. We also offer our clients tips on posing making the more formal shots on the day go with a breeze. I also explain how the light and weather will affect the type of shot we can achieve.

The other important thing it is allows your photographer to see how you react to the camera and what he or she needs to do to give you the very best results on your wedding day.

The shoot can either be in the Studio or at a local beach or beautiful spot. We usual spend around 1 to 2 hours with the couple to get the relaxed and comfortable look we are after.

What happens to the photographs? Some photographers will sell them as extras, while we believe that they are part of our overall package. I surprise our couples with a multi-frame of the best from the day which normally ends up in a prime position in their homes and a good advert of 'their' photographer's work. I also send them watermarked copies for their Facebook page; another case of free advertising.

There is an interview with Holly, one of brides from last year, on her pre-wedding shoot in the latest issue of the Scottish Wedding Directory magazine (Autumn/Winter 2011) out now. I knew I wanted to do Holly's wedding the moment I saw her at wedding show. Her stunning bone structure and beautiful was clear to see, although she claimed she never took a good photograph. Our pre-wedding shoot with her and Andy allowed me to prove her wrong and give her the confidence she needed for her big day. The results speak for themselves.

If you would like great pictures on your wedding day then make sure your photographer offers you a pre-wedding shoot beforehand. If not, contact us at Andrew Gransden Photography.

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Wedding Weather

2011-06-27T18:24:00.003+01:00

It is said that if you don't like the weather in Scotland just wait 10 minutes.

As a wedding and wildlife photographer, the weather plays an important part in getting the right images. I pay a great deal of attention to the weather forecast both through the BBC and Met Office and even have my own weather station at home.

By studying the weather patterns and use of the internet, I have a very good idea as to the type of weather I will find at the wedding venue and, importantly, when. We have built up quite a record and reputation for our ability to 'book' dry, sunny weather for our brides. It may have been raining for most of the preceding week and even as we drive to the venue, but just before the bride is due to arrive the rain has stopped, the cloud has broken and the sun has shone on her big day. This happened for 6 weddings in 2010 and for 2 so far in 2011.

On Saturday, by calling up the latest rain radar on my iPhone I was able to help persuade the hotel to allow the ceremony to take place outside as the bride wanted. She was delighted.

Strong sunshine may be the bride's choice, but it is not exactly ideal for getting the best photographs. The photographer needs to avoid hard shadows and people squinting. Your photographer will be looking for shade or forced to use flash to overcome these problems. The best weather is high level hazy cloud to help defuse the light and give a smoother look to the couple's wedding photographs.

What is wrong with rain and snow? No matter the weather, it is part of the memories of the day and your photographer should capture these aspects for you. For example, by including the umbrellas and wellington boots! Unless it is teeming down with heavy rain, rain does not show up in photographs except when flash is used.

We did one wedding last year with snow on the ground under a perfect blue sky and with no wind. Although the air temperature was a cool 5C, we did all the formal groups outside taking full advantage of the beautiful scenery. We had the bride in her pink wellies with her new husband standing in the middle of the snow field to get some stunning images with their favourite mountain and the sun in the background. If the weather drives everyone in doors, many of the best venues in Scotland offer some superb backgrounds for your wedding photographs.

So don't worry about the weather on the day. Your photographer should be able to cope and provide you with true memories of your big day. If not, book Andrew Gransden Photography and we will ensure we book the weather especially for you.

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One of the Best Photographers Websites

2011-06-16T21:35:00.010+01:00

Ever since my website went live some 3 years ago, it appeared in a list of The Best Photographers Portfolio Websites by Vandelay Design resulting in a constant stream of traffic to my site. Since then a number of other web design websites and blogs has also included my website as an example to others as best practise. Developed by the Fleetwood-based Freebird New Media, the CMS-based website allows me to show my images off to best effect to potential clients. In the photography business the image is everything.

This fame has its advantages and disadvantages. It brings lots of traffic to my site (averaging around 400 hits a day) and increases the site's rating with Google and other search engines. Thus, ensuring that it appears high up of related searches for my wedding and portrait work. However, some lazy web designers have copied the website design in full or part for their own purposes. Having invested heavily in the design, I can only call this theft and such piracy is unacceptable. Luckily, those stupid enough to steal my work are so thick they leave essential tracking code intact, enabling me to quickly identify the culprit. Thankfully, a suitably worded email has in all cases resulted in the offending website being removed from the internet. Look by all means but do not copy/steal/pirate my work.

I thank all who have visited my website and I hope you enjoyed examples of my photography.

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A perfect end to a perfect weekend

2009-10-22T22:11:00.000+01:00

Gillian and James celebrated their marriage over 2 days last weekend with glorious weather and stunning autumn colours in Banchory on Royal Deeside.

Andrew and Fiona were honoured to be engaged to photograph their wedding and party. An advantage of the 2 day event allowed family and friends to view a slideshow of images taken on their wedding day.

However, the best shots were saved to last with a beautiful sunset forming the backdrop to the happy couple.