It's Photography's Fault!

We are still struggling with the switcheroo from a Windows PC to a iMac, but it is getting easier with each passing hour.  Yes, we are trying to go full speed and that is taxing our poor little noggins.  I finally got into Photoshop CS5 today and then quickly realized that I had to reload my brushes; my custom actions and patterns are gone (will reload later on); my signature brush didn’t work and had to be recreated; preferences had to be reset; Topaz filters had to download all over again and installed; and new keyboard commands and layout are different.  Whew!

After spending several hours today tinkering around here and there, I rewarded myself by processing a few photos.  And here is a special treat for you, since you have been so patient and supporting!  Below are two versions of a stained glass window image I captured of the San Geronimo (St. Jerome) Chapel in Taos Pueblo.

I was able to bring out the weathered texture of the adobe mud and the charming stained glass designs with one of the filters in Topaz Adjust.  For a little extra fun, I also created a black and white version using another Topaz Adjust filter.  Way cool, huh?

I have gotten a few questions about why we did the computer switch.  Well, it all comes down to it being photography’s fault.  My computer was a nice one when I bought it three and a half years ago.  But I was almost completely out of hard drive space (over 200 GB in images alone); the processor was too slow to work with large image files; the hard drive was at the end of its predictable life; and the processor and RAM would not support many of the newer image software now available.  Goodness knows that I have really gotten into digital imaging in a BIG way since I started down this learning path a few years ago!  It was time for a new computer.

We have both experienced problems with various brands of computers over the years, including HP, Gateway, and Dell.  And when you have problems, the manufacturers readily blame Microsoft programs for the causes.  In turn, Microsoft points back at the manufacturers, claiming that the problems are caused by hardware issues.  Back and forth, consumers like us get tossed about and get little recourse that is straightforward.  And then there are the well-known issues associated with PC security and viruses.  Don’t even get me started on those headaches!

We had been toying with the idea of going to a Mac platform for quite a while.  But we thought that we would have to buy a whole new Photoshop CS5 program.  Just last month, we discovered that assumption was not true.  All we had to do was request a license change from Adobe.  (It was easy and quick, costing us only $6.50 for shipping us a new program disc.)  So that revelation was a game changer.  We also have been waffling back and forth about what tablet to buy to take along on our travels instead of a laptop.  Then last week, Apple announced that the new iMacs were released and they incorporated the new Thunderbolt chip from Intel (for rapid data transfer), among other improvements.  The scales clearly tipped.  Hubby didn’t even take a nanosecond to affirm my proposal to get new iMacs and an ipad.  So off to the Apple store we went last Saturday!  The rest, as they say, is history.

So there you have my rationale!  Clearly, it’s photography’s fault!