Photographic 'Troubles'

As I mentioned before, I got a brand spanking new 'pimped out' computer (for mom - that means it has every bell and whistle you can imagine). Mainly I got it because my old one was no longer able to keep up with my photographic software editing programs (I have 4 different ones and like to swap between them - I think it tried to keeps chunks of code in the RAM and then would freeze). I rebooted (and swore) often.

On my new computer, since I have two monitors, I use the one to my right as an information source when it is not playing a movie or I am not working on photographs (I use it to compare two very similar photos to decide which is best). I have what are called 'gadgets' running in a strip along side the far right side: an analog clock, a calendar, the current weather for Richmond, TX, a scrolling 'top news stories', my XM satellite radio button that I like to play while on the computer (I have decided to work the 'it was suddenly so quiet...' dilemma early).

Most important, I have two slide shows going. Their screens are about 2.5 x 3 inches large, so not real big, but big enough to stop someone walking by and have them just sit and stare at the photos as they scroll through. It is so fun to just see photo after photo - randomly revisiting my past. The top one I have pointed to June 2008 and since I store my photos by date, it only shows that months photos - thus all my vacation photos and a few spurious photos that I took that month. The other, I have pointed to 'My Pictures' which, when I moved to this computer only has my photos (and some of Garys that I keep track of). It is fun to revisit Norway, Sibs Week, all our European trips, but it has been very annoying when I look over and the photo is sideways. So this week I started the monumental task of going through all my photos and making sure they were upright.

It has been a trip down memory lane - but a daunting task. I not only had trouble with software, but I have a large number of photographs - I tend to take on the 'ridiculously huge' side - with the hopes that one or two will be good. Under 'My Photos' I have over 90 GB of memory in 36,809 photos or in bytes: 93 billion, 27 million, 151 thousand & 872 bytes. Needless to say I have 1.5 Terrabytes of memory internally and 1 Terrabyte externally now - which is probably not good for someone who could actually make a good run at filling it up. (1 Terrabyte = 1000 billion bytes = 1000 Gigabytes) So one, by one, I look at the photo, determine whether it lives or dies, and if it lives, make sure it is upright. I am up to year 2007 right before we went on our trip to the Czech Republic since I took so many photos ... I have stalled. I only started really photographing in 2005, so this accumulation is quite impressive and quite hard to manage. I am assuming I won't go back and revisit these photos after I go through what ever week it was - so in honor of doing this for some while, I will probably be posting my favorites a few at a time each day.

Feel free to stroll down my memory lane.... (and maybe a little bit of yours...)

Mom as the 'Unibomber'

Clouds in the Olso Fjord

"Green" (or "Row Boat" ... look close)