Recently Topaz Adjust was added to my tools in Photoshop. (A Christmas present - yea!) Here are some early results.


Topaz Adjust gives you great controls over detail and saturation. So first thing I did was use one of the smoothing presets in Adjust to cut detail, then run Topaz Simplify to turn this photo from Bend, Oregon, into a painting.


Next up is the photo of Peppertree Park in Newbury Park. Topaz Adjust can easily give an image an HDR look.


This pic from Wednesday morning was very dull, that is until playing with Topaz Adjust detail and saturation controls.


This pile of wet leaves was also run through Topaz Adjust.

Needless to say, I like it - Topaz Adjust.

OK, I finally admitted it. I had to research on how to move Lightroom Catalogs. Over the last several years, I have made every mistake possible on reorganizing and moving catalogs. So last night before moving a catalog from my laptop internal drive to a brand new external, I actually went and googled the process.

David Marx at TheLightroomLab.com has posted two videos regarding this process. First video covers moving the catalog files onto the external drive. The second video covers moving the actual photo files.

Basically the process is copy the catalog files to the new location and point Lightroom to that location. The second video covers moving the actual photo files, key being, let Lightroom move the files.

Of course I have done all sorts of things, exporting catalogs and deleting the original, trying to merge catalogs by moving photos into the new catalog. The results were always hours of repair work.

But last night I followed Marx's instructions and successfully moved fifty gigs of images. It was painless.

Thanks David!

Lots of buzz around the internet tonight about Apple plans for Spring 2010. What is known, is according to a Financial Times article, Apple has rented space at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for a Tuesday, January 26th announcement. Apple has used this location for previous product announcements.

Then the rumors fly. Most stories speculate that Apple will introduce a tablet computer with either a 7 inch or 10 inch screen. The product would most likely ship in March. The logical rumors have Apple announcing in January to give developers time to port their iPhone apps to a bigger screen by March.

Apple rumors are so much fun again!

Tonight I checked out three Newbury Park homes where the owners took holiday displays to the next level- full fledged light shows.

First stop was 538 Brisbaine Ave. near Kimber and Reino. The owner was not home, so I was not able to talk to him. I found this home listed on at www.vcstar.com/seasonal/displays on the map. Santa is there and waves to the kids! The audio is transmitted on 100.5 FM. Show runs from 5 p.m. till 10 p.m. until January 1st.

My second stop was at 5209 Via Jacinto in Dos Vientos. Owner Eric Adem, a software developer, created his show with 104 individually computer-controlled sections of lights. This is his 4th year. The audio is on 99.1 FM. His display is on from 5 p.m. till 10 p.m.. Adem loves to greet visitors with cookies!

The third show is also in Dos Vientos, at 5332 Via Patricia. This is electrical engineer Brian Fuchs' second year. His audio is broadcasted on 99.1 FM until 10pm. Fuchs is usually out front greeting visitors.

Both Dos Vientos locations had about 15 cars in front watching the shows when I stopped by.

Adem was written up recently in the Thousand Oaks Acorn. Fuchs was in the Acorn a year ago, but the story is still online.

Tonight's dinner break walk was back to Pershing Square to check out the ice rink. The place was busy, so I shot some video and stills. It was an excuse to start learning iMovie8. Here is the result.

Here are a few photos from last two days in Los Angeles. Top and middle are photos of the Christmas tree in front of Los Angeles City Hall. Bottom photo is of sidewalk cleaning being done tonight at Spring and 4th. Enjoy. Scott

The Los Angeles City Hall searchlight during rain Saturday, December 12. A friend asked if Batman responded?

The man with the empty wallet is a cast aluminum sculpture titled "Art" by Richard Beyer, installed in 1982 at the corner of Wall Street and Franklin in downtown Bend, Oregon.

Last weekend I was in Bend, Oregon. My first visit in year 2000 was for a family wedding. Now my mom, sister and extended family live there. But on every trip I say hi to Art. He still sits with his birds and empty wallet. This time, he was perfect symbolism for the recession and loss of jobs.

Bend has been hit hard by the recession, unemployment is about 17 percent. Housing crashed big time and foreclosures are high. But the economy has not stopped community spirit. For example, they love parades. There is the 4th of July Pet Parade, Veterans Day Parade, and last Saturday, the Christmas Parade.

It was 28 degrees, perfect sunny day for the Bend Christmas Parade. So I walked all over downtown Bend taking photos. Several thousand residents attended and there were over 80 entrants marching.

Sunday was ten degrees and a foot of snow. Monday was back to Los Angeles, but before I left, I walked over and photographed Art with his birds and this time, snow bank.

Flickr Bend Photo Set

This is why I always carry a spare key in my pocket. Thanks to my cousin Wes Landers.

The Muppets: Bohernian Rhapsody of the Queen rock classic has become a viral hit. I am one of the later one to watch the You Tube video that is almost up to nine million views. I had to post. Classic!