Some Important Tips when Building PC for a Photo Studio

Building a PC for a photo studio is a better alternative to buying a pre-built unit off the shelf, to ensure the PC is customized for quality photo editing. Ideally, the plan is to set up a photography workstation built with various photography tools such as those used for graphic design and all kinds of 2D visuals like Photoshop, Illustrator, GIMP, CorelDRAW, Paintshop Pro, PhotoDirector, Lightroom, InDesign and all others deemed as helpful photo editing and graphic design instruments.

However when planning to custom build a new PC for your photography business, it’s important to install and run the computer on the Microsoft Windows operating system. Mainly because Windows OS offers maximum compatibility with nearly all available photo editing software.

Things to Consider When Choosing Components for a PC with Photo Editing Functions

Generally, a typical PC is made up of several core componets such as the CPU, Graphics Card, Motherboard, RAM, Storage, Power Supply and Monitor. However, you can make comparing of PC Components a lot easier by visiting a custom pc builder website (PC Custom Builder), which provides comprehensive information about compatible parts for the PC building project you have in mind.

RAM is not going to be much of an issue, since you only need to have at least 8GB. If in case you need more of the random access memory, simply adding more is fairly easy.

CPU or The Central Processing Unit

The CPU, often referred to as the brain of a computer, will have the most significan role in performing editing and creating 2D images with the help of the photo editing software and graphic design tools. That being the case it’s important to make thorough comparisons when looking to buy the most robust type as component of a custom-built PC.

Whereas before, popular photo editing applications like Photoshop was found to have better results with single-threaded performance when compared to CPUs with more than four-cores and capable of multi-threaded performance. Yet since technology constantly evolves, new generations of multi-core CPUs are now capable of performing well, without going beyond budgetary requirements.

Graphics Card

Contrary to misconceptions that pricey graphic cards get the best work done in graphic design, photography experts give advice that you dimply need to build a PC that has a balanced array of detached graphics card. That way you won’t go wrong choosing a conservatively priced graphics card.

The point is to make sure that a graphics card that can display 4K images must ne able to do so clearly with a 4K monitor.

Storage: Hard Disk and Solid State Drives

Having enough hard drive storage space should not be a limiting factor for a photo studio. When looking to store massive files, it only needs installing a supplementary hard drive space as needed. The popular recommendation is to have Solid State Device for the operating systems, essential programs and work-in-progress.

Neuropathy Among Photographers : Why They Shouldn’t Just Grin and Bear the Pain

Photographers worldwide suffer from chronic pain, yet most of them do not like talking about being in pain because they were taught to act professionally. Photographers are taught to endure and not to complain about anything uncomfortable, and be accommodating to their clients. While on the job, it is common for photographers to just “grin and bear” whatever body pain they are going through.

Still, several have admitted that they have been suffering from chronic pain over the last few years. Some photographers say they do not seek any sort of medical treatment other than for relief of body pain. However, this should not be the case because pain is the way by which nerves communicate to the brain that something is not right. Not getting treatment could endanger their health, as it can develop into becoming pain that will stop them from practicing their profession.

What Causes Chronic Pain Among Photographers?

In order to capture the perfect photos, photographers have to bring along heavy pieces of photography equipment, and in most cases, have to endure uncomfortable positions just to take a perfect shot.

Although compared to older versions of cameras, modern cameras are much more lightweight. Yet the thing is, professional  photographers now spend more time taking pictures, which means their cameras are hung around their necks most of the time. After a shoot, they still need to cull their shots, edit, and sometimes blog to promote their photography business.

Many photographers are not aware that their chronic pain is now known as peripheral neuropathy, which could be a symptom of an undiagnosed disorder. Neuropathy can also be pain caused by damaged nerves due to constant compression or pinching, poor blood circulation or poor posture; or at worse, a combination of all

Harvard Medical School even tags it as the “invisible disability” because a person who suffers from neuropathy can be overwhelmed by the pain. Enough to disable him from carrying out normal activities. .

The Importance of Neuropathy Treatments

According to a study by the Institute of Medicine, pain that lasts longer that the original injury or illness, which if left untreated can evolve into a new disease. Neuropathy as recent studies have show is pain deemed as an indication of an illness until it becomes the illness itself, enough to disable an affected person.

A professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins, Michael Polydefkis M.D., stated that if the pain is ignored, peripheral neuropathy can evolve into a much worse type of neurological dysfunction. That is why he constantly reminds primary care doctors not to ignore complaints of chronic pain but to always take them seriously; even if the patient only mentions feelings of slight numbness.

Experiencing the same pain over and over again can affect the central nervous system and cause central sensitization. The condition is a phenomenon where the body becomes more sensitive even at the slightest touch. Delaying the treatment for neuropathy can also cause anxiety, insomnia, depression, and the incapacity to perform ordinary work.

Neuropathy Treatments Available

While it is important that nerve pain must be treated, treatment for peripheral neuropathy depends on the cause. When the illness is in a severe stage, treatments called for can vary from injections, physical therapy, and/or surgery. Treating neuropathy can include taking over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin or ibuprofen to lessen the discomfort and pain.

Peripheral neuropathy can sometimes be caused by vitamin deficiency, specifically Vitamins B and A. Vitamin B is significant in maintaining nerve health, while lack of Vitamin A can bring about nerve damage. Supplements are sometimes recommended by primary care doctors even if one’s diet includes some Vitamin B nutrients. However, it’s important follow the recommended dosage in order to avoid the worsening of symptoms and prevent toxicity due to overdosage.

Finding a Safe Venue for Rooftop Photography via Rooftop Bars

There is something about rooftops that makes it captivating especially for photographers who practice roof photography in exploring various urban settings. Photographers stand on great heights at different angles of the building to get a unique view of the city. Rooftop photography can even make dull details such as chimneys and skylights look aesthetically appealing.

Actually rooftop photography already has a dedicated fanbase of rooftoppers mostly coming from members of social media sites like Instagram and YouTube. At dangerous heights and without using safety equipment, these rooftoppers take videos, panoramic pictures, and selfies on top of high altitude buildings, often assisted by a crew positioned from afar. However, rooftopping or roofing can sometimes violate policies, as most rooftoppers are likely to trespass or breach security protocols.

Is Rooftopping Against the Law?

Rooftopping is the act of climbing buildings at great heights with no safety harnesses usually for the main goal of taking pictures that hopefully, will go viral.

Although there is no particular law that forbids rooftopping, but there have been cases when rooftoppers have been charged for trespassing, security breach, and other similar violations. Yet the major worry on rooftopping is its dangerous nature, as many have died or have been severely injured after falling from great heights without any safety harness.

Rooftop Bars as Safe Venues for Rooftop Photography

Rooftop bars are being recommended as the safest alternative locations in which to bring one’s rooftop photography engagements, whether for leisure or for business purposes.

The State of Connecticut for one has a wide selection of rooftop bars with unique views to offer, and to satisfy every rooftopper’s preference. Connecticut not be the most popular destination for a club scene but surprisingly, they provide the finest rooftop bars in the country. To name a few, below are some examples of the best rooftop bars to discover in Connecticut:

  • Pigs Eye Pub – located in the city of Hartford is a themed high-end bar which gives a breathtaking view of Hartford’s skyline.
  • Sign of the Whale is the right rooftop bar for those who want to enjoy as well as capture the sunset as it sets across the Stamford Harbor,
  • Bar 19 located at the rooftop of the Omni New Haven Hotel in Yale, offers picturesque views of the New Haven skyline through huge glass windows.
  • High George at the top of The Blake Hotel is recommended to those who enjoy looking at the beauty of the city’s stunning cityscape.

Commercial Roofing Contractors’ Advice to Connecticut Rooftop Bars

Inasmuch as hotels and restaurants are searching for unique ways of providing guests with a new experience, rooftop decks and bars as an additional aspect in their building, have risen in popularity. Rooftop patios add appeal to the building and help draw more customers. According to studies, customers tend to stay longer at venues with rooftop expansion than those without.

Commercial Roofing Contractors CT business owners consult with, give advice that such an expansion adds stress to commercial roofings. When making plans to add a rooftop bar or patio, CT commercial roofing contractors give the following advice:

Maintenance is important as the rooftop will have double purposes. While it is important that the roofing is fireproof and water-tight, it should also be sturdy enough to carry items as well as hold a greater number of people.

Hiring a professional is vital in checking your rooftop patio as it is different from the regular ground floor patio. Aside from the services of a structural engineer, a professional roofing company employ experts who understand the proper methods of checking the conditions of an existing roofing system.

Rooftop are always in contact with natural forces, which requires materials that can withstand harsh elements, while at the same time strong enough to shield the structure underneath.

Rooftops are designed with a slight slope to drain the water off, which requires expertise of experienced roofer when following the architectural designs of a rooftop deck.

White or Grey? Which Works Best for Photography Studio Walls?

A question often asked by those setting up their photography studio for the first time, is which color is best to use for the studio walls, white or grey? While both colors are neutral, some professional photographers who have been in the business for quite some time say, the choice depends on one’s photography style and the subject one usually photographs.

Now if your photography style varies because your subjects are diverse, then it would be best to have at least one wall painted in white, and have the rest painted in grey. That is because a white wall background is excellent for commercial photography, particularly for products with texture or of a material that is not reflective. Some extra light bounced around by a white wall can give the right lighting effect.

However, if you will be tasked to shoot bottled products or those that come in shiny, glossy packages, a grey wall will serve as the ideal background. A white wall tends to produce extra light that is likely to bounce on the glass or shiny material, while a grey wall will absorb those extra lights, which eliminates unwanted light reflections on your photographs.

Stil, even if you decide on a white or grey color with which to paint your photography studio wall/s, there are several considerations to make before actually buying the paint material.

Important Pointers to Consider When Deciding to Use White for Studio Walls

Inasmuch as lighting is an important element in photography, deciding on a white or grey wall paint also depends on the amount of natural and/or ambient light that falls on the wall .If your photography studio has windows that bring in a lot of natural light into the room, a white wall might prove to be a less ideal choice.

Don’t Just Buy Yet In Case You Decide to Paint Your Studio Walls Grey

Another important thing to keep in mind is to buy matte white or matte grey, which is the same as flat white or flat paint. Matte or flat paints are non-reflective and are easier to apply aside from being less costly.

However, when it comes to choosing grey, bear in mind that grey paints come in different shades or tones, whilst having different capabilities in absorbing light. While there are lighter, slightly darker or darker shades of grey, the natural or ambient light that falls on grey-painted surfaces will reflect differently.

Photography studio owners who have been through this experience, give advice not to buy the whole lot of paint materials just yet. Buy sample sizes of three different shades to help you make the right decisions in buying the right shades of grey. Aside from the amount of light that will reflect on the wall, the size of the area in which the light comes also play an important in your decision making.

Test each paint sample on a patch that measures at least 3 square feet of the wall on which the paint will be applied. Wait until the patches are dry and smooth, because in that condition, you will at least have an example which color will turn lighter once the light reflects on the wall. If on the contrary, there won’t be much reflective light coming in into your studio, it will be easier to decide on the lightest shade of grey, which you can combine with the darker shade for your ceiling.

It’s a good thing that there are now articles that share pointers and tips when choosing and buying the color to paint on your walls, especially if there is a specific purpose to consider. If you are interested in sharing your own experience and ideas about home improvement write for us as we accept guests posts for our platform.

Distinguishing Craft from Artistic Knitters

The country’s coronavirus lockdown order has made a lot of stay-at-home people picking up their long-forgotten knitting needles, or learning the craft. Now that they are staycationers right in their homes, albeit not by choice, they have returned to, or have turned their attention to knitting because they find it relaxing.

It is in fact quite noticeable that there is an increasing number of knitting projects being shared at Instagram. The IG photos probably spurred the knitting trend even among the youth. Actually, learning how to knit is no longer a daunting task, as there are numerous how-to-knitting videos available online, from teaching the basic steps and stitches, to knitting a simple wooly project.

That being said, it brings us to mind the unresolved debate of whether knitting can be considered a form of art. The topic has become argumentative as there are now modern artists who have incorporated knitting techniques, or have thrown in knitted articles in creating or building their installations.

When is Knitting a Craft and When Is It an Art

Take note that we have rephrased the question, rather than simply ask if knitting is a craft or art.

Knitting is a craft that is easy to learn since the process involves repetitive motions of pulling yarns in and out with a needle, to create and mesh loops until a project attains completion. If a knitter faithfully followed instructions of a pattern to create a sweater with intricate designs, does that make him or her an artist?

That is where the argument lies, because art in its truest sense does not involve mechanical or repeated actions that do not involve or require visualising the outcome. More so today when there is an assortment of downloadable patterns and knitting tools like yarn bowls, yarn winders and blocking wires that make knitting a lot easier.

Suzanne Isken, the Executive Director of Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles, California remarked in an interview that

For a person to be recognized as a trained artist, he has to demonstrate a certain level of skill in creating something out of a certain medium”..”throwing a piece of knitted yarn on an installation piece does not make that person a fiber artist.”

Her remarks basically suggest that for a knitter to be considered an artist, he or she must have conceptualised an original design for which his or her artistic skills were applied in making that design work for a knitting project. Modern artistic knitters usually work on designs by using a mood board that helps in visualising a complex idea for a knitwear. Based on their visualisation of a concept, artistic knitters decide on the type and colors of yarn to use.

To add style to a design, they experiment by swatching, or making small samples of varying stitches as a way to decide how the stitches will appear as a pattern of a knitwear. Once satisfied with the design plans, an artistic knitter will create a pattern and write down instructions that will enable craft knitters to create the knitwear designs.

Drawing patterns and getting instructions written with the help of an application, does not take away the artistic skills that was applied in creating the pattern

Real Estate Photographers Play an Important Role in SoCal’s Affordable Housing Programs

Real estate photographers in Orange County are currently in hight demand as the number of homeowners renting out so-called “granny flats,” is on the rise. Statistically, Orange County, SoCal, reflected an unusually high number of homes included in Real Estate, Rental and Leasing listings.

The trend of renting out “granny flats,” otherwise known as Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) built by homeowners, has picked up even in other Southern California counties. ADU rentals increased ever since the California legislature embraced the ADU concept as a way to solve the state’s housing crisis; legislating a package of state laws that homeowners must observe when building and leasing ADUs in their private property.

In 2016 alone, it was estimated that one (1) out of every four (4) houses in SoCal has an ADU to offer to interested renters. The number has since risen, now that the state Congress made amendments that eliminated the minimum lot-size requirement and the number of owner-occupancy that one must meet in order to qualify for ADU building and letting.

Rise in Numbers of ADUs Spurred a Demand for Professional Real Estate Photographers

Initially, when OC homeowners placed their ADUs in Real Estate listings, they merely used their phone cameras to photograph their ADU, just so they could give searchers a view of what a homeowner is offering for lease.

Later however, as the number of available ADUs increased, it came to be that using professionally taken photographs can make a big difference in attracting renters. After all, real estate photographers are backed, not only by years of experience in real estate photography; but also by their broad understanding of what attracts buyers or renters when looking at real estate listings.

More so now that Orange County has been statistically surveyed as having an exceptionally high number of real estate for rent or lease, when compared to other counties.

Taking Out Home Mortgage Financing to Build ADUs in Orange County

The legislation signed by Governor Brown in 2016 made it easier for homeowners to build new ADUs and get existing ADUs code-compliant. Through the California Housing Finance Agency’s Single Family Lending Division, more than 163,000 families in California were able to take out mortgages that enabled them to buy their own home by including ADUs in their plan, as doing so can enhance their qualifications as borrowers.

Seek an Orange County mortgage broker to help with the financing aspect. He or she is in a a better position to explain the qualifications that borrowers must satisfy in order to qualify for FHA fixed-rate mortgages for the traditional 15- or 30-year term, currently at 2.875% and 3.375% respectively; depending on the amount of FHA loan that will be taken out.

Aphrodisiacs: Excellent Subject for Coffee Table Photobooks

Aphrodisiacs as subjects of conversation never fail to draw curiosity, even from those who profess to have excellent sexual relationship with their partner. An aphrodisiac photobook therefore can be a worthy coffee table addition, but only if that table is in a niche that is strictly for adults.

Although photobooks contain mostly photographs of a particular subject, it is mainly purposeful as conversation pieces. The photographer being the author, may compile and arrange his photographs with the help of a graphic designer and/ or editor. Together, they will collaborate on placing images in a sequence that can convey message; or knowledge about a particular object, era, culture, landscape or any other subject that can engage people in light conversations or banter, rather than promote serious discussions.

More often than not, the size of a photobook is larger than the standard book size; allowing presentation of high definition photographs and other forms of illustrations in different sizes. The cover must immediately capture the interest of a would-be browser, which will be sustained once they view vivid, concise and colorful images of the subject presented.

What Makes Photographs of Aphrodisiacs Excellent as a Coffee Table Photobook

Conceptualizing photobooks carrying the same theme as those that have already become staple and mundane will find it hard to get noticed even in bookshops. Photographs of aphrodisiacs can be a novelty, posing as medium for visual presentations of the different shapes, sizes, colors, textures and cultural origins of a substance that can stimulate sexual appetites. Even ladies seated near a coffee table will find it hard to resist an urge to take a peek, just to have a glimpse of those enigmatic substances known as aphrodisiacs.

Not a few opine that a common characteristic among aphrodisiacs is their resemblance to sexual organs. This can be exemplified by oysters with its similarity to the female vulva, and by ginseng to the male genitalia. Actually, there is a broad range of roots, herbs, fruits, vegetables, insects and other food elements widely believed as having aphrodisiac qualities. One of the best sites to explore when researching about food that can enhance desire for sexual pleasure is myaphrodisiacs.com.