Thursday, February 23, 2012

My new 3000sf studio space

Well, here it is *THE BIG SURPRISE*.....a very few of you knew I was working on this deal this entire month, and it is all finally come together. I didn't want to say much because it was a fragile deal, and I didn't want to jinx it.

It's costing me a fortune to get into this space, but it is the perfect space for me, and my business if I really want to take it to the next level. Which is a full blown Media Company.

Hopefully in the near future, we can offer Photography, Video, Web Design, etc.

I know it doesn't look like much, but for a 3000sq ft space 4 blocks from the beach, I am stoked. It is exactly everything I need for a photo studio for sure, and a legit place to keep my cars, and motorcycles. It is the exact type space I have been looking for. So, I never ask, but I am suppose to get the keys tomorrow, so if anyone wants to help me move......be my guest!!

I'm actually looking at hosting a Artist Work Shop hopefully at least once a month, so local LB artist can come together, and put together a project for us to work on, and complete. If you are interested let me know. I hopefully will get it started right around the beginning of summer, once I'm moved in, and settled, which will be the first priority.

People, I need your business, so if you know anyone getting married, who needs a Photographer, and Videographer. Please let me know. I will be glad to pay anyone a decent referral fee, for any Wedding booked, and paid for.






Sunday, February 19, 2012

You never know, unless you try. Inverter replacement Dell XPS M1530

A few days ago I'm sure some of you saw that I posted on my Facebook that I needed a good laptop repair place in, or around downtown Long Beach.

Long story short. I was editing photos a few nights ago, and I luckily I use a dual monitor set up as I use a large LCD hooked into my laptop hdmi port for photo editing. As I set there editing I glanced back at my laptop screen and noticed the whole left side of the screen had went dark, you could still see the icons, but barely. However the right side of the laptop screen was fine.

I said to myself ...oh, no, that can't be good.

So, I immediately stopped what I was doing, and hit Google, to see what I could find out, and within about an hour I had done enough research to be pretty sure the Inverter was going bad on my laptop. The Inverter controls inverting the power to supply to your laptop screen. I also knew it wasn't the video card because the external monitor I have hooked up worked fine.

One thing I did read on a forum is one person posted that if the left side of your laptop screen is dark rest assured your Inverter is going bad, and once it completely fails your entire screen will go black.
So, that was invaluable advice because this laptop is my main editing station, and I have a lot of editing to do. I knew if the screen died totally I would be dead in the water. As I said earlier though I run a dual display system, but I had my external monitor set up as my secondary screen, and the laptop is my primary. I knew if the laptop screen went completely dark even though the external monitor was working fine, I would not be able to access any of the icons from my main laptop screen.

So, I immediately went in, and switched the screens...making my external screen my primary screen.
I was really bummed, but I at least felt better knowing I at least would be safe is the laptop screen went totally black if the Inverter failed completely. I was tired, and just decided to go to bed, and think about it.

Next morning I awoke still bothered by the laptop delima, and as I set down at my desk, and turned it on it showed my Dell boot screen but about 15 seconds after the bootup the screen went totally dark.
I was like wow, thank goodness I switched my external to my primary screen as it didn't take no time for the Inverter to completely go out, and I now knew it was the Inverter for sure because one of the symptoms is your screen will work when you boot your system, but will go dark after your in your main screen.

So, I spent the next couple hours contemplating my next move. I even considered just going, and buying another laptop, or getting a Macbook Pro. I have a top of the line Dell XPS which is suppose to be Dells closet equivalent to the Macbook Pro. So, I plan the move to Mac at some point, but my delima is I use Sony Vegas for video editing. I've never used Final Cut Pro, and my Sony HD1000 that I shoot my wedding videos with hooks up via Firewire, and the new Macbook doesn't have a Firewire port. So, my Dell XPS does, and that is why I chose it over a Macbook to begin with.

So, if I bought a new Macbook Pro Im still stuck in that delima. So, I decided best strategy would be fix what I've got if it didn't cost more than the laptop is worth, or even a couple hundred is more than I would want to sink into it. So, I started pricing Inverter replacement, and the pricing was all over the place, but lowest price quoted was $140 which I thought was pretty cheap, and reasonable, but they were backed up, and could take 3 days to a week before I would get my laptop back.

I really didn't want to be without my laptop for that long. I knew I had time since my external display was working fine. I just couldn't take my laptop anywhere, and use it unless I wanted to drag along the 24" display, no thanks. I also have a nice cheap Compaq backup laptop I can use.
After some more thought I on a whelm decided to check ebay to see if I could find an Inverter on there for my laptop, and how much would it be. I heard normally they range in price from $40-$70 bucks via computer store. Again, I didn't think that was to bad for a laptop part.

To my surprise though I found a whole page full, and all priced $15, and below. I thought it had to be some mistake, but after sifting through, and reading the pages I saw that was the typical price on ebay for them.
I wanted one that was a buy now feature, and to my surprise I found one there, the seller had an outstanding seller feedback, and the Inverter was listed for less than four dollars, and free shipping.....I thought how could I pass that up, but then I don't know anything about laptop repair. I knew the Inverter was located on the bottom of the laptop screen, and you had to remove the entire LCD screen to get to it...and honestly that was a little intimidating, but I thought what the hell for that price I couldn't pass it up.

I bought it, four days later I had it in my hand. Looking at my laptop I couldn't immagine tearing into that thing to get to the Inverter to replace it with this new one, and what if I broke, or ruined my laptop completely because I had no idea what I was doing....at least now it still worked as a desktop with a external monitor. I decided that day not to attempt it. I had work to do, and I wanted to sleep on it.
Keep in mind I'm very comfortable tearing into a typical PC. I've worked on my own desktops for years, and I built my very first one back in 1994. I've replaced processors to dvdrom drives to internal hardrives....laptops...not so much. I've never replace one part on a laptop, and I didn't have any confidence really that I could.

On the other hand I'm not the dullest tool in the shed. When I was really young, I never really had the money to have my stuff fixed, cars you name it. So, first line of repair was me. If I could fix it than I would.
I've learned to fix lots of stuff by just reading how too. If I can find a good manual telling me how, than I have about a 85% shot of repairing it myself. Anyway, I decided to tear into my laptop, and see if I could fix it. Worse case I screwed it up, and would have to buy another one.

As soon as I started removing the bezel two minutes into trying to figure out how to get it off. I cracked it by pulling too hard where it actually doesn't come apart. I was like oh, no this isn't starting good, and I almost threw in the towel right there, but it actually let me see exactly how the bezel did come off, and it wasn't the way I had been trying to do it. The crack was small, and superficial...really can't even notice it. So I continued....

After that it all flowed like clock work within 45 minutes I had taken the entire screen out, and apart, replaced the bad Inverter with the new one.
I put it all back together, and hoping I had done everything correct I fired it up to see if it worked, and low, and behold, it worked like a champ. I couldn't believe how beautiful, and bright the screen was. I realised that the screen had been a lot darker, and not that bright for some time.
So, it is completely fixed, and for a grand total ...are you ready for this....... *$3.49* ...yup, it cost me a grand total of three dollars, and fourty nine cents. #winning
The moral of the story is...don't ever be intimidated to make something happen on your own. Take a chance. It won't always work, but at least you can say you tried.





Remove Besel

After removing six screws holding lcd screen lay it flat across keyboard
Unhook power supply from lcd screen, and unhook wire at bottom from inverter
Remove lcd from laptop
Remove old inverter, and plug in new inverter
Reverse steps, put back together boot up, and you should have this.
Back to normal, back to work
Total price of repair  #winning

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Queen Esther

Image, I shot of the beautiful Esther Hanuka for King of the Cage.

Monday, February 6, 2012

SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS - 2012

So, if you were like me, yesterday during the Super Bowl than you might have been pre-occupied with the party, and missed some of the commercials. The commercials, are truly one of the best things about Super Bowl Sunday. For that reason I bring you.

 MY TOP 10 FAVORITE SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS 2012

1. CHRYSLER - Clint Eastwood.
What can you say, with the economic issues facing this country today. This commercial really was something different, from the funny catchy typical half time ads. I think for myself, and a lot it was......inspiring.



2. BEST BUY - Phone Innovators
I really love this commercial, and getting to put a face with some of the most inventive people who have made our lives easier in the advancement of so many little gadgets that we now so take for granted in our cell phone.



3. CHEVY 2012


4. HONDA CRV - Matthews day off.


5. AUDI - Vampire Party


6. E-TRADE - Speed Dating


7. SKETCHERS - Mr Quiggly


8. BUDLIGHT - Herewego


9. Volkswagon - Dog is funnier than the Vader Kid.
This one may have confused some if you haven't seen the Volkswagon commercial with the kid in the Darth Vader costume. If you haven't seen it I will include a link here. The Force - click here
I personally think The Vader Kid is epic, and a lot funnier than the dog, but that's just me.


10. H&M - David Beckham
This one def was marketed to the females Super Bowl audience, as I found it pretty gay, but as an artist I can appreciate the art aspect of it. I know, gay as well.