Upgrade to Aperture 3 or Not

Someone asked me on Facebook why I don't think it's the right time to upgrade to Aperture 3 from Aperture 2. I thought I'd share my opinion here.

Many of the features are not advantageous at this time to justify an upgrade. Looks are one thing, functionality is another. Cool brushes and gizmos sound great in A3, however A2 is still fantastic for its intended objectives. Things such as facial recognition and geotracking won't help much, especially if you're shooting weddings. If you need that, you can always use iPhoto '09, which has had these features for a year now. Video editing is nice, but you really have to identify your requirements before being sold on the novelty of it. If you're into the whole 'fusion' of photo & video, that's a different story, but then it's also safe to say your using video editing software already as well. The slideshow incorporation with video, photos, & music sounds lovely though.

At this time, I personally don't find it feasible to upgrade, especially with reports of it slowing down/crashing for users if you have anything 4GB or less. It's 64-bit, which makes it easier to add & utilize more RAM, however, this means you will need to purchase what?...More RAM because its made to utilize it knowing it will require it. What a conundrum. Another pain right now is migrating your A2 libraries to A3. If you try to do the entire upgrade in one go, it takes a crap and no one knows why for now. I guess the other option would be try migrating one project at a time, but boy that's gonna take up some time if you've got a bunch of those. It simply will not run fast enough or crash when on a MBP running at 4GB when you've cropped at 100% to edit a photo. So either upgrade the RAM or buy a new machine.

These additional stresses, headaches, & costs need to be considered and should probably be listed under *System Requirements* with "$99 for Software Upgrade Fee, Additional Hardware Costs Required, Motrin Optional." Best thing to do: Wait for all fixes or version 3.1, try a 30-day trial of v3, or explore other options such as Lightroom or Lightroom 3 Beta.

In closing, I see far too many photographers and independent businesses get sold on the marketing sheepdom of buying the latest equipment and the latest software. If you were running a 50-employee company all using the current software, you would make more logical assessments based on hardware/software requirements and costs for all 50 people. If you have to upgrade the hardware in addition to the software, you're talking more money regardless. You have to think like this even if you are running a one person studio. If you're in business, think and act like it.

Summer Wedding Madness Special Savings - Win iPhone 3GS

WIN ALL NEW APPLE iPHONE 3GS or $200 APPLE GIFT CARD

It's summer wedding season at Asim Soofi Photography. To celebrate the crazy fun madness, two brand new Apple iPhone 3GS models will be given out in the form of Apple Gift Cards to two lucky winners. Apple's iPhone 3GS is the newest version of the already hot and popular cell phone, and you know you want one. Especially if it's for FREE. If you'd rather use the $200 towards something else from Apple, by all means do it! All you have to do is to enter by July 31st! Continue reading below for all the details on how to enter, plus extra savings on wedding photography packages!

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST - TWO WAYS: TWITTER or FACEBOOK

Contest Open to ALL U.S. Residents!

TWITTER CONTEST ENTRY

1. First, start following me on Twitter (http://twitter.com/asimsoofi).

2. Second, copy & paste the following into your Twitter status, minus the quotes: "RT @asimsoofi FREE $200 Apple Gift Card From http://AsimSoofi.com/ ★ Full Details http://bit.ly/I0XP0 ★"

IMPORTANT UPDATE: If you start to follow me on Twitter, please remember that does NOT enter you into the contest. You also have to update your status with the RT line given. I don't want anyone to miss their chance!

FACEBOOK CONTEST ENTRY

1. Update your Facebook status/wall with the following, minus the quotes: "RT @asimsoofi FREE $200 Apple Gift Card From http://AsimSoofi.com/ ★ Full Details http://bit.ly/I0XP0 ★"

2. Send me a message through FB so we can confirm your wall post and enter you into the contest. Make sure to add me as a friend so I can see your wall! http://facebook.com/asimsoofi.

SPECIAL SAVINGS FOR BRIDES
Now for a limited time, any destination wedding being held outside of the U.S. and booked by July 31st will receive 25% off your entire wedding package. So if you or someone you know is looking for a photographer and wants to have their wedding in a far off destination (such as India, the Caribbean, Mexico, Paris, Italy, etc!), this is the time to book. For all other non-destination 2010 weddings being held will receive 15% off their entire wedding package. This is the BIGGEST savings I've ever given and will be available for a limited time. The clock is ticking!

WEDDING REFERRALS RECEIVE $50 GIFT CARD

If you refer a friend and they book their wedding date with me, you will automatically receive a $50 Apple Gift Card. All you have to do is email info@asimsoofi.com with your friend's full name, phone, email, and CC: your friend in the same email letting them know they should visit www.asimsoofi.com. Just make sure I receive this email before they contact me. That's it!

FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS & WEDDING PROFESSIONALS

Not to leave out my fellow wedding professionals, all private consultations and mentoring is now 20% off until the end of July as well. This is not just for photographers, but any wedding professionals such as make up artists, planners, and more. Limited availability and spots, so don't wait too long. Time is of the essence in your business and can be very costly. Don't let second guessing drive your business. Take control of it! Click HERE to learn more.

TERMS

No purchase is required to enter contest. Odds of winning based on number of entries. Winner will receive a $200 Apple Gift Card good towards iPhone purchase, or for any other purchase from an Apple Store. For all wedding clients, intent to book email must be received by 7/31/09 at info@asimsoofi.com email and wedding contract must be signed and a non-refundable retainer submitted by August 31, 2009 in order to qualify for savings. Wedding date does not need to be finalized at this time to qualify. Apple iPhone 3GS contest ends 7/31/09. All consultation appointments must be scheduled by 7/31/09 and completed by 12/31/09. Apple iPhone 3GS taxes, activation, service plans, and any other fees are the sole responsibility of contest winner(s). Contest winner(s) will be notified via email. Please email info@asimsoofi.com with any questions.

Broken Laptop Screen Replacement

Almost everyday, I get asked random questions about everything by someone; life, love, shoes, wedding stuff, places to eat, cars, cameras, paper or plastic, etc. Pretty awesome to be the go-to question guru. Its cool though because I love helping out if I can. Anyway, thought I'd share the latest question today. I may just start posting these random questions...Watch out now!

A friend broke her laptop screen and asked me if I could suggest a good place to get it fixed or help her find a deal on a new one (I'm a deal master btw). First off, a good laptop will set you back atleast $900 or more. I suggested she fix it herself since it's quite easy. I pointed her towards Screen Tek Inc, who specialize in Laptop LCD Screens. They even provide detailed instructions on how to replace your laptop LCD screen. Screens range from $295 for HP replacements to other popular models, such as the Apple MacBook Pro amongst us photographers, for around $425. When you're talking about replacing a $1900 laptop just because of a screen, this is great workaround. You can also find out the model of your particular screen and do a search on eBay to see if you can get it cheaper as well. Either way, you save money and you'll save yourself the headache of having to transfer all of your data from one machine to the new one.

MacBook Pro Screen Goes Bonkers

The weirdest thing happened to my MacBook Pro. The screen went 'color snow' on me. Luckily, I had to do a hard reset to restart, and all was back to normal. Really strange because it's the first time it ever happened. If you know what it is, definetly drop me a line.