Check One

Hey there guys, I know its been all too quiet around here since all the excitement of the newest iPhones hitting the market. Over the years I have offered packs of wallpapers when there are new changes to iOS resolutions and I don’t plan on this one being any different. I am planning a nice pack of updated wallpapers for the new iPhone 6’s big screens and once the pack is out all new wallpapers in the future will also carry these resolutions. Looks like I will have to offer 4 iOS versions of wallpapers now. So it goes. Just need to sort out some adjustments to my download button code.

The delay in its release is simply because I have been swamped this month with work. This post is my test post for the new resolutions. I am also including versions with test boxes using the same technique I used to sort out the original iOS7  sizes which was super confusing at the time. Thankfully there are a lot more people out there sorting these things out this time so these resolutions should be pretty spot on I hope. The resolutions I am using are 852×1608 (iPhone 6) and 2662×2662 (iPhone 6 Plus).

The wallpaper buttons below are for existing iPads and iPhone 5/s/c. Here is a link to the iPhone 6 version, and here is a link to the iPhone 6+ version.

Here are the versions I made for testing, may as well share them too eh? SIX test. SIX+ test.

If all goes well I should have the new packs out soon, thanks for your patience! Also, while you are here, why not let me know if there are any old favorites that you would like me to include in the new packs. Unfortunately I am unable to convert my entire wallpaper library but I will be sure to make a nice well rounded set.

UPDATE:

OK guys so I have tested a couple different 6+ resolutions and still have not found one that matches my expectations and I am almost certain they are not correct. I am 98% sure that the iPhone 6 res is correct though. Being the perfectionist I am when it comes to this I would much rather get this right the first time around. I found a friend in town that is willing to help me out by letting me use a tester 6+ he has available so I can mess around with my own ideas and see what I can come up with this week. Hang tight. We will get there. I am just as anxious as everyone else to get the new packs up and live!

Wildlife

It can be easy to forget how much we rely on modern comforts in our day to day life. When I toss a few essentials into a backpack and head off into the woods I give up some of those niceties and in turn have a great opportunity to re-tune my assumption that we are dominant among nature because of our ability to overcome it by being smarter than it is. Comfort can be overrated at times, the concept distorts our expectations based on what we think we need to be happy. The simplicity of camping and being away from modern living refreshes my state of mind. I wish I had time to get out more often! The moment I saw this sign swallowed whole by a tree I was reminded that nature has a way of quickly forgetting our interfering hands as it flows through time without us and I figured some of you may enjoy this subtle reminder as well. Enjoy!

Check One Two

Don’t mind me. Just getting a quick check in.

50ft Radio Volume Twelve

Some of you may or may not know that I have long been associated with music, both in its creation and amplification as an audio engineer. My technical prowess revolves around concert audio but my heart lives in the music itself. While I have not actively made any music in years now I have slowly rekindled a love for playing out as a DJ.

In the past year I have started to play around town with a couple friends of mine who are fellow vinyl junkies. We get together with a few crates of records and trade back and forth through the night. On our recent weekly gig we started to invite others to bring out their favorite records to play as well which has added a lot of diversity and community to the typically singular act of DJing.

While digital DJs have taken over the landscape (for obvious reasons), there is something about thumbing through a small crate of records that I have fallen for. It’s not about being different, or being hipster about it. This is about an honest love for vinyl and music and the act of sharing with others what I love so much. No tricks, no set BPM, no theme, just unpredictable fun.

With this edition of 50ft Radio I wanted to share a few tracks that I have enjoyed playing out recently as well as a few that I don’t have on vinyl but wanted to share here anyhow. It’s an hour of laid back dance music for the end of the summer, Hope you guys find something to enjoy.

I know my most popular mixes tend to be my ambient, calm ones and I’m happy to say, I have a new one well on its way already and I will get that out in time for the calm days of fall. Should be a good one, its shaping up nicely.

On a technical note, I am back to using an Advanced AAC file with chapters, artwork, and artist names for reference. I will continue to use this format until its no longer supported. May as well!

Respect and support the artists showcased here! If you love a song then head over to your favorite online shop or streaming service and pick up a copy for yourself. To grab volume 12 simply click here. Spoilers here.

Transistor Radio

There are a handful of records in my collection that somehow never get old, ones that manage to feel welcome even after years of listening. One of those old standards in my book is M. Wards Transistor Radio, which I put on for the first time in a while last night. This record and the one that followed, Post-War, marked a turning point for M.Ward as he slowly gained a bigger following which reached a tipping point as he started to release music as ‘She & Him’ with Zooey Deschanel.

Transistor Radio is still my favorite album from Ward because of it’s eclectic mix of folk/singer songwriter ideas and experiments in sound/recording. It has a bit of a distant, otherworldly quality about it at times as it swings gently along. It is an easy recommendation and would fit nicely into any collection. It was released on Merge Records in 2005 but can be found on most modern streaming services or on vinyl through a bit of digging around online or at your local record shops.

Flow

During a recent camping trip, I re-connected with my old desire to shoot nature for the first time in a long while. Some days I feel like I have photographed it enough for a lifetime but being out in the woods away from the city it’s hard not to get inspired. On days like these my eagerness to shoot slowly builds. Every time I discover something beautiful to capture I get more excited and coming across challenging spots like this one leaves my head spinning with ideas.

With these photos I knew I wanted the water to have some personality by using a slower shutter speed but did not have a tripod on me so I made due with a balanced shooting position and steady hands. Despite the focused details in the moss and stone being shaky I still like the way they turned out.

One of my favorite parts of shooting is quickly weighing compromises when approaching a scene based on the natural light, gear on hand, and time constraints. Much of photography is based on compromise and an understanding of the tools being used and the puzzle is always so much fun to solve. So, as always, I hope you guys enjoy these as much as I enjoyed taking them. More soon!

Update: I found a little video clip recorded while I shot this spot, thought it was fun so I tossed in some music and posted it below. The audio is a bit louder than I meant to have it, just so you know. Funny, I remember shooting this and nearly slipped down the rock as I followed the water down. There was a split second that I considered letting it happen just to see what the video would look like but quickly reconsidered and balanced myself back out.