Don’t upgrade your software during Corona Virus!

Right now as we’re all on some sort of lockdown for Corona Virus and many stores and services are limited, I’m recommending you don’t update your software, particularly system software.

Updates don’t always go right, and sometimes they can take down your system. If that happens you might be stuck without the use of your computer, phone, or favorite software for an indeterminate amount of time.

I learned this the hard way many times over in my years of managing the servers and IT at West Coast Imaging. So much so that I set up rules for when I would never start a upgrade or major IT project. Here’s a few I can remember off the top of my head:

  1. No upgrades in the week before a trip. Having your system down when you are trying to focus on a trip is a real drag.
  2. No upgrades before a major project. My workflow is carefully validated to produce the results I expect. Software updates can throw kinks into that workflow, and that’s the last think I want when working on a deadline project.
  3. No upgrades going in to the weekend. I spent too many weekends at work over the years. Don’t set yourself up for a problem that will take your days off to fix.
  4. No updates when a major storm is predicted. (Winter storms could shut down our small mountain town entirely!)

A quick look at these tells me that now is not the time to upgrade. Basically, remember that Murphy’s law is always in effect, and don’t start a mess you can’t get yourself out of. I’ve been bit more times than I care to remember on what I though would be simple, quick upgrades. Fortunately I know how to get myself out of most of the messes, but there is still a cost in time and frustration. If you don’t know how to fix it yourself, don’t do it till this health crisis is over.

I’d recommend that you go through your devices and software and turn off the “Auto-Update” features so that you can be sure nothing updates without your permission. Auto updates are ok for email and web only users who don’t rely on their computers. I work on mine and down time hurts me and is frustrating. In my case, I want every update to be something I plan and initiate.

Before major updates, like system software or critical software, I always do three fresh clones of my boot drive so I can quickly “roll back” to a previous state if the update fails or is wonky. And the times I’ve need those backups, I’ve REALLY needed them.

And while I’m on the subject, don’t be the first to install new updates or new versions of software. With system software, give new versions about six months for the bugs to be worked out, and a couple months for the incremental security updates. For software like Photoshop, I give it a month or two, and I usually keep the old version installed so that I can still use it if Adobe mucks something up.

And if you’ve had an upgrade disaster happen like I have, share it in the comments so I can commiserate with you!

Stuck inside? Keep Learning, Keep Photographing!

As the current Corona Virus situation unfolds, many of us are going to be spending more time at home, and more time in some sort of semi-isolation.  I don’t know about you, but being closed off from my normal day-to-day is going to have me climbing the walls soon, so I want to suggest to you that this extra time is an opportunity to keep growing in your photography. 

The good news is that we can keep photographing wherever we are, with whatever we have. Even inside our homes there are whole worlds to explore. The 20th century photographer Edward Weston https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Weston made his famous “pepper” photos during a time when he was so poor he had to ration himself to one sheet of film a day, and the peppers he used as subjects became his meals. Out of those challenging circumstances, he made enduring images, and his photograph “Pepper #30” sets records at art auctions.

Don’t let equipment be a barrier either. When I was studying photography in college, one of my classmates did an amazing series on shoes for our product photography class, using just a desk-lamp and long exposures to light paint.  The result was something that equaled the best photos produced in a NYC studio.  Cost and equipment isn’t a barrier.  Weston’s Pepper #30 was made putting a pepper into a steel funnel as a “background.”

Even if we are avoiding social settings, nature remains open. From our yard, to green spaces and parks, there is a whole world we can explore while still keeping ourselves safe. Spring is upon us and every day gives new possibilities as flowers bloom and trees leaf out. Get down on your hands and knees with a macro lens and see what’s growing and photograph it!

The learning can also continue at the processing stage. I don’t know about you, but I have a whole host of “to learns” from new software packages, to techniques, to photos I’ve been meaning to get back to. Pick one of those and take advantage of the chance to dive in as deep as you can go.  If you’ve been putting off learning Photoshop, now is a perfect time to learn!

Those are my ideas, and I’d love to hear yours! Tell me what projects you’re planning on pursuing.