iPhone vs Blackberry vs ‘Droid vs Pre
I’m a blackberry. I want an iPhone. But iPhone does not have a real keyboard. And iPhone lacks BBM.
The Pre looks and acts like the iPhone with a keyboard but it “feels dumb.” I want Palm to do well, but they need to make a phone that actually feels sophisticated and less cheap. Make the touch screen less sugar coated and put it in a phone that feels like something substantial.
Android just weirds me out. The interface is wonky like some 1980’s thing-a-ma-jiggy. And I haven’t found a phone carrying the OS that feels good in my hands. Make the Android more comfortable.
The blackberry: BBM and a real keyboard. That’s pretty much all it has. The apps suck but you can get real business done on your eeny-weeny-teeny screen. (you can get a larger touch screen but, as every BB user will tell you, the Storm sucks sweaty balls). Develop a genuine cool factor and you’ll be cool again.
The iPhone has apps, iTunes and the cool factor. but your keyboard sucks. And don’t say “you will get used to it.” EVERY blackberry user that switches from BB to iPhone says “yeah.. this keyboard sucks.” And many switch BACK to the BB just to get the keyboard. The people who say “you will get used to it” have never owned an adult phone and need to stop using that lame argument. Get a real keyboard thrown in there, Mr. Jobs.
The”other smartphones.” They’re not real phones. Sorry, but there is a reason why these phones are market leaders used by professionals, militaries, and tech nerds. My advice to them is simple: create a super phone that no one can live without (ask any BB or iPhone user: we will both agree we cannot live without our phones).
I’m sticking to my BlackBerry until something changes. I have the Curve and I do not plan on doing ANY upgrades until
a) my phone falls in a bucket of water
b) my phone catches fire
c) my contract with Sprint expires completely (less than a year away. Although I have been happy with my service and I’m glad they keep their rates low considering AT&T, Verizon and Sprint essentially ALL carry the same damn level of service but Sprint decides to save their customers $50 per month on the unlimited plans)
In the meantime there is a year where a lot can happen. AT&T and Verizon can spend less on advertising and drop their rates. RIM could come out with a blackberry that has a real screen and real apps. Pre could make an adult version of itself. and Android could, well, be more human. And the iPhone could get an keyboard intended for adults who do real business.
I thought it would take an hour…
My hard drive was starting to get full. The other day I was at Costco looking at external hard drives but I thought I should go home and conserve time, energy and space by deleting old files o my computer. I figured it would take an hour.
Tonight I dug in to make some room. I started 10 hours ago. 6 hours ago I thought I was halfway there when I deleted 350 gig of digital negatives. Then I found a folder called “Stuff,” another called “Junk,” one called “Chicago stuff,” another called “Elite” and one labeled “JS.” EACH of those folders had about 20 other folders that also had more stuff, some junk and lots of digital negatives. Overall, I think I MAY be about 1/4 the way through this process now. Yes, that is right, it will take me 40+ full hours to complete this task (one working week for the 9-5′ers… one weekend for a freelancer). I walked in to this project with about 1.3tb of data; I am pretty sure I have only about 100 gig of stuff I will end up keeping in the end. This will trim everything down to TIFF’s, a few web sized jpg’s and only a few dozen CR2 files.
This is actually a good thing. Clearly my organizational skills have been pretty weak in terms of file management. This, of course, means I am taking advantage of the situation and creating a new structure on how to handle all digital negatives, how to organize them, store them and label them. This will also help me deliver images quicker AND allow me more flexibility with the usage of images (since it will be MUCH easier to find images now).
This is also my reminder to myself: don’t take shortcuts when labeling stuff. It will cost you later.
Also- since I work for myself and do not get paid unless I am working for someone else, please feel free to email me and ask about buying one of my prints! info@MichaelDonovanPhotography.com
Where have all the photos gone?
I haven’t updated this very much lately with my work. It’s because I finally hit the sweet spot: my wok is getting picked up for more magazines and by more clients. I am waiting or campaigns to be released and magazines to come out. I’m even at the point where magazines are coming to me and asking me to produce original content. Not bad for 4 months of being in NY! I’ll update you as stuff comes in.
More Busy
For the record, I had three shoots today alone. The first started at 9am in Central park, the 2nd was a shoot at Avatar studio’s in Clinton for a magazine, and the 3rd was just testing with my friend Kara… here is another of Kara.
Contact me for your next shoot… I be rock’n!
__
MICHAEL DONOVAN
917.474.8011
Info@MichaelDonovanPhotography.com
http://michaeldonovanphotography.com
Images Copyright © MichaelDonovanPhotography.com All Rights Reserved
New Look
It’s that time of the month again for an update to my website! Here is the link!
Dear Apple and iTunes
I know that your boss has been out of the office due to his illness but please take note of two observations I have made.
#1) You have Michael Jackson listed as dying on May 25th, 2009. It is actually June 25th, 2009. Please advise.
#2) I was going to use the Grab feature to create a screen capture of the aforementioned error to send you however you had erased the Grab application from Apple computers with your latest update. Please return the features that came with our Apple’s when we purchased them.
Sincerely,
Cool Mike
Foster & Partners Break Ground on Virgin Galactic Spaceport
We are one step closer to finally seeing Virgin Galactic’s spaceport in the New Mexico desert! The ground was just broken so construction could begin. Get ready to start booking your flight to Mars soon…
PS: Thanks Richard Branson and friends, New Mexico might actually end up becoming a cool state now!
Collaboration Time with Cool Mike and the Superfriends
Double-D and me just after we shook an apple from the techno-tree
I remember when they added “Collaboration time” to our school schedule. I thought it was bogus. Now I find myself spending more time in collaboration meetings than ever before. Agencies, artists, models, stylists, musicians, designers, etc… I’ve only scratched the surface. So many people have so many ideas and I’m happy to get everyone working together on projects they couldn’t do if they stay stuck in their closed worlds. I make it my special point to meet a lot of people from different cliques and bring then together.
I had a gang when I lived in Portland, OR. The name was “Cool Mike and the Superfriends.” I briefly had a branch in Washington called “Cool Mike and the Do Gooders.” These posse’s were made up of people like Nitro, Supey, Fuego, Rad, and more. It consisted of party people, code monkeys, comedians, students, writers, entrepreneurs, and everyone else. Everyone had a Superfriend name and everyone had a special talent that could be leveraged by the group but no one was ever asked to use their talent, they just contributed. It was a secret society that we didn’t keep secret. It had its own lexicon and rhythm. Our goal was to have fun, be involved, and enjoy life as the coolest people in the world. The clan was cooler than celebrity, radder than travel, and richer than wealth. Disagreements were settled by “everyone chilling;” chilling worked every time. We never met any enemies except “the man” who we ended up consuming.
You were not officially part of the group until I could meet you, you were given your cool nickname (it’s a super technologically advanced process on how the names are created, so don’t ask!) and were given the secret handshake (yep, this was very 2nd grade!). It was all face to face so you didn’t know who was in the group until you shook their hand or were introduced to them by a friend.
I recently decided to bring back the Superfriends, this time in New York. New York is a global city so, basically, I decided to bring it to the world. I can see branches opening up in Asia and Europe as well as South America, Australia and Africa. Superfriends from the past are welcome to join back in the gang. New friends are already sprouting up and starting to connect.
Keep your eye out and enjoy the stuff we do.
–
Cool Mike
“It’s Ugly”
That was the response from readers when this ad came out in 1994.
I’m curious what people would say if it came out today.
The New Girl
me: “Yeah, let me show you my work. Here is my site” *returns to shooting*
her: *looks at site for 3 seconds* “Umm… I have seen your work before?”
me: “Yeah?”
her: “Yeah… I saw your site and read your blog. I was going to contact you but I was too scared to.”
We ended up constantly 1 drink behind Julie and Rudy in Chelsea; destroyed the hopes and dreams and hard work of a gallery owner who spent 5 years building his empire; and discussed the fact that we both collect work by graffiti artist and are fans of the same artist who has work littering all of NY.
She’s now the new girl in the posse. More information coming soon.
http://michaeldonovanphotography.com
Images Copyright © 2009 MichaelDonovanPhotography.com All Rights Reserved
10 Lessons I’ve Learned
1 • Make the phone Ring
2 • Get it done now if you can
3 • Never expect anyone to follow through unless you have it in writing
4 • Create something new every day
5 • Keep your mouth closed and hands busy
6 • You are your best or your worst competition
7 • You’re only as good as your last piece; your last piece is what you are working on NOW
8 • Make time for yourself
9 • Looks count
10 • People will do what you let them
11 • Looking to see what others are doing is like looking down
One of The Last Photos…
Critically injured Diana was reported to murmur the words, “oh my God,” and after the photographers were pushed away by emergency teams, the words, “leave me alone”.
News About the New Site
You may recall I changed my site the other day. It turns out it was a GREAT idea! I’m already seeing that it is helping people see more work, it seems people are staying on it longer, and I’m getting more people contacting me. Now the pressure is on: how do I outperform this?
I just finished a shoot and a meeting and now I’m off to another meeting and another shoot followed some art receptions in Chelaea. I’ll keep thinking of ways to outdo myself throughout the rest of the day! 
see the new site>>>>http://michaeldonovanphotography.com
Images Copyright © 2009 MichaelDonovanPhotography.com All Rights Reserved
New Money
If you haven’t heard, people are wanting to redesign the American Currency. I agree. Our bills just don’t say “United States of Fucking America!” We’re America- our bills should be cooler and more fly than any other country. Good design inspires and sets a mood. The current design says “remember getting ripped off by greedy assholes?”
So spread the word, little bird, and let’s get this ride moving! You can keep up to date here: http://richardsmith.posterous.com/
A Clean Sheet of Paper
Seth Godin wrote some good thoughts about hiring freelancers (such as myself). Read it here.
