I love squirrels

 I love squirrels—what’s not to love about them? Well, unless you have an avocado tree in your yard. If you haven’t experienced one of them attacking your trees, these animals are adorable and among the most photographed by me.

From this weekend

 Without any doubt this is my favorite photo from this weekend. 

This picture draws you in because of its captivating composition, vibrant colors, and natural depth. Here’s a breakdown of why it’s so appealing:

1. Layered Depth: The image has a sense of depth with layers of foliage leading the eye deeper into the scene. The contrast between light and shadow adds dimension.

2. Warm, Golden Light: The warm sunlight filtering through the trees creates a glowing, inviting atmosphere. It highlights the greenery and adds a sense of tranquility.

3. Variety in Textures: The image captures a range of textures—from the rough bark of the trees to the soft, leafy branches and delicate grasses. This adds visual interest.

4. Natural Framing: The arched branches frame the middle of the image, guiding the viewer’s gaze inward and creating a sense of intimacy.

5. Color Harmony: The lush greens and warm earthy tones work together, creating a soothing and balanced palette.

6. Subtle Details: The subtle foreground elements, like the wispy grasses, enhance the depth without distracting from the main scene.

It’s a classic example of a peaceful woodland scene captured beautifully—feels almost like a hidden oasis. 

Getting a M series Mac for your photo editing?

If you are thinking about getting a M Series Mac for your photo editing tasks you must read this article published by PC Mag. And this is why you should read it. With the release of M4-based Macs, Macs with M1, M2, and M3 chips are being sold at lower prices. So far, this isn’t a secret. The key detail is that Apple is no longer producing M1, M2, or M3 chips, meaning that once current stock runs out, that’s it. When they’re gone, you’ll have only one option: buying an M4. Keep in mind that the MacBook Air is now three times cheaper than when Apple first released it.

This explains why, when I bought the M3 MacBook Air, I posted about the great deal I got. To my surprise, that deal was gone the very next day—and never came back. 

Right now, it's hard to find new M1, M2, and M3 Macs, but you can get great deals on refurbished units. In this case, I’d recommend considering sellers that offer a one-year warranty and checking if the battery was replaced during the refurbishing process.

PS. Many experts consider the  Lenovo Thinkpad X9-14 Gen 1 as the closest competition to the MacBook Air. And guess what, it priced in around $1850 at Amazon.

DXO PureRaw

DXO PureRaw is my favorite Denoise tool followed by Topaz Denoise and Adobe Denoise, in this specific order. Next month DXO will be releasing DXO PureRaw version 5 and those who pre-order now they can get DXO PureRaw 4 and use it for free while they wait for version 5. 

Those using version 3 they can pre-order version 5 and get a free upgrade to version 4. 

 

Do watermarks protect your pictures?

The short answer is NO. 

 

Watermarks can provide some protection for your photos, but their effectiveness depends on your goals. Here’s a breakdown of their pros and cons:

Advantages of Using Watermarks

✅ Discourages Casual Theft – A visible watermark makes it harder for someone to pass off your work as their own.
✅ Branding & Recognition – If done subtly, a watermark can help people recognize your work and find your portfolio.
✅ Proof of Ownership – If a dispute arises, a watermark can serve as initial evidence that you are the original creator.

Limitations of Watermarks

❌ Easy to Remove – Anyone with basic editing skills can erase a watermark, especially if it's small or placed in a corner. An example of that is that Google's latest Gemini includes an AI feature to just do that.
❌ Can Distract from the Image – A poorly placed or overly large watermark can detract from the visual appeal of your photo.
❌ Might Not Stop Serious Theft – High-quality images are still vulnerable to unauthorized use, even with a watermark.

 Bottom Line

Watermarks provide a layer of deterrence but are not foolproof. If you mainly want credit and visibility, a subtle watermark may help. If preventing theft is your primary concern, combining multiple protection strategies is a better approach.

are Macs better for photo editing?

 

I asked this question to ChatGPT and carefully analyzed the response to ensure it aligns with my own thoughts and opinions. Here is ChatGPT response with some of my notes in Red:

 Macs are widely considered excellent for photo editing, but whether they are "better" depends on your needs, preferences, and budget. Here are some key reasons why many photographers prefer Macs for editing:

Advantages of Macs for Photo Editing

✅ Color Accuracy & Display Quality – Mac displays (especially Retina displays) are known for their color accuracy, which is crucial for photo editing. macOS also has excellent color management. Important point for Photographers.

✅ Optimization & Stability – macOS is highly optimized for creative software like Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and Capture One, leading to smooth performance and fewer crashes. In this point I need to add that in my Dell 7200 i7 Windows PC Lightroom crashes very often. I have been using it in my M3 Macbook Air and it has not crashed even one time.

✅ Hardware & Software Integration – Apple designs both the hardware and software, ensuring seamless performance and long-term stability. And this is to me a key point. Because Apple hardware is a "closed or controlled" system everything is optimized to perfection something that in Windows PC is hard to achieve. Apple devices just work.

✅ M1/M2/M3/M4 Chips – Apple's custom silicon (M-series chips) delivers impressive speed and efficiency, handling high-resolution RAW files smoothly while maintaining good battery life on laptops.

✅ Build Quality & Longevity – Macs tend to last a long time, making them a solid investment for many photographers. Another key point. It's true that in the last few years since Microsoft Surface machines were released the market has seen an improvement in quality but still, Apple is dominating the market in important aspect.

Potential Downsides of Macs

❌ Expensive – Macs generally cost more than equivalent Windows PCs with similar or better hardware specs. Here I have to say that I doubt that I can buy any Laptop for $759 with similar performance than the M3 MacBook Air.

❌ Limited Upgradability – Most newer Macs have non-upgradable RAM and storage, so you need to choose wisely at purchase.

❌ Software Compatibility – While most mainstream photo editing programs work fine, some niche software or plugins may be Windows-only.

Windows vs. Mac for Photo Editing

•     If budget is a concern, a well-built Windows PC can often deliver better performance for the price.
•     If you prioritize color accuracy, stability, and seamless workflow, a Mac is a solid choice.

As a photographer, do you find yourself editing a lot of RAW files? If so, from my experience the M-series Macs handle those quite efficiently.

To end this article here is a video that I recently found that summarizes my experience with MacOS. 

I'm not ready to dish my Windows PC yet, more than 30 years of using Windows have created a dependency that is hard to break specially if you are an IT person whose actual job is in some way supporting Windows Applications. But for sure I'm enjoying MacOS adventure. 

From last weekend

 Last weekend, I spent some time visiting the local botanical garden and a local park. From these two photo sessions, here are some of the pictures:

I have started creating slideshows of my photo shoots, and here is one I made using pictures from the botanical garden.