The ALL NEW ActionRunner 2.0 is now available for Mac OS10 and CS2 operators.

Soon to follow will be CS3 and CS versions. Also, PC will follow sometime in the next 4-5 months we hope. Until then you can still purchase 1.0 for PC which I personally use for my own images. 1.0 has the same actions, just a less friendly user interface.

Here is a screen shot of 2.0




This software is so simple:

You use whatever file browser you like, select the action you want, drag as many images at a time as you want onto the action icon and then click on GO! Each image is opened, action applied, saved and closed. And you can add up to 120 of your own actions in the custom tabs, virtually any action you have can be included in the automation power of actionrunner.

It's really incredible and you can get a free trial version at www.davistools.com.

Here is a comment from Photographer Heather Kallhoff in SD who just purchased 2.0:

"ok, I'M LOVIN IT!! YOU ROCK . . . YOU ARE THE BEST . . . YOU ARE MY HERO . . . I THINK I'M IN LOVE!"

check out her work at www.kallhoffportrait.com

Click Here to see our cover story in Studio Photography!

12 Photographers are selected each year to be on the cover of this national photo pub and we were one of them!

What a privilege!

This isn't the actual cover, it's just a mock up, but the march 2007 cover is gonna be all over WPPI and mailed out in the next couple days or so.

I just took these pix of my sister-in-law sarah. Which one do you like the best?

All three are the same pic, just different actions run on them.

Her and her husband Nathan came over and helped us organize and get rid of junk in our garage. What an amazing feeling! My garage is like the best room in the house now!

Thanks guys.

Jim

I've been playing in my new studio that we converted from an old carriage house/garage on the back of our property! I love the available light that comes thru the big doors. Anyway, it's fun here's a test shot of my little guy, aka "Woody" from toy story.

Congratulations to Jen Kroll for being the highest bidder and winning 90 minutes with Lara and I at WPPI for a mentoring session! She'll also receive a free copy of ActionRunner too!

Only problem is, aren't we supposed to mentor the one who pays? She rocks! I'm sure we'll have some questions too! Can't wait to meet Jen!

Also, if your interested in a little bit of the online drama that happened last night check out www.thirstrelief.blogspot.com and see my post! We brought in over $25,000.00 dollars through the WPPI Mentor Benefit Auction!!! But it wasn't without some excitement! (crashing servers, maximum user overload errors, anti-sniping features on the auction site that made it so that you couldn't win unless you really were willing to bid the most, just like a real auction.)

Anyway, I was up til 3:00 a.m. dealing with the drama and excitement of the auction and then I was up at 5 a.m. in order to be downtown and ready for a photo shoot with Coach Tony Dungy (2007 Super Bowl Champs) Coach Jim Tressell, go Bucks! and Archie Griffin! I love being the photographer for the Columbus Gathering as it provides really incredible opportunities to hear incredible speakers and take some pix of awesome people! Check out this photo of all the guys praying together before Coach Dungy speaks!

We really are a lot nicer than we look here in this shot, but it's what I have. Anyway, this year at WPPI Lara and I will be offering a 90 minute mentoring session. We'll take our highest bidder out for a meal, it will be one-on-one or I guess 2-on-one or 2, just depends on if a spouse attends. Before we meet we'll take the time to evaluate your portfolio and website and consider any questions you might have. Share openly about our lives, our business, about Thirst Relief, how we juggle the responsibilities of family life, business, running a non-profit, how our faith plays a role in all this etc. Pretty much whatever you want to talk about we'll be happy to do it. Be warned though, this could be dangerous! Last year the girl we mentored was sobbing! By the end of our time she was smiling again and hugging us. We were actually able to uncover a deep sense of guilt over charging "too much" for her services etc. and it was this guilt that was keeping her from taking her business to the next level where she could reach her fuller potential. Anyway, we spoke truth to her, prayed for her and she left changed! It was awesome! We left changed and never dreamed a photo mentor session could be so powerful. We recently received a nice big box of gourmet candies with a special note of thanks for how we affected her life and she went on to tell us about how much her business has changed for the better and more!

So, not to lay out too much expectation or make anyone afraid, but if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity we'd love to do it! Plus 100% of all the procedes go directly to benefit Thirst Relief International! It's an online auction so go HERE if you'd like to bid. Plus we'll also demonstrate our editing tool ActionRunner and giving a free copy to the highest bidder. There is only one day left to the auction so check it out if your interested.

Also, be on the lookout for who is on the cover of Studio Photography this month when it's realeased!!

I just had to share this very quickly, it's an all-time classic!

For those who don't know, Lara and I are expecting our 3rd child! We are very excited, however when Lara conceives she is typically VERY sick from about week 8-20 and is bedridden most of the time or she ends up hospitalized from dehydratoin due to excessive vomitting. It's pretty rough, so right now everything is on me and with the support of some friends and family I am taking care of Lara, the boys, the business and still operating as president of Thirst Relief International. (this is volunteer, my real job is a passionate wedding photographer! And my thirst staff does more of the day to day than I do!)

Anyway, so a nurse came to our home yesterday (since our insurance finally agreed to pay for a zophran pump, cause you know we only pay nearly $1000 a month for our health insurance.) So, she came to show Lara and I how to hook up this pump/IV type thing that pumps regular doses of this anti-nausea medication called zophran. Anyway, I'm sitting there watching the nurse show us how to do it (so that lara isn't vomitting all day) and Brayden my 3 year old comes over and say's "Daddy, hold me my stomache hurts. Will you rub it?" I said sure honey and held him as I listened carefully, a few moments later he HURLS on my chest!!!!! I was a bit in shock as I was covered in vomit and I ran to the bathroom carrying him to get him over the toilet where he proceeds to emmit the rest of his lunch!

Funny thing is I wouldn't trade the last 6 weeks of misery for much less than a million $ maybe :) but for real, it's been amazing how God has used it in me to see how little so much of what I strive for matters. In the end if I love my family, my God and serve each of them faithfully life is GREAT! In that I can serve my clients with excellence as I am serving God but as almost anyone with a family and carreer or any other passion can relate to it's easy to drop the ball on the most important things while seeking to maintain your own "shtuff". I heard a line the other day in a song, it goes "You put me here for a reason, How can I further Your Kingdom when I so caught up in mine?" Often my own little kingdom gets in the way, it's like James Cameron (you know the guy that directed the totally inaccurate show that claimed they found Jesus' bones?) when he won the oscar for Titanic he jumped up and down saying "I'm the king of the world!" NO, not even close, just a good director with some seriously great talent that doesn't mean a hill of beans to most of the people that me and my staff at Thirst Relief labor daily for to save their lives and most of the rest of the world. (sorry for the run on.)

Anyway, it was just too funny. And literally I was laughing as I held my little guy over the toilet and watched him chucking it all right there! I wasn't laughing at him, I was laughing at the fact that just earlier that day in church I was standing there worshipping God with my hands raised high and I said to God in my heart, "Thank you for helping me to learn obedience and perseverance in the midst of suffering, just like you did." I kinda thought to myself as I stood there "I got it, I got what HE wants me to get in this trying time, now it will be over soon." Then almost in humor I go home and get a chest full of vomit!!! It was so funny.

Over the past 5 weeks I've had some seriously hard times (hard for my comfy sheltered world) and at times have failed at being a kind and patient father and loving, compassionate husband, but in the end God is using it all to draw me to Himself and set my heart in line with His will, not mine!

Thank you Jesus!

And thank you to all who have prayed, called (probably w/out a return call) and have brought a meal or played with the boys!