در این نوشتار قصد دارم که شما رو با چند تا از افزونه های محیط توسعه دلفی یعنی CodeGear Rad Studio آشنا کنم.

بسیاری از این ابزار های برای افزایش سرعت کد نویسی و افزودن قابلیت ها و حتی جبران کاستی های این محیط توسعه تهیه شده اند.

• CnPack IDE Wizards

ابزار رایگان و opens source است که قابلیهای خوبی را اضافه می کند از جمله تعدادی wizard . این افزونه با داشتن Code Structure Highlight که با رنگی کردن بلاک ها به تشخیص کد ها کمک می کند.

CnPack

Structure highlighted

قابلیت کار با محیط های:

Delphi 5 6 7, C++Builder 5 6 or BDS 2005 2006, RAD Studio 2007 2009

ویژگی ها:

افزونه های این ابزار که به آن اضافه شده اند:

سایت سازنده

لینک دریافت

• GExperts

این افزونه نیز قابلیت های زیادی را به محیط توسعه اضافه می کند. بیشتر قابلیت های اضافه شده مربوط ابزارهای کمکی است و همچنین ابزارهایی نیز برای کمک برنامه نویس در ویرایشگر کد به محیط توسعه اضافه می کند.

امکانات اضافه شده به ویرایشگر کد

همچنین این افزونه یک افزونه اضافه و غیر رسمی دیگر دارد که برای فرمت کردن کد مورد استفاده قرار می گیرد. موردی که دلفی آن را کم دارد!

این افزونه اضافی که code formatter نام داره تحت بسته ای با نام Experimental GExperts Version عرضه می شه که می تونید از سایتش دریافت کنید:

دریافت Experimental GExperts Version

قبل از هر کاری باید GExprts را دریافت کرده و نصب کنید. سپس این Experimental GExperts را دریافت کنید. پس از دریافت باید فایل های موجود در پوشه EditorExpert را با فایلهای ابزار GExprts جایگزین کنید.(مشاهده کنید) پس از آن کلید ALT+F کد را برای شما مرتب خواهد کرد.

قابلیت پشتیبانی از محیط های Delphi 6, 7, 8, 2005, BDS 2006, RAD Studio 2007, 2009

سایر ویژگی ها و راهنما رو اینجا مطالعه کنید.

سایت سازنده

لینک دریافت GExprts

• Castalia

این افزونه قابلیت های زیادی به ویرایشگر کد اضافه می کند. این افزونه متاسفتانه پولی است.

از جمله قابلیت های زیر:

Castalia In Code Editor

با داشتن تعدادی قالب کد و همچنین نمایش خطاها و کد های اشتباه در بالون و بوکمارک کردن راحت کد از ویژگی ها این ابزار است. همچنین ویژگی Structure highlighte که همانند ابزار CnPack برای مشخص کردن بلاک ها کد مورد استفاده است جالب هستند. در صورتی که هر دوی CnPack و Castalia رو نصب کرده باشید ممکنه که این نوع رنگ آمیزی کمی گیج کننده بشه که می تونید یکی از اونها رو غیر فعال کنید.

امکان تغییر نام کنترل و موارد استفاده شده از آن و عوض کردن کنترل و چند مورد دیگر برای عملیات Refactoring ویژگی ها اضافه شده به محیط ویرایشگر فرم هستند.

سایت این ابزار

DDevExtensions

این افزونه بیشتر بر روی عملیات کامپایل کد و ویژگیها IDE تمرکز داره

ویژگی های این افزونه:

از ویژگی جالب این افزونه می توان به موارد زیر اشاره کرد:

• ابزار Use Unit پیشرفته
• اصلاح عملکرد کلید های Ctrl+Left/Right و Home
• ذخیره فایلها پس از کامپایل موفق و حذف فایلهای پشتیبان زاید
• حذف کدهای غیر ضروری تولید شده در فایل DFM

وبلاگ نویسنده

لینک دریافت

Hello all you lovely people!!! We are excited to announce the launch of our new blog! It is BIGGER! BETTER! and more BEAUTIFUL! The new blog is rolling around in the first week of January! Just in time to break into the new year with a bang!

Now here is where you can benefit! Every month, RAD Studio is going to be hosting promotions available to anyone!! They will range from different prizes, products, and gift certificates.

Our first Promotion will be given away on JANUARY 8TH, 2009 @ exactly 6:00pm

We have gift certificates for a session with RAD Studio ($300 value) and an additional $200 for products. We want to give out 5 sets of these babies! We are giving away 5 – that’s right FIVE $500 gift certificates for RAD Studio Services in 2009!!!! Talk about starting the year off with a bang!! Tell your friends, neighbors, families, long lost estranged family pets – tell the world! We are so excited to give these gems away, and are even more excited to be working with people that love what we do! That is – shoot people (figuratively and literally)

To spoil a friend or pamper yourself with these gift certificates for maternity, family, toddler, pet, wedding, grad or couple shoots – this is what you need to do:

1. Before January 8th – Think of a dream you want to accomplish for 2009

These are NOT resolutions. Although resolutions are great, they usually fizzle out by February, leaving them nothing less than a good idea put into action for January. I want some dreams. REAL Bonifide Dreams that you want to happen during 2009. Whether they be big or small, I want them to make you feel ridiculous that you are even writing them down.

2. Have a reason for the Dream you put down.

3. On January 8th at exactly 6:00pm send an email to info@radstudiophoto.com – subject – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The email must contain at least one dream for 2009 and a reason for each dream you provide. That’s it!

Winners will be decided by emails meeting the criteria as stated in step 3, and first come first serve at exactly 6pm. Emails received at 5:59.59 will not be accepted.

Although we can only accept one winner per household, this promotion is open for all! That’s right! Past, current, future, and non-clients of RAD Studio are way more than welcome to join the fun!!! Tell them all!

If you have any questions at all, please do let us know!

If you have known Danelle and I for a while now, you would know that we are big dreamers. We are huge advocates of reaching out in faith to receive the promise set out before you. But you have to shift your mind to believe! I want to leave you guys with this video. We have played it on the blog before, but it still hasn’t lost it’s power. What legacy are we leaving behind in 2008? What do we want to bring into 2009?

Dream Big, Aim High, Move forward!

Blessings and Peace,

Ral

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!!!!!!!!!! I hope that you all are doing well and enjoying this snow!! I’ll tell you that we did!

I really can’t apologize that we weren’t able to finish off our December shout outs – because honestly, we were playing in the snow (or getting stuck in it). For the past week, Danelle and I have been dependent on people driving us. There were actually times when the weather got so bad that we had to spend the night at our in-laws. ergo, no wacom tablet – therefore – no shout outs. 

We had a very pleasant Christmas! I love white Christmas’ We made a snow man with the base of 4 1/2 feet in diameter, pushed vans and cars out of ice and sludge, and Danelle made a snow narwhal (inspired by the movie ELF). So ya, we had a fun Christmas!

UPDATES:

* Our site and email is back to 100% (yay!)

* New blog coming soon! Stay tune for release date!

* We have a new blog promotion! We are giving out 5 free prizes for the first five people to email with specific information (details coming soon!)

* Did I say that the new blog is going to kick some major butt!?

I will be the first to admit. I am a total sucker for Christmas. I love everything about it! Think about it… there is literally no other time that can mimic anything that we experience during Christmas. Family makes a huge effort to fly home to Vancouver (okay, Vancouver is nice, but not that nice to fly down anytime), I find that people are generally more festive, and the cold weather causes us to snuggle up in front of the fire!

Ah Christmas time. For me, I can literally put a log in the fire when the sun goes down, make some old fashion hot chocolate, curl up on the couch, and listen to Charlie Brown’s Christmas CD (on repeat and random), until I want to go to bed. I find it totally soothing, serene and even nostalgic. I was blessed to have fantastic Christmas’ growing up as a kid, and I don’t want to stop that tradition with my little ones (some day). 

One thing special for us year after year is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. I’m not beating around the bush for this one and there is no need for me to be politically correct (because it’s true!). Danelle and I celebrate because our Saviour was born during this season. I’m not saying it’s wrong to not celebrate it that way – we just love focusing on that instead of the busyness of finding that perfect present, being inundated with groceries for get togethers, or finding a good present under $15 for gift exchanges. It’s like celebrating a birthday party when the celebrant is not there to attend Christmas is soooo awesome!!!!

This year Danelle and I have opened up our home for our first Christmas Party with friends! Check out our theme: Ugly Christmas Sweaters! It is going to be classic. I am going to try and find my dad’s old Christmas sweater (the one he used to rock in the 70’s). It was an XL light green wool turtle neck. It shed as if it were an animal during the summer. It had a montage of skiiers and a dogsled going past an igloo at the bottom, and repeated on the back. Classic! 

We’re going to be putting on some classic tunes and even go right to a “it’s an N’sync Christmas!” Of course there’s going to be some fabulous food and great company. But I am looking forward to watching some classic moments in Christmas history when everyone is here. Such as: How the grinch stole Christmas, Elf (with Will Farrell), and Saved by the Bell Christmas!! Ah!!! 

Shoot us an email  or leave a comment – what other things can we do for this party? Also, any other amazing Christmas movie moments you can think of?

Christmas Parties… Rock On!

</ral>

PS. Wanted to leave you with this video… ah Christmas!

Man’s best friend? What do you think? If you have never had a dog – you probably won’t understand. For those of you who have/had one – you know exactly what I mean. I personally am not a cat person. I seriously can’t stand them – the snobby ones at least. They are always too cool for school. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE animals. But just like the cool kids on the playground – if they don’t want to play with you, then why would I need to force myself to like them?

This is the one thing I absolutely ADORE about dogs: No matter how long you have been away for – the second you come up to the door to get into the house, your dog is absolutely ecstatic that you are home. It’s like an airport scene every single time you get home. No matter how long your day was – your dog will always look forward to your return.

Before we got married, Danelle had a family dog, his name was Rokko. I call him Rock Man for short. If you could imagine 2 frosted vertical glass windows on both sides of the door, with 2 inch diamond shape (clear glass) along the middle, spread across from top to bottom (8 in total) – you have the funniest looking scene to come home to. When I would drop Danelle off after a day of hanging out, Rokko would literally sit in front of that frosted glass, waiting for her to come home. However, it is all frosted except for the small diamond shape area which has clear glass. It was so small that you can only put one eye up to the glass to see out. Sure enough, when you come home, Rokko would be peeping out of that clear area, like an over protective dad eavesdropping on the door after a late night date.

Rokko now has a Yorkie friend to play with all day. Marlie’s the name of the terror. If anyone has seen or met a Yorkie – then you’ll know that their super doggie power is to absorb and soak in all the energy in the room – and transform it into pure movement. Marlie .. Does… Not… Stop… Moving. It truly is exhausting. <– you think I’m ready to have kids yet

There you have it folks… Dogs… You gotta love ‘em

To all you dogs out there… keep on bringing the fun!

</ral>

Mmmalright… don’t judge me. I know how this looks, just know I’m  not a huge advocate of vanity. Please hear me out. =)

I just wanted to show you guys the tree I decorated in my mind and celebrate it – not worship it (for some reason I have a sit down talk with Ral playing in my mind). =) I do, I like nice things but instead of talking like a valley girl about my favorite things, today we’ll be focusing on the lasting impression a few of these have made on me.

1. Chanel : Black and White look their finest in Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel and his mind consistently fashions a brand that continues to be iconic, imaginative and bold. It can make the softest heart look like a powerhouse… a chic one at that. Just classic, I am completely captivated.

2. Hermes : When I think of ‘orange’ I think of Hermes. Fanciful designs, brilliant color, and textural caresses are what I make of this beautiful brand. Parisians think of the nicest things to make you look and feel amazing. I am completely chipper.

3. Prada : This brand continues to evolve in to different words of ‘awesome’. Its so experiential and experimental. Take their shoes for instance, I’ve tried on a pair that look like a piece of modern art and they were actually comfortable. They paired exponential innovation with basic function. Prada excels at pushing boundaries and bringing imagination to life. I am completely motivated.

4. Tiffany & Co. : Oh Tiffany… I require much self-control. This is a store I love but hate to window shop at (actually Ral may hate it more because he signs for it). There has never been another store that has brought me so much gleeful bliss. Sure the price tag is hefty but I just can’t wait to hand down my pieces to my little girl (child pending, haha). I consider every purchase an investment as the integrity of each product is unquestionably – The Best. I enjoy excellence and there is no other store I’d rather decorate myself with – and you gotta love the lovely Tiffany blue box. This brand is completely committed to the finest experience and the perfect product and thus, Tiffany’s unequivocal longevity remains… I am humbled.

5. Vanity Fair : What a fantastic publication. I wrote about how much I am fascinated and smitten HERE .  If you haven’t already purchased the VF Portraits compilation – you must. Yum! I am completely euphoric.        

6. Vogue : It is hot. Next to my latest VF is a stack of my favorite Vogue mags. I’d have to say that Ral and my favorite one is British Vogue’s April 2008 issue with Victoria Beckham. She looks dreamy and I’m not really much of a fan. But the magazine as a whole is not just for the trend savvy but really has a piece for everyone. There are some great topics of interest but for me, I just loooove the couture spreads. I love seeing the mind of  the designer with all the meat and potatoes. Its so bad-ass. I am completely inspired.

7. W : This magazine towers over all the rest (in size, I mean). It is consistently rocks my socks off… and I like being rocked! Sweet and simple, W has been an inspiration and staple in our home. The magazine exudes with passion for vibrance in life and fresh musings in art. I am completely wired.

I just wanted to take time to appreciate my interests. 

I have descended from my soapbox.

xo|danelle

There are certain truth’s that you will need to learn early in life. Never eat yellow snow. Avoid peeing against the wind. And every ugly person always has a hot friend. Well there is another one I must add to this list, and that is – Michael Scott is the World’s Best Boss.

One constant law that has percolated our studio is that The Office almost ALWAYS plays in the background while we work. I know that businesses play the radio or even hook up an ipod. Nope, not RAD Studio. We love our Dunder Mifflinites. 

We just find the mix of hilarious dialogue and pee your pants/slap your thigh awkward moments to be SO GOOD! Yes there will be times when we will want to bump our head and groove to some 90’s jams – but the majority of our iTunes is dedicated to The Office. 

RIGHT NOW I am listening to the Survivor Man episode and Michael is guessing that The sun is in the 2/3 easterly quandrant. All you Office fans know what I am talking about. AND all you Office fans know why we are so in love with the show. 

Without fail The Office will put a smile on our face and joyfully keep a fantastic atmosphere in OUR office.

Dunder Mifflin Scranton… You Are Hilarious!

</ral>

Their imagery has been described as epic and beyond classification. But I would have to extend that description to their personalities. Dave and Quin are not only world class photographers, but they are straight up two amazing people!

We first met these two last year and they have made a lasting impression on our lives and our faith. Quin is just someone you HAVE to know, and Dave is someone you can always hear (if anyone has heard his laugh – you know what I mean).

What we love about these guys is that it is their faith that leads them in their life, love, kids, business, and photography. Make no mistake, they are great artists, but they are even better people!

Danelle and I have been blessed to have known them. In the time we have known them, they have encouraged and spurred us on towards the goal. We will be forever thankful for their insight and edification.

BTW, this is a drawn copy of a shot done with Dave and Quin by Jerry Ghionis (a fantabulous photographer from Australia).

DQ… You Are Solid!

</ral>

ps. (fun fact) Did you know that the Quikeys were developed by these two?

pps. (fun fact deux) Did you know all our posts incorporate the fabulous Quikeys?

Failure Is Not An Option!!! This is the maxim of one of the best companies in the world today that produce gorgeous albums and many other innovative creations. In the the few short years they exploded onto the scene, they have come out with turn your head products, and instant salivation ideas!

Finao is a company we are VERY VERY proud to stand behind. They have been committed to excellence in product, service, and innovation. They did not simply come into the trade offering what has already been out, they came in raping the industry standard and pushing the envelope for products that have never been seen!

There custom everything makes it a dream for anyone to work with them! The variety keeps any product different from status quo!

Another fun fact about Finao is that we have grown such a deep relationship with them that we consider them our family – YES – Family! To the point that we call the Queen of Finao, Christine, Mom! We are commonly known as the finao kids, kiddies, or kidlets – I guess our height doesn’t help get away from that either

Their creativity and originality makes me look forward to their ever increasing product line, allowing us to offer our clients with the best stuff around!! 

Finao… You are sick!

</ral>

We are already blown away with fantastic photographers here in Vancouver, but being able to travel for our photography we have met other artists of our craft around the world. There is one particular photographer we have become great friends with… Eliesa of Photogen-inc.

We first met her in Vegas at WPPI last year and we instantly hit it off. Eliesa has THE best energy, personality, and charisma. She is fun to hang around with and time just passes by. She has made a couple of trips to Vancouver and in that time, we have had some giant sushi, great crepe’s, super duper brunch, and a super deluxe photoshoot with one of our couples.

This was a great year for her as well! She has a brand new studio, has smokin hot images, fantasmicly new blog, and winning blu domain girl of the year!

We can’t wait to see you again!

Eliesa… You’re on Fire!

</ral> & xo | danelle

Studio Hours:

December 1 – December 12 | Monday-Thursday 10:00 pm – 2:00 pm

December 13 – January 9 | Closed

New Clients:

RAD Studio will still reply and meet with prospective wedding clients for 2009

RAD Studio will NOT accept any new portrait clients until 2009

December Shout Outs:

Each weekday (Monday – Thursday) there will be a new shout out posted until December 25th.

So check back in on Monday for RAD Studio’s latest tribute!

Our December shout outs are way for us to recognize people, places, and things that have meant the world to us this past year. We just want to take the time this month to place these tools, musings, inspirations, and/or aspirations out on a pedestal for everyone to see.

The first shout out goes to something that has been so integral in our workflow, and has allowed us to create the absolute greatest images and art for our clients. It has allowed us to create masterpieces, instead of thinking technically of how to achieve it! That’s right …. The DQ Quikeys.

The Quikeys has given us the freedom to work on our business and not fiddle with the tedious tasks of photoshop. The Quikeys is not just a piece of hardware – it is the heart of our editing and marketing workflow. 

I can’t imagine RAD Studio without the Quikeys. I personally believe that this has totally liberated the way we think, and has given us more time to provide excellent service for our clients. 

To give a little preview of just some of the things we use them for: 

The blank layer allows us to select and tweak images as necessary

The Green layer allows us to make more adjustments to the fine selected images

The Red layer allows us to create the fine art images that you see

The Green and Red layer creates our albums, promotions, advertisements, and wall galleries.

Thank you Dave and Quin Cheung for dreaming, designing, and delivering the amazing Quikeys. A tool that our business could not live without!

Quikeys… You’re RAD

</ral>

Moving into our home came with a lot of work that needed to be done and we’ve been slowly getting to each room (but our yard is quite a beast to be tackled). We actually moved in during a weekend where we had to shoot 2 weddings and the busy schedule has pretty much been steady ever since. Our home needed some love and so I wanted to show you guys some of our latest developments thus far. This was actually our office before but since it was such a good space to relax, we need to move our office to another room and make this our official meeting space. We’re trying to work on each room as much as we can but for such a space, time is not really on our side. We’ll try to blog our latest developments but here’s where this room is at thus far!

(just realized the Apple TV is supposed to be on the top cubby of the TV but is MIA… hmmm, probably Ral. Anyway, if you don’t have it – get it! we looove it!!)

If you have any suggestions or would like to help us show some love to our home (gardeners, anyone?) please let us know!

xo|danelle

Hello all! With weddings in full swing and portrait sessions hitting the beach we have had a handful of inquiries for destination weddings as well! In an attempt to reduce the number of emails that contain exactly the same answers to questions being asked, we thought it efficient to blog our destination wedding FAQ (Frequently ANSWERED Questions).

- Yes, we are available for destination weddings

- Yes, we have done destination weddings

- Yes, it costs more to commission us for destination weddings as opposed to local weddings

- No, a wedding in Brazil will cost more than a wedding in Toronto

- No, it is NOT a vacation. The workload is three times more work

- Yes, we would love to give you a quote for your wedding. We would love to have you over at the studio to show you what we offer.

- It’s more expensive because in the time we are traveling, we could possibly shooting a wedding, thus loosing possible commissions.

- Yes, it is much less expensive if you tag team. What I mean is, if you have a bridal network in your country or city, you would be able to get together with brides getting married around the same time, and split the costs of the travel commission.

- Yes, our Canadian destination weddings are taking us to Edmonton and Calgary the week of June 17th to the 24th and August 28-30th.

- Yes, our US destination wedding will be in San Fransisco during the week of May 25th to the 30th.

We hope this helps!!

</ral>

These two are the principals of Vancouver’s RAD STUDIO photography.  They specialize in weddings and are in the process of expanding into portraits where they will no doubt continue to clean up!

Ral and Danelle have only been shooting professionally since 2007, but have achieved an incredible amount of success in this time.  They took a few hours out of their crazy schedule to sit down with Zoe and I to share their thoughts on diving head first into their business, achieving their 5 year plan in their first year, and sleeping with their business partner.

Loaded Bow: Can you tell us a little bit of your story and how you made the transition into this industry?

Ral Nicanor: We never intended to be photographers! I taught 6th grade for 3 years. That was fantastic. Loved, loved the kids! I loved that I could call the parents and say, hey I’m in a bind, can you help me out? It was cool that there were so supportive. You’d get these dads coming out to be there for their kids and I really want that when I’m a Dad, but it would have been difficult as a teacher. If my kids were sick or something, I couldn’t just leave class.

We taught computer courses at Simon Fraser University for 5 or 6 years. One of our colleagues was getting married in 2007. She knew that we were really tech savvy, and when you aren’t tech savvy, you think that people who are know everything about computers and cameras! She asked us to shoot her wedding. We subsequently booked 15 weddings in the next 6 months – it was crazy!

My dad was an amateur photographer so I picked up some stuff from him, but we learned the most from getting out there and shooting. We would look stuff up on Wikipedia! And we grew into some sort of business. Everything that I knew about Photoshop and cameras, I taught Danelle. She started kicking my butt from the get-go!

Danelle Nicanor: I love working in photography because I like meeting new people. I went into this thinking that it might be part time and it blew up into something more. I was in school – I only have a semester and a half left until I’m finished – but I had to put it on hold because it was either us investing in really good gear or me finishing school. I decided to hold my breath. I am really blessed that this has become a lot more than I thought!

It has been really good for our relationship as well. I now am able to see him on a professional level. I respect Ral so much.

RN: That’s recorded right?

LB: Crazy! So 15 weddings from word of mouth?

RN: All word of mouth! We had a small ad in the Italian Directory, which we thought would generate a huge response. That was kind of naive of us. It was one of the bad decisions I made. I am very methodical about where we are going, but that was not well played!

We are part of a new generation of photographers. I respect the others to bits, but we saw a gap that could be filled. There was room for a very modern style with a fashion feel – we were ready to hit the streets. It had a huge response.

LB: Was that transition from teaching difficult?

RN: This is going to sound really cheesy – but from September to November last year I literally couldn’t leave the house from 3:00-4:30 because seeing the kids walk home from school made me miss the classroom so much. Teaching is my trade. I want to be investing in the future, investing in society.

Photography is going to allow me to be with my family, and that’s so important to me, but I am a teacher.

We were so stretched in what we wanted to do right up until last August: whether Danelle would go back to school and I would continue teaching, or whether we would start a full-time photography business.

In a matter of 2 weeks, crazy things happened. We were invited by our wedding photographers, Jenn and Steve Bebb, to an exclusive workshop and to a cocktail party with arguably the best wedding photographers in the world. There were 20 people and we were there!

When we got married 2 years ago, we had no intention of becoming photographers. I remember Jenn and Steve saying that there are so many copy cats in Vancouver which they didn’t like. When we got into photography, I was like, oh, no – what are they are going to say about this? I was literally scared.

DN: I think they respected how we were going into the business though. We are here to make a contribution and I think they respected that.

RN:  We told them that we didn’t want to step on their toes. When they went to change their branding and they chose the colors that we had at the time - Tiffany blue and chocolate brown. We were like – whoaaaa! Make it known that we are not copying you guys! They called us back and were so sweet and they acknowledged how we were trying to be different. They were just phenomenal to us. It’s pretty cool.

LB: Every entrepreneur reaches a point where they have to decide to embrace their business full time. Was that a critical transition in moving your business forwards?

DN: It was a huge mind shift for us. We’re young. We’re very intentional. We like to set goals. We were very deliberate in how we approached it. We asked ourselves what our family is going to look like.

RN: The past and the choices you make have such a huge impact on what you’re doing today and your future. Being self employed is scary, but at the same time, if you stretch something too thin, you aren’t going to achieve anything at all.

Teaching is a 12 hour shift. With photography, we’re shooting, editing, doing it all. Something was going to get screwed – either our clients or my students, so we needed to focus on one thing. We felt like I can always go back to teaching and Danelle can always go back to school, but we can’t always go back to a photography studio.

LB: You touched on how you learned photography and Photoshop. How did you learn about business?

RN: I can chock that up to 2 things: I play a mean game of Monopoly and I watch every episode of The Apprentice! I literally attribute it to those things. You’re laughing, but I’m serious!

I have played Monopoly with Danelleand her sisters for the last 10 years and I have only lost once! Withthe game, I am very goal oriented and see the bigger picture. With our business, we are also really goal oriented and make sure everything has a purpose.

DN:For me, I have learned the most from my Dad who owns his own business. He built his business from the ground up while raising 5 kids. I always thought if he can do it, I can do it too. I wanted to follow him so he could be proud of me, especially doing this with Ral.

We want to build this life for our kids. A girlfriend recently told me that one of the best things that you can do is for your kids to let them see that you have followed your dreams and that it’s possible. That’s what I saw in my dad. It has really helped me out.

LB: You guys are business partners, but you are love birds first. Tell us about what’s like working together.

DN:I only recently realized that it is ok to be different people with different opinions. As much as we want to agree on everything, I don’t think our business would be what it is without both of our opinions. I am crazy artsy and Ral is very objective.

Early in our business we would be up at night lying in bed thinking, I really don’t like him now but I am not going to talk about it tonight because then I will start yelling. I remember so many nights like that, because it turns out that I’m not really a team player! It is hard for me sometimes to listen to what he has to say and not be selfish and say, ok I’m pretty sure that my idea a better than yours, so you can stop giving your opinion you little kid!

It has been really interesting, but I really do respect him a lot more. I don’t think I would have been put in this position to see how he responds professionally. We don’t always agree but I really do respect his opinion.

RN:Aw, thanks. I can really see where Danelle is coming from. Her family works hard at everything. They are so talented. When they are in a group setting they are the ones who lead the group.

I went to Montessori Schoolwhere everything was peer taught. It was very collaborative and I took that into business with me. So I wanted to discuss everything I did with Danelle, and she wanted me to get it done! A difference of opinion there…

But I love working with my wife. The reason why I got married is because I love her.

We have a real work flow. I get up earlier than Danelle so I go to the computer and prepare stuff for when she’s awake. It’s awesome. We play The Office, The Simpsons and The Family Guy in the background. We just laugh all the time. We have our alarm set to go off at 5:30 to Celebrate for the end of the day. We really treat it as a 9-5 so that we can have the time to hang out, read together, play, go for dinner…

We try really hard not to compromise so that no one has to lose. Instead we try to collaborate.

LB: Beyond working together as a couple, you work primarily with other couples. What is it like working with them and immortalizing their love?

RN: We’re actually really exclusive now with the couples that we shoot (Gen breathes a sign of relief that she and Kev made the cut . You can feel that the couples that we chose not to shoot will be that statistic. They are getting married because they think it is the next step. I love being around people who are in love. You can really tell when people exude that confidence in each other.

DN: We have actually had to turn people down because we feel that we aren’t the right photographers for them. We aren’t about superficial connections. Some people come in here and they don’t talk, they don’t touch. The groom is on one side staring off and it’s like the bride is marrying her binder.

LB: Did you make that decision from the being that you were only going to work with the real deal?

RN: We learned pretty quick the first year. There were 2 couples who we were on the fence with, and their wedding days turned out to be such long days – and one of them was only a four hour shoot! We were encouraging them, saying come on, get real close! And we could hear them whispering to each other, it feels like we’re acting, it feels fake. We were like wow, you literally just got married.

DN:  We can’t Photoshop in a connection between a couple!

LB: Your office is in your home. Has it been difficult to separate home from work?

RN: Our office used to be in this space. It was so visible. It was a spectacle. We don’t want it to even be in our personal life, so we moved it into a different room that is smaller and off to the side.

We really made a point of making sure that there is no business after 5:30. It wasn’t like that in our first year, but that was understandable. The first year was a tough year.

LB (Gen): As a workaholic, (joking…. but not) I think the boundaries that you have set are amazing.

LB (Zoe): WOWWWWW!! You’ve heard it right here, folks. Admitting to it is the first step!

DN:The first year was tough but we learned a lot. We were also newly married. We really had to kick it up. Ral is so consistent in putting family before work. For me, I really had to define those boundaries and remember that now and in the future, family will always be more important than work. For me, I could just be like if we work in the sunroom we could watch the kids play outside!

RN: But then we wouldn’t be playing with them!

DN: Right, so I really had to think about that. I had to finally say to myself, my work comes second to family. It has to.

RN: There are also unexpected things like guests and family that comes over. They don’t really respect the boundaries. Oh, you guys are working? We’ll just help you by vacuuming! They will ask what we’re doing. They don’t realize that studio hours are working hours.

LB: Maybe that’s cultural, because my family doesn’t come over to help me clean!

DN:We are still newly married, and I think that that works to our advantage. We are so crazy about each other. I have to let him know that he is the priority. That have been times when I haven’t made Ral feel like a priority. I’m a perfectionist and a workaholic and sometimes I put my work before him. But at the end of the day, I am about my husband and he needs to be my priority.

RN: There is this one line that comes to mind: Would you rather be right or would you rather be married?

Working together, playing together, having fun together, is like being on the playground. There are tiffs, but at the end of the day, it’s like sorry, I was whack. You know? There is nothing so big in the business that it should be entering into the marriage. All the things that happen in the business have to remain just business.

LB: You guys have achieved incredible success in a very short amount of time. What factors do you think have been most pertinent in arriving at this place?

RN: First of all, our leap of faith. Trusting and knowing that it will work out. No matter what, something will happen whether it is good or bad. We know that it will eventually be good.

In 1999 Celine Dion was supposed to sing The Prayer with Andre Bocelli at the Grammy’s rehearsal. Bocelli had tonsillitis so David Foster called up Josh Grobman – this was back when he was this chump-looking 17 year old kid – to stand in for Bocelli. This strong solid amazing voice came out of this dorky looking kid. I was like wow! There was an interview afterwards and he said “I was scared but this is what I have been training for. This is where preparation meets opportunity”. I think that’s what it is for business. It’s the preparation that will help determine whether it will be a fruitful business venture or not.

DN: Our faith has played a huge role in how our business has progressed. I remember when we were dating and it was our third year teaching graphic design and I was like, why are we doing this? I should be spending more time doing more music stuff. But the opportunity just kept on coming. During this time I worked a lot with Photoshop. It was so interesting how that knowledge carried itself over into what I mainly do now. Things have come full circle. That is why it feels so right..

RN: I have always thought dream big, aim high and move forward. I think that is what has propelled us to where we are now. Otherwise, we would always be scared. We would always be afraid to take risks. You have to jump in head first.

LB: So what are your goals going into the future?

DN: Our 5 years goals were squashed last year. When we were invited into Wedluxe, we reached our top long term goal.

RN: And all of our other goals were subgoals to help us get into Wedluxe. It is the most exclusive Canadian wedding publication. It is invite only. It was our 5 year goal to get in there, and we made it in after a year. Now we are just like wow, what do we do for the next 4 years?

My goal this year is to rest. Every year I have a goal. Last year my goal was to “break through”. The year before that it was to celebrate. My personal goal is to rest.

We can’t wait to see where that revised 5 year plan takes you!  Rest up, lovelies, cause it’s gonna be an adventure.

zoe+gen + loadedbow

PS I promise not be hopped up on Benedryl on the 13th!  Wouldn’t want to be mixing up the world’s most wanted with the next President   I can actually hear my international relations profs cringing…

Al González

Quien ha resultado ganador del sorteo de una licencia de RAD Studio 2007, organizada en el Club Delphi con el patrocinio de Code Gear

Al González, de origen Mexicano, es un reconocido miembro de la comunidad de desarrolladores de habla hispana, y fundador de Programadores Delphi de México. Ha publicado una biblioteca de código reutilizable bajo el nombre de Interfaz GH.

Enhorabuena Al, estoy seguro que el premio cayó en muy buenas manos y será bien aprovechado.

Cuando se desarrolla un producto de software, es inevitable que contenga errores. Al final, somos humanos, incluyendo a los desarrolladores del equipo de CodeGear. Por mucho tiempo he creído que lo que hace la diferencia entre un buen producto de software y uno excelente es el tiempo de respuesta y la actitud general del fabricante ante estos errores. Creo que CodeGear está pasando la prueba.

Esa sensación se ha confirmado hoy, al ver el blog de Chris Pattinson, encargado de aseguramiento de la calidad de los productos RAD Studio, que publica algunas estadísticas interesantes sobre la actividad de corrección de errores en el RAD Studio 2007 y obviamente en Delphi 2007:

• 7006 defectos marcados como corregidos o para re-probar (no estoy seguro de que significa esto último). Ya se ha excluido los reportes de error marcados como duplicados, casos de prueba y “así fue diseñado”.
• En otras palabras, esto significa un promedio de casi 600 problemas resueltos por mes calendario. Unos 30 por día hábil
• 1196 de dichos reportes provienen del Quality Central, es decir, de la comunidad. Un 17% no está mal.

Lo he dicho antes. Creo que RAD Studio es una estupenda elección para desarrollar software estos días. Y creo que CodeGear está desempeñando bien su papel como fabricante del mismo.

Hasta luego.