How To Make Aged Wood

Quite possibly the funnest weekend project yet. Staining instructions here.

10 Ways To Freshen Up Your Space

If you're like me, you're OCD about getting the space just right. When I'm stuck, I always resort to this quick and easy method of freshening up my space. I do this by:

1. Moving shit around.
2. Buying new art.
3. Painting shit.
4. Moving more shit around (on the table, furniture).
5. Bringing in some nature (flowers, etc.).
6. Mixing bedding sets without giving a shit.
7. Adding new color via a single item.
8. Cleaning the living shit out of the place.
9. Taking/removing the drapes or trying something new with windows.
10. Adding a mirror to brighten up shit.

I'm In Love With a DIYer

This simply amazing transformation by Adriana makes use of a simple IKEA BRATTBY kitchen cart, turning it into a fantastic side table that's both modern and full of chic-ness.

Dropquest 2011 Step 8 & 10 Solutions

Just in case you're always dying to get more Dropbox space, here's the solutions for Steps 8 (via a video tutorial here) and 10 on Dropbox's Dropquest Adventure that'll get you 1GB of free space for life! I've kind of already maxed out my account, but if you wanna join and get 250MB free Dropbox space, just sign up through me!

DIY Panasonic GF-1 Flash Bounce

White card. 45 degrees. Better results, yeah!

How To Process Digital Photos in High Fashion

That's right. Not talkin' high resolution or definition, but high fashion. Why? Because I'm serious about this shit, dammit!

Peep these tutorials to achieve the look you see above. Just invest 20 minutes of your time and you'll have skills for years to come!

Lomo effect:

Cross processing effect:

High fashion dodge/burn process:

High contrast B/W layer effect:

Easy high pass trick:

How To Clean Up Scanned Sketches

Some people have been asking me for a quick and easy way to clean up smudges when scanning stuff off their MoleSkine's and sketch books.

Now, in Photoshop, all you need to do is pull up Levels from Image -> Adjustment. For the white arrow, pull it a bit left until it hits near the beginning bump of the rightmost curve. For the black arrow, go right slightly until the darks appear uniform.

Alternatively, you could always spike up the Brightness and Contrast, but that often results in much of the detail blowing up and getting a crappy look overall. Use this method and you'll be immediately more pro.

How To Import Jing SWF Files into iMovie '09

More things to learn this weekend. Woop, woop! If you've been trying to get your Jing recordings into iMovie '09 for editing, you'll quickly realize there's a problemo to be had. Because SWF format and vector based, the only way to get iMovie to read it would be to convert the file to an accepted imovie format.

My suggestion: Try http://media-convert.com and do it online free. There's plenty of options to choose from, but all you need to do is make sure you select the proper dropdown menus and export it into .mp4 format. You also have the option of linking multiple recordings if you were to attempt a timelapse video of sorts. Makes it a whole lot easier to manage just one file.

Update: Nevermind, this does not work.

Pansonic X1 Series, Calibrated

Man, I'm such a bum. Didn't properly calibrate my HDTV for a year and have been putting up with shoddy picture quality for way too long. If you're an owner of the Panasonic LCD HDTV X1 Series (TC-L26X1, TC-L32X1, TC-L37X1), here's a guide to help on your calibration:

Picture menu
Picture mode: Cinema
Backlight: +52
Contrast: +90 
Brightness: +55
Color: +39
Tint: 0 
Sharpness: 0
Color temp: Warm
Color mgmnt.: Off 
A.I. picture.: Off 
Video NR: Off
Zoom adjustments: [grayed out] 
PC adjustments: [grayed out]  

Advanced picture submenu 
Color matrix: HD [grayed out] 
MPEG NR: Off
Black level: Light 
H size: Size 1 [grayed out]

Ready, Set, Take a Stunning Photo

After falling in love with Chris Nguyen's home, I thought I'd ask him how get got his photos looking so natural and wonderful in his latest tour at Unplggd. He kindly answered:

"I actually don't process my photos that much, save for some mild color correction in Photoshop. Finding the best exposure using aperture priority is how I start. Shoot multiple frames in one sitting also helps as you'll be surprised how much a few movements one way or the other can change the feeling of a composition. A must though, at least for me, is shooting in RAW, so that I have the full range of editing capabilities should I need them."

There you have it. The take-home message: 1) Shoot in Aperture Priority, 2) Shoot in RAW, and 3) Shoot multiples.

How To: Take Awesome Pictures of Your Home

Take it from the best. Then place your skills to the test! Here's some tips from Decorno (Elle and Domino magazine) to help get that shot of your pad fine and dandy:

• Don't ever use an on-camera flash.
• Get a tripod.
• Bracket the exposures. If the lightmeter tells your camera to expose for 2 seconds, start there then do 4 seconds, then 8 seconds until it is obviously too bright.
• Sometimes the best light is really low light. Don't be afraid of 30 second exposures.
• Turn off your lamps and overhead lights. Not just in the room your shooting but in nearby rooms as well.
• Even most point and shoot cameras have manual settings. People would be well served to get familiar with their cameras. They'll be surprised how many functions even cheap cameras have.
• Get to know your camera. Play with depth of field and aperture settings. You can then focus on points of interest and the background sort of fades away.
• If you're scouting for magazines (this is good advice for anyone) remember that editors want to see the whole room. Avoid tons of middle distance vignettes. Also try to show how rooms flow to each other.
• Frame up shots with things in the foreground and middle-ground. Sometimes it's cool to let a chair close to the camera go all blurry.
• Try things that are contrary to the obvious way you look at the room. Like get really low or get up high. Don't think you need to always be super graphic and at right angles.
• Take a shot from a better angle of view. Be willing to move yourself, or your furniture, around.
• The way a room looks best when you're standing in it is often not the best way to shoot it.

My personal tip? Use natural light. Nothing can beat the exquisite, timeless lighting power of the sun! Zing!

Mac Hack Attack: Multiple Identities on Apple Mail Edition

If you've ever tried setting up multiple alias with a single e-mail using Apple Mail, you'll notice it isn't nearly as easy as setting it up in Thunderbird on a PC. You either had to manually add a Reply-To address or throw a pissy fit.

The main reason for this is because there is no box or anything remotely logical to get the alias to add. Luckily, there's an easy solution, thanks to yours truly. Here it is:

1. Open Mail App.
2. Go to Preferences
3. Click on Accounts
4. Choose your account
5. In the "Email Addresses" data entry field, add your aliases (identities), separated by a comma.
6. Save your account.

Now, when you compose a new email, your aliases (identities) will be in the "Account:" drop-down menu.

Tennis Ball Steady Cam Hack

This is fricking geneous. Ya. Geneous. All you need is a tennis ball, a utility knife, some pliers, a Sharpie, nuts and bolts, and a little bit of patience. Gawd this is so awesome I think I'm going to do it tomorrow night.

But wait, I need a camera first. Dammit all!

How To: Master the Silpat

Want to create the greatest cookies in the world? Bread to die for? Heck, even nachos with cheese and chicken tenders are made perfect with these brilliantly designed silicone baking mats by DeMarle. Here are some tips to master it:

1. DON'T OIL IT. If you add oil then it will become sticky. Sounds odd, but I had a friend over and she oiled it and it became so sticky that it only came off after a significant amount of major scrubbing. Avoid oil for these Silpats!
   
2. I found that when using new silicone baking mats requires a "break in" period since they don't tend to outgas on first use. I bake them with nothing on them for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. I have never had problems with this, but it's not super necessary.
   
3. Don't be scared to put the mat directly onto your oven racks. I find that I get the best results this way. You can use it on a pan if it makes you feel better, but it's really not necessary unless you're worried about cookies spilling over while baking.
   
4. Be aware of the maximum temperature for your mat.
5. Buy at least two so you can make batches of cookies with it.
6. Don't forget that if you are cooking at 350 degrees, the mat will be 350 degrees, so DON'T grab it with your hands. Instead, you can place aluminum foil liners for easy pulling.

How to Choose the Correct Frame Size for a Fixie/Road Bike

It's fairly simple. Just follow these simple steps and you should have a relatively good idea of what your bike size is in no time at all:

1. Place a book or carpenter’s square between your legs with one edge against the wall, and pull it up firmly into your crotch, simulating the pressure of your saddle while riding. Have a helper measure from the top edge of the book to the floor, in centimeters. (You can convert inches to centimeters by multiplying inches by 2.54.) Repeat two or three times, for consistency, and average the results to get your inseam length.

2. Use your inseam measurement to get a rough idea of your road bike size. Multiply your inseam by .65. This will give you a good estimate of you road bike size for bikes measured center to center. Thus if your inseam is 86 cm, you will fit a 56cm road bike (86 x .65 = 55.9). Note that many road bikes are measured center to top. To determine how to fit these bikes, multiply your inseam by .67.

3. Subtract an additional 10cm and convert this measurement to inches to get your mountain bike frame size, roughly. Thus, if you fit a 56cm road bike (c-c), you will fit a 46cm - or an 18" - mountain bike.

4. Consider top tube length. In many ways, this is the most important aspect of sizing a bike. Two 18" mountain bikes may have different length top tubes. Or a 54cm and an 56cm road bike may have the same length top tube. Given the same top tube length, the bigger bike may be more comfortable in that it will allow you to get the bars up a bit higher.

5. Know that women have longer legs and shorter top tubes than men. Unfortunately, most bikes are designed for men, and women often have a hard time finding a bike that will fit them well. Luckily, some manufacturers have begun to make women-specific models.

6. Test ride some bikes once you have gotten a rough idea of what will fit you. This will help you determine what is most comfortable for you.

The Infamous Grado SR80 Reverse Mod

Here's the general idea: You grab a pair of stock Grado SR80's. You grab a pair of HD-414 earpads. Now, you literally pin a quarter down with my left index finger and cut out the hole (carefully) with a Swiss army knife. The whole should be about 25mm across. It doesn't look perfectly round, but pretty good. I'd imagine it would be better with those scalpel looking knives, but this is the best one can do! Now, last but not least, you put them on backwards - hence the "reverse" mod.

PS: Removing that plastic logo also lets in some more air and creates a cleaner look. Proceed with caution if you do!

How To: Prep Your Bike For A Paint Job

Removal: Use Aircraft Stripper or sand down with 180grit wet/dry sandpaper. Rinse with water when clogged with old paint.

Coverage: Block off all the holes and trim the excess with an exacto knife. Stick a roll of newspaper in the seat hole.

Painting: Use two coats Rustoleum Painter’s Touch primer and generally two coats of paint for each color. Do light sanding between coats of color with 600grit wet/dry paper. Follow with a couple light coats of clear coat and let them dry in between.

How To Avoid Family Portrait Clichés

The list kinda goes like this:

1. Alter your perspective: Get extra-high or low for some unique shots.
2. Play with eye contact: Try looking off camera or exchanging looks with someone in the frame.
3. Break the rules of composition: You don't always need the rule of thirds. Go crazy and sometimes you might run into something you'll love.
4. Experiment with lighting: Generate mood with backlighting and silhouetting your subject, or slow down your ISO and grab tons of light into your photo.
5. Get your subject comfortable: You can do this with silly shots, making the subject feel like it's less of chore and more of a fun activity.
6. Shoot candid: Posed shots are okay sometimes, but candidness is unbelievably effective every time!
7. Introduce props: Interesting items can and will add a new life to your photos.
8. Obscure your subject: Try shots where your focus is more on one part of the body, leaving the rest of the photo open to the viewer's imagination.
9. Take a bunch of shots: Bursting can create a very interesting series of images if you do it right.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Murphy.

How To Share Games On PSN (Playstation Network)

This tutorial will tell you how to share PSN games with other people, bought or free (I believe this also includes Playstation Home items).

For the "sender":

1. Purchase and download a game from the Playstation Store
2. Go to account management for the account and delete the billing information from your personal information if the PS3 saved your credit card info
3. Change your password temporarily for the share
4. Give login info (email address and password) to the receiver
5. When the share is completed, change the password

For the "receiver":

1. In the PS3 XMB menu, add a new user account on your PS3 and sign in to it
2. Select the network on the XMB and create an existing Playstation Network account
3. Use the login information given from the "sender" to create the existing account
4. Login into the account
5. Enter into the Playstation store
6. Click on "Download List" on the upper right near the person's userID and select the game you wish to download and hit download
7. After game is downloaded, notify the "sender" that the download is complete so they can change the password to the account
8. Enjoy!

Setting Up A Wireless Repeater To Extend Your Network

I wrote up an extra-long extensive article on how to get it all working on Unplggd. The basic idea is to get WDS up and running, match it up to your other router (repeaters) and to make sure you get a DNS IP assigned. After that, you should be smooth sailing.