Like a lot of devs these days I run a local version of the websites that I work on under version control to safeguard and streamline my development process. For a few years now I have been using MAMP Pro to handle the stack on my machine, as almost all of the work I have been doing has been php, mySQL, Apache based.

Not long after starting to use Ruby on Rails I found Pow and really liked its simplicity and ease of use. However, out of the box it doesn’t play nicely with MAMP and you will not be able to access MAMP based sites if Pow is running.

This post details how to get them working together.

If you change the technology that your website is built on there is a good chance that you will want or need to re-factor during the transition. If you change the URL structure then it’s prudent to make sure that the old URLs get mapped to the new.

This post details how I achieved that moving from a PHP/Apache based ExpressionEngine install, to Octopress running on nginx, hosted at Heroku.

One thing I have been promising myself recently is more blogging, mainly about code and my renewed passion for it. I’ve also been looking to simplify as much as I can in my life, so, why not tackle both at the same time?

So, more blogging, simply.

I was recently approached by Caitlin who was disappointed with how her wedding photographs had turned out. The shots that had been taken on the day were okay, but there was nothing there that really made her feel special, not one shot that she and her husband wanted to hang on the wall. Could I take some for them and give them something to remember?

Last week I drove to Decatur, Georgia to attend the One Light Workshop run by highly talented photographer Zack Arias. The course is an intensive one-day event that sets out to teach students solid techniques for using (one) off camera flash. I have been blown away by Zack’s work, and this was a chance to get face to face with a unique talent, how could I have been anywhere else?

The course is aimed at photographers that have at least an intermediate knowledge of the technical aspects of the medium, and want to expand their abilities by having options (more on that later).

When this site was originally put together it was purely for personal posts. That was three years ago, and during that time my life has changed.

On Sunday May 24th 2009, the footballing family of St. Andrews Tavern turned out to compete in the 2009 Memorial Cup.

Tragically on Sunday 19th April 2009 Jeremy lost his life, suffering a heart attack after a game of soccer at Lake Sylvan, Orlando Florida. He leaves behind the love of his life Mary Jo, and three children, Alix, Sophie and Jack.

I have been very blessed to be able to call Jeremy a friend for the past few years, a blessing I know that many people here are glad to have shared.

Friends and Family gathered at the Maitland Art Center on November 14th 2008 at 5.00 p.m. to bear witness to the marriage of Claire Kohake and Rus Azar. I was there to take the photos (and have a drink).

My dearest little nan has left us.