About this web site

This site is running on an old, retired Compaq Presario laptop running Windows XP Pro. The processor is a 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 with 1 GB of RAM. One of my IT clients, Allen Refractories Company in Pataskala, Ohio, has graciously allowed the use of their 5x5 fiber broadband connection. 

After much research into various methods for creating a web site I decided on the Plone Content Management System (www.plone.org). Plone will run in either a Windows or a Linux environment. There are a ton of add-on 'products' that allow almost unlimited customization of the base system. So far I've installed the cssmanager product for making simple changes to the look and feel of the web site (logo, colors, etc.) and the Plone4ArtistsVideo product for uploading and displaying video content.

As a typical computer geek, I'm also into photography. The majority of still pictures on this site were taken with a Nikon D300 camera with either a Nikkor 17 - 55mm f/2.8G AF-S DX lens or a Nikkor 70 - 200mm f/2.8G AF-S VR lens.  I'm really into available light photography and have a problem with using distracting flash to get good candid photos. I'm still debating the purchase of a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens for low light photography. The Nikkor 17-55 has been so competent in low light I'm not sure about the need for an f/1.4 in my kit.

08/10/2012 edit - I've since purchased the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM lens and a Tokina 11-16 f/2.8 IF DX lens. The Nikkor 17 - 55 is still my all-around go-to lens.

05/16/2013 edit - The picture on the Allen Refractories home page was taken with the Tokina.

Mark