Have you ever gone on a long vacation, or even just gone away for a night and left a minor child or a pet behind? Were you able to enjoy your trip without concerning yourself about what was going on at home? Or were you constantly distracted by thoughts of “what if?”

Chances are that even if you trust that nothing will happen, there’s always that nagging feeling that something could go wrong. The good news is, there’s an easy way to gain back the peace of mind that you deserve: a robust home security system.

Home security cameras have become increasingly popular in recent years. Also, through home automation technology, they can be fully monitored and controlled from your phone, so you can rest easy knowing that your home and family is safe. Home automation is another innovation that’s become more popular recently—not only is it used to control security but also HVAC systems, audio, and lighting.

The installation of a home security automation system in complex and labor intensive—not a task you want to take on yourself or trust to just any average handyman off of the street. It’s wise to ensure that you hire the best professional company you can find for service.

The technology behind these systems is always changing and undergoing new developments. A security system is not much good if you cannot depend on it when you need it. The same goes if you need repairs done on your home security system. Even the simplest of systems (a standard alarm) can experience malfunctions and failures over the years. Fortunately, we have the tools and knowledge to resolve your home security issues.

It’s always easy to tell when summer rolls around.  The temperature outside soars, and so does your electricity bill.  Wouldn’t it be great if a top Dallas electrician could save you money on your electric bill?

Everyone knows why your bills get so expensive; you’re running your AC almost all the time.  In fact, the condenser for your air conditioning unit uses more electricity during the summer months than any other appliance in your home, even notorious energy hogs like your refrigerator. There are things an electrician can do to save you money, and electric safety tips you need to know to protect your home, business, and loved ones from disaster.

These days most people call an AC service company the minute an air conditioning problem comes up.   That isn’t always the correct move, though.  In my experience, about half of all the problems that arise with air conditioning systems are electrical problems.  Some of my best customers began using my service because I could help them figure out whether they should be calling an electrician or an HVAC technician to solve their problem.  Obviously, if the problem is the AC unit or condenser, an AC repairman is the way to go, but he doesn’t necessarily understand the details of your home or business electrical system.  There are a few things you should know about your air conditioner from the electrician’s point of view.

Every year, the average American household uses 5% of its electricity consumption on lights. Whether a kitchen light, bathroom light, bedroom light, or a small bulb in the attic, we rely on these lights for safety, security, and convenience. But did you know you can potentially save a good chunk of this electricity, and simultaneously save money?

Halogen incandescent bulbs are a technology that has been around for quite some time, but has grown in popularity in recent years. These bulbs operate by running electricity through a resistor filament, but do so in a chamber filled with gas to improve its efficiency. These require less electricity than a traditional lightbulb, but are not the most efficient option available today, and as such, are fading in popularity.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs are almost identical to the long, tube-like fluorescent lightbulbs, just bent and curled into a small form factor designed for an average light socket. The Department of Energy estimates that these bulbs pay for themselves in a matter of just nine months’ time, while ENERGY-STAR certified bulbs use about a quarter of the energy of a traditional bulb that puts out the same amount of light, all while lasting about ten times longer.

What was once reserved exclusively for traffic lights and indicators has now evolved into one of the most rapidly-growing products on the market. Light Emitting Diodes, more commonly called LEDs, are a type of solid-state lighting that use semiconductors to turn electricity into light. They’re incredibly efficient, using about 20-25% of the electricity of an incandescent bulb, and can last up to 25 times longer as well! These come in a massive range of shapes, colors, and brightnesses, allowing them to be used in virtually any capacity.

I have a great deal of interest in digital photography, but my life is as crazy as anyone else’s. My son, family, and work keep me busy from dawn to midnight every day. I’ve never had time to cultivate any photography skills, even though I’ve always been very interested, sitting on the edge of my seat, if you will, for a chance to take some digital photos in order to learn a little about how capturing light can create astonishing works of art.

My interview with Matthew Danser had given me my long sought “excuse” to try out some photography techniques. But it also required that I put in an honest effort. The thought in the back of my head: These photos are going to suck. Probably a lot. And they will most likely be seen by the thousands of people who visit this blog monthly. Second gulp.

But I’m the kind of person so riddled with ADHD that even my paranoia about being judged on a mass scale can only last about three minutes before the audacity to try anything resurfaces and action is taken. So here’s what happens when a total amateur who has no idea what he is doing tries to “Paint with Light.”

A one-dollar flashlight from – you guessed it – the Dollar General. One dollar. Even. Gotta love it. Especially since it’s all I could afford, seeing as how I’m still paying off the aforementioned Nikon that I bought to take photos of our baby son. (True, a million pictures have been taken of him during his first year-and-a-half on Earth. However, 999,999 of those photos were taken with an iPhone. Go figya.)

THE PLAN, STAN:

The plan was to wait until it was dark in the apartment and do some light painting. I knew that I could use the Shutter mode on my camera to set it to take exposures of up to thirty seconds. I saw that my camera also had an option for bulb release, so, invoking Danser, who recalls how his girlfriend had to hold down the button on his camera for a full thirteen minutes, I determined that if I asked really nicely, I might be able to persuade my wife to hold down the trigger to get exposures longer than thirty seconds. Otherwise, thirty seconds was my window of time to do all the light painting I could.

I started off pretty timidly. I had seen photos online in which people used long exposures to create squiggly lines. The most popular examples are pictures of traffic at night, headlights and tail lights streaming, giving you a sense of the fluid motion of busy intersections. You’ve also seen those nature pics in which streams and rivers and clouds and stars become gauzy with movement because of long exposures.

But what I really like about Danser’s work is the use of color. The effect of running inside the hut and popping off red-gelled flashes shown at the beginning of this blog post (Matthew Danser! And happy lightpainting, everyone!