Here are some photos from the NCS basketball championship featuring Mendocino and St Vincent de Paul high schools. CONGRATULATIONS to St Vincent and I appreciate them asking me to come out. Thanks for checking them out and for your donations.

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Ace Pro action camera at almost 50% off

The Ace Pro* is a 4K action camera is a sleek piece of kit as it has a high resolution viewfinder to aid in framing up shots with the 16mm wide-angle lens. The viewfinder also flips up for easy vlogging mode. The 4K resolution is available at 120 frames per second just in case you want to do some slow motion sequences. Not to mention, the high quality stabilization from Insta360.

Great AI-powered webcam - the Link 2

The Link 2 web cam is not your average web cam. Like most you get a high resolution (4K), but the added software you install on your computer to help control it is pretty slick. You can set up gesture controls because of the built in AI as well as dial in the exposure to fit your workspace. It’s also capable of giving you a “desk view” and turn down for “sleep” mode giving you peace of mind from a rogue web cam recording you while you’re not asking it to. The Link 2* is now available at 25% off.

High-powered 360-degree camera

The Insta360 X4* 360-degree camera is a steal at 30% off. Granted, this camera isn’t the latest model, the X5, but it’s still a solid camera. It’s quite useful and versatile. Much more versatile than a smartphone. Great images and video. Just be sure to protect the lenses from scratches. They’re VERY sensitive.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

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I’ve been a bit of a fanboy of Wacom for years. A dear friend of mine got me into the Intuos devices to replace the mouse on my computer. It really does make things easier for me with regards to photo retouching. Later, I got my hands on the Cintiq line because I was interested in having the actual display at my reach. I LOVE it. Especially for working on headshots in post. So of course when I got wind of the latest Cintiq becoming available, I spoke with the Wacom team for more details.

Streamlined look and feel

Wacom announced two new Cintiqs for creative artists. The Cintiq 16 and 24. Both of these sizing options are great as it allows the device to be an easy fit in most workspaces. The form-factor is thinner and lighter further advancing the portability of the Cintiq line. Not to mention, the footprint has improved.

You can now lay the Cintiq flat on your desk space as you would an Intuos. This gives you the feel of actually drawing on a smooth sheet paper or a sketch pad. If that’s not your preferred way of working, you can still opt for a tilt angle on your desk with the foldable feet on the Cintiq 16 or the foldable stand on the Cintiq 24. Whatever works best for you. You can also utilize the integrated VESA mount option on the rear of each Cintiq if you’re interested in mounting these devices onto third-party monitor arms. I’ve done this before and it can be quite handy as an additional monitor for day-to-day computing.

Other tech specs

Each device will utilize the Wacom Pen Pro 3 stylus. The 2.5K screen resolution is beautiful with anti-glare etched glass. The Cintiq 24 also offers touch mode if you’re into using your fingers in addition to the Pen Pro 3 stylus.

The updated Cintiq line will be available this summer with a starting price of $699 for the Cintiq 16 and $1299 for the Cintiq 24.

Like most wireless lav mics today, you get a pair of mics (transmitters) and one receiver to capture the sound. The receiver allows you to pipe the audio into your camera or smartphone. Just use a TRS cable or a dongle. Pretty easy to use.

Nothing new here. So what’s the deal with this mic?

So Boya has touted having much better noise-cancelling in these mics to help provide a better listening experience. Granted, one must also consider other recording variables with a bold statement like that. Variables such as mic placement, what the actual ambient sound is, where the ambient sound is coming from, wind and more. In my testing, the environment was pretty tame. Some wind here and there, but even with that in consideration, the Boya2 did offer pretty effective noise cancellation on the fly with its AI.

But I have to give some additional credit. Even without the active noise cancellation activated, the mics do a pretty nice job with picking up the audio you actually want instead of the whole environment. Here’s a screenshot of room tone captured by my professional, studio mic - the Heil PR 40*. Notice the room tone is coming in at about 1kHz in the spectral display. And I mean BARELY at that because you can barely see the purple color in the spectral display.

Now take a look at the Boyamic2 in the same room with the same spoken word. It’s doing a really great job as it barely capturing room tone at 2kHz in the spectral display. So yeah, credit where credit is due.

The Boyamic2 is available now online* with competitive pricing. As previously mentioned, they’re very easy to use with either your camera of choice* or your smartphone. The key is you’ll spend a lot less time in post-processing trying to clean up your audio for your podcast or other content.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

This is an update to its C70 cinema camera that I really enjoyed. The update includes a few big changes and a pretty solid price. The C70 has a Super-35 sensor. The C80 has a full frame sensor. The C70 topped out at 4K resolution. The C80 tops out at 6K.

A couple of years ago I talked about the C70 and its prowess. It definitely gets the job done for cinematographers, but it did have limitations when it came the Super-35 sensor. One being the crop factor as well as the difference in depth of field. I guess Canon took the hint from creators about this.

Other tech specs include two recording codecs, XF-AVC S and XF-HEVC S. Oh and yes, you can still shoot Canon RAW. I’m curious to know how the battery performs. Canon has had a bit of an up-and-down-and-up reputation when it comes to battery life on some of its cameras. I also wonder if the media slots are still SD card slots or now CF Express Type B. No mention of this in the press release.

UPDATE - The camera does have dual SD card slots. With that said, I recommend using V90 cards* for high resolutions and framerates.

I don’t know if I’ll ever get my hands on one of these Cameras, but I’m curious. I love the form-factor and the fact that it’s now full frame. More information on the announcement can be found on Canon’s site here.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

The video editing software used by many in big or personal productions has been updated to version 19. Resolve is available to all with a free version as well as a “studio” version available for a flat fee of $295. No subscription. I use it in addition to my other video editor and I do enjoy it. Here’s the press release detailing the update:

DaVinci Resolve 19 is a major new update which adds new DaVinci Neural Engine AI tools, over 100 feature upgrades such as IntelliTrack AI, Ultra NR noise reduction, ColorSlice six vector grading, film look creator FX and multi source editing on the cut page. For Fusion there are new USD tools and multipoly rotoscoping tools, plus Fairlight has new Fairlight AI audio panning to video, ducker track FX and ambisonic surround sound. Blackmagic Cloud has new features that make it easy to use for large companies with multiple users collaborating on the same project at the same time. There’s also support for DaVinci Resolve Replay so you can create live action replays straight to air during live events and convert those replays into promos, highlight packages and instant social media updates:

• With this update, editors can work directly with transcribed audio to find speakers and edit timeline clips. Colorists can produce rich film like tones with the ColorSlice six vector palette and produce cinematic images using the new film look creator effect which emulates photometric film processes. In Fairlight, the IntelliTrack AI can be used to track motion and automatically pan audio. VFX artists in Fusion have an expanded set of USD tools plus a new multipoly rotoscoping tool which displays all of your masks in a single list. The cut page has new broadcast replay tools for live multi camera broadcast editing, playout and replay with speed control. There’s also support for live sync with Blackmagic Cloud which uploads media into a DaVinci Resolve bin while the camera is recording so editors and colorists can start working even while the camera is rolling.

• DaVinci Resolve 19 update is available now as a free download from Blackmagic Design’s website.

Check out the discussion below as we answer questions from the community regarding various items in photo and video such as slomo footage, inexpensive cameras, LUT packs and video editing information.

You and me went through a lot from the very beginning. I still remember the day of holding you in my arms when I adopted you. Your personality was so much like mine. You were happy, but “even.” I remember laughing to myself thinking, “this rascal is gonna be 100lbs.”

Shortly after meeting, you gave us a scare. You had to have surgery to remove a blockage in your stomach. Apparently, you thought football gloves and socks tasted great. 🤦🏾‍♂️

Then I spent several days with you in a Penske moving truck driving across the country. It was so cool to see your enthusiasm to get in the truck and ride for hours and hours and days and days across the USA. And boy, did you STINK after a few days in there. I remember your heavy ass sleeping on my legs in the truck when we’d stop driving for a night to get some rest.

You adjusted nicely to California. And when it was time to make this latest move to a different neighborhood, you were a trooper. And you helped us make sure our youngest boy was able to get through high school graduation and off to college. Thank you for seeing that through.

Your work here is done, Kylo. You provided 8 years of great love and service to the family. Well done, sir. I am selfish and want more years with you, but that’s not fair. This is the circle of life when it comes to pets. You were patient with me as a parent when I probably could have done some things better. You were helpful when I needed those minutes of chill time to “let go” and “reset” myself. When I just wanted to sit on the porch, you understood and just did the same with me. Peacefully and quietly. Thank you. Cancer SUCKS, but as I said previously, I’m grateful that you’re not suffering or feeling any pain. Granted, if you felt pain, we never knew. You are a tough and resilient dog. Only recently we saw discomfort in you and we hated that for you. Be well, Kylo. Many, many THANKS to you for not only what you did for the family, but what you did for ME.

What to expect in the R1

In Canon’s press release, the company spoke in generalities. But it’s safe to say, the body will be an upgrade over the existing R series camera bodies. Not necessarily in megapixels, but definitely in performance.

“This camera employs the newly developed image processor DIGIC Accelerator in addition to the pre-existing processor DIGIC X. The new image processing system, composed of these processors and a new CMOS sensor, enables large volume of data to be processed at high speeds and delivers never-before-seen advancements in Auto Focus (AF) and other functions.” - Canon

This says a lot considering how fast the current cameras are. I’ve not shot on an R3 as of yet, but the R5 and R5 C* that I own are ridiculously fast on capture and writing to my card. Not to mention the video capabilities. When the Canon R3 was announced, the lower megapixel count (24) wasn’t ideal for some portrait photographers, but the video capability of 6K 60fps and 4K 120fps makes videographers drool. I would assume this new body would have something close to that. At the very least, 4K 120fps for great slow motion action sports. And maybe 30 megapixels for image stills. Better yet, what about pricing? My guess would be $7000. Considering the last flagship (a DSLR) was roughly $6500 for the 1DX III. New tech, would probably cost a little more now a few years later. Right?

What are you thoughts? Interested in the new body? Happy with your current camera body? What are you shooting with these days and if you’re thinking of an upgrade, would it be to this or another camera body. Let me know.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Notes of discussion:

DJI Avata 2*

Humane AI

Importance of degrees and education

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Tools mentioned include:

Wacom Intuos Tablet*

Canon R5 C*

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

In addition to having me on, Franklin had her friend Von Decarlo on. Decarlo’s another hilarious and successful comedian. Our discussion ranged from herding cats, to AI, to stalkers. Yeah those are some heavy topics, but we had fun conversing. Check out the show below. Thanks for listening and sharing.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I had roughly eight films to judge in my queue and it was an interesting experience. There were some creations I found to be quite impressive, and some not so much. But each of them shared one trait. Each filmmaker did the best they could with the mobile device camera’s capabilities. Lighting was key as the image sensors on these devices are so small. And for the films that went with low-light, the post-processing was done well enough to remove noise and artifacts. It’s pretty cool seeing what creators come up with these days - regardless of the tool.

If you’re interested in attending the International Mobile Film Festival, check out the website for more info.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I sat down with the dude known as “Ohdoctah” to talk about this Nikon and RED stuff.

When I went to my local camera/rental shop, I checked out the telephoto options and found that an RF mount lens was available. This meant I could use my Canon R5 C* for the long shots instead of my 1DX II*. The wonderful staff suggested the Canon 100-500mm RF telephoto lens and had high praise for it. I trust these guys, so I gave it a shot.

First impressions

WOW this lens is LIGHTWEIGHT. The size of this lens in its widest focal length is pretty compact at 8-inches. The build quality is great. It doesn’t feel cheap and has the Canon “L” designation for professional-grade build quality. It weighs roughly 3-pounds when holding it in your hands alone. Slap the lens onto a Canon mirrorless body and it’s barely noticeable in the short term.

Image quality

The image quality on this lens is UNBELIEVABLE. It’s such a sharp lens. I’m not sure what Canon has done, but the RF mount lenses are always sharp, but I was surprised at how sharp this telephoto lens is. It’s ridiculous. Having image stabilization built in is definitely helpful. When I shot the baseball game, I started out with the lens connected to my monopod. Just a force of habit. When shooting long focal lengths at 300mm or more, I stabilize my camera and lens with a monopod because you’re much more prone to capturing blurred images at those focal lengths. This is because micro jitters from you or your camera are magnified. Since the lens is so light, I boldly decided to try shooting handheld. Maaaaan did it workout perfectly for me. Again, the built-in image stabilization system in the lens helps a lot. The USM autofocus on this lens is snappy in all focal lengths. My only suggestion would be to make sure your mirrorless camera’s autofocus AI is set to “people” and face detection when shooting sports. I didn’t upload the highest resolution version of the pics below, but they’re still pretty stellar in quality.

Concerns

The weight of this lens is great. The size is “good.” When you zoom to a tighter focal length the lens telescopes to 11-inches. Unfortunately. I wish this wasn’t the case. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s something I wish was addressed for the price point. To Canon’s credit, the telescoping functionality can be manipulated to be a smooth, quick motion or your can make it a stiff motion. If you tighten down on the lens for a stiff motion, this will eliminate the inadvertent telescoping issue when you’re just walking around with the lens on your hip or shoulder.

The other concern is the aperture. At f/4.5-7.1, many would scoff. At f/5.6 is where most shooters would want to top out on aperture. But even at f/7.1 I found something magical happens with this lens. I really can’t explain it. You don’t lose as much light as expected. My friends at the local camera store said that Canon did something really right or really wrong, because they noticed the same performance. The folks at Digital Picture explains this technicality quite well. Over my head, but it definitely works. Let’s just say that f/7.1 at 500mm isn’t really f/7.1. And no, f/4.5 isn’t particularly wide open, but it’s adequate with today’s high ISO performance in cameras. The background compression looks great in all of my images regardless of the aperture.

You can get the 100-500mm RF lens from Canon for $2899, but at the time of writing this, the lens has a discount* going. I need to save up for this lens. I not only want it, I NEED it.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

At the time, I’d been invited to join a startup tech blog called aNewDomain which was lead by Gina Smith. My intent was to get up early and write about anything I found interesting regarding the conference. To my surprise, I found a PDF file from Microsoft detailing the consumer preview of its Windows 8 operating system. I thought it was pretty cool to see the documentation about the “new look” of Windows and put a blog post together detailing what I had found. An hour or so passes and my Google chat window started blowing up with messages of excitement from Gina Smith. This caught me by surprise. Apparently, my blog post about the “leaked” document was a big hit. This lead to other sites picking up the story and linking back to me. In particularly, Mr. Jason Hiner of ZDNet mentioned my post.

This blew my mind because I was a big fan of the work Mr. Hiner had done over the years as tech news and tech journalism was all the buzz. To see he mentioned lil’ ol’ me in his piece was something I’ll never forget. But anyway, I’m technically “back on” ZDNet now. This time I’m on the team as a freelance contributor.

What does this mean?

As a freelance contributor, I’ll be creating content around the wonky world of consumer technology in the form of blog posts and videos. I’ll also lend a hand in shooting photography for the team as a hired camera, if you will. I look forward to working with Mr. Hiner and the ZDNet team. He and I go back quite a ways as he also gave me a freelance gig many years ago on TechRepublic. When I joined TWiT in 2019, I had to drop my contributions to TechRepublic because of some dumb ass proposition here in California. But yes, this is going to be a fun exerience. I look forward to it.

Why freelance and not full-time?

I’m freelance for a couple of reasons. First off, full-time employment isn’t offered at this time. Which is fine. Secondly, I can’t say that I’m interested in full-time work at this time. Real talk.

For pretty much most of my professional career, I’ve been a bit of a self-starter and on my own. Even though the majority of my career was in IT at a big company of some sort, I had a lot of autonomy and freedom. I “worked from home” for many years before that phrase was normalized during the 2020 pandemic. I didn’t have to deal with micro-management leadership. I’m grateful for that. So I always felt like a contractor, or freelancer in that regard.

Now in 2023 and 2024, we continue to read and hear about companies struggling financially around the country. I was laid off from TWiT in December 2023. It wasn’t personal, it was business and it made sense. I would have laid me off, too. Not to mention other huge companies such as Salesforce, Google, Microsoft, Sony and many more laying off staff in the coming months.

Are you sure?

I personally don’t believe finding full-time work in my field is going to happen. It’s a tough business. I want to be in control of my own destiny for that reason. I previously worked at a company of almost half of my life. I was given an opportunity to take another job elsewhere for better wages even though I wasn’t looking for a new job. You know what the company said to me which I worked at for 16 years?

“Are you sure?”

Not, “what can we do to keep you here” or anything of that nature. NO FREAKIN’ LOYALTY TOWARDS ME or anything I’d done for the previous 16 years as an employee. I was naive and that changed my outlook going forward. I needed to be able to control my destiny.

What I went through at TWiT was great. The Laportes were great to me. I had autonomy and was also able to learn other things during my time there. But again, it was more of a mental note to me that I need to keep pushing to have control. So I’m doing everything I can to get Ant Pruitt Media back on track and rollin’ forward.

Anyway, that’s the news. Be sure to check out ZDNet for other great consumer tech content. They do a good job of keeping it real when it comes to all the fuss about the new hotness of tech. I’ll see you soon. Thanks for all the support.

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Why does this matter?

So a new lens is announced. “What’s the big deal,” you ask? Well first, what’s big about this is the focal range and aperture. This focal range is ideal for both photography and video. Being an f/2.8 lens also offers great performance in low-light scenarios.

Speaking of the f/2.8 aperture, the aperture blades are important. In this new lens, Sony is offering 11 aperture blades. In entry-to-mid-level lenses, you’ll get seven aperture blades in most instances. Sometimes nine blades. These additional blades offer a much nicer looking bokeh effect while shooting wide open as well as helps reduce diffraction.

Lastly, the main reason this is big news is the weight of the lens. Sony states that the new G-series lens will come in at 440g, or 15.5oz for us uncivilized folks. One of the primary selling points of a mirrorless camera is the reduced body size and weight. I always thought this selling point was a bunch of bunk because most pro-grade lenses were freakin’ HEAVY compared to camera bodies, so the total camera package would still be considered heavy. But, I’m no marketing genius, so what do I know?

You can request your new lens from Sony for $1099 with delivery set for sometime in May 2024. Let me know if you decide to order one.

When I wasn’t checking out the job market or shooting basketball games for MaxPreps, I was checking out tech news. One bit of news which got my attention was the announcement of Adobe Max. It was great news. . .sorta.

Each October, Adobe kicks off its creator conference covering everything from new software updates to creator-driven classes which help you get better with their products to networking with other creative artists from around the globe. I LOVE this event. I look forward to it each year.

I had every intention on attending the event this October until I saw that it was moved from Los Angeles to Miami. This hurt my heart. It took me a minute to get over it, actually. I was looking forward to driving down and seeing the event. But I can’t make a promise that I’ll get out to Miami in October. I’ll go over my budget and so forth in the coming weeks, but off the top of my head, I can’t see a cross-country flight happening. Especially since I don’t know if I’ll have to be in Eugene, Oregon screaming #scoducks. I don’t know. We’ll see. I may be able to figure it out. Sometimes, I actually can figure things out. Maybe I can get a gig with Adobe? That could offset costs, right? Hmmm.

Have you attended Adobe Max? If you’re a creator, you SHOULD. It’s an unbelievable event with great energy that can only help you as a creator. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

What IS Bluesky?

A better question that do you care that Bluesky is now open to everyone. Do any of you know what Bluesky is? If you don’t know, I’ll try to explain what it is in everyday people, terms. In short, it’s another social media app. In even shorter short, it’s a spinoff of X (which used to be known as Twitter.) With Bluesky dropping its “invite-only” option, this is considered to be big news- to some.

I say “to some” because what’s happening with social media continues to be a dadgum enigma to me. Why? Well first there’s Elon Musk. He now owns Twitter, rebrands it as X, pisses off millions of people with how the platform is run and not particularly in that order. Next there’s Facebook which is yelled at by our US government “leadership” for not being “safe for children” or for “promoting violence” among other controversial topics. Then there’s TikTok seen as a US security threat by many because of its ties with the Chinese government.

Granted, I just listed off a couple of bullet points regarding some of the social media platforms out there today, but what’s confusing to me is the fact that these platforms are STILL BEING UTILIZED REGULARLY. Be it by everyday people like myself, brands, or by robots or online scammers. And the online scammers are there because there’s still enough everyday people there to take their bait. So regarding the likes of Bluesky, Threads and Mastodon (Activity Pub), do any of these platforms stand a chance in gaining more relevancy? Sure Bluesky has millions of user accounts? But can we find Apple on Bluesky? Or can we find legit accounts of CNN, the NFL or FIFA on Bluesky? Better yet, is Beyonce or Taylor Swift on Bluesky? I’ll answer for you. . .that’s a big ol’ NOPE. And yes I’m asking about Bluesky, but what about Threads? Are these folks active there? Don’t get me started on Mastodon.

For the record, I’m on all of the previously mentioned platforms. Each platform has a different audience for me. I’m an everyday person like many people, but I’m a lil’ different considering I’ve had an ok online presence and have been able to truly engage with people around the globe. Especially as someone that pays their bills as a content creator. But I don’t know if Bluesky becoming a prominent social platform is in the cards. I’m not saying they’re going to go away, but if mainstream people and companies like Samsung, Beyonce, or Taylor Swift are not going to be on the platform and regularly use it, it’s just going to be a place for a couple million nerdy accounts. Then again, some of those mainstream accounts are leaving the other “big” social platforms supposedly. Sheesh. I don’t know. It’s all confusing to me. What are your thoughts? Be sure to mention them below or share your thoughts with me on the podcast.

Thank you for buying me a beer, ordering a photo print or doing your Amazon shopping*via my affiliate portal.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Be well, everyone. Do something nice for yourself and do something nice for someone else. Also, be sure to check subscribe to the podcast and check out my gallery for prints. THANKS.

I say “little time” because I’m definitely leaning into being fully independent and self-employed as a creator, but it’s tough sledding at the moment. This isn’t pre-2019 when I was on the east coast and had a book of business. This is five years later in a new area and a new TIMEZONE. I’m starting over, essentially. Two or three years ago, I tried starting over, but became super frustrated as I was nickeled and dimed so much by potential clients “highly interested” in my expertise, but they didn’t want to pay my rates. I was even stiffed on a job by a client. So I decided to only focus on my duties at TWiT as well as focus on my son’s high school career regarding content I created. I was fine with that because it worked.

Now, I find myself looking at promising roles as well as some roles that should be reported to authorities because the salary offered is too low to live on. This further cements my mindset of being an independent creator. Which means, I need to build my book of business contacts. So if you know of someone looking for photo, video or post-production help, give ‘em my name - Ant Pruitt. I’m easy to find only with that search term, fortunately. And yes, I’ll travel for some gigs.

While I wait on all those referrals to come in, I’ll keep at it on my side looking at opportunities be it part time or full time or client-building. I have two calls on the books for prospective clients this week in an effort to do some contract creative work. Particularly, user generated content (UGC). I’m looking forward that, but can’t (and won’t) stop there. I look forward to it because of the freedom I can potentially have to use my creative vision. I’ve found the service, Backstage, to be interesting and useful. Granted I’ve not signed anyone from the service just yet, I do like being able to see various roles in the creator space. I applied for a camera assistant gig for a film production happening here in the city. This would be a nice short gig on this road of independent creating.

Ok, enough rambling. Be well, people. Thanks for the support and for telling folks about me. Don’t forget to check out the podcast. I’m digging into that production and it’s going to grow up into something great. It’s on my YouTube channel too.

While at CES 2024, I had one booth in particular that I HAD to see and that’s the folks at Canon. No, I’m no Canon Explorer of Light, but I do feel nothing but love and support from the team at Canon. While at the booth, I wanted to get my hands on the R8 mirrorless camera. I’ve played with several camera bodies from Canon, but this one has gotten away from me. I was interested because it is a full-frame mirrorless body that’s priced just right for aspiring creators at $1500.

Sticker shock?

I know some of you have sticker shock when I toss out $1500. Don’t fret, it’s worthy of that price point if you’re someone that’s SERIOUSLY wanting to shoot more quality photos and videos for your own personal brand. The full frame sensor will be much better in low light situations. The sensor tech in general will offer great autofocus performance and 24-megapixels offering crispy images and vibrant colors. (Note: I’m not against APS-C sensors, don’t start an argument with me over that)

Previously, I thought the R7* would be a better camera for aspiring creators looking to get both quality video and images. The R7 is a nice camera, but in my experience, I couldn’t lean on it for all of my photo needs. It was totally fine for portraits, but it wouldn’t keep up with me when trying to capture images of fast moving objects or people. As you know, I shoot photos of my son in action. You can learn more about the R7 here where I discussed it on TWiT TV.

Back to the R8. In my hands, the camera felt great. Lightweight, solid build and great ergonomics. Weather sealing on it isn’t pro grade, so don’t take it out in rain storms. Don’t take it to your favorite sandy beach, either.

Spec wise, you can capture 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. In addition to that high framerate, you can shoot in Canon Log3. Canon Log3 is an awesome gamma for video editors looking for flexibility in color grading footage. I’ve been shooting video for a long time and prefer Canon Log2 over Log3, but I respect what Log3 is doing for creators getting their feet wet in the space. It is easier to get into color grading with it. Also, you can shoot video for longer than 30 minutes with this camera. Most video cameras have a mandated lockdown on recording time. Look it up.

I hope to get my hands on an R8* for a more extended look, so make sure you’re following me here or on social media. I wanna see what I can do with it myself. But on paper, it’s looking like a great option for a serious content creator that wants to get started until they upgrade to the likes of the R6* or R5*.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Plan EARLY

CES is massive event taking place at multiple locations. Part of your planning needs to include:

• Where to lodge

• What/who you want to see

• Weather forecast

Again, with CES being a massive event covering massive locations, look at where you want to spend your time sleeping while at the event. Most of CES is held near the central strip at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), but there are other events at casino’s such as the Venetian and Mandalay Bay. For my first couple of times at CES, I would stay at Palace Station because it was economical. Then later, I’ve found that staying at “old ‘Vegas” down on Fremont street was even BETTER from an economic standpoint. The rates were great and the rooms were great. Particularly the Golden Nugget or The D. Sure, sometimes you can find good deals at places like Planet Hollywood or Cosmopolitan which are on the central strip. Just check the web and your travel options. Some will yell at you for staying on Fremont street which is about a 15-minute drive from most CES locations. This is fine. Just watch your schedule. Plus, there are CES-sponsored SHUTTLES going from the LVCC to Fremont street at no cost to you as an attendee.

Regarding your schedule or agenda, CES offers a lot of resources on the website to help you figure out who’s in town as an exhibitor. Figure out where they are, then come up with a plan that works best for you.

At the end of the day when the show floor closes, you’re on your own for entertainment or other work-related tasks you may have. For many, this means roaming the strip. Be mindful of the forecast before hand. It can be nice and mild during the day, but then the night time may turn into a frigid wind tunnel on the boulevard. Be prepared.

Quality Shoes

Did I say CES was a massive tradeshow? With that said, you’ll need quality shoes while you’re at CES. No one ever told me this, but I sort of assumed it my first time around. Personally, I pack multiple pairs of sneakers. If you can pack multiple pairs of shoes, do so. If you don’t have quality sneakers, get some before hand. You’ll spend all day walking around the show on concrete flooring. Some of it is carpeted, but it’s not like home carpeting that has an extra layer of padding. It’s just thrown on top of the concrete to reduce sound reverb and for the look. Your feet, knees and back will thank you if you wear quality shoes for the event. This year I packed a couple pair of Atoms*. This company won me (and my family) over during the last couple of years because the shoes are high quality and by far the most comfortable shoes I wear. They even paid my #hardhead to model some of their shoes.

Money, Money, Money

You’ll need money when in ‘Vegas. You’ll need to eat, you’ll need to pay for your rides to and from the different venues if you don’t go with any of the CES-sponsored shuttles (note that the free shuttles don’t always go where I need to go, but goes to most places most will want to go). You’ll need money for incidents. If you want to gamble, you’ll need money for that. Just be prepared. I’ve been fortunate to not have to spend a lot while at CES, if you’re registered as part of the press/media, you can get free breakfast snacks, free lunches and in some instances free dinners. So if you’re able to register as a member of the press/media, do it. Doesn’t cost you anything and your CES ticket is comped.

Patience

You will NEED PATIENCE. CES is going to be loaded with thousands of people attending for their first time. So they’ll be lost, confused or unsure about things. This can make lines for badges, hotel check-ins and more be a little slower. Also, you could do your very best to plan your schedule on how to see the companies you’re interested, but get held up due to traffic or due to the company having another person in the booth asking way too many useless questions. So, be patient. Don’t be a jerk.

I know CES isn’t for everybody, but I do suggest people interested in “seeing the future” first hand to give it a shot. I enjoy seeing the companies large and small. Even the companies that are so small, they could only afford a booth at the back of the venue in the corner. Some crazy stuff back there, but sometimes, some fascinating stuff.

Be well, y’all. Continue to Create and Dominate, but also, do something nice for yourself and for someone else.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I’ve always enjoyed CES. As a matter of fact, this year I was reminded that my very first time to Las Vegas and CES was ten years ago. It was an incredible experience and opened a lot of doors for me professionally. Gina Smith and team brought me, Mat Lee and others out to cover the event. I remember taking this picture in the central hall because it really encapsulated what I always imagined CES would look like. I’m forever grateful for that trip out here.

Anyway, what to expect at CES this year? Easy, pretty much the same marketing gibberish from 2023 around the world of AI. I swear, EVERY SINGLE EMAIL I’ve gotten from marketing and PR departments about attending CES has had them pitching some form of AI within the first three sentences. Some of it sounds “ok,” and some of it sounds cringy. They should have lead with the second paragraph in this email. . . .

Let me be straight with you, as I always am, I’m pretty tired of talking bout AI. Most of the time when AI is discussed it’s around some gloom and doom or it’s “flowers and sunshine.” There’s hardly any coverage of the middle ground. Quite frankly, the middle ground is rather interesting and worthy of discussion. I spoke previously about AI on Marina Franklin’s podcast. As a comedian and creator, she had great concerns about AI. And I get that. But not all AI is bad, just as not all AI is good. Far as what’s been pitched to me in all these emails from marketing teams, it’s mostly content that makes me ask why is AI even needed for that. “We’re announcing an AI-driven soaker hose for your garden.” Is there something wrong with the timers used on current soaker hoses?

In a bit of better/useful announcements, I did see that Withings launched a new product. I’ve dealt with Withings before as they make smart watches and other smart tech such as scales to aide in fitness tracking. They’ve announced what they’re calling a “multiscope” to assist with home health checkups. Granted, you should always lean on a medical professional, but this BeamO tool can be used for getting vital signs and more.

I know there will be more than AI discussed at CES, so I still look forward to what’s to come. Samsung announced it’s using AI to upscale what’s seen on your favorite broadcast to almost 8K. I need to see it to believe it. Granted, upscaling AI tools that are currently in place are pretty dadgum good. One of my favorites is Upscayl. But to see upscaling done on-the-fly with a live broadcast (of MOVING frames) will be fascinating. I’ll see if I can get my eyes on it.

I decided to take the trip to Las Vegas and attend CES this year after not being here the last two years. But, this will be a different approach. Usually, when I come to CES it is a GRIND. I’m running around the floor trying to gather images, video, audio, notes to get content created almost on-the-fly. Not this time. I’m here to do my best to shake some hands and do a mental/physical reboot.

Real talk, I need work. I’ve applied for several jobs and gigs. I’ll continue to do so. But I came here because of the relationships. And I’m grateful for the relationships I was able to create over the years at previous CES events. It opened doors. Relationships such as Canon. Real talk, I’m pretty much a NOBODY, but Canon has been REALLY SUPPORTIVE of me for YEARS. I look forward to shooting some street photography with my Canon camera.* So yeah, I’m here to find myself something that will contribute to paying my day-to-day bills and supporting my family’s needs. Then, I’m gonna lay low and just chill out. Maybe go take some pictures here and there, but I’m NOT going to go 200mph like I used to out here. Only about 25mph. My body has been wrecked recently. From having finally catching COVID a couple weeks ago to digestive issues and overall “not quite right” feeling. It’s time to chillout. Side note, be mindful of those “something’s not quite right” moments. I noticed something wasn’t right when I was in the gym. I felt fine, but the lifts I performed were much harder than usual. My body was wrecked and I needed to sit my ass down.

I didn’t tell anyone I was coming to CES because that leads to “hey let’s meet up at ABC or at XYZ and chat.” Granted, it’s nice to see some of the folks I’ve met over the years in person at this annual event, but that usually equated to a LOT of running around and a pretty flooded calendar for me. I have two things on my calendar that I set for myself as MUST DO events. That’s it. I’ll catch up with my man Tom Merritt while here. I’ve already scheduled an appearance on his show next month. That cat has been so supportive of me and other creators of color over the years doing what he can to help provide a bigger megaphone if you will. Nothing but love for him.

But anyway, those are my thoughts and plans for CES 2024. For the rest of the day, I’ll continue to roam the convention center checking out everything get set up up the official open on January 9, 2024. Pretty crazy seeing this perspective. Be well, folks. Do something nice for yourself because you deserve it. Do something nice for someone else. Even if it’s just offering an ear to allow someone to vent for a minute. And, if there’s a creator out there you enjoy, but sure to let them know and share their content with the masses. Not that stupid video of some idiots fighting in Walmart. Share creator’s works to everyone and donate to their funds if you can. It helps.

#CreateAndDominate

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Dazne Light Kit*

Stella Pro CLX 10*

A-Clamps*

Platypod*

Gels*

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

So do you like dogs? Like jigsaw puzzles? Grab one of these jigsaw puzzles I’ve created. Recently, I've had some landscape photography ideas I wanted to capture, but the weather and lighting hasn't cooperated with me here. I'll get more images published soon.

I’m also going to spend more time focusing on my stock photography and stock video content via Adobe Stock*. I don’t make a ton of money off of it, but I used to make enough to buy “steak” each month from stock content sales as long as I was putting up enough content based on trends I saw. Anyway, check out my dog Biscuit in the photo below. If you click on it, it will take you to the order page to get it as a puzzle or a print. THANKS for the support. Have a great, peaceful holiday season.

PS: Did y’all listen to my old (personal) podcast? Check it out here.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Last night I was sitting with my thoughts in the middle of the night. Unable to sleep because I’d been sick the last two days. I’m better-ish now, but anyway, I had some more thoughts on what’s next. So, here goes:

• continue my job search in the creative space, but I’ve also considered local junior colleges to see if I could possibly teach

• Queen Pruitt was talking about a script idea that popped into her head a lil’ while back. I loved it. I didn’t think much more about it until last night. I’m going to make time to turn that script idea into a book. I want to author a book. I’m not saying it will be a good book, but I want to get that challenge conquered. Self publishing it and so forth. I’ll start dedicating time to that process the week of Christmas if not sooner.

• Considering re-opening my podcast feed. This has been closed since 2019 as I personally couldn’t dedicate proper time to because I was already working hard on my other podcast duties at TWiT. I’m CONSIDERING re-opening the feed. No promises. Podcasting is hard work and I’m not keen on putting so much work into something that doesn’t even pay my water bill each month. If I do re-open it, it will be a leisure project. It will still be themed around “everyday people,” but I will change the format to be more of leisure project for me. Granted, if I get legit interest in it, I’ll ramp up my efforts and monetize. But from my experience, “legit interest” isn’t just people on social media saying “you should podcast more, Ant.” Legit interest is when there are TONS of downloads or when people put their money into the cause as a supporter or sponsor of the project. It’s so easy to do a podcast. That’s why there are so many of them out there. And because there’s so many of them out there, some good ones get overlooked and/or cancelled. Yes, speaking from experience. I know I had two great photography-related shows, yet they didn’t get the listenership some bullshit gossip podcast by a celebrity would get. Same goes for newsletters. But then again, I’m not sure, if I have anything to offer via a newsletter.

Anyway, that’s where I am at the moment. Thank you all for the continued support, encouragement, beer purchases and print purchases. Now time to go chill out a little more as I get pass this stupid C-word virus. Fortunately, I feel fine enough to be able to open up this browser and type into it. Be well and stay tuned.

PS: If you’re still doing your holiday shopping, please feel free to use my Amazon* storefront for your holiday shopping. Just click here* and shop like you normally would. It won’t cost you anymore than what you already pay, but it does give me a few cents commission on your purchases. I appreciate the support.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

• Call in some favors with people in know in the creative space

• Go to pilot school

• Go back to being independent and/or revive my YouTube channel (probably won’t)

• Go back to podcasting on my own (probably won’t, but it’s out there)

• Go wash dishes again, like I did when I first moved here.

My priority remains getting my last child graduated from high school and into college in addition to making sure the rest of my family is squared away and taken care of. Thanks for all the messages and kind words. I can’t reply to all of the messages, but I do see them. Thank you. In the meantime, go do something good for yourself and something good for someone else.

If you want to help me out, do your holiday shopping via my Amazon link here*. Or, check out the holiday shoe sale from Atoms here *. I’m an affiliate Amazon, Atoms and other people, but that’s another story. Far as Atoms, they hold a special place in my heart since they actually paid my son and not just give him free shoes.

Far as TWiT. I’m rooting for ‘em and forever grateful. I learned a lot from them and I know they learned a lot from me and my family. I love them. In the meantime, be an Oak tree.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I recently had the opportunity to host Security Now with Steve Gibson. He received a listener email which was about managing internet access for children as a parent. Mr. Gibson had his thoughts, I had my thoughts. Check it out below.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Thumbnail image created with generative AI via Adobe Firefly*

Images: Ant Pruitt all rights reserved

Great game, terrible weather

It was a ridiculous night of rainy weather. As a player, rain is fine. As a fan, parent or weird father that sits on the sidelines with camera gear, it can be a little rough. I wish I was able to shoot video of the game, but I couldn’t risk my camera getting wet as it’s not weather sealed like my stills camera. Anyway, I’m very proud of my boys and grateful the both of them were able to finish their high school careers on the Rancho Cotate football team. Lots of life lessons learned being on that squad. I have always felt strongly about the game of football. Yes, it’s a controversial game, but most of the things in life are controversial apparently. Anyway, the game (and coaches) helped me as a kid and teenager. I had hoped my children would be interested in it. Fortunately, they were.

Next, my son is to continue the preparation for college and the final season of high school track and field. Another great sport with life lessons built into it.

One more thing. . . .

Before I end this, a quick shout-out to Peak Design*. I have been using their gear to transport and support my camera gear for years. The travel backpack is unbelievable* and kept s all of my gear dry time during the torrential rains at the football game. I highly recommend it for portability and for protecting your gear from the elements.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Premiere Pro Updates

A few months back, Adobe allowed editors to speed up the rough cut workflow with its text-based editing tool. I can speak first hand that this tool has been a bit of a game changer for creating social media/promotional content at the speed of typing on a keyboard. But Adobe isn’t stopping here.

Improved Text-based editing

Adobe has allowed even more speed when removing pauses in dialogue. Instead of going line by line to find the pauses, now an editor can select all the text and Premiere Pro will highlight the pauses for removal.

Enhanced dialogue

Previously, enhanced audio tools were only available in the Adobe Podcast service as a beta online. This has now been implemented into Premiere Pro with additional controls to really fine tune how much better crappy audio is cleaned up.

Color grading enhancements

The Lumetri color panel has included some bug fixes for the QuickTime gamma issue as well as better LUT management, metadata and timecode burn-in, Blackmagic RAW installer guidance and performance boost. I admit that I still enjoy Davinci Resolve more for creative color grading, but Lumetri is getting closer and closer to Resolve on that front.

After Effects Updates

Adobe continues to make After Effects a true 3D workspace for video compositing. Substance 3D has also provided some free 3D assets that can help get a creator started with beautiful, 3D motion graphics. No Substance subscription required.

Roto Brush AI improvement

The new Roto Brush is in public beta and it has continued to get better with not only the selection process, but the motion tracking has improved because of AI Sensei. This is the tool used to separate a subject in a video file for compositing.

3D Workflow

Now the tools are all available within an After Effects composition as Adobe has optimized the 3D rendering engine. One can only assume this includes the Apple Silicon architecture. No more round-tripping from After Effects to other 3D applications. Lighting and texture assets are all in one place.

FrameIO Updates

FrameIO is a great tool for sharing assets of a creative project with your team members or clients. Now there’s more flexibility in how files can be shared as a comparison view for your team or client reviews. This is going to be key considering how often generative AI images are created with different iterations. Adobe has also updated workflow with its Camera-to-Cloud (C2C) interface by adding more compatible devices:

• Atomos Ninja

• Atomos Ninja Ultra

• Accsoon Seemo

• Accsoon Seemo Pro

• Fujifilm GFX 100ii

The Accsoon annoucement is huge considering the entry price of Accsoon gear.

More information on the Fall 2023 Adobe Video updates can be found here on the Adobe blog. These updates are now available in public beta for you to try out, but the official updates will hit the apps later this fall. . .usually around October and Adobe Max. Get your hands on the Creative Cloud suite if you’ve not gotten into the Adobe products just yet by going here* for a free trial .

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Sony ZV-1

The ZV-1* is is a compact point-and-shoot system with some really impressive specs. I’ve tested this camera before and found it to be ideal for vloggers. I’m not much of a vlogger, so it didn’t fit my style, but the specs on this are great for vloggers. The body is compact and the system UI is great for navigating through settings. 20-megapixels for still images and 4K video resolution as well as slow motion shooting is on the spec list. Nice camera for $650*.

Sony A7C

Moving into the full-frame side of things, the A7C* is a HIGHLY CAPABLE camera. I tested this one as well. I thought it could potentially cannibalize some of Sony’s other cameras because of what it offered. The tiny form factor is the key here. You’re getting a 24-megapixel sensor and 4K recording as well as Slog3 and S-Cinetone for video creators that love artistic colorgrading. Heck of a deal on this camera for $1800* down from $2000.

Sony has even more deals listed for its cameras over on the website. Just click here* to check them out. Some savings up to $600. Let me know what you find and end up purchasing.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Tools Video Creators Need

I got my hands on the beta version for Android some time back and was quite impressed with the app, even though I did have a few crashes here and there. But then again, it was beta software so perfect performance shouldn’t have been expected. The public release is great and is packed with tools video creators need to get the most out of their trusty iPhone or Android phone’s camera.

With the updated re-design, you get a more intuitive interface allowing creators to easily access the app tools to manage video capture and exposure such as shutter speed, ISO, false color and focus peaking. This is based on what Filmic calls “QAM” which is short for Quick Action Modal.

The app leverages the power of today’s top smartphone cameras allowing for capture of ProRes up to 4444 quality, support for 10-bit SDR, clean HDMI-out for use as a webcam in your broadcast or streaming set, image stabilization and more

You can find out more about the new version of Filmic Pro via this great video the team put together. The app is now subscription based app now due to the team recently being acquired by Bending Spoons. If you’re an old-timer Filmic person like me, you get the annual subscription at a discounted rate of $40 instead of $50. But, you are also offered a free trial. Get the app in the App Store or on Google Play if your Android phone is supported.

New Affiliation

I’ve mentioned, tweeted and shared my thoughts on Peak Design over the years because I believed in the gear. I didn’t get any commissions. I just dig the gear. Well now, I’ve been added to the Peak Design affiliate program, so yeah, I’ll be able to earn a small commission on my sharing love of Peak Design*. So if you order through my link, I’ll earn a few dollars in commission.

Holiday Sale

From December 8th through 11th, the team is offering 10% all items via my affiliate link. Personally, I’d suggest the Cuff* to attach to your on-the-go street photography camera. And I’d also recommend the Travel Backpack* with Camera Cubes*. I recently used the Travel Backpack and Camera Cube for a weekend trip to Oregon. Packed my stills camera, my cinema camera, some batteries and a weekend’s worth of clothes in it with EASE.

So head over to the site using my link* and start shopping around, all while helping to support me and my creative works. Get yourself a camera strap, a capture clip or one of the badass backpacks. I appreciate ya checking it out and also spreading the word to help support me. And thank you Peak Design for your support over the years.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I’m pretty sure a Cyber Monday deal is on the way, but I don’t have details on that just yet.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I’ve not used all of their tools (yet). I’ve only used the Particle Illusion. The free standalone plugin you can use with Adobe Premiere Pro, Davinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro. It has a fairly intuitive interface and creates beautiful particles for your videos. It took very little time to create the particles I applied to the end of this video I created.

I’d like to try out the Continuum + Sapphire package one of these days. Could be fun to play with.

Color Checker and Color Matching Tools

Datacolor’s Spyder Checkr Photo is marked down from $99 to $79*. Use this tool to make sure your colors in your photos and videos are accurate. You can snap a photo of it and apply the profile most photo or video editors used today.

Datacolor has also discounted its ColorReader EZ tool. Use this tool to scan flat surfaces and identify the closest color match for Savage Universal backgrounds as well as well as match up color schemes when working on design projects. It’s discounted from $59 to $39*.

Noteworthy Mention

The SpyderX Pro is a must have for creatives. At the time of this post, it’s not discounted, but I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on a screen calibration tool. I currently own the older Spyder5* model, but the latest SpyderX Pro is available for $169*.

If you see any other deals out there, feel free to share with me so I can share with others. Thanks, everyone.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Even Better Masking and Selections in Photoshop and Lightroom

Better AI for creating masks and selections in the photography tools will be a big hit. Selections and masks allow creators to work even better with compositing images or get into fine details of the retouching processing. Object selection in the 2021 release of Photoshop was pretty dadgum good. It’s now been optimized even further for better performance. This selection performance will also be available in Lightroom. In addition to the selection updates, Lightroom will also see a performance boost in healing brush and content-aware fill. More information on the Lightroom updates are available here on the Adobe blog, and here for the Photoshop updates.

Adobe Video Updates

On the video side of things, Premiere Pro and After Effects will see a performance boost in renders as well as faster performance on motion graphics templates (.mogrt files). I dig Premiere Pro, but found the .mogrt files included with the subscription to be PAINFULLY slow at times. So slow that whenever I found a graphic, I’d just try to build it myself from scratch because it rendered on the timeline faster. Native H.264 encoding will now be available in After Effects directly from the render queue instead of having to jump into the Adobe Media Encoder (AME) app. After Effects will also have some public beta announcements regarding track mattes, and animation presets as mentioned in the video below as well as on the Adobe blog here.

Cloud Collaboration Rules

Adobe previously announced it’s Frame.IO integration and it’s a big hit for video creators collaborating with other creators, as well as speeding up the review process with clients. Now, Adobe is partnering up with RED and Fujifilm for even more Camera-to-Cloud integration. It’s no secret that RED cameras are found on many sets of some of the biggest television series and movies on the market. Adobe has now certified Red and Fujifilm as partners in Camera-to-Cloud (C2C). What does this mean? Proxy and RAW assets captured on the likes of a Red V-Raptor can be uploaded to the FrameIO service allowing collaborators access to assets needed for the post-production process. A great demo is in the video below.

Adobe Max is available for free as a virtual event if you’re interested in checking it out. I wasn’t able to go this year, but I’m registered and look forward to checking out more from the team including some of their sneak peak projects.

Step-by-step assistance

The elements apps are marketed towards users that aren’t professional creators or pro-sumer creators. These apps are more for the person that wants a quick and easy way to spruce up some of their snapshots and quick videos for sharing with family and friends. The apps will offer a guided tutorial for creating cool effects in Photoshop Elements. Want to create a .gif out of a waterfall photo you’ve captured on vacation? The Sensei AI will help you with that.

There’s also tools to make photo composites much easier than what one would do inside Photoshop working with layers. Again, the AI guides new users through the process.

Premiere Elements received similar updates in an effort to make those short video clips captured even more artful. Overlays and filters and easy to apply with just a few clicks. Even setting up auto reframe for video to be posted in vertical format online as well as a NOISE REDUCTION tool for video shot in low light.

Premiere Elements and Photoshop Elements can be purchased on the Adobe site for $99 each or bundled for $149. No subscription for this version. Updates to new version will require another purchase. Learn more about the new updates on the Adobe blog.

New Partnerships for C2C

Teradek was along for the ride in collaborative creation since Adobe’s 2021 C2C announcement. The two teams have now added new pieces of hardware to the mix allowing live, wireless monitoring of video content as it’s shot as well as high quality streaming online. The Teradek Serv Micro is a wireless transmitter allowing for monitoring video capture on a set for directors, and stake holders to their mobile iOS or Android devices in 8-bit 1080p video up to 30fps. The Teradek Prism Flex is an encoder for your computer that will allow for streaming to the web or social media platforms up to 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 color. Tools like this in place really open things up for video creators. The head of post at Duplass Brothers Productions, Alex Regaldo says “for the first time, it feels like indie filmmaking is comparable to big-budget productions , and we can’t imagine a production without it.” The Atomos Zato Connect has also been added to the lineup of hardware supported to integrate with C2C.

Updates to Premiere Pro and After Effects

The Adobe video apps featured some updates in the latest Aug2ust 2022 releases of After Effects and Premiere Pro.. I’ve been bouncing back and forth using Davinci Resolve and Premiere Pro for some of my jobs, but I’ve really bene digging the Frame.IO integration in Premiere Pro for client approvals. Ridiculously easy to use as show here. Some of the updates to Premiere Pro include a better titling tool so so graphic creation is more efficient, improved audio ducking for voice tracks with music beds and also GPU-accelerated unsharp mask. After Effects a few beta options such as track matte LAYERS and quick exports with native h.264.

The updates are all detailed on Adobe’s blog here. Check it out for more information on all the new hardware as well as the software update list.

In the video below, you’ll see that Boris FX didn’t touch the user interface that much, but gave some additional controls to help make creating 3D visual effects more efficient for the content creator. You can also import 3D models from via C4D (Cinema 4D) or OBJ files. Get the app for free here.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Note: We had some tech difficulties, so I ended up recording the video on his behalf. So if the screen looks like my show, that’s why. Thanks for understanding and thanks for supporting an aspiring creator.

What’s new?

The update focuses on color correction and color grading tools, VFX features as well as advanced audio production as mentioned in the press release snippet below.

• Hue Adjustment curves in the Color Grading Panel

• White Balance controls in the Color Grading Panel

• Enhanced Audio Workflow support, currently in beta, including:

  • VST3 Support for audio editing (Beta, general availability TBA)

  • VST 32-bit bridge that enables support for older, 32-bit VST audio plug-ins (Beta, general availability TBA)

• New Effects features, including:

  • Optical Flow mode for Warp Flow and Smart Split

  • Real-time Optical Flow for the Slow Motion FX

  • Automatic region creation in Scene Detection

  • Honeycomb and Color Planes presets for GL transitions

• Workflow efficiency features such as:

  • Normalize button for events

  • Fade In/Out included in Paste Event Attributes

Vegas Pro 20 will cost you $19.99 per month via a subscription or you can get a perpetual license for $399. More info on the update can be found on the Vegas Creative website here.

First, I received this NPF battery charger* that’s ridiculously fast. I spoke about this as my pick of the week on #TWiG recently. It’s affordable and totally worth it if you’re a creator using Sony NPF batteries for your lights, camera or monitors.

Next, ZGCINE sent me their newest v-mount battery option. The V50*. It’s an even smaller form-factor packed with i/o you need as a creator. Click the image below to watch my YouTube video about it.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I reached out to Coach Andy to see if he was going to start a fundraiser to get the gear replaced because quite honestly, most of the gear was purchased out of his own pocket, not from school funding. Coach wasn’t sure how to set up a fundraiser so I opened a GoFundMe to help him out. I set the goal to $1000 and mentioned it on my Twitter page, then said I’d mention on one of my shows in a few days because it gets a gazillion downloads each week.

Been a good day, but also a bit troubling. Got some news from the #hardhead and #LilWeirdo about the track team. I'd appreciate yall reading this and spreading the word. Thanks. https://t.co/93KeLki9ti

— Ant Pruitt (@ant_pruitt) July 28, 2022

Well, the community and my online community really came through on this. Heck, the goal was met before I could even mention it on the show. Lol! I am so grateful.

😊😊😊😊😊 so grateful https://t.co/93KeLki9ti pic.twitter.com/c5OHxV8sGw

— Ant Pruitt (@ant_pruitt) July 29, 2022

I did eventually mention the fundraiser on the show and I’ve decided to keep the donations open until August 8, 2022. Then, I’ll withdraw the funds and get them over to Coach Andy. Again, THANK YOU all for the support and thanks for spreading the word even though the fund’s goal is met. Excess is always helpful. Especially to cover incidentals like added travel expenses the team incurs. Heck, #hardhead lead the way last season having to travel to the championships with a few other teammates that qualified. Anyway, thanks again, everyone. Send people to “antpruitt dot com slash help” or just click here.

You can order from Adorama* as well as the Sony site. Right now, the A7R 1IV is listed at $500 off at $2999.* The A7R IV is the first Sony mirrorless camera I actually liked. The body felt great in my hands and of course the image quality is stellar.

Others on the list include:

• A7 III (body only) $200 off at $1798*

• A7R III (body only) $600 off at $2198*

• 24-70mm f/2.8 G Masters E-mount lens $200 off at $1998*

• 35mm f/1.8 OSS E-mount lens $100 off at $373*

• A7R IV with FE 24-105 G OSS e-mount lens $800 off at $4096

See more on the Adorama* site on the main page featuring sales and deals.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

ATEM Mini devices are pretty popular with popular live streamers, youtubers and content creators in general. Including my friend, PhotoJoseph.. The devices are quite useful in allowing a creator to run their own broadcast network as long as enough planning and effort is put in. I’ve previously spoken about the Extreme ISO on my channel, actually.

The main change with the new ATEM model is the input types. Previous models were packed with HDMI inputs. The new models use SDI input. This is an interface more popular in the broadcast camera space. Just like the previous ATEM family, it seems that the better value is to go with the Pro version or higher. Blackmagic mentions the features for the new SDI models below:

ATEM SDI Switchers Features

• Features miniaturized control panel based design.

• Supports connecting up to 8 cameras or computers.

• Live stream via Ethernet on ATEM SDI Pro and Extreme models.

• Phone tethering for remote streaming via mobile data on ATEM SDI Pro and Extreme models.

• Records to USB disks in H.264 on ATEM SDI Pro and Extreme models.

• Automatically standards converts and re-syncs all SDI inputs.

• Includes free ATEM Software Control for Mac and Windows.

• 4 upstream ATEM Advanced Chroma keyers on ATEM SDI Extreme model.

• Up to 6 independent DVEs on ATEM SDI Extreme model.

• Customizable 16 way multiview on ATEM SDI Extreme model.

The new ATEM Mini SDI models start at $395. Granted, I don’t advise going with the base model. The Pro is $795 and the Extreme ISO is available for $1495. More information can be found on the Blackmagic website. You can order an ATEM Mini SDI from the folks at Adorama.*

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

What’s New?

The Pocket 6K G2* has been redesigned to look very similar to that of the 6K Pro, while still allowing it to feel familiar to the original 6K that some of us own. The LCD is now a flip down/up version like the 6K Pro, additional mini XLR audio inputs, EF lens mount and the battery is now the NPF style of battery instead of the Canon LPE6 battery. Granted, you should probably invest in a better way to power the device with something like a FXLION* pack or a/c. You do not get internal ND filters on the G2, though. Makes sense. You’re still getting a great 6K super 35 image sensor with an alleged 13-stops of dynamic range. But you’re also getting an updated camera operating system (OS).

If you’re like me and running an existing #bmpcc, you can still update your camera OS by downloading the software from Blackmagic. It’s an easy process to update the camera, it’s just a bit slow.

The updated OS includes some useful features to go with the new UI and also unlocks gyroscope information. The gyroscope information will be be used in Davinci Resolve v18 to aid in image stabilization. The stabilizer in Resolve isn’t bad, but it’s nice to see that Blackmagic is working to make it even better. I’ve not installed the beta version of Davinci Resolve 18 yet. Granted, the features sound GREAT in it, but I’m just not mentally prepared to have beta software running on client work.

It’s nice seeing this camera get an update. The 6K is a very nice camera for the amount of money, but it’s not perfect. I’m looking forward to seeing the new OS as well as trying out the stabilization within Davinci Resolve whenever the production version is released. If you’re interested in getting started with Davinci Resolve, I created a quick tutorial to get you rolling. Watch it here. Get the 6K G2 for $1995 available today.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Vertical Workspace

Video creation is great, but apparently, video creation for social media is even better. With platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok pushing the video viewing behavior from the traditional “landscape” 16:9 aspect viewing to “portrait” 9:16 aspect viewing, it’s been critical that content creators embrace not only shooting for vertical viewing, but also editing for it. Adobe has added a dedicated Vertical workspace for this purpose. It has also updated the Essentials workspace to really help editors that are on a single screen or laptop.

Proxy Workflow

Working with proxy files in video editing is nothing new, but Adobe has opt to make it more obvious to the editor that proxy files are being utilized in the project timeline. This is done by adding badges to the clips in the timeline that are proxies, as well as adding badges to the file in the project bin.

New Text Tools

The update also includes the ability to add nice looking shadows and gradients to text you create as graphics in your video. The interface is still the same, there’s just another field added.

Other updates include improved performance for M1 Apple computers as well as additional GPU-Accelerated effects. More info on the update can be found on the Adobe blog post here.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Below are some of the deals for “Imagine & Create Week”

Sony Alpha a7R IV Mirrorless Digital Camera Body (V2) with Accessories Kit* - $2,998 (Instant Rebate: $500)

• Sony Alpha 7C Mirrorless Digital Camera with FE 28-60mm f/4-5.6 Lens, Silver *- $1,998 (Instant Rebate: $100)

• Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless Camera Body (V2) with Accessories Kit * - $2,198 (Instant Rebate: $600)

• Sony a7 III Mirrorless Digital Camera with Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 Speedlight * - $1,798 (Instant Rebate: $200)

• Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS E-Mount Lens With Free PC Accessory Bundle * - $1,098 (Instant Rebate: $300)

• Sony Xperia 1 III 6.5" 120Hz 4K HDR OLED 256GB GSM Smartphone with Vlogger Kit * - $1,148 (Instant Rebate: $150)

Be sure to check out other deals at Adorama* all while helping support me and my content by using my affiliate link here and above.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Video Processing

You’ve been able to add video files to Lightroom for a handful of years now. Granted, I didn’t see much use for it, personally, but the capability was there. You couldn’t really do an “edit” to the video file if you needed to. Even something as simple as shorten the video. Makes sense considering Adobe offers several other video editing options with its Premiere Pro,* Premiere Rush* and After Effects* software. Now you can import video files to do some very light retouching as well as trim the video. You can’t create video with multiple clips are anything like that, but if you’re trying to retouch a single file, you can do so. This of it how you’d use the native photos app on your iPhone or Android device. There’s usually a simple video touch up option in it. This is the same as that, just with Adobe tools and AI included. This update is available for Lightroom, Lightroom on mobile and also Lightroom Classic.

AI Mask Controls

Adobe’s Sensei AI has continued to get better over the years to help speed up the post-processing workflow. The mask tool in Lightroom is useful for doing selective adjustments. Now you can create a mask in a photo and apply the same type of selection as well as the parameters to another photo in your group. So if you’re trying to do a selective adjustment on a person to, but would like to apply the same processing to a product shot, you can with copy and paste. The AI will recognize the subject of each image and process accordingly without you needing to adjust your selection.

GPU EXPORT!!!!

Also in this update, Lightroom Classic has been rewritten to export utilizing the GPU on your system where applicable. This is BIG and should give a boost in performance.

More information about the updates such as adaptive presets, red-eye removal and more can be found on the official Adobe blog post. Get the Adobe Photography package for just $9.99 a month* with my affiliate link to step up your photography processing game as well as help support me and my efforts.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Yup. The acquisition allows for simple integration for Creative Cloud subscribers* to work even more efficiently on video collaborations. Creative teams can work on a project managing assets as they’re used to doing with Premiere Pro and After Effects, but now there’s better versioning and review tools built right in. Even if you’re not a collaborative type like me, but want to have a client review a sequence, they can. And get the ability to add notes and mark-ups right onto the file with this new integration. Pretty good stuff. All of this will begin to roll out in PHASES starting April 12th (today).

Adobe also announced better performance for the M1 Apple silicon in its creative suite. In particularly in After Effects boasting an 3X performance boost. WOAH. I like After Effects, but man it can be really slow depending on the composite or effects. M1 users, rejoice.

Premiere Pro has also gotten a new look with its import, export and upload layout. More on that redesign and proposed efficiency can be found here on the Adobe blog. Sounds good, but I find the Frame.IO news to be the true meat of today’s announcement. I’m looking forward to trying this out with my clients for their video reviews.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I’ve used the Platypod and Platypod Ultra (the smaller one) quite regularly in my workflow. Whether for mounting my camera against a tree to capture hummingbird photography, to shoot low-angle landscapes, or mount a floor light for a photoshoot, the Platypod product line has been ridiculously useful. The new Extreme has me interested as it now has the pegs integrated with the platform. No more of me carrying a pouch with the pegs in it for a field shoot. Good thought, team.

You can find out more about the product and see the successful campaign on Kickstarter. Yes, they’ve already met their crowd-funding goal. There’s a reason for that.

Razer has been pretty popular in the gaming world for several years, which means that if you can do some extreme gaming on a device, there’s a likelihood that content creation can be quite snappy on the device. Usually, when you see a Razer laptop or desktop, it’s all RGB’d-up, but the internal components are usually those needed in handling high bandwidth video processing. All at a nice price.

The VEGAS Post package includes the following tools aimed to help out the content creators looking for a new rig:

VEGAS Pro 19 editing software

• 100GB of cloud storage

• VEGAS Effects software for high-end compositing

• VEGAS Image software for RAW image compositing

• VEGAS Stream for high-production-value live streaming

• VEGAS Content: Unlimited access to royalty-free HD and 4K video and/or audio clip downloads

• SOUND FORGE Audio Studio

• BorisFX Primatte chroma keying software

I’ve been playing around with Vegas Pro for video editing for my show and also been playing with BorisFX. There’s even a free Particle Illusion application from Boris FX that’s free and absolutely AMAZING for creating custom particle effects on your video. At some point, I’ll share some tutorials with that software.

To get the deal, order your Razer machine and follow the instructions on the image below. More information on the promo can be found here

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Cine Features in a Mirrorless Body

The R5 C boasts a 45-megapixel full-frame sensor capable of shooting up to 8K RAW cinematic video at 60 frames per second. Woah. This also includes Canon’s magical dual pixel autofocus system that’s nothing short of amazing when it comes to tracking and eye detection for portraiture and action shots. You’ll also get 20 frames per second image capture if needed.

Those are the basics, but the finer points on the spec sheet include:

• 4K 120 frames per second for slow motion in 4:2:2 10-bit

• Ability to record audio while shooting high frame rate (slow mo) footage

• C-Log3 picture profile for more flexibility in color grading and maximizing the dynamic range

• Internal cooling fan for non-stop 8K recording (this was a big problem on the R5)

• Two card slots for recording (Qty 1 CFExpress Type B, qty 1 UHS-II SD)

• Internal RAW 8K recording up to over 800Mbps at 23.98 fps

But why?

These specs sound REALLY good. But one has to ask “why” on this. Canon’s R5* is a highly capable camera for stills and video at a hybrid level. Especially after the firmware updates. No, you’re not getting all of the RAW video capabilities, but you’re able to get RAW video on another cine camera from Canon - the C70.* I absolutely loved the C70, but it’s strictly a cinema camera. No photography involved. Maybe Canon is trying to offer something slightly more portable than the C70 all while including high quality video and photo capabilities? I’m not sure. Wil the C70 have more firmware updates for the super 35 senor’s capability?

You can preorder the R5 C here today over at Adorama. Let me know your thoughts and if you plan on grabbing one. I think the $4500 price point is fair.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

But yeah, we met in Balmy Alley to check out the beautiful murals and shoot some photography. I even brought the #hardhead along as he enjoys getting into fashion and photography. Check out the show below by clicking on the image. There’s also a Flipboard magazine you can check out and even contribute to with some of your photography. Just e-mail photowalkstv@gmail.com for an invite to share your photos, and get a critique and shoutout from Mr Graham and I. He’s also scheduling another walk for folks to join.

I started checking out the tutorials and they’re quite nice. DaVinci Resolve is such a robust app with so many different tools, I expected the tutorial playlist to be several hours long. (It’s roughly three hours.) Blackmagic Design has done a great job breaking down the subject matter to make it easier to digest all the information. Check out the tutorial playlist here via YouTube or just click on the image above.

I’m going to create my own Resolve tutorials as some point for my show, but I’m not ready for that just yet. I do ok in the app with some of the content I’ve created recently, but I don’t feel I’m ready to “teach” about the app. I know many of you have asked about me doing tutorials. I promise. I’ll create some quick hitters soon. Having a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera* in my kit has been great and working with the RAW footage in Resolve is a dream experience. In the meantime, make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel and my podcast at TWiT for more updates.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

• 8 inputs

• 2 USB-C outputs

• Supersource

• ISO recording

• Camera controls for BlackMagic Design cameras

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

The deals

So if you’d like to rent some gear, head over to the site here* and add the items to your cart. Then at checkout, enter code LRBF2021. That code will get you 20% off your order.

If you’re looking to BUY items from Lensrentals*, you can take advantage of their new “Keeper” program and get 10% off your order with code KPRBF2021. The Keeper program is pretty cool because items are discounted since they’re used. And in my experience, the gear I rent from Lensrentals* is always in GREAT shape regardless of how old the gear is.

I’ve been eyeballing a particular Sigma lens* to use with my Pocket Cinema Camera 6K. I’ve used it before for portrait work, but never for video. Part of me just wants to go ahead and buy it. We’ll see. That’s the beauty of renting first. Anyway, check out the deals. Let me know what you end up ordering.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

I got to know Miss Susy a few years ago as I saw her on Twitter preaching the gospel of Filmic Pro. I love that app for getting the most out of your smartphone video camera. She’s being running this film festival for quite a while now (2009, I believe) and it’s great to see its growth in popularity from creators around the globe. Really great seeing the passion to help push folks into creating more stories with their mobile devices.

The event takes place in San Diego April 29th - May 1st 2022. For more information, head on over to the site and feel free to submit your mobile cinematic masterpiece.

Update details

As mentioned on the site. The update addresses the following:

• Last digit of the elapsed record time no longer displays incorrectly when the recording is longer than one hour.

• Take numbers are now correctly reset to 001 if the take name is changed and the MixPre is power cycled before recording.

• Loud pop in the headphone monitor no longer occurs when entering playback while monitoring an isolated channel.

• Rare events where a channel suddenly experiences a brief crackle no longer occur.

I’ve not had any problems with the one I use for work. I love this dadgum thing. The dynamic range on it really helps getting audio dialed in for the show. Even though I’ve not had any issues, I’ll still update the firmware just to be safe.

I’ve been using Lensrentals to help me with projects and gigs directly or indirectly for years now. Whenever I want just play with a camera, I rent one from Lensrentals. Whenever a client needed a particular piece of kit that I don’t have for the job, I have them rent it from Lensrentals (or rent it myself). Whenever someone asks me about buy a new camera, I tell them to rent what they’re thinking about before buying it via. . .Lensrentals.

This year I’ve been fortunate to partner with Lensrentals to help me out with my show, Hands-On Photography and other segments I’ve created at TWiT. More recently, they set me up with a lens to demo for wildlife photography. It was a fun demo and a great piece of kit to show off best practices and tips for shooting wildlife photography.

I want to thank Lensrentals for having me and say thank you to all of you that will use my affiliate link to check out photography gear rentals. It’s easy, just click here* or go to antpruitt dot com slash lensrentals to get to my affiliate store front. Each rental view my storefront will help support me and my creative endeavors to be able to get more gear and/or pay for more projects I’m working on. Thanks, yall.

**Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Tech specs of note

The camera is a mirrorless body, but a “shutter-less” body as well. Well, a mechanical shutter, that is. There is an enclosure over the sensor, but this isn’t a mechanism used during capturing images. Does this mean an improvement in sensor readout and rolling shutter? In addition to 45 megapixels, you’ll get:

• 8K/30p capture and 4K-from-8K, with ProRes 422 HQ

• 8K/60p, 12-bit 8K N-Raw and 4K ProRes RAW (coming soon with a software update)

• Dual CFExpress type B card slots

• 30 frames per second capture

• 120 frames per second capture (at a 11 megapixels)

• Improved autofocus and tracking

• Tilting rear LCD. It’s interesting looking. . . .

All of these specs look great and pretty much expected for a flagship device. I appreciate the fact that the dual card slots are identical. Not just an “ultra fast” slot and a “fast” slot the way other manufacturers are doing it. The squad Chris and Jordan at DP Review did a great video checking out a pre-production Z9 out and about in Seattle. I’m putting there video below. Be sure you click like and subscribe on their channel. You can pre-order the Z9 for $5496 over on Adorama.* Again, this seems like everything you’d expect in a pro body, but with really competitive pricing.

**Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Photoshop Is Pretty Much Everywhere

The Adobe Sensei AI engine continues to improve as it will offer more tools to help speed up the photo post-processing workflow with just a few clicks. Creating selections in Photoshop gets easier as you can now hover over objects and preview what a selection would be in your artwork. There’s also more neural filters in place to help with enhancing landscape images beyond sky replacements. Lightroom also gets some new AI love. What excites me the most is a forth-coming (beta) Photoshop web interface with the help of a more collaborative Creative Cloud. This is all about speeding up the collaboration process as well as aid in helping train up someone you’re mentoring. Collaborators can use the browser to do some basic editing or provide feedback to the artist. No Creative Cloud account required for the collaborator. More on this beta and other photography app updates is available here on the Adobe blog.

Slick Update for Vloggers in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro has had a few updates earlier in the year pointing towards performance and useful tools for your final video composition. Let’s face it, video is becoming more and more prominent the world of communication and branding. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok will favor your videos if you have certain behind-the-scenes elements in place with your workflow in addition to creating captivating stories to keep your viewers on their platform. Vloggers and film makers will love the updates. As a vlogger wanting to have music bed in their video, but the music track doesn’t quite match the length of the video. It’s a horrible experience to try to tastefully trim music to a video with cuts and trimming of the audio track. Now audio remix, which is found in Adobe Audition, is available in Premiere Pro. This is a great tool in Audition. Good news is this is coming to Premiere Pro. Bad news is this is a beta release.

Another useful update is the “simplified timeline” AI that’s available in Premiere Pro. This is yet another tool aimed at making collaboration more efficient. For some, a video sequence timeline can become quite messy when piecing together tracks, effects and markers. If the project is a team project, it may be helpful to minimize all the extraneous markers and layers when a collaborator is reviewing the sequence. Simplified Timeline does just that without destroying the project. This feature is available in the new update. More on the video updates from Adobe can be found here.

There are other updates available to the Creative Cloud suite this week. In Design, Illustrator, Character Animator and more received updates. I didn’t get into them all because, I don’t use those apps as often. But if you’re interested, more news on the all the Adobe updates can be found here on the Adobe blog.

Did you sign up for Adobe Max? I hope so. It’s FREE and full of information to help you better understand some creative concepts and fundamentals, as well as get a better grip on the Creative Cloud suite of apps.

(*) Affiliate link used. When you use my affiliate links, I receive a small commission from your purchase at no additional cost to you as the consumer. Thank you for your support

Tech Specs

With this new camera body you’re getting a full-frame 33 megapixel sensor with Sony’s updated BIONZ XR image processor. You’re also getting:

• 4K 60 frames per second 10-bit 4:2:2 video with full pixel readout

• 7K oversampling full-frame 4K 30p 4:2:2

• Eye auto focus for humans, animals and birds

• S-Cinetone, S-Log3, HLG and other video profiles to record your footage

• Up to 15 stops of dynamic range

• Dual SD card slots (1 for UHS-I/II cards, 1 for both UHS-I/II cards and CFExpress Type A cards)

• 10 frames person second shooting still

• Flip-out touch screen on the back

• 5-axis in-body stabilization

This body is available for $2499 on pre-order*. That price point seems fair considering the massive spec bump shown in this body compared to previous models. Compact, light weight which makes it great for portability. Of course I’ve reached out to see if I can get my hands on one. I’m curious to see how this body will feel in my hands. The A7C did NOT feel good in my hands, but the A7R-IV and A1 felt great in my hands. What are your thoughts on the Sony A7 IV?

**Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

The tool is going to offer more flexibility when using the adjustment brush to do selective adjustments in your image. Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, some selective adjustments can be quite tedious in Lightroom. Which is why I usually switch to Photoshop for that part of my post-processing. But it’s nice to see that this may save me a few minutes of work by keeping me in Lightroom.

More details about the update can be found here on the Adobe blog. Check out this quick video showing off forth-coming tool.

From a tech spec standpoint, expect:

• 30 frames per second high speed shooting

• rugged build with excellent weather sealing

• 4K video recording with Canon Log (c-log) 3

• 6K RAW video capability

• Dual pixel autofocus for animals, bird and human eye detection

• rumored 24 megapixel stacked image sensor

Pretty beefy specs, as expected. Especially considering that at least one photographer was lucky enough to shoot the 2021 Summer Olympics with a pre-production R3. Says a lot about the potential capabilities of this camera.

The shipping date is November 30, 2021. I also know that you can get your pre-order in with the squad at Adorama on this page*. Do you plan on getting one? I can’t say that I plan on it, but it would be nice to play with one. Stay tuned.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

About Light and Motion

This company specializes in lighting options for a various situations. Not just photography. The product line is professional quality and definitely lives up to that labeling. I’ve had the pleasure of trying out the lights for several weeks now and I’ve been blown away. The Stella Pro CLX10 is an absolute beast of a light with regards to durability and power of light. It’s ridiculous how bright this dadgum LED light is. Not to mention, it’s wireless, so there’s no power cord required. And you can definitely feel the pro-grade build quality in this light.

So yeah, I appreciate Light and Motion setting me up as an affiliate. What does it mean for you? Because I’m an affiliate, I have a 20% off discount code. Just go to this link and apply the code to your order. You’ll get a discount, and I’ll get a small commission of your sale. So go check ‘em out and go Create and DOMINATE, y’all. Be sure to follow the Stella Pro page on Instagram, too.

All about the color grade

Last year, Vegas Creative had a big push in using AI in the creative workflow. In the latest release, version 19, the push is more about tweaking the user experience in addition to harnessing the power of AI and the cloud. More on the cloud in a moment.

Vegas 19 has added a more intuitive design of its app with a new color grading interface designed to make the color grading experience more efficient. The new color wheels are range-limited with precision control so you can target certain hues and tones to make your grade pop on the screen. Vegas Creative has also included 40 professionally developed LUTs based on different cameras and trendy looks seen in films today.

Unlike what I mentioned regarding Premiere Pro’s recent update, Vegas Pro video editor touts a text TO speech engine. Not the other way around. This tool generates natural-sounding voices from any text source fed into it. I’ve not tried this, but it sounds pretty badass. It’s only available in the Pro and Post package, by the way. Also, if you’re a Blackmagic Design shooter like me, Vegas Creative has announced beta support for the BRAW codec. THAT’s awesome. Raw video is so much better in post-processing when it comes to color grading and dynamic range.

So what’s the price of this stuff?

Pricing for Vegas Creative software varies upon each product SKU. You’re not locked to a subscription model, but you can choose to be a subscriber if you’d like. Each package includes cloud storage depending upon which package you choose. Vegas Edit is $12.99 per month or $249 for a perpetual license. Vegas Pro is $19.99 per month or $399 for a perpetual license. Vegas Post is $29.99 per month or $599 for a perpetual license. You can see a comparison between the packages here. All the other specs and goodies are listed there. It’s pretty extensive.

Sky replacement AI updated

We’ve all been there. We’ve snapped a photo outside and the sky just looks. . .blah. Sky replacement AI has gotten more and more popular for this reason. With the latest update to Photoshop's sky replacement feature, you can now choose from more skies in your replacement, import up to 5,000 skies, and control how the newly replaced sky is applied.

AI is the big key to the Neural Filters of Photoshop, too. Adobe has included some improvements and updates for this feature set which includes:

• Preset images now included for Style Transfer to provide a starting point

• Use any custom and apply the style of that image to your document

• Superzoom now operates on the entire layer instead fo only a cropped area of the image.

In addition to the sky replacement updates, Adobe announced more control over its Transform Warp tool. this is useful for allowing graphic designers the ability to create complex shapes within their project with the implementation of Bezier handles. For those of you interested in providing feedback for future Photoshop features or suggestions, you can be a part of Photoshop Beta. Just install the beta app via your Creative Cloud app running on your computer.

Photoshop on iPad updated

The iPad version of Photoshop has two nice updates that’s currently found in the desktop version. The Healing Brush and Magic Wand. Healing is great for retouching, small spot removal and so forth in photo manipulation. I use it regularly in portraits. The Magic Wand is great for quick selections of objects in your photo.

These are nice features to be added to Photoshop on iPad. I still think there’s a little ways to go before I can make it my mobile photo manipulation app, but it’s nice to see the improvement happening for the project.

You can find out more about the latest Photoshop updates (and MORE) via the Adobe blog post right here. And if you’re interested in getting Photoshop and Lightroom for yourself, click here and get it for $9.99 per month. A great value, in my opinion.

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Not your typical macro flash

Like a typical speed lite or off camera flash you can mount the MF 12 to the top of your camera or on a stand quite easily. But where this differs from any speed lite is not in its size, but in its ability to be mounted to your camera’s lens. With the help of an adapter, of course.

The adapter is quite similar to a step-up ring you’d use for larger ND filters, but instead of attaching a filter, you attach the MF 12. If you have more than one MF 12, you can attach them all around the circumference of your lens.

Having the MF 12 in this position is ideal for macro photography considering how much closer a macro lens can be towards the image subject, but this can also be used as a nifty ring light for portraits. Ring lights are great for high key images or images where you really want flat light with minimal contrast showing on your subject. Granted, the catch light created in the model’s from a ring light is not something I care for. I prefer a round soft box catch light in the eyes versus the rings show in the image below.

You can preorder the MF 12 from Adorama via the Flashpoint branding. It’s still a Godox, just the branding exclusive to Adorama. I think the pricing is quite fair based on the portability and capability. Can get a bit pricey if you order more than two, in my opinion. Let me know what you think. Dig it? Gonna get one? Check out the video preview below.

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Interchangeable lens and “new” image sensor

So the ZV-1 was a point and shoot with capabilities to be a vlogging camera. This is not a point and shoot as it now has the option to swap out lenses. You’re also getting a larger sensor via the APS-C standard at 24 megapixels.

You’ll also get improved autofocus, UHD without pixel binning, 100Mpbs when recording UHD, 120 frames per second for slow motion in HD, time lapse mode and multiple picture profiles such as S-Log3 for optimal color grading of video.

It comes in two colors: black and white. Pricing and availability is “approximately $800,” per Sony and shipping at the end of August 2021. You can go ahead and get your pre-order in with my friends at Adorama right here.*

I’ve already gotten my request in for a demo unit, so stay tuned for that. I’m not the biggest fan of small cameras, but they do have their place. I get that. Stay tuned.

*Affiliate link used. Affiliate links allow me to earn a small commission as a content creator if you purchase items using the affiliate link. Thank you for your support.

Captions and Transcriptions in Premiere Pro

Adobe previously implemented some AI tech to help get transcription in video products, but this is now updated and ready to go with the July 2021. I watched a demo from Mr. Patrick Palmer showing off the new features of seamlessly creating captions and subtitles with Adobe Sensei AI. Subtitles in particular are becoming more and more popular today because many people struggle with impaired hearing concerns.

A faster experience in After Effects (beta)

I’ve used After Effects here and there for simple motion graphics and noise reduction in video. And I gotta tell ya, After Effects is SLOW when it comes to pre-rendering your footage during your edit. Some things are faster than others, but it can still be a bit of a bear unless you have quality hardware running the app. Yes, Adobe announced a performance boost, as usual, but this is a bit different as After Effects will now do speculative rendering in the background. This is useful if you’re in the middle of dialing in your effects controls and parameters. No more adjusting a parameter, hitting enter to render, seeing that the parameter didn’t quite work, changing the parameter, hitting enter to render and hoping you got it right. This is a beta preview, but coming soon.

More for your iPad with Adobe Fresco

The beautiful painting/digital art app Fresco has been updated providing more tools for the creative artist. Similar to Photoshop on iPad, Fresco allows the artist to work in layers. The ability to move objects and change blend modes are key to getting the art to really come together. Adobe has enhanced this with better functionality in moving and rotating items as well as adding grid tools. More on this app found on the Adobe blog post, here.

Adobe has its full rundown of updates across it suite of apps via separate blog posts. Check out more on the Premiere Pro updates here, After Effects here, Fresco here, and Character Animator here. No, I didn’t get into the improved support for Apple M1 chips because that’s to be expected. But I DO want to give kudos to Adobe for becoming part of the Blender Development fund. Blender is an amazing 3D modeling app that’s FREE. It’s nice seeing proprietary companies giving back to the open source community.

As usual, if you’re interested in signing up for the Adobe Creative Cloud, you can do so for as little as $10 per month using my affiliate link.

This was nice to see the staff in person again. I’ve been seeing the engineers in person for several months now as I’ve been technical director for two shows, so going “back to the studio” wasn’t much of a thing for me. But seeing the other staff was nice. Anyway, I had to pleasure of doing the tech news show that week. I even wore a tie for the occasion. Picture below is non-related, but click on it go check out the show.

#CreateAndDominate

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Also, make sure you check out his new book about the world of macro photography. I was gifted the book and it’s UNBELIEVABLE. Get it here. It’s truly a “universe at your feet” when it comes to macro photography