Recent Video Work for Quartz: Bill Gates Interview

My work, Seattle, Video

 

I recently assisted the talented crew at Quartz, which is a new and quickly growing news portal packed full of talent poached from other top publications. They’re making a name for themselves with a weird, awesome news app and their fresh, interesting videos. Last week, we visited the office of Bill Gates to hear about his upcoming annual letter, which was finally released today.

 

Here are three videos from that day’s shoot: Clean Energy, India, and Africa. Quartz does a great job with its video animations.

360-Degree Video Camera Reviews: Samsung Gear 360 vs Nikon KeyMission 360

Tech stuff, Thoughts, Video

So far, the two most exciting camera announcements of 2016 are the 360-degree cameras from Samsung and Nikon. Nikon first inspired us with its announcement at CES in early January, showing off the weirdly-named yet tempting KeyMission 360. Samsung just announced the Samsung Gear 360 yesterday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, with the help of Mark Zuckerberg on stage. Clearly, camera makers have invested much in the belief that 360° video is soon going to play a larger role in our lives.

Cameras that record 360° are not brand new, and tons of options already exist, like the leading Ricoh Theta S. However, the quality of even the Ricoh is pretty low. You can duct tape together (or buy a rig to mount) six GoPros and stitch the footage all together, but then you’ll be bald after you tear all your hair out while stitching that together on the computer 🙁

You could also rob a bank to afford the Nokia OZO. It’s only $60,000.

So, that leaves us with the Nikon KeyMission 360 and the Samsung Gear 360. What’s the catch? Neither have a release date or price. However, I’m expecting to see them in the $500 range and the companies have said they will come out soon. Samsung says the Gear 360 should come out in the second quarter of 2016 and Nikon says “this spring,” so I’m guessing they’ll be competing fiercely for our $$ and that might mean lower prices.

What are the pros and cons of each? Well, it’s unclear whether the Samsung Gear 360 will be usable with mobile devices not made by Samsung. The camera comes with an app that allows for extended controls when using a Samsung device, but there’s no mention of iOS or other Android devices. It does appear that you can still use the basic functions of the Gear 360 without any mobile device, and then transfer your footage via USB to a computer for sharing.

The pros of the Samsung Gear 360? MicroSD media storage, smaller than a baseball, and 3840×1920 HD footage.

The pros of the Nikon KeyMission 360? It’s a true “action camera,” in every sense of the phrase. It’s built to go underwater to 30m and it’s dust, shock, and cold weather proof. The best feature: UHD 4K video footage. Cons: We’ll see once we get our hands on it. Right now, the Nikon KeyMission 360 is the leader of the pack in the realm of prosumer 360° cameras.

Large Softbox Reviews

Gear, Still photography, Tech stuff, Thoughts

Shopping for a softbox? Below are three options for softboxes in the three-foot-wide range. All of these work well with small speedlite strobes, although some may require an adapter. To refine your portraiture, food, and other photography you’re probably going to want large softboxes sooner rather than later. What you’ll see below are three softboxes from leading brands, including Glow, Profoto, and Lastolite.

 

 

 

Glow ParaPop 38” Softbox $219.95

  • -Inner and outer diffusers, for a smooth, graduated modification of light
  • -Versatile, in that it works with both small flash and studio strobes with speed ring
  • -Quick setup and breakdown. With a squeeze of the hand, the rods collapse down for storage in the included bag
  • -2 lbs

 

 

Profoto RFi 3′ Octa Softbox $235.00

 

  • -Two diffusers
  • -Best for studio strobe use with Profoto branded strobes
  • -Optional space for a grid (light modifier)
  • –3.5 lbs

 

 

Lastolite Hotrod Octa Softbox $212.99

  • -Best for small flash “Strobist” photographers
  • -Two diffusers
  • -Velcro attachments to rods add leverage for those of you without huge muscles
  • -2.67 lbs

Eight Affordable Last Minute Gift Ideas for the Photographer in Your Life

Gear, iPhone, Still photography, Tech stuff, Thoughts

 

Did you procrastinate and are you ready to shell out for overnight shipping to impress that photographer on your list with a last minute, yet thoughtful, gift? Below are eight gifts that I recommend, ranging from $30 – $175.

 

Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand for mobile devices – $25.46

Have a little class. Don’t gift a selfie stick 😉

 

Glow ParaPop 38″ Portable Softbox – $175.96

Versatile, lightweight, and sets up in a pinch.

 

Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 backpack – $69.95

Stellar deal for a camera backpack that carries a tablet.

 

Donate in their name to the Passion Projects Photo Grant

Mail a check to: SPJ Western Washington Passion Projects, PO Box 30111, Seattle, WA 98113.

 

Pring’s Photographer’s Miscellany book – $10

A fun little book that makes for the best photo nerd fodder.

 

Mastin Labs Lightroom editing presets – $119

Popular editing presets to mimic film looks of Ilford BW, Portra color, and Fuji color.

 

Fujifilm instax mini 70 instant film camera – $124.50

The smaller and more affordable version of my favorite instant camera, the instax 210.

 

AquaTech Oli Rain cape – $40

Get that shot underneath the waterfall and still stay dry!