VR Mobile Apps For News And Documentary

Multimedia, Tech stuff, Thoughts, Virtual Reality

Do you love virtual reality or have some interest in its potential for journalistic use? The best place to start, without paying a dime, is by downloading a few apps on your mobile device. Try these out, explore a little bit, and see what you think. You don’t need a virtual reality headset or even the affordable Google Cardboard viewer to experience VR videos on your phone. Just download the apps and view the videos. If you do have Google Cardboard or a similar VR viewer, you can use those with most of these apps, too. I didn’t include the two most obvious apps, because you probably already have them, but make sure to try 360-degree videos on Facebook and YouTube. If you haven’t noticed yet, you can already view VR on these apps.

  1. Vrse (iOS + Android) These are the folks behind some of the bigger New York Times VR projects that received a lot of attention lately. This app features the NYT projects such as The Displaced, but you can also find the short horror fiction piece Catatonic. A fun one to watch after you’ve scarred yourself with the horror film is Lucy Walker’s A Short History of Cuban Dance, which debuted at Sundance.
  2. Littlstar (iOS + Android) This one is a bit more exciting. Their plan seems to be to become the Instagram of VR. You can make a profile, upload VR videos, like VR videos, scroll through a timeline, etc. You can already find videos from big names like ABC, NPR, the Kansas City Royals, etc. It will take some time to feel more authentic once actual, like, real people start sharing more content.
  3. Vrideo (iOS + Android + Samsung Gear VR) Vrideo seems very similar to Littlstar but I would say it leans toward a YouTube feel. Yes, you can like and follow people, but it seems to be less of a community and more of a collection of channels. They use the term “subscribers” instead of “followers” (Littlstar uses “followers”) so maybe that’s why I’m getting the YouTube vibe.
  4. RYOT (iOS + Android) RYOT is a news site that donates a portion of its earnings to non-profit causes. They have a VR app with two main sections: “Films” and “360 News.” As of today, the News section was filled with Iowa caucus content (even though today is Super Tuesday) but it’s safe to say they are invested in VR news since it accounts for 50% of their app’s categories! The Films section has a great documentary feel to it. Unlike the other apps, you don’t get much of a corporate branding influence, and one of the projects is a five minute collaboration with the Associated Press on “The Jungle,” the infamous refugee encampment in Calais, France.
  5. Jaunt (iOS + Android) Jaunt is another slick one with travel, documentary, and corporate content mixed together. You can watch a funny promo for Zoolander 2, a Disneyland 60 promo, NHL hockey content, or a North Face piece shot in Nepal. CBS and ABC also make appearances in this app. Judging by all of the branded logos, there must be a fair amount of money flowing through this content, and probably the app. I assume that is a good sign for the app’s staying power, but as a source for news and information, it doesn’t have the same distinctive vibe as something like RYOT, or the next two apps.
  6. WSJ (iOS + Android + Oculus Rift + Samsung Gear VR) The Wall Street Journal app is kind of convenient in that if you already have the regular news app on your phone, you can just open it up and scroll down to the “Virtual Reality” tab. Click on a few videos and learn about how Ikea rugs are made in India, etc. Pretty cool!
  7. NYT VR (iOS + Android) I credit The New York Times with bringing VR journalism to the mainstream when it released The Displaced, an in-depth feature produced by NYT Magazine, along with free Google Cardboard viewers bundled into subscribers’ Sunday Times last November. The NYT VR app is nice, but single publications like NYT and WSJ are going to have a hard time keeping me coming back when they are so slow to add new content. Hopefully soon, budgets will swell with all of that post-Spotlight Oscar journalism love from viewers and advertisers 🙂 Hey, a guy can hope, right … ?

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!