Welcome to the Fotobug Podcast!  In recent news, DJI has released an update to the Mavic Pro called Mavic Pro Platinum. The Lily Drone has been reserected by the Mota Group who plan to offer the UAV for $500.  The Photonicz One will be the world's first weather-sealed LED strobe light, if it can get funded on Kickstarter  SanDisk has announced the a new 400Gb SDXC card.  Longsys, a Chinese company, has officially acquired the Lexar trademark from Micron.  A police officer shot a photo journalist, believeing the camera was a gun.  Even more news and more information on the podcast!

Fred and Jim examine and review Lume Cube - a portable LED lighting unit that is good for up to 100' underwater, has 10 constant light levels from 150 to 1500 lumens and also has a flash mode.  Combined with the IOS or Android app, the lights have even more tricks!  Just how do they work and what is the concensus of The Fotobug?  Tune in and find out!  Please comment with your own experience if you have used Lume Cube.

This may be your last chance to register for The Black Hills Photo Shootout for Sept 30-31, Oct 1.  Registration available at www.thephotoshootout.com.  Hope to see hou there!

Welcome to the next Fotobug Podcast!  In recent news, if you own a DJI Spark, DJI just released a firmware upgrade, and if you don't upgrade, your Spark won't fly!  This is a safety feature as some Sparks have been known to shut off while flying.  Need more image storage?  Western Digital's Duo external now comes in a RAID optimized drive up to 20TB for about $800.  Shutterstock has thwarted Google's AI program which removed watermarks from stock images.  FOQUS has released a new 100% Russian made B&W film.  FInally, if you need some extra cash, DJI will pay $100 - $30,000 for anyone who finds bug vulnerabilities in its software for drones.

The Platypod Ultra is the latest, and smallest, Platypod, so Jim and Fred take it out and put it through its paces.  Be sure to watch to learn what The Fotobug guys thing of the latest Ultrapod.  You can pick one up for $59 and the accessory pack is only $29.  As always, we appreciate your comments and experience with the Platypod.

Coming up at the end of September is the Black Hills Photo Shootout and this is your last chance to register - www.thephotoshootout.com.  We hope to see you there!

Lots of interesting photography news in the last couple of weeks!  Last podcast we mentioned that 94 year old Bowens was going out of business. Their employees are furious, claiming they were not paid for July and are required to work for the duration of the liquidation process.  THe US Army has called for all units to discontinue use of DJI equipment citing "cyber vulnerabilities." Also, last time we reported that the photographer whose camera was stolen by a macaque that took selfies is settling the suit with PETA.  Apparently the courts are likely to rule against PETA, but Mr. Slater is now broke with all the legal fees.   If you would like an easy way to register your images with the copyright office, check out https://binded.com/copyright - a free service that claims they will help register your images.  Lensrentals now reportedly will soon be renting drones, VR and 360° photo and video gear.

TIM GREY PALOUSE

We are proud to welcom back Tim Grey!  Tim publishes the popluar newsletter Ask Tim Grey in addition to providing educational courses and leading photography workshops.  Tim shares some tips on keeping the catalog in Lightroom clean, and offers a special 25% discont to Fotobug listeners if you would like to purchase the entire course - just go to https://www.greylearning.com/ and enter 'fotobug' when you check out.  This discount applies to any !!purchasd at Grey Learning!  We also recommend checking out Tim's workshops, at http://www.timgreyphoto.com . While at the site, also check out Tim's podcast and we recommend signing up for his newsletter!

Coming up  at the end of September, The Black Hills Photo Shootout!  Registration is now open and we hope to see you in South Dakota for a weekend of fun and photography.  There are also some interesting pre and post workshops, so you can extend the fun!  Go to www.thephotoshootout.com to regisgter!  We hope to see you there!

Lots happening in photography right now!  Aurelius has cnfirmed that 94 year old Bowens is going out of business.  Jim and Fred show off a photo of the first of its kind 8 x 10 underwater camera - which can be yours for $5800!  New TSA rules require any electronic item larger than a cell phone to be removed and placed in a bin with nothing under or above it.  This does not apply for members of TSA Precheck.  Adobe accidentally leaked their unfinished Lightroom powered cloud-app called 'Project Nimbus' to some of their cloud users.  Another old roll of B&W film has been discovered in a 1920 Zeiss camera purchased in a pawn shop.  According to a new court ruling, if your images are still 'pending at the copyright office, you can't sue for infringement.  A Dallas couple has been ordered to pay a $1 million fine after trashing their wedding photographer on local news and in social media.  Avid just released a free version of their video editing software, Media Composer First.

Jim and Fred interview Michele and Sandra, the principals behind the crowd funded project, Instamic!  Instamic is a complete recording package which combines microphones and a digital recorder into one small package that can be attached to a person or object using one of three included attachments: magnet, velcro, or tape.  There are two different models, the Go and the Pro.  The Pro model is waterproof, has more microphones built-in and can do stereo recording.  The Instamics make a great addition for video makers who wish to use their DSLR, mirrorless camera, GoPro sports camera, or even cell phone for recording videos.  The units are simple to use and can connect to a smartphone app for even more control.  The units are still available on Indiegogo (www.indiegogo.com) and are currently shipping.  The Fotobug guys have been using them for the past couple months for interviews and our field reviews.

Registration is now open for The Black Hills Photo Shootout in South Dakota for Sept. 29, 30 and Oct.1 - plus there are a couple pre and post workshops available.  www.thephotoshootout.com. 

Lots of news in Photography!  The courts have ruled the FAA can't impose registration on hobbyists! If you registered your small drone with the FAA back in 2015, but don't intend to use it for commercial purposes, you're entitled to a registration refund. A crisp $5 bill, straight from the US government into your pocket.   ood news if you are a Panono backer. Troubled tech company Panono and their odd 360° ball camera will live on to shoot another day. The investment company that purchased the Panono brand says it will continue all services 'without disruption'.   David Slater's viral 'monkey selfies' made him famous, but the legal battles over who actually owns the photos—him or the macaque who pressed the shutter—has left him broke and dejected.  Massive corporation P&G is being sued by a Cincinnati photographer for serious copyright violations and P&G could end up paying $75 million!  Tune in to the podcast to learn how scammers have been ripping off photographers in Los Angeles!

Jim and Fred have finally completed working with the Zen Tilt and are ready to give it a full review.  The Zen Tilt is available online and is even available now on Amazon for $24. A couple of our listeners weighed in when we posted a quick overview of the product, but now here is a full review - warts and all!  Jim and Fred would love to hear from you on Facebook if you have used the product and tell us what you think!

Coming up here shortly - the Black Hills Photo Shootout in Spearfish, South Dakota - www.thephotoshootout.com to pre-register.  We hope to see you there!

Stay tuned as Jim and Fred will have a lot more reviews coming up in future episodes!

In recent photography news, Micron hend as announced the end of the line for the Lexar retail brand.  Sony's new 20mp CMOS sensor has a reset function that reduces the rolling shutter effect.  A roll of B&W film inside an Argus C2 camera purchased at an Oregon Goodwill contained images of the Mt. St. Helens eruption.  The Panocam has been sold after only 400 cameras were sent to backers. A drone operator was arrested by Arizona Police for interfering with firemen tackling wildfires and the FAA is developing a system to identify bad drone behavior and the operators. Another company has announced new B&W film - a 100 ISO stock from Zorki.

Jim just returned from the Cuenca Ecuador Corpus Christi festival featuring lots of sweets and nightly fireworks.  The photo tour was arranged by EMS Photo Tours (www.emsphotoadentures.com) and led by pulitzer prize winning photographer, Essdras Suarez.  This podcast features an interview with Essdras as he describes how he captured the only image from the recent shooting in Virginia of the US congressmen at a practice baseball game. Essdras also discusses his new venture, MillionEyez (www.millioneyez.com). In addition, Jim interviews MJ Adelman, the person behind EMS Photo Adventures.  MJ has plenty of photo adventures to come, so please check out her website!

Coming up in September you can register now for the Black Hills Photo Shootout (www.thephotoshootout.com) which will take place the end of September in South Dakota.

We suggest you subscribe as we will be having a full review of the Zen Tilt, the Platypod, and we will feature an interview with Michele the man behind the Instamic!

You may have seen the ads for the Zen Tilt on Facebook or the Internet.  Fred and Jim decided to spring for one and see if it really lives up to the hype!  This podcast will be a bit shorter as Jim is leaving for a photo workshop in Ecuador and Fred is going to take a little time off, but we didn't want to leave our viewers without something to hold them over!  As we just received the Zen Tilt, this is not really a review, but rather a first look at the device.  Jim and Fred plan to use for the next few weeks and will do a complete review in the near future.  

Please pay attention to the audio on this podcast as it was recorded with 2 new Instamics - an Indiegogo project that has had considerable delays, but judging by the audio quality and ease of use, the wait has been worth it.  The devices record audio internally with built-in microphones and can be controlled over blue-tooth by smart phone apps. The inventor of the Instamic has agreed to do an upcoming interview with the Fotobug and will be featured in an upcoming podcast!

Finally, don't forget about the Black Hills Photo Shootout coming up at the end of September.  Go to www.thephotoshootout.com to pre-register!

How about some great photo tips for your summer shoots!

In recent photography news, Arsenal has a Kickstarter AI project that will automatically set your camera settings depending upon current light conditions..  Fred and Jim wonder if this is really necessary or even desirable!  Binded is a new free service for ensuring no one is stealing your images for unauthorized use.  It doesn't currently include copyright registration, but that may be coming soon!  Google has announced it will no long update the Nik plugins.  Microsoft is working on a technique to create curved sensors from conventional silicone sensors.  A swiss village, Bergün officially banned photography in their town, but then had to retract the ban due to all the negative press they received!

Every photography has favorite gadgets and techniques that allow them to capture unique and exciting images.  Jim and Fred share some of their favorite tips and techniques as well as gadgets and items to consider this summer for improving your image captures.  Why not share some of your favorite tips or gadets or DIY items on our Facebook page or send them to us - jim@thefotobug.com or fred@thefotobug.com.  We'll share them with the rest of our viewers!

Coming up in September is the Black Hills Photo Shootout - www.thephotoshootout.com.  Pre-registration is now available, so sign up now and meet us in Spearfish South Dakota at the end of September!

Lots of news in the last two weeks!  PLR IP Holdings and it Polaroid brand have sold a major stake in the company to an investor who owns a majority stake in the Impossible Project.  A Kickstarter campaign has been created to support FilmLab negative scanning app. Sony released a new CMOS sensor for industry that can capture up to 1000fps. Google has developed an algorithm that can quickly remove objects from digital images. An appeals court has upheld a case that indicates the FAA cannot require hobbyists to register drones. Photokino in Germany will now become an annual event.  DJI has released the Spark a new smaller UAV with a larger sensor camera.  Triggertrap has put their design into the public domain as open source.

Since Fred was not available, Jim teamed up with Jason Hahn and headed over to Melbourne, FL to visit Vanelli who has been working on a project he calls the Assassin series. This series is to create pseudo movie posters that resemble action films.  Our theme was to move photographers out of their 'comfort zones'.  Jim and Jason are nature, wildlife and travel photographers, Vanelli is primarily a sports and portrait photographer.  Unfortunately, the weather in eastern Florida didn't cooperate nature-wise, so Jason and Jim headed into Vanelli's studio for a behind the scenes look at an 'assassin' shoot and Jim even moved out of his comfort zone by being placed in front of the camera for a portrait!

Pre-regiatration is now open for The Black Hills Photo Shootout - www.thephotoshootout.com .  The event takes place the end of September.

Welcome to podcast 182!

In recent photography news, DjI has announced a new drone to be released later this year fitted w.ith a 100Mp Hasseblad camera.  US filter Aurora Aperture has announced new ND filter that reduces exposure by 16 stops.  These filters come in screw in as well as square formats and even one that will fit the rear of some Canon lenses.  Harbortronics has released DigiSnap Pro which is a complete controller for time-lapse photography and can be paired with the Cyclapse Pro housing.  Recent industry figures indicate that the camera market may have finally hit bottom and company profits may pick up.  Finally, Phase One has announced a mono version of it's 100Mp medium format camera back priced at a cool $50,000.

Our guest is Jim Burnham who discusses some very interesting time-lapse projects that he is involved in.  We met Jim at the Black Hill Photo Shootout last year and welcome him to The Fotobug! We highly recommend after watching our interview to check out Jim's website at http://www.artistasylum.com/jimburnham and also check his amazing time-lapse videos on his YouTube channel.  We plan to have Jim back in the near future to talk about his latest time-lapse project which will take months to create!

Save the date - September 29-October 1, 2017, for the Black Hills Photo Shootout.  Registration is at www.thephotoshootout.com . Jim and Fred will be there!