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The Fotobug Photography podcast for travel and nature photographers. Interviews, training, reviews, and more!
Episodes
Sunday Dec 24, 2017
Sunday Dec 24, 2017
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Fotobug!
In the latest photo news covered by the the current podcast, traffickers using Instagram as part of the illicit animal trade may start seeing a warni pop-up screen, artificial intelligence is making more inroads into photography via NVidia that can transform night into day, rain into sunshine and more, in addition a new Neural Network can restore damaged images and enhance how resolution images. Lytro has completed its move to video and closed down it's web operations, but customer feedback could bring back the web-based algorithm as an open-source project. Lensrentals and LensProToGo have merged and Lumoid is closing its doors. Dji has added the option to transmit your drone ID and flight info so concderned authorities can see what you are doing amd Dutch police have closed down their eagle traingiing program to take down drones. Want to relive the days of film? Gudak Cam has an app that makes you wait 3 days to see your phone images! The final update for Lightroom Classic has been released by Adobe and it is Creative Cloud from now on. Watch the podcast for more details and even more news!
Our friend Rob Dougherty sent us a video showing off his new line of bean bags. Although too late for a gift or stocking stuffer, we recommend checking them out at www.thevestguy.com . We hope to do a follow up product review!
While on the recent voyage to Antarctica, Jim ran into a photographer/filmmaker Justin Edelman and the producer and subject of his latest documentary, Shebbie Jacques. Jim sat down with Justin and Shebbie and shares the interview on the current podcast along with a teaser video from Justin and Shebbie's documentary. Watch for a brief cameo from Fotobug Jim!
See you next year!
Saturday Dec 09, 2017
Saturday Dec 09, 2017
Jim is back so we have lots of photography news to share. For full details, be sure to watch the podcast! Sadly, the MillionEyez app is shutting down for lack of subscribers. Also, Nikon is shutting down its Japanese plant that makes point and shoot cameras citing competition from smartphones. An AI system has been developed at the Max Planck Institute to create high-definition versions of low resolutions images. Skylum has just released Luminar 2018 on the Mac and Windows platforms. TIME magazine has named the Sony A7R III as one of its top 10 gadgets of the year. A leaked ICE memo claims DJI may be using its drones to spy on the USA for China! For more detail on these stories and more, watch the podcast!
Jim also gives accolades to Camdapter (www.camdapter.com) for customer service by quickly senidng a buckle replacement for his camera strap which broke during his recent trip.
The podcast image below is Jim's winning photo from the recent cruise!
Jim met many interesting people on the cruise and shares an interview with photograper Georgina Strange. Georgina is the official ship's photographer and grew up in the Falkland Islands. Her dad is an English ornithologist and conservationist who moved to the Falklands in the late 1950s to establish a mink farm and became a writer, photographer and advocate for Falkland island wildlife. Georgina has also writeen a couple books and we will share that information as soon as Jim purchases his copy!
Be sure to subscribe as we will be featuring more from the Antarctic voyage as well as more how-to information and reviews!
Sunday Nov 26, 2017
Sunday Nov 26, 2017
Jim is currently traveling to Antarctica so there will be no news for the current episode, but Jim and Fred will be back in two weeks with all the latest photography news!
Back in September, Jim conducted a light painting workshop on a one room schoolhouse at the Black Hills Photo Shootout in Spearfish, SD. The workshop only demonstrated how to light a building and simliar objects, but there was no time for classroom instruction, so Jim decided to show how to do the layering technique for light painting in Photoshop.
In addition, Jim and Fred offer up two interesting videos from Adobe on enhancements that may be available in future versions of Photoshop, Premiere and perhaps After Effects. These enhancements are based upon the content aware fill now in Photoshop and we think you will find these videos to be interesting!
Sunday Nov 12, 2017
Sunday Nov 12, 2017
In recent photo news, the Pholio Kickstarter hard drvie can connect to a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone and will automatically search and backup all images and videos. Irix is introducing a new filter system that is suitable for wide-angle lenses with large front optics. The FAA is now recommending that all airlines ban electronics that contain lithium ion batteries from checked bags. The Pixnetu jacksets on Kickstarter allow you to keep your gear warm and dry. The WiBotic PowerPad is a 3' x 3' landing pad for drones and is also a wireless charger! Macphun is changing their name to Skylum. Watch the podcast for more information on these and other news items!
Alpine Labs has conducted a number of successful campaigns on Indiegogo and Kickstarter including the Radian, Radian II, Pulse and now the Spark! Spark is a camera trigger that will work with a number of camera brands. It can trigger the camera via IR (Infrared), via cable, or from a blue-tooth connected app on your smartphone. Jim and Fred take a first look at the new Spark and plan to do a complete review in the near future.
Coming up next time: how to process light painting images using a stacking technique in Photoshop!
Sunday Oct 29, 2017
Sunday Oct 29, 2017
Beginning with this episode we are rendering the podcasts in 720p HD! If you are watching on the website, expand to full screen for a higher resolution image!
In recent news, Apple has announced that HDR is on by default in the new iPhone 8. Western Digital has revealed new technology that could lead to a 40TB hard drive. Recently a UAV struck a commercial plane in Quebec Canada. DJI has announced technology called AeroScope that allows law enforcement to id and track drones without compromising privacy. DxO has announced that it has acquired the Nik collection from Google and will continue to update the apps - still free for now! Adobe has releaseed a CC version of Lightroom and has indicated the perpetual license version now called Lightroom CC Classic will continue to be updated.
Jim recently returned from an extended trip to the western US before conducting workshops at the Black Hills Photo Shootout in South Dakota. Jim and Fred share suggestions on how to find the best locations when you are new to an area and Jim shares some video and images from his recent trip!
Coming up next time, a review of the new Spark camera controld from Alpine Labs!
Sunday Oct 15, 2017
Sunday Oct 15, 2017
Fred and Jim just returned from South Dakota and the 8th annual Black Hills Photo Shootout and have lots of news to share! SanDisk has unveiled a new line of memory cards more reliable that standarad cards. Apature Light Storm 300D is a new LED studtio light that matches a 2,000 watt tungsten light. Seagate has releaed three new 12TB hard drives. The Insta360n Pro 8K is a new camera that has received Google Street View Certification. GoPro has released a new action camera - the Hero 6. EyeEm can make it easy to secure model releases from your photo sessioins - check https://www.eyeem.com/ for pricing and more information. Windowed is a free app to allow you to post to Instagram directly from your computer - http://windowed.io
The eighth annual Black Hills Photo Shootout was a huge success and if you missed it this year, be sure to mark your calander for the ninth annual BHPS which will take place in Rapid City the end of September in 2018. Fred and I want to thank all the great instructors, Vanelli for the keynote speech, and all the great people who attended and made this year a really special event. We are looking forward to next year on the eastern side of South Dakota!
Sunday Oct 01, 2017
Sunday Oct 01, 2017
Jim and Fred are presently conducting photo workshops at The Black Hills Photo Shootout in South Dakota, so no news this time!
Gimbals are one of the latest devices for filmmakers to capture smooth motion video - even with a smartphone! The technology is the same as used on UAVs (otherwise known as drones) to keep the camera steady. Zhiyun has been making gimbals for the past couple of years - even larger gimbals for mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. The Smooth Q is their latest, and also the least expensive on the market, and works with sports cameras as well as smartphones. In addtion, there is an app for the Smooth Q for both Android and Apple devices.
So just how well does the 3-axis Smooth Q work? Well, check out the podcast and find out what Jim and Fred think.
Sunday Sep 17, 2017
Sunday Sep 17, 2017
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!
Sunday Sep 03, 2017
Sunday Sep 03, 2017
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!
Sunday Aug 20, 2017
Sunday Aug 20, 2017
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!