I'm Teaching at the Wanderers Photography Workshop

Coming this fall, October 10-14 2021, I’ll be an instructor at the Wanderers Photographic Cultural Experience. I must say, I’m honored to have this opportunity and look forward to being there.

The workshop will take place in New Orleans and will be a hands-on workshop as myself and three other great photographers will work with attendees on certain photography styles. My focus will be more on street photography and cityscapes. Other styles include food/beverage photography and concert photography. Each instructor is truly passionate about their craft and do a great job sharing resources to help make you a better photographer.

Go on over to the website and check out the details. The space is limited and we’ve already had a few spots claimed. The website is here. I look forward to working with Freddy Clark, Steve Brazill and Andrew Scrivani. This event will be full of hard work, but also fun. As photography SHOULD be. Register today and/or share this with someone you think may be interested in the workshop. THANKS.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved.


I Made Some FREE Lightroom and Capture One Presets

In between working on my shows and shooting, I’ve dabbled with creating some presets for my Lightroom* workflow. Now understand that using presets doesn’t mean your photo post-processing is finished. A preset should be considered a good starting point 90% of the time. I hate that many beginner photographers assume presets are a quick-fix for photo editing. But anyway. . . .

I’ve put together three different presets that I use fairly regularly because I tend to have certain looks and lighting in mind when I shoot. So here are three different presets for you to download and try for yourself. I’m not charging for these presets, but if you’d like to buy me a beer, I won’t turn it down. ;)

Cozy Morning

The Cozy Morning preset was created with the mind of a person that’s dragging a little in the morning and trying to get going. Exposure is dimmed, clarity and texture increased and the color temperature is moderately warm. Think of warm, Earth tones far as the color grading.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved

Cigar and Whisky

With the Cigar and Whisky preset, I was shooting some test portrait shots. At the time, I was testing the Canon R6 and R5 for work. While shooting, I was wishing I had poured myself a whisky and grabbed a cigar. This is just a guilty pleasure of mine while I shoot or process photos. When I think whisky and cigars, I think of warm, soft images. The images aren’t as crisp, but still look good. Also, the color tones are warm.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved.

Biscuit

The Biscuit preset was developed after shooting a couple shots of our dog named Biscuit. A few weeks after we got the dog, he spent a lot of time resting in window lighting. This lighting worked well with his white coat and really captured the “puppy” mood. The preset will increase exposure without clipping the highlights. It will also soften the middle frequency and slightly increase the higher frequency to enhance details where areas should be sharp, but soft where the areas of the image should be soft.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved.

Image by Ant Pruitt. All rights reserved.

Use These in Lightroom or Capture One

These preset were created in Lightroom, but you can also use these in Capture One. I’ve not tried to do so yet, but apparently it’s pretty easy to import Lightroom presets into Capture One. Just follow the steps on this DIY Photography 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.

Capturing Beautiful Macro Photos of Snowflakes With Don Komarechka

I’ve previously talked about shooting macro photography on my show at work. I enojyed sharing the bit of info I know about it, but I will not claim to be any good at it. Ha! Macro photography can be quite easy for anyone to do, but the “next level” maco photographers have some amazing skills and understand the science/physics behind getting the GREAT macro photograph. Hence, my man Don Komarechka. He’s known as the “Mad Scientist” with regards to his outstanding photography. So talented and skilled.

Prior to the pandemic lockdown, he shot a segment for DPReview showing off his process of creating beautiful macro photos of snowflakes. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at his workflow. Check out the video below. Also, below the video, check out his podcast. I was recently a guest on his show where we had a bit of philosophical chatter as well as nerdy chatter around the world of photography. I’m truly honored to have been a guest on his show.

VIDEO

Image credit Don Komarechka and DPReview

Image credit Don Komarechka and DPReview

Photo Geek Weekly Podcast Episode

Compare Yourself To YOURSELF: My Chat on SmugMug Live with Alastair Jolly

A couple weeks ago I had the honor and pleasure of being interviewed by Alastair Jolly and the team at SmugMug. If you haven’t subscribed to the SmugMug YouTube channel, I highly recommend it. Lots of great discussions with photographers from all over the world.

In my chat, I shared a bit about personal growth in the world of photography, content creation and how I continue to work at this craft. Thing is, this message can apply to pretty much any endeavor.

Thank you to SmugMug for having me and thank you all for watching the video.


It's In The Books. THANK YOU

So i recently recorded my 52nd episode of my podcast Hands-On Photography. Another milestone achieved. I’ve been so grateful for my job at TWiT and the continued opportunities presented to me since becoming a member of that TWiT family. When the show was developed, I have a few goals. I wanted to get ten shows done. Then I wanted to get twenty. Then I wanted to get a year’s worth. I wanted to grow the subscriber base and audience. Now, I want to focus on continuing to grow the audience while continuing to create shows each and every week. THANK YOU ALL for being a part of the journey and also thank you for SHARING the show out so the audience can continue to grow. Here’s episode 52. One more thing, it was pretty awesome to have a brand I love and use sponsor this episode. THANK YOU, Peak Design.

Peak Design Announces Mobile Product Line

I’ve been fortunate enough to be acquainted with Peak Design for a couple of years. Recently, they reached out to share with me their pre-production products designed for the mobile content content creator. It’s the new Peak Design Mobile line of products. The new product offerings will be available via its Kickstarter found here.

I created a short video below walking through what was presented and some hands on footage, but if you want to read what was presented, here it is via the Peak Design press release:

Peak Design Launches a Complete Mobile Accessory Ecosystem An innovative connection system unites beautifully designed cases, mounts and accessories

San Francisco, CA (October, 2020) –Peak Design, the worldwide leader in crowdfunding and everyday carry solutions, has launched a revolutionary ecosystem of mobile cases, mounts, and accessories. Built around a proprietary low-profile connection system, Mobile by Peak Design aims to make your phone a better tool for everything you use it for, from navigation to communication, creativity to recreation.

Prior to the release of Mobile by Peak Design, clunky, bulky, unattractive mobile accessories hindered users’ attempts to obtain a seamless, compact mobile carry experience. Peak Design addressed this with a groundbreaking piece of mounting technology named SlimLink. With a stack height of just 2.4mm, SlimLink minimizes bulk on your phone and mounting devices, and facilitates both soft-locking (magnetic) and ultra-secure, hard-locking (mechanical) mounting functionality. To achieve the SlimLink architecture, a zirconia ceramic insert is surrounded by an array of magnets and then embedded into each Peak Design Everyday Case. “Phones are the most powerful tools in the world, and our goal was to create the most powerful accessories for them” commented Peak Design Founder and CEO Peter Dering. “We’ve been developing the SlimLink architecture for 4 years, and we didn’t stop until our cases and mounts looked better, felt better, and worked better than anything else out there.”

The consumer starting point for Peak Design’s mobile accessory ecosystem is the Everyday Case, a durable polycarbonate phone case wrapped in Peak Design's custom high-performance nylon canvas fabric. The case—available for iPhone (including iPhone 12) and Samsung devices—supports wireless charging and strikes an ideal balance between ruggedness, protection, and refined aesthetics. A slim, adhesive-backed Universal Adapter is also available that works with nearly any phone or hard, non-textured case. Peak Design intends to support additional phone models in the months and years to come.

To complete the ecosystem, Peak Design has launched a wide array of instantly-swappable accessories, including mounts for cars, bicycles, motorcycles, home/office, a mobile wallet, and accessories for photographers and filmmakers. Each accessory was developed by a team of engineers over the course of 2 years and designed to outperform leading competitors in ease-of-use, form factor, ruggedness, and aesthetics. All accessories are built from premium materials, individually serialized, and guaranteed for life. The range of products illustrates the versatility and security of the SlimLink mounting technology, which supports activities from Facetiming to downhill mountain biking.

Mobile by Peak Design will be available for presale on October 19, 2020 as part of Peak Design’s monumental 10 th Kickstarter campaign (peakdesign.com/ks). Following the launch on Kickstarter, the mobile system will then be available for purchase online at Peakdesign.com and through major retailers beginning Spring 2021.

Product MSRP (USD) Presale Discount (Kickstarter)

Everyday Case $39.95 $32

Out-Front Bike Mount $59.95 $50

Universal Bike Mount $49.95 $40

Mobile Tripod $54.95 $45

Car Mount $39.95 $32

Kickstand Wallet $49.95 $40

Mobile Creator Kit $39.95 $32

Wall Mount (2pack) $29.95 $16

Charging Car Mount $69.95 $58

Motorcycle Bar Mount $69.95 $58

Motorcycle Stem Mount $69.95 $58

Wireless Charging Stand $89.95 $72



Don't Forget About Panasonic

With all the madness and going on with year 2020, it didn’t mean the camera companies were going to stop production of their consumer or professional products. Today, Panasonic announced its latest s-series camera body with the S5*. Another full-frame mirrorless option for today’s consumers.

The content creation industry continues to grow. Creators are constantly looking for the best tool to suit their needs. Some from Canon, some from Sony or Nikon, some from Panasonic. The S5 is popping into a sweet spot touting high quality performance at friendly price.

Tech Specs

  • 24 megapixel full-frame sensor, native 3:2 aspect ratio

  • Full-frame 4K (UHD), 10-bit, 30 frames per second video

  • HD video up to 180 frames per second

  • 2.3 million dots electronic view finder

  • dual SD card slots (1 UHS-II, 1 UHS-I)

  • in-body stabilization

  • WiFi and bluetooth connectivity

  • Seven frames per second high speed burst mode shooting

  • HLG and V-log video profiles

  • micro HDMI I/O

  • fully articulating rear screen

From the looks of this camera body, it’s checking all the applicable boxes for enthusiasts and content creators to take great photos and film good looking video. The body seems a bit smaller than what I’d like, but the advantage is the weight will be much lower at less than two pounds (body only). Perfect for most. I’d probably struggle with it in my large hands, but this is definitely looking like a capable body from information shared in the tech specs. You’re not going to get ALL of the video shooting capabilities of the S1H* such as 6K video, but you’re also not paying the same premium price. But, being able to shoot video in LOG is awesome.

(All images provided by Panasonic)

Pricing starts at $1998 for pre-order.* Check out the video demo from the squad at Adorama* down below. I’ve reached out for a loaner to play with for myself and maybe do a segment on Hands On Tech. I’ll keep you posted.





*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.

Adobe Gives Props To Some Up and Coming Photographers

Adobe has been giving recognition and props to up and coming photographers around the world for the last four years. Today it featured this year’s noteworthy photographers. All with not only a beautiful portfolio to their credit, but also fascinating back stories.

I’m not going to share any of the photographers’ images here. I’d rather you click through on the image below to see them on Adobe’s blog. The photographers are:

Lia Clay Miller - The first trans woman to photograph a back-to-back cover for Out Magazine.

Andrew Morócho – An Ecuadorian photographer on a mission to empower BIPOC empathetically by evoking strength in feeling, through use of color and symbolism

Lara Jackson – A wildlife photographer and devoted conservation biologist who aims to share important conservation success stories.

Now-a-days, there’s ample time to learn a new craft or skill. Photography is one of them. Photography is so much more accessible now. Smartphones are the gateway. If you’ve been curious about photography, I say start now. You’ve got nothing to lose. Heck, maybe you’ll be featured by Adobe one day.

Image via Adobe

Image via Adobe



It Was the DroidX. My Chat With Miss Susy Botello and the SBP Podcast

I had the pleasure of being a guest on a fascinating podcast geared towards the mobile content creator. The show is SBP Podcast hosted by the extremely passionate and kind Miss Susy Botello. I appreciate her having me on and sharing my story with her listeners and community. Do me a favor, give her a follow and subscribe to her show. Follow the show on YouTube and Twitter and find the show on Podbean or your podcast app of choice. Thanks for supporting content creators. Miss Susy is doing some good things for creators out there.

Here’s my chat with her. Thanks for listening and sharing.

I REALLY Enjoyed This Chat With Steve Brazill and Don Komarechka

My friends, Steve Brazill, the amazing concert photographer, and the author plus awesome macro photography genius, Don Komarechka had me as a guest on their recent image critique podcast. If you’re not subscribed to Behind The Shot TV, do it now. The show consists of interviews with photographers to discuss a particular shot in their portfolio wherein the photographers share a bit of insight on how the shot came together. Also, the show has a separate series strictly viewable on YouTube that’s an image critique show dedicated to the Behind The Show TV Flickr group. Brazill and Komarechka and sometimes a third guest host critique the images submitted by the Flickr group. I enjoyed being a part of this episode and look forward to joining these gents again. Thanks for watching and sharing this show with your photography friends.