Smooth Video For Your Smartphone With the DJI Osmo Mobile 4

During quarantine, creators are having to make more out of the limited resources they have on hand. This means shooting more at home and using their smartphones more often for photo or video content. Today, DJI launched its latest tool for mobile content creators - the DJI Osmo Mobile 4*.

image via DJI and Adorama

image via DJI and Adorama

I’ve used gimbals before and they’re great for getting smooth footage for your project. I also own a couple smartphone gimbals. As a matter of fact, one is the Osmo Mobile 2 and the Zhiyun Smooth 4. I enjoy using both of them. And now-a-days, I’d use them more for shooting clips around the house.



The Skinny On the Osmo Mobile 4

So there’s not much to say on the tech specs because gimbals aren’t anything new to the creative space, but what DJI did to make this new product newsworthy is change up the ease of use. DJI added a magnetic clip allowing you to connect your smartphone in a few seconds. No more battling with clips and clamps. No more hoping your external microphone doesn’t get caught up in the clamps or arms of the gimbal. Nice. You’ll get your typical calibration tools for the motors as well as features such as time lapse mode and gesture controls. All of these are useful when trying to make your Instagram stories or TikTok videos pop. I also like the foldable form-factor that was present on the previous version of the Osmo. Great for packing and portability. Nice move, DJI.


I’m not sure if I’ll buy one of these since I already have two gimbals on my shelf as I write this, but I am definitely curious about the quick connection magnet. Looks like a great idea. Hopefully it has a great battery life and still allows you to charge it while being used as an added convenience.

You can get the DJI Osmo Mobile 4 for $149* online. Let me know if you decide to order one or have any questions about using a smartphone gimbal.

Image from DJI and Adorama

Image from DJI and Adorama










*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.

Ted Chin Challenges You To Create

If you’re a creative artist or aspiring creative artist these days, keeping your creative juices flowing can be a bit of a challenge. Sometimes you have to think outside of the box to get content created. It can be both a thrill or a mound of stress, depending on the day of the week. With that in mind, some heavy hitters in the creative industry have teamed up with Adorama* and Ted Chin to challenge you as a creator to #CreateNoMatterWhat. The challenge is all about creating your world by way of composite photography. This includes a prize packaged valued at over $3000.

This is a free challenge where Adorama has partnered with my beloved Wacom as well as BenQ. Wacom is known for its prowess in pen displays and pen tablets used in the world of illustration and photography. BenQ specializes in beautiful monitors designed for visual artists. And I know yall know how much I love using my Wacom tablets* and the beautiful pen displays* in my workflow.

How Do You Win?

To win, just create a “beautiful world.” However you see your version of a “beautiful world.” Use some compositiing techniques to put scenes and effects together. You can submit up to five images as of now and up to 11:59PM ET on September 2nd.

Let me know if you enter. I’m curious to see what you all come up with. Click below to enter.

*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.

The Honor Of Sharing My Philosophy and Experience with He Shoots, He Draws Podcast

During this pandemic, I’ve had some awesome experiences considering the current state of our planet. I’ve created a lot of content and also had the pleasure to be a guest on several different podcasts - even news segments. This week, an interview/chat with the He Shoots He Draws podcast hosted by Dave Clayton and Alan Hess. I’ve been a fan of this podcast since it first started a few years back. I love the layout and style these gents have presented to their listeners. In a million years, never had I assumed I’d be a guest on a show I REGULARLY LISTEN TO. Truly honored.

Mr. Clayton is a graphic designer and NOW a published author* as well as Adobe Max presenter. Mr. Hess is an AMAZING concert photographer and also well-known for his work at the San Diego Comic Con. Not to mention, all the books he’s written*.

I appreciate Mr. Clayton and Mr. Hess chatting with me and sharing my story. Take a listen below. Be sure to subscribe to their show on Apple Podcasts or whatever your podcast app of choice is. THANK YOU, everyone.

*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.

FREE Adobe Max 2020 Registration Opens

The year 2020 has been an absolute mess of a year on so many levels. The pandemic has made things so much tougher on many businesses and consumers. This includes my favorite conference, Adobe Max. Since the COVID-19 pandemic continues its grip on our planet, Adobe, like many other companies, have pivot into a remote mode of operation. This includes this year annual creative conference, Adobe Max. Adobe Max 2020 will now be available to everyone for free online. No flying out to Los Angeles this year. Just mark your calendars for October 20th thru 22nd and attend virtually.

Image by Ant Pruitt all rights reserved

Image by Ant Pruitt all rights reserved

The show usually consists of a great keynote presentation sharing a bit of a recap of the previous year for Adobe as well as new products or feature launches for the coming year. There are also labs, sessions and interviews with great people from the industry. This year’s list of interviewees includes Ava DuVernay, Keanu Reeves, Tyler the Creator, and Annie Leibovitz.

When you register for Adobe Max, you’ll be able to not only view the keynote presentation and interviews, but you’ll be able to register for labs and sessions that you’re interested in. Just tailor your schedule to work best for you. If you’re interested in Photoshop, there are a lot of different sessions available to varying skill levels. It’s a really great experience that I think anyone in the creative space should look into.

Find out more about registration and sessions on the Adobe blog post here. I highly recommend you give it a look if you’re into the creative arts. Not just photography, but all the digital creative arts.


THIS is Why I Will CONTINUE To Share It

So if you’re following me on Twitter, you’ll notice I have this tweet pinned to the top of my profile. Also, you’ll notice that I share the contents of that tweet a few times a week. I do this because I feel it’s worth sharing and my small voice just may help amplify the message. I know I’m not going to get the attention the folks at TMZ gets, but I won’t stop sharing what I feel. Anyway. . . .

Recently I was on YouTube checking out a short video. It was from work. It featured a technologist I love and respect. So of course, I watched it. It was a great video. What bugged me was at the time of viewing it and now the time of me writing this post, the “like” to “dislike” ratio. Look here:

wth.jpg

Now why would the ratio be this way? So many people honestly feel the subject matter of the video has no weight or warrants discussion? If so? Why? Anyway, I’m sharing the video and I’ll continue to share my story/tweet because apparently many people believe the current line of social norms is acceptable.

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.



Refine Edge and More Now On Photoshop For iPad: UPDATE

Supposedly, most creators are pushing for a more mobile workflow for their creativity. Hence why the likes of Adobe wanting to put more tools in the cloud and your mobile devices. Today Adobe announced another update to its Photoshop on iPad product.

Refine Edge Brush

This tool is used mostly when making selections of objects that don’t particularly have defined edges or contrast. Ok, maybe that didn’t make any sense. Let me give you an example.If you have a photo of a person with big hair and you’d like to cut them away from the background, you’ll need to use your selection tool to do so. The problem is the big hair can be quite a tedious task to handle as it’s hard to cleanly select wispy hair. Adobe’s Sensei AI does a good job with its refine edge tool to make those difficult selections. But, that was only available on the desktop version of Photoshop. That functionality is now on the iPad version.

Image credit: Adobe

Image credit: Adobe

Rotation Tool

First off, in Photoshop for the desktop, I think this is the most underrated tool. This tool is used to rotate your canvas while you’re working. Highly useful if you’re doing some fine retouching on a portrait and need to touch up eyes or lips. Rotating the canvas makes it easier on your hand for your mouse or stylus to successfully complete your brush strokes. This is now available on the iPad version of Photoshop.

Image credit: Adobe

Image credit: Adobe


If you’re interested in more details on these new updates, Adobe shares it all on its blog post here. Nice update, but the best thing about this blog post in my opinion is the closing paragraphs. Good on ya, Adobe.