It has been an interesting year in the world of image making.
There is major emphasis on content creators, and the equipment they may need.
And Black Friday sales will be active on these brands, with highlighted products below:
Joby, Pivo, Platypod, and LumeCube and Ankerworks

Usually the biggest deal are on Black Friday, but don’t stress: Cyber Monday is right around the corner!

Let’s break it down from basic to major:First of all, if you are using a phone to create, the first you need is the Joby Bluetooth remote control. Turn your phone recording on and off from a distance. Pairs fast on your phone, dependable. Great tool.

A perfect gift for the mobile creator is the Joby Beamo magsafe light. Giving 4 hours of light, this light attached to a mag safe phone, and if you don’t have one, they include a thin metal ring to place in your case of phone back. Continue Reading »

Not like “This is not a pipe” (Ceci n’est pas une pipe) the famous painting by Rene Magritte, below

Nothing like that. Well, maybe a little borrowed concept for the sake of this post.

Instead it’s a bit of memory that has a photo of an object as it’s touch point.

When I was a kid, we used to have thanksgiving dinner at our apartment. The cousins always joined us, the good flatware came out, and that’s just what you did.
Mom cooked the turkey in a paper bag to keep it at a certain moisture level, and the pies were a sweet pecan.
But the appetizer was the most unique item.
A seafood mixture with a creamy binder, the origins of which I can’t remember, and bread crumbs.

All mixed together and served in shells. Like the one shown above.
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And here we go!
It seems like this year, the end of year sales have been coming earlier and earlier!
Since I wouldn’t want you to miss some of the great deals out there, we’re gonna start with software.
Of course, all of the software below have great savings this year, so if you want to grab a deal , or gift someone, now is the time!

No wrapping needed.

For all of your basic daily needs, there are 2 main players: Lightroom and Capture One. The world is split!

Lightroom is my jam, and it’s DAM (digital asset management) helps me locate the 360K images on my drives, plus be able to work some post production into the mix. The Creative Cloud also is a major daily set of apps that I use all the time. Plus when some of the designers I work with send a file over, I can generally open it with one of the apps in the CC.

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So, a new Beatles song at #1, tours still happening, and now, a show of photographs by Sir Paul McCartney.

Below is one of my faves from the exhibit:

Paul McCartney (English, b. 1942)
George looking young, handsome and relaxed. Living the life. Miami Beach, February 1964
Photograph
©1964 Paul McCartney under exclusive license to MPL Archive LLP

Yes, it has been exhibited in the UK, although this will be the first showing in the States.

Should be an amazing perspective from one of the people on the other side of the camera at all times. I’d say it’s a book, less about the photography than the historical reference. To have that from one of the subjects of Beatlemania will please the most ardent Beatles fan.

The official word:

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Sure, the deals are coming faster than ever this year, and in the coming days, the posts here will cover a range of gifts for the image maker in your life.
Or maybe just you!

With holidays here, your chances of hanging out with family are darn good, and I’d like to suggest something to you:

Interview and Record the elders in your family, and create a family history video that can be shared, cherished, and passed on.

When my grandmother was 92 and my daughter was 2, I saw them hanging out, and knew that the knowledge of family history my grandmother had would never get told, unless she told it.
Some family members felt it would be revisionist history. You know what? It was the only history we had.
And everyone sees life through their own eyes and experiences. No one is objective.
So I sat with Grandma Kate, and my daughter at one end of her bed, and proceeded to ask her questions.
Even if she didn’t know what she ate the morning before, she knew her personal history.
With a video camera in hand, I made a record for us of who were, where we came from, what my dad’s life was like, and look into the past that only she could provide.
Since then I have a made a bunch of these, and honestly, as you hone your interview skills, shooting skills, you will have made a very special gift for yourself and your family.

There is a reason that companys like Ancestry.com and DNA kits have become so popular. We want to know who we are, and knowing where we came from is a big step in that direction.

It’s up to you.
With your skill set, the tools, and during the holidays, the PERFECT opportunity, you can create a video that would bring a lotta happiness to your family.

The picture above is my father when he was a radio announcer in NYC.
Never got to interview him, and always wanted to share the sound of his voice with my daughter. Didn’t happen.

Give your new gear a run through with a purpose. Plenty of time for selfies.
Just a suggestion.

If you own a company, and still are making your year end purchases, coming up are more gift guides to help you make some gear decisions. Plus more.

My personal go-to purchases at this time of year are media cards and hard drives. Boring maybe, but essential, and best prices this time of year.

One thing to note is that there will not be camera systems in the gift guide. Every brand comes out with new and improved models, yet to switch systems is not and easy or cheap move. You know what you like, and perhaps the new global sensor is what you are after. Or you want to wait for the 2nd gen.

What will be posted in the next days will be gift ideas that will help you, or the giftee, in their image making life