Let’s be honest: there was a promise of a digital photo frame that would have a seamless experience for all that wanted  it.

Between Instagram and Facebook, most of your digital images are already available to everyone. But you also have images that maybe more personal or special, that you want to share with much fewer people. Like parents, or  other relatives or friends.

You know they want to see that new baby, or keep up with your lives. Yes, there is a huge segment of the world that actually want to display images, and not just when their device is turned on.

You could send a dropbox folder or a media card to the photo recipient, but that’s too much work.

How about if you could remotely upload new images to a frame, so that the viewer would just have new content to view?

Enter Nixplay, who has been working in this category for awhile now. They sent me one of their Wi-Fi Cloud digital frames to try out and its been running for about 4 weeks now.

Using their website and phone app, it was an easy process to get a ton of images displayed on the frame.
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And whether you are going to see The Interview and have Chinese Food, going to Mass, opening the gifts under the tree, donating your time to those who need it, or capturing the new memories in your life in still or video, I’d like to wish you the best of holidays.
No matter what you do or what your beliefs are, the world shuts down on this day, 12/25/14, and it’s a good time as well to reflect on the year past.
I’m thankful for all of you who have been with Photoinduced for the 9 years, or maybe just have found it.
The sharing will continue.

Cheers to all of you and your loved ones.

©Justin Bettman

I recently met up with Justin Bettman, a photographer from the San Francisco Bay area in California. His photo illustrations tell a beautifully, apparently simple story with multi layers if you spend the time to delve, and you should.
The execution of the tableaus depend not on photoshop, nor the limitations of a confined studio. You may say the studio gives you control, but the way he shoots these images, adds another dimension to the art: a living scene is created on the street, photographed, and the set left for viewers to interact with, re-photograph, instagram, and generally share.

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You know when someone is into a particular hobby, profession, or basic interest, you struggle to find a gift for them figuring that they already have it, or are about to buy it for themselves?
Here’s a few items to fill out your list for the photog on your list. It may just show that you care about their passion. So would a Nikon D4s with a sweet 70-200mm 2.8 lens, but these are more within the range of possibility.

Want a little ink to declare your passion? But maybe not forever? How about a set of the photo-centric, temporary tats?
Tattly Photo Tattoos $15, including shipping.

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Ok, the Black Friday Sales are done, The Cyber Monday sales are in the rear view mirror, and fingers crossed, any remnant of turkey is a memory.
You could have some new gear and may be wondering: what would be the best way to test it all out?
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.