Google Releases Three New Photography Apps
12/31/2017
It seems there will never be a shortage of new apps and features to try out with our smartphone products. Today is a new day, and so of course, we’ve got new apps to play around with.
This collection of new apps is brought to us by Google, as a part of something they are calling an “appsperiments” program. Google describes these applications as “usable and useful mobile photography experiences built on experimental technology.” These three new apps actually do perform tasks that are unlike apps we’ve seem before, however, how useful these apps actually are is debatable. With programs that “rely on object recognition, person segmentation, stylization algorithms, efficient image encoding and decoding technologies,” there is no denying that the apps will be fully functioning, adding a fresh twist to day to day iPhone photography. Here is a bit about the new three google apps: Storyboard
This one is only for android users, meaning most of us won’t have access to it just yet, but nonetheless is still an interesting concept. This application takes a video you’ve shot and pulls out 6 frames, then lays them out in a comic book style template. If you are unhappy with the automatic arrangement, you can refresh to reveal over 1.6 trillion different combinations…safe to say you will certainly find an order you are happy with.
Selfissimo!
This quirky-named app, for android and iOS, essentially functions as a black and white photo booth on your phone. The app’s purpose is to capture each pose you strike in front of the camera—you tap the screen to start the shoot and the application snaps a photo every time you change your pose, triggered by the stopping and starting of movements. You’ll come away with a collection of photos that look as fluid as a regular shoot.
Scrubbies
The most interesting of the app released is Scrubbies, for iOS only, which lets you remix your videos in a DJ-like fashion. You can “scrub” the screen back and forth through a clip to create video loops, like a DJ scratching records at a club. How useful is this app? Probably not very useful at all—but you will certainly have fun in the process of playing around with it.
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Spy in The Wild, is exactly what it sounds like, a five-part series of hidden cameras capturing nature’s wildlife. Only thing peculiar about this new series on PBS stations, is how they get the means to do the spying. While we all know there’s not many ways you can go about capturing animals in their natural habitat without spooking or even worse, getting attacked. Spy in the Wild, just defied those odds, with their newly constructed robotic animals who have cameras for eyes. The spy cams are basically meant to capture animal behavior we see in plain sight. Ok, so the animal robots are freaking creepy no doubt, but the footage Spy in The Wild gets from them is beautiful and otherwise unobtainable. Because of those disturbing undercover fake meerkats or alligators, we now have an open door into observing all the hidden emotions most people think animals lack. Contrary to your assumptions, Spy In The Wild, is not the first wildlife spy cam idea of its kind. Only difference from its counterparts, is how realistic looking their robots are. In order to capture every realm of animal and wildlife behavior they created a long list of different robot species, including: Spy Orangutan, Spy Croc Hatchling, Spy Meerkat, Spy Egret, Spy Tortoise, Spy Prairie Dog, Spy Macaw, Spy Sloth, Spy Cobra, Spy Bushbaby, Spy Squirrel, Spy Adelie, and Spy Baby Hippo. Insane, right?!
Some may not believe animals have similar emotions and behaviors as us humans do, but this series will prove otherwise with close interaction, and uh well… spying. Watch elephants showing each other love and affection, or squirrels finagling one another for resources. Spy cam uncovers such amazing aspects of nature, how it maintains, and how wildlife fills it, so much that you’ll reconsider being weirded out by their animal robots. Their episodes are each more intriguing than the next with new subjects and focus points. Not to mention, they’re super cute and informative! The series is sure to open your eyes and validate the whole “animals have feelings too” saying.
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2017: The Year of Binge-Watching
12/29/2017
Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon—unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, not only have you heard of these TV streaming services, but you’re likely subscribed to one, if not all of them.
As perhaps the biggest powerhouse of them all, Netflix has just released their stats for this year’s cycle of watching habits. With over 109 million members spanning across 109 countries (there are even users in Antarctica who are particularly fond of Shameless), they certainly had a lot of data to sift through—I mean, according to Netflix, we, collectively, have watched approximately 140 million hours of television per day, and a whopping 1 billion hours per week. That is, for lack of a more appropriate term, a shit-ton of TV. Netflix has compiled four lists to separate the different styles of binge-watching: shows we devoured, shows we savored, shows that got us cheating, and shows that brought us together.
Shows We Devoured The gift of devouring a television show—free from the anguish of waiting week to week for your next dose of drama—is the single most compelling aspect of a streaming service. Netflix defines these devoured shows as the ones that users spent more than 2 hours a day absorbed in. I am big enough to admit that I have spent entire days engrossed in one world or another, unable to resist the temptation of another episode lingering only a click away. “Just one more” is truly the essence of binge-watching. Here are the top 10 shows devoured by Netflix users this year:
1. American Vandal 2. 3% 3. 13 Reasons Why 4. Anne With An E 5. Riverdale 6. Ingobernable 7. Travelers 8. The Keepers 9. The OA 10. The Confession Tapes
Shows We Savored Sometimes, rarely, a show comes along that, for one reason or another, is more enjoyable when watched over a longer period of time. Netflix defines these savored shows as the ones that users spent less than 2 hours a day absorbed in. Maybe the show is incredibly dense and you need a breather in between episodes to wrap your head around the events that transpired, maybe it took you a bit of time to really get hooked, or maybe you have some sort of mysterious will power that enables you to ration good TV instead of cramming it into your brain ASAP. Whatever the reason, here are the top 10 shows savored by Netflix users this year:
1. The Crown 2. Big Mouth 3. Neo Yokio 4. A Series of Unfortunate Events 5. Glow 6. Friends From College 7. Ozark 8. Atypical 9. Dear White People 10. Disjointed
Shows That Got Us Cheating Cheating, meaning you just couldn’t help yourself and proceeded to watch the next episode, or even finish the season, without your television buddy. While more of an issue for those with significant others, we’ve all become engrossed in a show alongside another and vowed “I won’t watch the next one without you.” But sometimes a show is just too good. In my case, my SO is my roommate, and I have gone so far as to cheat, and then re-watch the same episode with her, acting as though I’ve never seen it—apparently, I’m not the only one. Here are the top 10 shows that got us cheating this year:
1. Narcos 2. 13 Reasons Why 3. Stranger Things 4. Orange is the New Black 5. Sense8 6. Black Mirror 7. Marvel’s The Defenders 8. Marvel’s Iron Fist 9. Ozark 10. Mindhunter
Shows That Brought Us Together Some shows are most cherished when watched with a group, so you and your friends and family can sprinkle in your own commentary, or enjoy a lengthy group discussion post-watching. There is nothing quite as cozy as getting wrapped in a big blanket, surround by loved ones, ready to watch your favorite show together. Here are the top 10 shows that brought us together this year:
1. Stranger Things 2. 13 Reasons Why 3. A Series of Unfortunate Events 4. Star Trek Discovery 5. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life 6. Riverdale 7. Fuller House 8. Chef’s Table 9. Atypical 10. Anne with An E
2017 was a year unlike no other, in more ways than one, and the entertainment industry brought us some of the best television in history—it’s no wonder we just can’t get enough. In recent years, television has transformed from a mindless, unsophisticated medium of storytelling to a cultivation of excellent writing, acting, directing, and music, all of which comes together in cinematic art. Fortunately, we’ve got thousands of options thanks to our beloved streaming services.
One final fact from Netflix: January 1st, 2017 was the biggest streaming day of the year, so on the first day of this new year, soothe your hangover by hunkering down on the couch in a big, cozy blanket, dim the lights and get bingeing. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2lroov2 We’re in what I’d call a transitional period with many devices. The future is decided, and the standard USB plug is making it way out, for the new and improved USB Type-C design. The smaller form factor seems sensible, with tech getting smaller and smaller with each new generation and its increase in speed is a welcoming design (as is the symmetrical, ‘ain’t no wrong way to plug it in’ design). The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C comes in just a single flavor, at 5 terabytes of space. And while there are many other options within the product line (2TB Thunderbolt USB 3.0 or the 4TB Rugged Raid, for example), the Thunderbolt USB-C comes in as the largest and fastest option currently offered in the LaCie Rugged lineup. Build QualityThe LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C sports the familiar design of its now iconic Rugged Line of drives first introduced years ago, and since become a staple of photography and videography sets all over the world. The orange design provides high visibility as well as protection from drops from upwards of 6ft. And while I didn’t test these numbers, I’ve certainly had my previous LaCie Rugged drives fall from my desk in the past, and landed with no damage. Additionally, the drive promises a 1-ton crushing resistance, as well as IP54 rated, which protects it from dust and dirt, as well as light water splashes. Along with the rugged drive itself, the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C comes with a large variety of plugging options and cables out of the box. Integrated with the drive, is a thunderbolt cable, allowing for speed up to 30Gb/s (capability – see below for a better explanation), along with a Thunderbolt 3.0/USB3 Type-C cable to be plugged into the side port as needed. The added port on the side allows for plugging into an archaic USB2/3, futureproofing, and more importantly, past proofing the drive to be used on systems new and old. The Elephant in the RoomThe one thing that must be discussed before going too far into this review is a tech phrase known as bottlenecking. Bottlenecking is basically that your computer is only going to be as fast as the weakest link in the chain. That is, universally, your hard drive. Hard drives just cannot keep up with the speeds of processors, GPUs, and memory. That said, hard drives have changed significantly over the last ten years, and speeds have improved astronomically. From the standard spinning drives to SSD, and now M.2, hard drives are getting faster (and smaller) more than any other component in a computer. Even still, you’re not going to see radical performance out of a USB Type-C drive over a USB3 drive – or not yet at least. To punch the numbers, USB Type-C offers speeds up to 10Gps (and the nearly identical plug, Thunderbolt 3.0 offers speeds four times as fast). Compared to the USB3, the Type-C plug provides twice the speed, in a much smaller form factor that also allows for 100 watts of power for charging. However, hard drive capabilities are far less for those numbers. On average, an SSD drive will reach speeds of around 500MB/sec, or around 4Gb/s, more than half the capability of USB3 Type-C. And while M.2 drives have already surpassed the speed capabilities of USB3 Type-C (And nearly Thunderbolt 3.0 as well), it still needs a PCI-e 3.0 slot to operate at those speeds, and still not even close to those speeds in an external design. So what does that mean for the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C? It means it’s a fantastic drive for now, but still too young to reach the speed improvements that are on the near horizon. For reference, the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C has chosen space over speed, offering 5TBs of data on a 5400rpm drive. For now, there are few drives which can offer you better performance at five terabytes of capacity. But with M.2 drives becoming more and more popular, and at a fraction of the size to even SSD drives, one would hope that the storage will become faster, smaller, and at greater capacity sometime in the next year or two. So while the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C is an incredible drive, the future for external drives is far brighter than what even this drive can serve. SpeedsIn short, the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C is a fast drive, even by today’s standards, but is largely built with storage in mind. Using independent speed tests, I was able to find numbers comparable to what is stated on LaCie’s website. When using Thunderbolt 3.0 or USB Type-C, speed reached around 125MB/s, meaning file transferring is blazing fast given this is a 54000rpm spinning drive, even when moving multiple gigabytes of data. But this is all service level talks of hope. Is the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C a great drive? Absolutely. With USB3 Type-C indeed becoming the new standard for output ports on laptops and desktops, this makes for a great transitional product for those who have plenty of files to backup, and no time to wait for the next generation of hard drive options to become affordable. But that doesn’t mean it’s entirely future proof. At this point, a spinning drive is two generations old, superseded by both Solid State Drives, as well as M.2 drives. The bulkier design of the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C is already noticeable now, and will only become more obvious as SSDs and M.2 drives become larger in disk size, and more affordable in time. If you’re looking for a drive today, to better archive large amounts of data, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C. But in six months, that statement can no longer hold true.
5TB LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C
A Durable Drive with Plenty of SpaceFast Speeds for a Spinning Drive
A Transitional Product, as SSDs Become More Viable
9Overall Score
Build Quality9.5
Design8.4
Reliability9.2
Features Set9.6
Price8.5
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via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2CanEG7 With media platforms like Instagram, we are granted exposure to people and places we may never have gotten the chance to experience otherwise. Street photography is one of the most prominent forms of Instagram photography, giving viewers a taste of life in the cities they long to travel to, or just a dose of otherworldly cultural beauty. Here is a collection of 10 street photographers you should be following on Instagram, that will give you a bad case of “wanderlust”.
Liam Wong’s photography account features the vibrant colors of Japan’s most vivacious city, Tokyo. amongst other cities in Japan. To put it simply, these photos are stunning, giving viewers a taste of the culture and fluoresces that riddles the streets of these modern cities.
Cocu Liu’s account gives us a look into the unique architecture of California’s San Francisco. These photos often feature moving vehicles and trollies that capture the bustling life of one of California’s most populous city, with a faded, retro-looking style that will leave you nostalgic for a city you may never have visited.
Matthew Wylie’s street photography features Toronto and the city’s locals in their natural every day lives. Often shooting in black & white, these photos have a timeless feel, making them indistinguishable from photos taken decades ago, but somehow maintaining a sophisticated air. The photos are simply chilling in their beauty.
Anthony Danielle has successfully launched a street photography account, all by the use of his iPhone camera, going to show that you don’t need fancy equipment to pursue photography. His photos are wonderfully simplistic, capturing life in New York City—the people, the architecture, the street crossings—as it is.
This street photography account differs slightly from others, in that Aaron Berger chooses to focus solely on the people that make up the city of New York. His photos capture the rich diversity of humans that swarm NYC, truly giving you a better understand of why this city is considered to be the melting pot of the world.
Paola Franqui’s account offers a variety of locations, all seeking to capturing something of the behind-the-scenes of each city featured. Often obscured by a window reflection or shot through a metal fence, these photos make you feel like you’re getting a sneak peek at life in cities across the world, with photos ranging from brightly colored buildings to sunset skies to foggy bridge-views.
Jomayra’s art is meant to capture underground and after hours New York City. Her photos are eery and beautiful, typically featuring the glowing lights of nighttime in the city, or the inner workings of the underground subway system with its diverse passengers just trying to get from point A to point B. This account captures those intimate moments with mere strangers in a truly captivating way.
Chris Connolly’s photos are wonderfully simple, often capturing the stunning architecture of whatever cities he has travelled to. His ability to make even the simplest content into a beautiful photo makes this account unique, proving you don’t need a big production to get quality, interesting photos. These photos are aesthetically pleasing and will make you yearn for a quiet spot to sit and appreciate the beauty of your simple surroundings.
This photography account is brought to us by a London photographer with a keen eye for capturing unique street images. Her style is distinct, capturing life in London through elements like rounding staircases, reflections of rain on the sidewalk and through a misty window. Her photography does not go for a conventional capturing of people in their daily life but rather in those moments where we find ourselves alone on the streets of a city.
This photo account truly captures New York City for all it is known for—sweeping skylines, bustling streets, a rich expanse of greenery surrounded by towering buildings that touch the clouds. With aerial photography that spans over Manhattan, this photography captures the vastness of one of the most populous cities in the world. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2EdJnuf Something very interesting happened on Reddit. No, a celeb’s nude photographs were not hacked and posted, nor was a storied institution’s emails laid bare for all the world to see. The real action was on /r/photography, under a thread entitled “Discussion: What is happening to photography? This article is ridiculous”, posted by user akamustacherides .
With no exposition provided by the original poster, the title links to an article on Vice, “Stunning Photos of Small-Town Pennsylvania“, by Tara Wray. Within, Ms. Wray conducts an interview with self-taught photographer Mike Thompson, displaying his images of cities both big and small, with an emphasis on the latter. Mike, she writes, “captures the emotional highs and lows of his blue-collar community.” With the post-Trump election media’s emphasis on the plight of middle America, the article itself seems to be pretty standard, expected stuff. A little voyeurism of misery interspersed with commentary from the artist who provides us this rare glimpse? The MSM and its followers eat this stuff up like the finger foods served at their award shows and charity banquets. What really ticked off Mr. mustacherides, however, was not the piece’s lack of originality nor its exploitation of upper-class schadenfreude disguised as “pity,” but the quality (or lack thereof) of the accompanying images. As he states later in the thread, in response to poster’s confusion as to the purpose of his post: “I think it is ridiculous they are featuring [a photographer] with so little expedience, no training, isn’t doing it as a profession and they are asking him questions that he doesn’t seem to be able to answer.” Comparing the work to another photographer’s interview, he states that the work equally “screams amateurish.” My own bias aside, another poster seems to agree, stating “He’s certainly not worthy of national recognition,” and theorizing that he must be friends with the writer.More notable than these professional’s gripes towards amateurs gaining what they see as unwarranted attention–a practice common in fields from hip-hop to philosophy–is the rebuke these professionals went on to receive from the /r/photography community. Despite being ostensibly committed to good photography, as well having a consensus that “nothing here [regarding Mr. Thompson’s work in Vice] approaches technical perfection or subtlety,” the community came out strongly in defense of the work and Vice’s decision to showcase it. In the words of user GearWacz, “Mike Thompson’s photos may not be as visually pleasing as most stuff on Instagram, but there’s something way more interesting there [emphasis mine].”
Others decided not only to defend Mr. Thompson, but to criticize the very standards that akamustacherides was employing to judge his work. “I really liked this work,” writes NoNonsenseNomad, “and I find it ridiculous that people expect a photographer to have years of experience in order to command an interview in a magazine [emphasis mine].” He continues to express contempt for the “endless circle jerk of the internet” where the “best” is declared to be an objective category available only to the most in-the-know and established amongst us. None quite encapsulate this new-school response to an old-school evaluation as well as dirtyrottenshame, who writes in response to OP’s original question, “What is happening to photography,” with the response that “Things are happening in photography.”
While standards of judgment in any field are continually shifting, it seems like the photography world is facing a rupture as its products, as well as techniques and know-how, are becoming available worldwide. The question “What makes an interesting photograph?” has never been so open ended. Discussions like this one are but a symptom of that ambiguity, and they will surely continue to rage, only becoming more venomous as opinions become entrenched. It is fascinating to see this interplay at work as a community of experts and novices, in agreement over their love of good photography, hammer out just what “good” means. On an unrelated side note, my own reaction closely resembled that of obviously-astute media observer and ultimate burn-giver RathEmpire. “Well, I mean it is vice,” he begins, “so….Kind exactly the photos I expected to see tbh [sic].” Feature Image Courtesy CloudVisualvia RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2C8mbjp
TIME Magazine named its annual “Person of the Year”, who gets a feature story and cover of the month’s edition of the magazine. This year’s “Person of the Year”, or persons rather, is the “Silence Breakers”. As sexual assault allegations have swept the entertainment industry int he past months, hundreds of women across the country have come forward to speak out about sexual harassment and abuse from their respective industries, thus launching a nation-wide cultural reckoning unlike anything we’ve seen in decades. In order to capture this iconic bravery and strength that pulses between these women as they unite in exposing this kind of unfair treatment, TIME needed to bring in photographers capable of portraying this. In comes Berlin photography duo, Billy & Hells, made up of Anke Linz and Andreas Oettinger. The duo, well-known for their intimate portraits that “convey a quiet poetry coupled with a resounding dignity” were brought in to do just this. TIME was keen to capture the emotion behind these women’s stories, while maintaining a steady beat of resilience and strength. Linz tells TIME, “It takes so much courage to go in front of a camera, espcially in light of this story. It was important for us to portray the subjects; inner strength and spirit.” The cover of TIME magazine features five women: Ashley Judd, Susan Fowler, Adama Iwu, Taylor Swift, and Isabel Pascual. These women represent a group individuals courageous enough to push back against sexual abuse, serving as pioneers to all women as we begin to speak up and stand up. This story features a series of 24 portraits, shot in a number of sessions in NYC, Los Angeles and San Francisco over a course of 10 days. Each portrait features a woman would made waves in some way or another, in an act of individual bravery. The portrait sittings were then followed by an interview session, all of which came together in a video put out by TIME with the release of the magazine. Linz adds, “It takes so much courage to go in front of a camera, especially in light of this story. It was important for us to portray the subjects; inner strength and spirit.” These stunningly intimate portraits truly capture the tremendous emotion behind this cultural upheaval, while maintaining a brilliant sense of dignity.—you can almost just feel the pride and fearlessness radiating off the page. Read the incredible TIME Magazine article on the “Silence Breakers” here.
Everything You Need To Know About Vlogmas
12/28/2017
If you are a part of the YouTube Vlogging community, you’ve probably heard of Vlogmas—if you haven’t, let me explain.
What is Vlogmas? Vlogmas is a yearly tradition in which vloggers of the YouTube community gear up for Christmas by posting a video each day of December. Similar to VEDA (Vlog Every Day in April) and Vlogtober, this vlogging tradition has a Christmas spin to it, with vloggers eager to get their viewers in the holiday spirit. They make it their mission to post a video for all 24 days leading up to Christmas. Where did it start? Vlogmas came to be in December 2011, when YouTuber Ingrid Nilsen was inspired to create something not unlike a christmas advent calendar. And so, Vlogmas was born, with Nilsen posting a video each day of December, in anticipation of Christmas. Though she does not partake in daily vlogging anymore, Nilsen recently told Refinery29, “I think that, at my core, I’m somebody that loves to create, and I really love seeing how ideas can really just become so much bigger than what you intended in really amazing ways. I think it’s awesome that it has touched so many people and has provided joy for so many people, because that’s initially what I set out to do.” Vlogmas was created to give vloggers a space to celebrate the holidays with their subscribers, while serving as motivation to keep producing creative content. So what do vloggers post for Vlogmas?
It is typically tailored to each specific vlogger’s style and general content. Say a vlogger mainly focuses on cooking, they might feature strictly christmas-themed recipes for the month of December. Or say a vlogger focuses on product reviews, they may review products in the style of a holiday gift guide. It is really up to the vlogger’s control what they choose to dedicate their airtime to. Who should I be watching? There are hundreds or thousands of vloggers across the YouTube community, and some are well-known for their Vlogmas celebrations. To start, check out Ingrid Nilsen and her original Vlogmas videos to get a feel for the start of this popular holiday trend.
Others to watch:
via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2Dtzfw1 The Social Lights, a “social media marketing consultancy,” and possibly the most millennial-sounding business venture to ever exist, has released its list of social media predictions for 2018. While we all love to prognosticate on the future of just about everything (where will Lebron go in ’18? will Instagram ever bring back chronological order? will Stranger Things 3 be awful or just not that good?), these people do it for a living, so let’s leave it to the pros. Predictions are broken down according to the platform, and include quotes from some of their best talent. In an effort to get your 2018 social media game off to a good start–all bets are off when it comes to irl–here are the juiciest bits.
Facebook! Apparently people still use this? I thought it was only my mother and her friends but hey, you learn something new every day. A. Inte(great)ion – As Facebook matured and acquired boatloads of cash, it put some of that money to use acquiring Instagram and major-VR-player Oculus, among others. In 2018, Drew Gneiser looks forward to them tying up all these loose ends into a neat little entertainment bundle to share with your friends. “The possibility that Facebook makes Stories on Facebook, Instagram and messenger all one cohesive experience” makes him want to cream his pants. No, just kidding, but it is something he “look[s] forward to seeing.” Same thing, basically. B. AR (not 15) – This stands for “augmented reality” for all y’all not in the know. And Katie Mangan sees “something big” going down this year involving the use of this tech. After all, as I noted, Facebook acquired Oculus and has seemingly sat on it besides Mr. Zuckerberg’s tone deaf VR “appearance” in disaster-ridden Puerto Rico which I won’t even link to lest you watch and lose all faith in Silicon Valley and decide that our tech overlords are clueless, socially-awkward know-it-alls who would rather hangout in their “clouds” amongst compressed data than with live human beings. Anyway, as she notes, Facebook simply “can’t afford to be far behind Snap in that venture” who are seriously killing it with those AR dog-ear-filter-things. C. AI – Barring its vanquishment of the human race, AI will be put to work in 2018 providing comfort and insight for its feeble-minded, oxygen-dependent users. Kelsey Marquardt identifies two such spaces primed for a revolution: suggested content and social care. The former is rather self-explanatory, as we experience it already in Amazon’s “if you liked_____, you’ll also like______” recommendations. The latter is known informally as chatbots, Turing-tested typing humanoids who interact with you on behalf of their creator. This babies will “finally become mainstream” in 2018, as brands “look to create more personal experiences for their fans” by interacting with them through computer code. Ironic, isn’t it.
The ‘Gram Instagram will likely remain the worst social media platform for the blind. Besides that, changes are in store. And maybe this is your year to finally become Insta-famous so you can stop using so many darn hashtags in an attempt to get noticed #hashtagoverload. A. You ain’t f***ing with my click, my click, my click – According to Kelsey Anderson, Amazon’s patent on the “one-click” purchase expires in 2018, leaving the floodgates open for imitators. “Watch,” she says, “for Instagram to build out a best-in-class ‘tap to buy'” in response. In tepid sign of hope for those of us chronological-ers, she also has hopes of an “algorithm that allows users to see newer posts first.” Fingers crossed. B. Let’s link up – For Joe Bozic, 2018 sees Instagram finally tapping into its “link-traffic potential” by offering clickable links. “Brands,” furthermore, “will finally set themselves free from the prison that is the Instagram bio,” instead allowing links to “live freely in the post copy.” Viva la revolution, and long live freedom. C. Speak, easy – With Instagram fast becoming a major player in “choosing destinations,” Ms. Marquardt sees them introducing a “‘comments and reviews”‘ section to rival TripAdvisor. Awesome. Great. As if we didn’t have enough places for people to spew their darn opinions on everything they eat and do. To sum up, Instagram is going to make it easier for you to go from browsing images of your friends’ daily activities to buying and reviewing goods and services. In response, I’m unfollowing anyone with a Rolex; I don’t need that temptation in my life.
Twitter, or, the official communication service of the White House Short of banning Mr. Trump, Twitter is going to do everything it can to up its game in 2018, or risk falling behind the pack. The expansion to 280 characters, which apparently is seeing great results, is only the beginning. So don’t get too comfortable, ya tweeters, this little birdie’s’ nest is starting to shake. A. Tools of the trade – Look for Twitter to “introduce more native content creation tools,” says Ben Nesvig. In what is perhaps the most obvious, as well as most understated, prediction of the entire report, he goes on to note that this “text-first platform needs to adapt to the visual age…if it hopes to drive revenue,” let alone survive. B. Curing curation – Following “other platforms success in ‘Discovery’-style sections,” Stephanie Steiner sees Twitter improving its “Explore” tab. This includes a possible “top tweet” section based on user-specific categories or topics. It’s the least they can do, in the words of our analyst, to “make it more relevant to users,” especially those with a thirst to explore. C. Value-creation – Due to its’ “recent user growth,” says Fatin Omerabi, an “upward tick” in stock value is likely as advertising revenue expands. How this will effect user experience in uncertain, though a higher stock price is a good sign for anyone afraid Twitter will be bought, or simply disappear.
With all these improvements coming down the pipeline, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to answer the question “Why should I go outside today?” Fact is, as long as your favorite local pizza joint is still delivering, you shouldn’t.
If for some reason you feel like doing my job for me, the full presentation can be found here. via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2Ci8iMv Concerts can be life-changing, tear-provoking, and/or complete chaos. The energy and fandemonium that fills a venue is something that should not go unshared. Unfortunately, shooting concerts is easier said than done, because this field of photography can be extremely challenging and unpredictable. There is no such thing as adjusting the setting’s light or asking the subject you’re highlighting to remain still, nor is there a guarantee that you won’t be bombarded and pushed during their set. But, folks, if there’s a will, there’s a way. We caught up with freelance photographer James Bell otherwise known as Lucent Illusions, to get the lowdown on the best tips and tricks for concert photography. Bell is a 28 year old Brooklynite freelance photographer, who claims to love every moment of his career. He’s been shooting all the greatest funk, dubstep, heavy bass, electronica, hip hop, and jam bands for the last four years and it all started after a member from the funk band Lettuce approached him and asked “what can you bring to the table?”. Bell explained his adoration for photography since high school, only to receive a proposition in return, “do that from now on and grow with us”. This catapulted his photography career, and with it came a sick portfolio of concert photography. We trust his expertise, and decided for the communities’ sake to ask some questions on how he achieves such high-pressure shots. How do you gain access to shoot these shows? – “The best way to go about shooting shows is starting off at local venues. Reach out to publications/promo companies in your area and ask to shoot upcoming events. Everyone loves recap shots for social media.” Best position for you to be in, to get the shot? – “It depends on what your shooting but in my opinion the best shots are always dead center of FOH (Front of House/Soundboard). You’ll be able to get very symmetrical shots of lighting from there.” Flash or no flash, and why? – “I prefer not to use flash when shooting concert photography. I’d rather work with the the light from their set up. It helps capture the emotion the artist is trying to create with light.” What exposure works best? – “That’s a very difficult question… There really isn’t one “magic” exposure setting when shooting concerts. Every location or atmosphere can change your settings easily. With how far stage lighting has come these days it’s a very unstable environment; lights, colors, and shapes are changing in the blink of an eye. However I typically try to stay around 1600-3200 ISO, 125-200 on shutter speed and anywhere from f/4-f/12 on aperture.” How do you capture the perfect candid, considering the subjects are always in motion? – “Capturing those WOW moments at a concert just takes practice and patience. I try and look for different angles and read the artist expressions. Their body language conveys so much, so wait for something that stands out…. Jumping, fist raised, kicking, a solo, or maybe they join the crowd. Since your subject is always in motion make sure you have the shutter speed and aperture higher, this will insure nothing is blurry.” Recommended settings and equipment? – “It’s really hard to know what setting you’ll need, considering each environment is so different. However, refer to my answer on exposure….In regards to gear, it really depends on the shooter and what they’re comfortable with. I shoot a Canon 5d Mark III. The lenses I use are: Canon 70-200mm f/2.8, Canon 24-70mm f/2.8, Canon 17-40mm f/4.0. I see a ton of Sony mirror-camera’s our there now. I go back and forth with wanting/not wanting one.” Bell also told Resource that, “Concert photography has been a eye opening experience. Getting to mix my love of music and capture amazing beautiful moments of time.” For more of Lucent Illusion’s stunning work, check out his Instagram. All images courtesy of James Bell/Lucent Illusions via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230553 http://ift.tt/2DskUQF |
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October 2021
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