Blog Archives
It’s a Wonderland of Goodness
My friend Melanie’s kids go to this great school called Wonderland, here in Los Angeles. Part of what they do is to give the kids an experience with growing ingredients and making healthy recipes. Why am I droning on? Here’s how it was described to me:
‘Wonderland school is dedicated to providing its students with a quality education. From the Ground Up is the school’s Garden program that informs and teaches students about environmental stewardship and allows them to explore the connectivity of nature’s processes in the garden and the kitchen.’
They’ve filmed some of these tastings before, with parent volunteers, but weren’t sure about this one. Melanie had seen the Lumia devices in action before and contacted me about shooting. Let’s see how that went…
I used both a Lumia 1020 and a Lumia 920. I got a little help from a shotgun microphone plugged in with an XLR to phone adaptor. You will hear that when I used the audio from the phone, that you pick up more of the ambient sound, the children playing.
Here’s the segment on how you can make a citrus salad with freshly harvested rosemary. Be sure to watch in HD.
I can tell you from 1st had experience that this citrus salad is really good. Go ahead and try it at home.
My PureView of Portland
I’d heard the legends of Portland. I’d heard about this “dream of the 90’s” vibe. Actually, I’d only really seen the TV show “Portlandia” on Netflix.
When the opportunity came up to visit Portland, I jumped at it. What did I find out? What did I see? I can tell you that I spent time with a relatively new friend and friend that I’ve known since high school. I traveled from Portland proper to places named Bored, Happy Valley, Damascus and Tigard. Beyond that? Well, you’re going to have to follow along after the break, to find out.
Does Size Matter– In Pro Photography?
I have owned a Lumia 920 for over a year and been using the Lumia 1020 for a couple of months. They both take excellent still photographs and amazing video and in many scenarios, I can see using these devices on professional jobs.
Whereas the image quality is up to par, I think that paying clients have a “gear bias”. Meaning, that they expect big gear and lots of it to justify that they are paying for the shoot. Is the bias real or am I just imaging it?
Let’s delve in and let it be known that I have big equipment and I know how to use big equipment. In no way do I have lens envy. Now that’s out of the way, let’s get going.
My MOvember in PureView
If you’ve been following along, lately I’ve been highlighting my experiences with the Nokia Lumia 1020. I’ve been so enamored with the device that I almost forgot about Movember. Movember is a time that not only gives men the excuse to grow a ‘stache, but it also promotes men’s health awareness as it pertains to different kinds of cancer. That’s a good looking bit of exposure for a good cause, huh? I thought so too.
I had grown my facial hair for a character in another video project and I decided to cut it off except for the moustache. I also documented the whole things with the Lumia. See, I can multi-task, especially when both tasks are filled with insane amounts of goodness. OK, Let’s expose My MOvember!
Home Turf
My mission: To put my #NoExcuses manta to work. Last week, I wrote some mini-short scripts and now I wanted to shoot them. I was having trouble scheduling with anybody to help me, so I picked one that I thought that I could shoot on my own and I just decided to do it today.
It took a good portion of my afternoon, but I like how it turned out. I was able to show off the Nokia Lumia 1020’s HD capability. I was also able to (hopefully) show a bit of the funny that exists in my head. Most of all, I just got something done and that is so important in creating the habit of creating.
OK, let’s jump into it. I’ll give a few tips along the way…
41MP + JDE = Extended Trial of Nokia Lumia 1020
This innocent looking package made its way to my front door today. Don’t let the external packaging fool you; This package contains leading edge technology from Nokia and Microsoft. This package holds the hardware that I will grasp, learn and manipulate in a content creating frenzy over the next few weeks. This package might as well be Christmas paper because this guy (pointing at myself) is as excited as a kid after a visit from Kris Kringle in late December.
Let’s unwrap the goodness!!
Only One Will Shine in the LOW LIGHT
Nokia is running a photo contest of images captured in low-light. I’ve been taking shots like this with my Nokia Lumia 920, but I’m having a hard time choosing which to submit. I decided to stick with the phonetography images that I’ve been posting on my other blog (http://phonetographs.wordpress.com). I’ve pulled three highlights of lowlight and I’d love to hear which one YOU would enter.
Thanks! Now it’s time for more pictures – less words!
Why Windows Phone & Nokia Lumia?
I’m often asked about my phone and what I like about it. Lots of times those questions are from iPhone or Android fans who just want to get into an argument, so I just rattle off a couple of features and let them retort. When someone is really interested or curious, I go out of my way to answer the questions and to say what I like about Windows Phone.
Today I got an email from a woman I know and her contract has been up and she has a pretty old Android device. She said “What do you like about Windows Phone? Sell me, Mr. Daly…”. That was my clue and started to craft an email. I did have some knowledge about her scenario. What she liked about Android was in her words, “that I understand Android”. She’s not a super techie person, so learning curve is a consideration. I also know that she likes taking pictures. SCORE! She’s really into Groupon. SCORE! She does the usual Facebooking, Texting and get this…she talks on the phone! She also asked me about the notification light that is missing in Windows Phone that is part of Android and how would she know what activities she’s missed whilst potentially away from her beloved Nokia Lumia 928 (she’s on Verizon). Finally, she has seen my phone and felt overwhelmed by my Start Screen.
I took all of what I know about her and what I know about Windows Phone, matched them up and I started to jot down some notes in an email and it turned into a Top 10 list, invented for her. This seemed appropriate since Windows Phone was invented for her…and me….and you. What? You don’t remember that ad? Before we get started, let’s get that out of the way:
Now, let’s get into my sales pitch. I’m hoping to welcome another into the WinPham! Let me know if you think I missed something.
Take Control – A JD Rant (with video)
Slogans have meanings, my friends. I can tell you that breakfast CAN be the most important meal of the day, but this is not a blog about nutrition. This is a blog about taking control and motivating yourself to move forward in your career. It’s all about the #NoExcuses mantra and with this video, I’m not just taking about it, I’m being about it!
One of my motivations was my friend Jenna who I know because she runs a group for on-camera hosts on Facebook. Proactive, right? Well, today she took it another step. She was asking for suggestions for a new DSLR camera, so that she could use that tool to take control of her own career. This is in the rant, but if you want to follower her awesomeness on Twitter, I got the hookup for you. Get thee to Twitter and follow @jennatimetweets. Hit her up with some #NoExcuses props…you know, after you finish with this blog! 🙂
My Red Lumia just got an Indigo Upgrade
Apple should take note…Siri-ously.
Tomorrow users of Windows Phone and Android will get a chance to try out a new app that I’ve been playing with for a few days. The company, Artificial Solutions, has been innovating NLI (Natural Language Interaction) for other companies’ sites and gadgets, but now is releasing their own Indigo app. My red Nokia Lumia 920 has been officially upgraded with the presence of this app.
From my testing over the weekend, I’m impressed. Besides the generally accurate voice recognition and picking up cues from natural speech, which are no slouch, they have already implemented a few tricks that make the app stand out. Here are two that I find fascinating:
A DalyDose of...Jeff Daly 