How To Create Consistent Photo Edits | Stoke-Ness
January is always a weird mix of excitement and nostalgia.
I’m usually nostalgic for the past year and the holidays that just happened with my family, but at the same time I’m so excited for the upcoming year, my new goals and new plans. Rather than fight it, I’ve learned to let it ride. The nostalgic feeling will fade and the excitement turns into momentum.
In this issue I’ll give a detailed review of the Mavic 2 Pro drone, get into the nitty gritty of consistent editing, share a video that will help with that and more.
Be stoked,
Isaac
New Places
Homer, Alaska
Possibly my favorite small town in the USA, it only has one chain store (Safeway grocery) and under 4,000 residents. While that certainly helps keep it unique, what makes this place special is the setting and the people.
The people here are more welcoming than you would expect from such an isolated spot, seeming to relish in showing newcomers around rather than keeping everything a secret like most beautiful communities in the lower 48. The place has attracted artists, chefs and baristas from all over the world, so after you explore you can find food and drink that satisfies the most refined palate.
Just across Kachemak Bay from massive mountains with glaciers that reach the valley floor, it doesn’t seem like a place that could exist outside a movie set. There is even a little community of houses called Halibut Cove with no roads, only walking paths and piers for boats connecting islands and bays with beautiful houses.
In nearby Tutka Bay, until the 1960’s, the government would give you land if you wanted to build a house. Every waterside cabin is more idyllic than the next.
It’s the perfect blend of rugged unspoiled wilderness, good people and real community. It’s high on my repeat visit list.
See it on Google Maps Here
Gear
DJI Mavic 2 Pro
A few months ago I picked up a Mavic 2 Pro. I’ve been using it non stop since and it’s time to give it a proper review.
Pros:
It’s portable. I bought the “Fly More” kit that comes with 2 batteries, extra propellers, car charger and a small bag for it all. I can fit that bag inside my main camera bag. It’s about 10”x 8”x 6” (about the same size as a bike helmet).
It’s insanely easy to fly. This is why DJI is the only drone manafacturer that people use. It’s intuitive and gives me confidence to fly anywhere. I never think twice about the effort to use it and use it more often because of that.
The video quality is as good as it’s big brother the Phantom 4 Pro. It’s sharp and has the right colors out of the box. It also has a flat profile for those of you who color grade. I’m constantly impressed with the quality of the video, it looks like drones that cost 4x as much.
It’s affordable. I paid just over $1,800 for mine with the DJI Care Refresh (insurance) and Fly More packages. You can get it for $1,500 without those options. Considering a DSLR Camera will set you back $4-5k, this is a steal.
The HyperLapse feature is amazing. I used to make hyperlapses with the Phantom 4 Pro by stitching together hundreds of still photos I shot on a timer and predetermined flight path. It took hours to create a 15 second clip. Now I can just switch it to HyperLapse and let it go. Once it has run the course it creates the video in about 30 seconds and stores it just like another video clip. Amazing.
Cons:
The camera is good, but not quite as good as the Phantom 4 Pro. It has a “phone camera” look to it that needs to be overcome with post editing. The images are a little crispy and lacking the depth as I’d like to see. The still camera colors are also too saturated and contrasty. With no way to change the photo settings, it’s sometimes a battle to readjust in post. I hope they add a software update to fix this.
The “tripod mode” is not stable. It will wander around even if there is no breeze. On the Phantom 4 Pro the tripod mode is rock solid, enough for 5 second exposures at night, not so on the Mavic 2 Pro. Since I often shoot long exposures at blue hour, this feature is sometimes frustrating. It’s hit or miss whether the image will have motion blur. Again, I hope they add a software update to fix this.
The camera doesn’t rotate 90 degrees. For vertical video like I shoot, the Mavic 1 was ideal because it rotated 90 degrees. With the Mavic 2 Pro I lose resolution when I crop in to vertical.
Over all, I’m super impressed with this little drone. It’s the best mix of performance and quality so far, and I have used it way more than I did the Phantom 4 Pro because it’s always with me.
If you decide you want one you can support me by buying one at this link HERE>
Who I'm loving on Instagram
@arturopolena
I’ve just found Arturo’s Instagram through a magazine photo of Alaska bush plane camping. His photos are the real deal, what other’s imitate this guy has taken to a refined art form. He primarily sticks to the Alaska/Bush plane theme and makes me want to move up there and start flying asap.
Give him a follow Here
Music I'm Diggin'
Catch It by Andrew Applepie
Perfect mix of mellow and beat. It’s the Jam for January 1. Start your year off with the right mood.
Give it a spin on Spotify here.
Videos, Movies, and TV
Signature Edits: How To Use the Tone Curve Tool
This video will help you learn to control your edits with a whole new level flexibility. The Tone Curve tool is one of the more confusing yet powerful tools in Lightroom and one that needs a tutorial to itself.
This video will give you all the info you need without much fluff. Watch it to start the New Year out with a brand new skill.
10/10 would recommend.
Watch it here
Reads
Let My People Go Surfing by Yvonne Chouinard
I was recommended this book a few years ago and honestly I judged it by its cover. I don’t usually like books that talk about politics or divisive issues.
I shouldn’t have been concerned. It is an entertaining read about the history of Patagonia apparel and continues into an unconventional way to lead a company in todays world. Since business leadership and being outside are two of my favorite things, I instantly connected to the story.
Give it a read if you love a good rags to riches story with a twist.
If you decide you want to read it you can support me by buying the book at this link HERE
Or Listen for Free with your Library card HERE
Photo/Video Technique
How To Keep A Consistent Edit style.
@bri_sul emailed with a technique question.
Q: I am having a tough time with editing flow. I take pictures at all times of day and weather/lighting significantly changes.
I've bought quite a few amazing presets. And depending on the photo set one or two will look great, but when I put all my photos together from different times of day, locations, etc, they don't flow as well.
How do you edit all of your photos to have the same style?
This is a great question! It’s one of the challenges any photographer faces when they develop the way they want to portray the world as they see it. Here are a few things to consider.
Find your basic settings: I generally keep a few settings the same on my photos because that’s the way I like my photos to look. For example: I lift the blacks on the Tone Curve tool a bit on 90% of my photos. I usually lower the clarity and contrast a touch, maybe bump the shadows a bit. This is what I do, but I recommend you find your way by experimenting. Settings that are always wildly different for me: Exposure and White Balance.
White Balance: This is something I got wrong for years. It’s important that you get the white balance right to your eye. My images usually have a mid to cool tone to them. If you feel like your edit is off try tweaking with your Temp and Tint sliders to get it right. There is a reason that these setting are at the top of the stack in Lightroom. Get these right and the rest of your edit will have a solid foundation.
Edit on White: Use the “L” key on Lightroom to change the entire background to white (if it does change to white you can change this in preferences) Since most of where I post my work has a white background, this helps me see what the edit will look like on it’s final display.
Presets: Presets almost never work the way you hope. It’s not the fault of the creator. Every photo is taken with too many variables to account for in one click. What you can do is deconstruct a preset to see how the creators tweaks the knobs and keep that knowledge for next time. If you like a preset, tweak it until you find out which knob made the effects that you loved most. Then you will have the knowledge to build your own preset.
Patience: It takes years to master how to adjust your edit to keep the look of your style while working with the millions of lighting conditions and colors you will find in the real world. You have patience and develop an eye for how to tweak your image to your taste. That means learning what all the sliders do on an editing program and why they do or don’t look good to you. Skill and Taste, it’s what makes an artist a master. You can do this.
I am headed south via Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona. If you are around and want to meet up I’d love meet you and see your local spots. I am specifically looking for a Northern Cali surfer for a photoshoot. Let me know if you know someone.
Happy New Year and 2019.
Be stoked and have a great month,
Isaac
