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Friends of Joby

A Home Away from Home: JOBY at Galileo Summer Quest

By | Friends of Joby, Gorillapod | No Comments

(JOBY Note: This post was written by Jessica Ellis at Galileo Learning which hosts awesome innovation camps for kids. Check ’em out!)

On a warm summer morning in Palo Alto, twenty middle school students are busy at work planning their set for the world’s next great movie, so they proclaim. They are equipped with Pentax adventure cameras, a sense of determination, a willingness to collaborate and, a JOBY GorillaPod Video tripod. Summer camp is not the typical setting for JOBY users, but these tripods are no less valuable here.

Galileo Summer Quest: GorillaPod Video Positioning

Campers need equipment that is weather resistant and can withstand eight straight weeks of heavy use. Galileo provides over 36,000 weeks of camp to Bay Area kids and providing high quality equipment that enhances the camp experience is a top priority. High quality equipment is important because it enable kids to focus on the art of their idea. Galileo Summer Quest helps campers tap into their natural creativity and empowers them to design and build projects with tools that are often unavailable at home or at school. Their adventure is one of wild imagination and innovation. The JOBY tripod helps budding photographers and videographers push their ideas beyond the confines of a typical class and into the exciting and risk-free environment of an innovation summer camp.

Galileo Summer Quest: GorillaPod Video Notebook

All summer, campers at Galileo Summer Quest’s 14 camps from Tiburon to San Jose have been putting JOBY tripods to the ultimate test of endurance and usability. Galileo Summer Quest offers a wide range of one-week courses in the fields of Digital and Fine Arts, Building and Making and High Technology. This year, JOBY tripods were offered as a compliment to three of these courses: Digital Filmmaking, Digital Photography and Lego Robotics. In Digital Filmmaking, campers use the JOBY GorillaPod Video tripods for shooting a 3-5 minute movie. In Digital Photography, campers use the GorillaPod SLR Zoom tripods with their Nikon SLRs to set up their images for portrait photo shoots and for their Public Service Announcement photographs. In Lego Robotics, campers use the JOBY GorillaPod Hybrid tripods to film their “vlogs” of robot competitions, which they then upload to YouTube to share with parents and friends.

The JOBY tripods replaced the aluminum tripods used in the field last summer. They had been one of the greatest bottlenecks for campers in Digital Filmmaking and Photography. The aluminum tripods continuously broke and were a great frustration to campers who had designed their projects to require tripods for stability in their films and photos. This summer, the tripods have far exceeded expectations. One highlight of the JOBY tripods has been their use in Digital Photography. Campers love the size and versatility of the Zoom tripods. One camper wrapped her tripod around the branch of a tree to get a unique angle and another balanced it on picnic tables for a wide aperture photo shoot.

GorillaPod Video

The JOBY tripods not only have proven rugged enough for constant handling by 11 and 12 year olds, but have also engaged middle-school aged campers with their bendable and magnetic legs. Stored with the magnet side attached to metal file cabinets and hanging from metal binders, the Joby tripods looks very much at home at Galileo summer camps.

Galileo Summer Quest: GorillaPod Video Herd

 

As the summer comes to a close, the tripods will be packed with their cameras and stored away for next year when campers will return, eager to capture their ever-evolving stories. A sense of adventure and openness to new ideas has always been part of the culture at Galileo and now, so is JOBY.

 

 

How to Transform your iPhoneography with *safesolvent

By | Friends of Joby, Gorillamobile, GripTight, iPhone, Photography | No Comments

We sent our new GripTight GorillaPod Magnetic smartphone tripod to a few of our favorite Instagrammers, asked them to give it a whirl and then share their photos and experience here on the blog. First up, JOBY Pro Martin Reisch. Martin has been shooting with a GorillaPod for years and his long distance self-portrait photos have become iconic on Instagram. We’re pretty sure he started an entirely new genre of self-portraiture, and boy are we glad he did! 

Martin Reisch
Montreal, Canada | @safesolvent

What is your favorite thing about shooting with GripTight?  

The GorillaPod essentially removes the “I have to be holding it” part of the photo equation and also adds this “ceilings and fences can be surfaces too” element. It opens up a lot of opportunity for uniqueness in my photography. Usually, I’m putting equal amounts of effort into finding interesting places to shoot and finding a place to put my GorillaPod. Often, I’ll see a potential spot that I can hang or grip my GorillaPod onto and THEN see what it gives through the camera.

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What is your best tip for using GripTight? 

My best tip for using the GorillaPod is that you only need to use two legs to grip, and then you can use the third one to provide stability for your phone by bending it into an angle and having it rest or push off the surface to counter-stabilize your phone.

Joby GripTight Demo from *safe solvent™ on Vimeo.

 

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What are your favorite apps for shooting? For editing?  

I’m a huge fan of Camera+. It’s essentially the first thing I open when I’m shooting and also often the only app I use to edit. I have started to play with the Slow Shutter app for nighttime shooting and I’m very impressed by Photoforge 2 app for masking and heavy duty, complex edits. But for the most part, I like a clean image with a bit of contrast boost and a little cross process filter—both of which can be done in Camera+.

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Joby GripTight Demo 4 from *safe solvent™ on Vimeo.

What is your best advice for folks who are new to self-portraiture?

I often pretend like nobody is around when I’m taking my self-portraits because I know how being self-consciousness affects the final shot. You can tell, even on a small iPhone screen, if someone is not in the moment. Pretend like nobody is looking and you’ll get better self-portrait shots.

 

What inspires you? 

I’m inspired by a combination of the music on my iPhone while I’m wandering around, and the light and architecture of a place. If I’m in a rush, I’ll usually be late because I can’t help but capture things like lens flare from the sun hitting a building and reflecting onto the ground. People have started to comment that “*safe solvent time” is 15-20 minutes behind reality.

 

Get your own GripTight GorillaPod Magnetic here! And be share your #gorillapod photos with us on Instagram or Facebook!

 

Hike Through Te Araroa with Olivier Moly and his GorillaPod

By | Artist Profile, Friends of Joby, Gorillapod, Photography | One Comment

Hankering for a getaway, but stuck at the office? Us too! Thankfully, our friend Olivier Moly is on a grand adventure hiking a 3000 km long trail called Te Araroa in New Zealand and you can follow along! Check out his site Hike Through Te Araroa where he posts updates and beautiful photography for a daily dose of inspiration. 

Here is a little from Olivier about his trip and his favorite tripod the GorillaPod SLR-Zoom.

I’m Olivier. The main idea of my adventure is to cross New Zealand hiking via a long trail called Te Araroa. This path was inaugurated in 2011, so it is the newest long trail in the world. This is a 3000 km trail stretching across New Zealand from the Top North (Cap Reinga) to the bottom South (Bluff). I think it will take me about 4 or 5 months and I started on the 3rd of December.

I started my blog Hike Through Te Araroa to allow people following my trip on the Internet.  I studied photography for three years in France and so this blog will be more a photography documentary than a writing documentary. I brought my GorillaPod SLR-Zoom with Ballhead for the trip because I needed the best tripod and the lightest one. 3000 km is a long way to go!

Here are some snippets from Olivier’s trip so far … 

Good luck Olivier! We cannot wait to see more!

GripTight & FX Photo Studio Pro Giveaway!

By | Contests, Friends of Joby, Gorillapod, Photography | No Comments

We’ve partnered with our friends at FX Photo Studio to bring you an awesome GripTight iPhone Stand giveaway, plus a chance to get the newly updated FX Photo Studio Pro for Mac for FREE!

Here’s how to WIN!

1. Take & edit a photo using FX Photo Studio for iPhone or non-Pro for Mac

2. Email your photo from inside the app to gift@macphun.com

3. Receive your FREE copy of FX Photo Studio Pro & be entered to win 1 of 3 GripTight Stands!

Hurry! Ends 11/23/12!

PLUS, we’ve also got a bonus offer of 50% OFF FX Photo Studio for Mac! 

CineMoco by Cinetics on Kickstarter!

By | Friends of Joby, Gorillapod, Photography, time-lapse photography | No Comments

Our friends at Cinetics are at it again, inventing awesome video gadgets that help you create feature-film style videos without the feature film budget!

The newest in their suite of awesome gear is CineMoco—a motor controlled dolly and slider for video and timelapse photography. They just launched on Kickstarter and have already reached their goal, but trust us, you’ll want to get in on this project.

Check out everything that CineMoco can do in this video.

To join in the fun, pledge to their Kickstarter campaign here. To learn more about the rest of the Cinetics family and how fabulous they pair with GorillaPod Focus and GorillaPod SLR-Zoom, check out CineSkates and CineSquid!

Just launched! miniSkates for GorillaPod SLR Zoom by Cinetics

By | Friends of Joby, Gorillapod, iPhone, Photography | 2 Comments

Our friends at Cinetics —the creators of CineSkates and CineSquid—have launched another great video product! Their miniSkates attach to our GorillaPod SLR Zoom and are designed for compact cameras and camera phones. Check out the new miniSkates in action in this demo video!

 

miniSkates Video Dolly from Cinetics on Vimeo.

miniSkates, a smaller version CineSkates, are a set of wheels that attach to the GorillaPod SLR-Zoom tripod to create a portable and versatile dolly system. miniSkates work with cameras up to 1.5 pounds, which includes compact cameras, smart phones, and point of view cameras like GoPro and Contour.

Justin Jensen, the founder of Cinetics, says that their goal is to get your cinematic ideas in motion. These new products are designed to allow anyone to create high-quality moving video with the cameras that are in their pockets already. We think that is rad!

 

 

 

Galileo Time-Lapse Demo

By | Friends of Joby, iPhone, Photography, time-lapse photography | 2 Comments

A few weeks ago we shared Galileo—the newest brainchild of JOBY Founder JoeBen Bervirt and JOBY Alum Josh Guyot. In case you missed it, Galileo is a revolutionary, iOS-controlled robotic iPhone platform with infinite spherical rotation capability. Just swipe your finger on the screen of your iPad or other iOS device and Galileo reacts, orienting your iPhone or iPod Touch accordingly.

Their Kickstarter Campaign has taken off and they’ve already received five times their funding goal! (Congratulations guys! You rocked it!) Clearly, they’ve hit on a revolutionary new concept that will change and improve photography, cinematography and social networking. This video demonstrates Galileo’s capabilities, showcasing several awesome time-lapse videos.  Enjoy!

Galileo Time-Lapse Demo from Josh Guyot on Vimeo.

To learn more about Galileo visit Motrr. To get your hands on one, fund their Kickstarter Campaign.

Everyday, Up Close with Amanda Jasnowski

By | Artist Profile, Friends of Joby, Philosophy, Photography | One Comment

Ohio-based photographer Amanda Jasnowski shoots an inspiring mixture of film and digital photography. Her work has recently been featured by the Impossible Project and she is a contributor to Fixation Magazine. Also very active on Instagram, we caught up with Amanda to talk about her approach to iPhoneography, her inspirations and her tips for improving how we capture our everyday lives. Thanks Amanda for sharing your thoughts and photographs with us! 

First, tell us a little bit about your photographic journey. Where did you start? Where you are now?

My photographic journey began in high school (freshman year? somewhere around there!) and it began as something curious and tame. I liked the idea of being able to take a pretty photo and share it with others to see. It began as a form of expression, a way to deal with my angsty teenage heart. Although I still use it to express myself on a personal level, it’s grown and evolved into something much bigger now—something that has shaped my life. Now in my journey I feel like for the first time I have a level of work that I am confident in sending to places, showing proudly. I feel like it’s only uphill from here! The most exciting part is that I will continue growing as an artist, that growth is endless. Photography has consumed my life and not long ago I made the decision to stop denying the fact that this is something I want to do with my life. I still have so much to do and learn.

How do you approach your iPhone photography? What are you looking for when you’re composing a shot?  

My iPhone has grown to be my favorite point and shoot camera. It’s funny because I work in a camera shop and had been keeping my eye out for a good point and shoot camera, and although there are some good ones on the market, I realized that at the rate I use my iPhone I get more use out of it than any point and shoot camera I’d purchase. It’s always there, always ready. Not to mention, it fits in my pocket!

When I’m composing a shot, it’s either something already present and fleeting and so I quickly snag my phone to take a photo, or I pause and take a minute to look at what’s around me. I notice the placement of objects, people, the negative space. I notice the colors and the light and the shadows. I tend to see this way all of the time, as if I’m looking through a viewfinder composing an image, which can be frustrating and distracting at times. I’m always looking for interesting details, and how they look altogether as a whole.

What app do you shoot in? How do you edit your iPhone photography?

I shoot with the native camera app most of the time, and I normally edit in Instagram using their filters. Sometimes I use the Photoshop App to fix the brightness or straighten the image. I try to avoid over-editing; I feel it takes away from the pocket-camera-day-to-day aspect of my photography.

Your photographs beautifully capture the small moments that make up our everyday lives. What inspires you?

Everything in every day inspires me! I can’t remember the last time I went a whole day without seeing something or someone that struck me, inspired me. It’s never-ending! I think the honesty in documenting the personal, small moments in your day is one of my biggest inspirations. I enjoy interesting compositions, whether it’s balanced or not, minimalistic or full of negative space. I could go on forever with the things that draw my eye. I have always enjoyed the #fromwhereistand and #drivebyshooting hashtags on Instagram—both provide such interesting perspectives! I think most people overlook the views that are right in front of them so hastags like #fromwhereistand reinforce that there are interesting things all around us, all the time.

What photographers to do look for when you need inspiration or as references for improving your own technique?

It’s so hard to answer this question since there are so many artists out there and we have access to almost unlimited amounts of work. I created a blog to house things that inspire me  that I can share with folks when they ask me what artists inspire me. I draw inspiration from artists creating in all different mediums, not just photography. There is such a range in artists, all with unique perspectives, the inspiration never ends. Plus, there are so many insightful platforms that share the work of so many talented individuals; Booooooom, The Impossible Project’s blog, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr are just a few. However, I can confidently name off Duane Michals, Sally Mann, Vivian Maier and Tim Walker as never ending inspirations and masters. I really admire photographers who shoot large format and practice the collodion process.

If you could give one piece of advice to photographers looking to improve their photography, what would it be?

I think the most valuable advice I’ve found is to shoot often, and to take a minute to stop and notice the details around you. I think everyone can train their eyes to become more observant and then they’ll begin to see things differently—both of my suggestions reflect that belief. I read somewhere that communities like Instagram have helped people shoot more often, and they’ve found themselves observing details like light and shadows like they never had before! That to me is so exciting, knowing that people’s eyes and senses are being awoken, evolving.

To view more of Amanda’s photography visit her website or follow her on Instagram @hokaytokay. And for more frequent updates, outtakes and random tidbits, check out her blog.

 

Tips from a Pro: Iconic iPhone Self-Portraits

By | Friends of Joby, Gorillamobile, Gorillapod, iPhone, Photography | 3 Comments

This month on the JOBY Blog, we’re all about iPhoneography. We think phonography is totally rad—three cheers for creative expression on the go! Plus, nothing beats a lightweight and decent camera that you always have with you.  We put our heads together with some other phone photography experts to bring you tips and tricks, awesome apps, video tutorials, and maybe even a contest or two. Stay tuned!

JOBY Pro Team Member photographer/videographer Martin Reisch (aka *safesolvent) has been a GorillaPod-enthusiast for several years and is one of our biggest fans. Armed with a GorillaMobile for iPhone 4/4s, his unique iPhone self-portraits have become quite iconic. Recently, he was featured on the Instagram Blog and we cannot deny that he’s taking the digital photo world by storm.

Though Martin is Montreal-based, he has been traveling all over the US and Canada on a variety of photo and video projects. We’ve been following his travels on Instagram (@safesolvent) and Twitter and we caught up with him to chat about his unique approach to photography. To take part in iPhone Photo Month here at JOBY, he recorded video tutorials that illustrate how he uses the GorillaMobile for iPhone 4/4s in his iPhoneography.

How has the GorillaPod changed the way you shoot with your iPhone?

The GorillaPod has changed the way I shoot in so many ways it’s hard to really put it into a single context. It’s like the first time you take your camera off automatic mode and realize that you can trick it into exposing for one area and then shooting another. Gorillapod essentially removes the “I have to be holding it” part of the photo equation and yet adds this “ceilings and fences can be surfaces too” element. In fact, most of the time, I’m actually putting equal amounts of effort into finding interesting places to shoot as well as finding a place to put my Gorillapod. I’ll often see a potential spot that I can hang or grip my Gorillapod onto and THEN see what it gives through the camera. For most photographers, it is usually the other way around. It certainly opens up a lot of opportunity for uniqueness in my photography.

What is your best usage tip for the GorillaPod?

It’s maybe not the best tip, but certainly something I’ve learned from using it over the years (wow, it really has been a while I’ve been using em!).I’ve noticed that often you only need two legs to grip, you can use the third one to sort of give the stability by bending it into an angle and having the foot rest/push off to counter-stabilize.

 

 Aside from the GorillaPod, what are your favorite apps or tools for iPhone photography?

Clearly I’m a fan of Instagram, but i don’t consider it a tool because for me it’s more of a platform to share. I’m a huge fan of @taptaptap’s Camera+. It’s essentially the first thing I open when I’m shooting and also often the only app I use to edit. I have started to play with the Slow Shutter app for nighttime shooting and iI’m very impressed by Photoforge 2 app for masking and heavy duty, complex edits. But for the most part, I like a clean image with a bit of contrast boost and a little cross process filter both of which can be done in Camera+.

Your locations are always breathtaking. How do you find the locations for your photography? What location inspires you most?

I’ll be honest, it’s not usually THE location or A location that inspires; it’s really a combination of the music on my iPhone while I’m wandering around, the light and architecture of a place, and whether or not I’m in a rush. Actually, the time factor doesn’t change anything. If i’m in a rush, I’ll USUALLY be late because for some reason that’s always when all the other factors come in to play and just blow me away, like a lensflare from the sun hitting a building and reflecting onto the ground. People have started to comment that “*safe solvent™ time” is 15-20 minutes behind reality.


 I know I get camera-shy when I’m shooting in public places. What is your advice for the aspiring self-portrait photographer?

It’s the same advice I always receive when I tell people I can’t dance … Pretend like nobody is looking and nobody care. Though I still don’t take that advice in regards to dancing, I often pretend like nobody is around when I’m taking my self-portraits because I know how being self-consciousness affects the final shot. You can tell—even on a small iPhone screen—if someone is not in the moment.

We’ve noticed that in most of your portraits, you’re wearing headphones. What are you listening to when you shoot?

I can’t deny how big of a Ghostly  and Moodgadget fan I am. During the last year or two, I’ve been listening to A LOT of their releases and even had the chance to meet and work with a few of them. The best part is they are almost all also on Instagram! I really like including the music that I was listening to while shooting in my photo tag. For me, it’s as important as the GPS / Foursquare check-in data. When people look at my photos, they always ask, “Where the hell was that?”.  And the follow up question is usually, “What were you listening to?”.  Actually. the REAL number one question is,  “Aren’t you worried someone will steal your iPhone/Camera while you shoot those super far away self portraits?” I’ll save that answer for another time!

To view more of Martin’s photo and video work, visit his website. And be sure to follow @safesolvent on Instagram!

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