Category

Hacks

How to Create a Levitation Video by #JOBYAmbassadors Leamotion

By | DIY, Gorillapod, How To, JOBY Ambassadors, Tutorial, YouTube | No Comments

Have you always wanted to make something levitate? Through the magic of After Effects, #JOBYAmbassadors Leamotion and her GorillaPod brings you an in-depth tutorial on how to create video magic in a few simple steps.

Follow Leamotion on all her channels.

Instagram

Youtube

JOBY Halloween

Behind the scenes: JOBY Halloween

By | Hacks, Uncategorized | No Comments

Go behind the scenes of the JOBY Halloween shoot

For Halloween, we wanted to do something. Actually, we’re always looking to do something fun and creative with photography. So our Halloween social image (seen below) quickly became a full-on project for the kid in all of us.

JOBY Halloween

First we nailed down the concept and then set off to accomplish it. This meant some very awkward stares as we shoveled up two buckets of sand from the volleyball court outside our offices. We’ll put it back 🙂 Then we set off to scavenge a few tree limbs and other items down by the river for the pieces of our landscape. Next, after some office debate and testing, we settled on the perfect faces for the pumpkins. All that was left was to make a few props and stage it all – which took about three hours.

Now for the photo. I knew lighting was going to be what made the shot, and that I was going to have to experiment a bit. I took one light from our Profoto B1 Location Kit and placed a red gel with rubber bands over it. I then placed it behind our scene as it would be the glowing moon in our shot. At first I thought I would need it to flash with the other Profoto studio lights. This sort of worked, but it didn’t produce the look I was going for. It just didn’t look like the moon was lighting the image.

After a lot of trial and error, I ended up with the following for the shot. I put the Profoto studio light with the gel on modeling mode with it set to the max. I then used two additional studio lights as flashes. One to the left low down at about 10%, and the second up high looking down on the right at about 15%. Then I set the camera (Canon 5Dmk3 with Canon 85mm f/1.2) for a long exposure. It was between 3-5 sec for the final shot. The flashes in the front provided just a hint of foreground light while. This allowed the light with the red gel to become the main light and produced some really creepy shadows.

Finally we brought it into Photoshop and then we just needed to remove the fishing line that we used to prop up everything. We added a bit of black vignetting, but mostly, about 95% was achieved in camera.

JOBY Labs

JOBY Labs | Steel Wool Photography

By | JOBY Labs, Photography | No Comments

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JOBY Labs | Episode 1 | Steel Wool Photography

We are constantly inspired by our JOBY advocates on Instagram and after seeing some really amazing Steel Wool photos, like the ones below from @thebumonboard and @monodelespacio we decided to give it a go ourselves.

And so was born JOBY Labs. It’s a new video series where we tackle photography and video trends and explore the fun side of Photo & Video. Follow along as we learn, have fun, and get a bit crazy with our cameras.

JOBYLabs-Advocates

 

JOBY Labs | Episode 1 | Steel Wool Photography

In this episode we see what it takes to burn steel wool, check out camera settings, and then kick it up a notch. How often do you see a 2ft. ball of steel wool on fire, much less throw a bunch of sparks at a firefighter?! And that’s not even the half of what we experienced. Be sure to watch the video for this and so much more!

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Canon 5D mkIII | 16-35mm | f/2.8 | f220 | 8 second exposure | ISO 100

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Canon 5D mkIII | 16-35mm | f/2.8 | f220 | 20 second exposure | ISO 100

Watch the full video on our YouTube page now!

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JOBY GripTight Mount Sizing Guide

GripTight Fitment Guide – Which GripTight do I need?

By | GripTight, How To, iPhone, Uncategorized

The following guide below is designed to answer most GripTight sizing questions you may have. With or without a case, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or Android, we have the right GripTight Mount for your smartphone.

Available in two sizes. Regular or XL

JOBY GripTight Mount Sizing Guide

GripTight Mount for smaller smartphones (Regular)
Adjustable grip fits smartphones between 2.1-2.8 in | 54-72mm wide.

GripTight Mount for larger smartphones (XL)
Adjustable grip fits smartphones between 2.7-3.9 in | 69-99mm wide.

 

Apple Smartphones 4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6, 6 Plus Mount Guide

Apple Smartphones

From the iPhone 4 to the 6 Plus we have a GripTight Mount for your current Apple smartphone of choice. The images in the guide below will help you choose which size GripTight is right for you.

GripTight Mount size guide for the Apple 4, Apple 4s, Apple 5, Apple 5s

iPhone 4 –GripTight Regular recommended (with or without case)
iPhone 4s – GripTight Regular recommended (with or without case)
iPhone 5 – GripTight Regular recommended (with or without case)
iPhone 5c –GripTight Regular recommended (with or without case)
iPhone 5s – GripTight Regular recommended (with or without case)


iPhone 6 with GripTight Regular and GripTight XL with iPhone 6 Plus side by side.

iPhone 6 – GripTight Regular recommended without a case.
Have a case? See additional images below
NOTE: GripTight XL will work, see images below.

iPhone 6 Plus – GripTight XL recommended without a case.
Have a case? See additional images below


iPhone 6 with GripTight Regular

JOBY GripTight Regular the perfect smartphone mount for the iPhone 6.


iPhone 6 with GripTight XL

While the JOBY GripTight XL will work for the for the iPhone 6 without a case the Regular size is recommended for a tighter grip.


 

iPhone 6 in OtterBox Defender case with GripTight Regular

The OtterBox Defender case is massive and is the largest case we could find for the iPhone 6. The GripTight Regular fits but just barely at it’s maximum opening width. Your case probably isn’t this large. With a case we would recommend the Regular size for the iPhone 6. NOTE: If you do have the OtterBox Defender case you should use the GripTight XL.


 

iPhone 6 Plus in OtterBox Defender case with GripTight Mount XL

The JOBY GripTight XL if perfect for the iPhone 6 Plus with or without a case. It even fits easily with the massive OtterBox defender case.

 

Android Smartphone GripTight Mount guide. Nexus, Motorola, LG, HTC, Samsung

 ANDROID Smartphones

On the Android side there are a few more options of smartphones to choose from, yeah! We have a few sizing examples of the current leading Android mobile phones (as of 2/15).

Moto X 2nd Gen with GripTight Mount Regular compared to Moto-X 2nd Gen with GripTight Mount XL

The Moto-X 2nd Gen is 2.85in | 72.4mm wide. Fitting both the GripTight Regular and XL fit. If you have a case or not will depend on which is best for you. See the images below.


 

The GripTight XL the prefect smartphone mount for the Moto X 2nd Gen.

Recommended – The GripTight XL fits the Moto X 2nd Gen with plenty of space between the jaws. Perfect for use with or without a case.


 

Moto-X 2nd gen with JOBY GripTight Mount Regular

Possibly Recommended? – The GripTight Regular fits the Moto X 2nd Gen with a small amount of space to spare between the jaws. This is preferred by some of our JOBY staff as it provides a very snug fit. Only recommended without a case.


 

GripTight Mount guide for the Samsung Galaxy S5

The Galaxy S5 is 2.85in | 72.5mm wide. The GripTight XL is recommended and has plenty of room for most cases.

The Galaxy S4 is 2.75in | 69.8mm wide.
Without a case we recommend the GripTight Regular.
With a case we recommend the GripTight XL.


 

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Note 4 GripTight Mount sizing guide.

Galaxy Note 3 is 3.12in | 79.2mm wide. The GripTight XL fits the Note 3 & 4 perfectly and has plenty of room for most cases.

The Galaxy Note 4 is 3.09in | 78.6mm wide. Use the GripTight XL

 


Basic Rule of Thumb:

Smartphones without a case:
Under 2.8in | 72mm wide use the GripTight Regular.
Over 2.8in | 72mm wide use the GripTight XL.

Smartphones with a case:
iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s with a case use the GripTight Regular.
iPhone 6, 6 Plus and similar size Android smartphones with a case use the GripTight XL.

 

Don’t see your phone? Still have a question?

First see if a phone above is a similar size to yours and follow the guide for that phone. If you still have questions email us at community@joby.com and we’d be happy to help.

 

 

 

 

How to Take Slow Shutter Photos of Water with Chris Burkard

By | How To | No Comments

Chris Burkard is a California-based travel and surf photographer. As a staff  photographer for Surfer Magazine, he spends a lot of time taking photos in and around the water. After just a few minutes of looking at Chris’ work, you can tell that his love for the ocean runs deep. Today, Chris shares one of his favorite ways to take photos of water. Be sure to follow him on Instagram to see some incredible shots from all over the world! Thanks for sharing Chris! 

Exposing Water by Chris Burkard

Tripods can be cumbersome and tough to lug on trips.  Or they can be small and awesome like Joby.  I have attached my Joby tripods onto boats in Alaska, atop a military vehicle in Russia, at the base of the waterfalls in Iceland, and used in many places in between.  The tripod is great for run and gun shooting when you want to stay light and mobile. One of my favorite applications of the Joby tripods are around water when I am looking to shoot slow shutter speeds.

Shooting around water gives you a lot of creative options.  You can freeze the action of the water with a high shutter speed resulting in great detail making every water droplet sharp.  Aiming for the opposite, using a shutter speed 1/25 or lower, results in an image that has a milky blurred water trail. To me it’s a bit more dreamlike.  It’s also a great way to convey the movement involved in a setting like a waterfall.  I’d recommend placing the GorillaPod at a low angle to convey the magnitude of the waterfalls and landscape.  I’d also recommend shooting either early in the morning or around sunset for light that isn’t as harsh.  This image is taken about a half hour after sunset. I used a wide lens and an exposure of 6 seconds.  I also used a lamp to cast some interesting light on the subject.

2013, ICELAND, LAND ROVER, ERIC SODERQUIST, MIKEY DETEMPLE,

You can apply this same technique to rivers and the ocean.  In this river shot, the long exposure showcases the flow of the water.  The river is true to its mood with the mossy rocks still as the water moves around them.  I shot this with a wide lens and an aperture of f13 to keep the background in focus as well.  This helps to showcase the entire scene rather than just the river.  The exposure was 2 seconds.

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This image of the shoreline looking out across the ocean is shot at a lower angle, giving a dramatic sense of scale bringing you closer to the water.  With long exposures you often can shoot well after the sun goes down.  Often times water moving around objects will make for a more interesting image.  The exposure was 30 seconds.

2013, ICELAND, LAND ROVER, ERIC SODERQUIST, MIKEY DETEMPLE,

On all the shots I try to keep my ISO low, under 200 and adjust my exposure depending on the water movement.  Have fun trying your hand at photographing water in your area and on your travels.

2013, ICELAND, LAND ROVER, ERIC SODERQUIST, MIKEY DETEMPLE,

Better Lighting Setups for Action Sports Photography

By | Camera Straps, Gorillapod, How To, Photography | No Comments

Photographer John Rathwell is an action sports photographer based in Ontario, Canada. Long hikes, wild weather conditions and tight set ups are all in a days work for John. We caught up with him to chat about how he uses his GorillaPod SLR-Zoom and  GorillaPod Focus on a typical shoot. 

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Three-fingered Assistants

With more and more photographers working alone these days, and lighting as a key aspect of professional photography, it becomes clear that you need to have your lighting systems down.

To give you a little background on myself, I am the owner and photographer for John Rathwell Photography. I shoot action sports for commercial and editorial use. Lighting is key and is what sets me apart from a lot of action sports shooters. I often have to hike into areas and work in non-ideal weather. Keeping my gear to a minimum in size and weight is key for me. It must also be rugged and stand up to a lot of abuse as well as be quick and easy to work with.

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I decided I would give GorillaPods a try, and in a way you wouldn’t think. Light stands have always been one of the most frustrating things to me. They are bulky, heavy and always fall over in windy conditions. Plus hiking in with sand bags just isn’t fun.

I use a GorillaPod SLR-Zoom with a Lastolite Triflash bracket and 1/4-20 adapter. These work great for holding my secondary lights or anytime you need one direct flash. Quick and secure setup and they go low on the ground or high in a tree branch in seconds.

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When I need more power, I turn to my GorillaPod Focus. I have had up to 5 lights on it in heavy wind and it held fine! I have also used it with a softbox and umbrella and no issues at all. I never had to worry about it blowing over like a light stand!

I have started considering the GorillaPod SLR-Zoom and Focus my new 3-fingered assistants. They are flexible  small, lightweight and strong. If you shoot anything outside and are into lighting they are worth a try!

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I’ve also been using the UltraFit Sling Strap. I have used sling straps for years. Any sling strap is better then the traditional neck strap, but the Joby strap is the best one I have ever used. The issue with most sling straps is that when the camera is hanging at the right level at your hip and your bring it to your eye, especially when shooting a vertical shot, the strap is never long enough. So you lengthen it. Then it hangs way to low when you put it down. The Joby designers must have known this and were truly innovative in the design. The strap automatically looses when lifted and can tighten back up instead of just hanging at your hip. Perfect for shooting in tricky locations.

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This shot uses 2 main light sources. The main light sits camera right and is mounted to a tree using a Focus. There are 3 flashes attached to a tri-bracket and a softbox on it. On camera left there is a bare flash held up by an SLR-Zoom on the ground.

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This shot used almost the same setup as the mountain bike shot but both GorillaPodsPods are attached to a chain link fence and both are high above the subject.

Check out more of John’s awesome work on his website or see a video of him in action here

Thanks John for sharing your awesome lighting tips! Need to squeeze a flash into a tight spot or tired of carrying heavy sandbags and light stands all over the great outdoors, check out our GorillaPod SLR-Zoom or GorillaPod Focus

How to GorillaTorch Flare for Photo & Video Lighting at Night

By | Artist Profile, Gorillatorch, How To, Photography | 4 Comments

Oakland-based photographer/videographer/rock climber Austin Zimmerman used our GorillaTorch Flare 125 to light an awesome video of his recent trip to Yosemite. The great part about using a GorillaTorch on a camping trip? It also doubles as a photo and video light in case you decide to film your friends climbing at night!  

High Adventure Weekend from Austin Z on Vimeo.

We caught up with Austin after his trip to hear what he thought of GorillaTorch Flare and also get some tips for how to use GorillaTorch Flare to light your nighttime photos and videos. 

Tell us about your project. 

This short film was shot with a Canon DSLR and a Joby GorillaTorch Flare 125 during a weekend trip to Yosemite. A few days before our trip, a member of the Joby crew brought a box of Joby torch lights to the climbing gym where I work. We hooked up a few lucky members at our gym with a Joby light, but a co-worker and I decided we had to take one with us to Yosemite for some “field testing”.

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Tell us about your experience using the Joby GorillaTorch Flare 125.

I was blown away by the quality of light the Joby put out. The Flare 125 provided a crisp, clean beacon of light which really illuminated every detail of the boulder. Everything from the curvature of the rock all the way down to the obsidian crystals inside the granite. I have used external lighting to capture rock climbing footage at night before, but on this trip I decided to leave the bulky L.E.D. panel at home, with no regrets.

 

Tips for using the Joby as external lighting?

Much like uplighting or downlighting in home landscaping, having a powerful concentrated beam of light allows you to pick out the natural features you would like to highlight. The Joby is perfect for filming boulders at night because of the way it accentuates the beautifully sculpted prows and ledges. Those are the types of features that really lend themselves to the camera. The trick is not to point the light straight at the rock, but to pick an angle which highlights those features.

 

Favorite attribute of the Flare 125?

This light is efficient to the max. After three long nights of climbing and gathering footage, the batteries hardly seemed fazed. Even the batteries in our headlamps, which produce less light, had to be swapped at least once each.

 

Best part about filming rock climbing?

A boulder problem is like an intricate and delicate puzzle. I really enjoy that moment of discovery when you unlock the sequence of movement that allows you to ascend a line edges in a rock face. I gain a lot of inspiration from that moment when you see someone transcend mental barriers. For me it is really motivating to watch a film that captures those moments.

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Tips for people new to filming climbers?

Shoot at every chance you get! Even when your friends burn you for it!

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Going camping this summer and need some versatile flashlights? Check out our GorillaTorch line, especially our GorillaTorch Switchback – a handy two in one flashlight that converts from lantern to headlamp! 

How Photog Jordana Wright uses her GripTight Phone Tripod

By | Gorillamobile, Gorillapod, GripTight, How To, iPhone, Photography | No Comments

We sent our new GripTight phone tripod to a few of our favorite photographers, asked them to give it a whirl and then share their photos and experience here on the blog.  Jordana Wright is a photographer and teacher based in Chicago, Illinois. We first met Jordana when she embarked on a photography trip across the entire USA by train, taking photos, meeting people and teaching along the way.  Thanks Jordana for sharing your experience and photos! 

Jordana Wright
Chicago, Illinois | @jordanawright on Instagram
What is your favorite thing about the GripTight?  

The GripTight is super helpful, wonderfully compact, and totally versatile. I can really punch up my mobile photography by positioning my phone literally anywhere. Google hangouts and video chats are so much easier to do on-the-go, now that they can be TOTALLY hands free. When I’m shooting with my DSLR, the GripTight lets me pull up a shot list or other important information that I can easily display without fumbling with my phone.

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What is your best tip for getting great photos from a smartphone? 

My best tip is that it’s not always about the app! The angle, lighting, and subject matter can make or break a cellphone photo—just like every other type of photography. Play around because you never know what sorts of AWESOME you may capture. One of my favorite tricks is putting a piece of colored gel in front of my phone’s camera for a moody, colorized photo.

What are your favorite apps?  

My favorite apps are Instagram and Pudding Camera. Sometimes I shoot in one camera app, then open the photo and process it with another. In airplane mode, you can process photos through Instagram as many times as you want to get a unique look.

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Have you found any alternative uses for your GripTight?

I’ve used the GripTight to keep my phone safe and in sight on my desk and on the kitchen counter. It makes my cell phone into a lovely bedside alarm clock, and it even came in handy for my husband who works in theatre. He borrowed it to more easily film actors auditioning for a show. In a pinch, you can even use your cellphone (when the screen is dark) to touch up your hair or make-up. The GripTight lets you angle it however you may need!

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Can you tell us about a time the GripTight really saved the day? 

I was driving using Google Maps on my phone, and the phone kept falling over in the car. At a red light, I realized I could use the GripTight Micro Stand to keep the phone exactly where I needed it on the dashboard for easier navigation. Fewer fumbles + knowing where I’m going = the happiest photographer.

 

How to Scout in Crowded Cities, plus UltraFit Sling Strap Review!

By | Camera Straps, How To, Photography | No Comments

Professional travel photographer Elia Locardi shares how he scouts and shoots in busy European Cities with his favorite gear configurations, including the new UltraFit Sling Strap! Learn how to scout and shoot in very crowded cities, plus check out a great review of our new strap and enjoy some awesome photography of Venice from Elia on his website Blame the Monkey!

Questions about our camera straps? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.

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