Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Pro Prompter HDi for iPad

So, we're sitting around the office, trying to justify purchasing Apple's latest gadget (iPad).

And almost like a sign from Steve Jobs himself, a B&H newsletter arrives hailing a new piece of hardware that almost makes the iPad purchase a done deal.

We're talking about Pro Prompter's HDi for the iPad.

In B&H's NAB Roundup newsletter, Ron Seifried introduces the HDi, a system that converts the iPad into a teleprompter:

The Pro Prompter HDi designed a secure support system made of aircraft aluminum that attaches the iPad to the base and the whole configuration attaches to the camera.

According to the Pro Propter peoples, here's what they have to say about their new toy:

Our award winning ProPrompter HD now holds the revolutionary iPad, safe and secure, goes anywhere your camera and iPad go and comes in a custom military grade case. We created mobile teleprompting in 2002 and were the first to create a professional teleprompting App for the iPhone/iPod touch along with hardware released at NAB 2009. Now our App has had 4 free updates, became an App store staff favorite and then we introduced the first remote control feature in a teleprompting app. The NEW ProPrompter HDi is the ultimate mobile teleprompter.

When paired with the iPhone or iTouch app, which acts as the control mechanism for the prompting software, the iPad morphs into a handy field teleprompting machine.
The system (via B&H) costs $894. Factor in the cost of the iPad ($499, $599, $699 for the Wi-Fi models) and you're looking at a teleprompter system that could run you (tops) $1,600.

That's a far cry from the Autocue series that run anywhere from $4,000-$6,000. And that doesn't include software costs, cabling, or control mechanisms.

In today's glorious economy, that's a price most small studios can't afford.

And it's just one more reason to get the iPad.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Helen and Bruce's Wedding

April 24th, second wedding of the season and we've decided we're having way too much fun filming/photogin'/watching people celebrate their marriages.
Helen and Bruce's wedding was no exception; we got to document one of the most touching and hysterical ceremonies this past weekend.

After the two took out their reading glasses, they read to each other their vows, which they had written themselves.

Helen and Bruce are such a sweet couple, and were surrounding by some amazing family and friends.

We met Helen and Bruce through our favorite Charity Car Club; the Neighborhood Cruisers. A bunch of the Cruisers were in attendance and one even sang a Sinatra tune to Helen and Bruce.

Best line of the night (when our singer was a bit ahead of the track) "Come on Frankie, pick up the pace, will ya!"

Friday, April 23, 2010

Cool Apps for the Photoworld

This may sound silly, but some of the best resources for aspiring photographers can be found in the "_______ for Dummies" series.

Whether you're a novice looking for the on switch, or a professional looking to quickly dissect the new camera you purchased, the "DSLR For Dummies" is a handy tool to have on your nightstand.

But out in the field, you're not going to be carrying around a clunky book, right? Well, as they like to say at Apple; "There's an app for that!".

Introducing the Digital SLR Photography Toolkit for Dummies. For only $0.99, you can download the app to your iPhone or iTouch and have a quick reference guide at your fingertips.

One of the coolest features in the app, is the Settings Finder. This asks you to pick the scenario you find yourself in (lets say you're trying to take a photo of the moon) and suggests what ISO, aperture, and shutter speed to use.

Astrophotography - Moonscapes - Night
Recommended Settings:
ISO: 100
Aperture: f/11
Shutter Speed: 1/125s

The app also comes with a shoot diary, which lets you record notes about the photos you're taking and a set of checklists of gear to pack, depending on what type of shoot you're going on (Wedding? Don't forget to pack a zoom lens for the ceremony. Landscapes? Make sure you bring your polarizing lens filter).

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Stormin' 30 Rock

April 20, 2010

Big day for the March of Dimes today; about sixty volunteers headed down to the NBC Today Show to promote the upcoming nationwide fundraiser known as March for Babies.

One of the families got a chance to speak with Al Roker and let everyone in America know that if you sign up for the walk, you're doing your best to give every baby a healthy start to life.

Never being one to be in front of the camera, I took my trusty little Sony EX-3 Camera down to 30 Rock (that's me on the right, with the white hat and $8,000+ camera).

If you're interested, you can see more of the post here. And if you clicked on the link, you probably noticed that there's a photo on the page.

That photo, came courtesy of the Sony EX-3 High Definition Camera. I was able to generate a still image from the video we shot. In years past, when we tried doing that with the old Panasonic DVX, it came out looking all crappy and pixilatededed.

That's the technical term.

Pixilatededed.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Michelle and James' Wedding

April 10th kicked off the 2010 Wedding Season with a bang! We traveled down to Hamilton Square, NJ to film Michelle and James' tying of the knot, and couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

Michelle and James booked the "Triple Play Package" which consisted of Photographer Nick Carter, Entertainment by "The DJ Company" and video filmed by none other than your favorite "Little Guy Productions".

Highlights of the day included a priest that seemed to have a second career in stand up comedy, a trip to one of the most beautiful spots to take post-wedding photos, and a "most awesome" reception, thanks to DJ Ryan from the DJ Company.

Here are a couple of photos from Michelle and James' wedding:




























 
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