Articles from Wouter du Toit

Live-Stream and Switch Between Six Cameras With the Yolobox Pro

I was sent this live production system that doesn’t require anything else to get you streaming six feeds of live camera action to your social video platforms, all at the same time. It’s an encoder, switcher, recorder, and monitor, all in one. You can even insert a SIM card to stream over your mobile network if your destination doesn't have a stable internet connection.

We Review the Nanuk 935 Hard Case

Why would you get a hard case instead of a backpack? This review of the Nanuk 935 Hard Case will make you think differently about how you store and get your gear from point A to point B. There are other hard cases out there, but this one has a lid organizer, which in my opinion, sets it apart. 

Which Is Best, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut?

I subscribe to Premiere Pro and own Final Cut X and Da Vinci Resolve. I’ve been weighing up which one to focus on in order to become a better editor and video professional. I’ve considered the ease of use when editing and exporting, the support and community of each, and the market demand.

Studiobinder's Ultimate Guide to Film Composition and Framing

Instead of getting overwhelmed by the various ways to go about positioning your camera, frame composition, and then deciding what you're trying to say with your shot selection, this video breaks down the various elements that directors and directors of photography use to convey their intent. 

Adobe Premiere Pro Has Some Good New Updates

Adobe is really trying to make editing videos on small screens a more enjoyable process. They've looked at ways to give us more screen real estate. They've combined some tabs and made switching between workspaces much easier. It's even possible to do everything you need to in one workspace, and the workspace can be customized and saved as usual. 

Should Product Photographers Learn 3D Modeling?

Most of the time, when it comes to photography or video of cars, beauty products, cosmetics, and even shoes, it’s made on a computer and not by a photographer. There are several reasons for this, but in this video, Karl Taylor, a renowned product photographer and educator, discusses photography versus 3D CGI and the advantages of each.

3 Different Shoots With Only a Bare Bulb

In this video, Lindsay Adler shows how going back to the basics, with nothing more than her camera, a white backdrop, and a bare bulb flash can make for some great images. 

We Review the Moment Mobile Filmmaker Cage

I have a cage for my iPhone. But I thought about how I could it to rather use MagSafe instead of clamping it in each time I wanted to shoot a video. And now Moment has released the perfect MagSafe-equipped Mobile Filmmaker Cage. They’ve sent one over for me to test, and here are the results.

Adobe Includes Frame.io in Creative Cloud for Free

If you’re entering the video production industry, you’ll be bound to start collaborating with colorists, motion graphics artists, and clients. You’ll also start using cloud-based uploading for review. You’ll be happy to know Frame.io is now included to use in Adobe Creative Cloud, so if you’re a Premiere Pro user, you’re getting a great workflow enhancer for free.

Are Photos Supposed to Show Reality?

In this video, MIT Associate Professor Ramesh Raskar says that photo-realism is dead. They're discussing machine learning and technologies working to give us evenly exposed night-time images on our mobile phones. If these technologies are not available in professional cameras today, will they ever be, and would you want them as a professional photographer? 

Why I Chose the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

It’s not just the price, which is considerably lower than any other camera in the market that gives the same quality. It's a camera like no other, and its digital film footage is pure eye-candy every single time I get into the editing booth.

What Can Photographers Learn From Why People Go To The Cinema?

Have you ever heard someone say: "you have to watch it at the cinema"? This is usually when it's a movie loaded with action, special effects, and sound design that captures your imagination. Is this all that gets the cinemas to sell seats? If your answer is yes, this video might make you consider your opinion. 

Check Out These In-Depth Blackmagic Tutorials

DaVinci Resolve is free to download and use as an NLE. They’ve uploaded tutorial videos in the past, but in the last few weeks, they’ve uploaded in-depth tutorials that make it much easier to understand what you’re doing when you start changing the parameters of a clip’s color. Here are the color-grading tutorial videos.

Fstoppers Reviews the Tourbox Elite

It’s a device that can get your hands off the keyboard and mouse. It switches between every application automatically and has presets that you can modify to set you up exactly for how you use your software.

What I Did Coaching My First Photography Workshop

It was a one-on-one with a paying client. I got to know her a bit better over the phone. This was important so I could plan the session and give her what I thought she'd find value from. We met up in Paris in a neighborhood neither of us knew very well. 

I Brought a vivo X70 Pro+ to a Photoshoot, Check Out the Surprising Results

Have you ever considered using a phone for a professional project? I hadn’t but I was pleasantly surprised by what the vivo X70 Pro+ phone was capable of. Sure, it has all the technical specs with an imaging system co-engineered with ZEISS and their color correction technology built-in, but what was it like to shoot with?

Sam Newton Shares His Four Tips to Film Maker Success

Sam Newton made a big impact in the YouTube community when he filmed a music video about how he'll be the next Peter McKinnon. He dropped a lot of names, and since all the big YouTubers watched it, he got mentioned by most of them and therefore got a large following on the platform. This is how he started and his advice for the long game in making films. 

Simon Says Squid Game's Strategy Is the Future

How did Squid Game save Netflix? With a global launch on the same date with translations in over 130 languages. How can you adopt this strategy? Let’s look at Simon Says, an online transcription service that surprised me in a good way.

How to Create a 3D Scan Effect In Premiere Pro

I've been looking for ways to get the outline, scan effect for product videos, and this video was the easiest and best out there. If you can put your product on a rotating turntable, shoot it with a green screen and open up Premiere, you're good to go. 

Expect Better Auto-Tone Color Correction in Premiere Pro

Color plays a vital role in photography and video. I would say it gives the work soul. Premiere Pro is constantly updating their NLE, and although their color correction tools were good, it's getting even better soon. Lumetri is becoming intelligent.

It's Not Just About the Images You Make

If you’re thinking about going into photography full time and make a profession out of it, it might be worthwhile considering the skills other than getting a good photograph. Let’s discuss the somewhat soft skills required.

How to Make a Product Video Shot on a Tripod More Dynamic

Daniel Schiffer is an editing master. In this video, he walks us through his editing to make a video shot completely on a tripod more dynamic. He does this by adding movement, scaling the video using keyframes, masking, and then ultimately adding some effects to complete the video. 

Who is the Nikon Z fc For?

With the kit lens, this looks like Nikon is trying to do what Fujifilm did with their X cameras. Making things look vintage might be the opinion, but perhaps that is what a camera is supposed to be like. Not all the images are as sharp as what's possible today with the eye- or face-tracking technology we have, but perhaps that's the point: to enjoy shooting. 

Why Are Hasselblad Cameras So Expensive?

It's the camera manufacturer that documented the moon landing. Its build quality and design are one thing, but the images it takes with its Sony sensor and lenses are truly one of a kind. In this video, Business Insider breaks down why it's so expensive, and gives a rough estimate of how many they sell each year. 

Why It's a Big Deal That Adobe Is Acquiring Frame.io

Frame.io, a leader in building software for collaboration, client review and sign-off, and cloud-based workflows in moving image productions, is being acquired by Adobe for $1.275 billion. Why is this such a big deal?

Apple's ‘Misunderstood’ iPhone Child-Protection Features Gets Explained

We recently learned that Apple might be analyzing the images we upload to the iCloud servers. Now the fact is, that they have implemented a checking mechanism, but in this video, Apple’s Software Chief, Craig Federighi, explains what is happening to your images when you use iCloud Libraries. 

Are You Missing Out by Staying With Photoshop CS6?

When comparing the two, Photoshop CC and CS6, it's clear that the CS6 users don't want to upgrade because of the rental business model Adobe enforces. But, what are the actual advantages, and, is it possible to be more productive and make more money when you deliver more work because it's easier to do? 

Speech to Text in Premiere Pro Is Here

It's a massive time-saver if you don't have to write out text, get it into your video project, align it correctly, and make corrections. It's now automatic in Premiere Pro, and it's something that puts Adobe ahead of Final Cut and Da Vinci Resolve. 

Are We in the Post-Photography Era?

When I look at product photography and video in the fashion and beauty product industry, many of the shots are now computer-generated. It might be at a steep cost initially to get the team to create the products in 3D space, but once that’s done, the product can be used in any scene you need for the client. Are we beyond photography?