This 10 minute drive doesn’t begin to capture the joy of driving my 1947 CJ 2A on a scorching summer day with the wind in my thinning hair.
Category Archives: YouTube
Hand me the remote
Pocket 3: Vlogging with a Selfie Stick
Pocket 3 Gimbal Settings
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has three main gimbal modes – Follow, Tilt Locked, and FPV. Today I shot a few minutes of video with the gimbal in the tilt-lock mode. The tilt-lock gimbal setting is designed to maintain the camera’s horizontal orientation while allowing for panning movements. This mode is particularly useful for scenarios where you want to keep the horizon level, such as when filming landscapes or during activities that involve lateral movements.
It’s hard to miss the up-and-down motion caused by my walking. The solution to this –according to most of the videos I’ve watched– is the “ninja walk.” A bent-knee, heel-to-toe walk that is supposed to keep the camera level. Don’t think I’m going to be doing that in public.
The follow mode is the default mode and suitable for most shooting scenarios like vlogs and selfies. The pan and tilt axes are unlocked, allowing the camera to follow your movements left/right and up/down. However, the rotation axis is locked, preventing the camera from rotating/twisting around its own axis.
The two minute video below was shot with the gimbal in follow mode but I’m not sure that was the best setting. There are several places where the video is jerky (when compared to what I get with the iPhone). This is very likely operator error.
DJI Osmo Pocket 3: Face tracking and remote mic
In this 3 1/2 minute video I play with face tracking features of the Pocket 3 and the sound quality of the remote microphone.
Face tracking feels like magic. To be able to move around and have the camera follow and keep me in frame creates a lot of possibilities. As far as I can recall, every video I ever recorded was a solo effort which meant the camera had to be stationary and I couldn’t move around. This feature should make for more interesting shots.
As for the remote mic… I’m impressed. I’ll have to figure out the best levels and settings but the quality is as good as anything I’ve ever used. And I’ve used a lot of microphones.
I’m looking forward to recording a uke song with this camera/mic. If I can get good audio from the uke as well as my voice, I can try some stuff. Still lots to learn about the Pocket 3.
Every time I power on this camera I discover some new and useful feature. If you noticed me looking at my iPhone in the video, I was using the DJI app to monitor and control the camera on the other side of the room. Additionally, the tiny remote mic can also control certain settings on the camera. It’s easy to see why this camera is so popular with vloggers.
Final thought: At 76 years of age, close-ups are not kind to me. This is about the right distance.
Temp top for Jeep
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Barb’s Garden (May 2024)
The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has scores of features and hundreds of settings but I’ve been reduced to just capturing a few minutes of straight-on video. (I’m just guessing about the number of features and settings because I’m still discovering new ones every time I turn the camera on)
All of those options allow one (who knows what they’re doing) to create amazing cinematic shots. If you don’t know how to configure and use this camera, it is frustrating. Even with countless how-to videos on YouTube. I’m determined to get comfortable with this camera but I know there will be times when I’m tempted to just grab my iPhone and start recording. Shoot, I haven’t scratched the surface of what the iPhone camera can do. This is probably what it would feel like to take your first flying lesson in an F35.
Two kinds of radio station
Last week the owner of Moberly, Missouri radio stations KWIX and KRES —Alpha Media— laid off all of their on-air staff. (Bob Priddy mourns)
The following is from a post and interview I did in 2007 with Dave Shepherd, the son of the man who put KWIX/KRES on the air.
Fifty years ago, Jerrell Shepherd mastered a form of broadcasting alchemy that turned small town radio lead into gold. It wasn’t much of a secret, however, since he readily shared it with countless radio station owners and managers who made the pilgrimage to Moberly, Missouri, in hopes of bringing some of Shepherd’s sales and programming magic back to their stations.
While most small market broadcasters were content to get “their fair share” of local advertising budgets (the bulk went to the local newspaper), Shepherd’s sales reps were trained to ask for it all and believed in their hearts they deserved it.
Mr. Shepherd’s approach to programming his stations was deceptively simple: report anything and everything that happened in each of the communities covered by his stations’ signals. The KWIX and KRES “Red Rovers” showed up just about every high school football game, junior high choral concert and chamber of commerce ribbon-cutting. And the Shepherd stations put it all on the air. Always with local sponsors. Lots of local sponsors.
The new owner, Alpha Media, owns a lot of radio stations including KBFF Live 95.5 FM in Portland, OR. Last June the station introduced the first AI-powered DJ, “AI Ashley.”
“Alpha Media’s EVP of content Phil Becker assured listeners that Elzinga’s job is safe and she’ll be receiving the same pay, telling TechCrunch that AI Ashley is a tool that will allow DJs to multitask like never before.”
I’d love to know what sort of prompt could result in an AI making a call and interacting with a listener as we heard in the clip above. As the program director of a small town radio station back in the 1970’s I was responsible for hiring and training weekend talent. I might have jumped at the chance to put an AI voice on the air.
Will the KWIX/KRES on-air staff be replaced with AI voices? If so, how will the station’s listeners and advertisers respond?
Target Practice
My friend George and I took our shotguns down into the woods for a little target practice. George is experienced with all type of firearms… I’m a novice. I recently traded my Remington .12 gauge for a Mossberg Shockwave 590 in .410 gauge and this is my first time to shoot the gun. It was a lot of fun. Video runs 3.5 minutes.
I learned a couple of things from today’s practice session. Most importantly, there’s an issue with the new shotgun. Very difficult to rack and jams frequently. It’s on the way back to Mossberg for repair or replacement. Secondly, the Hornady .410 Triple Defense (41 caliber slug + two 35 caliber pellets) has “stopping power” but far too easy for me to miss (in the middle of the night out of a dead sleep in a dark house). I did much better with the 12 pellet BBB Buck Shot ammo.
Osmo Pocket 3: Big Ass Rock
Trying to get the hang of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera. The camera is on a selfie stick about four feet above the deck. I’m using the remote mic which works great. I try to stay out of the videos I shoot because I look older than Keith Richards. I like the distance I get with the Pocket 3 face-tracking. And the audio with the remote mic is exceptional.
At the 3:08 mark I refer to another rock formation on the other side of the house.