Moving Ahead through Summer

This summer was a particularly difficult one in which to stay motivated and on track. I am normally very focussed, but the focus got a little hazy this summer.  That said, SO much of this summer was excellent family time.  More at home meals, less travel, and lots of adventure - surfing, kayaking, hiking and lots of stand up paddle boarding - all things we get to do on this wonderful island ... that we always seem to travel away from to vacation.

With no international travel, there was much less focus on career, but I did use the time to "level up" and that levelling up will be used in my career and in my capstone.

One project I put some time into learning was 3-d environments. When I am working commercially, I am always handing off my footage to the 3d department for them to composite.  My step son and I spend some time making a little fan film for him so we could learn a little 3d.  There are only a couple of parts that look like a pro may have been involved, but that said, we learned as we went!  

https://www.facebook.com/photographeralecwatson/videos/10157152292106123/

I also spent some time creating 3-d environments in which to green screen (I worked on this for a couple of clients, with the specific idea of using this technology in my capstone and work future).  

Here is an image of an office set up as a lecture space ... which literally doesn't exist except in the digital realm. To be clear, I licensed an environment (as that is WAY faster than creating) and then redecorated, rearranged, and then lit it for optimal keying into a composite.  As a photographer that shot for Architectural and Design magazines at the outset of my career, the idea that I can place cameras anywhere in a 3d environment, arrange furniture, textures and light as I see fit, is like a strange miracle.

I can't believe it's not butter! Its SO hard to believe this place doesn't exist!

Finally, I finished off the summer working for my wife, Sarah of Healthy Role Models, Autumn launch.  I have always wanted to create a magazine cover that comes to life (like Harry Potter).  One of the reasons for this is that there is very little retouching that can be done with video. We never like the idea that people believe that I am photoshopping Sarah.  Going with video helps this.  Social media algorithms also like video, so that's another bonus.  AND I have never seen it done. So this was the catalyst for the first ever motion cover.  Here is a still frame from the 4k motion version, click the link to see the motion version.

Motion version: https://www.facebook.com/healthyrolemodels/videos/2715190398801504/

It has been a great summer of family and learning.  And I look forward to taking what I have learned into my capstone this Autumn.