Photography only with the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max

I am basically done with carrying around a mirror less or DSLR type camera.  I’m also done editing in Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Lightroom CC and such software.  I can do shoot everything on the iPhone 12 Pro Max and edit everything in Apple Photo and Pixelmator Photo on the iPad Pro.  I can use my Apple Watch Series 6 as a shutter release.  I carry the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and my Apple Watch Series 6 with me everywhere I go.  No more lugging around bulky and expensive cameras.  Why would I do that when I can shoot on the iPhone 12 Pro Max that fits in my pocket.  I can sharpen, colour correct and de-noise all my photos and videos in Apple Photos and enlarge and colour correct them in Pixelmator Photo.   I can get 25MB to 60MB photos out of the original PhotoRaw photos shot on the iPhone 12 Pro Max.  I’ve submitted them to Adobe Stock and most do get accepted.  I say most because some of the photos I have submitted weren’t properly edited.  That’s on me.  My fault.  I’m just waiting on a batch of photos that I reworked.  We’ll see how many of those Weill be accepted.  

A few years ago, I wouldn’t even touch iPhone photos because of the crappy quality. But now.  They’re just as good or better than a shot taken with a DSLR or mirror-less camera.

2021 Apple iPad Pro with the M1 chip, 1TB ssd and 16GB of RAM

So riddle me this.  Why would Apple put the M1 chip with 16GB of RAM into the new 2021 iPad Pro if they weren’t going to put pro apps on the new 2021 Apple iPad Pro?  That’s why I bought the 1TB option with 16GB of RAM.  If and when they do release Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for the iPad Pro later this year, I will be one of the first to buy both products.  I’m not a music guy at all but I think you can use Logic Pro to edit voice overs.  Final Cut Pro is an amazing video editing piece of software that I already own for the 2013 MacBook Pro so I’m used to editing with the software.  Mind you, LumaFusion is just as good, if not better.  I hope some of the plugins are ported over to the iPad Pro for Final Cut Pro.  The Denoise plugin from Neat Video is the only plug in I use.

I will be using the 2021 Apple iPad Pro as my daily driver.  I already use the 2018 iPad Pro as my daily driver.  I’m so used to the iPad OS and most of the apps that I use on a daily basis.  I just can’t wait for iPad OS 15 and some of the pro apps to come out in September.  I think WWDC 2021 in June will be a major stepping stone for the OS and the iPad Pro hardware.

The 2021 12.9” iPad Pro with the M1 chip, 1TB SSD and 16GB of RAM

So I ordered the 2021 M1, 1TB, 16GB of RAM, 12.9” iPad Pro.  And I cannot wait to get my grubby little hands on it in the first week of June.  In retrospect I should have ordered the 2TB version with the cellular option but paying over $3000 with taxes is just plain crazy.  I’m currently using the 2018 iPad Pro with the 12.9” screen and 512GB of ssd hard drive space.  I’ve never really filled up the drive so having the 1TB should be good enough.  I just can’t wait to see how it handles my ~85MB photo files and 4K videos when I edit those in Pixelmator Photo and LumaFusion.  The current iPad Pro is blistering fast.  The 2021 M1 version iPad Pro is supposed to be 50% faster when it comes to the a12X versus the M1 chip and 40% increase in graphics performance.  The internal ssd is supposed to be twice as fast in the 2021 iPad Pro than in the 2020 iPad Pro.  This is going to be a long month while I wait to get the new iPad Pro.  The new magic keyboard is supposed to be here by the end of the week so I’ll be ogling that for a month while I wait for the iPad Pro.  I just can’t wait.

Some weather rolling in

 

Shot these photos off of the balcony on the 9th floor of our building.  We were supposed to get heavy rain and tornadoes but not even a drop of rain.  The sky was rather interesting non the less.  Both shots were shot with the Sony a7RII handheld.  Both will be available for sale on my site soon.

Comet NEOWise

Got this photo last week off my 9th floor balcony looking northwards over Gatineau, Quebec.  Hopefully this Saturday it will be nice and clear so I can go out of town to get a better photo.  I want to go to Moosecreek and get better photos and videos of the comet.  The photos are available for sale on my own website.  It’s also available for sale on my Adobe stock portfolio.  Since this is my only form of income right now, please consider purchasing something from either site.  Thank you and I appreciate it.

My new Sony setup for everything

My new vlogging, footage and photography setup consistes of a Saramonic SmartMic, Sony GPVPT1 Grip trip and the Sony RX100 Mark VII.  I'm in no need of a full frame DSLR or any DSLR camera.  The thing that changed my mind was when I was out in Calgary, Alberta back in 2017.  I was in the mountains carrying three camera bodies with three different lenses.  I also had a camcorder with me.  It was about 30 pounds of equipment on my back. 

About 4 years ago, I had enough Aeroplan loyalty points to get a Sony RX100 Mark II point and shoot camera. It was a great little camera.  I thought I would use it for street photography when I was in the city.  At the time I didn't think it was capable of doing much of anything.  It didn't shoot 4K video.  The photos were really good.  The tech in the camera was good for 2015.  

Fast forward to 2019.  I'm using just the Sony RX100 Mark VII for pretty much everything as far as photography goes.  With the f2.8-4.5 24-200MM lens, I can go and photography anything, anywhere without being noticed.  I've shot fireworks with the Sony RX100 Mark VI at ISO 100 f9 and roughly 24MM aperture.  I don't get any noise in the photos.  They're super sharp and the colour is awesome.  I have to say that it's not as good as Canon's colour science but with a firmware update or two, it will be.

A few years back, I didn't do footage.  Hated it.  Than for poops and giggles I shot some footage of a coyote at Parc Omega and uploaded it to Shutterstock., Pond5 and Storyblocks.  It sold within two weeks on Shutterstock for $120 and I was hooked on shooting footage.  With my recent experience with working for the government, I sense it's futile to try and get any more contracts with the agencies to try and get in with the government.  My past three contracts have been an utter disaster.  From being mismanaged, lied to about my job description, I've pretty much given up on working for the government.

Once Apple iPadOS comes out I can ditch the Windows 10 laptop and just work off the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  Apple hasn't updated it's RAW photo software yet so that I can work on the Sony RX100 Mark VII photos.  You cannot import the footage from the Sony RX100 Mark VII to the iPad Pro.  Can't stand Apple for that.  Apple finally listened to its customers and we'll be able to transfer RAW photos and footage files directly to an external hard drive.  We'll have mouse support as well which is going to be awesome.

I am honestly really sick of working for the government doing the I.T thing.  I'm just not enjoying it.  I'm 43 years old and not living the life I want.  I hate where I live.  By that, I mean the province.  Not the apartment.  I love my girlfriend to bits.  I would rather live the nomadic life doing the photography thing.  You know, shooting landscape and real wild life photos.  I think by this time next year, we'll be out in Calgary doing something completely different.  Or at least I will be.

Can’t wait till mid June

Mid June.  That is when I will start getting some nice pay cheques from work finally.  Till then, I’m still surviving on photography money. Patience is key here.  I want to go do a lot of photography on weekends this summer.  The weather has to co-operate as well.  We’ve only had three nice days in the last fifty two days.  It was either raining, snowing, high winds, cloudy in the last two months or so.

I am so ready for summer.  I’m planning on doing a lot of travel on weekends this summer.  Up to Algonquin Park, down to Sandbanks Provincial Park.  I want to go visit the radio observatory again up in Algonquin.  I want to do a lot this summer.  Thanks God, I got a really nice contract that pays well.  I’ll be able to pay off credit cards and finally enjoy life.  I think it will start the first weekend in June.  Till then, keep the head down and keep on working.

PaperLike for the 2018 Apple iPad Pro 12.9”

I just installed the PaperLike screen protector on my 2018 Apple iPad Pro 12.9” and all I can say is it is simply amazing.  It cuts down on the glare by 90-95% and I cannot see any finger print smigges on the screen.  It even feels different when touching the screen of the iPad Pro.  I don’t see any air bubbles when looking directly head on.  There are a few small ones when looking at the iPad from different angles. I will use my plastic cards to get rid of the air bubbles over time.  Even writing on the iPad Pro using the Apple Pencil 2 feels very realistic when compared to writing on paper.  All in all, it feels nice.