A handy tool for journalists: Stabilize your shaky smartphone videos with Google’s photo app

Screen Grab of Google Video

Google quietly unveiled a new video stabilization feature in its Google Photos app a few months ago and it’s amazing. I discovered the usefulness of this feature when I edited video clips of our epic annual family road trip to Colorado. In between time-lapse videos of the drive, I added highlights of the main stops …

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Review: Why my trusty Sigma 17-70mm lens is always on my camera

Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Lens for Canon Mount Digital SLR Cameras

The world of camera lenses is an expensive, daunting place. So I thought I’d blog about a gem of a lens called the Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM that’s served me well. I know the name is a mouthful. Translated into the way normal people speak, it means this is a versatile lens …

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Review of the SteadyTracker UltraLite and tips from company owner Rene Kropf

The SteadyTracker UltraLite doesn't rely on a gimbal

I have kids. Which means I own a video camera. Which means I chase my kids around with my video camera, trying to catch them in action. And the footage always looks shaky and horrible. So I’ve read more than my fair share of reviews about stabilizers, Glidecams and Steadicams. They rely on gimbals and …

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How to make stunning time-lapse videos: Q&A with photojournalist Tamir Kalifa

Freelance photojournalist Tamir Kalifa spent two days working on this stunning time-lapse video of the Texas Legislature’s opening day for the 83rd legislative session. Lawmakers convene in Austin every two years and the event is widely covered by the media. But Kalifa, an intern at the Texas Tribune, captured the energy of the day in …

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How to use time-lapse photography to take viewers on a journey

When Reporter Jennifer Hiller visited New York to write about San Antonio’s ties to High Line park, she called me and wondered if it’d be a good idea to make a time lapse-video of a walk through the mile-long urban park. Abso-freakin-lutely. Time-lapse videos are full of awesome sauce. Most I’ve seen involve the placement …

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