#high key ive been excited to post this image

[dalloneveryday]

helloooo day 154 :)

[groovybaybee]

Greener - IV

I, II, III

(4k)

cw: mentions of abuse (nothing too intense but better safe than sorry), alcohol consumption

I am in the ocean. The water is warm and comforting as it hugs up against me with each gentle wave. It is calm and peaceful and in turn I am calm. I am in the ocean and I am calm.

 You’re in your kitchen.

“Fuck off,” I whisper, eyes squeezed tightly shut as if they could shield me from the reality of the voice in my head.

 I am in the ocean.

 BUZZ

 I ignore it.

 I am in—

 BUZZ

 BUZZ

 With a deep exhale, I open my eyes and face the brutal reality that the unkind voice lingering in my brain had been right. I am in my kitchen. The bright smiling faces tacked to the walls seem to mock me as I desperately try to regulate the rise and fall of my chest. My lungs unaware that I am not in the middle of a hundred-metre sprint and can probably relax a little.

 Against my better judgment, I pick up the phone that had caused me to spiral in the first place. Quickly, I close Twitter, wishing I had never let myself fall down the thread of comments. I had known it would only cause me to panic but, almost masochistically, I did it anyway.

 Thought I was supposed to be the one organising collaborations with big artists?? Nice work kiddo. Response to the video is pretty good so I can look into booking some studio sessions…

 My focus falls away from my manager’s message. Of course, he saw this as a positive thing. It is a positive thing, really. Only a crazy person would find discomfort in their dream career being boosted along. This is the kind of thing I have always wanted. I want to make music. I want to have people see me and connect with me. But now that the opportunity is there all that I feel is fear.

 You always were ungrateful.

 For once, I do not try to argue with the bad part of my brain. I am ungrateful. How could someone get what they want and find reasons to still be the victim? I do not deserve any of this. How could I, in the sea of so many, be lucky enough to find traction in this industry? Yet all I want to do is run.

 It is not even as though all of the new feedback is negative. To a degree, it would be understandable to want to run away were that the case. No, people were actually incredibly supportive of Harry and I’s impromptu duet. Complimentary even. I should be jumping for joy, but instead I find myself clutching for the countertop beneath me to tether me to the Earth.

 Instinctively, I reach for my phone again, quickly dialling the first number I can think to.

 “Hello lovely lady,” Lucy answers brightly.

 “Luce,” I gasp, mouth remaining open but unable to find the words as my throat seems to tighten up.

 “What’s wrong?” she asks, suddenly serious and I can picture her sat bolt upright. When I can’t formulate a reply, she speaks for me, “Are you at home? I’ll come over.”

 “Yeah.” I manage to breathe out.

 Time seems to warp as I listen to the background noise of Lucy buckling herself into her car and taking the short trip to my house. Only when I hear her set of keys in the lock do I hang up the call, something about her presence comforting me even through the phone.

 “Let’s sit down, yeah?” Lucy says when she sees my face, undoubtedly wide-eyed as gravely breathes pass quickly between my lips.

 She places a hand on my back and eases me away from the counter until my body meets the soft embrace of the sofa.

 “Count to ten with me?”

 Her voice is gentle and reassuring as she watches me, no doubt assessing how severe my state is and which battleplan she needs to access in order to help me calm down.

 When I nod, she waits for me to utter a shaky and broken, “One,” before repeating it and moving from the sofa.

 “Two,” she encourages.

 She opens a window and moves back to the kitchen, returning with a glass of water as I reach “Four.”

 We count together until we reach ten. Not unlike the other times we have done this, she waits for a moment as she observes if I need to start again, or if I am suitably calm enough for her to move on to the next step in her care plan. Deciding on the latter, she passes me the glass of water.

 Gratefully, I take a slow sip.

 “Want to talk or want distracting?”

 “I feel…” I start quietly, uncertain as a sigh passes my lips, “I feel ungrateful and a bit overwhelmed.”

 Lucy just nods. No judgment in her gaze as she digests my words. They dissipate into the air of the living room, sinking into the furniture and slipping under the tape of the unopened moving box in the corner.

 “Is this about the video? Because if it is I’m so sorry for posting it, I just thought you two sounded so good and fit so great together and maybe you’d get a bit more recognition which you deserve completely and—”

 “Lu,” I sigh with a small smile as she rambles apologetically. I pull her into a hug which neither of us expect. “I love you so much. You always know what’s right and you go out and do it. I’m just a bit batshit at the minute and can’t accept the good in things.”

 “I love you.” Lucy mutters into my hair.

 We sit for a while, arms wrapped tightly around one another, swaying slightly. Neither of us want to be the first to move, simultaneously needing to provide comfort and bathe in it. A smile fixes itself on my lips, one Lucy has always been capable of coaxing from me, even during my worst nights. But that is exactly the reason the smile carves its way on to my cheeks; it’s us. It has always been Lucy and me and it will be Lucy and me until our arms can’t hug and our lungs can’t laugh.

 “I think,” I say softly, resentfully pulling away from our embrace, “it’s time to go through his stuff.”

 Lucy nods, eyes a little watery. She sniffles once and that is enough to settle her.

 “Shall I get wine?”

 I cannot help the small bubble of laughter that bursts between my lips, but I nod, nonetheless. We move to set about our own tasks; Lucy gets a bottle of Shiraz and pours two glasses as I pull the, ever so slightly dusty, cardboard box into the centre of the room and peel away the tape sealing it.

 I wait for her to return before opening the flaps, needing her next to me more than I could ever admit. Not that I would have to. She gives me a reassuring squeeze on the arm when she notices my sharp intake of air.

 No going back. I force myself to believe that and open the box.

 Peering into the box, it is less full than I remember, and that in itself pushes me along. On the top, lay a few t-shirts he did not come to collect. I place them in a pile on the living room floor, mentally noting it as one to donate. Beneath the shirts are a collection of photographs, some loose and some framed. Lucy stills beside me, nervously awaiting my tears. They would not come just yet. I remember placing the most upsetting things at the bottom. My heart clenches at the thought of seeing them again, but I push ahead.

 I flick through the photographs, placing the newly empty frames to the other side of the box. It is not nearly as saddening as I had expected. Being able to pass over a timeline of our relationship is almost cathartic, knowing that I do not have to wait weeks and months between these happy memories captured in film.

 “I loved that jacket.” Lucy says softly as we peer at a picture of my ex-boyfriend and I at the beach one night.

 “So did I,” I smile, fingers running lightly over the glossy image, a bright red faux leather jacket which matched my painted smile. “Will didn’t.”

 Lucy’s body slumps beside me and I feel the angry starting to stir inside of her. I put the stack of photos on the floor, deciding not to keep any, and peak back into the box. I can hardly help the laugh that rises from my chest when I see the next item. Not from joy, but from its sheer ridiculousness. My hands reach into the cardboard and pull from it a bathroom scale.

 “You know,” I start, sadness and amusement mingling in my chest, “he fixed these, so I was always ten pounds heavier.”

 Unable to see the dark humour that I do, Lucy’s eyebrows knit together furiously, teeth biting hard on the inside of her cheek to keep her from screaming obscenities.

 I place the scale down on the ground before reaching in to retrieve the last item in the box. The second my fingertips touch the tape, the smile erases from my face.

 Deep breath in.

 Lifting the final photograph from the box, my heart breaks yet again. The memories from that night flush my mind, my whole body quickly covering in goosebumps in an attempt at defence.

 Lucy is silent next to me, waiting for me to say something or react at all. I bring the image closer, throat drying a little more with each inch it nears. I gulp harshly, desperate for some of the moisture collecting at my eyes to travel to my mouth.

 I stare down at the picture of myself in my parents’ garden, mum and dad on either side of me, the three of us beaming uncontrollably. We were happy and excited, I was moving to Los Angeles in a few weeks, completely uncertain if I would be able to make my dream into my career.

 Turning the photograph over is what send tears falling.

 Our sweet Violet,

Words cannot describe how proud we are of you. You are so brave it makes us question if you were adopted without us knowing. You have always been your own person and that is what makes you so very special. It is also the reason that we know you will succeed no matter what you do. You are a wonder. Go forward and show the world.

So much love,

Your biggest fans xx

 The words are beautiful, so sweet and encouraging that reading them now makes me feel a fraud. Tracing my thumb over the lines of tape holding the fragments of the photo together, a gentle sob erupts from inside me. The torn object makes my heart ache enough to think it were trying to mirror it.

 “This was the day I left him,” I manage to force out between sniffs and sobs. “When he ripped this… I couldn’t do it anymore.”

 Reliving my breaking point is something I often find myself doing, experiencing the extreme high of my first ever headlining show, and subsequent extreme low when Will pointed out how unflattering the stage lights were. He took that night from me, stole its joy and tried to grind me back down to a level beneath him.

 I cry hard into Lucy’s shoulder, not caring right now that I was ruining her t-shirt. She does not seem to care either, instead just rubbing my back soothingly and letting me get out the emotions I have kept locked away for so long.

 It is only when I feel Lucy’s body shaking against mine that I pull myself away. My tears stop the second I see hers falling.

 “I’m so sorry.” She gets out, eyes bloodshot as deep but silent sobs wrack her body.

 “It’s okay.” I coo, hating seeing my best friend cry more than any object in that box.

 “It’s not. I’m supposed to protect you and I didn’t see what he was doing to you.” She is starting to hyperventilate as the tears fall faster and heavier now.

 “Hey,” I whisper, placing a hand either side of her head to get her to focus on me and really listen, “No one did, not even me.” My voice cracks slightly at the admission, but it is what we both need to hear in order to forgive ourselves even the smallest amount.

 Our breathing regulates, the tears start to dry, and I look back to the image with a fond memory.

 “Do you remember the day we left?”

 Lucy gives me a breathy and snotty but genuine laugh. “Yeah. Mum packed me about five boxes of chocolate fingers.”

 “And they wouldn’t let us go through security with them so we had to stand and eat as many as we could.”

 We share a laugh at the fond memory, glad to remember ourselves so sweet and naïve.

 I pick up an empty frame from the floor, slipping the taped-up photograph inside and set it on the coffee table.

 “I’m not letting him have any more of me.”

 She nods and we sit for a moment.

 “Thank you for always being next to me.” I say, a lump forming in my throat yet again, however this time, my heart swells instead of breaking.

 “You and me.” She says with a soft, slightly teary smile as she extends a pinky finger for me to connect with. Of course, I do.

 * * *

“He said he wants to talk when he’s back from New York.” Lucy tells me nervously as she stares down at her phone.

 “Could be a good thing.” I argue, reaching out my hand to lift my nearly empty wine glass from the coffee table. I bring it to my lips carefully, my laying position on the sofa not aiding my slightly messy actions.

 “I don’t know, he got funny the other day when I left his place.” Lucy mutters, gulping at her newly replenished glass.

 “Luce, I’m going to be completely honest with you.” I say, sitting upright and trying to avoid the urge to hiccup as I move. “I think he likes you, and I think you like him too… and I think that scares you a bit.”

 Lucy pauses, chewing on my words before responding with a sigh, “I think you’re right.”

 “When aren’t I?” I tease, earning an eye roll, “Seriously though, Joseph is great, and he would take care of you.”

 “That’s scary.” Lucy whispers to herself more than me, “What do I do if I’m not the one looking after people?”

 “You’ll always have to look after me.” I joke, squeezing her knee lightly.

 “That’s what I got Harry for.” She teases, unknowingly making my stomach squeeze just at the mention of him. “What?” she laughs, noticing my sudden silence.

 I tell her everything. Running her through every moment with Harry, from our first date excitement, to accidentally on purpose friend-zoning him, to breaking the surface on my past relationship. As I describe each of our encounters, I recognise the lightness in my chest when I speak his name. Each small interaction I recall seems to stoke the embers in my chest, burning hot and steadily as I catch her up.

 “I think you like him but you’re afraid.” Lucy repeats my own advice back to me with a smug smirk.

 “Wouldn’t you be?” I defend.

 “Oh definitely, but if you like him why are you waiting around. Be brave.” Her voice is so calm and matter of fact that her words seem nothing but logical, all my excuses flying out the window as I let her advice sink in.

 Except for one.

 “I don’t think he likes me like that, maybe he did at the start… but not anymore.”

 “You can’t know that unless you ask him.” She replies, again as if it’s the most blatant thing in the world. Which I suppose it is.

 Maybe I should be brave. I look to the newly framed photograph and find my answer. Maybe I will be.

 * * *

 Lucy made me text Harry that night before she left. He replied before I had finished locking the front door.

 Yesss are you free Friday? I potentially have an idea – Harry

 Before I know it, I find myself in the car park of The Forum in Inglewood, Harry’s hand slipped effortlessly into mine as he guides us through backdoor after backdoor.

 Adrenaline courses through me as we wind through corridors, hearing the support act through the overhead speakers. We had already missed part of the show and were desperately trying to make up for the time lost sat in traffic.

 Harry takes care of everything, shaking hands with everyone we interact with and thanking them graciously when they help us locate our seats. I watch him, slightly awe-struck, as we make our way to our little section by the balcony. The space is more private than general seating and I wonder what strings Harry had to pull to get such incredible last-minute tickets.

 “Comfortable?” Harry asks as we get settled.

 I nod, afraid that if my mouth were to open, I would let everything slip. Who could blame me though? The kindness and sincerity behind his eyes are enough to make anyone swoon.

 No time to dwell on the way his eyes glide across my face, the crowd roars, almost making me jump as they drag me from my daydream.

 Up on stage, Fleetwood Mac take their positions. A kick drum meets with the first few notes of The Chain, sending thousands of screaming fans into overdrive, ecstatic to see their idols in the flesh. Harry and I easily fall into that category, excitedly squeezing the other’s hand as the song builds.

 “Oh my God!” I scream, head thrown back momentarily, unable to contain my wonderment at whatever cosmic coincidence allowed this to by my life.

 It is loud. I feel the drums rattle in my chest, bass swirling in the pit in my stomach. My free hand grips the bar of the balcony, desperately trying to tether me to reality before I float away into whatever heavenly dream I have fallen into.

 The show goes on, each passing song appearing to be a fan favourite as the crowd only grows wilder and more liberated. I watch with glee as each and every person moves freely, dancing and singing excitedly as Second Hand News transitions into Say You Love Me.

 My gaze flits back to Harry for the hundredth time since the show began, admiring the joy radiating from him. It is infectious and feeds me until my rays begin to pour out of me as well.

 Harry is goodness. Any other day, I would have used this as a reason to drive a wedge between us. He brought happiness while I worried that I drained it from the world.

 But here, with him, I know the truth. I feel the good and the beauty in the world, and I know that I am a part of that. I do not drain him, we fill each other up.

 “Harry,” I desperately call over the music.

 Instantly, his eyes are on me, smile still present but quickly glancing over me to ensure my wellbeing.

 “I’m sorry I friend-zoned you!” is all I can think to say. Somehow, it seems to be enough. Harry lets out a beautifully easy laugh, dimples deep-set in his cheeks as he lets go of my hand in order to wrap both arms around me.

 “It’s okay.” He chuckles, quickly letting go of me and turning me towards the stage so as not to miss anything. His arms linger around me, hugging me slightly from behind, swaying us almost anxiously.

 “We don’t normally do requests, but this will have to be an exception.” Stevie says, her voice light as a playful smile finds its way on to her face. “This is Skies the Limit.”

 “I was going to choose Storms but didn’t want to see you sad.” Harry utters in my ear, confirming every complimentary thought I have of him.

 My jaw struggles to stay closed as I watch the band play my song. Harry did this for me. My favourite, non-depressive, song is playing in front of all of these people. For me. Because of him.

 His name tumbles from my lips, breathless and unbelieving that I am not existing in some kind of simulation.

 I turn to look at him, gobsmacked, when I find his tentative gaze. Never have I seen him so timid, as though I might think this gesture too much. I mean, it is. There is no way on Earth someone could deserve to feel so cherished. No one could possible earn this heart-swelling sensation. No one is worthy of this level of care. But here I am. I get to be with him and being with Harry is like every birthday rolled into one. He drives me wild and keeps me calm, often managing to do both simultaneously.

 For once, I do not care what anyone else thinks. All that matters is the man standing in front of me and the decision I need to make. Am I going to let this pass me by and shy away from potential happiness yet again? Or will I be brave and take a chance?

 Harry watches me cautiously as my brain tries to spiral and twist itself into knots of self-doubt. But every wonderful decision I have every made required an element of risk. What would my younger self think if she saw me fumble this chance? She was always so fearless, why can’t I be?

 “Remember at Lucy’s? You asked what I’d do if I wasn’t scared.” I say, palms starting to sweat as I feel the edge of the cliff approaching fast.

 Harry nods.

 “I didn’t tell you that if I weren’t so scared, I would let myself fall for you...”

 Our eyes search the other’s face; mine desperate for any sort of reaction, his cautiously awaiting a hint of insincerity.

 “Funny thing is I don’t think it will stop me.”

 And like that, the cliff is far behind me and I wait in limbo for any response.

 My heart wishes for Harry to scoop me up in his arms, bend me low and kiss me like a solider coming home from war. My mind worries that he will throw up over the side of the balcony from sheer disgust at the very notion. However, Harry provides neither anticipated response. Instead, a stifled smile spreads across his face.

 “I know,” he grins, “Lucy told me.”

 “For fuck’s sake!” I laugh incredulously, my head thrown back in despair and amusement. I should have guessed she would continue meddling. “I’m going to kill her.”

 “Do you think you could wait a while to do that?” Harry asks when I finally meet his eyes again, his hands slipping up my back, pulling our bodies ever so slightly closer together.

 “Why?” I sigh, half-joking.

 “So I can do this.”

 Each of Harry’s hands settle on either side of my head, a thumb instinctively grazing across the soft skin of my cheek. I have just enough time to register his touch before his lips come down to meet mine.

Our first kiss is fuelled with longing and ignited with hope. A new type of excitement spreads through my chest as his lips melt with mine, soft and sweet, as all fears and doubts seem to drown out with the roar of the arena. Some other time I will tell Harry about Will and how he affected me, and things will be okay, because with Harry things are okay. He makes them okay. And with heaving chests and his forehead pressed against mine, for the first time in a long time, I feel the potential for a free kind of love.

masterlist

[dear-yandere]

—ask collection!

a collection of mostly very old chats and sweet asks that i never got around to answering! thanks for the patience and love!! 

beware, fairly long post... woops....

chat asks.

darling: Eu-jin is best boy. Change my mind.

vanya: i am physically incapable of fulfilling that request, how dare you do that to me... i’m biased since he’s my own oc, but i would die for my (very best) boy eu-jin... who can resist such a gentle yandere that loves you so whole-heartedly?

that reminds me! he’s actually based off of kuroyuki and gekkamaru from the otome nightshade, so if you want similar characters by any chance, do check them and the game out ♡

darling: I was watching the dub for Part 5 of JoJo's Bizarre adventure yesterday...Mista called himself Daddy and I like- sdfghjfgsdhnhnmj!! My heart can't take this--

vanya: WAIT HE DID???? i’m not even big on daddy kink and reading that made me go 😳 this is vital information to know... what episode was this??? for research purposes, of course. gotta perfect my yan! mista, after all~...

darling: for yandere songs, have you heard of the major to minor covers by chase holfelder :O? the way he delivers the lyrics in some songs (betty, all i want for christmas), added with the key changes to minor, is really fantastic, and gives a stalker-ish vibe imo! and he's a really good singer in general

vanya: i have!! a good chunk of them are actually on my personal yandere playlist, so i end up hearing them frequently when i’m writing!! i haven’t been keeping up with his uploads recently, so ‘betty’ is completely new to me and just, wow???????????? this man is an absolute god send for us “romantic” horror fans... ♡

this ask gave me such a lovely idea, though, darling: assigning yandere types/mbti based off each of chase’s minor key covers. i think i’ll do that just for you. ♡

darling @blossomiich​: I reread some of your old character interaction asks and saw the one with Jotaro hugging his Darling after a panic attack and the elephant seal plush reminded me of the iconic C H O N K Y ringed seal plushie that was kinda trending and I can totally imagine Jotaro having one of those >w< that's so adorable!

vanya: i honestly don’t remember that interaction, but then again i don’t remember most things hmghng so i looked it up and

j...just imagine star plat hogging it and not letting joot cuddle with it 🥺 the duality of man...thank you for this cute image...

darling: Umm, sorry for asking this. I'm just curious because of your bio language in your header. Are you Chinese too, perhaps?

vanya: no worries!! i’m mixed guyanese (indian, chinese, & possibly black and/or portuguese), but my family only celebrates (or rather, acknowledges?) our indian descent, since the majority of our family is predominantly east indian. 

my header is actually a quote from a danmei novel (and one of my all-time favorite fandoms), tiān guān cì fú (heaven’s official blessing)!

darling genki stan anon: Omg you're writing for free now, i didn't expect that one lol. It's a cute show innit? Not a nagi stan but I feel like nagisa has that kinda unsnapped personality that would make him peak delusional yandere material lolol like oikawa but less threatening and without his head being up his own ass 😂. Hope you're doing well!! -gsa

Gdjsjs im such a fool, i think my last ask said something about not thinking you'd write for free when i literally just pointed out kisumi on your sideblog LMAO my bad 😅 😂 also ill hold back on the gen chan requests because ive already asked so many in the past! Thank you though 🥺. Also feel free not to post this, it can just dip into my onesided chats with my lil flower 💐 so long as you receive them im fine 😌 -genki stan anon

vanya: nagisa isn’t my favorite (kisumi is), but gods if he wouldn’t make a great yandere. honestly, out of the iwatobi boys, nagi is probably the most unhinged. i wouldn’t peg him as delusional, at least not at first; i think he’s very lucid and knows exactly what he wants and how to manipulate people in order to get it!!! kisumi is fairly similar now that i think about it... i might... have a type...

please feel free to send in gen-chan requests whenever you want!!!! i’m kinda super asocial, so it’ll take me a while to answer, but i love getting asks from you since you’re so sweet and excitable!!! your little flower reads and cherishes them all!! 🥺

also darling genki stan anon: Sorry for spamming you with asks hdjkdks, u dont even need to reply im just kinda brain empty venting here whether you recieve them or not 😂 i just needed to confess that while yes i am #1 gen simp, and he is undoubtedly my fave oc of yours but that Ilya tentacle smut had me very much so highkey kinda 👀, had to re read the genki oral style drabble to bring my head back. He dont even need to worry about luca bc that man a thot. I think therin is a thot too but like lowkey, a classy thót -gsa

vanya: omg i’ve kept this one for forever mnmghngh i might’ve even answered at some other point, now that i think about it... but i just 🥺 gosh i hope i find my muse soon, because i really wanna write you a genki fic 🥺 hhhh

the ilya tentacle smut was so in character for that boy... i have no clue how to write monsters, much less tentacles, but i’d honestly do anything for him 🙏 kinky russian boy...

therin is definitely a classy thot, the kind that only bangs the finest concubines then turns around and slut shames you for banging the very same prostitutes gbfmngnfg rules don’t apply to him, in his kingdom...wish that were me tbh ✊😔

sweet asks.

darling one: i've read almost all of your dazai and chuuya fics and i love them so much!! your formatting is also super aesthetic just a question, i saw on your kofi that you also draw so i was wondering if you drew all the header arts?? bc they're all super pretty :) have a great day!

darling two: Just wanted to say love the writing and the way your format your posts is so aesthetically pleasing. One day I hope my posts looks half as good as yours because I legit can't get over how pretty and organized it looks.

vanya: omg thank you so much!!!! one of my bffs, yue, is to thank for the formatting and aesthetic choices, really! if you wanna see more of her aesthetic formats and posts, she actually runs a few blogs! you may know her as @milkscafe​, formally @milkaaton! i adore her and her aes choices so much 🥺

as for the headers, i don’t draw 99.98% of them! i have drawn a couple, but they’re so few and far in between since i almost never finish my art wips haha... my older posts are lacking proper credits because i’m an absolute idiot, but i’m slowly working my way backwards to credit them all where possible! they’re all indeed super pretty!!!

have a great day yourself, my love!!

darling: THEY’RE NOT BAD CONTENT, I LOVE THEM ALL

vanya: this was in response to a now-deleted lil blurb but i kept it in my inbox because i wanted to say i love u very much and seeing this ask each time i open my inbox makes my heart skip a beat ♡

darling: Listen I love your writing, you inspired me to start it myself! I've always loved to write, and read of course but your style and concepts just stick with me. If you where to write something besides Yandere content/fandom content and started your own series? I would read the shit, out of it. I'm always nervous to interact with my favorite writers because you know, I'm afraid of the impression I'd leave but I just wanted to say this anyway! 💞💞💞🔫😳

vanya: wowowow fgfnmgnfmngfg that’s such a high compliment my brain just gmfnbgmnf go boom fogjfngnfg and thank you for the interaction, us writers truly appreciate it no matter how awkward or nervous you think you may be / come off!!!

darling one: As a writer, your post struck a nerve with me. I don’t send feedback to writers I like nearly as much as I should (and certainly not as much as I’d like in return as a writer). So, as such, I’m going to start doing that when I can, starting with you.

You are an incredible writer. You were one of the first yandere writing blogs I found and you’re still one I check in on regularly to see what you have been working on. You can portray a sense of suspense and intrigue in a natural way that many other writers - published ones included - struggle with. You delve into the darkness without it feeling forced, and you have an amazing grasp on the psyches of the characters you write for (which is a quality I adore in writing and strive toward myself).

I’m not great at ending these things so I guess.. you keep doing you? Because the you is great and I appreciate it.

darling two:  hey. i'm here to tell you that from the bottom of my heart i love you and your writings. i really admire your writing skills. you inspire me. one of your posts once saved me from a nervous breakdown. thank you for everything you do. you're a wonderful person. good luck!

darling three: I wanted to tell you that thank you for writing such wonderful beautiful writings and that you take time to edit and write I hope you are taking care of yourself 💖❤

darling four: Thanks. I was having a hard time and deleted all my apps, but as soon as i opened my phone my first instinct was to look at your blog and i got my motivation back. Thanks (:

darling five: Hi ! I just wanted to say I really enjoy the stories you write and how they are detailed so well ! Stay safe and I hope you have a good day/night ! ლ(╹◡╹ლ)

vanya: ahhhh, these are very old asks mostly dating back to my “tumblr writing community is dying” post, and i’ve kept them this entire time because i’m just so starstruck. i have no clue how to reply to compliments, so i’m not sure what else to say besides that these asks made me very happy and got me through a few insecure moments!!! i’ve actually been feeling a little down about my writing recently, mostly because of lack of motivation / inspiration, so revisiting these really warmed my heart, so thank you truly ♡ i’m certainly keeping the originals in my inbox until the end of time!!

darling @monstrously-obsessed: psst, this local cryptic mom thing send all of their love for you 💕

vanya: your local herbo says she loves you very much momster 🥺 mwah

also, to the anon worried about my safety:

thank you so much for pointing that out!!! it hadn’t even crossed my mind when i made those ocs, so i appreciate your concern! i was contemplating revamping those two as is, so this is a great place to start! thank you again!!

[odogaronfang]

okay here it is!!! the long-awaited (not really) masterpost of hc’s about the background characters!!!

@105ttt and i have been working on this stuff for a couple weeks now and i’ve finally got around to making it into something shareable!! and i’m excited because now this means i get to use them in fics without people being completely lost!!!!

anyway this post is long so i’m gonna put it under a readmore-

Leonel

-link’s father

-captain of the guard & keeper of the wind key

-close friends with artura and valensuela since childhood

-because of the circumstances, he’s very well-read on the various legends/stories of the past heroes

-is a stand-in father for zelda sometimes because of how close she and his son(s) are

-constantly worried about his kids (sometimes because of the trouble they’ve been in, sometimes because of the trouble they cause)

-definitely the ‘cool manager’ type of captain- does what he needs to in order to run an efficient guard, but he’s also good friends with all of them

-there are days where he wants to take his kids out to town for a family day and there are days where he wants to throw them all out a window

Artura

-the captain’s top knight

-friends with leonel since childhood; they weren’t in the same battalion until they became full knights but leonel would cut sessions to go train with his group

-specialized in heavy armored combat, proficient in several kinds of weaponry but mostly uses bludgeoning weapons

-the backup dad for vio when leonel is busy because hylia knows vio needs constant supervision

-the embodiment of the gentle giant trope- does a lot of favors for people and the castle town kids ADORE him

-always busy + always tired. give artura his vacation days please

-he has a special room in the castle he goes to when he needs alone time and doesn’t want to be bothered. vio is allowed in but only grudgingly and only if he’s maintained at least one (1) week of decent behavior

-works a lot with younger trainees (mostly around link’s age); has a lot of instructional tasks on top of his regular patrol duties

-he doesn’t take off his armor in public a lot, so most people haven’t seen him out of it. there’s a joke among the younger groups that artura isn’t actually a person but rather a darknut or one of the phantom knights animated by the royal family’s magic. (actually it’s just because he’s secretly a twink and he doesn’t want people knowing that Mr. Top Knight/Mr. Living Darknut couldn’t hit 160lbs if he was soaking wet.)

Valensuela

-keeper of the water key

-close friends with leonel since childhood; was in the same trainee battalion as him

-trained for armored combat but dislikes wearing heavy plate- if he wears a lot of armor, it’s usually maille

-can dual-wield, but usually opts for one larger sword instead of two smaller ones

-basically adopts green after the pyramid incident. just steals him from leonel. green is his son now. green accidentally calls valensuela ‘dad’ once and leonel’s parentship of green ends right there.

-appears very dignified and serious but actually has a flair for the theatrical. most people are not aware of this but his friends know.

-leonel’s second-in-command, but he’s far more task-oriented and doesn’t deal with people as well as leonel does. he can come across as a little brusque with people he isn’t familiar with so he tries not to take that role if he doesn’t have to.

-not a personality headcanon but he has a scar on his forehead from when green shattered his helmet in the pyramid. and after he’s overcome the trauma that came with that whole ordeal, he definitely brags about it. someone asks what happened to him for him to have a scar like that and he’s like “oh my son did that isn’t he talented?”

Lucien

-keeper of the fire key

-so chill. extremely laid-back guy. the kind of guy you go to hang out with when you want to do something social but you don’t want to leave your house (or even your couch).

-kinda lazy when it comes to little mundane tasks, which he caught a lot of flak for while he was still in training, but wholeheartedly dedicated to his job when it comes down to it.

-basically adopts red. they’re like best buds. red makes lucien carry him around on his shoulders so he doesn’t have to walk but lucien doesn’t mind.

-absolutely the kind of person to disappear for an entire day and when you find him again and ask him where he went he says he was in the living room the whole time

-very good at cooking, but only the really time-consuming, complicated recipes, which goes directly against his low-effort nature. he rarely cooks, but everyone looks forward to the days that he does.

-also the kind of person to “work out” by doing one push up every five minutes. the second he hears someone approaching he’ll stay in mid-push-up position and when they walk in he’ll say “one thousand”. (he only actually made it to nine.)

-if he isn’t in armor he’s in sweats. “dress more professionally” the captain says to him one day. he shows up to breakfast the next morning wearing sweats again, but this time he also has a tie on.

-the tallest of the group, which artura makes fun of (it’s all in good fun. he just makes fun of artura for being so small.)

Wes

-keeper of the earth key

-the high-energy go-getter of the group. his energy alone balances out the chronically low-key natures of artura and lucien. basically an eternal child at heart.

-ALWAYS ready to throw down. it isn’t even that he has anger issues, he just needs a way to get rid of his restless energy while also triumphing in his various conflicts, and to him, fighting (within the controlled setting of a spar) is the easiest way to do that.

-one of those people that has to be physically restrained from doing dumb things. “hey i bet i could land in the hot spring if i jumped from the third story balcony” “wes you will break all of the bones in your lower body” “and??”

-also the guy in the group that’s constantly making bets and daring people to do things. he violates the sanctity of the triple dog dare by using it literally every time. he is also eerily good at predicting the correct outcome of bets.

-learns little things like sleight-of-hand tricks just to fudge them at the end; he’ll keep a group of little kids enamored with the “magic” before asking if they want to see the finale where he makes the cards disappear. the kids say yes and he just hurls the entire deck into a nearby bush. “there,” he says with pride as he walks away, “they’re gone.” (he would never actually upset the kids. if they look too disappointed he’ll sigh and go get the cards and do an actual disappearing trick just to make them better.)

-definitely takes blue under his wing. they spar like every morning. the other links might try to go on kitchen raids without their parents’/mentors’ knowing but blue goes WITH wes to go steal the best-looking cookies fresh off the baking sheet. arcy always gives wes grief for enabling that behavior but wes knows she won’t actually do anything about it

Selenas

-another of the captain’s high-ranking knights

-the exasperated lawful good of the group. he tries so hard to get the rest of them to follow the rules but it never works. he knows there’s no point to the efforts anymore but he still tries.

-the constant sigh-er of the group. you’d think he had respiratory issues if you didn’t know him.

-is tasked with helping to keep shadow in line because of his lawful good status. he’s the strict parent who insists upon balanced meals with a lot of vegetables and who believes in a strict 8pm bedtime. he will not hesitate to confiscate shadow’s laptop if he’s misbehaving. shadow despises him but he’s doing all of hyrule a great favor.

-doesn’t safeguard a royal jewel so he’s kind of an outlier but it’s fine, everything’s fine, he doesn’t need a jewel to prove that he’s a good knight and no, he isn’t envious, no not even a tiny bit, why would anyone ask that,

-prefers long-reach weapons like pikes and halberds over swords/daggers

[all of the above-mentioned knights are collectively referred to as the cape squad by the links]

Arcy

-one of the castle chefs

-an ex-knight; had barely made it into full knighthood before receiving a career-ending injury

-decided to continue work at the castle as a chef so she could still be around friends + to provide for her daughter

-was in the same trainee battalion as artura for armored combat, so they’re old friends

-her daughter is adopted; keina is the biological daughter of a late friend of arcy���s who died from birth complications

-is actually still technically in reserve for the guard; in a state of emergency she’s tasked with aiding evacuation efforts

-she’s the most popular chef among the knights because she takes requests. there’s a weekly competition among battalions and the winning one gets to choose the weekend meals that she makes. it’s a good motivator, especially for the ones in training, and it also gets her friends in high places (:

Keina

(see above images)

-arcy’s adopted daughter

-she’s very sickly; she’s never gone beyond the gates of castle town and barely even leaves the castle grounds. the only time she’s been beyond castle town was when she fled the castle with arcy, and she was in extremely poor health the entire time.

-she’s friends with the links + erune; they’ll often visit her and bring her things from other towns (or in erune’s case, her hometown) so she can still experience new things

-has a lot of pen pals all over hyrule since she can’t leave her home to go see people- she gets like two dozen letters a week and it helps keep her busy

-very knowledgeable on a lot of different subjects! because she’s often home- and sometimes even bed-bound, she spends a lot of time reading and writing and will sometimes illustrate as well. she’d like to be some kind of professional scholar so she can still contribute even when her health prevents her from travel.

[tillymint7]

Fiona James 🌈🦋

Fiona James is a professor and the founder of a new community art project and practices something called TRE therapy (Tension, Stress and Trauma Release) part of which is something called Heart Coherence. Fiona and her team has taken up residence in Bidston Hill, which is really close to where I live. For me this year has been full of strange connections and coincidences.

I had heard last year that an art group had moved into the old observatory building. Bidston Hill is a local beauty spot, but it’s also apparently one of largest ley line sites in the UK outside of Stone Henge. Bidston Hill has a very bizarre history.

Funnily enough, my first ever art project I did whist on my UAL art foundation course was about Bidston Hill. It has always a place that fascinates me for years since I was a kid.

The Hill has an old light house, an old flag signalling systems (as a kid I thought the holes 🕳 in the ground were swimming pools for fairies 🧚‍♀️ 😂) the team of scientist based at the observatory during the 2nd World War helped assist the UK to win the war. It’s also home to one of the country’s oldest windmills, which has so many mysterious stories of tragedy.

The Hill is also linked with strange rituals, pagan ceremony’s, Noric stone carvings, murders (sadly even in recent years), strange deaths, legends and folk tales, it was home to a Jack the Ripper suspect, endless ghost stories, stories of werewolves, and so many stories about witches and a cursed witches circle ⭕️ ....Modern day white witches are still practicing there today.

Fiona has started what’s sounds like an artists commune. Any creative can apply to work up there for a few months at a time. The residency can help progress your practice. Allowing creatives to make larger works and explore new ideas. I always find personally that a new space can really help with new direction.

The artist can also show their works in exhibitions during their residency. It’s so wonderful to hear that a place like this so close to where I live.

I think I would still be a bit scared of being up there at night (I’m such a whimp! 👀). Even though Bidston Hill it’s a beautiful place Iv always found the place a little unnerving as a child and that was before I found out it’s history....I’m 40 and still afraid of being outside in the dark alone. 😱😂

From having a background and several qualifications in health care and many years and studying. I know the health benefits of regular meditation.

Deep breathing improves our bodies health through increasing the level of oxygen, which in turn helps to focus and calm the mind. Its a medical fact that a calm mindset helps speed up the healing process. There is also a link between our mental health and our digestive system.

Another interesting factoid (if your a proud geek like me) 🤓: I also read that apparently munks, through meditation, can actually block out pain and slow down their pulse when they achieve their state of zen. This shows the power of a focused mind and breathing deeply. 🦋

That’s why I started a mindfulness meditation gathering group in uni. To me it’s more about us being in tune with our own bodies and filtering out all the madness which helps us reconnect with the world around us. I also feel this allows our creativity to flow more freely. Plus the long term health benefits. So many of us struggling with our mental health these days. It’s good to remember to take time out for ourselves.

Their is such a massive link between our mental health and our physical health. Thats why Iv never understood why mental health has always been the Cinderella section of our health service, personally I have always felt we should be treated holistically.

As a person who has suffered 2 nervous breakdowns and experienced psychological pain that lead to actually physical illness and hospitalisation. I know that reality and the dangers of not allowing ourselves time to reconnect with the world around us.

Their are so many conditions such as CFS, fibromyalgia, psychological trauma and physical trauma that can cause pain in the back, joints and just about anywhere in the body. This can be made so much worse through poor posture and overcompensating. Deferred pain through over compensating long term can actually cause further injury to both muscle and joints.

Fiona blew me away when explained her TRE Practice and talked about how the body by using Heart Coherence completely resetting itself through breathing deeply in an even pattern of breaths the effect of which lasting up to 6 hours. It’s amazing that something so simple can have such an instant physical benefit.

Hearing Fiona talk about the subconscious and gratitude was really interesting. Iv read a book before called ‘The Secret’ It is apparently based on an ancient practice called the laws of attraction.

The book talks about the keys to happiness and success are linked to our own thoughts and mindset. It also talks about the idea that the time we are living now in is actually formed by our passed thoughts and feeling, which I find crazy to think.

The law of attraction talks about how we are all magnetically connected to the energy of the universe and the energy we put out we attract back. Like that saying ‘misery loves company’ or the theory that some people are social vampires 🧛‍♀️ ....could that mean we actually attract them? 😱 I know I have many times. 👀 ...Constant negativity from other people makes me feel really drained.

So basically the theory is that what you expect and give out you attract. If you have negative expectations you attract negative people, events and experience and visa versa. It sounds simple, but hard to do 💯% of the time. I do try, but as you have probably read in past posts. I am prone to negative thoughts and paranoid spirals too (no shock there 😜). I decided I want to be as honest and open as I can on my blogs to try and become my true original self.

Sometimes I find it helpful to remember that even people who look like they have it all together can be the ones suffering the most. We all have public image we like to project. We all have our highs and lows. We shouldn’t be ashamed of them. What’s the point of being fake and protending to be positive 💯% of the time when it’s just not humanly possible for any of us. I read somewhere that apparently the closer our subconscious and concious selves are the happier we are.

I saw a lecture online with a professor (I can’t remember her name 🤦🏻‍♀️ I must look it up) but she said that all this pressure we feel to be positive all the time and demonising our normal feelings by labelling them as negative has a profoundly damaging effect. She said we have to acknowledge all our feeling. We have to then realise why we may be feeling them, then try and deal with them by allowing them to come through and out of our bodies other wise they get trapped and cause physical health issue.

I thought of this when Fiona talked blocked enegry from passed traumas getting trapped within our muscle tissue, which actually cause physical symptoms. The professor (who’s name I actually can’t remember) said to reject and ignore any human emotion is to have ‘dead peoples goals’ which I think makes perfect sense.....we feel the things we do because we are alive so we should embrace them so we can let them go.

Pain receptors are attached to the brain through the nervous system. The messages get sent to injury sights and respond to the pain via pin receptors🤓🧐 ....So I think what Fiona is saying is that these messages from our brain can get trapped/blocked due to trauma.

I’m not sure if I heard this right because it was so complicated, but Fiona talks about pain thought trauma. The system Fiona treats is actually controlled by the heart and these pathways exist inside this subcutaneous layer of membrane, which surrounds our body?

I was fascinated to find out from Fiona, that as a healer, she is actually able to unblock long term trapped energy pathways learned by the body through trauma. Through using Heart Coherence and TRE she can also somehow re-map the body and stop pain.

Fiona treats people by actually talking to the area of the body where the person is feeling pain, which she identifies as the site of the blocked pathway. It’s like she can communicate with the pain itself. It sounds so bizarre, but I would love to see it working and maybe even see if it could work for me. 🙏

Fiona also mentioned that we all have a 5 metre circumference energy field around us, I have heard that before, could that be linked to what people refer to as our auras?

I often wonder whether this force field we all have could be why, in times of stress or excitement, a crowded place can literally feel palpable, like you can feel the energy in the air radiating through our bodies in unison.

I know this is something Mark Wright is very interested in with regards to his work too. This idea that the body extends beyond it’s physical form.

It makes sense, because there is so much we don’t know about the subconscious mind, it literally functions 💯 % of the time and our conscious 5%. So is it really so unbelievable that our bodies can connect without touch? After all we are all made up of the same matter and energy. I don’t think it’s crazy to believe that healing powers can actually exist.

Fionas work sounds so interesting. I would love to find out more. I would definitely love to go up to Bidston when the crazy quarantine is all over and have a good long chat with her to find out more about her work. As Fiona said ‘Magic is just technology we don’t understand yet’

Humans have always feared science and anything new as it can be perceived as a danger or a threat, but thankfully we are living in times where are minds are open to new and exciting seemingly impossible things. Thankfully we are all less pitch folks and torches these days.

NOTES:

Take 10 mins

Brain has loads of syntactic connections syntactic change 2 hours or 3 days

Conscential reality

💯 subconscious

Magic is just technology we don’t yet understand

Field of energy of 5 met self energy

The heart the intuitive centre of our body. Relaxes body

Breathing resets body for 6 hours

Plasticity

Gratitude helps

Negative energies

Steven Portas

I deserve to have this change

It is safe to have this change and free to have this change

QEC practice Melanie Salmon QEC living .com

Calliban and the Witch - Silvia fredarichie

Practice TRE

[updatedc-blog]

New Post has been published on https://www.updatedc.com/2019/01/16/sony-a6400-press-release-official-video-and-price/

Sony A6400 Press Release, Official Video and Price

Sony announced the world fastest Hybrid AF based Mirrorless camera. Takes 0.02 Sec to acquire AF. Feature Real Time Human and animal eyetracking and 4K video recording with super fast AF for youtubers. Price of the camera is $899 [body only]

Sony A6400 Major Features

24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS Sensor

BIONZ X Image Processor

XGA Tru-Finder 2.36m-Dot OLED EVF

3.0″ 921.6k-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD

Internal UHD 4K Video & S-Log3 Gamma

S&Q Motion in Full HD from 1-120 fps

Shutter Rated for 200,000 Cycles

Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC

425 Phase- & Contrast-Detect AF Points

Up to 11 fps Shooting and ISO 102,400

You can call it a mini A9. Get your copy from the link below

Sony A6400 Pre-order Links

Sony A6400 at B&H Store

Sony A6400 at Amazon

Sony A6400 Official Video

  Sony A6400 Press Release

World’s Fastest[i] 0.02 seconds[ii] AF acquisition speed plus 425 phase-detection and contrast-detection AF points covering approximately 84% of image area

Advanced Real-time Eye AF

New Real-time Tracking for object tracking

24.2MP[iii] APS-C Exmor™ CMOS image sensor and latest-generation BIONZ X™ image processor

180-degree fully tiltable LCD touch screen for self-recording

High-speed continuous shooting at up to 11 fps[iv] mechanical shutter / 8 fps[v] silent shooting with continuous AF/AE tracking

High-resolution 4K[vi] movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning, plus advanced AF speed and stability

Interval recording for time-lapse videos

Sony today introduced an exciting new addition to its E-mount mirrorless camera line-up, the α6400 (model ILCE-6400).

The α6400 brings many of Sony’s most advanced technologies from their acclaimed full-frame line-up to a compact, lightweight APS-C camera. The speedy new camera boasts the world’s fastesti AF acquisition of 0.02iiseconds, while also introducing the new advanced ‘Real-time Eye AF’ and ‘Real-time Tracking’ capabilities. Also included is high speed shooting at up to 11 fpsiv with AF/AE tracking, a new-generation BIONZ X image processing engine that produces excellent image quality, 4Kvi video recording, a 180-degree fully tiltable LCD touch screen and much more, making it the ultimate tool for all types of creators ranging from professionals to everyday vloggers.

Speedy Performance that Captures Decisive Moments

The impressive autofocus system on the new α6400 inherits many technologies from Sony’s newest line-up of full-frame cameras including the α9, α7R III and α7 III models. The new camera features 425 phase-detection AF points and 425 contrast-detection AF points that are placed densely over the entire image area, covering approximately 84% of the image area. This high-speed, high-performance-tracking AF system is paired with a new-generation BIONZ X image processing engine that together allows the camera to acquire focus in as little as 0.02 secondsii and maintain subject lock extremely effectively, ensuring even the fastest moving subjects can be tracked and captured with ease.

The α6400 introduces an advanced ‘Real-time Eye AF’, the latest version of Sony’s acclaimed Eye AF technology. This exciting new capability employs artificial intelligence-based object recognition to detect and process eye data in real time, resulting in improved accuracy, speed and tracking performance of Eye AF. In all autofocus modes, the camera now automatically detects the eyes of the subject and activates Eye AF with a half press of the shutter button, and when in AF-C or AF-A mode, the preferred eye (left or right) of your subject can be selected as the focus point. Choices include Auto / Right Eye / Left Eye, and a Switch Right / Left Eye function can be assigned to a custom function as well. This exciting new technology completely frees the photographer to focus solely on composition with full trust that focus will be tack sharp on the subject’s eye. Eye AF support for animals[vii] will be added in Summer 2019 via a system software update, ideal for wildlife photographers.

Also debuting on the α6400 is Sony’s newly developed ‘Real-time Tracking’. This mode utilises Sony’s latest algorithm including Artificial Intelligence based object recognition and processes colour, subject distance (depth), pattern (brightness) as spatial information to ensure that all subjects can be captured with excellent accuracy. Plus, when photographing or videoing humans or animals, face and eye position information is recognised by AI and the subjects eyevii is monitored in real time with extremely high tracking precision. This can be activated by a simple half press of the shutter button[viii], or can be assigned to a custom function as well.

In terms of overall shooting speeds, the new camera can shoot at up to 11 fpsiv with full AF/AE tracking while utilising the mechanical shutter, and up to 8 fpsv with full AF/AE tracking while silent shooting. It can shoot at each of these speeds for up to 116 frames JPEG Standard / 46 frames RAW compressed, greatly increasing the chances of capturing the perfect moment.

All-around Advancements in Image Quality

Sony’s new α6400 is equipped with a 24.2 MPiii APS-C sized image sensor that is paired with an upgraded BIONZ X processor to deliver incredible advancements in image quality and colour reproduction in all types of shooting conditions. Standard ISO ranges up to ISO 32000 for both still and movie and is expandable up to ISO 102400 for still images, with excellent noise reduction at medium and high sensitivities.

The camera also inherits many of the image processing algorithms from Sony’s newest full-frame cameras, greatly suppressing noise while preserving resolution and improving texture depiction.

Advanced High-Resolution 4Kvi Movie Recording with Fast Hybrid Autofocus

The versatile α6400 is an exceptional video camera, offering internal 4K (QFHD: 3840 x 2160) movie recording with full pixel readout and no pixel binning to collect about 2.4x the amount of data required for 4K movies, and then oversamples it to produce high quality 4K footage with exceptional detail and depth. Focusing during movie shooting is fast and stable thanks to upgraded Fast Hybrid AF technology, which keeps the subject in constant smooth focus no matter the scene, and even if an object crosses in front. This advanced AF plus touch focus functionality make it an ideal camera choice for many vloggers and video creators that are regularly creating and uploading content online.

For time-lapse movie creation[ix], the new camera features built-in interval recording that can be set anywhere between 1 and 60 seconds, with a total number of shots from 1 to 9999. AE tracking sensitivity can be adjusted to “High”, “Mid” or “Low” during interval shooting, allowing for reduced changes in exposure over the shooting interval.

Additionally, for the first time in a Sony APS-C mirrorless camera, the new model includes an HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) picture profile, which supports an Instant HDR workflow, allowing HDR (HLG) compatible TV’s to playback beautiful, true-to-life 4K HDR[x] imagery. Furthermore, both S-Log2 and S-Log3[xi] are available for increased colour grading flexibility, as well as Zebra functionality, Gamma Display assist and proxy recording. The camera can also record Full HD at 120 fps[xii] at up to 100 Mbps, allowing footage to be reviewed and eventually edited into 4x or 5x slow-motion video files in Full HD resolution with AF tracking.

Upgraded Build to Maximise Versatility

The new camera is designed to offer a high level of functionality and customisation to maximise shooting freedom. New on the α6400 is a 180-degree, fully tiltable, 3.0-type LCD flip screen with 921k-dots of resolution that allows for simple and effective framing of selfie-style shooting for both still and video capture. Utilising this capability, vloggers will be able to check and monitor composition throughout their entire creative process. The LCD screen is also equipped with touch functionality, with options for Touch Pad, Touch Focus, Touch Shutter and new Touch Tracking which quickly activates ‘Real-time Tracking’ through the touch screen.

The camera features a high quality XGA OLED Tru-finder™ viewfinder, extensive customisation with 89 functions that are assignable to 8 custom keys, the new My Dial and My Menu functionality, enhanced overall menu usability, a help screen for menus, star rating for images, and many other features that allow for a seamless shooting experience. It is also built with a tough magnesium alloy design, is dust and moisture resistant[xiii] and has an extremely durable shutter that is rated for approximately 200,000 cycles[xiv]. It is also capable of seamlessly transferring files to a smartphone or tablet when connected to the brand-new ‘Imaging Edge Mobile’application[xv].

Pricing and Availability

The α6400 will ship in Europe in February 2019 priced at approximately €1,050. It will also be offered as a kit with the SELP1650 lens priced at approximately €1150 or in a kit with the SEL18135 lens priced at approximately €1450. For full product details

[deborahdeshoftim5779]

Responses- The Marvel of Trelsi Part IV

Response to this post from BoltonEvans.

“A few assorted notes, because I just can’t keep my big mouth shut:”

:D I love these responses. 

“Gabriella really doesn’t have any real respect for Kelsi or Ryan’s talent and hard work when it isn’t directly benefitting her to care about it. But, then, she doesn’t really care about anyone other than herself, either.”

The ease with which Gabriella abandons her performing commitments, despite being considered to have a love of performing astounds me. In EVERY movie, she quits for reasons that should not actually diminish her love of theatre. If every actor quit their upcoming project because of real/perceived relationship problems, we would have no films, musicals or theatre performances. The result of this selfishness is that Kelsi’s work is almost wasted on three occasions: 1)- Kelsi was excited to have competition against Sharpay and wanted to help Gabriella get the best chance to shine. Gabriella quit because suspiciously timed webcam, 2)- Kelsi took her OWN TIME to write a song for Troy and Gabriella (composing takes HOURS), only for Gabriella to quit because Italian golf shoes. This is a song that Gabriella had initially been so eager to hear. I suppose I can give Gabriella credit for managing to learn “Everyday”, but she should never have quit in the first place, 3)- Kelsi wrote music for another musical, took the trouble to pour her heart and soul into the best possible song to show off (Troy and) Gabriella’s talents, only for Gabriella to quit halfway through again because me, me, me. Not to disparage her academic pursuits, but she refused to return for prom, the musical and the graduation. The evidence is STARING KELSI IN THE FACE, and she still overlooks this each time. What will it honestly take for Kelsi to realize Gabriella simply doesn’t value her hard work and talent enough to even show up for commitments in which she wished to take part?

“One minor correction; Troy says, “The Garden Club is rooting for you.” And, that line, in and of itself, is something I talk mild issue with, since it was the Science Club maintaining the rooftop garden, in the first movie. But, this is the level of continuity I’ve come to expect from the man who changed the spelling of a secondary character’s surname between films.”

Haha! Christ! 

Thanks for the correction. Noted. 

“I’m extremely happy that you mentioned Troy and Ryan’s relationship as an exception to the consistent undermining of the messages of teamwork and friendship this series attempts to drill into the viewers’ heads. I did a thorough breakdown of how the sentiment, “We’re All In This Together” rings profoundly hollow in numerous areas...

 ...And, the little things, like absolutely no one helping Ryan up, or even asking if he was okay, after he face-planted and stained his immaculate white outfit, and the entire senior class save Ryan (who was flustered at the sight of essentially naked male bodies, more than anything else) finding the humiliation of two sophomores absolutely hysterical...

...Regardless, I appreciate the nod to the relationship this fandom collectively ignores altogether when, in actuality, it’s one of the most organic, healthy, and mutually beneficial relationships in the entire series.”

Please do share that link with me when you find it. Yes, I like several things about Troy and Ryan’s friendship: that Troy likes Ryan based on his own merits and not as an accessory to Sharpay, that Ryan doesn’t hold Troy to ludicrous standards or force him into apologizing for things he didn’t do. Chad, Gabriella and the Wildcats became friends with Ryan when they realized they could benefit from his talent and hard work. As for the fandom ignoring this-- well, I don’t know why. They appear to get along very well as far as I can see.

 “Though, I do headcanon, based on Troy making the call to “bring in Rocketman”, during the state championship game in the third movie, that Troy is the team’s key strategist. He often makes the calls that win the day for the Wildcats. This was what got him voted team captain. Therefore, Chad and Coach Bolton ostensibly believing that the entire team is sunk without Troy at the helm, makes a bit more sense.”

That’s a good point, but Coach Bolton is also a strategist and should know better than to not have a Plan B. Not to mention how all this outrage is based on Troy is just rehearsing a couple of songs, with no certainty yet as to whether he might even get the role!

“Kelsi refusing to unfairly malign Troy and keeping up some level of communication with him while everyone else has chosen to give him the cold shoulder is one of the standout Kelsi/Troy moments for me. It shows that, despite her earlier questionable action of taking Troy to task over the requirements of her employment at Lava Springs when he wasn’t even the one who got her the job, she’s loyal to Troy. She didn’t immediately write him off for prioritizing his future, and doesn’t subscribe to groupthink and a mob mentality. She’s honestly one of the only two friends Troy has who acts like a legitimate friend to him, and it will forever pain me how little screentime Troy actually shares with these two characters.”

Kelsi’s earlier decision to blame Troy for a job Sharpay gave her is ridiculous, and I don’t mind saying so. Had she forgotten that Sharpay gave her the job, or was she arguing on behalf of the other Wildcats who were angry? Was she trying to show solidarity with the team? No explanation is given, but that’s usually the case, because the screenwriters didn’t give a toss about Kelsi’s life outside of the main plot. 

“My one and only issue with romantic Troy/Kelsi (aside from my preference for Troy/Ryan and me not quite seeing anything romantic on Troy’s end when he interacts with Kelsi) is Kelsi’s idolization of Gabriella and Troy and Gabriella’s relationship. Whether you view Gabriella as psychologically abusive, or not, the damage she has done to Troy’s self-esteem and image of himself is undeniable. If Troy is ever going to begin recovering from this damage, he’d need a solid, stable support system who would be willing to call Gabriella out on her hypocrisy and mistreatment of him. He would need someone who is quick to point out that a lot of the things Gabriella did were selfish and wrong and Troy is totally undeserving of all of the pain and grief Gabriella caused him. As much as Kelsi cares about Troy, I can’t see her being willing to acknowledge Gabriella’s faults. Admitting that Troy and Gabriella’s relationship isn’t the picture-perfect fairy tale romance that inspires her best musical selections would shatter her entire worldview. She’s still Gabriella’s friend, as well as Troy’s, and I could see her struggling to cope with the reality that Gabriella has hurt Troy in major, major ways. She’d want to be there for Troy, of course, but while comforting him, she’d be nursing the wounds of her own betrayal, and it would take her probably just as long to finally realize that Gabriella wasn’t the sweet, compassionate, brilliant person who changed everyone at East High for the better that Kelsi thought she was, as it would take Troy to realize that Gabriella wasn’t always right and that he deserves so much better.”

This comment covers A LOT of things I will discuss later with regards to romantic Trelsi. I am VERY particular when it comes to how I believe these two would work as a couple, as I will explain later. However, I have touched on the issues you raise in my Thou Shalts/Thou Shalt Nots. It might not come across in my posts, but I don’t think the Trelsi ship would be flawless at all and much of what you’ve said here explains why. Kelsi IS incapable of criticizing Gabriella, and that does present a significant drawback. However, the fact that as his friend, she is also unable to criticize Gabriella is equally, if not more, problematic, because it limits how well she can help him heal. Whether it’s Trelsi friendship or romance, in a realistic portrayal, Kelsi would suffer for her hero worship either way. (As would Troy). That’’s why I don’t like gooey, saccharine Trelsi fics, because they don’t highlight these problems. They just replace one superficial portrayal with another. 

“I love the idea of Troy being there to console Kelsi when her relationship with Jason dissolves for whatever reason. That’s a wonderful headcanon. I could also see Ryan potentially offering her the needed emotional support.”

Thanks, although it was mostly your analysis that prompted me. My analysis of Kelsi and Jason is upcoming in future posts, because that links to the potential of Trelsi romance.

Love that picture! 

[scriptmedic]

Pharmacology for Writers: Benzodiazepines (Valium, Ativan, Xanax, and More)

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  What Do Benzos Do, Exactly? What Are They Used For?

Benzodiazepines act as a central nervous system depressant. That has a multitude of different effects, and honestly, they’re a uniquely useful class of drug.

They can be used to treat muscle spasms, anxiety, and sleep disorders. They can keep a patient sedated both in the short term or the long term. Some of them can even stop seizures.

One of the benefits—and terrifying side effects—of benzos are their ability to keep the brain from forming memories. This makes them extremely useful for procedural sedation, for people like me who may need things like dental surgery but want to be blissfully memory-free of the process. However, this leads to another use of benzos as, well, date-rape drugs.

Want to learn more? Read on, fair human!

(trigger warning: pharmacology of date rape drugs mentioned. No images or descriptions of sexual assault occur. One bit about dentistry and consent.)

Benzos: An Abbreviated List

Because there are an awful lot of these drugs on the market, I’m going to keep it relatively short, and list only the most common benzodiazepines available. Different meds are used for different things and come in different forms, so I’ll list that too!

Oh, and as for abbreviations: PO = oral (usually a pill, but sometimes a liquid suspension for kids); IM = intramuscular (a shot in the arm, leg or buttock), IN = Intranasal (can be administered up the nose), IV = intravenous.  Anxiolysis means “breaking up anxiety”, or reducing it.

diazepam (Valium): PO / IV. Used for muscle relaxation, stopping active seizures, anxiolysis,  as a sleep aid (short term). Limited use for sedating violent patients because an IV must be in place. In babies, diazepam can also be given per rectum (up the butt) to stop seizures.

lorazepam (Ativan): PO / IV / IM. Long acting. Used for stopping active seizures, anxiolysis, sedation of violent patients. Falling out of favor for seizure and chemical restraint because of its long-lasting effects (up to 8 hours).

midazolam (Versed): PO / IV / IM / IN. Very powerful sedative effects. Used for stopping seizures, sedation of violent patients, and sedation in the ICU / OR. This medication is very commonly used in ICUs because of this, and is the first-line choice for stopping seizures in patients without IVs in place.

alprazolam (Xanax): PO only. Primarily used for anxioslysis. Highly addictive.

triazolam (Halcion): PO only. Primarily used for procedural sedation and anxiolysis.

clonazepam (Klonidine Klonopin thanks anon!): PO only. Primarily used for anxiolysis and as a newer, less-addictive alternative to alprazolam.

I will say this: as a provider who works in the emergency and intensive/critical care setting, if I had to only ever have one benzo on hand, I would take midazolam and never look back.

  What Does It Feel Like To Be On A Benzo?

Characters under the effects of benzodiazepines may feel drowsy, dizzy, “dopey”, “loopy”, like their limbs are very heavy, like their eyelids are heavy. They may also feel giddy. Benzos suppress inhibitions, so people may be an interesting combination of silly and drowsy.

Under a strong enough dose, benzos can cause characters to fall asleep.

Memories of time while on a benzo, particularly one with strong amnestic effects like triazolam or midazolam, can be blurry. Characters may remember one or two key events during a period of sedation, or they may simply not remember it at all.

I had triazolam three times for dental procedures. The first time I didn’t remember anything, the second time I remembered stressful events (but I don’t remember feeling stressed), and the third time I remembered nothing again.

However, the first time I was apparently still extremely anxious, to the point of crying and asking for my wife. (I’m an EXTREMELY nervous dental patient. I had my trust massively violated by a dentist as a kid, by which I mean, if you ask a kid if it’s okay to keep drilling, and she says NO, you fucking stop, you piece of shit, balloon gloves don’t replace consent.)

Ahem. Sorry. 

Are There Side Effects?

There can be. Benzodiazepines often cause dizziness, drowsiness, foggy thinking, weakness, an unsteady gait (stumbly walk).

It’s more rare, but they can cause disorientation, depression, sleep disturbances, and memory impairment.

When a character has a paradoxical reaction, even though they’ve been given a stimulant, they may become more excited, agitated, and aggressive.

Also, any benzo given in high enough doses can be enough to trigger respiratory depression or even apnea (lack of spontaneous breathing).

All of these side effects are potentiated (made stronger and more likely) when benzos are taken while the person has also been drinking alcohol.

  Are Benzos Addictive?

They can be. Those who take them every day can become physically dependent on them, dependent those who stop taking them suddenly can have seizures, nausea, vomiting, body aches, anxiety, double vision, profuse sweating, and more. This can happen with a sudden discontinuation or even a dose reduction.

Severe symptoms can include seizures, delirium, psychosis, and hallucinations. Seizures can be fatal if not treated.

  Why Do Benzos Stop Seizures?

GABA receptors, the same receptors that benzodiazepines hit, are CNS depressants. That means they can reduce overall activity, such as the uncontrolled activity of a seizure.

However, the longer a seizure goes on, the more GABA receptors are inactivated, which is  why patients who’ve been seizing for >10 minutes may not respond to benzos, and may need another class of drug. This condition of prolonged seizure activity, by the way, is called status epilepticus.

You Mentioned Date Rape Drugs?

Yes.

This is the downside of a class of drugs like benzos, that have both sedation, inhibition lowering, and amnestic effects. Some asshole is going to use it incorrectly. Some asshole is going to abuse it.

And that is absolutely awful. The way our society, or at least American society, handles sexual assault is atrocious, much less when it comes to those involving alcohol and drugs, whether the victim willingly ingested them or not.

That kind of abuse of something designed to be therapeutic gets me really steamed.

However, benzos help millions of people worldwide each year. Without them the odds of stopping ongoing seizures would be very slim. And millions of people have anxiety that is eased with a low dose of benzodiazepine. Two of them are in my family.

And even if we got rid of all the benzos in all the world.... assholes would find a way.

Assholes always find a way.

  Was this post helpful to you? Drop a comment or share it around!

And thanks for reading :)

xoxo, Aunt Scripty

Disclaimer

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[yeskraim]

Canon EOS R5: everything we know so far about the new mirrorless marvel

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(Image credit: Canon)

By late last year we all knew there was a high-end EOS R series full-frame mirrorless camera in the pipeline after Canon executives confirmed it was being developed. Back then, rumors were rife that the snapper would feature a high resolution sensor of either 75MP or even 83MP.

While we have no official word on the sensor resolution, Canon has let the world know that there’s a new high-specced camera arriving some time soon in the form of the EOS R5. The development announcement left plenty to the imagination, but what little was revealed has us all tingling with excitement.

While the EOS R and the EOS RP were great cameras on their own, they did disappoint when compared to the competition from the Nikon Z7 and the Z6, as well as from Panasonic’s Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R. From what little Canon has revealed so far, it seems like the EOS R5 will outdo all the competition, giving us the impression that the Japanese camera maker is fighting hard to please its fans.

And if the Canon EOS 1D X Mark III is anything to go by, the company is out to prove it can still innovate and compete. That brings us to to the EOS R5, which has all the hallmarks of potentially being the most powerful full-frame mirrorless camera to date.

Best cameras you can get in 2020: the top 10 models to choose from

The 10 best mirrorless cameras available right now

Mirrorless vs DSLR: 10 key differences

(Image credit: Canon)

The EOS R5 development announcement was but a tease and there’s a lot we don’t know about the upcoming shooter, but this is the first time we’ve got official confirmation of some of its specs.

So, what do we know for sure and what can we expect from the new mirrorless marvel?

EOS R5: pricing and availability

One of the big gaps that was in Canon’s EOS R5 development announcement was the price tag the upcoming camera might carry, or even when we might expect to lay our hands on it. We’re unsure whether Canon will fill this gap by giving us more information during the CP+ photography show to be held later in February, but rumors did point to a possible release date some time in July 2020.

While that might seem like a long wait, it’s pretty much in line with what Canon did with the EOS 1D X Mark III – the official development announcement was made in October 2019 with shipping of the camera having begun only in February 2020.

As for the price tag, we can only presume it would be competing with the 45.7MP Nikon Z7, or perhaps even the 61MP Sony Alpha A7R IV. If that’s the case, be prepared to shell out something well over the $3,500 / £3,500 / AU$4,500 mark.

EOS R5: design

Canon shared a small image of the EOS R5 with the development announcement and going by that alone it’s clear the new camera will resemble the original EOS R physically. 

However, leaked specs that were revealed by Canon Rumors in January indicate that the multi-function bar on the rear of the EOS R will find its way to upcoming snapper. Instead, the scroll wheel will find its way back instead.

Talking about the button layout on the rear – we were curious to see whether the Smart Controller introduced in the EOS 1D X Mark III (to speed up focus point selection) had made its way to the R5 and the joystick on the rear appears to be a standard one and not the touch-sensitive option. If the Smart Controller has been left out, we think that’s a shame as we thought it was a brilliant bit of innovation from Canon.

Rumors also suggest that the R5 will use a brand-new larger capacity battery but whether that will affect the overall size of the camera is as yet unclear.

(Image credit: Canon)

EOS R5: sensor and processor

Canon has kept the sensor resolution of the EOS R5 a closely guarded secret but rumors do suggest it will be 45MP. All we know for sure, though, is that Canon is going to use a “newly designed CMOS sensor” in the new shooter.

We also know for sure that the camera is capable of 8K video capture (more on that later), meaning the camera would require a sensor with 7680 x 5120 pixels. That puts the sensor’s resolution in the 40MP ballpark. We’ll have to wait and see, though.

While we have no idea about the EOS R5’s autofocus system, Canon has confirmed that the upcoming camera will be capable of shooting stills at 12fps bursts when using the mechanical shutter, while matching the EOS 1D X Mark III’s 20fps continuous shooting speed when using the silent shutter or shooting in Live View.

We’re expecting the EOS R5 to make use of the new Digic X processor that debuted in the pro sports DSLR recently, although we’ll have to wait for confirmation from Canon on that regard.

EOS R5: video specs

This is the headline act: Canon has confirmed that the EOS R5 will be able to capture 8K video. This is the first time such high resolution recording ability has made its way to a consumer-level snapper (matching the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy S20‘s video prowess), while it’s already available on some of Canon’s premium cine cameras.

According to Canon, having the ability to shoot in 8K will allow users to extract oversampled 4K video and “extract high-resolution still images from video footage”.

We still don’t know whether the camera will be able to capture 8K RAW footage, though, and whether there will be a crop factor to take into consideration, or whether it will be able to capture it in 10-bit 4:2:2 color gamut, but this puts the Canon EOS R5 firmly in competition with the Panasonic Lumix S1H which tops out at 6K video.

Frame rates also an unknown at the moment, but previous reports claim the EOS R5 should be able to capture 8K at 30fps and 4K at up to 120fps.

The processing power that will be required to record 8K movies would generate a huge amount heat though, and it’s as yet unclear how the R5 will handle this. From the images we’ve seen, there doesn’t appear to be a heatsink built in, like the one on the Lumix S1H.

EOS R5: image stabilization

Canon has, historically, shied away from adding in-body image stabilization (IBIS) to its cameras, relying on lenses that have in-built stability. Which makes the R5 unique as Canon has announced that the new camera will come equipped with IBIS that “will work in combination with the lens stabilization system” when using glass that come with built-in stability.

Canon Rumors reported in January that the R5’s IBIS would lend 5 stops of stability on its own, but would get bumped to “7-8 stops of correction when used with in-lens stabilization”. If true, that would make handheld shooting with the R5 a dream and we can’t wait to try it out for ourselves.

EOS R5: connectivity

With both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth available in pretty much every modern camera, the R5 will definitely have both on board, with rumors suggesting the snapper will support 5GHz Wi-Fi for faster transfer speeds. We’re unsure whether the R5 will support just 5GHz wireless or whether, like the Sony Alpha A9 II, it will support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz – having both might appeal to the pros still hanging on to older gear.

While we don’t even know if Canon will employ the latest Bluetooth 5.1 standard for wireless connectivity, the company has announced that users will be able to upload images in original resolution and quality directly to Canon’s new Image.Canon cloud platform that will be available starting April 2020.

The EOS R5 will also feature dual card slots, although whether they’ll both support high-speed SD cards or CFExpress like the EOS 1D X Mark III is anyone’s guess.

The best full-frame mirrorless cameras in 2020: 10 top models to buy right now

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[businessliveme]

Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash in California

(Bloomberg) — Kobe Bryant, the basketball icon who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, leaving a legacy that spanned 20 years in professional sports and a growing second career as an investor.

Bryant was among nine people killed when a helicopter slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. He was 41. Also among the victims were his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, another parent and a teammate from Gianna’s travel sports team.

“The NBA family is devastated,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. And in a sign that Bryant’s impact went deep into the city where he made his career, Los Angeles Mayor Mayor Eric Garcetti said he “will live forever in the heart of Los Angeles, and will be remembered through the ages as one of our greatest heroes.”

A 6-foot-6 small forward, Bryant was a gifted scorer whose intensity and work ethic became lore throughout the sports world. He entered the NBA in 1996 directly out of high school, and as the youngest player in the league had an almost-immediate impact for the Lakers. At the time the team was looking for the next star to continue a run of legends that included Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

Bryant delivered. During his 20-year pro career he won — in addition to his NBA titles — two gold medals in the Olympics, two NBA Finals MVPs and a regular season MVP in 2008. He led the league in scoring twice and retired with 33,643 points — third on the league’s all-time scoring list until he was passed this weekend by LeBron James. He wore two jerseys for the Lakers — No. 8 and No. 24 — and the team retired both.

Complex Legacy

His career was not without controversy. In 2003, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. Bryant said the encounter was consensual, and criminal charges were dropped when his accuser refused to testify. She later filed a civil suit against him, and the two sides settled out of court, with Bryant issuing an apology but admitting no guilt.

The rape case created a complex legacy for Bryant, who repaired his reputation both on the court, and off it, becoming a celebrated investor and businessman. He co-founded a venture capital firm in 2013 and in 2018 won an Academy Award for best animated short for 2017’s “Dear Basketball,” based on a poem he wrote announcing his retirement.

Bryant’s immense popularity, including overseas in China, made him a valuable endorser even after he finished playing. No partnership was as big as his long-time relationship with Nike Inc. Bryant signed with the company in 2003 and became one of the sneaker-maker’s most important athlete endorsers. Nike built an entire apparel line around Bryant, and released more than 10 signature Kobe shoes.

“He was one of the greatest athletes of his generation and has had an immeasurable impact on the world of sport and the community of basketball,” the company said in a statement.

Bryant’s name was the first to be mentioned on-stage at the Grammy Awards on Sunday evening, when singer Lizzo dedicated the night to him before opening the show with a two-song performance. His two retired basketball jerseys were illuminated in Staples Center, home of the Lakers.

“We’re all feeling crazy sadness right now,” host Alicia Keys said, before singing a song in Bryant’s honor. “We’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built.”

Bryant’s Childhood

Kobe Bean Bryant was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, 1978. Son of a professional basketball player, Bryant moved to Italy when he was 6 after his father took a job with a team in Rieti. Fluent in Italian, Bryant returned to the U.S. in 1991, and starred as a high schooler for Philadelphia’s Lower Merion High School.

He was drafted 13th overall in 1996 by the Charlotte Hornets, who traded him to the Lakers — the only team he would ever play for. Even early in his career, his work ethic set him apart from others. Longtime NBA coach Byron Scott recalls finding Bryant, when he was 18, shooting alone in an empty gym two hours before practice.

“I go out to the court and I look, and there’s Kobe Bryant, he’s out there shooting in the dark,” Scott told Business Insider in 2017. “I stood there for probably about 10 seconds and I said, ‘This kid is going to be great.’”

Paired with Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant won his first NBA title in 2000, the first of three straight that the team would win. After O’Neal departed, Bryant went on to win two more, in 2009 and 2010. He was named the finals MVP for both.

NBA Highlights

Outside of the championships, Bryant’s career contains a number of legendary NBA moments. In 2005, he outscored the Dallas Mavericks 62-61 through three quarters of a regular season game. A month later he scored 81 points in a game against the Toronto Raptors, the closest any player before or since had come to touching Chamberlain’s record 100.

In 2013, he tore his Achilles tendon against the Golden State Warriors, and hit two free throws before leaving the game. It’s just one of many examples of how Bryant fought through injuries in his career. Former Lakers teammate John Celestand remembers another, when Bryant broke his wrist during the 1999-2000 season.

“I am ashamed to say that I was excited the day after his injury because I knew that there was no way that No. 8 would be the first to practice, if he would even be there at all,” Celestand wrote in 2005 blog post. “As I walked through the training room, I became stricken with fear when I heard a ball bouncing. No, no, it couldn’t be! Yes it could. Kobe was already in a full sweat with a cast on his right arm, and dribbling and shooting with his left.”

Business Career

Bryant began investing long before he retired from the NBA. Those who worked with him said he showed the same intensity and work ethic in pitch meetings that he used to show on the court. He’d frequently cold-call CEOs and business leaders — including former Nike Chief Executive Officer Mark Parker, former Apple Inc. executive Jony Ive, and media moguls Oprah Winfrey and Arianna Huffington — to learn more about their business.

Bryant’s legacy cut across multiple fields — sports, entertainment, business — and social media erupted with messages and lamentations. Nike posted a poignant image in saying goodbye to Bryant, whose nickname was Black Mamba.

Among his most successful investments was an early stake in the sports drink-maker BodyArmor. He reportedly put $6 million into the company in 2014, a stake that was worth an estimated $200 million after Coca-Cola took a majority stake in BodyArmor four years later.

“It’s the same mentality” as playing basketball, Bryant told Bloomberg Businessweek of his investing back in 2018. “You win one championship, you can go on vacation all summer long or be in the gym the next day working on winning the next one. That same mentality carries through to what we are doing today, to me being here now.”

In 2013 he co-founded Bryant Stibel, a venture capital firm, with Jeff Stibel. The firm has invested in more than two dozen companies, including video game publisher Epic Games, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.com, Cholula hot sauce, and athlete-centered media platform the Players Tribune.

He dabbled in media as well, launching a production company called Kobe Studios.

Bryant leaves behind a wife, Vanessa, and three surviving daughters — Natalia, Bianka and Capri, who was born last year.

The Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board said it dispatched investigators to the crash site.

The superstar, his daughter and other passengers were traveling in a Sikorsky S-76B, a popular helicopter for commercial uses that has been used for decades. The helicopter identified by flight-tracking website Flightradar24 is owned by Island Express Holding Corp. in Van Nuys, California, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.

Flightradar24 said preliminary data indicated the helicopter had taken off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles, at 9:06 a.m. local time. It flew over Los Angeles and Glendale, then over the San Fernando Valley before turning toward the rugged Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu.

In its last recorded position at 9:45 a.m., the helicopter was at 1,700 feet altitude and flying at 176 miles per hour. Photos of the crash site show that it hit an undeveloped hillside.

The final tweet on Bryant’s personal account referred to James’s achievement on the court this weekend passing him as No. 3 on the all-time NBA scoring list.

In 2010, Bryant spoke with Yahoo! Sports about his legacy.

“When my career is over, I want them to think of me as an overachiever despite the talent that I have,” Bryant said. “To think of me as a person that’s overachieved, that would mean a lot to me. That means I put a lot of work in and squeezed every ounce of juice out of this orange that I could.”

The post Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash in California appeared first on Businessliveme.com.

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[mariemary1]

How Two Brands Generate Hundreds of Thousands in Revenue on Social Media, Big News from Twitter, New LinkedIn Ad Formats, and More!

Looking to catch up on the latest social media news, but short on time? We have you covered! This week (episode #113) we’re chatting about all of this and more:

How two brands are using social media, particularly Instagram and Instagram Stories, to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and why it may not be as difficult as you think.

Instagram is testing a brand new stand-alone shopping app that could put them in the same conversation as massive ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento.

LinkedIn launches a powerful ad format for businesses called Dynamic Ads. We’re breaking down exactly what they are and what they can do for your business.

Big news on the Twitter front. They are releasing a feature that will allows users to switch between a chronological and algorithmic timeline. We’ve got all of the information you need to know.

Join 18,000+ weekly listeners for the Buffer podcast, The Science of Social Media, where we bring you the latest and greatest in social media marketing news, updates, stories, insights, and actionable takeaways.

Let’s dive in!

How two brands generate hundreds of thousands in revenue on social media, big news from Twitter, new LinkedIn ad formats, and more [complete podcast transcript]

What follows is a lightly edited transcript of the conversation between Hailley Griffis and Brian Peters.

Part I: How two brands generate hundreds of thousands in revenue on social media

Part II: Instagram working on a brand new standalone shopping app

Part III: LinkedIn launches powerful new Dynamic Ads format

Part IV: Twitter allowing users to switch to a chronological timeline

Brian: Hi everyone! I’m Brian Peters and this is The Science of Social Media, a podcast by Buffer. Your weekly sandbox for social media stories, insights, experimentation, and learning.

Hailley: Welcome to episode #113, I’m Hailley Griffis and this week we’re bringing you the latest and greatest in the world of social media and and marketing, starting with a couple of case studies on how two companies used social media to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales, plus some big news from Twitter.

Brian: We’ll also be diving into exciting new LinkedIn ad formats as well as Instagram’s brand new shopping app. Tons to talk about, thanks for joining us from wherever you’re tuning in – let’s kick off the show!

Part I: How two brands generate hundreds of thousands in revenue on social media

Hailley: It was a cold January morning in Berlin, Germany, and Jonathan Courtney was feeling a bit stuck.

Nearly six years had passed since he founded design agency, AJ&Smart. And though the business had been a huge success — winning multiple awards and a roster of big-name clients — Jonathan felt there was much more to come for his agency and team.

“But what?” he wondered to himself. “How can we take AJ&Smart to the next level?”

Brian: Jonathan decided to make a bold move.

He wanted to share everything that happened at AJ&Smart on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, giving followers behind-the-scenes access to the agency.

Now, 18-months later — and despite the initial pushback from advisors — AJ&Smart has generated in excess 2 million in revenue from clients who first discovered the agency on social media.

Hailley: “We all had what I guess you call ‘real jobs’,” Jay Perkins told us.

Back in 2013, Jay worked at Bigcommerce, an e-commerce software provider where he learned about what it takes to have a successful online business.

But Jay could only hold back his entrepreneurial ambitions for so long.

Brian: After kicking around business ideas for a year-or-so, Jay and his two business partners decided to take the plunge and launch an online store of their own.

Fast-forward to 2018 and Kettlebell Kings is a leading kettlebell equipment supplier based in Austin, Texas, generating mid seven-figures per year in revenue — with much of its new business coming directly from leads generated on Instagram.

Hailley: So what do AJ&Smart and Kettlebell kings have in common?

They both use social media to drive consistent brand awareness, leads, and eventually sales. Hundreds of thousands in sales.

Brian: Lets start with Kettlebell Kings.

Today, Kettlebell Kinds get around 400-600 leads per week from social media, with half coming from Instagram.

Jay Perkins explained to us that most of their biggest deals and business development relationships have come through Instagram — they have even signed deals with national gym chains from leads generated on the platform.

Hailley: Getting to this point is a lot more attainable than you might think.

First, Jay and his team are ‘very strict on the posts that go into their feeds’

The first step to a successful Instagram marketing strategy is creating content for your Instagram feed that your audience wants to see and engage with.

Brian: In the Instagram feed, Kettlebell Kings focuses on sharing educational content and workout examples — this strategy has helped it to amass an audience of over 79,000 followers.

It also reposts images and videos from customers and this user-generated content angle has lead to the hashtag #kettlebellkings being used more than 20,000 times on Instagram

Hailley: Next, Kettlebell Kings features and reposts 10-12 customers who tag us on a daily basis through stories.

It’s a win-win because being reposted by the Kettlebell Kings account is highly engaging and rewarding for those featured and it also encourages more and more customers to share their content on Instagram. And it provides their team with an unlimited stream of great content.

Brian: Cool so quick recap, Kettlebell Kings focuses on creating consistently quality and engaging content for both the Insta feed and for Stories.

But that’s not all… In order to capitalize on all of the views, they’ll include CTAs to “swipe up” in some of their Stories.

Hailley: Once a viewer swipes up, they will be taken to a landing page or an article where they can read more about a topic and enter their email address for more exclusive content.

These pages tend to convert visitors to email addresses at around 25-45 percent, depending on the traffic source. So 100 visits would generate between 25 and 45 new leads, on average.

Brian: Finally, once the visitor has shared their email address it will be entered into one of many email workflows Kettlebell Kings has designed to serve helpful email drip campaigns about kettlebell workouts and techniques from experts.

Jay explained to us that they have unique workflows depending on how someone has entered our system. All of their email workflows are about building value and trust with new leads.

Hailley: And that’s the key.

Kettlebell Kings purposely includes product photos in its emails but rarely sends offers or tries to make a sale. Instead, providing high quality content is the number one goal.

Brian: It’s amazing what can happen when you invest in great content.

Now AJ&Smart is another social success story. The AJ&Smart team was inspired by Gary Vaynerchuk’s mantra of ‘Document. Don’t create’.

Hailley: Once Jonathan and the AJ&Smart team had decided to embrace social media, they went all in. “We invested almost all of our profits in building our brand,” Jonathan told me.

And though his strategy was a little out there for a creative agency — most agencies keep their cards close to their chest — there was a strategic reason behind it.

Brian: “We’re in a commodity market,” Jonathan told us in an interview. “We could compete on price or just rely on the quality of our work. But he didn’t want to do that.

Jonathan wanted AJ&Smart to stand out alone in the field of design agencies. He wanted the business to have its own brand.

Hailley: So they decided to focus on making one channel really great. That channel is Instagram.

‘Instagram is their social media hub’. As Jonathan explained to us, it’s a super low friction way to create content and a great way to get started.

They use Stories mainly to provide an authentic look at what the agency is like day-to-day and tries to show as much of what’s happening in real-time as possible.

Brian: And guess what?

When the AJ&Smart team goes to visit a client, the client already knows the whole journey and what the agency is all about.

And when it comes to their main Instagram feed, they post highly curated content that’s focused on design-related hashtags the agency wants to reach.

Hailley: Here’s the catch.

Jonathan openly admits that long-term social media success rarely happens overnight.

After a couple of months of investing heavily in social media marketing, AJ&Smart had only picked up a few hundred followers here and there. It took about eight-months in total before potential clients would contact the company saying they found it on Instagram, YouTube or any other social channels.

Brian: Jonathan told us, “If I hadn’t have been patient I’d have given up long before we started to see the benefits of social media. If you’re just focused on the numbers, you’re not going to succeed.”

By focusing on humanizing the AJ&Smart brand and by documenting instead of only creating, they were able to generate more than 2 million in revenue directly from social media.

Part II: Instagram working on a brand new standalone shopping app

Hailley: Just when we thought Instagram was all out of new features, sources from The Verge tell us that they are working on a new standalone app dedicated to shopping, The app — which may be called Instagram shopping or something similar — will let users browse collections of goods from merchants that they follow and purchase them directly within the app.

Brian: At this point, the potential Instagram shopping app is still very early on in the development stage and so there’s no timetable for release yet, but we do believe that Instagram is well positioned to make a major expansion into e-commerce.

More than 25 million businesses already have Instagram accounts, and 2 million of them are advertisers.

Hailley: Four in five Instagram users follow at least one business. Creating a standalone app would allow the company to provide a dedicated home for an increasingly popular activity on Instagram while also expanding opportunities for revenue.

Brian: And of course, in true Facebook fashion, they could introduce more tools for merchants who are building their businesses on Instagram, entering into the space with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce.

Hailley: As always, we’ll keep you posted here on the Science of Social Media.

I don’t know, Brian, I find myself shopping on Instagram more and more.

Brian: Oh totally – me to. I was just thinking about that the other day. I think I shop more on my mobile phone now than I do on my desktop which is a huge shift for me.

Part III: LinkedIn launches powerful new Dynamic Ads format

Hailley: Alright, next up, LinkedIn has just launched a brand new ad type called Dynamic Ads. They’re actually really neat. According to LinkedIn, “Dynamic Ads help you build deeper relationships with your audience by automatically customizing your ad creative with the publicly available information from LinkedIn member profiles – adding visibility and scale.”

Brian: So essentially with Dynamic Ads you can personalize the ad creative to feature member profile details such as their photo, first name, company, and job title. LinkedIn says this will “capture your audience’s attention in a way that standard display ads can’t.”

Early results sound promising too as LinkedIn has shared that Dynamic Ads have shown up to 2X the click-through rate of traditional display ads.

Hailley: With Dynamic Ads, you just need to write your ad copy, set up the creative and then LinkedIn will automatically personalize your campaign for each person you target.

Dynamic ads are available in three different formats — Follower ads, Spotlight ads and Content ads — and can be used across your marketing funnel to connect with prospects at different stages of their journey.

Brian: If you’d like to read more about Dynamic Ads or get started with some experiments, head on over to the Buffer blog where we’ve got the inside scoop on everything you need to know.

Part IV: Twitter allowing users to switch to a chronological timeline

And last, but not least, and this one sort of went viral this week, is that Twitter will, yes you guessed it, soon allow you switch between a chronological feed and algorithm feed. Hailley: Now you will be able to uncheck a box in settings reading “Show the best tweets first,” which will completely revert your timeline to chronological.

Twitter said that they’ve learned that when showing the best Tweets first, people find Twitter more relevant and useful. However, they’ve also heard feedback from people who at times prefer to see the most recent Tweets.

Brian: Ultimately their goal with the timeline is to balance showing you the most recent Tweets with the best Tweets you’re likely to care about, but we don’t always get this balance right.

However, and Hailley we’ve talked about this before, is that I think this is one of those “be careful what you wish for situations” – I’m not sure if people realize just how useful and valuable the algorithm is.

Hailley: Thank you so much for tuning in to the Science of Social Media today.

If you ever want to get in touch with me or Brian, we’re always here for your on social media using the hashtag #bufferpodcast. You can also say hi to us anytime and hello@bufferapp.com

Brian: Yes we would absolutely love to hear from you all.

And a huge thank you from myself and Hailley – we just passed the 18,000 weekly listener milestone and could not be more excited. You all are the reason we do this every single week. So, keep up the awesome work.

Lots more to come in 2018 so stay tuned. Until next Monday, everyone!

How to say hello to us

We would all love to say hello to you on social media – especially Twitter!

Hailley on Twitter and Hailley’s Website

Brian on Twitter and Brian’s Website

Thanks for listening! Feel free to connect with our team at Buffer on Twitter, Buffer on Facebook, our Podcast homepage, or with the hashtag #bufferpodcast.

Enjoy the show? It’d mean the world to us if you’d be up for giving us a rating and review on iTunes!

—

About The Science of Social Media podcast

The Science of Social Media is your weekly sandbox for social media stories, insights, experimentation, and inspiration. Every Monday (and sometimes more) we share the most cutting-edge social media marketing tactics from brands and influencers in every industry. If you’re a social media team of one, business owner, marketer, or someone simply interested in social media marketing, you’re sure to find something useful in each and every episode.  It’s our hope that you’ll join our 18,000+ weekly iTunes listeners and rock your social media channels as a result!

The Science of Social Media is proudly made by the Buffer team. Feel free to get in touch with us for any thoughts, ideas, or feedback.

Thank How Two Brands Generate Hundreds of Thousands in Revenue on Social Media, Big News from Twitter, New LinkedIn Ad Formats, and More! for first publishing this post.

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Nikon Night time Images Showdown: D850 vs the D750, D810, and D5

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/nikon-night-time-images-showdown-d850-vs-the-d750-d810-and-d5/

Nikon Night time Images Showdown: D850 vs the D750, D810, and D5

  My identify is Lance Keimig, and I’m one of many instructors for Nationwide Parks at Night time, a workshop program centered on night time pictures in nationwide parks. All 5 of us instructors are primarily Nikon shooters. Between us, we use the D750, D810, D3s, D4s, and D5. Though we’re usually pleased with our present cameras, a few of us are prepared for an improve.

As such, the announcement of the D850 just a few months in the past excited us as a lot because it did the remainder of the picture world. This digital camera was touted to be a game-changer for each area of interest it caters to, together with night time pictures. So it was pure that we’d need to field-test it as a nocturnal instrument.

With its practically 46-megapixel sensor and spectacular listing of specs and options, the D850 was a becoming digital camera for Nikon to launch throughout its centennial 12 months. Though it’s a direct successor to the D810, the D850 appears to be extra of a hybrid between the high-megapixel D810 and the high-speed D5. The brand new digital camera sports activities a Nikon-designed 45.7-megapixel FX-format BSI CMOS sensor aimed toward panorama, studio, and architectural photographers, however can shoot as much as 9 frames per second and at the least 51 steady frames earlier than the buffer fills for sports activities and wedding ceremony photographers. And the back-side illuminated sensor ought to enhance low-light efficiency, which is clearly key for night time photographers!

I lately had the chance to spend a while (not practically sufficient) with the D850 and evaluate its efficiency to different high-end Nikon cameras, particularly because it pertains to nighttime pictures. Regardless of the moon, UPS and the climate (clouds, chilly and wind) all conspiring in opposition to me, I used to be capable of spend a few nights with the D850, in addition to make some comparability pictures with the D750, D810, and D5.

There are a lot of on-line evaluations of the D850, however on this one I’ll focus totally on the way it performs and handles for night time pictures––particularly:

1. Excessive ISO astro-landscape pictures 2. Native ISO lengthy publicity night time pictures Three. Excessive distinction synthetic gentle night time pictures

I’m assuming that the reader is at the least minimally conversant in Nikon DSLRs, and that they may use different assets equivalent to DPReview and DXOMark to guage the digital camera for different sorts of pictures.

The digital camera is simply barely heavier than the D810 and is well-balanced and cozy to carry. It weighs about half a pound greater than the D750, and nearly a full pound lower than the D5.

The controls and buttons of the D850 are much like the D810, besides that the ISO and Mode buttons have switched positions consistent with the D5. It is a good enchancment over different Nikon cameras just like the D750 the place the ISO button is on the again and to the left of the show.

The pop-up flash has been sacrificed in favor of higher climate sealing and a bigger optical viewfinder with .75 magnification and 100 % body protection. Night time photographers ought to respect each of those options greater than a built-in flash. There’s additionally a flip lever with a shutter to dam gentle from getting into by means of the viewfinder throughout lengthy exposures.

The D850 has an articulated rear display screen which operates in the identical vogue because the D750 display screen, besides that it’s increased decision and touch-sensitive. The display screen adjusts on just one axis and is helpful primarily for high and low digital camera angles with the digital camera within the horizontal place. Earlier Nikon contact screens have been usable solely in playback mode, however the D850’s contact display screen can be lively in live-view and menu navigation modes.

Like a lot of Nikon’s semi-pro cameras, the D850 has two card slots, one for XQD and one for SD playing cards. Personally, I would like the selection of two of the identical card slots, however the XQD card’s excessive write pace is required to take full benefit of the digital camera’s excessive body charge and enormous buffer, in addition to the large quantities of knowledge recorded by the high-resolution sensor throughout video recording.

One characteristic that’s particularly welcome to nighttime photographers is the introduction of backlit buttons, which clearly ease the duty of discovering controls in the dead of night. Although, in contrast to with the D4s, D5, and D500, solely the buttons on the left facet of the D850 are illuminated.

As with the D750, there’s a Time publicity setting, obtainable in guide mode in between X250 and Bulb. The Time setting appears like two dashes (“- -”) within the Management Panel. Not like the Time setting within the D750, which shuts off after 1,694 seconds if not ended sooner, the D850 shutter will stay open indefinitely.

Sadly, programmed shutter speeds don’t lengthen previous 30 seconds, which can be true of the obtainable shutter speeds within the built-in intervalometer. Canon lastly prolonged their shutter pace vary with the 6D Mark II and 5D Mark IV, and hopefully Nikon will observe swimsuit with their future fashions.

One in all my greatest disappointments with previous Nikon cameras has been the poor high quality of the reside view picture in low gentle, which makes live-view focusing at night time fairly tough. There’s some enchancment with the D850, and a brand new setting that permits the consumer to set totally different brightness ranges for reside view and picture playback is useful, as are the addition of live-view focus peaking and zebra stripes. (Should you’re not conversant in the latter characteristic, know that it’s going to make your life higher. Test it out.)

The awkward Mode dial has been changed with a way more user-friendly Mode button, with the unlucky trade-off of dropping the user-programmable customized modes for saving ceaselessly used combos of digital camera settings. I’m additionally not a fan of the outdated menu banks. Two different issues:

1. The SnapBridge Bluetooth app for transferring pictures to your smartphone, at the least at first inception, was unreliable at greatest and is the one method so as to add GPS knowledge to your recordsdata in-camera. (Nikon has informed us that the latest replace makes it usable, however I’ve not been capable of check it.) 2. Transferring recordsdata over Wi-Fi requires an attachment, of which the Nikon possibility is the $750 WT-7A Wi-fi Transmitter. (There are third-party choices as properly, which we are going to cowl sooner or later.)

Regardless of the few quibbles talked about, the D850 is a pleasure to make use of. It’s extremely customizable and really straightforward to get snug with. I’m unsure that I’d need to hike the Pacific Crest Path with it on my again, however in my restricted experiences, it didn’t really feel noticeably heavier within the area than my D750.

Most earlier Nikon DSLRs have used Sony engineered sensors, so the very first thing to notice with the D850 is that this is among the few cameras that incorporates a Nikon designed sensor. It’s a 45.7-megapixel FX-format BSI CMOS sensor. BSI stands for back-side illumination, a expertise that has an atypical association of the sensor elements that permits extra photons to achieve the photodetectors, enhancing low-light efficiency, in addition to readout charges, or the time required to digitize the sunshine reaching the sensor.

What this implies to us is that Nikon has produced an especially high-resolution digital camera that doesn’t sacrifice low-light efficiency. Night time photographers could make very giant high-quality prints from pictures made with a D850.

(An attention-grabbing facet notice is that Sony’s a7R II was the primary FX digital camera to make the most of a BSI sensor, and the alternative a7R III additionally makes use of BSI expertise. This expertise has been round for some time, however till lately was too costly to implement in a fairly priced FX digital camera.)

Like its predecessor, the D850 has a local ISO of 64, permitting for wider dynamic vary than cameras with a local ISO of 100. The sensor additionally makes use of twin conversion achieve, which has the impact of preserving spotlight dynamic vary whereas growing sensitivity. In essence, the sensor has two totally different sensitivities: the native ISO of 64, and ISO 400, which is when the elevated achieve is activated.

After all night time pictures is usually finished at excessive ISOs, which sacrifice dynamic vary in favor of shorter publicity occasions. It has been recommended that underexposing at ISO 400 or 500 after which elevating the publicity throughout RAW conversion will protect extra of the dynamic vary than taking pictures at increased ISOs as much as 4000. To me, this means a point of ISO invariance, (which is bolstered by my check pictures) though the article linked above claims that it’s not.

The focusing system within the D850 is similar as within the D5: a 153-point autofocus system that includes 99 cross-type factors. Each the middle focusing level and light-weight meter are rated all the way down to -Four EV. This isn’t sufficient to focus or meter by starlight, however it does supply a slight enchancment over earlier Nikon fashions just like the D750 (-Three EV) and D810 (-2 EV).

As with the D810, the D850 has no optical low-pass or anti-aliasing filter, which makes for the sharpest attainable pictures, however at a value of an elevated threat of moiré in extremely detailed areas of a repeating sample.

I used to be ready to make use of the digital camera in numerous lighting circumstances various from full moon to starlight to some synthetic lighting combined with moonlight. After I had entry to the digital camera, temperatures ranged between the low 20s and low 40s F, so lengthy publicity noise was not an issue.

Thirty-minute exposures at native ISO with out enabling LENR have been clear as a whistle. Native ISO 64 exposures yielded really extraordinary picture high quality in each pure and synthetic gentle, however increased ISO pictures have been inconsistent. To be truthful, I used to be not testing in a managed atmosphere, however with real-world variability that makes it tougher to be scientific.

So you may make your individual evaluations, we’re offering you a number of pictures made throughout the testing I did for this text. They’re largely DNG recordsdata with embedded metadata. Be happy to obtain the recordsdata and manipulate them for evaluative functions. Please don’t try and take away or edit the recordsdata on this folder, however slightly obtain them onto your individual laptop first.

You may obtain all the pieces talked about beneath right here. (Warning: It’d take awhile, and we suggest not doing so with a cellular machine utilizing a mobile knowledge connection. The recordsdata complete about half a gigabyte.)

ISO 6400 COMPARISON

ISO 6400 Comparability: D750 v. D810 v. D850 [Download]

These pictures have been made sequentially on a really chilly and windy night time in Vermont simply earlier than moonrise. The clouds close to the horizon are reflecting the lights of South Burlington or Williston, about 20 miles to the north. Because the clouds have been altering rapidly throughout the photographs, the worth of evaluating spotlight clipping is considerably restricted. The foreground was lit by a handheld Luxli Constructor gentle, which was moved throughout the body throughout the publicity, because the beam was not vast sufficient to gentle all the scene. In hindsight, it will have been higher to mount the sunshine on a stand for consistency. The white strains within the street are puddles reflecting gentle from the sky.

DYNAMIC RANGE

Dynamic Vary: D850 [Download]

On this folder, you will see a daytime picture made at Ubehebe Crater in Loss of life Valley Nationwide Park. The picture was made shortly earlier than sundown, throughout a windstorm that kicked up an amazing quantity of mud. It wasn’t the picture op I had hoped for, however nonetheless offered loads of materials to work with. There are three PNG recordsdata displaying my Lightroom fundamental and native changes, and one displaying clipping within the unique file. I’ve included the DNG file, so you may make your individual changes as properly.

There’s additionally the radio telescope picture in DNG format to indicate the utmost dynamic vary—what’s attainable, and what isn’t.

NATIVE VERSUS HIGH ISO

Native v. Excessive ISO: D750 v. D5 v. D850 [Download]

There are two subfolders right here, one displaying native and +6-stop exposures in combined synthetic and moonlight shot with the D750 and D850. These are DNG recordsdata. The second folder reveals native and +6-stop exposures in starlight with a little bit gentle air pollution, evaluating the D5 and D850 below these circumstances. Observe that heavy clouds moved in throughout the 30-minute publicity on the D850, so it appears fairly totally different than the 30-minute D5 picture.

ISO INVARIANCE

ISO Invariance: D5 v. D850 [Download]

These two folders embody a sequence of pictures shot with the D5 and D850 at full-stop ISOs from 100 to 6400 utilizing the identical aperture and shutter pace. The D850 folder additionally consists of an ISO 64 picture since that’s the native ISO of the digital camera. For every cease of underexposure, the ensuing picture was given an extra cease of publicity in Lightroom, as much as 5, the utmost obtainable. For the ISO 64/100 exposures—that are six stops lower than the 6400 exposures—5 stops plus Highlights and Shadows have been added to make the picture look pretty much as good as attainable. Solely fundamental module changes have been utilized.

The conclusion is that the D5 is most undoubtedly not invariant, and the D850 is. The D5 has a decrease dynamic vary at native ISO, and greatest outcomes are achieved by giving right publicity at no matter ISO you utilize and never by elevating publicity in post-processing. Conversely, the D850 has extraordinarily vast dynamic vary at native ISO 64, and likewise has a small bump in dynamic vary at ISO 400 when the extra achieve is utilized to the sensor. Greatest outcomes are achieved by taking pictures at ISO 64 when attainable, or, for astro-landscape imaging for star factors or Milky Approach pictures, I like to recommend taking pictures at ISO 400 and including 4 stops of publicity within the RAW converter of your selecting.

For instance, a typical astro-landscape pictures publicity can be 20 seconds, f/2.eight, ISO 6400. With the D850, I like to recommend utilizing 20 seconds, f/2.eight, ISO 400, after which boosting the publicity by 4 stops throughout RAW conversion. This may permit you to use the a lot wider dynamic vary on the decrease ISO with out including further shot noise to the picture. (Utilizing ISOs decrease than 400 and boosting the publicity in put up by extra than 4 stops will not yield higher outcomes.)

These are DNG recordsdata, so be at liberty to obtain and reset them to make your individual changes from scratch.

LIGHT WRITING COMPARISON

Gentle Writing: D750 v. D810 v. D5 v. D850 [Download]

Obtain These pictures, made on the Racetrack Playa in Loss of life Valley, are the one ones I’ve evaluating all 4 cameras. However because of the distinctive nature of every light-writing publicity––particularly the angle of the sunshine supply and the pace it was transferring—there are some intrinsic variations in highlights. Nonetheless, they’re enjoyable recordsdata to evaluation as a way to get a common sense of the picture qualities below these circumstances (moonlight with a lightweight supply within the body).

Briefly, the entire cameras I examined have excellent picture high quality and make wonderful decisions for night time photographers. The query readers must be asking themselves is, “Which digital camera is greatest for my wants?”

D750

The D750, regardless of being launched greater than Three years in the past, produces pictures that maintain their very own amongst its costlier brethren. It’s a very good worth, presently priced at slightly below $1,800, and is a superb step up from an APS-C digital camera. It might even be a superb selection for a second physique.

The compromise in selecting the D750 is primarily in consumer expertise. Missing a touchscreen and the higher live-view picture high quality of the newer cameras—in addition to the consolation options of the D5 and D850 equivalent to illuminated rear controls and an eyepiece shutter—don’t have an effect on picture high quality a lot as ease of use.

Should you by no means print, or in case you by no means show your pictures on something bigger than your laptop show, you is perhaps greatest off with a D750 and utilizing the additional cash to put money into some new Nikon glass to go along with it.

D810

The D810 was launched Three 1/2 years in the past, and is presently priced round $2,800. Heralded as revolutionary on the time of its launch, it’s nonetheless an awesome digital camera, however a bit more durable to suggest after the discharge of its successor. At roughly $500 lower than the D850, I don’t suppose there’s sufficient of a financial savings to sacrifice all that the brand new digital camera provides to the social gathering. Photographers who want the decision of the D810’s 36-megapixel sensor however are on a restricted funds are those that is perhaps drawn to the predecessor now. Search for worth drops within the close to future, or contemplate shopping for a used one as upgraders unload their “outdated” fashions.

D5

The D5 is really a beast. Succesful, sturdy, quick, correct and comparatively heavy. It’s not a digital camera for hikers, not even for lengthy walks. Some well-known photographer as soon as mentioned that if a topic wasn’t inside 100 yards of the automobile, it wasn’t price photographing. This digital camera is for that man. Perhaps it’s for you you probably have a dependable assistant who by no means complains about schlepping your gear. Perhaps it’s for you in case you are robust and younger and value isn’t a main consideration. For the journalist, sports activities or high-end wedding ceremony shooter who additionally does night time pictures, that is the digital camera. The D5 is worthy of its flagship standing in each method. However not solely is it considerably heavier than its more-than-worthy little siblings, it’s additionally considerably extra pricey: $6,500, physique solely.

D850

Now, the digital camera we actually need to discuss: the D850. Launched in October 2017, and priced at $Three,300, there may be nonetheless a backlog and a wait of 1 to 2 months to get your arms on one. Nikon Skilled Providers members perform a little higher, with an approximate wait time of two weeks as of January 2018.

As talked about earlier on this put up, the D850 takes among the greatest options of each the D810 and the D5 and combines them into one digital camera. The D850 affords excellent picture high quality, near medium-format decision and high-end options (a lot of that are extraordinarily helpful for night time photographers)—all for roughly half the value of the D5.

It’s not excellent––native Wi-Fi and a helpful smartphone controller, GPS, prolonged shutter speeds, customized publicity modes, and excessive ISO amplification that doesn’t push highlights into clipping would all be welcome enhancements. Nonetheless, the mix of picture high quality, excessive decision, and options make the D850 one of many easiest digital cameras ever made.

I like to recommend the D850 for skilled and severe newbie night time photographers who need to make giant high-quality prints. And those that need to make the most of the newest applied sciences in a digital camera with excellent picture high quality with out taking out a second mortgage also needs to put their names on the listing.

Replace on 1/29/18: I didn’t imply to indicate that the D750 doesn’t produce print high quality pictures. I’ve made prints as giant as 30×45 inches and been fairly pleased with the standard. My intention was that spending the additional cash on a D810, D850, or D5 isn’t price it for somebody who not often or by no means prints their pictures.

In regards to the creator: Lance Keimig is a photographer and pictures teacher based mostly in Bristol, Vermont. The opinions expressed on this article are solely these of the creator. Keimig is among the instructors at Nationwide Parks at Night time, a workshop program centered solely on educating night time pictures in nationwide parks. This text was additionally revealed right here.

Picture credit: All nighttime pictures are © 2018 Lance Keimig/NationalParksAtNight.com, and is probably not printed or republished with out categorical written consent of the creator and Nationwide Parks at Night time

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The Tao Of The 2017 Buyer

TorontoRealtyBlog

The spring of 2017 was the hottest market I have ever seen.  It was probably the hottest market that any Realtor, regardless of his or her experience in this city, has ever seen.

I told a lot of stories back in the spring on TRB, many of which conveyed exactly how hot the market was.

But one story was left untold, because it just concluded.  And ironically, it took place after the market changed, as our journey began in June.

Allow me to regale you with the Tao of the 2017 Buyer…

Back in 2014, I wrote an epic four-part blog series which I entitled, “The Tao of the 2014 Buyer.”

Ah yes, 2014 – back when I wrote four blogs per week, rather than the three that I cut it back to in 2015 when I started my Thursday “Pick5” feature.  Four blogs.  Wow.  I actually just got anxiety thinking about that…

A four-part series wasn’t how I set out to tell that story, but as I began the framework for a post that I thought might result in a “To Be Continued,” I soon realized that in order to properly convey the story, I needed to let the post write itself.

I remember that spring, 2014 market very well.

It was a continuation of a 2013 fall market that just seemed to come out of nowhere, culminating with a whopping 11.3% year-over-year increase in average home price in the month of November.  Yes, 11.3%.  Remember when that was significant?

When the spring of 2014 began, we all knew it would be busy.

The average home price of $520,398 in December continued to rise and rise throughout 2014, hitting $585,204 – a 12.4% increase in a mere 5 months; an annual rate of close to 30%.

I was working with a lot of buyers in that market, and every buyer who purchased between January and June continued to follow new listings, and send me emails with, “Did you see the sale price of such-and-such house?  Wow, am I ever glad we bought!”

One of my buyer couples from that spring (actually from the fall of 2013, if you read the series) had just about the worst luck I had ever seen, in all my time in the business.

While we often say there is no “luck” involved in buying real estate, that’s not entirely true.

I’ve sold houses to buyers on the night of a storm, or an election, or a holiday, that would have, could have, should have sold for more.  That’s lucky, for certain.

I’ve won in multiple offers because the buyer picked a price that ended in say, “512,” because they got married on May 12th – enabling them to beat the second-highest offer which ended in “000.”  That sounds skillful, but it’s luck.

Luck is ever-present in real estate, especially on the buy-side.

But my clients from the 2014 “Tao” blog series had no luck, and as a result, they lose EIGHT offers, before finally securing a property on their 9th try – a journey that began on October 1st, 2013, and ended on May 5th, 2014.

They bid $781,200 on a house, and lost to a bid of $785,100.

They bid $800,000 on a house, and lost to a bid of $805,000.

They bid on eight houses, with an average loss margin of 3.0%, and taking away the two blowouts, their loss margin was a mere 1.45% on six lost properties.

Well, if this doesn’t entice you to read a four part blog series, then I don’t know what will!

I’ll make it easy on you, here are the four parts:

The Tao of The 2014 Buyer – Part I

The Tao of The 2014 Buyer – Part II

The Tao of The 2014 Buyer – Part III

The Tao of The 2014 Buyer – Part IV

–

My clients paid $776,00 for a house that’s probably worth $1.1M today, and like so many people before them, they likely thought, “This amount of money is just absurd for what we’re getting,” only to watch the market continue to grow, month after month, year after year.

A question I’m asked by a majority of buyers at the onset of the search is, “How many properties would you say your average buyer sees before they buy one?”

That’s a good question, but unfortunately, the answer is of zero help to the buyer.

“Eleven point four,” I might tell them, whether that’s in any way accurate.

The problem with putting a number to that question is, if the number is high, the buyer might feel like he or she should pass on the perfect property, right there in front of them, in order to simply “see more of what’s out there.”  If the number is low, the buyer might feel rushed into making a decision, when he or she isn’t really ready.

Every buyer is different, pardon the obvious.

Every buyer comes into the search with a different amount of knowledge, about real estate, but also about personal finance, mortgage regulations, Toronto’s geography and demographics, and a host of other variables affecting the search.

The second question I get with regularity, specifically in the midst of hot market cycles, is, “How many offers do your buyers lose before they win one?”

Great question.

And perhaps this time, the answer I provide could shed some light on their search.

I don’t know the answer, but if we’re talking freehold buyers, in 2016 through 2017, I’d say probably 2.5.

Now, because I know that you’re very curious to know the answer, I’ve just taken about 45 minutes while writing this, to log all the offers I made in the spring, and find out the real answer to this question.

I think this will be tremendously helpful for active buyers, even though the market has changed.

Of all the freehold properties I sold to buyers in the spring, 2017 real estate market, and not including buyers who made offers but didn’t eventually buy (there were a few), here is the number of offers that my successful buyers made:

1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 9

That’s an average of 2.53 offers per buyer.

And since I had guessed 2.5, I feel like I just wasted an hour of my life.

Oh, the things we do in the pursuit of integrity…

You’ll notice that at the bottom of the list, is the number “9.”

At the risk of spoiling the conclusion to this blog series, let me clarify that, yes, this is the story I want to tell today.

The tale, story, journey, or Tao of the 2017 real estate buyer, but also the excitement, heartache, anguish, anxiety, frustration, and experience of two very normal people, well-informed, well-qualified financially, and extremely intelligent, who, as was the case with my couple in 2014, simply had, dare I say, bad luck.

This is, as you would assume from the list of offers above, not the typical real estate experience.  But it’s a learning experience for those of you reading it, since we had not one, but many odd situations and events through the course of our search.

All of these events make for those learning moments that so many would-be buyers seek while reading Toronto Realty Blog.

You just hope that they don’t all happen to you…

Jake and Amanda emailed me in March of 2017 to say that they were getting married, and needed more space, and like many buyers in their position, they found that browsing what was available on Realtor.ca wasn’t providing enough information.

I had sold Jake the condo way back in 2010, and while small, it had brought him through a series of transitions in life that one in their 20’s and 30’s would experience while living in downtown Toronto.  When I think back to where I was in life when I bought my first condo, and where I was when I left five years later, I can’t believe how many miles I put on the odometer of life.

Jake’s condo was small, and I could imagine how two people living there would be tight.  Imagine my surprise when we finally met up and they told me they’d been living there together, in 540 square feet, for several years!

That is  certainly getting the most out of your investment!

What’s more, is they absolutely loved the place, and Amanda beamed as she told me what life in the condo had been like.

We got together in April when their search went from browsing online to checking out open houses in person, and they told me that they were looking to spend around $850,000, but were completely open to location, style, and size.

Everybody says they’re completely open; flexible, willing to compromise, make concessions, etc.

In practice, however, I find most buyers have no idea what “concessions” really are, and when you’ve got Cadillac-tastes on a Pontiac-budget, in this market, it makes it very difficult to get in tune with reality.  Many of these buyers, unfortunately, get left behind.

But once I started searching with Jake & Amanda, I realized they really were open to just about everything.  Our search would eventually take us from Scarlett Woods to Scarborough, and just about everywhere in between.

That flexibility ultimately enabled them to look for value in a market where there often wasn’t any, and draw a firm line in the sand with each and every property.  Rarely, if ever, did they get emotionally involved with a house.

After our initial meeting in April, Jake & Amanda hammered out their “must have” list as follows:

Must Haves:

2+ Bed; 1.5+ Bath

Turn key (limited renos if any (cosmetic only); finished basement)

Walkable neighbourhood; near transit

Parking

In/Around Toronto (40 minute max commute to, say, Eaton Centre)

They set their ceiling at $800,000 even, and our search began.

When meeting with clients who have broad search criteria – whether it’s geographic in nature, or rather they’re open to various housing styles, I find it’s best to see a property, any property, and do a thorough walkthrough, pointing out the pros and cons.

The first property we saw together was a small rowhouse on Norwood Terrace, just west of the bridge on Main Street, south of Danforth.

While walking up to the house, we encountered a middle-aged man doing crossfit on the sidewalk, completely in a zone.  He was skipping, doing burpies, and I believe he did a few overhead dumbell snatches as well.  If that isn’t “a sign” that this is your future neighbourhood, then I don’t know what is.

I immediately saw how organized Jake & Amanda were, as Jake came equipped with pages of notes, transit routes, and important questions to ask.

Listed at $668,000, I told them I thought the house would push $800,000, and for a 2-bed, 2-bath, with no parking, they just didn’t “connect” with the house.

It ended up selling for $765,000, and they had no reaction whatsoever.  They had already moved on to other options.

This would become a pattern in a very rational, unemotional search, the likes of which are extremely rare in this business.

The following week, I took them to Danforth Village to check out a few houses that I really liked, and we would end up putting our first offer on paper…

(TO BE CONTINUED…)

The post The Tao Of The 2017 Buyer appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.

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[torque-max-blog]

New Post has been published on https://torque-max.com/suzuki-v-strom-1000-xt-2018/

Suzuki V strom 1000 XT 2018 launch secrets revealed

Suzuki V strom 1000 XT 2018

Suzuki V strom 1000 is the next product, the company is concentrating and about to launch in the current financial year. As per the speculation, the launch of Suzuki V strom 1000 may take place near September of 2017.

The Suzuki V strom 250 has already showcased in the motor shows and the quarter liter segment level is satisfied. Followed by the V strom 250, Suzuki is about to launch the bigger V strom 1000 for the adventure.

The Suzuki V strom 1000 started to roll out in 2002 and continued to receive updates, while the most recent one was in 2014. The update of 2014 included 90-degree v-twin, traction control and ABS.

The Suzuki V strom 1000 is available in two variants, the standard V-Strom 1000 and the V Strom 1000 XT. Among the two models, the V Strom 1000 XT is expected in India

Suzuki V strom 1000 XT feature data

The Suzuki V strom 1000 XT gets a spoked wheel of 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wearing Bridgestone Battlewing dual-sport tubeless tyres and a large handle bars.

The front fairing of the V strom 1000 gets improved with the new style and colors. The windscreen (49 mm taller) is adjustable in three angles and comes with optional luggage with a single function key.

Also Read: Triumph Tiger Explorer Xcx 2017 launched

The Motion Track Braking System powered by the Bosch IMU (inertial measurement unit) of the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT manages the leaning posture and the braking applied for the accuracy and safety.

The high, low and off are the three-traction control position system remains unchanged in the new model. The V Strom 1000 XT is also equipped with the combined braking system that senses the braking lever and pedal hardness and acts optimally.

The 2018 V-Strom 1000 is powered by the 1,037 cc, liquid-cooled, v-twin engine capable of producing 98 BHP of power, and 103 NM of torque at 4000 RPM.

The engine of this adventurer gets a twin catalysers in the mid-pipe setting a muffler and gets the engine is BS-IV compliant.

Suzuki V strom 1000 XT price

The currently outgoing model of the Suzuki V strom 1000 is available at a price range of INR 13,45,000 (ex-showroom). However, the 2018 model of the V-Strom 1000 XT is boosted with additional electronics, which makes the adventurer a special and the price is expected to be slightly increased.

Image Source

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[lorrainecparker]

(Almost) Everything You Need to Know About NAB 2017

We’ve previously made the attempt to highlight the top updates and announcements from NAB, but the task is just as impossible in 2017 as it was in the past and will be in the future. Nonetheless, even the attempt to do so is worthwhile as it can allow everyone to get a better sense of how things are changing for production professionals across the entire industry.

This year, PVC writers were covering the event from near and afar which allowed us to detail more of the event than ever before. Check out all of our NAB 2017 coverage right here to learn more about the tools, technologies and companies that made headlines this year.

Just like every NAB, there were a handful of important themes and topics that emerged from the event, and we’ve detailed a few of them below. Let us know what you think about this years’ event via the comment section below or via Twitter.

Efficiencies

The concept of an “end-to-end” workflow, along with the desire to help professionals simplify their process and projects was a concept that came up over and over this year. Whether it was hardware or software, production or post, storage or archive, it’s clear that vendors have heard about the logistical challenges their customers are dealing with. At NAB 2017, many different organizations took the time and effort to highlight their dedication to solving those challenges.

We’ve already covered in detail what Sony had to announce at NAB 2017, but the newly installed President of Sony Professional Solutions Americas, Katsunori Yamanouchi, mentioned that their two keys areas of focus are around Content Value and Workflow Efficiency. Many people still think of cameras when they hear the word “Sony”, but this new focus is proof of their commitment to transitioning into a solution and business provider.

While Avid announced Media Composer | First at NAB this year, that announcement ties into what they’ve done with Avid Everywhere and their efforts to transform it into a platform that would create efficiencies and make workflows easier. Their push to allow for collaboration and accessibility in the cloud has in many ways been complete, and this new initiative is designed to enable emerging creative and media talent to more easily connect in order to foster creative and professional growth and opportunities.

Vimeo is a name and platform that every professional is familiar with, and their presence at NAB this year highlights their dedication to this industry. New review and approval options and new abilities to be able to work directly in tools like Premiere are an illustration of how they’re looking to create these end-to-end workflows for this audience. Additionally, the platform they’ve set up for 360 video is unique and empowering in a whole different way. Stay tuned for more around how creators are monetizing their 360 video efforts.

In early April, Newtek announced the TC1, which is the most powerful Tricaster the company has ever released. Features like 16 inputs that can handle 4K are among the many new features of the product, and that update ties into what the company was focused on at NAB. During the show, they announced the release of the NVG1, which combines the NewTek 1RU server platform and NDI™ IP video connectivity with Viz Trio/Viz Engine software. They also highlighted the interoperability they created on the show floor itself. Both announcements center on the availability and simplicity their products are designed to create, as the concept of a turnkey workflow is one they’ve identified as a priority.

At the Dell booth, the concepts of “Create”, “Manage” and “Deliver” were broken out with various products showcased in each phase. How they’re able to simplify the process for creators is an active consideration for the company, and products like their all-in-one PCs allow users to define how they want to utilize their machine rather than having that defined for them. Additionally, the announcement of the new HDR10 monitor is a great example of a key element of tools that will form a major part of these end-to-end workflows.

Announced at NAB 2017, the SymplyULTRA has been positioned as an ideal solution for broadcast, studio, post and other professional media workflows. Designed to deliver on the concept of the ‘complete collaborative workspace’, it’s another illustration of what kind of tools are being specifically designed to meet workflow challenges.

Cameras

It wouldn’t be NAB without cameras, and NAB 2017 didn’t disappoint on this front. Several companies have set themselves up for big reveals later this year, but there was still plenty to highlight.

Canon’s presence on the show floor seems to expand every year, and the company had enough people and products to show why that’s the case. At NAB 2017, Canon showed off their new EOS Flagship camera, the C700, which is designed to be a flexible “A” camera for various types of shooting scenarios. They also announced the Compact-Servo 70-200mm T4.4 lens, designed to hit a sweet spot for lens size. Additionally, Canon added C-log for their 5D Mark IV DSLR, which is set to give 5D MkIV shooters something they’ve had their eyes on for a long while. ENG, documentary and budding filmmakers are already excited about the newly announced compact and lightweight 4K lens which should open up opportunities across the industry.

Sony’s focus on becoming a solution and business provider doesn’t mean they have any plans to transition away from the products they’ve become known for, and the capture phase of the “lens to living room” ecosystem is an obvious focus for them. To that end, announcements around their cameras include the firmware upgrade to Version 9 for the F5/F55, while Sony added a new XAVC recording mode to optimize encoding for HDR into its 4K/HD live server and PWS-4500 through an upcoming software upgrade.

RED didn’t have a major presence on the show floor of NAB this year, but they still made news at the event with the first-ever live 4K video stream from space. Additionally, RED was represented at the show in a very real way with their cameras in numerous partner booths. Their focus on the image and efforts to streamline the workflow for users will be a big topic for the company at Cine Gear, so stay tuned for what they have in store.

Panasonic continues to update and add features to the VariCam LT, and at NAB they highlighted the firmware updates for the camera that include 240fps at 2K Raw with a Convergent Design recorder. Additionally, the company has a mystery camera that they’ll undoubtedly be announcing at some point this year. Find out plenty more from Panasonic by taking a look at all of their NAB 2017 press announcements.

Days before NAB 2017, ARRI announced an upgrade to the ALEXA SXT platform, making ALEXA SXT an entirely wireless professional motion picture camera system. The ALEXA SXT is one of the highlights of ARRI’s presence at NAB 2017, but the company also introduced a number of important technical advances for its customers and partners.

Improvements

Probably the single biggest announcement to come out of NAB centered on the improvements to DaVinci Resolve 14 which has numerous, much-requested and needed features. As Brian Hallett said, “The new DaVinci Resolve 14 is like 3 applications in one. Users get professional editing, color correction, and the new Fairlight audio toolset all within an easy to use software. All it takes is a single mouse click to switch between editing, color, and audio.” As usual, Blackmagic had plenty to announce at NAB, and between the updates to Resolve, two new switchers and an incredibly easy way to get your show on the web, the company once again made a push to steal the show.

We covered in detail the updates to After Effects as well as Premiere Pro that Adobe rolled out for NAB 2017. Adobe also had plenty to say and showcase at the event itself. Numerous presenters took to the stage throughout the show, and the latest release of Creative Cloud features new capabilities in AI, VR, motion graphics, live animation and audio. The new Essential Graphics panel in After Effects and the updates to the tools and toolbar in Premiere are just a couple of the features PVC authors found most notable, but there’s plenty for users to explore in the entire suite.

In addition to their cameras, Canon announced new firmware for its three 4K professional display models, the DP-V1710, DP-V2410 and DP-V2420. The new features include enhanced connectivity with Canon digital cinema cameras.

With two big announcements at NAB, HP has improved both their top-end and junior DreamColor displays. The new DreamColor Z31x with native 4K cinema resolution has some very needed features while the Z24x G2 (second generation) has improvements over the first generation Z24x. Allan Tépper was able to provide incredible detail about both products.

In addition to the live programming at the event, Teradek announced major upgrades to its Core and Sharelink cloud platforms. The new features greatly expand the capabilities of their H.264 and H.265 codecs by introducing multi-platform delivery, transcoding, 3rd party encoder support, and remote management of VidiU encoders.

There were a number of updates focused on drone technology from DJI, as they introduced a new Ronin 2, customizable remote, high-gain antenna, monitors and a premium service plan. Meanwhile, the introduction of the first 100-megapixel integrated drone imaging platform marks the start of the next era of aerial photography. The company also announced DJI Goggles, which will provide drone pilots with a first-person view system in full HD.

We touched on what Avid is looking to do in terms of increases to collaboration and efficiency, but that commitment is being reflected on a product level as well. The announcement of the DNxIQ is a great illustration around how they’re looking to meet today’s varied content demands and wide-ranging delivery requirements.

The data storage needs of professionals are growing and growing, and that piece represents one of the more important aspects of these more efficient workflows. At NAB, G-Tech showed off a few of their new storage solutions that are designed to ease the challenges currently associated with storage and archive.

  Innovation

VR has had a major presence at NAB for many years now, but the logistics of actually creating this kind of content have been elusive. Innovations like the recently announced Radeon Pro Duo have been created to ease these logistics, as the product harnesses a total of 72 compute units (4608 stream processors) for a combined performance of up to 11.45 TFLOPS of single-precision compute performance on one board.

HDR is another topic that has had a presence at NAB for a long while now, but really came into focus this year. Part of what was undoubtedly because of products like the FS-HDR from AJA. The new product is a universal converter/frame synchronizer designed specifically to meet the HDR and WCG (Wide Color Gamut) needs of broadcast, OTT, post and live event AV environments. FS-HDR’s HDR/WCG capabilities leverage video and color space processing algorithms within Colorfront Engine™, while the product can take incoming imagery from some of the most popular professional cameras in the world today and convert their LOG output in realtime to 4K/UltraHD or 2K/HD and output as either HDR or SDR. Simply put, this is a product that’s going to solve a lot of problems.

Learn more about the FS-HDR right here.

A few different industry sources identified that lenses were going to be a big topic this year, and the news and updates coming out of NAB surrounding this technology certainly seems to back that up. In addition to the announcements from Canon, Fujinon showed off their Cine style zoom lens. Sigma announced new lenses and prices for their brand new Cine Lenses line-up of cinema style lenses. Panasonic continues to expand the family of lenses for its G system cameras while Zeiss has rolled out 10 new Cine lenses for low-budget productions. While these lenses aren’t cheap, they do represent a new level in terms of the Zeiss catalog, which is indicative of a bigger story that we’ll see continue to play out in 2017.

Atomos announced their biggest product yet with the Atomos Sumo. The Sumo is a larger 19″ Monitor-Recorder delivering 4K HDR in 12bit raw or 10bit ProRes/DNxHR codecs. The Atomos Sumo may have the ability to redefine how production monitors will be used on set and in the studio. It gives clients and crew on set instant access to review recorded content in HDR quality and doubles as a grading and editing monitor for laptops in the field.

Apple Boxes have been a mainstay in production environments for what seems like forever, which is part of the reason an effort to make them even more functional is especially notable. The Boom Box from K-Tek is a strong and versatile Microphone Boom Stand, which doubles as an Apple Box.

We’ve already taken an in-depth look at MotoCrane, which is a device that is designed to turn any car into a camera car. At NAB 2017, Bruce Johnson stopped by the MotoCrane booth to get a better idea around how that will actually work.

We already talked about how Dell is looking to help their customers simplify their workflow, but with their 8K monitor, the UP3218K, that simplification is being addressed in a completely different manner. The product was sold out after a single day, which highlights just how anxious professionals are to view their content in full resolution.

SmallHD showed off their new Ultra Bright 703 and 503 on-camera monitors at NAB 2017. These monitors have metal houses, dual SDI inputs, and are designed for the harsh conditions often found on a production. They also announced a new price for their 17-inch production monitor and discussed their new 24-inch production monitor.

PVC Showcase

For many years now, Teradek has featured live presentations throughout the event, and this year was no exception. Various experts discussed the tools and technologies that were on display at NAB, and a collection of PVC authors took to the stage to share their perspective around these topics and plenty more.

The first session featured Adam Wilt, Bruce Johnson, Jeff Foster and David Leitner. The group masterfully detailed what kind of problems and issues professionals are dealing with in 2017, and talked through some of the innovations that have and will impact the way they approach a project.

During the second session, Scott Simmons, Michael Kammes, Woody Woodhall and Graham Sheldon were more focused on post production topics, but the lines between such phases of a project are getting less and less pronounced, which was evident in their discussion. The group talked through some potential high-level ramifications for the industry as a whole while also providing their perspective around how specific tools are set to change things in the short-term and long-term.

PVC writers were all over the event in other ways as well. Bruce Johnson found the time to participate in the session above in-between shooting and publishing various videos from the show floor. Brian Hallett was working with his video team to rollout numerous exclusive videos and updates. Additionally, Jose Antunes and Allan Tépper worked their way through countless press updates and news briefs to post the most relevant items to the site, while Scott Simmons found the time to post a couple items about Media Composer | First, a transcription panel that is set to come to Premiere Pro as well as a couple upcoming products from CoreMelt.

You can check out all of our coverage of NAB 2017 right here, and updates from the event continue to be published. There are also a few pictures below that should give you an even better idea of the people, products and technology that made NAB 2017 such a special event.

The post (Almost) Everything You Need to Know About NAB 2017 appeared first on ProVideo Coalition.

First Found At: (Almost) Everything You Need to Know About NAB 2017

[viralhottopics]

Fear and loathing in Washington DC: progressives dread Trump inauguration

Amid splendid pomp and pageantry, the eyes of the world are on Donald Trump as the capital is set to stage a battle for the heart of America

Its for real. Donald Trump, billionaire businessman, reality TV celebrity and to his foes bigot and demagogue will place his hand on a Bible, repeat a 35-word oath and be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. What began with a stunt, lampooned as a joke and dismissed as a fantasy will at noon on Friday become historical truth. Trump will be the most powerful man in the world.

Only the wildest optimists believe his inauguration will deliver a moment of national healing and unity. It comes in the wake of another turbulent week that saw the publication of unverified documents alleging covert links between the Trump campaign and Russia. A chaotic press conference, in which Trump berated a CNN journalist for fake news, did little to instill confidence.

In Washington, hotels were booked and stands were erected in readiness for thousands of Trump loyalists, revelling in his upending of the political order, and thousands of protesters determined to gatecrash his coronation. Amid splendid pomp and pageantry, the capital is set to stage a battle for the heart of America.

This is unlike any inauguration weve seen, said Ben Wikler, Washington director of the progressive group MoveOn.org. Weve never seen a counter-inauguration that dwarfs the crowd at the inauguration itself. It will be unmistakeable where the energy is. It will be in the broad and diverse movement to oppose the Trump agenda.

The eyes of the world will be on Trump, derided by critics as a crude vulgarian who eschews books but is now asked to deliver an inspiring inaugural address just as Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt and John F Kennedy did before him. There will also be a jarring contrast between him and outgoing president Barack Obama, who with his family will depart the US Capitol by helicopter.

Indeed, Trump and Obamas inaugurations will be every bit as different as the men themselves. In 2009, amid the symbolism of Americas first black president, the prevailing theme was hope. Well in excess of a million people braved the cold to fill the National Mall. Yo-Yo Ma played the cello, Aretha Franklin sang and celebrity turnout was unusually high. Four years later, at Obamas second inauguration, performers included James Taylor and Beyonc.

Trumps announced headliners are 16-year-old singer Jackie Evancho who shot to fame on the reality TV show Americas Got Talent, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Radio City Rockettes. Several leading entertainers declined invitations to perform. British singer Charlotte Church tweeted: @realDonaldTrump Your staff have asked me to sing at your inauguration, a simple Internet search would show I think youre a tyrant. Bye. Actor Meryl Streep spoke for many in Hollywood when she eviscerated the president-elect at last weekends Golden Globe awards.

Trump and Obamas inaugurations will be every bit as different as the men themselves. Photograph: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Trump, who at 70 will be the oldest person ever sworn in as US president, this week promised a very, very elegant day with massive crowds, a familiar boast at his campaign rallies. The joint congressional committee on inaugural activities, which oversees all ceremonies, is expecting 700,000 to 750,000 people well short of Obamas total.

The Republican, however, has outgunned Obama financially. Trumps presidential inaugural committee has raised a record sum, more than $90m in private donations, far more than Obamas two inaugural committees, which brought in $55m in 2009 and $43m in 2013. It says any money left over will be donated to charity.

Tom Barrack, the lead planner, told reporters he wanted to avoid a circus-like atmosphere in favour of a more back to work attitude that surrounds Trump with the soft sensuality of the place. Trump, whom Barrack described as the greatest celebrity in the world, is holding three inaugural balls. Obama had 10 after his first inauguration.

For the maverick businessmans voters, it will be a day to savour. Michael Barnett, chairperson of the Republican party in Palm Beach, Florida, said: Ive never been to an inauguration before. Weve worked so hard for the last 15 months and now we get to see our effort pay off. Im sure Ill be lost in the moment and it will take a while to sink in. Its going to be great but we know its just the beginning.

Barnett, a 39-year-old African American lawyer, believes Trump can help build unity. Your impression when you meet him face to face and talk to him is very different from what you see on TV, he said. Hes a really good guy and I really like him. Hell do a good job.

Benjamin Marchi, 38 and the owner of a healthcare business in Easton, Maryland, will also be present. Its going to be a great day, a wonderful day, full of excitement, he said. It might be similar to election night. He is truly our first independent president because of his willingness to not pander to segments of the Republican party that are typically pandered to.

Fear is an even stronger emotion than anger

But along with the celebrations, there will be a week of protest against a man who insulted Mexicans and Muslims and boasted about groping women. There were demonstrations against Richard Nixon in 1973 and George W Bush in 2001, but nothing on the scale Trump faces in Washington, a liberal bastion where he took just 4% of the vote (even Bush managed 9% in 2000).

About 30 groups have secured permits to protest before, during and after the inauguration. Photograph: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Bill Galston, a former policy adviser to Bill Clinton, said: The tone and temper of the election campaign has people worried. There are a lot of people genuinely scared. Fear is an even stronger emotion than anger.

About 30 groups have secured permits to protest before, during and after the inauguration. District police and the US secret service plan to have some 3,000 officers and 5,000 national guard troops available, claiming this will be enough to ensure the inauguration goes ahead even if protesters try to disrupt it.

The biggest gathering will be on Saturday, the Womens March on Washington, which organisers say could draw more than 200,000 people. Actors Amy Schumer, Scarlett Johansson, America Ferrera and Felicity Huffman will be among those taking part. Its organisers did not respond to requests for comment but Wikler of MoveOn.org said: The march will send a message to every policymaker in Washington that the public is mobilised and ready to fight.

The public is overwhelmingly opposed to Trumps attitudes on womens rights, immigrants rights and LGBT rights. Progressives are banding together in a way we havent seen in a decade. People are dusting off their marching shoes. A massive march can show which way the political wind is blowing.

Inaugurations are traditionally a time of bipartisan solidarity, and Trumps will be attended by Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the shock loser in a uniquely poisonous election campaign. But some Democratic members of Congress are boycotting the event, among them John Lewis, a distinguished civil rights leader who told NBCs Meet the Press that he does not see Trump as a legitimate president, arguing that Russian interference helped get him elected.

On Saturday, Trump made his feelings about Lewis clear, using Twitter to say that Lewis should stop falsely complaining about the election results. Such critics, he said, were all talk, talk, talk no action or results.

Obama dedicates his final weekly address to the American people

Robert Schenkkan, a Pulitzer prize-winning playwright whose latest work, Building the Wall, tackles the rise of Trump, said: Its a tricky balance for the Democratic party. How much of this transition should be honoured in traditional ways and, given this is not business as usual, how much we should not be playing by the old rules?

Im among those who feel the Democrats are turning up at the gunfight at OK Corral with a knife. There is no polite resistance to this. There is nothing but all-out resistance.

Schenkkan, 63, said this inauguration was different from any he can remember. Its a deeply divisive day. There will be people there who are exultant because they feel theyve been wandering in the desert for the past eight years, but the majority of the country feels differently.

The social glue that holds politics together in this country is under assault. It feels like were entering uncharted territory.

The centrepiece of the day will be Trumps inaugural address. He told friends that Ronald Reagans style and Kennedys articulation of grand national ambitions were key to the drafting of his own speech, the Washington Post reported. Kennedys inaugural address, 56 years to the day before Trumps, included the now celebrated line: Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country.

Bob Shrum, a political consultant, said: Kennedys address widened and deepened the definition of what it is to be an American. It had a rare eloquence.

I dont think you can expect that of Donald Trump.

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from Fear and loathing in Washington DC: progressives dread Trump inauguration