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We're having a major geek-out in today's video comparing the Mini 4 Pro's DLog M and HLG colour profiles.  Sounds a bit dry?  Nah!  It's awesome!  

I can't believe it's taken us so long to get on top of DJI's epic 10-bit Hybrid Log Gamma colour profile.  In this video I make the case that HLG is a BETTER colour profile than DLog M. 

Yup, all that stuff about shooting in the flattest colour profile to retain maximum dynamic range, detail in highlights and shadows etc...out the window!

Okay, it's a bit more nuanced than that as you'll see in the video but the outcome is the same - we are HLG converts!! 

Hands up if you remember the pointy mountain from our Drone Film Guide days!!  

So good to be back in the Scottish Highlands with THREE drones.  The Mini 4 Pro, Air 3 and Mavic 3 Pro.  It made for quite a heavy backpack once you include the cameras as well!  

I think you'll enjoy the latest video if only for the glorious shots of Scotland.  I took the DJI Air 3 to the top of a mountain and completely overwhelmed it with the wind but it was worth it for the footage! 

TRIGGER WARNING!  Today we published a video using Photoshop's generative fill AI to create matte paintings that we can overlay on our drone video to enhance our footage with Hollywood-esq CGI.  Something that was previously available to only a handful of people is now available to all of us (who have Photoshop at least) and we think this is AWESOME!

Some people are very upset by this technology because it's not 'real photography'.  In a photography context I can somewhat relate to that.  In a video context - not really.  Matte paintings have been used for decades to create sets in movies that were either too expensive to create in real life or simply didn't exist.  Those matte paintings were eventually replaced with digital versions of exactly the same thing and that is precisely what we are now able to create ourselves with generative fill.  Even the digital version of this technique has been around for 25-30 years so the only 'development' is that you no longer have to be a talented VFX artist to implement this in your work.

Surely that's the definition of progress? 

GREAT to see so many of you in the comments on today's video!  Lots of familiar names!  

We've got lots of videos coming soon because we've got a fair bit of catching up to do.  DJI Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro videos are on the way and as you can see from this photo, we like to make sure these drones are tested properly!  I think my legs are still recovering from this climb! 

VERY excited to say we are back on YouTube TOMORROW!

After a cheeky little 7 month break we are back with a ton of great content lined up.  First things first, tomorrow we are looking at the artificial intelligence revolution that took place in our absence.  Take a look at the two photos in this post.  Can you tell which parts are real and which are AI generated?  

Photoshop's generative fill is a game changer.  Tomorrow we'll show you how to transform your drone photos with this incredible tool.  

Why?  Firstly, it's great fun.  Seeing yourself at the top of a mountain or in some crazy location you couldn't reach is very good fun.  Not all of us have the time, physical ability or good health to do these things for real so let's have a laugh and play around with some crazy photo edits.  

However, the commercial application of this technique is very obvious too.  This kind of image manipulation or digital art generation is nothing new - it's just now you and I can do it at the press of a button.  In a followup video coming out shortly after tomorrow's video, we will show you how to use this technique to create matte paintings that we can overlay on our drone footage to create Hollywood style aerial video that incorporates this one-click CGI technique.  

It's an exciting time so join us tomorrow as we kick off a new chapter with the channel!

Stewart & Alina 

Did we QUIT YouTube?!

LOTS of you have been asking as you've noticed we've not been making a whole lot of content lately.  Where were the videos about the latest DJI drones, Insta360 cameras etc?  

Well, we've not quit...we're just taking an extended break.  It's been 4 months since our last video and for sure, we're missing making videos for the channel.  That's good - the break must be working!  

Is YouTube going to punish us for not posting regularly?  Who knows...but being beholden to the algorithm is one reason why many creators quit YouTube.  The fear of years of hard work building a channel going down the toilet if you don't continue to feed the machine with new content.  THAT is when the fun stops - trust me!

In 2017 we started the channel with some drone tips.  We had no expectations for the future.  Rather, we wanted find a way of repurposing years of incredible drone footage captured while Alina and I were filming weddings.  In doing so, we were able to share some expertise on YouTube and happily, things took off.  We had no sponsors and no strategy for monetising the channel.  It was a side-gig and it was fun.

So we'll keep on enjoying our time off YouTube for now, quietly thinking of new ways to bring some great videos to the party later in the year.  We're looking forward to coming back stronger and better so we'll see you soon!  

Stewart & Alina 

Did you catch our recent video reviewing the best travel and adventure gear for filmmakers and photographers as we go into 2023? Do head on over and check it out. Loads of new content on the channel so if you've not tuned in for a while, now's a good time! 

Expectation vs Reality!!  First photo - what I think I look like flying a drone.  Second photo - what I actually look like after rocketing a DJI FPV into the grass at 60mph!  Great fun adventure video up on the channel now.  Everyone loves a bit of schadenfreude!  Go check it out! 

Great fun video up on the channel tonight!  Messing with some super easy motion tracking inside Final Cut Pro X (FCPX).  These sci-fi animations added to our Iceland drone footage are just a bit of fun to demonstrate the power of the software but if you are looking to add glossy production value to any of your work, MotionVFX's mTracker 3D plugin is the way to go.  This is the 3rd time we have featured mTracker 3D on the channel because we simply love it and used it to good effect in this year's release of Drone Cinematography Masterclass 3.0.  

BTW, we have the best price available online for the mTracker 3D Essentials Bundle!

Use STEWARTANDALINA coupon code at checkout to save an additional 15% on the already discounted bundle price.  Basically, with our code, you can buy the mTracker 3D Essentials Bundle for the same price as the standalone mTracker 3D plugin!  

Also, MotionVFX are running a site-wide 30% discount on all their plugins (except the already discounted bundles) so check the description under our video for all the links and codes you need. 

It's soooo hard not to over-edit landscape photos. When you're shooting RAW, the flexibility to mess about with your colours can be dangerous in the wrong hands - especially when you're coming at things from a video background where shadow and highlight recovery potential is limited. 

This is a Mavic 3 aerial photo of the most photographed mountain in Iceland. The colours are flat and the light is dull but we've left it 'realistic' despite having the option to fake up some sunlight and such like. I do like the way the river is acting as a leading line drawing your eye through the picture towards the mountain. Thinking of the drone as a flying tripod rather than just an opportunity to take videos/photos from as high as possible definitely helps. Especially in a location like this - so heavily photographed that there's a risk you just end up taking the same photo as everyone else.

I'm not saying it's the best or only way to edit this photo, just I have been known to be a bit heavy-handed on the photo editing sliders in the past so I'm trying to rein it in a bit! 

Shout out again to  @LuminarGlobal  who took us to Iceland. We've been using their software since 2019 and have seen the growth of Luminar as it reinforces its position in the market as a credible and often better alternative to Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop. 

Here is the link to learn more - Luminar Neo:  https://bit.ly/luminarneo-dfg 

The best way to buy this is to go for the annual subscription and use the coupon code "DRONE10" to save $10.