06.13.06 BrushKnob Brings Hands on Back to Photo Editing

Last week I had the opportunity to sit down with Wataru Kami, concept artist that's worked on such projects as Street Fighter V.  

While having coffee with him he told me about the new tool he had created, the BrushKnob.  BrushKnob was designed because Kami-San wanted a way to speed up his workflow.  Often time when digital artists and photographers are working in Photoshop they have to switch back in forth between their pen tablet and keyboard.  BrushKnob was invented so that you wouldn't be searching your keyboard, and instead have access to the tools you need immediately in your hand.

I pulled out my laptop and gave the tool a try.  I was immediately surprised at how quickly my computer setup the device.  Without needing any extra drivers I just plugged in the USB cable and I was ready to rock.

Unfortunately the computer I had with me for the day didn't have Photoshop on it, so instead I opened up Lightroom.  The integration was great.  With each turn of the knob I could not only see my brush increasing or decreasing in size, but could also feel it.

I borrowed another computer that had Photoshop on it and found that the button would switch back and forth between my brush tool and my eraser tool.  Kami-San explained to me how he wanted to keep the tool simple, and that it was.  But the ability to feel your tools gave me more control, and did actually speed up my workflow.

The device is designed to work with Adobe programs, so if you wanted to use it with other programs like CaptureOne or Gimp then you'll probably need to remap some of your keys.  But overall a great little device with immediate response time.

 Kami-San is currently raising funds on IndieGogo to support the launch of the BrushKnob.  He had decided to launch on IndieGogo rather than other crowdfunding sites because he's based out of Japan, and more Japanese people are familiar with IndieGogo than others like Kickstarter.

The campaign has a little over two weeks left and is offering low introductory prices for those interested in the device.  You can see more at IndieGogo.

I recommend the BrushKnob for any graphic artists and photographers that want to not only increase their workflow, but also want to return to that physical feeling of art when working with digital mediums.

BrushKnob: Refine Your Photographs from kmwtr on Vimeo.

06.03.16 Most Versatile Tripod I've Ever Had

Being based out of Tokyo I am always moving.  Japan has an amazing public transportation system that I take full advantage of.  As a portrait and travel photographer I always have to be ready to go.  Carrying gear from shoot to shoot can be extremely tiresome, so portability is very important to me.  Throughout my career I’ve been constantly replacing gear to find things lighter and easier to carry in order to make things easier for me.  The Befree tripod became the definition of what I look for in all my gear.

            The compact size of the Befree tripod was the first thing to appeal to me.  By folding everything in I was able to reduce the size to about fifteen inches.  The size was so small that I could easily put it in my suitcase.  This allowed me to carry most of my gear in my carry on suitcase ensuring I had speedy disembarkment from my flights.  I could fit my camera, clothes, batteries, and lights all in the same suitcase along with my tripod.  It also became very easy to carry around by hand.  By folding it into such a compact size I didn’t have to worry about bumping into things.  I had full control of the compacted tripod as it was about as long as a suitcase.

            When fully extended the tripod reached to a little over four and a half feet.  I am around five foot nine inches, so when shooting with it I have to bend over a little bit.  However the one foot difference between myself and the tripod is not enough to feel uncomfortable when lining up my shots.  It’s a good size, where if it were a little shorter it would be unpleasant. 

            The BeFree tripod I purchased has an aluminum body that has stood up to every sort of mistreatment I could give it.  The body weighs about three pounds which is a pretty light tripod, and I barely even notice the weight on my day to day trips.  There is a carbon fiber version that shaves off a little more weight, however the aluminum body has been fine for me. 

            The legs lock into two positions, either the standard 51 degree angle or a wider 25 degree angle.  The wider angle allows for better stability, and allows you to take shots of things closer to the ground.  The center column of the Befree tripod is also reversible.  This allows you to get even closer to the ground by mounting your camera upside down on the system.  This is extremely handy for Macro photography.

            The ball head with a quick release mount takes advantage of Manfrotto’s RC2 plates.  This offers a lot of versatility since it’s such a common style quick release system.  The ball mount is controlled by tightening and releasing a wing screw.  This releases tension and allows you to move the camera around to the position you want.

Manfrotto’s BeFree tripod offers all the key features that their tripods are known for.  The durability, portability, compactibility, and ease of use make this probably the best tripod on the market for a photographer that has to do a lot of traveling.  Over all I myself couldn’t be happier with owning this one and take it with me almost everywhere.