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Category: video

August 11, 2024

Our Computers aren’t Built to Handle so Many Videos and Photos

It’s really simple to create media with our smartphones, and we’ve all become home filmmakers. But it’s becoming increasingly hard to store all the media files. If you’re not worried that you’ll eventually run out of SSD storage space in your Mac, think again. Here’s what you can do about it. (And it won’t take up a lot of desk space.)

A year back, I upgraded from my older 4TB iMac to my new 2TB Mac Studio. My decision to go with only 50% of the internal storage was based on Apple’s more expensive internal SSD drive pricing. (My old iMac had a larger, but slower, spinning hard drive, which is no longer part of the line up.)

I always thought that Apple would forever offer increased internal storage without charging more. (Aren’t we all needing more storage as we document our lives with photos and videos?)

But once Apple moved from HDD spinning drives to next-generation SSD drives, that equation imploded.

  • An Apple Studio with a 4TB SSD costs $1,200 more!
  • You can’t even buy an iMac today with more than 2TB of storage. And that will set you back $600-$800.

Something’s very wrong. We’ve got less to work with and paying more for it.

Still, pricing aside, I successfully deluded myself that didn’t actually need 4TB. (Ha!)

Better Digital Housekeeping?
Sure, I had filled up my old iMac’s 4TB drive, but I told myself that maintaining and transferring all that content from computer to computer was unreasonable. I didn’t need all of it within my internal drive. instead, I would offload much of it to external drives and my G-Technology RAID for long-term storage.

I brainwashed myself that the new 2TB SSD in my Mac Studio should be more than enough once I performed some long-overdue digital housekeeping.

That was just wishful thinking.

Face the Inevitable
Sure, I’ve done some media management, but my goal of a 50% reduction was unobtainable. Within a year, my 2TB internal drive was bursting at the seams. (And we all know that Macs aren’t built to allow you to later upgrade internal storage.)

And Apple hasn’t helped any by continuing to improve its iPhone’s capabilities to generate RAW photos and advanced video codecs (including ProRes files). All this means larger media files.

We’re all filmmakers now with the critical need to house our content libraries somewhere. What did they think was going to happen when we moved these huge files over to our Macs?

iCloud Storage?
Sure, I could export terabytes of my media into Apple’s iCloud ecosystem. But come on… that’s not really a good value proposition.

  • 2TB costs $9.99/month
  • 6TB is $29.99/month

Let’s do the math:
I would have to go with the 6TB plan, which comes out to $360/year. While that is surprisingly competitive with external hard drive pricing, across multiple years… it gets too expensive.

Certainly, $360 x multiple years is more than the one-time cost of buying a companion external drive. I know physical drives won’t last forever, and you’re supposed to upgrade them every few years. So perhaps a future iCloud storage plan could be a reasonable solution… if the pricing comes down.

SSD Drives
But what is today’s answer when your internal drive gets filled up?

Well, that’s simple: You’ve got to buy an external drive and plug it in. (I know I didn’t have to tell you that.)

The real question is what kind of drive?

To match the speed of your internal drive, you’ll want to buy a similar technology. If you’ve got an internal SSD, you should look at getting an external SSD.

So, that’s what I did.

Video Editing
Another question is what you want to do with the drive.

My most demanding task is editing my family videos and personal creative projects, which are all shot in 4K. Many of my video files are generated by my iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Plus, I’ve got:

So, perhaps my video editing needs are more advanced than the average user.

4TB OWC Express 1M2 SSD
All this said, I decided to go with a fast NVMe M.2 SSD. And I wanted to take advantage of the Thunderbolt 4 interface my Mac Studio offers. While there are many Thunderbolt 3 drives on the market, only OWC appears to offer a USB4 drive (same as Thunderbolt 4).

Now, some of you will immediately question my need for such a fast drive, and others will point out that thunderbolt 3 drives are fast enough for my media workflow. I know.

But this is a dizzying choice. So, I figured it’s best to go with a little more oomph than not enough.

So, I landed on the bus-powered 4TB OWC Express 1M2 SSD. (It’s an enclosure with the 4TB NVMe prepopulated.)
This Express 1M2 is blazing-fast, boasting 3200MB/s. It gets positive reviews, it’s compact and so far… it’s working great for me.

The Price for Performance and Peace of Mind
No, it’s not exactly cheap. (Remember, SSD technology is pricy.)

Yes, I could have saved more and bought a less expensive NVMe separately and popped it in an empty OWC 1M2 enclosure. But… I’m a baby.

Really, I just want this thing to work out of the box. Sure, plenty of you may chide me for being so ‘tech-timid.’ But hey… I’m not ‘Mr. At Home with IT.’ I know my limits. I’m not building my drives. I’ll buy them pre-built, thank you very much.

I just want some peace of mind. (Sure, I back up my files, but that’s also a complex equation.)

So, yes, I’m willing to pay a little more.

Build a Big Enough Home for your Files
Let’s review:

  • I bought a new Mac that had 50% of the internal storage of my old Mac
  • I inevitably ran out of space
  • A year later, I spent more money to buy a companion OWC drive for my Mac
  • I plugged it into my Mac Studio via a Thunderbolt 4 port, and I’m back in business

Yes, my story has a happy ending, but I’m not that happy.

Sure, maybe I have more media storage needs than the average bear, but not by that much.

I think today’s new computers simply need more internal storage. The fact that Apple sells its base-level computers with only a 256GB SSD is absolutely silly. (I could choose a stronger word.)

The lesson here is over the years, you’re going to need a bigger hard drive for your computer. And you’re going to pay for it one way or another.

So, plan for the future.

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July 7, 2024

Why I Woke Up Early on Vacation to Spot the Sunrise Instead of Sleeping In

I used the early mornings from my summer vacation to capture timelapses of the sun rising over the mud flats in Cape Porpoise, Maine. Here’s how I set up my photo gear.

Creating a timelapse video of the sunrise is like looking at a snowflake. One is never exactly the same as the next. The sun may arrive on schedule, but the surrounding weather is always the wild card.

Specifically, it’s all about the clouds. They will make or break your sunrise timelapse photography every time. Yes, you don’t want a cloud to be blocking the sun as it makes its grand entrance on the horizon, but that’s only one piece.

Wonderful Clouds
Properly positioned in your shot, clouds are the secret ingredient that can create a spectacular sunrise in a timelapse. They’re always on the move, and a timelapse will speed up their motion. Plus, clouds augment the visual drama by reflecting the orange hues on the horizon and adding stunning contrasts to what can otherwise be a boring blue sky.

But it all must organically come together for your camera at the right time. Every morning doesn’t offer the perfect sunrise. So, repetition is key.

The Magical Mud Flats
Over the past three summers, my family and I have been driving up the Maine coast to the same beach house for a little R&R.

The house overlooks the mud flats of Cape Porpoise near Kennebunkport. And if you walk for 15 seconds to the edge of the ‘flats’ at the crack of dawn, you’re offered a magnificent environmental canvas for the sunrise. (Whether the flats are dry or filled with tidal ocean water, it’s always a stunning view.)

We’ve been sharing this Maine vacation experience with two other families, and each morning while everyone was still asleep, I got up at 4:35am to get my gear in place ahead of the sunrise. (And if you’re concerned that I haven’t been giving myself the opportunity to sleep in and rest up, don’t worry. I caught up on my Z’s during luxurious afternoon vacation naps.)

DJI Osmo Pocket 3
My camera of choice for my ongoing sunrise timelapse project is currently the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. Its superpower is its tiny gimbal design. The lens can be programmed to pan left or right throughout the timelapse sequence. (DJI calls that a ‘motionlapse.’)

I bought the original Osmo Pocket back in 2019, and I’ve just upgraded to the third-generation model (Pocket 3), which among other improvements boasts a larger 1” sensor size for better image quality.
I usually set my timelapses to run for 30 minutes, with each frame set at 3-second intervals. That creates a 20 second timelapse. (Sometimes I double it and go a full hour for a 40-second timelapse.)

I try to start at least 10-15 minutes before the first edge of the sun peeks out, and then I let my Osmo Pocket track the sun during those wonderful early minutes before it becomes too intense for the camera. (I also use a DJI ND16 magnetic filter which acts like sunglasses for the lens.)

Holiday Parade
This year, the best sunrise presented itself to my Osmo Pocket 3 on July 4th.

When I stumbled out of bed with my Pocket 3 and tripod, I spotted a few clouds already in good position. I set up my gear at the edge of the flats for the full hour, crossed my fingers and walked away to get a cup of Joe. When I returned, I was so pleased with what I got. The clouds offered up a perfect parade.
My Magic Hour
Waking up early to document sunrises may seem like a counterintuitive vacation activity. But when the opportunity is literally right in front of you, it’s hard to pass up.

Plus, I usually rise on the early side throughout the year for what I call my ‘magic hour’ from 5:30-6:30am. I use this time for my blog writing and photography editing. My mind is fresh, and I find that the creativity flows.

So, waking up 40 minutes earlier for my vacation sunrise timelapse project isn’t such a big change from my usual routine.

Another benefit of greeting the sunrise is the massive sense of accomplishment you get before most people are even awake. I’m a huge believer of ‘doing’ in the morning hours. The rest of the day then feels much fuller.

Tend to your Flame
There’s nothing wrong with waking up late when you’re taking some time off.

But for me, I find happiness practicing my personal photography. Capturing a glorious sunrise always juices my joy factor.

Even capturing the energy of a blustery, cloudy morning brings me great satisfaction.
This cloudy morning on day 2 of our Maine vacation obscured the sunrise, but my resulting timelapse still did not disappoint.

It’s about exploring the art of the unexpected. Results will inevitably vary.

Practicing your craft, whatever that may be, will always revitalize your spark.

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September 24, 2023

How We Scheduled our Alaskan Vacation out of Anchorage

When you’re trying to figure out how to vacation in Alaska, be realistic on how much you can see. Here’s our 10-day itinerary.

When I first told my friends that my family and I were going to Alaska, they usually asked, “Are you taking a cruise?” If you’ve checked out my past few posts on our Alaskan adventure, you know that we followed a different vacation path. We took a Backroads’ family tour out of Anchorage that transported us throughout the Kenai Peninsula. Though we spent a day cruising through parts of Prince William Sound exploring glaciers and sea kayaked on Kachemak Bay, we spent the rest of our time on land, hiking and biking. It was all simply spectacular.

The Need to Narrow our Itinerary’s Scope
When we first thought about taking an Alaskan vacation, the big challenge was figuring out where to go and how to maximize our geographical coverage during our 10-day trip.

That was the wrong question to ask, and we quickly realized that, because Alaska is so huge. Any attempt to drive between the key sections would take up too many days and doom the trip to endless road time.

Even taking a train to Mount Denali was a complete day right there, and then that choice would set up extended travel days from point to point in that part of Alaska.

It’s ridiculous to even try to cover Alaska in one trip, unless you’re hopping on a plane every other day.

The only solution to our itinerary, of course, was to pick one ‘small’ area, and then stick to it. (And that’s what Backroads provided us.) Even doing that required two to four hours of driving on almost every day. (Fortunately, we were comfortably driven around in our Backroads’ van.)

Hello, Kenai Peninsula!
So, we explored the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage, and believe me, it felt like just that small sliver of the state was a separate massive planet. We covered plenty of miles, even though it’s just a fraction of Alaska.
If you’re planning for your own Alaskan vacation, and you’re trying to figure out your own itinerary, here’s what we did:

Our Alaskan Vacation Itinerary

Day 1
Fly to Anchorage
Settle into your hotel. Unless you’re starting from the west coast of the United States, it’ll be a full travel day.

Day 2
Unscheduled
Go through your jet lag (as needed).
We visited the Anchorage Museum and took a trolly tour (very touristy but fun). The key to this day is to make it a buffer day. There would have been no way for us to easily turn it around and begin our Backroads’ tour that morning. Not as a family.

Plus, what if your fight gets delayed or canceled the day before? (It actually took three hours for our plane to get out of Newark, New Jersey due to weather restrictions and the need to find a new flight plan!)

Day 3
Travel to Girdwood
Stay at the Alyeska Resort
This was our first Backroads’ day, and it began big with a cycling adventure. We biked along the amazing Turnagain Arm.

We eventually ended up at the Alyeska Resort midafternoon. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to enjoy its immersive salt-water pool, but we did squeeze in a late-afternoon dip. (If you can spend an extra day here, I’d recommend it.)

Day 4
Travel to Whittier
Take Prince William Sound Glacier Cruise
Getting to Whittier required driving through the 2.5 mile portage tunnel through a mountain. That, by itself, was an experience. As for our glacier cruise, it was as dazzling as it sounds.

After our cruise, we jumped back in our van and headed to Seward.

Day 5
In Seward, Drive into Kenai Fjords National Park
Hike the 8-Mile Harding Icefield Trail next to Exit Glacier
We hiked up this trail right next to the glacier. (We were on solid earth the entire way.) The summit of the trail is 3,512 feet.
Yes, it was a wicked-challenging hike with a steep incline, which reminded me of my family’s New Hampshire mountain hikes that topped 4,000 feet.

For the record, I was the last one up and the last one down the Harding Icefield Trail. Yes, I was slow, but I did it!

Day 6
Drive to Homer
Bike the Spit
This was our second cycling day, and we biked into Homer (after our van took us most of the way from Seward) and through the Homer “Spit” that extends out into Kachemak Bay. Our hotel (Land’s End Resort) was perfectly located at the end of the Spit. You could also reverse engineer this idea and bike the spit after you settle into Homer.

After dinner, we enjoyed a brilliant sunset over Kachemak Bay. (In the summer, the sun doesn’t go down until around 10pm.)

Day 7
Stay in Homer
Go Sea Kayaking in Kachemak Bay
As soon as I woke up and got dressed to get my morning cup of Joe, I took a peek outside and saw the opportunity to capture a striking sunrise over the water. So, I stumbled out of our room with my DJI Osmo Pocket and GoPro to begin some timelapse recordings as dawn was breaking.

After breakfast, we took a water taxi to Yukon Island and suited up for our all-day kayaking exploration.

Again… stunning. Even our time on Yukon Island offered breathtaking views of Kachemak Bay.

Day 8
Explore Homer
Drive back to Anchorage
In the morning, we visited the inspirational Dean family farm and art studios. After lunch, our group headed back to Anchorage. This last leg of our Backroads’ tour took five hours, the longest driving stretch of our vacation.

And that was the end of our exceptional Backroads’ tour. But our Alaskan vacation wasn’t over quite yet!

Day 9
Stay in Anchorage
Take a Glacier Flightseeing Tour in a Cessna
We started our day with a little more bike riding, this time around Anchorage. (We rented from Downtown Bicycle.) Along the way on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, we ran into a few moose. (Well, they almost ran into us!)

In the afternoon, we took our Knik and Colony Glacier Flightseeing Tour (by Regal Air) from Lake Hood. This two-hour roundtrip flight through Chugach State Park in a tiny Cessna was the perfect way to wrap up what was already an unforgettable vacation.

And as if our flying over glaciers wasn’t thrilling enough, we also landed on a strip of dirt in the middle of it all to ‘stretch our legs’ before embarking on the second half of the flight. (Cessnas are amazing little planes.)

Day 10
Hang Out in Anchorage
Fly Home
Our flight back to Newark wasn’t until 8pm (a red eye and the only non-stop). So, we had much of the day to still spend in Anchorage. As it was raining, we focused on indoor activities. We visited Alaska Escape Rooms and then headed to the Alaska Aviation Museum before taking a free shuttle to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, only ten minutes away.

A Few Final Travel Tips

Bring your Raincoat
It rains a fair amount in this part of Alaska during August. So, you should expect some. The fact that we experienced perfect weather throughout our entire Backroads’ tour was unusual (and certainly enhanced our overall experience).

Make Dinner Reservations in Anchorage
Yes, Alaska has a total population of only 732,000 people, and Anchorage feels accordingly empty by comparison to other cities. But there are tons of tourists moving through to take their cruises. And the restaurants totally fill up by 6pm. So, plan ahead for your evening meals.

Focus your Photography Wide
Of course, everyone wants to spot some wildlife, and yes, we ran across our fair share: some moose, black bears, mountain goats, seals, sea otters and one giant sea lion. And I got off a few good tight shots. But the majority of photo opportunities on this kind of trip is to capture the vast and incredible landscape. That’s where you’ll find your visual magic moments.

Go!
Visiting Alaska was certainly a bucket-list trip. And to fully experience our 49th state, you really need to see it from both the water and land. And if you can swing it, get in some flightseeing time in too!

It all makes for a trip of a lifetime.

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