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WHAT IS CREATIVEBLOKE

Creativebloke is the online home of Mike Griggs a Digital Media Designer and Photographer
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Creativebloke spends a lot of time with camera in hand. You can see the results here.

Some of my photos are available to buy as a limited edition prints such as ‘Old Nag’, click on the image to find out more.

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    CREATIVEBLOKE'S TOOLKIT
    • The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap (Peachpit)
      The DV Rebel's Guide: An All-digital Approach to Making Killer Action Movies on the Cheap (Peachpit)
      by Stu Maschwitz
    • Real World Modo: The Authorized Guide: In the Trenches with Modo
      Real World Modo: The Authorized Guide: In the Trenches with Modo
      by Wes McDermott
    • The Art and Science of Digital Compositing: Techniques for Visual Effects, Animation and Motion Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)
      The Art and Science of Digital Compositing: Techniques for Visual Effects, Animation and Motion Graphics (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Graphics)
      by Brinkmann
    • Lowepro Flipside 200 Photo Backpack - Arctic Blue
      Lowepro Flipside 200 Photo Backpack - Arctic Blue
      Lowepro
    • Apple Aperture 3 Upgrade Version (Mac)
      Apple Aperture 3 Upgrade Version (Mac)
      Apple
    • Canon - Lens - 50 mm - f/1.4 USM - Canon EF
      Canon - Lens - 50 mm - f/1.4 USM - Canon EF
      Canon
    • Tamron AF 17-50mm F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Canon
      Tamron AF 17-50mm F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Canon
      Tamron
    • Tamron SP 70-200 F2.8 Di Can A001 Lens
      Tamron SP 70-200 F2.8 Di Can A001 Lens
      Tamron
    • Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
      Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)
      Canon
    • Wacom Intuos4 Medium A5 Graphics Tablet
      Wacom Intuos4 Medium A5 Graphics Tablet
      Wacom

    Entries in mac (12)

    10:12AM

    Creativebloke review : TextExpander

    Yes I’m lazy enough to replace my name with an abbreviation.Another essential app, and after a day of use a family pac was bought. Textexpander basically uses key shortcuts to paste in text, script whatever you want.

    Its a bit like crack all of a sudden “Mike Griggs” has been replaced with typing “-mg”, that doesn’t seem a huge issue, but things like flickr tags, especially for kit are a real sod to remember. So all of a sudden all I need to do is type “i100” for a photo posted from my IXUS 100is  which generates the following text string “Canon IXUS 100IS, Canon Powershot 780, Canon Powershot SD780 (Digital IXUS 100) IS,”.

    What’s really powerful is that Textexpander works across the system so type your shortcuts anywhere and in any app and they work - genius.

    Also there is syncing across mobileme (hence the family pack), and it appears syncing also works across the god that is dropbox.

    But try it out for free, theres a fun feature on the registration pane which shows you much time you are saving, and that for me was what made the purchase decision easier.


     

    12:50PM

    Apple Launches New Final Cut Studio

    Well its no Aperture 3 (where, hello, apple, hello). But the improvements in the new Final Cut Studio look very nice. Motion 4 looks like it can start to mix it with After effects (a bit). I always had a bit of a soft spot for Motion, as if you got into the workflow you could produce a lot of layered imagery very, very quickly.

    Final Cut has more export formats, and time enhancements, along with a revised UI which will improve workflow. Since Final Cut was always one of the ‘quickest’ apps in the toolkit, this can only be welcomed.

    But the main thing is the price. £799 (£249 for upgraders) gets you a complete DV suite, including a colour grading tool, Non-linear editor, effects, audio, encoding and burning. Compared to the Adobe Production suite priced at £1,700 it’s a total no brainer. Yes I know you get photoshop and illustrator, etc. But as I have explained previously, I find Adobe’s Europe pricing policy vile.

    Anyway check out the new FCS, looks like a keeper 

    12:53PM

    Review of New Macbook Pro Screens

    This article from Rob Galbraith’s Site is a really fascinating look at why the screens in the new MBP’s make the new line of Apple Laptops exceptionally droolworthy. I am leaning towards a 17” in my imaginary world were money doesn’t exist, but the idea of these new screens and 8gb of upgradeable RAM is making me twitchy as all hell.

    The reflections on the 15” screen shown in the article are very scary however. My current mbp is a matte screen, and while the blacks are nowhere near as poppy as on a glossy. At least i can see the screen when I am out and about. Why matte isn’t an option on the 15” is one the great mysteries of our time, its up there with the Loch ness monster and why people give a damn about MJ!

    8:39PM

    Free screen Ruler for OSX

    It’s Still around and its still handy, and its all free. Very handy for those squarespace image vs column width debates you have with yourself!

    2:57PM

    creativebloke slaphead mac tips : iTunes Playlist Folders

    I am a stuffing idiot, iTunes Folders, you can use them to organise your playlists! iTunes>File>New Playlist Folder. Must have been asleep at school that day.