Disk Full? The G-Tech G-DRIVE Mobile USB-C is Your New Best Friend!

My name is Kaleigh. I’m the Social Media Coordinator here at DVeStore, and I have recently embarked on the journey of starting my own YouTube channel. As someone who spends much of their time watching content on YouTube, I’ve wanted to do it for quite some time, but a couple of months ago I finally bit the bullet and started filming some videos.

I knew I needed to decide what sort of content I wanted to make, and I had that part mostly figured out. I also knew I would need a camera, lighting, and a microphone. I spent a Sunday putting together a simple setup and filmed four videos back to back. I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever been that excited to do something on a weekend; usually all I want to do is sleep and watch Criminal Minds reruns!

I was so excited to start editing the footage, but when I transferred the videos to my trusty old Macbook Pro, it quickly became apparent that I was running out of space. I was only able to transfer about half of the footage before getting the dreaded “startup disk full” notification. Apparently I had forgotten that my computer was chock full of thousands of photos and hundreds of old school assignments!

As someone who is well-versed in the art of procrastination (most of those old school assignments were finished minutes before they were due), I had been putting off purchasing extra storage for my computer for years. It just wasn’t something that I thought was necessary to do right away. But it was suddenly very clear to me that I could not put this off any longer if I wanted to keep up my dream of being a YouTuber, and that’s where the G-Tech Mobile G-Drive comes in!

The G-Technology G-DRIVE Mobile USB-C is "a high-performance 7200 RPM hard drive with versatile USB Type-C connectivity for up to 1TB of video and photo files” with transfer rates up to 136MB/S. It also comes formatted for Mac and works with Time Machine (although it can easily be reformatted for Windows), and its thin beveled aluminum case comes in gold, space gray, silver, and rose gold to match all of your Apple devices.

It really was the perfect solution for me! It had plenty of space for my new videos, it was portable and sleek so that I could take it anywhere with me, and on top of all that, it was a reasonable price ($94.95-109.95). The fact that it came formatted for Mac also made the whole experience very simple. Overall, it was exactly what I needed right now to kickstart my foray into making video content online.

Finally, I was able to easily back up my files and clear out enough space for me to continue filming and editing. Thank you, G-Tech, for saving the day! Now if only there was an easy solution for my procrastination habit...

Camera Tips and Tricks: Shooting with an iPhone

Don't have a fancy DSLR camera? Don't worry! Most smartphones are actually able to produce very high quality video, sometimes even in 4K. With knowledge of a few key phone features and some ring light best practices, your smartphone videos can look just as professional as those taken with an expensive camera. Here are some tips that can help you get the most out of the phone and ring light that you already have.

Use the Back Camera

If possible, always use the back-facing camera. The back camera produces much better video than the front camera. If you're recording by yourself, it can sometimes be difficult to see what you're doing with the back camera because you can't see the screen, but the difference in quality is definitely worth the effort. One way to make this a bit easier is to put a mirror behind your phone so you’re able to see what’s on the screen. Alternatively, you could take a photo in the setup you intend to use, check it to make sure you’re in frame, and adjust accordingly.

One thing that makes using the back camera a bit easier is the fact that on most smartphones, pressing a volume button on the side of the phone takes a photo or starts recording a video. Instead of trying to find the button on the touch screen, you can simply use the volume buttons on the side of the phone, which is much easier. In the case of iPhones, you can also use the volume buttons on the headphones that come with the phone to take a photo or record video.

Make the Most of Your Ring Light

Match the ambient room lighting to your ring light. If the ring light is much brighter than the rest of the room, it can potentially create harsh shadows and wash out your face. Make sure the background of your video is properly lit for the best results possible.

Try to stay close to the ring light if possible. The light is designed to surround your face, and if it’s too far away, it could create uneven shadows.

Check Your Focus

On most smartphones, tapping an area on the screen will focus on that area. If your phone isn't focusing on what it should be, simply tap the area that you want it to focus on and it will adjust accordingly. This also sets the exposure; the camera will adjust so that the area you tapped is properly exposed. To change the exposure, drag the yellow line next to the focus point up or down.

Lock Your Settings

If you tap and hold on an area on the screen, you'll notice it will say "AE/AF Lock". AE stands for Auto-Exposure and AF stands for Autofocus. AE/AF Lock disables these features and the focus and exposure will be locked on that part of the screen. This allows you to manually adjust the focus and exposure on your smartphone camera. The exposure, however, can still be adjusted by swiping up or down on the screen. To unlock, simply tap anywhere else on the screen. Once you use AE/AF lock, try not to change the distance between the subject and the camera. If you do, the camera will focus on the wrong thing.

Don’t Use the Zoom

Try not to use your smartphone’s zoom function, as it drastically reduces the quality of the photo or video. If you need a close up shot of something, it’s better to do it manually by physically getting the camera closer to the object and tapping to focus on it.

Consider Third-Party Apps

The photo and video functions that come with your smartphone generally get the job done just fine; however, if you want to fine-tune your images a bit more, third party apps such as FiLMiC Pro are the way to go. FiLMiC Pro, for example, allows you to manually control focus, exposure, ISO, shutter speed, tint, color temperature, and frame rate. It may be worth the $14.99 investment if you’re looking to have full control over your smartphone camera.

There’s no doubt that a DSLR will provide more options for perfecting your photos and videos, but the truth is that most smartphones are also able to produce very high quality images. If you know how to best use your phone’s camera and your ring light, there’s nothing stopping you from creating some truly excellent photos and videos.

Get the Look: Ombré Video Backdrop

Ever wonder how to get that ombré backdrop look that’s so popular on YouTube these days? It’s actually quite simple! All you really need is a light and some seamless paper.

First, you’ll want to set up your seamless paper backdrop. You can find rolls of backdrop paper pretty easily on Amazon, although there are many different sizes available, so make sure you know which one you need. Depending on the size, it can cost anywhere from $35 to $70 per roll.

You’ll also need a support for the backdrop. Something like the Westcott Background Support System is ideal because of its versatility and ability to properly support any backdrops you may have in the future, but if you’re on a very tight budget, you could just pin the backdrop paper to the wall. Whatever works!

Lastly, you’ll need a light to shine on the backdrop. This is what creates the ombré effect and separates the subject from the background. All you need to do is set up the light directly behind the subject, pointing up at the backdrop. The result is a beautiful ombre glow surrounding the subject! For this, we recommend a Prismatic LED Luna Beauty Dish because it’s powerful yet compact, and can easily be used for many other purposes when you’re not creating an ombré effect. Any small but bright light should do the trick. A Prismatic Weighted Light Stand would be perfect for keeping the light stable and holding the paper down.

Combined with a ring light focused on the subject, an ombré backdrop can give your video setup the professional glow you’ve been looking for!