Shutter Release: DJI Spark videos, what makes gear “pro” and NFL star Larry Fitzgerald shoots photos

DJI Spark: Hands-on and versus a $3,000 DJI Inspire – ISO 1200

Kaiman Wong was able to test out DJI’s new Spark drone. The Spark is DJI’s smallest drone, weighing in at only 10.6 ounces. It also has a consumer-friendly price point of $500. Check out Kai Wong’s thoughts on the Spark below.

Marques Brownlee also went hands-on with the DJI Spark. In his video, seen below, he pitted it against the DJI Inspire 1, which costs six times more than the Spark. Of course you shouldn’t expect DJI’s Spark to match up favorably to its much more expensive products, but how close can the little Spark get?

Bad news for Profoto as they recall their new Li-Ion battery – The Digital Picture

If you’ve purchased a Profoto B1X or their new Li-Ion Battery Mark II for a Profoto B1, you need to take note of Profoto’s new recall information.

Mark II batteries, which come with the new B1X but can also be purchased separately, with date of manufacturer information showing 2017-09 and 2017-16 are recalled and you should stop using the battery immediately as they have a potential safety issue. Your local dealer will supply you with a B1 battery you can safely use with your B1 and B1X until a replacement can be delivered. Do not handle or use the recalled battery in the meantime. Click here for more information. While a safety issue is always concerning, kudos to Profoto for quickly identifying the issue and supplying affected customers with a replacement battery.

What makes photography gear “professional” photography gear? – PetaPixel

Educator Matt Granger has released a new video exploring the idea of professional photography gear. What specifications, features and options do working professionals really need? What makes a camera or lens a “professional” camera or lens? Hear Matt’s thoughts below.

Ten women behind photography in Asia – The Invisible Photographer

It is not always the case that the people making important contributions to photography are the ones behind the cameras themselves. Invisible Photographer has published a great article highlighting the work of ten women in Asia and the work they do to help visual artists learn and share their own photographic work.

Lightroom and Camera Raw updated

Adobe has updated Lightroom and Camera Raw to include new camera and lens support. Lightroom and ACR now include support for the Panasonic ZS70 and Sony A9 cameras in addition to the Sony FE Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 lens. Further, some bugs have been addressed, including an issue with color casting on some Fuji X series cameras when shot in CH/CL modes, issues with the top three extended ISO settings in Fuji GFX 50S files, Hasselblad H6 DNG files and Hasselblad X1D high ISO images. You can read the full details here: Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.

NFL superstar Larry Fitzgerald tries his hand at portraiture – Fstoppers

If you’re an American football fan, you’re probably familiar with Larry Fitzgerald. He’s a wide receiver for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and has some of the surest hands in the business and often has a camera in those hands. Commercial photographer Blair Bunting surprised his mother with a photoshoot with none other than Larry Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald is himself a photography enthusiast and knows Bunting through their shared passion. Bunting says of Fitzgerald, “The first thing that needs to be known is that Larry is a photographer’s photographer. There are a lot of athletes and celebrities out there who like to take pictures. Fitz, on the other hand, can recite lens history and often is the first person to text me when a new camera is released. The only difference is that he, unlike pretty much every other photographer on Earth, can handhold a Canon 500mm f/4L all day without breaking a sweat.”