I'm learning new things...

Thanks for stopping by everyone. I have been posting here for a long time, but have neglected the blog for long periods of time. I hope you will forgive me. I always seem to put others first. I have been trying to learn new things lately and have made a couple of videos.  So neglecting the old blog is hopefully going to stop. (I know I say that every time.)

I have joined Periscope and can be found under Jessanotherhess. For all of you who don't know Periscope is a new App for smart phones and some tablets. It allows you to stream or view live video. I like this format, as a broadcaster, because it is more casual than You Tube. I don't have to edit a video to make it look like what everyone else is doing. I just need a project to work on and a quick plan of what I want to say.  I have done 8 videos on Periscope so far and have learned a lot. The format of Periscope is that you can, as a viewer, watch live or for up to 24 hours after watch a replay of what someone has broadcast. After that it is gone. Some Periscope users have started using a companion App called Katch Me that will store your videos. I have not used that yet.  Once my videos are gone they are gone for now. I will consider using it in the future if I get many followers.

My broadcasts have mainly been me painting or crafting. I find it to be a mostly friendly community and it is fun. Another aspect of Periscope I enjoy is the interaction. If you join in on live broadcasts you will see that the viewers can chat with the broadcaster and even ask questions. Also the viewers can tap the screen and give the broadcaster hearts. This means you like them, are enjoying the broadcast and want to see more. (Like a thumbs up on You Tube.)

You Tube still has an abundance of redeeming qualities.  I do want to do lasting videos on You Tube. Time is a huge factor for me with this. I have make a couple of quick videos for learning purposes and loaded them to You Tube. They can be viewed here. Just scroll down and click the triangles.

As I said above these were for learning purposes for myself, but thought you might enjoy them. I discovered after the last i OS update on my old iPhone that I now have the capability to make time lapse videos. This is fun and quick. I did not put anything fancy with them, like music or captions. I have tried that in the past, but since these were for practice there was no point. 

I am learning lots of other new things as well, but will save that for another post. I have found there are many challenges for me to overcome with learning to do this well. I find that Periscope is not compatible with my iPhone 4S as much as it is with other people's newer devices. My videos are often out of focus and have even been dropped in the middle of filming.  I have had to come up with some creative ways to film, hands free.  

I ordered this thing above off of Amazon last month and was quite disappointed.  I have since played around a lot with it and am making do. I don't want to bash anyone, I'm sure we have all ordered something that they have been disappointed in. I will just say that it doesn't fit my needs in the way advertised. It does not clamp down to the table top in a way that is sturdy or reliable. It is bendy, which is cool, but that makes it not sturdy. It bounces with the slightest breath of air. I just prop it with sturdy objects as seen above. (I am so fancy!!) 

So I would love to hear from any of you. What do you have to hold your phone or camera? Where did you purchase it? Why does it work, or not? Any advice on film making?  I just really miss teaching classes and having people to share this with on a regular basis. I have lost my circle of crafty friends little by little over time.  This is my way to use what I have, and reach out to others. 

Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate all of you and any comments you leave.