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My Live Streaming Studio Setup – 2022

2022 UPDATE: Not a lot has changed since my 2021 setup/post. I switched my main camera to a Sony ZV-E10, my demo computer is now a 2021 16″ M1 MacBook Pro and I’m using Restream.io to multicast each stream to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Behance. Ok let’s get to it:

Last year when I did this post I started it by saying “as we look to the end of the pandemic” and a year later I could say the same thing. Either way, live streaming is definitely something that is here to stay. Even as live in person events start to make a slow comeback, they are agumented by live streaming for those that aren’t quite ready to go to in person events again. Live streaming is a big part of my day job. I live stream multiple times per week as part of my job at Adobe. I stream live Adobe tutorials regularly to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Behance as well. Since this is what I do for a living I’m always looking to improve my production values.

I have been tweaking my dedicated live streaming studio since 2016. Being a photographer I’ve set up a few photography studios and no matter how you equip your studio you can always find more gear that you want and ways to improve it. I’ve been building out this live streaming studio since May 2016. I have everything I “need” to do my streams, but I’m always looking out for ways to improve upon what I have or make it easier to do my streams.

As with a photography studio, your streaming setup can be very basic or very elaborate

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Get The Last Business Card You’ll Ever Need

Popl and Tap Tag Digital Business Cards with embedded NFC tags and QR Codes

Gone are the days of big in-person conferences and meetings where you’d pass out dozens of business cards. Well at least for now. I do miss in-person events and hopefully, we’ll be able to see each other in person again soon. When we do, I won’t be carrying a ton of business cards like I used to. I’ve got one digital business card that should last forever.

My Digital Business Card Is The Last One I’ll Ever Need

Instead of getting paper cards printed and knowing that if anything changes on them I’d have to dump (recycle) them and get more printed, I had a digital card made instead. This digital card has an NFC chip in it that can be scanned by any modern smartphone.

Instead of giving you a card, I would wave my digital card near your smartphone and a notification would pop up for you to tap. Once you tap it, all of my contact/social media information would load in your browser with the option to save me to your contacts.

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Do You Need A New Mac Studio? Maybe

Mac Studio

Apple just took the wraps off the first new Mac in years. The Mac Studio aims to fill the place between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. Based on the newest Apple Silicon chips M1 Max and brand new M1 Ultra makes this new Mac the fastest Mac available to date. I really like the specs and the design. Having had Mac Pros in the past, a Mac mini Server, and iMac 27″ desktops, this is a great fit for the intended audience.

Do you need a new Mac Studio?

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How to Add Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card to Your Apple Wallet

Apple Wallet Vaccination Card
Apple Wallet App

Depending on where you live and the places you like to go, you may be required to show proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status.

Apple took a step towards making this easier with iOS 15. When this feature first rolled out I was kinda out of luck because Walgreens (the pharmacy where I got my shots) didn’t have support for digital vaccination cards. Oh well. I moved on and just used Clear to store my card. Not as convenient, but it was better than nothing. I figured one day pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS, etc. would get on board and there would be some big announcement when they do. Well, that wasn’t the case! Walgreens quietly added support that I just discovered.

How to Add Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card from Walgreens to your Apple Wallet

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It’s Not Too Late to Automate Your Outdoor Holiday Lights

Most people that know me, know that I love smart home tech. I’ve been building my ultimate smart home since 2016. One of the things that I hadn’t done yet was to make my outdoor holiday lights smarter. I had been using a simple outdoor plug that turns on at dusk and off at dawn. However, If I wanted to turn them on or off at any other time I’d actually have to go outside and do it manually.

This year my lights got smarter thanks to the Lutron Caseta Outdoor Smart Plug

Lutron Caseta Outdoor Smart Plug

I got one of these when it first came out earlier in the year to automate the lights on my back patio. I knew then I’d want another one for the winter holiday season for the front lights.

Holiday lights

What makes this one special?

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Why Apple Needs to Dump the Lightning Port on the Next iPhone Pro

Before you pick up your pitchfork, here me out. There was a rumor floating around that Apple was considering removing the Lightning port altogether and that is NOT what I’m proposing here. I actually think there are times where using the physical port is better/faster than doing things wirelessly. We can certainly debate this at another time.

It’s time for Apple to switch from Lightning ports to USB-C ports on iPhone

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Searching for the perfect 3-in-1 Wireless Travel Charger

I have three devices that I charge every night. My iPhone 12 Pro Max, my AirPods Pro and my Apple Watch. Each one of these devices can charge wirelessly. At night I simply want to set all three devices on a single charger and wake up fully charged. This is easy at home. As a matter of fact I have two favorites:

Logitech Powered 3-in-1 Wireless Charger

The best all around 3-in-1 Wireless Charger is the Logitech Powered 3-in-1 Dock and the Belkin Magsafe 3-in-1 Charger (for iPhones with Magsafe).

Belkin Magsafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charger

I would have no problem recommending either of these two chargers because they work. However, both are designed to be stationary on a nightstand or a desk. They are NOT designed for travel and frankly they are just too big and bulky for travel.

What makes a perfect 3-in-1 Wireless Travel Charger?

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Why I Switched from Elinchrom to Westcott for Flash

Model Christa posing for my astronaut them with two Westcott FJ-400s

I usually pride myself on making tech purchase decisions that will serve me for years. This is no different. I started with Elinchrom strobes for flash photography. It was February 28, 2008 that I placed an order for a two strobe setup with soft boxes and triggers. Looking at the price of what I paid back then boggles my mind, but it was an investment that lasted me for 13 years. Well worth the investment as they performed flawlessly over the years and still work fine to this day.

So why switch now?

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Don’t Use an Apple AirTag as a Pet Tracker – Use a Whistle Instead!

Apple introduced their AirTag (a Tile competitor) for those looking for an easy way to keep track of things like keys, purses, wallets, etc. However, many have been tempted to use them on their pets too. There certainly isn’t anything wrong with this thought process, but it really depends on your situation and where your pet may go missing.

How do AirTags work?

With an AirTag there is no subscription fee, no WiFi, and no GPS. It works with Ultra Wideband technology to show itself to the Find My app on your iOS devices. In order for your lost/misplaced/stolen object to show up on the Find My network it would have to be within range of another Apple device such as an iPhone, iPad or Mac. Let’s say you left your backpack with an AirTag attached to it/in it, in the library and you drove home. Now you’re miles away from your backpack.

You are way out of the range of bluetooth or even the 800 foot range of Ultra Wideband technology. However, if someone else is in the library near your backpack with an iPhone, iPad or Mac your backpack AirTag would automatically be picked up by the Find My network and show its location in the Find My app on your iOS device. Luckily the people near your backpack don’t need to do anything special. There’s nothing they need to install or activate. It all happens in the background. Your AirTag in your backpack would privately be detected and shown on the Find My network just being near another Apple device. Cool!

This is not ideal for pets depending on where they may get lost

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