https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news.atomMonogram - Palette Community2019-05-13T13:57:00-04:00Monogramhttps://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/8-ways-to-use-palette-gear-in-premiere-pro-for-a-more-efficient-workflow2019-05-13T13:57:00-04:002019-05-13T14:09:05-04:008 Ways to Use Palette Gear in Premiere Pro For A More Efficient Video Editing WorkflowNina VasicWe designed Palette for the complexity of creative work. In Premiere Pro, Palette was designed primarily for use with Lumetri color, transport controls, keyframe motion & effects, and audio mixing. Here are 8 ways to use Palette Gear for a more efficient and less strenuous workflow in Premiere Pro.
Delivering quality edits on time for clients is often on the top of the list in terms of priorities for professional video editors, but keeping up with demanding timelines while maintaining an exceptionally high quality of work can be a challenge.
We designed Palette Gear to meet the needs and demands of the complexity of creative work. Not only does Palette significantly increase workflow efficiency while editing photos in apps like Lightroom, Photoshop, and Capture One, but it can also help video and audio editors working in Premiere Pro. In Premiere, Palette was designed primarily for use with Lumetri color, transport controls, keyframe motion & effects, and audio mixing.
Palette also has strong feature parity between Lightroom Classic + Premiere Lumetri and Audition CC + Premiere Audio to ensure ease of use app-to-app.
Here are 8 ways to use Palette Gear for a more efficient and less strenuous workflow in Premiere Pro.
1. Use Palette Gear to Color Grade More Efficiently in Premiere
Control key Lumetri functions from the basic, creative, curves or vignette panels in Premiere Pro with Palette Gear. When color grading, you can watch a clip in real time and make color adjustments with Palette Gear simultaneously, something that is impossible to do with a keyboard.
Filmmakers Rob and Rich at The Film Look explain their efficient color grading workflow using Palette Gear below:
saturation and contrast to bring the vibrance back to flat log footage
Palette's High Sensitivity Sliders are great for Lumetri adjustments over a smaller range where small tweaks make a major difference. That is because, unlike dials, sliders have maximum and minimum points that you can custom assign. For example
matching exposure and color between A and B cams
sharpening and noise reduction
effects like grain, vignetting, and faded film
2. Use Palette Gear for Keyframed Motion, Color, and Effects
Palette automatically adds keyframes at the playhead as you make adjustments. This means that you can keyframe literally any effect or clip adjustment without having to touch the effects panel. For example: control position, scale, and rotation to add motion to your clips using a Palette Multi-function Dial. Or keyframe your Lumetri adjustments to progressively change the mood and feel of a long take.
3. Use Palette Gear for Faster Timeline Navigation
Use Palette Gear for even faster and less strenuous timeline navigation in Premiere like going between edit points and cut points quickly.
Palette's Multi-function Dial is the perfect fit for navigation and motion functions like jog, playhead, and X/Y position.
Palette Gear hooks directly into Premiere's API so you can do things like Premiere's playhead function like press and turn a Palette dial for dramatically increased sensitivity to fly through frames or turn the dial normally to precisely move frame by frame.
4. Use Palette Gear for Audio Mixing in Premiere
Perhaps you're really fast at editing and color grading, but find that audio is among the slowest parts of your workflow. Automate volume and pan in real time to create a balanced mix of dialogue, music, and effects. This can be mixed using the track-level OR clip-level volume and pan faders. Use a single Palette dial to adjust the volume of any selected clip with automatic keyframing. Toggle Mute and Solo for each track independently.
5. Control All of Your Toggle Features: Razor/Ripple, Linking/Unlinking Clips, Add Edit Points, and More
Palette Gear's Arcade-style Buttons are great for features you can toggle on and off like linking and unlinking clips, adding edit point to all tracks, or razor and ripple delete selected clips without changing your active tool, or add and remove effects, transitions, and looks across your timeline with one press. Palette buttons also make a lot of sense for shortcuts that require two hands to access or custom programming.
6. Master the Use of Macros
Arguably one of the more powerful button feature for Premiere Pro is Palette Gear's macro mode, now available in the beta app. Macro mode lets you assign a sequence of key strokes to a single press of a button. See how Peter from Cut to the Point uses macros with Palette in the video below:
7. Effortlessly Scale 4K, 5K, 6K, 8K Clips into 4K or 1080 Timelines
You can set a max parameter on Palette sliders to easily and quickly scale clips. For example you can program a slider so it never scales below 85%, 75% or 50%, which is extremely useful when dealing with 5K, 6K 8K video files that you want to scale down to fit on a 4K timeline. You can scale your image and using a Palette dial, turn it to the right to scale up or turn left to scale down.
8. Get more precision and sensitivity with Palette custom control settings
By adjusting the sensitivity of Palette dials, you change how much of your effect is applied per rotation. Use a high sensitivity for functions where you're regularly making large changes and low sensitivity where you adjustments are very small and precision is paramount. Press the dial to quickly return any value to it's default.
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You can do all of this with just 7-14 Palette modules by creating multiple profiles for each stage of your workflow effectively adding layers of functionality to even a simple kit: one profile for editing, one for color grading, another for audio, etc.
Try Palette risk-free for 30 days in your video editing workflow or your money-back. That's our better editing guarantee.
Stay up to date on new Palette Gear features
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/the-street-is-chaotic-spontaneous-and-messy-chicago-based-street-photographer-edgar-corona-on-capturing-bustling-cities-in-photographs2019-05-13T10:00:00-04:002019-05-13T14:28:00-04:00The Street is Chaotic, Spontaneous and Messy: Chicago-based Street Photographer Edgar Corona On Capturing The Mood of a CityNina Vasic"I've done food photography for a large part of my career. I’ve found that street photography really balances it out for me. Food photography is neat, orderly, detailed oriented. The street is chaotic, spontaneous and messy. This is what initially drew me to street photography." We spoke to Chicago-based street photographer Edgar Corona about inspiration, editing workflow, and waiting hours to capture the perfect moment.
Chicago-based street photographer, Edgar Corona's, moody shots of downtown Chicago creatively capture the personality of the famous windy city in a way that only a local Chicagoan can. Corona, who goes by @corona.creative on Instagram, has filled his feed with intimate portraits of locals, infamous steel-framed skyscrapers, and inspiring light and shadow play throughout the city.
Corona has lived in Chicago his entire life. He's wandered the streets of downtown since he was a kid on a skateboard. In fact, his appreciation and eye for photography grew out of his love of skateboarding:
"As a skateboarder, you see the world through the lens of a skater. You don’t see stairs; you see a set. Other people recognize a bench, but you see a ledge to grind on. You begin seeing your soundings in a new light, and you are always looking. I found this quickly translating into photography as that what it comes down to, still being aware and always composing images with or without a camera."
We sat down with Edgar to see where he draws his inspiration, how he captures the essence of Chicago, and how he sorts through thousands of shots to find the perfect one.
What inspires you?
Cities. The city is awake every moment of the day, and capturing just some of those moments is what drives me. In Chicago, there's always something going on. Whether you're out at 5 am or 1am there is always the hustle and bustle, what I want to portray in my photos is the in-between: people at their natural states, the small or mundane moments of everyday life, and putting it in context of the city.
Why street?
I've done food photography for a large part of my career. I’ve found that street photography really balances it out for me. Food photography is neat, orderly, detailed oriented. The street is chaotic, spontaneous and messy. This is what initially drew me to street photography, that and the fact that I used to skate. I feel that this is what initially began training my eyes for street photography without even knowing it.
How do you capture street portraits?
As far as my portrait work goes I rarely ask my subject before taking the picture. I like the spontaneity of the moment and by asking that is usually taken away. People often ask me how I am not afraid of doing this, the secret is I am always afraid! The way I overcome this fear is by simply composing and shooting the photo before my brain even registers what is going on. I let instincts take over because as soon as you start thinking about it, you begin to hesitate, then you look like you are lingering around, and that is when you start making people feel uncomfortable.
Can you take us through your workflow?
I usually like to start shooting late in the afternoon. I love to catch long shadows, play with light, and capture people at their busiest. This also works because it bleeds into the night which always me to take long exposures and the bright lights of the city. It usually takes me some time to get into the grove, so I always begin with taking throw away shots. They act as a warm-up for my eyes. I wander around the city and usually stick to a scene if I find the perfect composition.
There have been times when I have waited well over 2 hours waiting at one specific spot waiting for the right light, person or event to happen.
I usually don’t start editing right away. I cull through my photos and reject but not delete the ones I don't like. After a day or two, I start editing the ones I do like. I don’t delete all of the rejected images because there have been times I review old photos and decide I like an aspect about it I didn’t necessarily like the first time I looked it over, but most of the photos never see the light of day.
How has Palette Gear changed your editing workflow?
Palette Gear hasn’t changed the way I edit, but it has improved every aspect of my editing process. From precise use of sliders for culling, to changing brush sizes, and tools in Lightroom. It has made the way I edit faster as most of it can be done from the board. No more keyboard shortcuts or typing in numbers or sliding for exposure, contrast and so forth. Even changing presets and exporting is all done through my Palette set up. There is also something so satisfying about binding a Lightroom slider to an actual slider or pressing an arcade style button to reject photos.
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Try Palette risk-free in your workflow for 30 days for a faster, more intuitive, and precise editing experience, so you can get out and shoot more.
Stay up to date on new Palette Gear features
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/how-to-use-macros-with-palette-gear-to-speed-up-your-video-editing-workflow2019-05-13T06:00:00-04:002019-05-14T09:14:39-04:00How To Use Macros with Palette Gear To Speed Up Your Video Editing WorkflowNina VasicVideo editing is a creative process. No doubt about it. But using the software itself is also a technical skill. A few months ago I started using Palette Gear for my daily editing tasks in Premiere Pro. I’ve found that even though sliders and dials are very useful in some cases, my favorite feature is using macro mode with Palette's arcade-style buttons. It saves me a tremendous amount of time whenever I face some repetitive tasks. Read on to see how.
Video editing is a creative process. No doubt about it. But using the software itself is also a technical skill. A few months ago I started using Palette Gear for my daily editing tasks in Premiere Pro. I’ve found that even though sliders and dials are very useful in some cases, my favorite feature is using macro mode with Palette's arcade-style buttons. It saves me a tremendous amount of time whenever I face some repetitive tasks.
Let me show you a few examples of how I use buttons, how to set up macros and how at the end of the day it saves me precious seconds, minutes and potentially, in the scope of a year, even hours in editing time.
1. Use a Macro to Control Speed/Duration Settings in Premiere Pro
First macro has to do with speed/duration settings. Normally it takes a few clicks and some typing to apply this effect. Also, you need to repeat it for every clip you want to speed up or slow down.
Pretty often, I use it to speed up the clip to 500% and I change default settings for audio pitch, ripple edit, and Time Interpolation to Frame Blending. That’s a lot of clicking and if you are to perform this operation let’s say 50 times, it takes a lot of time that you could save by creating a macro. Here’s how it looks in real time.
And here is the keystroke sequence you have to input in the Palette Gear app:
2. How to Optimize Your Playback Speed to 160% Using a Macro
You probably know that you can hit L on the keyboard to play the timeline. You may even know that if you press L twice, the playback will be twice as fast. If you hit it three times it will be 4 times faster than normal speed.
The problem is that for 200% playback speed it’s hard to understand what your interviewees are saying. For me, it’s just too fast if I want to listen and edit at the same time. So there’s a shortcut not many people know about that lets you increase playback speed by only 10%. It’s Shift + L (Shift + J slows down the playback by 10%).
My personal favorite playback speed for faster editing is 160%. I can still clearly hear every word and make my decision faster at the same time. Here’s a screenshot of the macro I created to set this playback speed in the blink of an eye.
3. Custom Scale and Position For a Clip
If you find yourself reframing a lot of shots (but not in any particular order) you can save motion effect as a preset. But there’s an even faster solution. You’ve guessed it. Macro again :) We actually don’t have to leave the timeline panel to apply motion settings. The macro sequence is pretty long but you can edit it quickly for any new repeatable values. Let’s say that you have a 4K clip in a 1080p timeline. We can set the scaling to, for example, 70% and move a frame a little bit vertically and apply these settings with a single hit of a button. Sweet, right?
Basically, we use a shortcut Shift + 5 to activate the Effects Control panel and then Tab to move in between numeric values.
4. Organize Labels in The Sequence
I love working with labels. This tip shows you how to quickly organize your labeled clips. It requires assigning some custom keyboard shortcuts, but trust me, it’s worth it.
First of all, we should assign a shortcut to a command called Select Label Group. To do it just go to Edit - Keyboard Shortcuts and type the command’s name in a search area. I’ve assigned Shift + 1 to it.
The second shortcut we need is for closing gaps in the sequence. So search for Close Gaps and assign the one that works for you. I use Ctrl + Y for that purpose.
Here’s how labels get organized in real time with the macro you can see on the picture above.
5. Move the playhead 50 frames backward
If there’s a cut or a moment you need to rewatch a few times to make it right, you're going to like this next macro.
It’s very simple but makes a lot of sense for moments you need to rewatch a few times before making an editing choice. We want to move the playhead 50 frames backward and then play the timeline. So we create a macro for which Shift + Left Arrow is pressed 10 times and it is followed by the Spacebar. See how it works in real time:
Bear in mind that macro mode is not accelerated with Palette plugin in Premiere Pro so you can see all of the steps applied. It's not an immediate process. Still, it's much more convenient and much faster than doing it by hand.
Obviously, these are just 5 examples of how I used macros recently. But with the Palette macro mode feature, the sky's the limit! Do you have your own ideas for a macro that would be useful in Premiere Pro? Let us know down in the comments section.
Now that you know how to use Palette buttons with Premiere Pro, check out my video on all the other ways that Palette can improve efficiency when video editing:
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/how-to-control-any-function-in-lightroom-using-just-one-dial2019-05-01T00:00:00-04:002019-05-30T15:05:33-04:00How to Control Any Function in Lightroom Using Just One Palette DialNina VasicWith this neat trick, you won’t necessarily need a Palette dial for each Lightroom adjustment you’d like to control. Here is how to control any function in Lightroom using just onePalette dialand still have speed and precision.
Is your desk space limited or minimal and you don’t have room for lots of additional gear?
WhilePalette Gearis great for tactile, precision editing, there are a lot of adjustments that you can make inLightroom, and you might be thinking that you would need an endless amount of physical dials and sliders to make all of the adjustments.
However, with this neat trick, you don’t necessarily need a Palette dial for each Lightroom adjustment you’d like to control. Here is how to control any function in Lightroom using just onePalette dialand still have speed and precision.
1. Why Should I Use a Dial?
You might be wondering, why would you want to use a tactile dial to make adjustments as opposed to your keyboard or mouse?Palette Geargoes beyond keyboard shortcuts and hooks deep into editing software like Lightroom to give you access to tools and control that you would not get with a keyboard, and with faster access than a mouse.
Unlike Palettesliders, Palette dials are infinite scroll so you never have to worry about start and end points.
A tactile dial also adds more precision. It will keep your eyes and focus on your work, as opposed to the buttons and sliders around it.
In PaletteApp, simply click on the dial you would like to map. An automatic list of functions are brought up. The ‘Adjust any slider’functionis available under theDevelop Modulemenu.
3. Using the Dial
There are two ways to adjust any property in Lightroom using a Palette dial.
To make coarser adjustments, simply hover your cursor over the slider in Lightroom and turn the Palette dial.
To make finer adjustments, click on the property number to the right of each slider and then turn the dial. If the number is selected, pressing the dial will automatically select the next property.
Watch the video below to see how to setup a Palette dial as a universal controller for adjusting any property in Lightroom and how it works:
Have you tried this trick? Let us know if you would use a tactile dial to make adjustments in Lightroom in the comments below.
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Stay up to date on new Palette Gear features
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/finding-inspiration-the-creative-process-and-efficient-workflows-with-beauty-and-portrait-photographer-quentin-decaillet2019-04-24T09:00:00-04:002019-05-01T12:04:36-04:00Finding Inspiration, The Creative Process, and Efficient Workflows With Beauty and Portrait Photographer Quentin DécailletNina VasicMore]]>
Beauty, fashion, and portrait photographer QuentinDécaillet always starts with finding a concept. It's been the cornerstone of his work as a commercial photographer. After just 6 years in the industry, Quentin has already made a huge impact with his unique concepts and out-of-the-box thinking. But ideas aren't easy to come by. And sometimes, staying fresh and original, takes some unique approaches to brainstorming.
We sat down with Quentin to chat about his creative process, what inspires him, and how he has improved his workflow for more efficiency.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
My name is Quentin Décaillet; I'm a photographer based in Switzerland. I specialize in beauty/cosmetics and portrait photography. I've been working as a full-time photographer for a little over six years now, and I share my passion on a regular basis on YouTube (in French) and Fstoppers (in English).
Who inspires you?
My inspiration probably comes more from what I love most, rather than a person. Nature is my main inspiration. I live in the heart of the Alps, and I find inspiration in everything around me: animals, landscape, colors, etc. I like to include small parts of it in my creative work or try to translate how it makes me feel.
Can you take us through your workflow from concept to shooting to editing?
Finding the concept is the keystone of all my work. I love spending time finding ideas, trying to create things, and putting it all together. Usually, I either go offline, wander in the forest, and let my brain dream to find ideas, or if I'm under pressure because of a very tight deadline, I'll usually meditate for a few minutes, brainstorm quickly, and put things together. The first solution tends to yield better results but isn't always possible.
Once the concept is clear in my mind, I'll sketch it on paper, criticize the concept once it's drawn, find improvements, and repeat the process a few times – sounds like a lot, but in fact, it goes very quickly.
At this point, my concept is clear; I know what I need to bring my idea to life. To me, it's essential to spend time on pre-production more than anything else. It helps streamline production and post-production as well. From there, I'll shoot, and then edit.
The editing part varies greatly depending on how much time I had to spend on pre and production. I feel like the three are linked together. If your pre-production isn't solid, the production will suffer, and then if production is poorly executed, post-production will require a lot more work and time.
How has Palette helped or changed your post-production workflow?
I love using Palette Gear in Capture One! I feel like the editing becomes more natural, more pleasant, and faster as well. It offers a new sensation as if I was working on the picture and not moving sliders on a screen anymore. It's hard to describe, but once you try, you can feel it.
I'm currently using two Expert kits combined. The more dials I have, the better. Dials are fantastic to work very fast while retaining as much precision as possible; it's even more precise than moving the sliders some times. Here is my setup for color work in Capture One:
What's great about Palette is that you can create multiple profiles for the different stages of your workflow. It can extend the functionality of your kit. I have another profile in Capture One for simplifying my tethered capture (which is especially useful for still life), and one specifically for editing wedding photography:
Palette has also become a staple in my video production for YouTube as well. It makes my editing in Premiere much faster. I can scale, move, fast forward, jog, cut, switch camera so easily! I feel like I lost so much time before by using only the keyboard.
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About QuentinDécaillet
Quentin Décaillet is a professional Beauty, Fashion, and Portrait photographer based in Switzerland. Quentin accidentally fell in love with photography while in NYC where he discovered that photography was the perfect combination between art, technology, and physics. It's now been 3 years since turning into a full-time professional photographer, and he has already became an ambassador for industry leading brands such as Capture One (professional photo editing software), Elinchrom (photo and video lights manufacturer), and ViewSonic (display solutions manufacturer).
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/how-palette-gear-can-make-you-a-more-efficient-video-editor2019-04-24T00:00:00-04:002019-05-01T11:39:20-04:00How Palette Gear Can Make You a More Efficient Video EditorNina VasicA Review by No Film School’s Piotr Toczyński. If you’re considering trying Palette Gear for your video editing, this is one of the most comprehensive reviews we’ve seen. You can try Palette Gear risk-free for 30 days, so what is stopping you from taking your editing to the next level?
He is a self-proclaimed, self-taught film editor with a background in Civil Engineering. So we’re not surprised to hear that he appreciates efficiency in his workflow.
Piotr, who goes byCut to the Pointonline, reviewedPalette Gearfor film editing. The verdict? It’ll make you a much more efficient editor. Read on to find out exactly how.
Here is how Piotr applies Palette Gear to his editing workflow for maximum efficiency:
How to Use Palette Arcade-Style Buttons in Premiere Pro
According to Piotr, “buttons are best for the things you can toggle on and off. I used it for linking clips, for ripple deleting and adding edit points to all tracks.”
Sure you could also assign a keyboard shortcut to do this, but there’s just something about hitting the Palette arcade-style button that is so much more satisfying.
One of the best features of using Palette buttons though is macro mode (currently in beta). Piotr explains:
“Let’s say I would like to move the selected clip up by 2 tracks, change its color label, adjust gain by 10 dB and slow it down to 50% with ripple editing on the timeline. To do it you’d need the following keystroke sequence: 2 x Alt (Option) + Up, label shortcut (you need to customize it first), G, 1, 0, Enter (Return), Ctrl (Command) + R, 5, 0, 4 x Ctrl (Command) + Enter, Enter. Not anymore.”
Read thefull article hereto see how Piotr does all of these actions with just the click of a button.
How to Use Palette Multi-function Dials in Premiere Pro
Palette dials are great for nudge and jog, or setting the X and Y position in Premiere. Remember that you can turn a Palette dial to jog through your timeline or press and turn the dial for faster scrubbing.
Here’s how this will make you a more efficient editor:
“Quite honestly, moving graphics elements has never been easier. No more moving between the timeline and Effects Control panel. By using a dial for that purpose you can stay in the timeline and very precisely move the graphics elements in the frame. Pretty cool.”
Read onto see how he uses Palette for Lumetri Color Effect as well.
How to Use Palette High Sensitivity Sliders in Premiere
Sliders are best used for functions that have a max and min point in Premiere since you can custom set the range for each slider. For instance, you can use a Palette slider for controlling the scale of a clip. The best part about it?
I don’t have to move between the timeline and Effects Control panel to change the scale. I can keep looking at the footage while adjusting its value.
How to Assign Even More Functionality to Your Palette Kit
How many things can you actually control with Palette Gear? After all, there are only 7 modules in the Expert Kit, does that mean you can only assign 7 functions?
The Verdict: Does Palette Really Make You A More Efficient Video Editor?
"Once you use it for a few days, everything becomes more intuitive and you can really become more efficient. After 3 weeks of using Palette, I must say it's a great help for working in Premiere Pro. It makes work more efficient and more enjoyable. I especially like macro mode. I wish I had 2 more buttons in my kit. I love the fact that you can control other apps as well."
So who is Palette Gear ideal for? Watch thefull video hereto see, and check out all of Piotr’s tips on usingPalette Gearto become a more efficient film editor.
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If you’re considering tryingPalette Gearfor your video editing, this is one of the most comprehensive reviews we’ve seen. You can try Palette Gear risk-free for 30 days, so what is stopping you from taking your editing to the next level?
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/how-to-control-any-software-using-palette-gear2019-04-23T09:46:00-04:002019-05-07T15:09:56-04:00How to Control Any Software Using Palette GearNina VasicIt’s not just for Adobe. It's true, we’ve developed the most extensive Palette support for AdobeLightroom Classic,Photoshop CC, andPremiere Pro. But did you know that you can get Palette’s tactile, precision control for other software too? Here is how to control any software using Palette Gear and what software the modular controls are compatible with.
This is the number one question that we always get asked:
Does Palette Gear support [insert name of software]?
It’s true, we’ve developed the most extensive Palette support for AdobeLightroom Classic,Photoshop CC, andPremiere Pro. Palette hooks deep into these applications to give you more control than a keyboard, and with faster access than a mouse.
But did you know that you can get Palette’s tactile, precision control for other software too? Here is how to control any software using Palette Gear and what software the modular controls are compatible with.
How to Setup Palette to Control Any Software
Palette Gear can be used to control any software byassigning keyboard shortcutsor hotkeys to the dials and buttons.
There are a few ways to use keyboard modewith Palette depending on which module you select. Here’s a quick video on how to get started using Palette’s keyboard mode:
Pro tip: Palette’s multi-function dials can be assigned 3 separate keyboard shortcuts—1 each for the right turn, left turn, and for the press of the dial. That’s 3 functions in 1!
These apps do not require keyboard mode since the integrations go beyond just hotkeys. However, you can always assign a favorite hotkey to a Palette dial or button even with fully supported software.
Does Palette support MIDI and music software like DAWs?
Palette can also control any software that you can bind a MIDI/CC message to, making it compatible with most Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), including Ableton Live, REAPER, Cubase, FL Studio, and Logic.
Learn more about how Palette works with DAW and other audio applications here.
How About Other Editing Software
What about other photo and video editors like FCPX, DaVinci Resolve, Sketch, and Affinity Photo, or 3D and visual effects software like Autodesk Maya, CINEMA 4D, Character Animator, AutoCAD, etc. We could keep going and going…
While Palette may not be fully integrated with these applications yet, you’d be able to use any existing keyboard shortcuts with Palette dials and buttons.
To see if Palette would be a good solution, we recommend taking a look at what shortcuts are available first, or try Palette risk-free for 30 days.
If there is an app that we don’t fully support, we want to hear from you:
Start a thread on our community forumhereor upvote others. We build based on demand and feedback from our community.
Soon, developers will easily be able to build integrations for any app using Palette’s Software Developer Kit (SDK).
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Stay up to date on new Palette Gear features
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/phil-de-glanville2019-04-10T10:00:00-04:002019-04-11T12:34:34-04:00See How Australian-based Aerial Photographer Gives His Ocean Edits a Surreal LookNina VasicI try to aim for my images to tell a story. I keep them fairly simple, with a moody contrast and a nice pop of color. They often end up looking a little surreal. See how Phil captures and edits his stunning aerial shots, and his secret to staying efficient while editing in Lightroom, Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.
The love of photography and design started with video games for Australian-based graphic designer and photographer, Phil de Glanville. As a kid, Phil played endless hours of video games that inspired his career in multimedia.
About a year and a half ago, Phil got a drone. And his photography has never been the same since. See how Phil captures and edits his stunning aerial shots, and his secret to staying efficient while editing.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m Phil de Glanville, a freelance graphic designer and photographer based in Perth, Western Australia. I studied Interactive Multimedia & IT in university/college. My love of design probably began from playing endless hours of video games as a kid, but more so later – around the uni years, when I started creating labels for mix CDs for myself and friends. I got my first gig as a graphic designer at a Marketing & Communications agency where I worked for a number of years before leaving to create my own freelance design business - PHLY Design, in 2011. I have the best boss! ;)
The photography side of my career really took off when I got my first drone a year and a half ago and started up PHLY Images on Instagram. I’ve been able to apply my design skills to my photography to create work that has a bit of a unique style. Through Instagram, I’ve been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to collaborate with a number of great companies including DJI, City of Perth, and Palette Gear.
I have a young family - wife Jess, daughter Kina (6), twin boys Hendrix & Oakley (4)...& Bamboo our Japanese Spitz. I’m obsessed with basketball! I grew up watching Michael Jordan and wanted to be in the NBA haha
Who or what inspires you?
Hard to say specifically, I’m inspired by so much around me, inspiration can come from anywhere – movies, music and so on. There are so many amazing artists on Instagram, I’m constantly being inspired whenever I open the app!
Can you take us through your workflow from concept to shooting to editing?
I try to aim for my images to tell a story… I keep them fairly simple, with a moody contrast and a nice pop of color. They often end up looking a little surreal.
I start in Lightroom: I like to edit each photo individually from scratch, so I work through each of the setting sliders to get the colours and contrast looking right. I then take it into Photoshop to clean things up, dodge & burning, colour adjustments and to manipulate the image if I want to. Once I’m happy with that, I finalize the edit in Lightroom with some final colour grading.
It has sped up my workflow in Lightroom from sorting through pics all the way through the editing process. You can create multiple profiles for endless functionality. It's a game changer!
My favourite way to use Palette Gear is in Photoshop when using brushes. I set the dials up to adjust brush size, opacity, angle, flow and hardness and buttons to switch color and sample/option…. this works amazing for painting and working with masks.
I really love your shark series. How do you achieve this effect?
It took spending many early hours at a local spot nicknamed the ‘Shark Pond’ where a few large schools of sharks were hanging around. I had to get the perfect conditions of low wind, good light, and water clarity as well as the sharks showing up! All of those things aligned one day when I found a school of reef sharks swimming in some fairly shallow water… I was able to capture some amazing shots of them with my drone.
I edited the sharks to look as if they where floating above the water by removing the blue colour cast of the water and making them stand out from the patterns in the sand. I exaggerated the light and shadows and gave the water a nice aqua colour - producing my PHLYing shark pics!
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Follow Phil on Instagram at @PHLYimages or check out his website to see his design work and purchase prints.
Try Palette Gear's Pro Kit in your creative workflow risk-free for 30 days, or see all kit sizes.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/discover-how-other-creatives-setup-their-palette-gear-for-workflow-inspiration2019-03-26T08:30:00-04:002019-04-11T17:09:52-04:00Discover How Other Creatives Set Up Their Palette Gear For Workflow InspirationNina VasicA good Palette profile tackles a specific workflow with ease and fluidity. Adding efficiency to editing workflows using Palette Gear would make a great profile addition to our community. Here's how you can upload your own Palette profile to share with other Palette Gear users.
We're always on the lookout for ways to improve our own workflows and often look to industry leaders and the photography community for inspiration. Palette Gear can add an incredible amount of efficiency to a workflow by putting your most used functions at your fingertips. But by sharing and learning from our community, we think we can be even more efficient editors.
Here is how Palette Gear is encouraging workflow efficiency learning through Palette profiles and how your workflow can benefit from seeing how others are using their Palette kits.
What is a Palette profile?
A Palette profile is a group of functions that you have assigned to a Palette kit. Think of Palette profiles like layers in Photoshop. You can build multiple layers of functions for one Palette kit, thereby extending its functionality.
You can create multiple profiles based on the different apps you use (one for Lightroom, another profile for Photoshop), or based on different stages in your workflow within the same app. For instance, you could have one profile for basic adjustments, another for color corrections, and yet another for effects—all within Lightroom. You can assign a Palette button or dial to cycle between your profiles for a non-disruptive workflow.
PaletteApp can accommodate up to 15 profiles at any given time. Profiles can be saved and shared among Palette users.
How to share your profile and find Palette community profiles
You can easily share a Palette profile directly from PaletteApp. Select the cloud icon at the bottom left of PaletteApp or select Community > Share Profile from the menu bar. You can custom name your profile and add a photo so others can quickly and easily see your assigned functions. Get the full instructions on submitting a profile and community submissions etiquette here.
To check out other Palette owners' profiles, visit our community profile exchange here. You can download and try profiles, searching by kit size and application. As you download and try new profiles on your Palette kit, you can still customize that profile and tweak it slightly to your exact needs. You can also upvote or downvote other profiles—leave feedback on any profiles that you find useful!
A good Palette profile tackles a specific workflow with ease and fluidity. Do you use Palette Gear to dodge and burn quickly? Are you using Palette Gear to color grade in Premiere and have a profile that can help others? Adding efficiency to these workflows using Palette Gear would make a great profile addition to our community.
Other users can upvote your profile submissions and you can do the same. Profiles are by nature based on personal choices and priorities. Upvote good quality profiles and downvote useless ones but appreciate that these choices are heavily subjective. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Add More Functionality, Expand Your Palette Kit
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/aaron-najera2019-03-15T11:14:00-04:002019-04-11T17:26:44-04:00This Wedding Photographer Turned His Passion Into a CareerNina Vasic
Sometimes your passion isn’t your day job. When wedding photographer Aaron Najera first moved to the beautiful island of Maui in Hawaii, like most young people, he just needed a job to make ends meet. In fact, Aaron had never even held a DSLR before. Like so many photographers, his love and appreciation for this craft evolved over time. We sat down with Aaron to talk about his creative journey how he turned his passion for cameras into a career.
When wedding photographer Aaron Najera first moved to the beautiful island of Maui in Hawaii, like most young people, he just needed a job to make ends meet. In fact, Aaron had never even held a DSLR before. Like so many photographers, his love and appreciation for this craft evolved over time.
What started out as a part-time gig selling DSLR cameras at Sears, turned into a full fledged love of photography and a part-time career that Aaron never even imagined he’d be doing one day.
We fell in love with Aaron’s work and creative journey. So we sat down to chat with him about this winding road we call life, and also about photography, making connections with your clients, editing, and how to turn your passion into a career.
You kind of stumbled into being a wedding photographer, how did that happen?
When I first moved to Maui from San Diego, I had to find a job just to support myself. I got a job in the electronics department at Sears, despite completely failing the interview. After one awkward encounter—a couple came in looking for a camcorder and I knew nothing about camcorders, so my sales pitch involved me just reading the information card back to them word for word—I decided to learn everything I could about every DSLR.
I wrote down the model number of every single camera that we had on display and went home and researched it. Soon, I was the go-to guy for all camera related questions in the department.
That was a turning point. I finally realized, living in a place as beautiful as Maui, and having accrued all of this knowledge, that I should get a camera of my own. So I bought my very first DSLR, a Nikon D5100.
I wanted to get into landscape photography. My ultimate goal was to one day open a gallery here on the island and fill it with the landscape work that I was so passionate about. Wedding photography was something I never saw myself doing. But when an acquaintance needed a photographer for their wedding, and they asked me to do it, I tried my hand at it. The rest is kind of history. And fate, there’s always that too.
Take us through your workflow from sorting to editing
After uploading the photos, I spend a couple of hours culling, which is basically me flagging the good/workable photos and tossing the junk ones. After culling, I break up the amount of images I’ve flagged into quarters and I take my time editing them. I work with presets a lot and usually I’ll find one that works well with the overall theme and vibe from the wedding. After applying it, I then make my own adjustments to the exposure and colors.
Then I batch edit the photos in bunches and I go through each photo, straighten the horizon, heal any blemishes and move on. It usually takes me about 1-2 weeks to edit and deliver my photos to my clients.
How has Palette enhanced your workflow?
I was excited to try Palette Gear because I felt like it would make photo editing fun and more immersive than using a mouse and keyboard.
The thought of learning all of the keyboard shortcuts for Lightroom sounded unappealing. Palette allows me to put the keyboard away in the drawer and just use my two hands freely and creatively. It’s very satisfying, especially paired with my wireless Logitech G602 mouse. It allows me to hotkey different functions as well so I am truly keyboard-less when I edit.
My brother is an artist and I’ve always been fascinated with his ability to use the physical mediums of a paint brush/pencil/charcoal and create something beautiful with his hands. For me, Palette is now my physical medium that allows me to control and manipulate art with my hands.
Your setup is our workspace goals. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
I just built my custom computer in the summer of 2018. RGB lighting was a huge component to the build and that’s what attracted me to Palette, aside from it’s functionality. Loupedeck was an editing controller I was looking to buy, but I didn’t like the fact that it is basically just a black board with a bunch of knobs and buttons, kind of like my keyboard! No LEDs, no cool lights or anything. Purchasing the Palette was a no brainer!
How do you have your Palette kit set up?
I use Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro with my Palette. I have two Lightroom profiles, one for culling images and the other for batch editing.
My favorite function when editing has to be my Shift/Sync dial. Right now I’ve got one of my dials set that if I turn it clockwise it’ll sync photos with the command prompt. Counter clockwise it will sync with no prompt and then with pressing down on the dial, I use it to select the batch of photos I want to sync. That and control are my most utilized functions. I also have one dial set to choosing a basic adjustment slider and then the dial next to adjusts the level of that selected slider.
Here are my Photoshop and Premiere Palette profiles:
I also started using Palette with Spotify and it allows me to put the keyboard and mouse away. If I am in my room reading or hanging out. I just push the buttons on my Palette to select songs, mute, pause & play and then use my sliders to adjust volume and bring the brightness down on my monitor, it’s great.
Helpful tip…don’t settle. Keep arranging your Palette in a way that suits you the best. Take your time and experiment. Much like with any other tool, it takes time to learn how to use it and maximize its potential for you.
What are some of the challenges of being a wedding photographer?
Being unique and creative. I am always learning and I want to be a confident wedding photographer that can know and deliver exactly what my bride and groom envision for their wedding, while keeping that sincere, down to earth vibe. I don’t want my photos to look like any other generic photo on Pinterest. I want my photos to be unique and specific to each couple. Living in a place like Maui helps me do that. Since it’s such a small island, I end up at the same venue for almost every wedding and so I am challenged to create new work and looks for each couple, even though I am using the same locations and backgrounds.
What makes a wedding photographer stand out from the crowd?
The photographer you work with is just as important, if not more important than the final images delivered to you. The photographers that really stand out are the ones who create an amazing experience. They have no problem taking charge over families, they can work in ANY environment, they don’t get easily offended, they can have fun with the bridal party, make the bride and groom feel like a thousand bucks and earn their trust by how they handle the most important details of the day. They are the ones who don’t care if they get cake on their equipment or if the wedding coordinator changes up the schedule. The wedding photographers that are truly great are the ones who can book clients because of who they are as a person, not just on their work. It’s about character and consistency.
Oh, and a great photographer is someone who doesn’t need to think twice about their gear. They know their camera in and out. On a wedding day, you don't have time to contemplate your gear. You have to know what lenses work for each situation and environment. It’s got to be like breathing to you. Most couples get intimidated by big cameras so it’s your job to make them feel comfortable and keep the camera as natural as possible.
Try Palette in your photo editing workflow risk-free for 30 days
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/comparing-palette-gear-to-other-controllers-for-premiere-pro2019-03-13T00:00:00-04:002019-05-09T11:10:44-04:00Comparing Palette Gear to Other Controllers for Premiere ProNina Vasic
Find out what makes Palette Gear different than other controllers, and how to customize your gear for a seamless video editing workflow.
After years of working on audio, video, and graphic design, his wrists and fingers were starting to feel it.
After years of working on audio, video & graphic design my wrists & fingers are starting to feel it. I've bought (& returned) Loupedeck & a Razer Keypad cuz neither worked the way I needed them too.
Some of the other controllers he tried wanted to take the place of his keyboard, but they couldn’t do everything his keyboard did. Others didn’t work natively with a lot of the photo and video editing programs that he uses likePhotoshopandPremiere Pro.
Enter Palette Gear. The game changer 💥🎤
What makes Palette Gear different than other controllers?
It’s customizable
It’s faster
It was built specifically for photo and video editing workflows
The deep integrations hook directly into editing software, going beyond keyboard shortcuts, and giving you more access and control
It will leave your keyboard alone, damnit
How to customize Palette Gear for video editing
As soon as you magneticallyconnect the moduleson your desk, you’ll see them arranged in the same way on your screen.
Clicking on any module will open the menu of functions that are available. You can custom assign the function, name, LED colour, and sensitivity of each.
Assign one button to switch to your next profile, or push and hold that button to bring up a preview of your functions on you screen.
How to use Palette for Lumetri and Colour Grading in Premiere Pro
Normally, if you wanted to update the Lumetri color in Premiere Pro, you would have to open the Lumetri window and use your mouse to make adjustments.
With Palette, you don’t have to worry about that. Moving a Palette module set to any Lumetri function will automatically open that panel. Here’s a video:
If you’re like Carlos who has been editing for so long, your wrists are probably starting to feel it. When you use a mouse to make precise edits like moving a tiny, digital slider left or right very slowly and meticulously, the repetitive motion over and over again will start to hurt after a while.
Palette Gear is a more ergonomic way to color grade, and it’s faster and more precise than your mouse. Most importantly, your eyes will stay glued to your work.
Controlling X & Y Positions
Use two Palette dials to control the X & Y positions in Premiere Pro. This will help you fly through scaling, creating lower thirds, and titles.
Use a Palette dial for timeline navigation, jogging, and shuttling
“Palette dials absolutely crush it when it comes to timeline nav.”
Turn the dial to move through your timeline frame-by-frame. Press and turn it to sprint through. You can also use a dial to shuttle the play head left and right. Pressing the dial will stop it. Here’s a quick tutorial:
The dials are more sensitive so you can really be precise. Plus, you can customize the sensitivity of the dials for even more precision.
Try Palette Gear, no strings attached
Ultimately, Palette Gear becomes it’s own little workstation. It doesn’t want to take the place of your keyboard and mouse. Palette will enhance and mold to your unique workflow.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/8-badass-female-photographers-we-love-that-are-crushing-it-right-now2019-03-08T11:05:00-05:002019-03-08T11:29:47-05:008 Badass Female Photographers We Love That Are Crushing It Right NowNina VasicHappy International Women's Day! We thought we'd celebrate the occasion by taking a look at some of our favorite female photographers. As noble as it would have been to give you the top 8 female photographers of all time—really though we should all know Annie Leibovitz or Vivian Maier by now—we thought it would be more inspiring to take a look at some badass ladies who are absolutely crushing it right now. Here are our top 8 favorite female photographers that we love and why we love them.
Happy International Women's Day! We thought we'd celebrate the occasion by taking a look at some of our favorite female photographers. As noble as it would have been to give you the top 8 female photographers of all time—really though we should all know Annie Leibovitz or Vivian Maier by now—we thought it would be more inspiring to take a look at some badass ladies who are absolutely crushing it right now. Here are our top 8 favorite female photographers that we love and why we love them.
1. Mária Švarbová |@maria.svarbova
According to her website, Mária Švarbová's "distinctive style departs from traditional portraiture and focuses on experimentation with space, colour, and atmosphere." We couldn't agree more and if you haven't seen Mária's work yet, first of all, you're welcome. We've been mesmerized with Slovakian-based photographer and Hasselblad Master Mária's work from the moment we saw it. Her series Swimming Pool has been featured in The Guardian, Fubiz, CNN, Forbes, Harper's Bazaar, and more. She was also named one of Forbes/Slovakia's 30 under 30.
Give her a follow on Instagram or see more of her work on her website.
2. Shauna Wade | @so.shauna
Located in the New York/New Jersey area, Shauna Wade is a photographer, social media manager, influencer, and content creator. She's the founder of MoodyGrams and MoodyPorts, one of the largest, most respected, online photography communities in the world. With over 1.5 million followers across the two channels and over 30.3 million Instagram posts to their hashtags, it's safe to say that Shauna is not only an amazing photographer, but an empire builder too. She is one fierce powerhouse and we are inspired by her commitment to community and the craft.
Vanessa Rivera's photography has won the hearts of people around the world with her surrealist worlds that turn a child-like imagination into reality. The California-based mom of 3 is a self proclaimed writer and future educator. Her skillful composite work combines photographs of her kids, everyday household objects, and a touch of magic to create work that is refreshingly lighthearted and playful. Vanessa reminds us to always stay young at heart and never lose our child-like curiosity.
Follow Vanessa on Instagram to see more of her surreal adventures, or check out her blog here.
4. Chelsea Kyle | @chelsealouisekyle
If you're a foodie, we challenge you to find one dish that looks more mouth-watering than these food shots by Chelsea Kyle. As a Senior Visual Editor, Chelsea's work has appeared in Conde Nast, Epicurious, and Bonappetitmag. If you do nothing else today, check out her Produce Portraits series on her website. Is this a thing, because it should definitely be a thing. We can see these captures hung across kitchens around the world as a hilarious fusion of portrait and food photography.
We're absolutely obsessed with LA-based beauty and fashion photographer Tina Eisen's portrait work.
With over 10 years of experience in the industry, Tina has worked with clients such as MaxFactor, Sephora, Ciate, Superdrug, Harvey Nichols, ASOS, Marks & Spencer, ITV, Amazon, Barbour and numerous other well-known global brands and magazines.
Italian photographer and director Marta Bevacqua is a master of natural light. The fashion photographer is now based in Paris and shoots for editorial spreads and advertising campaigns. Her commitment to only shooting in natural light is not only inspiring, but the results are nothing short of captivating. Take a look at her series mademoiselle for a delightfully fresh take on fashion portrait photography.
Natalia Seth's surrealist, colorful, and quirky work is riddled with storytelling. Her self-portraits feature dreamy landscapes and pops of saturated colour, all of which share her inner world. According to Natalia, she likes to tell stories through exaggerated facial expressions and through color. Not only did she start shooting and posting her work to Instagram at just 13, but only 5 years and 200,000+ followers later, Natalia is inspiring people around the world. She recently released an art book called The Imaginary World of Natalia Seth, available for pre-order now, and even offers classes on PHLEARN on surrealist composite photography.
California-based landscape and wildlife photographer, Elisabeth Brentano, not only takes stunning captures around the world, but also shares a poignant message along with her work. According to her Instagram profile, Elisabeth is "sharing the beauty of our planet — and inspiring others to do more to protect it." The writer and photographer is passionate about wildlife conservation and spreads the word through her photography and blog. Her blog advocates for reducing plastic pollution in our oceans, and also how to respect and enjoy this beautiful Earth through eco-tourism. That's a badass message that we can all get behind.
Do you have a favorite female photographer that's not on our list? Let us know in the comments below.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/workflow-tools-to-help-make-you-a-more-efficient-editor-that-are-built-right-into-palette-gear2019-03-06T16:18:00-05:002019-05-01T12:05:57-04:00Workflow Tools to Help Make You a More Efficient Editor That Are Built Right Into Palette GearNina VasicWhen you're editing thousands of photos in one session, even the tiniest efficiencies can mean a lot. Palette Gear was designed for the complexity of creative work. That is why we've reimagined the computing experience to be more personalized and workflow-centric. We’ve consulted with thousands of photographers — pros and hobbyists alike — and learned from what they needed most.
These 5 features will change how you work with Palette Gear
When you're editing thousands of photos in one session, even the tiniest efficiencies can mean a lot.Palette Gearwas designed for the complexity of creative work—we've reimagined the computing experience to be more personalized and workflow-centric. We’ve consulted with thousands of photographers — pros and hobbyists alike — and learned from what they need most to enhance their workflow and their creativity, and then we built those features right into Palette.
Here are the top 5 workflow features that will help make you a more efficient editor in Lightroom, Photoshop, Premiere, Capture One, and beyond:
1. Endless Functionality You Can Customize Based on Your Workflow
Palette Gear allows you to assign more than one function to each dial, slider, and button for endless functionality and customization. By creatingmultiple Palette profiles, even for the same applications, you can assign up to 15 functions per module. This can really extend the functionality ofeven a small Palette Kit, meaning less clutter on your desk.Plus, because it's modular, Palette can be set up to fit around your existing workspace for a seamless integration. You can assign a Palette button tocycle through your profiles for limited workflow interruptions.
I organize my profiles in the same way I move through my editing workflow. For example, inLightroom, I have one profile set forCulling, where the buttons are for flagging and rejecting, the dial for moving around the library, and then one profile, calledColoring,where those same buttons control my presets, and the dials and sliders control things like crop, colour, temperature, and tint. My last Lightroom profile covers things like lens distortion and crop angle.
The idea here is to take the top 20% of the functions you use 80% of the time and assign them to Palette modules for faster access to those functions and more precision.Here’s howRC Concepcionuses Palette profiles in his retouching workflow inPhotoshop:
2. No Labels? No Problem! Our Heads-Up Preview Quickly Shows You Your Current Profile
Now that you’ve created several profiles forLightroomorPhotoshop…. you might be wondering how you’re supposed to remember what function you’ve assigned to each module? Eventually muscle memory will kick in, but until then, Palette’s “preview layout” function let’s you preview your Palette profile on your screen for a completely non-disruptive workflow.
In the last section we mentioned that you can assign a Palette button to cycle through your profiles for an uninterrupted workflow, holding this button down will bring up a preview of your current profile right on your screen.
Here's how to set it up:
Select a Palette button or dial in PaletteApp
Select Function Switching from the left sidebar
Select Next Profile, Previous Profile, or Cycle Profiles. The result: this module will now switch profiles when pressed quickly (buttons) or turned (dials), and will show the Preview Layout feature when pressed and held (same for both buttons and dials).
3. No Need to Open Menus, a Live Notification Panel Tells You Exactly Which Adjustment You're Making
Not only does Palette give you instant access to your most-used tools like the brush tool without ever having to open a menu, but a live notification display will always appear to tell you exactly what change you’re making in real time. Check it out:
4. The Magic of Multi-function Palette Dials is Their 3 in 1 Functionality
Palette’smulti-function dialwas designed for the photo editing workflow in mind. That is why there are workflow enhancing features built right in, like pressing the dial will reset the adjustment you made.
Another neat workflow enhancing feature of the dial is that it has 3 in 1 functionality: turn the dial for small or fine adjustments, press and turn for coarse adjustments, and press to reset the adjustment.
5. Personalize the Sensitivity and Range of Palette Dials and Sliders For More Precision
One of the biggest benefits of external controls is that, unlike a keyboard and mouse, you can personalize the sensitivity of Palette dials and sliders.
Why is this useful? For one, customizing the min and max points on a slider means more precision: the smaller the range you use, the more precise your adjustments become. In Lightroom for example, you can set a range on exposure to +/- 2 stops instead of 5. Not only will you experience less strain on your wrists by using a Palette slider, but you'll also never over expose an image with adjustable range settings that can be personalized to your needs. Every inch of slider travel is within a useful range.
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Are there any workflow features you would add to Palette?
Add More Functionality to Your Kit With Modular Add-ons
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/refer-palette-gear-to-a-friend-youll-both-get-502019-03-05T15:44:00-05:002019-03-05T15:55:56-05:00Refer Palette Gear to a Friend And You'll Both Get $50!Nina VasicDo you know a creator who could benefit from Palette? Refer them and you'll each receive a $50 gift card when they purchase a kit. Are you a Palette Gear evangelist? Do you tell everyone you know about Palette Gear and how it's improved your workflow? We want to acknowledge your support and even say thank you with our new refer a friend program! Read on to find out how.
Do you know a creator who could benefit from Palette? Refer them and you'll eachreceive a $50 gift card when they purchase a kit.
Are you a Palette Gear evangelist? Do you tell everyone you know about Palette Gear and how it's improved your workflow? We want to acknowledge your support and even say thank you with our new refer a friend program! Any Palette owner is eligible to refer a friend—just follow the steps below to start earning new Palette Gear.
Step 2. When your friend purchases a Palette Kit, they should add your name and email on the add to cart page.
Step 3. We'll send you and your friend $50 gift card each to Palette store.
It's that simple!
Check out more information and the full eligibility requirements here. Would you recommend Palette Gear to a friend?
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/felix-barjou2019-03-01T12:09:00-05:002019-05-10T13:36:50-04:004 Lighting Effects to Try: A Professional Portrait Photographer Shares his Light Staging TipsNina Vasicto give us his tips on lighting and color. See how to get his results below and don't forget to check out his amazing light and color setup at the end.
While a lot can be done in post-processing, many photographers use studio lighting tricks while shooting to create some fantastic effects. Knowing how to correctly stage lights, and how to use colorful gels effectively can help in achieving creative results.
We enlisted the help of Felix Barjou, a professional portrait and advertising photographer based in France, to give us his tips on lighting and color. See how to get his results below and don't forget to check out his amazing light and color setup at the end.
1. Combine Amber and Blue Gels To Get This Mystique Effect
For this shot, Felix used 2 strobes. The first one was used to create this blue tone effect. With a cyan gel, place the strobe light to the right of your camera with a standard reflector (which is used for hard light and to better saturate the color of the gel). The second strobe was placed above the model's head to create the warm light on the models hair and chest. Use an amber gel and a standard reflector.
Felix's camera settings:
Sony a7RII with 90mm f2.8
1/160s
F5.6
ISO 100
Check out the lighting setup guide below to try this effect:
2. Highlight Just the Eyes For a Dramatic Effect
Sometimes you just want a little more drama in a shot and this dramatic lighting tip will help you do just that. This effect is achieved by mixing a strobe with continuous light. The strobe light uses a gobo projector with a stripe gobo to create the dramatic light that's focused only on the eyes. The second light source is a video-projector with a galaxy image projected towards the model. Both light sources are placed directly behind the camera.
Camera settings:
SonyA7RII with 90mm f2.8
1/125s
F2.8
ISO 800
3. Get This Glow Effect That Appears to Originate From a Single Light Source
This next effect requires some staging and lighting setup, and some post-processing work to get a shot where the colored light appears to be originating from a single light source, in this case, the apple.
First, you'll need 2 strobes for this effect. Place one of the strobes behind you, pointing away from the model, with a cyan gel to bounce into a white wall and diffuse light everywhere. With your other strobe, use a gobo adaptor and a round gobo to create a super small halo of light with a red gel pointing directly towards the model. Here is the setup:
Here is the process:
And finally, here are Felix's camera settings:
Sony A7RII with 90mm f2.8
1/200s
F8
ISO100
4. Sometimes You Have to Leave the Studio to Get a Shot, But Never Leave Your Strobe And Gels Behind
To capture this shot of a model submerged in water, Felix did something a little unconventional. Instead of shooting in his studio, he shot in his bathroom! It was a little difficult to setup in a tight space, but here is how you can get this look:
This effect requires 2 strobes, one with a cyan gel and one with an amber gel. Both of the strobes are placed to bounce into white walls for better diffusion. The bath was filled with water and black paint (water-based paint of course). Felix even added fish in the picture for a funny little detail.
Camera settings:
Sony a7RII with 50mm f1.8
1/160s
F5
ISO200
Editing for a light and color workflow
For editing in Photoshop, Felix uses Palette Gear to speed up his workflow. The modular controller allows you to personalize the functions to fit your unique workflow. By creating multiple profiles, you can map the majority of functions you're using 80% of the time. Here is one of the profiles that Felix has setup:
Unlike a keyboard, Palette Gear allows you to set sensitivity and range for added precision. Plus, with your most used functions at your fingertips, you'll see a significant increase in speed and efficiency with less strain on your wrist.
Of course, the perfect workflow for light and color would not be complete without a workstation to match and inspire your creativity. Felix's setup is exactly what you'd expect from a portrait photographer who is also a light and color addict.
Watch Felix's speed edit for retouching below:
About Felix Barjou
Felix is a 29-year-old French photographer who grew up in the world of advertising with graphic designer parents. He started photography in 2008 with simple portraits and immediately discovered his style and process. He is passionate about light, image editing and staging, and he creates portraits and creations with a personal touch.
Try Palette Gear risk-free in your workflow to increase your efficiency and precision while editing so you can get back to more shooting.
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Stay up to date on new Palette Gear features
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/this-photographer-makes-nevada-desert-look-otherworldly2019-03-01T09:32:00-05:002019-03-01T09:32:00-05:00This Photographer Makes Nevada Desert Look OtherworldlyNina VasicMy creative process starts outside of the lab. As with any “perfect” photo, it requires precision with timing, temperature and location. Typically, I have predetermined concepts in my head and I scout locations that best fit my vision.
TC Chandamany’s conceptual photography challenges us to look at familiar desert landscapes with new eyes. The Las Vegas based photographer and founder ofEarth Xplorationis fascinated with science and space, and he brings this fascination to the viewer in the most imaginable ways possible.
We sat down to chat with TC to see how he comes up with concepts, his editing workflow, and ultimately how he makes the Nevada desert look so otherworldly.
Who are you and what do you do? How did you get into this industry?
My name is TC Chandamany, currently residing in Las Vegas, NV. By trade, I am a computer systems engineer, with a primary focus on virtualization technologies. I’ve always had a thing for tech growing up. More importantly, I had a fascination for tech and art in a cross pollinated fashion. I got into the digital arts/entertainment industry about 12 years ago.
Your work is so unique; how do you come up with ideas and concepts?
I’ve always been into the whole “outer space/there’s more life out there” concept. Religion and beliefs aside, I’ve always felt that as my life mantra. The concept “Earth Xploration” came to light when I realized I saw things differently. My vantage point was at a different frequency and what I saw and heard was not like everyone else.
Earth Xplorationreverses the exploration of existence from outer space to Earth, rather than Earthlings exploring outer space. By following suit with this viewpoint, an entirely new perspective is born.
You then see, hear and feel things differently with each new Earthly discovery. As an inhabitant of Earth, for the most part — you know what to expect. As a visitor, that “new” feeling is something you can’t plan, it’s something you can’t buy and it’s certainly something no one can ever take away from you.
Did you have a mentor or teacher? Who (what) inspires you?
Everything I know is self-taught, through Google and YouTube University. The world truly inspires me. If I were to name an individual, there would be too many because everyone inspires me in a different way. Ultimately, my inspiration stems from the collective of artists, healers and adventurists. Having an open mind and a willingness to shift perspective will always fuel inspiration.
What is your creative process/workflow?
My creative process starts outside of the lab. As with any “perfect” photo, it requires precision with timing, temperature and location. Typically, I have predetermined concepts in my head and I scout locations that best fit my vision. Upon arrival, for the most part — I rapid fire because I am VERY particular with photos, so every movement matters to me. My brother and sister have always assisted behind the lens, but as of late, I have been experimenting with random people to embrace different vantage points.
Now, to the lab — I organize my shots by rating in Lightroom and go from there. Typically, I start off in Lightroom and immediately edit in Photoshop in parallel. A lot of my elements (burns/dodges/overlays/among other edits) are adjusted in Photoshop. Once I’ve solidified that edit, I take it back to Lightroom and start working on color grading. I don’t have a preset that I apply. I usually edit each photo individually. For the most part, my tones are a desaturated warmth with dark contrasts.
When it comes to editing, I have myPalette Controllers already preconfigured for my exact needs, so my editing time is literally cut in half.
BecausePaletteis completely customizable, every edit I need to make is literally at my fingertips. Having the ability to navigate and edit simultaneously just makes the process more fluid. Efficiency is everything in the creative world as it allows for a positive flow in the artistic process.
My most used functions that I have programmed to Palette are:
Brush size
Before/after
Color adjustments
Do you have any tips and tricks for other photographers getting started with Palette?
Palette is a tool — it supplements your work, but it won’t make it better until you determine what’s best for your workflow. Experiment with what works best for you. I moved the location of my Palette Gear at least 5 times before I found the most optimal position for me. I recommend focusing the tool on one program at a time — mastering and understanding what functions work best and then moving onto a different program to see if that practice can be applied in the same manner. After flipping back and forth between applications, I can now integrate my editing practices with Palette without disruption.
Anything else that you’d like to share?
There’s no right or wrong in the creative space. We are all different and unique. We will always see the world differently. What brings us together is the passion for creativity — the idea of creating something out of nothing or expanding on something already beautiful.
Art is infinite and will always bring us together, without prejudice or judgement.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/going-analog-in-a-digital-workflow2019-02-28T14:39:00-05:002019-04-15T16:26:49-04:00Going Analog in a Digital WorkflowNina VasicIt’s ironic that creating with analog control in the digital world is of increasing value. It’s a natural way to connect with technology using interactive tools, and the processing workflow has gone full circle. Tactile feedback improves user experience and increases comfort while rapidly accelerating workflows. Not only are analog tools in a digital workflow more fun to employ, but, in my view, they are also notably better. The integration of two such devices has extended my creativity as no others can: the Wacom Intuos Pro and Palette Gear’s Professional Kit.
The Creative Console: Wacom Intuos Pro + Palette Gear
It’s ironic that creating with analog control in the digital world is of increasing value. It’s a natural way to connect with technology using interactive tools, and the processing workflow has gone full circle. For those who remember working in a darkroom, and those who never had the chance, “dodge” and “burn” were originally physical techniques existing outside of Photoshop. In the same way, using a stylus for digital brushstrokes and turning dials to adjust contrast is similar to contrast knobs found on a film enlarger. Tactile feedback improves user experience and increases comfort while rapidly accelerating workflows. Not only are analog tools in a digital workflow more fun to employ, but, in my view, they are also notably better. The integration of two such devices has extended my creativity as no others can: theWacom Intuos ProandPalette Gear’s Professional Kit.
Wacom Intuos Pro and Palette’s technology offers flexibility and ambidextrous customization that users will immediately realize. The Intuos Pro medium has a perfect footprint for retouching photographs, fitting on my desk nicely with a thin frame and low, sturdy profile. Palette’s fluid modularity conforms around the Intuos, snapping into place magnetically to arrange and configure each module however I see fit. Wacom’s multi-touch gestures transition easily to Palette’s sliders and dials, each device strengthening the other. Full creative control is at hand while remaining ergonomic and comfortable for marathon work sessions.
I was recently commissioned to do an article entitledA Winter’s Sojourn to Vietnamfor the February issue of my food column,Foodographer. The chicken broth cooked all day with the help of a friend, and I prepped the ingredients in my studio to photograph the finished dish. Typically I have my Cambo studio stand, lighting, and styling props set and ready to photograph, as the shelf life of real food is brief. After a long day of cooking and photographing, I forgot to add an egg yolk as originally intended. Returning to the image with fresh eyes a day later, good wasn’t good enough, so I decided to photograph an egg yolk on top of noodles and composite the two frames. Global color corrections were made using Palette with Capture One Pro 12, and the Wacom Intuos Pro helped me composite the two frames using a layer mask in Photoshop, where I could then brush-in accurate reflections of the noodles and greens in the yolk for a seamless result. The pop of color adds a visual focal point, elevating the bowl of pho to another level. The Wacom replaced remorse with creative freedom, empowering me to produce an image even better than I had planned.
Make your workflow work for you
The options for customization are vast, and you will find there are few restrictions in configuring your own personal setup, both on your desk, and on your desktop. If there’s another configuration you’d like to try as you learn how each component fits into your workflow, in a matter of seconds you can be putting it to work without consequence.
Palette’s configuration offers custom profiles for dedicated tasks in a variety of applications, such as a profile for retouching or another global color corrections in Photoshop. The Intuos Pro medium has eight hardware ExpressKeys and the Touch Ring which add to the customization possible for each application, such as designating an action shortcut in Photoshop. TheWacom Pro Pen 2itself adds shortcuts via side switches for even more options. Both the Wacom and Palette automatically switch profiles between applications such as Photoshop CC and Capture One 12, made visually apparent by Palette’s changing illuminated modules.
The manner in which both devices compliment one another is remarkable, and one of the most exceptional timesavers is using brushes in Photoshop.
To take advantage of the synergy between the Intuos Pro with Palette in Photoshop specifically, you will need Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud for compatibility. When easily creating a Palette profile for Photoshop, modules can be configured to quickly change any number of brush settings with a slider or dial for faster use of the Pen Pro 2. Your drawing hand stays put while a dial or slider is adjusted with your non-dominant hand. Tactile adjustments bring greater focus to the work at hand and away from finding small scrubby sliders on the screen, and those movements will quickly become second nature.
My own photography work includes producing a monthly food column for a print magazine, requiring many tasks from conceptualizing stories to writing, preparing food to retouching images. I use edible food in my visuals, which folks often appreciate, and retouching is critical for cleaning up small splatters or a dark spot on produce. It transforms an appetizing dish into a mouthwatering sensation, and the difference is in the details. Completing many tasks well demands every advantage I can find and saving time is imperative. The Intuos Pro dramatically enhanced my retouching capabilities, and Palette took global color corrections and localized work to another level. Pairing the Intuos Pro and Palette Gear’s Professional Kits is a massive win, and both are fundamental to my post-production workflow.
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About Jordan Bush
Jordan Bush is a multidisciplinary creative: an editorial and commercial photographer, columnist for County Magazine’s monthly Foodographer, a regular contributor to Fstoppers, and an aerial photographer who’s an FAA Part 107 certified Quadcopter Pilot.
Learn more about how to enhance your workflow with Wacom Intuos Pro and Palette Gear here.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/how-the-composer-for-netflixs-brainchild-and-nickelodeon-uses-palette-gear-in-her-music-production-workflow2019-02-28T09:30:00-05:002019-02-28T11:00:01-05:00How Tangelene Bolton Writes Additional Music for Netflix's Brainchild and Nickelodeon using Palette Gear in her Music ProductionNina Vasic
I use Logic Pro X as my main Digital Audio Workstation to capture my writing process. Palette Gearallows me to easily map different MIDI CC’s or key commands to control things like: mod wheel data, expression, and vibrato. Palette it completely customizable so the list of commands you can assign is endless.
My name is Tangelene Bolton and I’m a film and TV composer in Los Angeles.
I got my start working for Hans Zimmer’s studio at Remote Control Productions and now work as an independent composer for film/TV. I currently write additional music for the Nickelodeon animation show called Shimmer and Shine and helped score the music for the TV show Brainchild (produced by Pharrell Williams) on Netflix. I have some really exciting projects on the rise and Palette has been making my workflow SO much easier.
Palette Gear: What inspires you?
I am inspired by anything that moves me. Whether that be a new song on the radio or some dusty vinyl that I found at a consignment shop, if it triggers a burst of creativity in my brain, that is when I get truly inspired.
Palette Gear: How do you stay efficient? Why is efficiency important to you?
I’m always trying to find new and efficient ways to tighten the bridge between my initial ideas to the final product. I use Logic Pro X as my main Digital Audio Workstation to capture my writing process. In order to get the highest quality results though, I need to give my compositions as much of a human touch as possible. I need to breathe life into the work. That is where Palette Gear comes in.
Palette Gear: How do you use Palette Gear to help in your creative process?
Palette Gear allows me to easily map different MIDI CC’s or key commands to control things like:
Mod wheel data
Expression
Vibrato
Palette it completely customizable so the list of commands you can assign is endless. Right now, I have the Palette Starter Kit and use the arcade buttons to go back a measure or to go forward a measure in my arrange window of Logic. I use the dial as a zoom in and out in the arrange window as well as the push option for opening up my piano roll. My favorite is the fader, which I easily mapped to control my midi CC-11 (expression) and I have 3 more faders on the way which I will use for modulation, vibrato, volume or release.
The nice thing about Palette is that it is modular, so you can easily add more faders/knobs/buttons to your setup over time and as your needs change.
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About Tangelene Bolton
Based in Los Angeles, CA, film & TV composer Tangelene got her start working for A-list composers Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Gladiator, The Dark Knight, Interstellar), Henry Jackman (X-Men, Captain America), and Bobby Tahouri (Game of Thrones, Iron Man). Most recently, Tangelene helped write the score for the Netflix Original Series, Brainchild, produced by Pharrell Williams and currently writes additional music for the Nickelodeon hitanimation show, Shimmer and Shine.
Aside from her work in film & TV, Tangelene is also active in both the commercial and game world. Recently writing music for the national campaign for Nordstrom’s, The Nordy Club, AirAsia’s, Malaysia Day and taking on the role of technical score engineer on the most recent Tomb Raider game, Rise of the Tomb Raider (Playstation).
Try Palette Gear in your workflow for a fully personalized experience.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/work-smarter-not-harder-brian-matiash-s-two-most-important-hardware-devices-for-lightroom2019-02-27T09:16:00-05:002019-05-01T12:05:17-04:00Work Smarter Not Harder: Brian Matiash’s Two Most Important Hardware Devices for LightroomNina VasicMore]]>
See how Wacom and Palette Gear make him a better and faster editor
There’s a common phrase “work smarter, not harder,” and that also applies to the way you edit your photos. In this video,Brian Matiashshows you his two most important pieces of hardware that he has been using for years to edit his photos inLightroom Classic.
The first is aWacom Intuos Pro, used in place of a mouse, and the other isPalette Gear, which can replace keyboard shortcuts that were not designed for the complexity of creative work.
One of the biggest benefits of editing with this hardware duo is that it reduces strain on your wrist and offers the ultimate precision, for instance when masking. The combination of these two products work really well together because, unlike the keyboard and mouse, they were designed specifically for creative workflows. Most professional photographers have a set workflow that they stick to and a handful of functions and adjustments that they use the most often.
Wacom and Palette give you immediate access and more control over the functions you use most often. The result is a fast, precise, intuitive, and strain-free workflow that will have you flying through edits.
How to Setup Palette Gear for Lightroom Classic
Palette Gearcan be customized to do almost anything you want inLightroom Classic. You can also change the layout of the modules by magnetically snapping them together to rearrange them on your desk or wrap them around your Wacom tablet.
Each dial, button, and slider, can be assigned more than one function when youcreate multiple profiles. Brian created 4 profiles for each stage of his workflow in Lightroom: develop, local adjustments, split tone, and finishing. Here is what he has assigned to each:
Lightroom Develop Profile
These are Brian's most commonly used adjustments. By assigning his most used functions to Palette dials and sliders, Brian not only gets refined control, but faster access to the functions he uses most often.
Exposure
Contrast
Highlights
Shadows
Clarity
Lightroom Local Profile
Brian uses this profile the most in combination with his Wacom Intuos Pro tablet. The ability to quickly adjust brush flow and feather on the fly increases the speed and flow of his editing process. It’s seamless.
Local exposure
Local saturation
Brush size
Brush feather
Local clarity
Lightroom Split Tone Profile
The third step in Brian’s editing workflow is color — and specifically split toning. Here Brian has the following mapped to his Palette dials and sliders:
Highlights hue
Shadow hue
Highlight saturation
Shadow saturation
Balance
Lightroom Finishing Profile
Putting the final touches is the last step. Here are the functions Brian uses most for finishing an edit to give it that final touch:
Vignetting amount
Vignette midpoint
Vignette feather
Sharpening amount
Sharpening mask
Preview allows you to quickly see all the functions you have assigned to your Palette modules. It's a completely disruptive-free way to digitally label your kit so you never forget the functions within a given profile, and you also never have to take your eyes away from your work. Learn more here >>
Watch the full videoto see Brian’s final result.
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Try Palette Gear risk free for 30-days in your editing workflow. Or sign up here to win a Wacom Intuos Pro M and Palette Gear Expert Kit.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/palette-gear-review-for-premiere-pro2019-02-20T00:00:00-05:002019-05-09T11:10:24-04:00Palette Gear Review for Premiere ProNina VasicArmando Ferreira, known online as Mondo Bytes, reviews Palette Gear for film editing and color grading in Premiere Pro in a recent episode of Tested Tuesday. The self-proclaimed filmmaker, editor, and gear nerd, has been using Palette for almost an entire year in his video workflow.
Armando Ferreira, known online as Mondo Bytes, reviews Palette Gear for film editing and color grading in Premiere Pro in a recent episode of Tested Tuesday. The self-proclaimed filmmaker, editor, and gear nerd, has been using Palette for almost an entire year in his video workflow.
“Palette actually allows me to have more precise control over my adjustments,”
“Palette actually allows me to have more precise control over my adjustments," Ferreira said in his review. It’s no surprise, Palette’s controls are more precise because you are able to use tactile feeling as opposed to digital sliders. You are also able to set a max and min value for a slider to give you even more accuracy and precision.
And since Palette gives you hands-on control of the functions you use 80% of the time at your fingertips, Palette also makes you a much faster editor. Plus, you can have multiple profiles per app, so the same dial can switch between, say, razoring clips in Premiere Pro, to applying a transition or effect. Using a Palette button, you can cycle through multiple profiles. Here are the two profiles that Mondo Bytes uses for film editing and color grading:
Palette Profile #1: Film Editing
Palette Profile #2: Color Grading
This is just how Mondo Bytes configures his Palette layout. The beauty of Palette Gear is it can be arranged to fit your unique workflow.
“You can program these to do pretty much anything in Premiere.”
Other control surfaces on the market are not nearly as affordable as Palette and none are modular, Ferreira points out, which makes Palette an ideal fit for professionals and hobbyists alike.
Would you try Palette in your workflow? Learn more about using Palette forPremiere Pro here, orshop nowto incorporate Palette into your video editing workflow today.
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/5-steps-to-a-15-minute-per-edit-workflow-by-a-professional-retoucher2019-02-18T14:59:00-05:002019-02-25T15:35:57-05:005 Steps To A 15 Minute Per Edit Workflow by a Professional RetoucherNina VasicLet’s face it, post production is time consuming and dreaded by most photographer. Here’s how Dani Diamond achieves professional edits using Photoshop, Wacom, and Palette Gear in less than 15 minutes per photo.
Here’s how Dani Diamond achieves professional edits using Photoshop, Wacom, and Palette Gear in less than 15 minutes per photo.
Let’s face it, post production is time consuming and dreaded by most photographers. Sure, once in a while when you get that perfect shot you can’t wait to get to the PC to edit and post the shot. But 9 times out of 10 you’re stuck at the desk trying to hit deadlines and either staying up all night or sacrificing your art to get the client their images on time.
Here’s how I achieve professional grade edits using Photoshop in less than 15 minutes per photo.
Your Workstation
Working like a nomad, balancing a 13 inch laptop on your lap in the airport is like trying to clean the snow in your driveway with a shovel that’s missing its pole. You’ll eventually get it done but you’ll be half dead and swearing you’ll never do it again. To combat that, it is essential to build the perfect workstation that will make you look forward to sitting at it. I’ve reached the point where I shoot to edit — that’s how much I enjoy sitting at my workstation.
Personally, there are 3 things I need to be happy at my workstation. The first is investing in a chair made to support the back. I realized that even the most expensive chair on the market will still be cheaper than a visit to the doctor. As photographers, we spend a decent amount of time at our desk and on our feet. Imagine shooting with your back on fire after sitting at a desk for a day. I also find that mounting my Wacom tablet so there is no stress on the wrist incredibly important. By no stress, the wrist should be perfectly in line with your tablet, leaving no room for the wrist to be at an awkward angle. Lastly, and most importantly, a sound system that shakes your pants off with your favorite tunes will make editing so much more enjoyable and fun!
Organizing & Culling
I recently started using Pixieset to organize my images and share them with my clients. It is, by far, the best option on the market and costs about $100 per year. Once images are uploaded into Lightroom, create a collection with the Pixieset plugin and hit the publish button. The images get thrown onto a personalized Pixieset website and after inputting a clients email there, they get notified. It has a gorgeous interface and the client can make sets of favorite images which can be imported back into Lightroom in about 15 seconds. The days of reading file names, finding them and rating them manually are gone. This is a huge time saver!
Ergonomic Logistics
Mastering the perfect placement of a keyboard, mouse, tablet and Palette Gear is crucial. I never have to look down while I edit and can keep my eyes peeled to the monitor. When buttons, dials and the tablet pen are all placed with thoughtful calculation there is never a moment of hesitation. Those few seconds spent scrambling for the right shortcut or button can add up to years (no jokes!). I hold my tablet pen with my right hand and my left hand is either placed on the keyboard or Palette Gear. Further, my left arm rest is slightly higher and on the same level as the desk which holds my keyboard and Palette Gear. My right arm rest is lower and on the same level as the keyboard tray which houses my tablet.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts are one of those things that are so annoying and overwhelming to set up. I remember having no idea where to start or what shortcuts I would use frequently. I was too lazy and thought it was easier to just go through the menus or break 3 fingers stretching my hand across the keyboard to hit ALT + CTRL + SHIFT + F4 while eating a feta cheese wrap. Here’s a basic list of shortcuts I use that will save enough time to go to the Bahamas and back within a year.
Remap the 2 buttons on your tablet pen to do the following. One button to zoom in and out of your image in photoshop (keyboard shortcut ALT+SPACE). One button to pan the image (Keyboard shortcut SPACE). With just squeezing the button while panning the pen on the tablet you instantly pan or zoom into your image.
ACTIONS, ACTIONS, ACTIONS
Hit the record button in your action panel and record yourself saving an image in full resolution to your clients final edit folder, resize to 2048 pixels on the large edge and change color profile to sRGB and save again to a “use for Social media folder” Hit the stop recording button. Map one of your buttons on Palette Gear to play this action. If you only use your Palette Gear buttons to play shortcuts you already made that purchase worth it trust me. You can do the same to your express keys on the Wacom tablet but there’s nothing like those huge color coded Palette Gear buttons.
Set your Palette Gear to control things like Volume, skip track on Spotify etc. You can even make the entire Palette Gear change its buttons functions as you change through programs automatically (Lightroom, Spotify, Photoshop, Chrome). This makes a kit of 5 buttons virtually 1 million. The colors for each button change automatically so you don’t get confused.
Shortcuts are limited only to your creativity.
Workflow
If you’ve made it this far down the list thenI bet this is what you were waiting for.
The key to efficiency is mastering a consistent workflow when retouching.
When you are consistent, it becomes muscle memory and you can retouch in your sleep. Not only is the work faster but the output is uniform and a set of images will all have the same toning and look.
Here’s what I did. I watched every retouching tutorial on YouTube for a 2 year period. I found the best, but quickest method for each of the 4 steps to retouching an image. I turned these 4 steps into an action and as soon as the image is in Photoshop I hit my shortcut button to play that action. This action does not edit the images. It’s sole purpose is to prepare my layers panel so I don’t need to do the hard work like setting up my panel for frequency separation, etc. I have a tutorial that includes the action and how I use it but you can easily set it up yourself after watching tutorials like I did.
My 4 steps are: Frequency separation, Dodge & Burn, Eyes, and Toning. I retouch in that order.
At first this process will take 45 minutes for an edit. But after doing 1 edit per day for one month I guarantee editing times can be cut in half. Within a year of doing one edit per day, not only will editing get quicker but the quality of the edits will improve.
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If you found these tips helpful feel free to leave a comment with your feedback or follow me on Instagram where I share the little that I know on portrait photography.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/palette-community-update-feb-20192019-02-12T17:04:00-05:002019-04-11T17:13:41-04:00All the New Palette Features We've Built in 2019 Based on Your Feedback & SuggestionsAndy Hayes
AtPalette, we’re particularly proud of how our productkeeps evolving and improvingthrough free, unrestricted software updates. Whether you backed us onKickstarteror just purchased last week, the result is the same — every module becomes more capable over time, through consistent feature additions and improvements.
Whether you backed us onKickstarteror just purchased last week, the result is the same — every module becomes more capable over time, through consistent feature additions and improvements.
With this in mind, I’d like to tell you about the amazing new capabilities we’ve added in our latest update to PaletteApp.
New Capture One Features
Support for Tethered Capture
Last December, we introduced support for post-processing workflows inCapture One 11 & later on macOS. If you missed the big news, you can read more about ithere. Now — in response to huge demand — we have support for tethered capture.
Now you can use your Palette on-set to enable tethered live view, manually focus or autofocus your camera, and release the shutter.
Use Palette on-set to enable tethered live view, focus your camera, and release the shutter.
Additionally, you can combine tethered camera controls with tonal and color adjustments, as demonstrated inthis tethering profile. Imagine being able to try out different edits on-set without even touching the mouse and keyboard.
Color Balance, Vignetting, and Culling
How do Palette dials and sliders work with the color balance wheels? It’s actually very intuitive — see the below animation for an example of each separate adjustment.
Palette dials and sliders now control the Color Balance wheels in Capture One 11 & later.
Discrete controls for hue and saturation provide far more precision than is possible using your mouse and — most importantly — allow you to keep your eyes on your work while you adjust.
Dials and sliders can now directly adjust vignetting amount.
Finally, we added more robust support for culling images. Palette buttons support assignment to a specific color or rating, toggling through colors, and increasing/decreasing ratings with each press. Plus, filtering by color is now supported.
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Lightroom Classic
Context-Sensitive Adjustments
Basic Panel functions now apply automatically to Local (Gradient, Radial, and Brush) adjustments
We believe that the best editing happens while you stay focused on your images; the best tools just follow along without adding distraction.
To help you stay in this flow state, the same Palette functions assigned to basic panel sliders now automatically map to the active brush, gradient, or radial filter.
This means no more switching profiles to enable local adjustments — your Palette dials and sliders will follow along seamlessly as you work (example above).
Upright Mode & White Balance Presets
Upright mode and white balance presets join the long list of button features for Lightroom Classic.
All upright mode and white balance presets can now be assigned to Palette buttons.
Just like develop presets — which Palette also supports — these can’t be accessed with keyboard shortcuts. Palette enables you to pick your favorite presets without scrolling through panels or digging into menus.
Even for the most stylized images, starting from a baseline edit with correct colors and straight lines adds a degree of polish and professionalism. Why not get it right in one touch?
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Preview Layout
Need a reminder?
You’ve color-coded your modules and built muscle memory, but you still periodically forget which Palette module does what. It happens, especially with big kits and multiple profiles.
Any button or dial assigned toswitch profilesnow shows a preview of your Palette layout and functions when it’s pressed and held (example above).
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Profile Exchange
Profile sharing is now integrated into the Palette community forum, creating posts directly to our Profile Exchange. Here’s a step-by-step look at how to share your profiles.
I’m personally very excited about this for a few reasons: First and foremost, this enables a two-way dialogue around profiles and workflow. Submitted profiles are open to votes and comments.
Secondly, this allows for real-time posting, rather than waiting for a static profile page to be updated.
Finally, this puts profiles under the same searchable knowledge base as our community discussions and help articles; you can ask a question, solve a problem, and learn a workflowall in one place.
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How to Update
Not sure how to get all the features mentioned above?
Simply navigate to Help > Check for Updates in PaletteApp, or visitpalettegear.com/startto download our latest software version.
Add More Functionality, Expand Your Kit With Modular Add-ons
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/web-designer-juliacodes-explains-how-to-use-palette-gear-for-web-design2019-02-07T09:30:00-05:002019-02-25T16:24:37-05:00Web Designer JuliaCodes Explains How to Use Palette Gear for Web DesignNina VasicMore]]>
Speed up your workflow in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
As a web developer and designer, I’m constantly using apps likeAdobe IllustratorandPhotoshop. Since I work on both the design and development side, I’m also constantly looking for new technology or software that can speed up my workflows and setup time.
Palette Gearhas been a life saver for my design processes. Changes that would normally take 5 or 6 clicks now take one simple sliding motion, it’s absolutely awesome.
What is Palette Gear?
Palette Gearis an external add on for laptops that can be customized to do almost any function you can think of, they can also be arranged and rearranged in any order you can think of, and you can purchase additional buttons and switches to expand your Palette over time.
The slider and dial are even more useful as I can change the opacity of an object or the size of my brush tool with a simple slide or twist of my hand. Here is my setup:
How do you use Palette in Adobe Illustrator?
When creating a graphic for a website, I open Illustrator, and Palette gear is up and running with my Illustrator settings before my new file has even opened.
I use my Palette’s buttons to copy and paste elements as I’m often replicating graphics for the web. I’ll use my dial to change the opacity of whats selected, which is so much more convenient than searching for the opacity tool on illustrator. My favorite tool on my Palette is the slider module, I always have this set to page zoom, because its a lot smoother than using the keyboard to zoom in and out.
How do you use Palette in Photoshop?
I also use my Palette when using Photoshop, but here I set the dial to the brush size tool, one button to the brush selection tool, and the second button to the eyedropper tool. This way I can paint and edit photos without ever needing to move away from my Palette and mouse.
Another awesome ability of Palette Gear is how it automatically switches the buttons and slider functions based on what app I’m using. So if I’m in Illustrator, Palette will automatically use my Illustrator profile and functions and as soon as I open Photoshop, Palette will switch to my Photoshop functions. It means I never have to interrupt my workflow.
The possibilities are really endless with this device, and the more I use it, the more I love it!
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/our-top-10-favourite-digital-artists-on-instagram-and-why-you-should-follow-them2019-02-01T00:00:00-05:002019-05-09T10:51:57-04:00Our Top 10 Favourite Digital Artists on Instagram - and why you should follow themNina Vasic
Digital artists often create imaginative and dream-like masterpieces by compositing multiple photographs, graphical elements, and color together in Photoshop to create original work. Since we’re getting ready to launch someexciting new features for controlling Photoshop using Palette’s modular tactile controls, we’ve been feeling inspired by digital artists and creators who’s Photoshop skills are next level. Here are our top 10 favorite digital artists and Instagram — and why you should follow them.
Digital artists often create imaginative and dream-like masterpieces by compositing multiple photographs, graphical elements, and color together in Photoshop to create original work.
Ripe with references to fine art, popular movies, and even video games, at the end of the day his thought-provoking work is a feast for the eyes.Follow here.
You’ll be reminded of what it was like to look at the world with child-like curiosity and excitement.Give his feed a follow here.
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Did we miss your favorite digital artist? Let us know who you would add to this list in the comments.
Want to create digital art like the pros? TryPalette Gearrisk-free for tactile, precision editing in Photoshop, Lightroom, and more.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/this-23-year-old-self-taught-digital-artist-creates-surreal-masterpieces2019-01-09T00:00:00-05:002019-05-09T11:14:26-04:00This 23-year-old Self-taught Digital Artist Creates Surreal MasterpiecesNina Vasic
Jerry Quartz is a self-taught digital artist and photographer from Canada, whose magical and often dream-like surrealist work has been catching the attention of major industry players like Photoshop. The 23-year old foundedPrevalent Plus Clothing, photography communitySNSRGRM, as well as The Facility Art Show, which he hosts in his hometown. In between gigs, Jerry has been learning digital art for over 9 years. As a longtime Photoshop and Lightroom user,Palette Gearwas a welcome addition to Jerry’s workflow. We recently sat down with Jerry to get a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process and what inspires him.
Jerry Quartz makes dreams into art using Photoshop, Lightroom, and Palette Gear. Take a look behind his magical compositions.
Jerry Quartzis a self-taught digital artist and photographer from Canada, whose magical and often dream-like surrealist work has been catching the attention of major industry players likePhotoshop.
The 23-year old foundedPrevalent Plus Clothing, photography communitySNSRGRM, as well as The Facility Art Show, which he hosts in his hometown. In between gigs, Jerry has been learning digital art for over 9 years.
As a longtime Photoshop and Lightroom user,Palette Gearwas a welcome addition to Jerry’s workflow. We recently sat down with Jerry to get a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process and what inspires him.
Palette Gear: Your work is often fantastical and magical; how do you come up with ideas and concepts?
Jerry Quartz: I do a lot of research when coming along with concepts. I must spend more time searching for the perfect photos under regulated use for hours and hours on end. Lately I have experimented with following a consistent theme and that has seemed to work much better for me as a lot of my concepts for photos didn’t feel as forced.
PG: Did you have a mentor or teacher?
JQ: As far as after leaving high school (Hey Waldeck), I’ve learned a lot through YouTube and experimentation (especially with video work). I always wanted to sit down withPhotifiedand learn his workflow, he’s been a big inspiration to me over the years.
PG: Who inspires you?
JQ: My mom inspires me so much, she sacrificed so much when I was younger to raise me by herself. I want to give her everything I can while in the constant pursuit of happiness and living comfortably.
PG: What are your most used functions in PS and/or LR?
JQ: Well, forPhotoshop definitely the magic wand tool as I’m taking pieces of photos and reinventing them through layer masks. As forLightroom, my favourite thing to do is to desaturate a little bit and boost the vibrance to balance out some of the colours that don’t pop out as much.
PG: What is your creative process/workflow? How do you stay efficient? How important is efficiency?
JQ: My creative work flow usually starts with researching photos until I find a concept that works well for the theme or collection I’m working on. I have found recently starting a theme as a goal and making concepts around a theme makes it easier to brainstorm ideas. I would then bring them in Photoshop to cut, blend, colour correct and a few other things. Then finally bring them into Lightroom for final tweaking to bring out colours, work on shadows, and export. I love usingPalette Gearfor my edits because not only doesit speed up my workflowbut you can pretty much take it anywhere with ease. Plus, the minimalist design of Palette Gear makes it a nice addition on my desk.
PG: Do you have any tips and tricks for other digital artists getting started with Palette Gear?
JQ: One tip I would have to anyone setting it up would be to add one piece at a time until you get comfortable with your new workflow with Palette. Thepossibilities are essentially endlessand can be a little overwhelming to sort through all the features Palette has to offer versus some of the features that you might rarely use when editing.
PG: Anything else that you’d like to share that we didn’t touch upon already?
JQ: Pick the craziest thing you can think of. Now, whatever you thought of, make a decision. Right here. Right now. To see that idea through regardless of the sacrifice. Photo manipulations made me realize even the craziest ideas can come to life and all it takes a little time and creative thinking to figure out how. Anything is possible if you don’t sell your dreams away and keep pursuing what makes you smile.
Watch Jerry’s process below.
Follow Jerry on Instagram to see more of his work. Which photo would you like to see a tutorial for?
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Stay up to date on new Palette Gear features
We’re constantly building and expanding Palette’s software integrations. Follow us onInstagram,Facebook, orTwitterto learn more orsign up hereto get email updates on the latest and greatest new Palette features and deals.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/palette-gear-is-first-fully-modular-controller-to-offer-comprehensive-tactile-precision-editing-with-capture-one2018-12-11T09:00:00-05:002019-04-25T17:01:24-04:00Palette Gear Announces Comprehensive, Tactile Precision Editing Now Available For Capture OneNina VasicMore]]>
Innovative modular hardware offers tactile control for photographers and editors working in the Capture One ecosystem on macOS.
Waterloo, ON, December 11, 2018 — Palette Gear, creators of the industry leading customizable controller for extremely precise tactile photo and video editing, announces full integration with Capture One by Phase One for macOS. This release provides users with powerful new features based on extensive feedback from Capture One experts for fast and precise access to your most used Capture One functions in a completely configurable interface.
Palette’s modular set of buttons, dials, and sliders was especially designed to work seamlessly with RAW development as well as tethered shooting workflows in Capture One, focusing on providing the ultimate creative control to photographers.
Palette Gear is already compatible with newly released Capture One 12 software, allowing photographers control over key exposure, color, and detail tools, which when combined with brand new Capture One 12 features — such as luminosity masking and radial gradient masks — create an entirely new editing experience.
“Our workflow-first design philosophy has been to revolutionize the creative workstation and build the industry standard of powerful post-processing tools for the ultimate creative control,” says Calvin Chu, CEO and founder of Palette Gear. “By listening to our customers and industry experts, we’ve built all of their feedback into our new Capture One Kit that is optimized and tailored to their unique workflow.”
Palette’s powerful integration software is also compatible with Adobe Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC, Premiere Pro, and many more applications with new integrations and features always being added.
Learn more about Palette Gear’s integration for Capture One for macOS atwww.palettegear.com/captureone. Windows version to follow.
New Features and Tools of Palette Gear for Capture One
Powerful, deep access to functions in Capture One 11 and 12
Palette Gear introduces a newly re-designed menu of Capture One function items designed to allow you to directly control Capture One. The functions available go beyond keyboard shortcuts and include direct access to functions like exposure, white balance, tonal adjustments, and more. Palette’s new integration includescomprehensive support for: tonal adjustments like exposure, white balance, levels, high dynamic range, and black & white mix (black & white requires Capture One 12); detail adjustments including clarity, sharpening & noise reduction, grain, and more; library features including color tagging and rating images.
Capture One functions that are included in this build were selected based on extensive feedback from industry professionals making Palette a necessary tool during long editing sessions. The result is a new experience that is easily accessible for new users with pre-configured layouts, while being more customizable for Capture One power-users.
Workflow enhancing features
Along with access to key Capture One functions, Palette Gear has also built support for workflow optimization. Editors can now: individually customize the range, sensitivity, and function of each module for Capture One; add universal control for any selected slider in Capture One’s left-side tools panel and control with a single Palette dial; press and turn dials for coarse control or press and release to reset.
Fully customizable to your workflow
Palette’s modular design matches the completely customizable UI of Capture One. The entire experience moulds to your unique workflow. Palette’s design philosophy puts the photographer first. From customizing the layout, functionality, and even the color of each module, the hardware changes to fit the unique needs of any user.
Deep integration to access functions for greater creative control
Palette adds the ability to set sensitivity and range for its sliders and multi-function dials, allowing for greater creative control, precision, and accuracy that a mouse and keyboard simply cannot offer. This allows for smoother and more fluid adjustments that are customizable to your workflow. Editors can adjust multiple parameters simultaneously — such as Kelvin and tint — using just one dial. In fact, a single Palette dial can control any selected slider in Capture One’s left-side tools panel. This means that Palette Gear allows you to maximize functionality even in limited spaces or workstations.
Tethered Shooting with Palette Gear
Coming soon in January 2019, photographers will also be able to use Palette & Capture One in-studio to control the focus and shutter of tethered cameras. All Palette users can take advantage of this functionality through a free software update. Other updates coming in January via a free software update include: color balance support; tethered workflow support including camera focus, live view, and capture; keystone correction support.
Palette Gear Exclusive Capture One Kit
Palette Gear has announced an exclusive Capture One Kit that integrates effortlessly with the Capture One workflow. With the Palette Capture One Kit, you will get the exact number of sliders, buttons, and dials you need along with preconfigured functions for a plug-and-play experience right out of the box. The kit was designed by Capture One experts and industry leaders. The Palette Capture One Kit is available for purchase at store.palettegear.com.
About Palette
Palette is building a new generation of personalized peripherals. With a mission to extend human creativity by modernizing the creative workspace, the company is revolutionizing how creatives interact with their favorite software. Its first hardware product, Palette, consists of modular dials, buttons and sliders that magnetically snap together to offer tactile control for creative software.
Palette is available for order atpalettegear.comand throughretail partners worldwide, starting at $199 USD. Along with three kit sizes geared to starters, experts, and professionals, Palette offers individual add-on modules starting at $29 for a truly custom interface solution.
Capture One is a registered trade mark of Phase One.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/instantly-make-lightroom-adjustments-with-these-multi-function-dials2018-11-01T00:00:00-04:002019-05-09T10:44:37-04:00Instantly Make Lightroom Adjustments With These Multi-Function DialsNina VasicEver wanted to edit or sort through photos in Lightroom with lightning speed or edit with greater precision? The multi-function, infinite turn dials from Palette Gear allow you to do just that.
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More precise and hands-on control means you'll edit faster
By Nina Vasic
Ever wanted to edit or sort through photos in Lightroom with lightning speed or edit with greater precision? The multi-function, infinite turn dials from Palette Gear allow you to do just that.
So how can these little dials do all that?
For one, unlike keyboard shortcuts, you can set sensitivity and range for each dial allowing you to make those meticulous and detailed adjustments for even better looking results.
The dial can be turned for fine control or press and turned for coarse control. Pressing the dial will reset your changes. That’s 3 functions in one!
In keyboard mode, assign shortcuts for left turn, right turn and press. You can even assign a custom colour to the LED halo.
The dials can be assigned any function that you want since they’re fully customizable. Each dial is magnetic and modular so you can add more over time to your kit. Here is how to custom assign any Lightroom function using PaletteApp:
How to custom assign any Lightroom function to a Palette Gear dial and change the sensitivity, color, and name of the module
The idea is, you’ll want to take the top 20% of your most used functions (the ones you use 80% of the time) and give yourself immediate, hands-on access to them. Having your most used functions at your fingertips allows you to sort and edit at lightning speed and precision.
Thefeedback from pro photographersis that Palette Gear makes them faster and more efficient editors. Unlike other controllers, Palette allows you to easily switch between workflows in Lightroom, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro, among others.
Bycreating multiple profiles, you can assign more than one function to each dial. Here are two profiles that we’ve created for Lightroom:
Lightroom "Sorting" Profile
Lightroom "Developing" Profile
You can even control all adjustments in Lightroom with just one dial. Watch the video below for more tips on using a Palette dial to speed up your editing and make you a more precise editor.
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/here-s-how-this-wedding-photographer-reduced-his-editing-time-by-602017-07-21T09:30:00-04:002019-02-27T09:29:51-05:00Here’s How This Wedding Photographer Reduced His Editing Time by 60%Nina Vasic
Lewis Fackrell from Wales sorts and batch edits using Palette Gear’s tactile controls and saves time. Try Palette Gear risk-free in your editing workflow. If Palette doesn't improve your wedding photography editing process, you can return it for a full refund within 30 days.
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Lewis Fackrell from Wales sorts and batch edits using Palette Gear’s tactile controls and saves time.
Tell us about yourself
I’m awedding photographerfrom Cardiff in Wales (UK), I’d go as far as saying I’m obsessed. I’m a full time wedding attender — the people I meet, the stories I hear, and the views I witness, I wouldn’t want to change one bit!
Apart from that, I’m into road cycling, the obvious — photography of all kinds (with a phone mostly), hiking, and exploring.
Oh, and did I mention I was a Snow Stormtrooper in Star Wars Episode 7? That was an epic week!
I’ve been in a few other movies since but they aren’t worth the mention. As a film & TV background artist it’s an escape and great fun, I also get to watch other creatives do their thing — these guys are epic at lighting!
How did you establish yourself as a professional photographer?
Since buying my first camera 8 years ago, I developed a love for composition and freezing moments. I began my photography journey photographing vast landscapes around my home country Wales. I then developed a love for capturing people, which ultimately lead to a friend asking me to photograph their wedding; I thoroughly enjoyed it!
The penny dropped when people began asking to pay for the images I took and asking if I had my own website. That was it for me me, I immediately bought a domain, shot weddings for an entire year and used some of those images as a portfolio to launch my career as awedding photographer. I also learned online about selling and presentation, etc., which definitely paid off!
What aspects of photography do you find the most challenging? The most rewarding?
Having my own business is absolutely brilliant. I’m not one for a groundhog day and so the balance I can set is fantastic, allowing me to do what I want with my life; the freedom is beautiful.
Shooting weddings was always the ultimate challenge, I love the pressure one may embrace but also the creativity it allows me to express.
I’m an emotional soul and forever enjoy learning about people, so it’s a perfect place for me to be!
The most challenging part of photography for me has got to be the challenge of loving my own work. I need to believe that it is good enough and I should stop trying to find the faults in my work; and instead treat faults as either creative differences or a subjective piece of art.
Most rewarding thing about photography is, without a doubt, the response I get after all the pressure of photographing a couple’s wedding, editing, and packaging the shots. The couple saying how in love they are with their images makes it all worth it. It’s what makes me put all my effort into each wedding.
What inspires you?
Maybe not as easy to answer. For me, my inspiration is to be reaching full potential and to succeed at something I enjoy. I want to be an inspiration to others and support them in their photography journey.
Ultimately I enjoy creating art and having people cry happy tears that I’ve captured their wedding so beautifully; the buzz from that alone, for me, is why I do this!
Before using Palette, how did you expect it to improve your workflow? How does this compare to your experience so far?
I expected a new desk toy that would probably be too confusing to use and end up gathering dust, reducing my workflow time by around 10% and that was it.
In comparison, my workflow has reduced by 60% of my time editing — that’s around 4 hours extra to do lots of star jumps or something. This is a total life saver as it means when I have 4 weddings to edit in 2 weeks I can fly though in 2 days and get on with other business and spend more time out cycling!
What style or technique would you like to explore further?
I’m quite old fashioned and so I would love to explore the idea of shooting a whole wedding on film or Polaroid. That would be pretty epic, maybe from a 2nd photographer’s point of view.
Otherwise, as I sometimes work on films and spend time at the sets, I’d like to next explore incorporating film into my packages too, and to create personal mini film projects.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Just be yourself, everyone else is taken! It’s a motto that’s carried me a few years and it speaks the truth; if I’ve found myself trying to be a little like someone else or emulate them, it’s come off un-natural and it’s obvious!
Trust your instinct and people will love you for who you are and not for what or who you’re not!
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/how-to-sort-through-and-edit-wedding-photography-3x-faster2017-06-22T12:47:00-04:002019-02-25T15:50:45-05:00How to Sort Through and Edit Wedding Photography 3x FasterNina VasicMore]]>
Palette Gear made it possible for this wedding photographer to cull, edit and export a wedding (4,500 shots) and layout a wedding book in just one day.
Tell us about yourself
After shooting for 17 years (mostly on film), I fell in love with wedding photography and turned pro. That was about 150 weddings ago and I’m loving every second of it because I set my own rules, pick my own clients and develop my own style. My wife couldn’t resist in joining me, so it’s double the amount of fun and creativity now!
Having the luxury of picking your own clients means we really connect with them on the day and being a couple ourselves also helps build rapport with them much faster. This also means they react to us very differently during the day, which makes the truly candid and spontaneous shots possible. When it’s time to say goodbye, it’s usually hugs and tears all around… but that’s life.
We also enjoy taking a short break from the wedding protocol and taking the couple for a private session, grabbing a few epic shots along the way. We work a lot in Dubrovnik, Croatia which is beautiful all around.
Walk me through your workflow, how do you create?
Believe it or not, it all starts with dressing up:
Some smart trousers and shoes, white dress shirt, HoldFast straps and a wooden bow tie enable me to move almost unnoticed among the guests and build rapport with them (their comments on the wooden bow tie or leather MoneyMaker is a great way to start a conversation).
My cameras help as well: Fuji X-Pro2 and X-T2 and select prime lenses, usually XF 16mm f/1.4 and XF 35mm f/1.4. It makes for a really nice, compact package that is very quiet and unobtrusive. Peopledoreact to it very differently than to my old Canon DSLR gear and it also helps me keep a very low profile.
Everything is recorded to two SD cards in parallel, and backed up to three different hard drives at home. I work off an SSD: a quick cull in Photo Mechanic is followed by a more thorough second cull in Lightroom, when I also create and sort a collection to build a narrative. This is a very creative and important part which is easily overlooked — building a story from your sometimes random sequence of shots is just as important as shooting the images themselves in my opinion.
Since Fuji X-trans files are demanding to render, I build smart previews in LR, unlink originals and then paste my favorite preset. (It was originally based on a Tribe Archipelago preset, but I evolved it through time to something quite different.)
Editing is my favorite part (shocking, right?) because I get to throw away my keyboard and mouse and pick up my Wacom Intuos and Palette Gear Pro kit.
Dials, sliders and a pen are a very enjoyable way to interface with your computer — tactile, analog and very intuitive. I can completely forget what my hands are doing and just focus on getting the most out of each individually polished shot.
How has Palette Gear enhanced your workflow?
I’m something of an ergonomics fiend and workflow hacking enthusiast; the amount of time I reconfigured the physical and functional layout of Palette is beyond measure.
I’ve got my editing workflow dialed in now and it shows — it takes me about 3x less time editing with Palette and Intuos compared to keyboard and mouse.
It means I bring Palette on my trips as well, in a screaming orange Pelicase. It might sound cumbersome, but isn’t it much worse spending 3x longer to edit on a trip instead of enjoying yourself? Creativity needs mental food and it’s definitely not sitting in front of your computer editing. :)
Palette is a physical controller, everyone gets that. But what they may not realize (until they try it) is that with Palette, you can perform multiple edits at the same time!
This is a huge productivity boost, because with enough experience I can think of 5 edits the photo needs the instant I see it.
And with most frequent controls mapped to sliders and dials in close proximity I can use just one hand to manipulate 2 sliders and a dial (with my pinky finger), while the other hand grabs a dial for the fourth or fifth edit. Example: highlights and whites recovery (2 sliders) and exposure correction (dial) while fixing the cropping angle or white balance (dial).
My favorite thing about Palette Gear? I calculated it saves me about a month of sitting in front of the computer per year while keeping the same high attention to each edit.
It actually probably results in even better quality of edits because it’s easy to be a perfectionist when all the important controls are just a millisecond away from your fingertips.
Palette made it possible for me to cull, edit and export a wedding (4500 shots) and layout a wedding book in just one single day!
I don’t like to get attached to material things, but my Palette and me are as close as it gets! (And my clients just love the high quality and short delivery times).
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https://store.monogramcc.com/blogs/news/using-palette-buttons-to-run-photoshop-actions2017-06-07T09:30:00-04:002019-03-28T14:58:53-04:00Using Palette Buttons to run Photoshop ActionsAndy HayesMore]]>
How to directly select any action with a Palette button
Here’s something we get asked about often: how do you assign a Photoshop action to Palette?
It makes perfect sense, really — both tools are made to save time and reduce inefficiencies when editing. Combining both? Even better. It’s easy to miss, however, as the setup is a little more complicated than assigning most functions to Palette.
In short, there are two main steps required to make this happen.
1. First,assign a keyboard shortcut to your desired action:
Open Photoshop andexpose the Actions panel. If you can’t find it, go to Window > Actions or press Opt+Fn+F9 (Mac) / Alt+F9 (Win)
Select your desired actionfrom the list (Fig. 1, left).
Select the top-right menufrom the Actions panel (Fig. 1, top). From the list,select “Action Options”(Fig. 1, right).
Select your function keyand modifiers. This is the keyboard shortcut that will trigger your PS action. Note: As Photoshop uses some of the Function keys as shortcuts already, I recommend selecting the Shift and Command modifiers.
2. Next, assign your Action shortcut to a Palette button:
Open the PaletteApp to your Photoshop profile andselect your desired module. Note: This works best with buttons, but can also be assigned to a dial press or turn.
A module settings window will pop up.Select “Keyboard Mode”from the left (Fig. 2, upper left).
Press the Action shortcutthat you assigned in Step 1. Confirm that the PaletteApp shows the correct shortcut (Fig. 2, centre). Note: MacOS maps the Function keys to system controls by default. For F1, press Fn+F1.
Remember toset a custom name and colour(Fig 2., lower left).
As always, please reach out to us atsupport@palettegear.comif you have any questions on using your Palette kit. You may also be interested in the following resources: