BTS: 1,000 photos with the iPhone 16 Pro

I usually struggle to reach the 1,000 photo/video mark on phones. But that was simply not the case with the iPhone 16 Pro. And that is mostly due to the fact that I took a whole three weeks to make this video compared the single week I would get while working at The Verge.

From the moment I picked up my device at Albany's Crossgates Mall, I got busy traveling around New York State, in my 2012 Acura MDX, on a mission to capture my life in as many different environments as possible. This included my first--certainly not my last--hot air ballon ride at the Adirondack Balloon Festival, a trip into the depths of Howe Caverns, a very dusty day at a dirt bike race, and many nights stomping around New York City.

iPhone 16 Pro, main lens w/ gold photographic style + more contrast and saturation

During those three weeks I had so many ideas for the what the theme of my video could be. They included talking about the unfinished software, or the very powerful camera packed into an actually pocketable body, or alternative camera apps that can produce different results than the stock Apple camera app. But ultimately I decided to talk about how this is the first iPhone that requires its user to do all of the work, instead of the device steering the ship. Like I point out in the video, YOU have to edit photos if you want a photo that looks polished and unique, and YOU have to get to know the Camera Control button in order for it to be useful for you. I think that was the right angle to take, but let me know in the comments if you still want to hear more about the alt ideas I had along the way.

iPhone 16 Pro, main lens w/ standard photographic style + more a bit more contrast and a lot more saturation

The other thing I tried to do in this video was bring you, the viewer, into a moment from my journey that had almost nothing to do with the device. Instead I wanted a segment that was more about me and how I approach living with technology. I tried to do this this in the hot air balloon section that starts at 5:02. And I think that folks liked it because I saw a lot of comments about hot air balloons (they really are so cool) in addition to comments just about the iPhone.

I believe that as advancements in tech become more incremental, folks will be increasingly interested in how a person uses a device, rather than just the device on its own. And if you want to hear more of my thoughts on not making hardware the main character, I spoke to Daniel Bader, on the Android Police podcast, all about it. You can tune into this video around 17:13. 

iPhone 16 Pro, main lens, portrait mode w/ gold photographic style + more contrast and saturation

Ok, the last thing I want to talk about is sponsorships. When I first started this independent creator journey I had a call with Casey Neistat who gave me loads of great advice. But there are two things that he said that both haunt me and inspire me the most:

1. Succeeding as a creator is 51% business and 49% talent/skills/video quality.

2. No one knows anything.

The second point has already been proven to me many times, and the first point scares the hell out of me. This video was my first to get sponsored, by Ridge, and because of that I no longer need to take on a freelance editing gig this month. A huge win and a sign that this career thing might work! But I have a lot of internal conflict about selling someone else's products and services. I want nothing more than my audience to trust me, and when I back someone else's stuff, I lose some control over the experience my viewers will have. Thankfully, though, I know most folks understand that YouTube is a business and ads are simply a way to make it a viable one. I'm also grateful that I get to say no if I don't want to work with a brand. But wowee, that 51% is reallly tough for me.

Ok, that's what I have been thinking about while making the iPhone review this year. Also, I'm trying to figure out the best way to host a gallery of images from my reviews for us Patreon people. Patreon doesn't have a native option, so I am leaning towards a Google Drive folder, but if you know any other options please let me know! And, as always, below is a look at the final Premiere timeline.

your bud, b