The couple in the Thumbnail are Nikki and Jason Wynn. They started a YouTube channel a decade ago. Documenting their travels in an RV all across the USA and Canada. Then...they bought a boat. And sailed that half way around the world. Then they bought a brand new boat...and that thing was a Lemon! So then they bought a brand new boat (almost brand new) at Auction. And now...they are fixing to take that thing to the Arctic. So that's the backstory.
Now the thing I wanted to talk about...embracing new technology.
Captain Jack Durish has become truly proficient with Chat GPT and he is older than I am! Because he started to use AI as a tool. And like a lot of skilled craftsmen he adapted it to his needs.
Well, Jason is a Professional Photographer. He knows all about lighting, composition, lenses, cameras, and all the gear that it takes to produce truly good Videos.
And then they got robbed in the Netherlands. Lots of gear...gone. Including a massive camera, hard drives, and lenses. So they decided to simplify their gear.
Jason calls it: "I got rid of my stubbornness to embrace new technology."
He had cameras for close ups, for middle distance, for long shots. He had microphones for just about every situation. He had drones too.
And then, after the Robbery, they were faced with some hard choices and a massive outlay of cash to replace or upgrade their ability to keep producing quality videos.
But they didn't want to buy that kind of gear in a rush. So...they were forced to use their new iPhone 17 Pro. And...
It worked. At first, Jason was dead set against it. But necessity is the mother of all progress. Then he realized he didn't have to carry around heavy gear. He didn't become the center of attention because he was holding a lens the size of a small telescope.
He didn't have to unpack, assemble and then focus on a scene, or interaction. He could just pull out his iPhone, with a few attachments, and achieve virtually the same professional quality that they produced with those clumsy, big, and expensive cameras and lenses.
Now, they can "shoot video" at the drop of a hat. When done, just pull the attachments off, and put the phone back in his pocket. It removes the barrier between the audience and them too.
Technology had advanced so much, but he couldn't let go of the old technology he was used to, and understood. Then the Robbery forced him to find out just how far the technology had grown. Apparently, it started with the iPhone 14 as a game changer, and each phone since, has been a giant leap forward ...at least for cinematography and photography.
Yet it took them several months of fighting the "stubbornness" before they actually embraced the new method of shooting their videos. Now they are no longer obvious targets. Nor are they standing out in the crowd with a ton of gear. Nor do they have to lug giant camera and lens cases around and worry about where to put them while shooting an episode.
Their lives got simpler.
And my children and grandchildren feel that same way about AI. It simplifies their lives...it doesn't control it. Instead of resisting and getting the "stubborns" like Jason and Nikki...they use it to simplify and increase their productivity or creativity.
Give that episode of the Wynns, on YouTube a look see...and perhaps, like them and the Good Captain, you will embrace the advantages, while still being aware of the pitfalls.