Hack your Observation Patterns: Mindfulness and 360 Photography & Videography
Ragnar lives with his wife and 3 kids in the center of Germany, a region called “Nordhessen”. He works for Microsoft and loves to transform the new digital workplace based on Office365 for his customers. His social media channels, including his photos and videos, can be found here. Ragnar is an early member of Metta: the virtual reality & 360 video community (get on the waiting list here). See his Metta profile here.
What inspired you to begin experimenting with 360 videography?
When I saw 360 videos for the first time a few years ago it was instantly clear to me that something revolutionary was happening. New immersive and emotional experiences, especially for gaming and entertainment, and also exciting new possibilities for embedded journalism and advanced digital storytelling, have begun.
What was the first moment you captured in 360?
My first complete 360 was at Octoberfest 2012 in Munich. Not the easiest place because I was using Photosynth and had to make dozens of shots, and people were moving fast around. But I really wanted to capture the great atmosphere, therefore I had to do it.
What is the most interesting insight you’ve had while experimenting with 360 photos and videos?
I have been using Instagram, Flickr, 500px, also Facebook and Twitter for ages and have the strong impression that people spend less time looking at photos. Photos are losing value — as with music, which is now mostly free and easy to access.
My own experience with 360 is that I take more time with each single photo or video, and have a more mindful and intense experience. In 360, I am much better at capturing and understanding the story (or create my own story (“mental cinema”).
If you could capture one moment from your past in 360 or VR, what would it be?
Cruising with my Dad through California and the National Parks of Nevada and Arizona.
What is the best 360 or VR video you’ve seen lately?
NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover at Namib Dune
What camera do you use to capture your 360 or VR imagery? What do you think of it? Why did you choose it?
My journey into 360° started with SmartPhones like Lumia 930 and iPhone where Microsoft’s Photosynth was supported and linked them to Google Street View. Since January 2016 I have mainly been using a Ricoh Theta S to capture the 360° world.
Do you have a VR headset? If so, which one? What is the best VR experience you’ve seen?
I haven’t invested a lot of money into headsets yet, just bought two nice simple ones which support Google Cardboard and work with all of my SmartPhones.
