The 5 Minute Photos Weekend Digest #2
1984 SUPER BOWL AD • IPHONE UPGRADES • PICTURESQUE HOTELS • TALK TO ME
SUPER BOWL AD
Today is Super Bowl Sunday in the U.S. The one time each year that I’ll sit and watch huge guys crash into each other for a a few hours. The spectacle is great fun though and I am jazzed that the Seattle Seahawks - my old home town - are in the mix. But most of all, I think the event promises to make America feel whole again, if only for an evening. Where opposition is just a part of the sport and not survival.
But also I am an Apple fan, and the 1984 Super Bowl is embedded in Apple culture for the launch of the Macintosh computer in what is widely considered to be the best TV ad of all time.
Directed by a young Ridley Scott, fresh off the success of the movie Blade Runner, the 1 minute ad, which only played once, set the cultural tone for Apple computers that endures today. Here’s my post about it from 2024.
Super Bowl LVIII - 40 Years of Macintosh
Anyone who follows advertising can’t help having seen the commercial that introduced Apple’s Macintosh computer during Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984. Even though it only aired once, in Super Bowl lore the one minute ad regularly wins top honors and has set a creative bar for every Super Bowl commercial since.
IPHONE UPGRADES
If you have been nursing along an older iPhone - 15 or earlier - and are running out of storage or hanker for a better camera, now is a good time to see what options are available for a refurbished or used phone. We’re almost at the mid-year mark where people who wanted the newest model - iPhone 17 & 17 Pro - have bought them or they have decided to wait for the 18 series next Fall to buy. That puts pressure on sellers to lower the iPhone 17 prices which then reduces the prices of used and refurb iPhone 16’s - an iPhone model I really liked.
For me, the iPhone 16 Pro is the first model that seemed like a compact camera that could place calls rather than a phone that made pictures on the side. The standout features were around the Camera on the Pro which included a new camera button and improved sensor/lens combinations. It is a bit lighter than the 17 series and has a 5x telephoto. I’ve seen a used 16 Pro with 256GB storage for about half the cost of what they were new. If you’re thinking about upgrading, look at Gazelle.com for used iPhones and the Apple Store refurbished selection. Inventory is constantly changing.
PICTURESQUE HOTELS
Every day is a photo opportunity for me and when I travel I like to find cool one-off hotels, even if they are somewhat out of the way. On a trip to San Diego last year I discovered a delightful Art Deco lodging, the El Primero Hotel in Chula Vista. Each room was named for a different California location. The lobby was decorated with period artifacts. I felt like I was on the movie set for Chinatown. I took plenty of photos to remind me of the delightful experience I had. A visual journal of the experience.
What’s your favorite hotel?
TALK TO ME
5 Minute Photos explores the Apple Photos ecosystem from taking photos to sharing them. For some people the iPhone is an introduction to photography. For others, it’s simplifying a practice they’ve enjoyed for their whole life. Whether it’s just a default home for the images that document your life or a creative playground where you can express yourself, I’ve got you covered.
Every so often I love to get reader feedback about how you use Apple Photos. Do you want inspiration, how-to guidance, or end-to-end understanding? Regular prompts to clean up or back up? iCloud?
Please take a couple minutes to help me create material that you would like to see or share posts you especially liked.
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