Toby will be heading off to Vietnam soon on a McKay tour but before that, we've still got a Mish Mash to do. This week in the news we've got a big announcement from Panasonic and maybe Canon realizes it's time to catch up... finally. Lots of news and more this week with CES coming after a slow time during the Holidays. For those following the live show Toby's going to cover what he'll be taking to Vietnam and he's going rather light.While Toby does the Live Show via PEN this is your quick peek at what we're doing behind the scenes, this week's news, our Instagram challenge top picks, and more. Otherwise, join the Photo Enthusiast Network and watch Toby live! Photorec.tv/join

This Week at Photorec.tv

• • PEN ONLY Tuesday Tip - Creating Starbursts - A quick tutorial we put out for PEN members, controlling your settings to create nice starbursts on demand for your photos. These are lens flares that look like little stars thanks to the aperture blades in your camera.
  • Lightroom Tips – Best Practices for a New Year – New Catalog, Archive and More - My Lightroom is a bit of a mess at the moment but yours doesn't have to be! Check out Toby's video to get you going on the right track to stay organized.
  • Inrigo Camera Bag – Fully Waterproof! - A new Kickstarter, this is a great option for those of you in humid climates, traveling somewhere tropical, or shooting by the water.
  • Quick Prints on the Go! - We always push for you guys to get prints out, whats better than right after you take it? Check out some ideas for instant prints.
  • Sony 18-135 f/3.5-5.6 OSS Zoom for a6000, a6300, a6500 Cameras - This is a great little zoom announced for Sony for their APS-C line of cameras, pre-orders just started today so pick one up (if you have a Sony). 

Around the Web

We can't cover everything photography news related but we try. For everything else, we've got the best news articles from around the web.Panasonic GH5S: The Most Sensitive Camera in Lumix HistoryWe'll have Toby's thoughts in an article soon but the big catch this week is the new GH5S. Check it out at Petapixel, Preorders on the GH5S are live, and it's a great option for those doing video.Canon: We’re Lagging in InnovationShort Version? Canon finally admitted that their technology is falling behind. That said, it's an opportunity. After the rather held back 6DMII this is their chance for a bit of transparency. For us Canon users we're missing 4K on most lower models as a start. Not to mention mirrorless or in-body image stabilization. It might be a bit challenging seeing where Canon is going to be in five years as they keep holding back. But Sony has already eclipsed Nikon and is closing the gap. Will this be the push to right the ship?Really Right Stuff Ball Heads

• • Really Right Stuff BH-30 Ball Head Review | Amazon | B&H
  • Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head Review | Amazon | B&H

If you are looking at getting a tripod something you may not think about as much is the ball head, the main part of your tripod that your camera rotates and rests on. As for tripods we suggest picking up the MeFoto Globetrotter Classic or Globetrotter Classic Carbon Fiber (not the Air for better stability), but down the line, we also suggest upgrading the head. Over time tripod's will wear down, especially over heavy use like Toby puts them through. That allows the head to slip, making shooting a bit tricky as the camera might tilt down or to the side a bit. So over time picking up one of these extends the life of your tripod and gives it better performance as well. In this case, the BH-30 is great for a more compact setup while the BH-55 works more for a better platform but at a higher cost.Other Stories You Might Like:

• Water Torture: Nikon D850 vs Sony A7RIII, Canon 5D Mk IV & Olympus E-M1 II
• Photographers, We Are Better Than That
• Couple Sends Wedding Photographer 30-Page Critique of Their Photos
• 3 Tips for Setting Boundaries to Avoid Burnout in Photography
• Can I Be a Pro Photographer With a Low Profile on Social Media?
• Hasselblad reveals the winners of the 2018 Masters Awards
• Kodak Stock Shoots Up 300%+ Thanks to Cryptomania
• Eight Questions to Help You Define Your Brand in Photography
• WD launches two new portable SSDs designed for photographers and drone users
• GoPro exits drone market, cuts over 250 jobs, and drops price of Hero6 Black by $100
  • GoPro Entertaining Acquisition Offers...If Anyone Wants It
• Do NOT Fake It Till You Make It as a Photographer
• How to edit photos captured in harsh light to recover the most data possible
• A Complete Guide to Editing a Dramatic Portrait in Photoshop
• Eight Fun Ideas for Shooting Hilarious Portraits With Your Friends
• Man Killed While Trying to Recover His Stolen Camera from Online Seller

Featured Photos Weekly Challenge

This Week’s Challenge: #PRTV_guiltypleasure

Not too many entries this week with the holiday considering but thanks to you that gave this week’s trickier challenge a shot! Next Two Week Challenge: #PRTV_stilllife2Something a bit simpler for next week and hopefully a bit warmer for those hitting those extra cold winter temps. Simply shoot a still life, which broken down is a group of objects arranged creatively. This should be great for those wanting to practice tabletop or food photography.

Roy’s Features:

For more info, the schedule, and past top picks go check out photorec.tv/prtv. Try out some of Toby's Instagram Tips. For everything else Instagram, tag those shots #PRTV and #penlive for our daily photo features.

Photos from Space

A couple photos thanks to Nasa this week, follow them and @iss on Instagram for some neat photos!In an enhanced shot by Nasa, we get this nice painterly look as Jupiter!

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Jan 8, 2018 at 8:01am PST

As the Michigander of the team, my State's been frozen in! While a bit common it's about seven times more frozen for this period thanks to a nor'easter storm hitting the mid to east United States. In this shot you can see the frozen Delaware Bay in the east coast between New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware .

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Jan 9, 2018 at 8:02am PST

Pick up a "Major Tom" spaceman LED light for your computer today. Part of Toby's Photos from space segment and it helps support the site. Click here to buy your own Major Tom on Amazon.Want to keep up with things happening this year? Sync your calendar with the solar system

That's all folks! We'll be back next week with even more of your photo news. For PEN members next week Toby and co. will be off to Vietnam so it'll just be me with the highlights. If you guy's do like the highlights leave us comments on the social media posts and we'll keep this going!