PhotoActive - Episodes Tagged with “Apple”

Episode 208: DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom Killer?

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700

The well regarded video editor DaVinci Resolve just introduced a Photos module inside the app, making some people wonder whether the free software could replace traditional photography tools like Lightroom. We also talk about a book of passport photos, photos that change history and film simulations.

(Image: Black Magic Design)

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Book Review: 'Passport Photo Service,' by Philip SHarkey, NYTimes
Occasionally a picture can change the course of history, The Guardian
DaVinci Resolve
The color grading tool used by Hollywood now supports still photos - and it’s free, Digital Camera World
The film simulation rabbit hole: Why digital photographers are obsessing over analog looks, Digital Camera World
Episode #8 - Gordon Laing on Taking Great Photos In Camera
The difference between drinking coffee and tea
Parachute Backup at Mac App Store
Episodes on Backups

Jeff’s Snapshot

EPSON inkjet printer cleaning sheet A4 size 3 pieces MJCLS

Kirk’s Snapshot

Parachute Backup app

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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 207: Monochrome Sensors, DNG, and Apple 50th

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 21:00:00 -0700

We remain fascinated by monochrome cameras, and this week we discovered just how tough it is to source the sensors used by the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome. We also talk about DNG, Adobe’s universal raw format, becoming an official image standard (and why the big camera companies probably won’t adopt it). And if you hadn’t heard, Apple turned 50!

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Jeff’s Snapshot

Take Control of iPhone Photography

Kirk’s Snapshot

David Pogue Writes the History of Apple

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 206: You Can’t Trust Photos Anymore

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:00:00 -0700

So it’s come to this. Generative AI has quickly gotten so good that it’s hard to distinguish real photos from generated ones. So where do we go from here? We talk about C2PA authentication, trusting your sources, and more.

(Image: Generated with Adobe Firefly)

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Jeff’s Snapshot

Anker Soundcore Space One

Kirk’s Snapshot

Logitech MX Creative Console

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 205: Spec Goblins and the MacBook Neo

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 18:00:00 -0700

Apple has announced the MacBook Neo, a $600 laptop running on the same A18 Pro processor that was used in the iPhone 16 Pro. Oh, and it has 8GB of RAM and starts at 256GB of storage. Believe it or not, lots of people on the Internet take issue with those specs, so we look at it from the point of view of whether it could be a good machine for photographers who blew all their money on a $10,000 Leica f/1.2 lens.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 204: Storage Prices

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 16:00:00 -0800

The prices of digital storage are set to climb this year because AI is eating up all the available inventory. And modern photography is entirely dependent on storage, whether it's the SD cards that store the captured images, the internal solid-state memory that stores data on your computer, or the external SSDs and traditional hard drives that keep your archive of photos.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 203: Do You Have $10,000 to Spare?

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:45:00 -0800

The best-selling compact camera in Japan is from... Kodak? We’ve talked about compact cameras in the past, but it remains a fascinating part of the photo marketplace as people look for something different than mirrorless and DSLR cameras. By the way, do you have $10,000 to spare on a new 35mm lens? Leica’s Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH was just announced at that eye-watering price. Lastly, Jeff covers some new Lightroom features in the latest versions.

(Photo: Leica)

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
I Asked AI to Predict the Weather. It's About as Reliable as a Groundhog - CNET
Compact Camera Sales More Than Doubled Last Year in Japan | PetaPixel
Regarding the price of the Ricoh GR cameras, Kirk was thinking of the prices in the UK. In the US, the prices are $1,600 and and $2.200.
Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. | Leica Camera US
Leica 35mm Noctilux-M f/1.2 ASPH Review: A Long Time Coming | PetaPixel
Adobe Lightroom Classic release notes
Aftershoot
Thomas Pynchon: Vineland (Kirk said it was published in 1980; that should be 1990)
How 'One Battle After Another' Shot the Car Chase Scene Like a Gritty '70s Film - YouTube

Jeff’s Snapshot

The Uncool by Cameron Crowe

Kirk’s Snapshot

One Battle After Another

(Compact cameras. Credit: PetaPixel)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 202: Pixelmator Pro Returns

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 01:00:00 -0800

Now we know what Apple is doing with Pixelmator Pro after its acquisition of Pixelmator: it’s part of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle. Also, we celebrate the latest black and white camera to hit the market, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, and ponder large-format photographer Sally Mann’s discovery of digital photography.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Jeff’s Snapshot

Reflections: On Cinematography, Roger Deakins

Kirk’s Snapshot

None

Cocktail menu at The Ink Drinker (Photo: Jeff Carlson)

A woman reads a book at The Ink Drinker, Seattle (Photo by Jeff Carlson)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 201: What’s Real

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 23:00:00 -0800

Is your phone not accurately capturing the world around you? An article in the Guardian questions whether image processing in smartphones is making photos that aren’t genuine. Also, Leica released a firmware update that radically changes the entire interface, leading to a discussion of how important the UI in our cameras is when making photos.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Kirk’s Snapshot

Logitech MX Master 4

Jeff’s Snapshot

Moment Tripod Mount for MagSafe

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 200: All Our Cameras

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 01:00:00 -0800

Two Hundred episodes! To celebrate roughly seven and a half years of the PhotoActive podcast, Kirk and Jeff picked some favorite photos from the digital cameras they’ve owned.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 35: Martin Parr Shot My Portrait
Martin Parr on collecting photobooks, shooting tennis, and the challenges of modern street photography, Popular Photography
Remote Scottish Postboxes, Martin Parr

(Photo: Jeff Carlson)

(Photo: Kirk McElhearn)

(Photo: Jeff Carlson)

(Photo: Kirk McElhearn)

(Photo: Jeff Carlson)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 199: Vroom Vroom

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0800

We get views into two very different types of photography in this episode. Jeff travels to Nevada for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix where the cars’ speed is a challenge to photograph... but not as difficult as the rules set by the Formula 1 organization. Then we look at the fascinating dye-transfer process and how this dying art is being used to print William Eggleston’s prints.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Insane Logistics of Formula 1
Clive Mason, Getty Formula 1 Photographer
William Eggleston's Guide
William Eggleston: The Last Dyes (book)
William Eggleston: The Last Dyes (exhibit info)
Dye destruction print
The Last Cibachrome

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 198: I’m Not an Animal

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 23:00:00 -0800

We’ve got several things to discuss in this episode, from little-known settings in the iPhone Camera app, to shooting panoramas, to the Leica M EV1 and to Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Kirk & Jeff: Frankenstein

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 197: Overenthusiastic in Your Opinion

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0800

What started with a couple of new settings related to the iPhone Camera app quickly devolves into a discussion of Apple’s Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26, changes and consistency in the Camera app’s interface, and whether all of this is too confusing for most people taking photos with their iPhones.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Kirk: Cory Doctorow: Enshittification
Jeff: Napster View

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 196: Has Camera Tech Hit a Plateau?

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:30:00 -0700

Has camera technology plateaued? We’re seeing technical advancements in image processing and autofocus, but what about the core parts like sensors? Also, we spend three hours talking about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (not actually 3 hours).

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Snapshots:

Kirk: Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Jeff: Freewell iPhone Pro Filmmaker Basic Kit

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 195: Hands On with the iPhone 17 Pro

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Fifty percent of the PhotoActive podcast got a new iPhone 17 Pro, which means one of us has been testing the new cameras and can report back with first impressions. Who could it be? However, fifty percent of the podcast also got hands-on time with the other new phones, the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. Listen to find out who got what, who’s seen what, and what we think after the first weeks with Apple’s new cameras... we mean phones.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 194: iPhone 17 and Apple’s Fall Event

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0700

The new iPhone models are here, a yearly event that we look forward to mostly to see what Apple has done with the iPhone cameras. Does a 48 megapixel telephoto camera capable of 8x zoom appeal to you enough to buy a new iPhone Pro? Is the svelte shape of the new iPhone Air compelling enough to pay more for, despite it having just one camera and less battery life? Or did you see the Cosmic Orange color of the iPhone 17 Pro and made your decision immediately based on that? We look at what Apple announced and what we’re looking forward to.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 193: Photography Police and Google Pro Res Zoom

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 16:00:00 -0700

Are you following the proper rules of photography, or are you at risk of being busted by the photography police? Maybe you’re shooting photos out of focus, or introducing light leaks, or using direct flash. All of these can be considered “bad” photography, but they’re also currently popular styles of shooting. Also in this episode, Jeff talks about his experience with the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and its Pro Res Zoom feature that uses generative AI to clean up images shot at up to 100x zoom.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff: The Limey
Kirk: Utterly Lazy and Inattentive: Martin Parr in Words and Pictures

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 192: Process, Product, and Problem Solving

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 22:00:00 -0700

Are you taking photos for yourself, or are you feeding the social media algorithms for brief dopamine hits when someone praises your images? In this episode, Kirk and Jeff ruminate on how the endless scroll of images is affecting how we enjoy and make photos. And we ask ourselves: what do we really want to photograph?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The joy of taking pictures no one else will ever see: stop feeding the algorithm, Digital Camera World

Snapshots:

Jeff: Endoscope Camera
Kirk: The Count of Monte Cristo

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 191: Macro Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:30:00 -0700

Macro Photography

Don’t know what to photograph? No vacation plans? With macro photography, you can get great results literally in your back yard. What was once a style of photography that required specialized gear is now something you can do well with just your phone — though of course there’s plenty of gear available if you want to go deeper into it.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 190: Fuji X-Half, AI Scaling, and Lightroom Changes

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Fujifilm’s new X-Half camera is a curious hybrid: a digital camera with analog feel but a modern price. We also discuss news of OM Systems possibly using AI upscaling in future cameras to boost resolution and look at a few changes in the latest versions of Lightroom.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 189: Traveling with a Camera

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0700

It’s the night before you leave for vacation and you need to choose which camera gear goes and stays. Do you reach for the 300mm telephoto, knowing it can get great photos but is large and bulky? Or do you take the smallest camera you can carry to ensure you have it with you at all times? And what else needs to come along? In this episode, Jeff and Kirk think about being on vacation, equipment they’ve taken on past trips, and what they would take now.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff: DJI Mic Mini
Kirk: Nomad Tracking Card

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 188: WWDC 2025

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference is always the first glimpse at what we can look forward to with new Apple software, including a peek at the photo capabilities of the next iPhones. And with iOS 26 and the Liquid Glass interface, things are going to look a lot different in the fall.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 187: Checking In on AI in Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 31 May 2025 14:00:00 -0700

We know, it seems like we just talked about AI in photography, but the field is moving pretty fast. Google announced improvements to their generative AI models, which are both impressive and sloppy at the same time. We also look at new AI-based landscape masking tools in Lightroom, speculate on what WWDC could bring to Apple’s Photo app, and more.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff: Anker 737 Power Bank
Kirk: Steve Reich: Collected Works

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 186: A Surrender: Markus Naarttijärvi and Daniel Agee

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 16 May 2025 01:30:00 -0700

It’s another photo book! We’re joined by photographer Markus Naarttijärvi and publisher Daniel Agee to talk about Markus’s new book A Surrender. When we last talked to Daniel, he was at photo service Glass, but now he’s struck out on his own to form the publishing company Good Fight, and A Surrender is the first title.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Guests:

Markus Naarttijärvi: Glass
Daniel Agee: Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

A Surrender, by Markus Naarttijärvi
Good Fight
Markus’s “Sad Boy” Playlist, Arctic Noir
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 185: Quintin Lake’s Book The Perimeter

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Quintin Lake traversed the Coast of Britain over several years, photographing and documenting the journey. Now, he’s turned his well-received project into a new photo book called The Perimeter. We welcome Quintin back to PhotoActive not just as a guest, but as an in-person guest with Kirk in his house in the UK.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

The Book:

The Perimeter, by Quintin Lake, Penguin UK
The Perimeter, by Quintin Lake Book (Amazon US)
The Perimeter, by Quintin Lake Book (Amazon UK)

The Project:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 184: US Tariffs and Camera Gear

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 02:00:00 -0700

The US government has begun to impose high tariffs on goods brought in from nearly every country in the world. Since most camera gear is made in Japan and China, what does this mean for the industry and, more important, for your own purchasing decisions? Since the policies are changing by the day, we decided to release this episode a week early.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 183: Fujifilm GFX100RF, A Medium Format Walking Around Camera

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 02:00:00 -0700

With the bonkers success of the Fujifilm X100VI, it seemed only a matter of time before Fuji made a compact camera based around its GFX medium format line. That’s the recently-announced GFX100RF, a new compact-ish, 100 megapixel, fixed-lens, $5,000 camera. We look at the inventions and the tradeoffs incorporated into this high-res entrant into the compact field.

(Image: Fujifilm)

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 182: Photoshop on iPhone

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0700

Adobe has released Photoshop for iPhone, a bonafide version of real Photoshop, not to be confused with Photoshop Express or other earlier variations. We take a look at this new app with one main question in our minds: Who is this for?

A programming note: Toward the end of the episode we talk about using the Remove tool in Photoshop and Lightroom, but Jeff forgot to take screenshots. When he tried to reproduce the same actions later, he didn’t get the same results as described while we were doing it. So we apologize that we don’t have visuals to accompany what we’re describing.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 181: Leica Lux Grip and App for iPhone

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 00:00:00 -0800

Two episodes ago Jeff expressed cynicism about iPhone add-ons that try to make the phone more like a traditional camera. And yet here we are looking at Kirk’s new Leica LUX Grip accessory...and not hating it? Learn about why this could be the camera grip for the iPhone that succeeds where others falter, and how the Leica LUX app does some very smart things in the name of photography.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 180: David Young’s Brief History of Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 22 Feb 2025 12:00:00 -0800

On this week’s episode we welcome David Young, photographer and author of the new book A Brief History of Photography: From the Very Beginning to the Age of Digital. It may feel like photography is only a little more than a hundred years old, but the principles of the art, from lens design to chemistry, have been around for centuries. We had a great conversation about things that surprised David while researching the book, the long obsession with ultra-wide apertures, and more.

Author photo courtesy of Alex Hurst (Ireland).

Guest:

David Young, Flickr, Book

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
A Brief History of Photography, by David Young (RockyNook.com). Use code YOUNG40 at checkout for 40% off!
A Brief History of Photography, by David Young (other resellers)

Snapshots:

Jeff's snapshot: Black Doves
Kirk's snapshot: Bloom: Living World, Brian Eno

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 179: iPhone Camera Accessories

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 02:45:00 -0800

Photographers love to accessorize their cameras, and the iPhone is no different. A case is one thing, but what about other photo-centric add-ons? Should you buy an extra-wide or telephoto lens that snaps in front of the built-in cameras? What about grips and shutter buttons that make the iPhone feel more like a traditional camera? We weigh in with our opinions and experiences with these types of embellishments. (And Jeff accidentally uses the B-word.)

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Peak Design Everyday iPhone Case
Fjorden Grip
Alice Camera
Moment MagSafe Tripod Mount
Best iPhone Camera Accessories for Pro Photos and Videos
Profoto B10 Flash
Moment Lenses and Cases
DJI Osmo Mobile 6 Gimbal
Ultralight 1/4" Magnetic Tripod Phone Mount Adapter
Russell Preston Brown
Finding Vivian Maier (documentary)
And here’s the AI-generated ode to microfiber cloths:

Oh humble microfiber, soft and true,
A silent savior in all that you do.
With threads so fine, a wondrous weave,
You banish dust and dirt, make surfaces breathe.

No stain too stubborn, no smudge too sly,
Your magic touch makes grime comply.
From glass to wood, from screen to steel,
You polish and shine with effortless zeal.

A guardian of gadgets, protector of screens,
In your fibers lies the cleanest of dreams.
No harsh chemicals, no wasteful spree,
Eco-friendly warrior, you set us free.

Oh microfiber cloth, so light yet strong,
In your service, we find where we belong.
For every streak erased, every speck undone,
You are the unsung hero of everyone.

So here’s to you, oh fabric divine,
A marvel of science and design.
May your threads endure and ever thrive,
For in your care, our homes come alive.

Snapshots:

Jeff's snapshot: Vivian Maier: Street Photographer
Kirk's snapshot: Microfiber cloth

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 178: Photographing the LA Fires

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 01:00:00 -0800

The recent devastating fires in Los Angeles have created a lot of fire photography, and some of it compelling both for its content and its artistry. We talk about the challenges of photographing such extreme situations.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Jake Sullivan Instagram
Stuart Palley Instagram
The Gear Photographer Stuart Palley Uses to Shoot Wildfires, Outside Magazine
Joel Meyerowitz, Aftermath
Los Angeles Fire and Citizen Journalism, The Daily Edit

Snapshots:

Jeff's snapshot: Always
Kirk's snapshot: SAS Rogue Heroes

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 177: AI in Photography in 2025

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 01:30:00 -0800

We’ve been looking at various AI-related photography topics in recent episodes, such as using the Clean Up feature in the Photos app to remove unwanted items or the bigger question of “What is a photo?” Now it’s time to look broadly at what AI can offer photographers and where we think it’s going.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff's snapshot: SmallRig 35"/90cm Softbox LA-O90 Quick Release Octagon Soft Box for Bowens Mount COB Lights
Kirk's snapshot: Megalopolis

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 176: Cleaning Up Libraries

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0800

As we wrap up 2024, we’re realizing our photo libraries have grown quite a bit—in Jeff’s case, almost filling his cloud storage. So as we anticipate some holiday downtime, we’re turning our attention to strategies for cleaning up our photo libraries.

Note that we’re taking the next episode off to celebrate Christmas, so our next scheduled episode is January 10, 2025. Happy holidays!

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Take Control of Your Digital Photos by Jeff Carlson
Take Control Books, publisher of fine ebooks by both Kirk and Jeff (and other authors)
Peakto

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 175: What Is a Photo?

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Our recent discussions of AI and the Photos Clean Up tool have brought us full circle to the bigger question: What is a photo?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

> Nitro from Gentlemen Coders
>
> Currently featured by Apple as an “App We Love,” Nitro is the new photo editor and manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad from the developer of RAW Power. And now, Nitro is on sale for the holidays. You can get Nitro for 50% off until December 2nd, 2024, and 20% off after that.
>
> Designed for every photographer and every photograph, Nitro combines flexible storage options, unmatched camera support, and professional editing tools. If you liked Aperture or RAW Power, you’ll love Nitro and its beautiful user interface.
>
> On the editing side, Nitro includes full masking support with AI masks, gradients, and brushes. Remove dust blemishes and other imperfections using Clone and Spot Removal tools. And, just like RAW Power, you can apply raw-specific tone and tuning adjustments. Nitro gives you more control over Apple's RAW decoder than any other app. And, it’s great at editing JPEGs and HEIF images too!
>
> For organizing, your photos can live in Apple’s Photos library or in the file system, with support for XMP sidecars and synchronizing metadata and edits with iCloud Photo Library. Nitro also supports more cameras and formats than Photos, Darkroom, or Photomator, including compressed Fujifilm RAW files and the Nikon HE format. And while comparing shots, synchronize pan and zoom of up to 16 images at a time. Integration with ExifTool on the Mac lets you see and compare all of the metadata in your images.
>
> Try Nitro for free for 7 days without any obligation. No subscription signup, no nonsense.
>
> And remember, you can get Nitro for 50% off until December 2nd, 2024, and 20% off after that.
>
> Check it out at [https://nitrophoto.app](nitrophoto.app).
>

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 174: Photos Clean Up

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800

Aimless pedestrians wandering in the background of your photo? Trash on the ground in the foreground? Apple can help. In this episode we're looking at Clean Up, the new Apple Intelligence tool in the Photos app that uses generative AI to remove areas of a photo.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 173: iPhone Photo File Formats

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 22:00:00 -0800

In our quest to better understand the often-confusing changes and additions to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro photo situation, we’ve decided to tackle the photo file formats. HEIF, ProRAW, JPEG-XL... there are a lot of options to choose from.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 172: Photographic Styles on the iPhone 16

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro introduce a new twist on an existing feature, and the result is... confusion and complexity. Photographic Styles can be very powerful, but it really requires you to dig into the details.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 171: iPhone 16 Pro Hands-On

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Now that Kirk and Jeff have received their iPhone 16 Pros, it’s time to take them into the world and see how the new photographic features work. Is the Camera Control all it’s cracked up to be? Does a 48 megapixel ultra-wide camera make much difference? We talk about our first hands-on experiences with Apple’s new pocket cameras—sorry, mobile phones. Oh, and what about all this Apple Intelligence stuff?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 170: iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:30:00 -0700

It’s that time again: new iPhones! By which we mean, of course, new Apple Cameras That Also Do Other Stuff. Kirk and Jeff are both upgrading their phones this year, largely due to the new Camera Control button but also the 48 MP (megapixel) ultra-wide camera and the new 48 MP Fusion camera that reads data fast enough to remove the shutter lag when shooting raw images. There’s a lot to discuss in this bonus-length episode!

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

> Nitro from Gentlemen Coders
>
> Nitro is the new photo editor and manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad from the developer of RAW Power. Designed for every photographer and every photograph, Nitro combines flexible storage options, unmatched camera support, and professional editing tools. If you liked Aperture or RAW Power, you’ll love Nitro and its beautiful user interface.
>
> On the editing side, Nitro includes full masking support with AI masks, gradients, and brushes. Remove dust blemishes and other imperfections using Clone and Spot Removal tools. And, just like RAW Power, you can apply raw-specific tone and tuning adjustments. Nitro gives you more control over Apple's RAW decoder than any other app. And, it’s great at editing JPEGs and HEIF images too!
>
> For organizing, your photos can live in Apple’s Photos library or in the file system, with support for XMP sidecars and synchronizing metadata and edits with iCloud Photo Library. Nitro also supports more cameras and formats than Photos, Darkroom, or Photomator, including compressed Fujifilm RAW files and the Nikon HE format. And while comparing shots, synchronize pan and zoom up to 16 images at a time. Integration with ExifTool on the Mac lets you see and compare all of the metadata in your images.
>
> Try Nitro for free for 7 days without any obligation. No subscription signup, no nonsense.
>
> Check it out at [https://nitrophoto.app](nitrophoto.app).
>

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s Snapshot: MHW-3BOMBER Mini Cube 2 Coffee Scale
Kirk’s Snapshot: Peak Design iPhone 16 Pro Max case

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 169: Peakto 2.0 with Matthieu Kopp

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Is your photo library spread out among different drives and apps? We’re not talking about maybe having a couple of Lightroom Classic catalogs—it’s not uncommon now for a photographer to have Lightroom libraries, Capture One libraries, Apple Photos libraries, even old iPhoto and Aperture libraries collected over the years. In this episode we welcome back Matthieu Kopp of CYME to talk about version 2.0 of the utility Peakto, which can bring sense to all of that accumulated chaos.

As a bonus, Matthieu also shared a discount code for PhotoActive listeners to get 15% off any CYME app: PHOTOACTIVE15.

Guest:

Matthieu Kopp, CYME

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 144: Wrangling Libraries with Matthieu Kopp
Peakto
15% discount code for CYME apps: PHOTOACTIVE15

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor
Kirk: Civil War

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 168: Image Stabilization

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 02:00:00 -0700

Many cameras now feature IBIS: in-body image stabilization. But do you really need a stabilized body? Can you use just a stabilized lens? And for that matter, is image stabilization just a crutch for lazy photographers? Also in this episode, we ponder perfect photo destinations.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: JOYROOM Portable 2000mAh Wireless Charger Compatible for Apple Watch
Kirk’s snapshot: Camel Camel Camel

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 167: Sensors and LUTs

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Touting Panasonic’s new LUMIX S9 camera, a representative was quoted saying that Micro Four Thirds sensors are more difficult to understand than full-frame sensors, especially for people with “low camera literacy.” That piqued our interest, because many photographers assume that a full-frame sensor is just inherently better. But is that true? And is it really that confusing? We also touch on LUTs, which Panasonic is pushing on the S9 by dedicating a button to choosing different look-up tables for creative color rendering in camera.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

> Photo Scout from Cascable
>
> Photo Scout is an app for people who love to take photos, but don’t love checking sunset calculators, aurora reports, and weather forecasts every single day. Simply tell Photo Scout what you want and it’ll keep an eye on everything for you and notify you when it’s time to go get that perfect shot.
>
> Need a particularly vibrant sunset? The moon perched directly atop a mountaintop? The sun hitting that perfect spot in the sky? Photo Scout has you covered with all that and more - you say where, we say when. Check it out with a free trial today!
>
> Find it at photo-scout.app.
>

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Panasonic LUMIX S9 Initial Review, DPReview
Panasonic Lumix S9 Initial Review: Small, Pretty, and Confusing, PetaPixel
Micro Four Thirds is Hard for Those With Low Camera Literacy to Understand: Panasonic
Image Sensors, Wikipedia
Julia (TV Show, 2022-2023)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: France Is a Feast
Kirk’s snapshot: The Scarlet Papers, Matthew Richardson

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 166: Pentax 17 and Photo Social Apps

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 06 Jul 2024 18:00:00 -0700

If you're wondering whether film photography is really experiencing a resurgence in popularity, the announcement of the Pentax 17 is your answer. It's a brand-new film-only camera with some interesting design choices. Also in this episode, we talk about social media alternatives to Instagram for photographers.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: Aputure Amaran MC RGB Light
Kirk’s snapshot: LEGO Architecture Notre Dame de Paris

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 165: AI and Photography from WWDC

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) is where we learn about what’s coming in the company’s many operating systems, and this year was focused on machine learning features and AI - Apple Intelligence. That turns out to have a lot of significance on photography, such as in searching your photo library and making edits in the Photos app. We look at what was announced and how it will affect the way we work with photos in the fall.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 164: M4 iPad Pro

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Apple has released the new M4-powered iPad Pro, and Kirk bought one straightaway. Is it worth buying for photographers? Plus, we mention what’s changed in the new Lightroom releases and welcome a new sponsor: Photo Scout by Cascable!

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: Fujifilm XF16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 LM WR Sample Gallery, DPReview
Kirk’s snapshot: Pen Tips

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 163: Photo Criticism

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 17 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Part of enjoying photography is understanding photography. What makes a “good” photo? How much of that is based on the circumstances around its creation? In this episode, we talk about looking at photography with a critical eye.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

> Nitro from Gentlemen Coders
>
> Nitro is the brand new photo editor and manager from the developer of RAW Power. Designed for every photographer and every photograph, Nitro combines flexible storage options, unmatched camera support, and professional editing tools. If you liked Aperture or RAW Power, you’ll love Nitro.
>
> On the editing side, Nitro includes full masking support with AI masks, gradients, and brushes. Remove dust blemishes and other imperfections using Clone and Spot Removal tools. And, just like RAW Power, you can apply raw-specific tone and tuning adjustments. Nitro gives you more control over Apple's RAW decoder than any other app.
>
> For organizing, your photos can live in Apple’s Photos library or in the file system, with support for XMP sidecars and synchronizing metadata and edits with iCloud Photo Library. Nitro also supports more cameras and formats than Photos, Darkroom, or Photomator, including compressed Fujifilm raw files. And while comparing shots, synchronize pan and zoom up to 16 images at a time.
>
> Try Nitro for free for 7 days without any obligation. No subscription signup, no nonsense.
>
> Check it out at [https://nitrophoto.app](nitrophoto.app).
>
Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: Peakto Search
Kirk’s snapshot: Jonathan Jones: Earthly Delights: A History of the Renaissance

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 162: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS) is a running joke among photographers (and musicians), but it's also a real thing that can spin us up with the desire to buy some new camera or lens. We look at what drives this compulsion, and try to be honest about whether it affects us as photographers.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Sponsor:

Show Notes:

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: Photographer documentary series
Kirk’s snapshot: Riply series

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 161: Nitro with Nik Bhatt

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0700

Gentleman Coder Nik Bhatt returns to talk about Nitro, his all-new photo editor for macOS (and soon, iOS and iPadOS). As the successor to RAW Power, Nitro has a lot to live up to. Nik talks about what prompted him to build a new app from the ground up, adding new features like masking, supporting cameras that Apple ignores, and more.

Guest:

Nik Bhatt

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 160: Primed by Seeing

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 00:30:00 -0700

We were recently asked about where we find inspiration while making photos, which led Kirk and Jeff to muse on the idea of being primed to find photo subjects. It’s not enough to arrive at a destination with a blank slate—you’ll create better photos and enjoy the experience more if you prime yourself to see what’s in front of you. That can come from photo books, online photos of the same area, and more.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: Leica SL3 Sample Gallery, DPReview
Kirk’s snapshot: The Creative Act: a Way of Being, Rick Rubin

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 159: Fuji X100VI and the Appeal of Small Fixed-Lens Cameras

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0800

The entire Internet - yes, the whole thing, trust us - is going crazy for the new Fujifilm X100VI compact fixed-lens camera. What’s the appeal of this not-inexpensive camera? Its predecessor was in such demand that Fujifilm just stopped manufacturing it because it couldn’t keep up...for more than a year. And now the X100VI is backordered until summer. Is it all just influencer hype?

[Main photo credit: Fujifilm]

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Jeff’s snapshot: - The Dog Sitter Detective, by Antony Johnston
Kirk’s snapshot:
Hokusai's Fuji
Lego Great Wave
Original Soundtrack: The Great Wave – LEGO Art

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 157: Photos at the High End: Hasselblad 907x/CFV 100C

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0800

What would you do with 100 megapixels? Jeff recently had the opportunity to shoot with the new Hasselblad 907x/CFV 100C, a medium format camera in the form factor of Hasselblad’s classic film bodies. This $8,200 (body only, of course) system made him rethink the photographic muscle memory he’s developed over the years, as well as the mental-muscle-memory of how to approach making photos.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Hasselblad 907X/CFV 100C
Hasselblad 907X/CFV 100C sample gallery at DPReview
What’s so special about this $8,200 Hasselblad?, Becca Farsace at The Verge
One of the most UNIQUE cameras I’ve ever used, Manny Ortiz

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 156: The Rescue Mission with Derrick Story

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 01:00:00 -0800

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking the photos on your old hard drives are perfectly safe. But are they really? Our guest Derrick Story needed to extract 200,000 images saved in Apple’s discontinued Aperture software on an old Drobo storage array. Using a combination of an old MacBook that could run Aperture and modern software like Peakto for organizing the extracted images, he was able to restore them all.

Guest:

Derrick Story

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Digital Story (Derrick’s site, newsletter, podcast, photography, and more)
The Rescue Mission (Medium Guest Link)
Peakto
Mylio
Episode 144: Wrangling Libraries with Matthieu Kopp

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

ALT: An old church door with large trees growing against the wall flanking the door. Black and white image.

Episode 155: Favorites from The Photo Book

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 15 Dec 2023 00:00:00 -0800

To wrap up the year, we thought we’d turn our attention to selections from The Photo Book, a massive, rich collection of photography from some of the best photographers throughout the history of the art form. Out of hundreds of images, we each picked five photos and explain what about them caught our eyes.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Order your copy of The Photo Book, Second Edition
Pete Souza episode - Photocombobulate podcast (Jeff confused his podcasts; he talked to Pete Souza on his other podcast Photocombobulate.)

Jeff’s Picks:

Kirk’s Picks:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 154: Lens Blur

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 02:00:00 -0800

It’s time to talk about the B-word again! Jeff couldn’t trick Kirk into saying “bokeh,” but this week we’re looking at a few ways to get background blur using Portrait mode in the iPhone and editing in Lightroom. Technology has improved quite a lot in the last couple of years, to the point where simulated bokeh can sometimes pass off as natural lens blur.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Universal Magnetic Tripod Mount Adapter for All Phones
Kirk: Braun Analogue Wall Clock

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 153: M3 Macs

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0800

The photographer’s dilemma rears again. Not only are we sometimes struck by gear acquisition syndrome when new cameras are announced, we run into it when new computers that can process our images come to market. In this case, it’s the new M3 MacBook Pro and M3 iMac models from Apple. Will the M3 processor make a difference when working with photos? If you bought an M1 iMac when it came out, is it time to upgrade? Kirk and Jeff hash it out.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: JJC Viewfinder Eyecup Eyepiece for Fuji
Kirk: Michael Kenna: Photographs and Stories

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 152: Android and AI

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Google’s Pixel phones are held up as the Android smartphones to follow, and their cameras are often pitted against the iPhone as examples of the state of the art. However, as Kirk discovered when he bought a Pixel 8, the details matter... such as the Pixel 8 not being able to use the full resolution of its main camera. Also in this episode, we check in with some new developments in the generative photography world with Adobe’s release of Firefly 2 and GenAI integration in Photoshop.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 150: Episode 150: iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Who wants to talk megapixels and tetraprisms? In this episode, recorded shortly after Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, Kirk and Jeff look at the specs and possibilities of the newest cameras-that-also-make-calls.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

(No snapshots this episode)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 149: Daniel Agee on Glass Year 2

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 21:00:00 -0700

In episode 111, we talked to the founders of the photo app and community Glass about their approach to making a social photo service that isn’t exhausting or frustrating like Instagram or many others. For this episode, we catch up with Daniel Agee, the head of Marketing and Community at Glass, to talk about Glass’s two year anniversary, eschewing VC funding, and how community is making such a difference.

Guest:

Daniel Agee, Photography, Daniel on Glass.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Glass.photo
Episode 111: The Glass App(roach) to Photography
Introducing Patron
Endless Appreciation podcast
Special deal: $10 off first year membership offer

Note: We’re taking the next episode off as a late summer break. The next PhotoActive episode will go live on September 29, 2023.

Our Snapshots:

(No snapshots this episode)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 148: Creativity with S J Watson

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0700

“With writing I’m trying to use a story to create images, and with photography I’m trying to use images to create a story.” That’s S J Watson, best-selling novelist of Before I Go to Sleep. In this episode we talk to him about how street photography feeds his writing and vice-versa, and the way different endeavors contribute to creative mindsets.

Guest:

SJ Watson, Photography.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Call Sheet
Kirk: Michael Kenna | Hokkaido 2020

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 147: Is Photo Editing Too Difficult?

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Aug 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Is photo editing too difficult? Layers and sliders and specialized apps and lots of options are available to us for processing our digital photos. How much is too much, and are we moving away from photography and getting lost in software?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: DJI Air 3
Kirk: Peak Design Micro Clutch, Revisited

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 146: Tea and Coffee

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0700

When we record PhotoActive, Kirk is at the end of his day in the U.K. and Jeff has just begun in Seattle, which means we both start off with steaming mugs of our favorite caffeinated beverages. For a change, we thought we’d make this the tea and coffee episode, essential ingredients for any photographer.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
YESPLZ coffee subscription
Creama.co coffee subscription
Morning coffee ritual article

Jeff’s Coffee Gear:

Timestamped content:

00:01:40 Coffee and tea's importance in photography.
00:03:49 Tea: a delicious beverage that enhances experiences.
00:07:30 College student finds love in caffeine-infused coffee.
00:12:53 Espresso in Italy and ritual of coffee.
00:15:45 Types of tea: white, yellow, green, oolong, black.
00:20:16 First flush harvest of Darjeeling tea.
00:24:40 Tea: A daily ritual with segmented breaks.
00:26:33 Instant coffee has improved in taste.
00:30:52 Bad matcha, learn to make it. Expensive or insipid if not done right.
00:35:29 Try different teas, don't be scared.
00:38:11 Chinese jasmine tea: hint of jasmine, good. Bad: bitter, visible flowers. Earl Grey: interesting, bergamot. Flavored teas: like cheap wine, added fruits.

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 145: Kirk Simplifies with One Camera

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0700

He really went and did it. When Kirk decided to simplify his photography setup, he sold all of his Fujifilm cameras and lenses, put the Leica Q2 Monochrom up for sale, and bought a brand new Leica Q3. In this episode, we talk about the reasons behind such a drastic move and the advantages of simplifying your gear.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: ON1 Photo Keyword AI
Kirk: Dark Passage movie

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 144: Wrangling Libraries with Matthieu Kopp

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0700

If you’re like Jeff and Kirk, you probably have multiple photo libraries spread across your disks. Whether it’s because you use several editing apps, or some libraries are tied to outdated applications (RIP Apple Aperture), you don’t want to lose track of all those photos. This week, Matthieu Kopp of CYME joins us to talk about converting and managing multiple libraries using CYME’s utilities Avalanche and Peakto, and why both tasks aren’t as simple as you might think.

Guest:

Matthieu Kopp, CYME

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Special deal! CYME is offering a 20% discount on their utilities Peakto and Avalanche until July 23, 2023 using the code PHOTOACTIVE20 at checkout when purchasing from CYME.

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Greg Williams Photo Breakdowns: The Stories Behind 100 Portraits
Kirk: Kindle Scribe

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 143: Mike Shaw Wants You to Enjoy the Stars

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 -0700

The weather is warming up, the skies are clearing, and we point our eyes and cameras to the sky. But capturing the night sky well requires more than just snapping a photo of the heavens. Mike Shaw, author of the new book The Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography, joins us to talk about what gear you need—yes, you can do it with a smartphone!—and how to make stunning star photos.

Guest:

Mike Shaw, Instagram

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography, by Mike Shaw. Use code SHAW10 when buying from Rocky Nook to get 10% off.
International Dark Sky Association
[The World At Night (TWAN)](twanight.com)
Planit Pro app

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 142: Photomator

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 26 May 2023 00:00:00 -0700

The folks behind Pixelmator Pro have just released Photomator for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and it’s won us over. Designed as a straightforward photo editor (versus the can-do-everything that is Pixelmator Pro), Photomator is surprisingly deep for an app that on the surface is non-intimidating. In this episode, we look at the new Mac version and why it’s likely to become Kirk’s main photo editor.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Tetris movie on Apple TV+
Kirk: Peak Design Micro Clutch Kickstarter

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 141: You Say You Want a Resolution

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 12 May 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Camera resolution is easy, right? More pixels, more quality, more options, more better! But as soon as you start digging into it, from the iPhone 14 Pro’s 48 megapixels to Sony sensors with 60 megapixels, all sorts of considerations make themselves known. Do you need that much resolution? How did we survive with less than 20 MP in the recent past? We pixel-peep and also look at the big picture.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 140: Denoise and Healing Tools

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 01:00:00 -0700

Adobe added a new AI-assisted denoise feature to Lightroom and a Remove tool in the public beta of Photoshop, both of which are impressive. But how many photographers find themselves using these and other tools?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Carson Camera Sensor Magnifier - 4.5 x 30mm (SM-44)
Kirk: Photomator

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 139: The Rant Episode

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:00:00 -0700

It’s time to rant. Are photographers spending too much energy in front of the computer instead of behind the camera? Does posting a photo to a public forum make it an invitation for criticism? And is there actually a good street photo of a woman looking at her cell phone amid all the copycats out there? This isn’t just curmudgeonly banter—we dig into some photographic issues that have been gnawing at us.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Ex-It Plan, PiXimperfect video
Joel Meyerowitz - Shoes in the Street (we can't link to an individual photo on his site, but here's the street photography page)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Lightroom’s Content-Aware Healing Tool and The Ex-it Plan with AI and Photoshop, PiXimperfect
Kirk: Ember Mug

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 138: DPReview and AI Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 02:00:00 -0700

We had an entirely different topic planned for this episode and then learned just before recording that the website DPReview is being shut down after 25 years of covering digital photography and being the best resource for camera reviews. At about the same time, Adobe announced Firefly, its generative AI tool for making photos and artwork by typing text prompts. What does it all mean for photographers?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Adobe Firefly
Kirk: To Photograph Is to Learn How to Die, Tim Carpenter

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 137: Zoom Lenses with Chris Niccolls

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 00:00:00 -0700

Chris Niccolls joins us this episode to talk about zoom lenses! Chris gets to shoot using most new cameras and lenses for DPReview TV, so we wanted to tap into his extensive hands-on experience with zooms. Do they require too many compromises? Why are some so expensive? And can we put to rest the idea that real photographers only shoot with prime lenses?

Guest:

Chris Niccolls, Instagram

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Photos Workbench
Kirk: William Eggleston: Mystery of the Ordinary

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 136: Photo Preconceptions

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:00:00 -0800

Do you use a particular lens or photographic technique because someone said that was the only way to do it? In this episode, we break down some common photo preconceptions.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 135: Metadata

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0800

“I never metadata I didn’t like.” Do we need to spend hours entering metadata for our images? Or do we even care about metadata? We look at why metadata is important, and at some automated solutions like AI-assisted object recognition in the Photos app, Lightroom, and other tools.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 134: Mike Hipple Lived Through That

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 -0800

We’re excited to welcome photographer Mike Hipple to talk about his latest book “Lived Through That: 90s Musicians Today.” What started as an artistic distraction to photograph creative people spawned a book of iconic 1980s musicians, “80s Redux!,” which he followed up with this book of notable music makers of the next decade. We talk about working on such a large project, dealing with unexpected adversity, and improvising on the fly.

Guest:

Mike Hipple: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Ice Cubes app
Kirk: Mac mini M2 2023

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 133: New Year, New Goals

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 00:00:00 -0800

What will your photography look like in the new year? Although Kirk and Jeff are wary of making any New Year’s resolutions, they each came up with photographic goals to chase that involve learning new skills and pushing out of their comfort zones.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)
Kirk: Alice in the Cities

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 132: The Best Focal Length

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 01:00:00 -0800

Perhaps you’ve heard that there’s an ideal focal length that is the closest approximation to the human eye. Or perhaps you’re a purist who can’t imagine shooting anything but a 50mm prime. In this episode, Jeff and Kirk dig into these preconceptions and talk about how focal length affects your photography.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 131: Buying a New Camera

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 00:00:00 -0800

October and November bring a deluge of new camera announcements, which gets our minds to thinking, “Do we need new cameras?” But buying a camera today is different than it was just a few years ago, with factors such as AI-based autofocus systems and much higher megapixel sensors that affect everything from memory cards to computer storage.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 130: Apple Photos Little-Known Features

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:00:00 -0800

In this episode, we’re focusing our attention on features in the Photos apps for Mac and iOS/iPadOS. Did you know you can select text in images, select and copy subjects with a single touch, identify plants and animals, and identify duplicates in your library? We show you how.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Highlight - Book Diary app
Episode 70: One-Light Portraits with Sandra Coan
Beyond Natural Light, Sandra Coan’s Facebook Group
The Bear

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Utility Wagon
Kirk: Boiling Point

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 129: Visualizing the Edit

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 01:00:00 -0800

When you look through the viewfinder of your camera, what do you see? Just the scene in front of the lens, or the version you know is possible when you edit the shot later in software? This week Jeff and Kirk talk about visualizing the edit while you’re shooting to get photos that look the way you remember or how you’d prefer them to be.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 123: Learn Your Camera
Theme Time Radio Hour, Bob Dylan

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Wireless Flash Trigger 2.4 GHz with Transmitter and Receiver
Kirk: The Philosophy of Modern Song, by Bob Dylan

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 128: New iPads and Lightroom Updates

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Apple announced new iPad and iPad Pro models aimed at two very different audiences, but how do they look for photographers? Also new are updates to Adobe’s Lightroom line of products, bringing improved AI-based masking features to the broad suite of photo editing apps. Jeff and Kirk weigh in on these and more in the latest episode.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 127: Hands-On with the iPhone 14 Pro Cameras

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Apple says every new iPhone is the Best Ever iPhone, but when it comes to the cameras in the iPhone 14 Pro, could that be more than just hyperbole? Find out why Kirk thinks this model is a game-changer, hear our opinions on how it stacks up to other phones on the market, and discover the pros and cons we’ve discovered when photographing with these remarkable portable devices.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: West Wing and Beyond
Kirk: Peak Design Mobile system

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 126: Portfolio Building with William Neill

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 01:00:00 -0700

Putting together a photo portfolio doesn’t need to be a daunting task. William Neill returns to PhotoActive to talk about his new book, The Photographer's Portfolio Development Workshop, and share advice on how to edit, organize, and present your best work.

Guest:

William Neill: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Photographer's Portfolio Development Workshop, by William Neill. Use code WNEILL40 to get 40% off when ordering from Rocky Nook!
Jeff’s Portfolio section of his website
BetterPhoto.com
Impressions of Light portfolio

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Hit the Island app

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 125: Gunning the Photonic Engine with the iPhone 14 Cameras

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 16 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Here we go again: Apple has released the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, with more camera enhancements including a new 48 megapixel sensor on the Pro. What is pixel binning? Is the Photonic Engine just marketing terminology? Kirk and Jeff break down what’s new…while waiting for the phones they ordered to arrive.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Follower
Kirk: TRI-X 400 FOR CAPTURE ONE

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 124: Food Photography with Lauren Caris Short

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 00:00:00 -0700

How do you make mouth-watering photos of food? This week we’re joined by Lauren Caris Short, author of the beautiful new book The Complete Guide to Food Photography to talk about what it takes to be a food photographer. Lighting, food styling, composition... photographing food is a multi-disciplined photo endeavor.

Guest:

Lauren Caris Short: Instagram, website, YouTube

[Photo of Lauren Caris Short by Tommy Reynolds]

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Complete Guide to Food Photography, by Lauren Caris Short. Use code LAUREN40 to get 40% off when ordering from Rocky Nook!
Light ― Science & Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting, by Fil Hunter, Steven Biver, Paul Fuqua, Robin Reid
Episode 70: One-Light Portraits with Sandra Coan
Food Photography Academy
Jeff’s articles about webcams

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Insta360 Link Webcam
Kirk: 2022 MacBook Air M2

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 123: Learn Your Camera

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0700

It’s easy to forget that your camera is more than just a box that records light. It’s a sophisticated computer with a huge amount of control over the light that hits the sensor. In this episode we talk about why it’s important to (gasp) read the manual, experiment with features, and gain a better understanding of the camera’s capabilities. This isn’t just an exhortation to RTFM, but a practical look at what you can get out of it.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: OneWorld 65 - International Adapter with 65W PD Charger
Kirk: Magnum Editions Poster: Miles Davis, 1958 - Dennis Stock

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 122: The Photographer's Radar

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 00:00:00 -0700

In our last episode, Kirk asked a question that stumped Jeff: While on vacation, did Jeff ever think about not taking a camera with him for a day? Being a photographer of any level means you look at the world a little differently—you develop a “photographer’s eye,” but could that be a detriment? Is it possible to just enjoy one’s surroundings without looking for compositions and dynamic lighting?

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter
Kirk: William Eggleston: Chromes

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 121: Jeff's European Photo Adventure

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Jeff just returned from two weeks in France and Italy with almost 3000 photos, even though his was a family vacation and not a “photo trip,” per se. From choosing gear to bring and finding time to make photos amid demands of travel and family, it turned out to be an interesting photographic challenge. We talk about what Jeff experienced and learned for the next adventure.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo
Kirk: First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 120: The Cameras of the Future

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 00:00:00 -0700

What do the cameras of the future look like? The ones we use now are vastly different from cameras just a decade or two ago, so it’s reasonable to assume that changes will continue to advance. Jeff and Kirk speculate on what’s coming.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: EPICKA Universal Travel Adapter
Kirk: Canon 10x30 Image Stabilization II Binoculars

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 119: WWDC and New Apple OSes

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 01:45:00 -0700

Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) wrapped up last week, and with it a lot of news about hardware like the M2-powered MacBook Air and what's coming in macOS Ventura, iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and watchOS 9. In this episode, Jeff and Kirk look at what struck their interest for photographers.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
2022 WWDC Keynote
MacBook Air M2
Compare Mac Models
Rediscovering the Mac: An iPad User’s Journey into macOS with the M1 Max MacBook Pro by Federico Viticci at MacStories

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Platypod Ultra
Kirk: CalDigit TS4

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 118: Scott Kelby's Travel Tips

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 27 May 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Scott Kelby joins us this week to talk about travel photography, using the years of experience he’s gained and now collected into his new book The Travel Photography Book. We often want to start by figuring out what gear to bring, but Scott makes that point that there are far more important things to consider first.

Guest:

Scott Kelby: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD
Kirk: Smash His Camera

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 117: John Cornicello on Lens Distortion

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 13 May 2022 00:00:00 -0700

In episode 110, Kirk and Jeff talked about dealing with distortion when you’re editing your photos. Now we’re happy to welcome portrait photographer and educator John Cornicello to discuss distortion when you’re photographing. You know those grids of headshots that demonstrate how wide-angle lenses cause distorted features? They’re wrong, and John explains why.

Guest:

John Cornicello: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Anatomy of a Studio Portrait, by John Cornicello
Episode 110: Distortion
Photographic Lenses and Shutters, 1940, by Richard W St Clair
Dolly vs Zoom and perspective in photography

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: AeroPress Go
Kirk: Cranberry Margarita

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 116: iPad Photo Editing

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 02:15:00 -0700

Is an iPad good for photo editing? It can be great for slimming your amount of gear on a trip, but what tradeoffs are involved? In this episode, Jeff and Kirk look at using an iPad or iPad Pro in a photography workflow, from importing images to culling and sorting to editing the photos.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Fujifilm X100V
Kirk: Blind Gary Davis: Harlem Street Singer

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 115: iPhone Camera Tips & Tricks

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Millions of people take billions of photos using the built-in Camera app on their iPhones, so we wanted to do an episode all about the clever and sometimes hidden capabilities of this camera that’s always with you.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: OWC 0GB Mercury Elite Pro Dual RAID USB 3.1 / eSATA Enclosure Kit
Kirk: Cocktail Codex

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 114: Bryan Jones on Why Color Doesn't Exist

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 00:00:00 -0700

An offhand remark from our guest Bryan Jones when he was a guest on a previous episode stuck with us: “You know color doesn’t actually exist, right?” We had to invite him back to explain! Jones, a retinal neuroscientist, explains that color is really a shared hallucination and talks about how photographers can take advantage of this knowledge.

Guest:

Bryan William Jones: Instagram, website, Flickr

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 113: Do Photographers Need the Mac Studio?

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0700

Apple announced the Mac Studio, a brand new M1-based desktop Mac that smokes the performance of even the Mac Pro. But is it a good machine for photographers? Jeff and Kirk discuss what’s interesting about the Mac Studio and the new Studio Display.

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Reincubate Camo
Kirk: DPReview TV: Fujifilm vs. Sigma X-mount prime lenses compared

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 112: Dan Bracaglia on Rediscovering Joy

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 00:00:00 -0800

Dan Bracaglia joins us again to talk about that perennial problem: rekindling the joy of photography. Especially in winter, it’s easy to remain uninspired about photography, when in fact we know that there are image possibilities everywhere. We chat about some unusual steps to find fun in photography.

Guest:

Dan Bracaglia: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
More Than Fun, David DuChemin, A Beautiful Anarchy podcast
Opinion: Ode to the 'happy accident' or why film photographers have more fun, Dan Bracaglia, DPReview
Panda Lab
Episode 109: Joe McNally Is The Real Deal
Episode 36: Photographing with Constraints

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Shimoda Filter Wrap 100
Kirk: Modern Color, Fred Herzog

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 111: The Glass App(roach) to Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:00:00 -0800

Tom Watson and Stefan Borsje created the Glass app as a way to get back to the experience of enjoying photography, without the endless pursuit of engagement metrics and traffic and all the things other apps (cough Instagram cough) do that detracts from it. We talk to them about the Glass approach, the new iPad app, and the upcoming web version.

Guests:

Tom Watson (website)
Stefan Borsje (website)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Apple AirPods Max
Kirk: XP-PEN Deco mini7W Wireless Graphics Drawing Tablet

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 110: Dealing with Distortion

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 02:00:00 -0800

What can you do when shooting with a wide lens introduces unwanted optical distortion in your photos? In this episode, Kirk and Jeff look at ways to correct for distortion, including correcting for horizontal and vertical planes, in apps such as Lightroom, Capture One, and Pixelmator Pro.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: HeroClip
Kirk: Hotshoe Magazine

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 109: Joe McNally Is The Real Deal

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:00 -0800

Joe McNally, who humbly refers to himself as a “working photographer,” has shot everything from high-concept editorial to the Olympic games, and established a reputation as one of the most generous photographers in the business. We talked with Joe about his dogged start on the streets of 1970s New York City and how he’s built his career, which he chronicles in his new book, The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer.

Guest:

Joe McNally (website, Instagram)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Real Deal: Field Notes from the Life of a Working Photographer, by Joe McNally
Faces of Ground Zero photos
Faces of Ground Zero project, Wikipedia

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Apple Magic Keyboard
Kirk: Apple MagSafe Battery Pack

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 108: Masking in Lightroom

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 07 Jan 2022 02:00:00 -0800

The new masking features in Adobe Lightroom and Lightroom Classic make it much easier to apply selective edits to areas such as skies or subjects, without a lot of manual fiddling.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: MacBook Pro 2021
Kirk: Capture One 22

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 107: Simulated vs. Optical Background Blur

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 10 Dec 2021 00:00:00 -0800

You shot a lovely portrait and realized later that the background could benefit from some artistic blur. It used to be that if you didn’t get it in camera, you were stuck. But now it’s possible to recreate that blur using AI features in software later. Or, if you captured the shot using the iPhone’s Portrait Mode, you can edit the effect whenever you want. Is the software option really worth doing?

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Green Extreme batteries
Kirk: Expert Shield screen protector

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 106: PhotoActive 2021 Gift Guide

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0800

When they set out to produce a gift guide—the first one in three years—Kirk and Jeff chose items that really reflect how they approach photography, and items that hopefully aren’t on every other photo gift guide out there. This episode covers a gamut of price ranges and interests, so something is sure to appeal to you as the giver or the receiver this holiday.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Kirk’s Books:

Jeff’s Books:

Take Control of Apple Watch
Take Control of Your Digital Storage
Take Control of Managing Your Files
Take Control of Your Digital Photos
The Photographer’s Guide to Luminar AI (Get 40% off using the code CARLSON40.)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 105: Aaron Hockley and Computational Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 -0800

Artificial intelligence, machine learning, computational photography…whichever term you use, the technologies are here and touching almost every part of the photos you’re making. Our guest this week is Aaron Hockley, author of the book The Computer Ate My Photos: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Photography, and he’s here to help us unravel this brave new world (and convince us that he’s not a robot).

Guest:

Aaron Hockley (website, Instagram)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Computer Ate My Photos: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Photography, by Aaron Hockley
AI Needs Regulating Before It’s Too Late, The Guardian
ImagenAI
Episode 104: The Leica Episode
Jeff’s Sierra Nevada Photo Trip, Photocombobulate Podcast
TechPhotoGuy, Aaron’s website

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Apple TV 4K (2021)
Kirk: Apple MagSafe Battery Pack

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 104: The Leica Episode

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:30:00 -0700

The day has arrived: Kirk finally purchased his dream camera, the Leica Q2 Monochrom. Why would someone pay for a camera that shoots only in black and white? In this episode, we talk about the advantages of a sensor without RGB, how shooting with the Q2 Monochrom is changing the way Kirk shoots, and processing the images in Capture One.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Shimoda Explore v2
Kirk: Eyes Wide Open! 100 Years of Leica Photography

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 103: Posing People with Lindsay Adler

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0700

Does the thought of posing people for portraits make you nervous? Our guest this week is fashion and portrait photographer Lindsay Adler, whose book The Photographer’s Guide to Posing will calm your nerves and give you the tools to make beautiful photos of people. Lindsay talks about how she prepares for a portrait shoot, techniques to encourage great poses, working with everyday people compared to working with models, and much more.

Guest:

Lindsay Adler (website, Instagram)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Photographer’s Guide to Posing, by Lindsay Adler
Photographing Challenging Features class, CreativeLive
Episode 35: Martin Parr Shot My Portrait
Lindsay Adler Photography site

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 102: The iPhone 13 Pro Cameras

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:00:00 -0700

It’s Apple’s best iPhone ever! Well, yes, they say that every year, but this time around the camera improvements are more exciting than in the past. In this episode, we look at what’s new, from the sizes of the lenses and sensors themselves to the Cinematic and Macro modes, in the iPhone 13 Pro.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: 2020 Unmasked
Kirk: Godox TT350

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 101: Practicing Photography with Ben Long

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 00:15:00 -0700

What does it mean to really practice your craft? In this episode we welcome back photographer and educator Ben Long to PhotoActive to talk about his wonderful new book The Practicing Photographer: Essays on Developing Your Photographic Practice. We talk about why practice involves more than grabbing your camera every once in a while, about getting out of creative ruts, and the value of studying other photographers’ works.

Guest:

Ben Long (Complete Digital Photography, Instagram)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Spigen S350 Apple Watch Stand
Kirk: Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 100: One Hundred

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 02:15:00 -0700

In the very early days of the PhotoActive podcast, when Jeff was a nervous first-time podcast host, Kirk said to him, “It’s OK. Once you do a hundred of these, you’ll be better.” Well, here we are! Episode 100! To celebrate, we’re showcasing some of our favorite episodes and sharing what we’ve learned from them.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Follow the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 99: Photo Storage

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:00:00 -0700

Where are your photos stored? Internal disks, external drives, network-attached storage? In this episode, Kirk and Jeff talk about strategies for where to put and access all those digital files your cameras create.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 37: Backups and 360-degree Cameras
Take Control of Your Digital Storage, by Jeff Carlson

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: DriveDx
Kirk: Carbon Copy Cloner

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 98: Camera Accoutrements

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 00:45:00 -0700

There are all sorts of camera accessories out there, but for this episode, Kirk and Jeff challenged themselves to consider only add-ons that stay affixed to a camera all (or most) of the time. From additional shutter buttons to thumb rests and screen protectors, we look at whether these items are worth consideration, and if they help or hinder one’s photographic experience.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 95: Lens Filters Are Cool
Foto&Tech Soft Shutter Release Button
Fujifilm MHG-XE4 Metal Hand Grip for X-E4, Black
Fujifilm VG-XT4 Vertical Battery Grip, the “Big-Ass Grip” mentioned in the episode. The model for Jeff’s X-T3 is no longer available; this is the one for the X-T4.
Haoge THB-XB Metal Hot Shoe Thumb Up Rest Hand Grip for Fujifilm Fuji FinePix X-E4 X100F X-100F X-Pro2 XPro2 X-Pro3 XPro3 Accessories Camera Black
Fujifilm Fuji XT4 L Plate L-Shape Bracket Holder Aluminum Alloy Quick Release Plate (This is one for a Fujifilm X-T4; find an L-bracket that matches your camera.)
Colorado Tripod Arca Plates 40mm Universal Arca Swiss Quick Release Plate for Tripod Ball Head with Hand-Adjustable Stainless Steel Screw & Removable Rear Stopper
Peak Design Cuff
Luma Labs QD Loop with QD Mount
Peak Design Anchor Links
Tempered glass screen protector
SmallRig Cages and Accessories

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Marine Traffic app
Kirk: Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 97: William Neill's Landscape

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 00:00:00 -0700

William Neill’s photographic career began in the Ansel Adams Gallery and continues as a long-time resident near Yosemite, leading one-on-one tours and writing about the craft in columns and books. We talk about his latest book, Light on the Landscape, and how his vision of the splendor in his backyard has changed over the years.

Guest:

William Neill: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Light on the Landscape, by William Neill
The Ansel Adams Gallery
Desert Cantos, by Richard Misrach
Cape Light, by Joel Meyerowitz
Landscapes of the Spirit, by William Neill
Hardbound special edition of Light on the Landscape

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: TripMode
Kirk: Sasuke, by Masahisa Fukase

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 95: Lens Filters Are Cool

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 02:00:00 -0700

We’re talking filters in this episode—not the kind you apply in Instagram to make your photos look different, but actual glass filters that change how light passes through the lens. Neutral density (ND) filters, circular polarizing (CPL) filters, infrared (IR) filters, and the debate over whether ultraviolet (UV) filters are worthless junk or actually useful.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Printerville
Kirk: Lake Pictures, by Lucinda Devlin

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 94: All About SD Cards

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 00:00:00 -0700

You can shoot the most amazing photos using the best gear you can afford, but it doesn’t mean anything if the pixels you capture aren’t saved to a storage card. In this episode, Kirk and Jeff talk about SD cards: what do the symbols on the card stand for? What speeds are good? How best to transfer images from the camera to the computer? What capacities should you buy? If your camera includes two card slots, do you write to them sequentially or for simultaneous backup? And how in the world did Jeff manage to shoot a Hawaiian sunset and end up with zero images?

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: NITECORE FX1 Digital USB Camera Battery Charger
Kirk: Blue Violet, by Cig Harvey

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 93: P Is for Professional

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 28 May 2021 02:45:00 -0700

Do you capture photos using your camera’s automatic modes, or do you shoot using manual settings? Jeff and Kirk debate both approaches, looking at situations where each is appropriate and clarifying which features constitute “auto” modes.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Glide Gear TMP100 Adjustable iPad/ Tablet/ Smartphone Teleprompter
Kirk: Spring Is Not Cancelled, David Hockney and Martin Gayford

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 92: Sensors and Megapixels with Richard Butler

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 14 May 2021 01:15:00 -0700

Camera marketing often leans heavily on sensor size and numbers of megapixels, because those are numbers that are easy to sell. But are they easy to understand? When does an APS-C sensor outperform a medium format one? Are larger pixels better? Should Jeff take the plunge and buy the 100 megapixel Fujifilm GFX 100S? Our guest Richard Butler, technical editor at DPReview, helps clarify how sensor sizes and megapixels affect the way you shoot photos.

Guest:

Richard Butler: Instagram, website

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Exposure, Netflix
Kirk: Videos about photographers curated by Masters of Photography

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 90: Bryan William Jones on How We See

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 01:45:00 -0700

Retinal neuroscientist Bryan William Jones joins us this week for a fascinating discussion about how our eyes, brains, and technology work together to create and record images. Can we apply the understanding of the way we see to the way the camera sees?

Guest:

Bryan William Jones: Instagram, website
Flickr

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

[Credit: Photo of Bryan William Jones by Chris Michel]

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: YESPLZ Coffee
Kirk: Spirit Stones: The Ancient Art of the Scholar's Rock

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 89: Buttons and Knobs

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 00:00:00 -0700

The experience of using a camera is just as important as what you put in front of the lens. If the controls are complicated — or too minimal — you wind up focusing on the camera, not the images. In this episode, we count buttons and deliberate whether today's cameras are helping or hindering photographers.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Elgato Cam Link 4K
Kirk: Fujinon 27mm f/2.8

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 88: That Was the Year that Was

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 00:15:00 -0700

How has the past pandemic year affected or changed your photography? Kirk and Jeff discuss not just cancelled trips and lost opportunities, but also the process of getting back into the habit of photography as we hopefully head toward a vaccinated, post-Covid reality.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Rode Wireless Go Microphones
Kirk: Alec Soth YouTube Channel

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 87: Apple Photos Workflow on Mac

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 01:00:00 -0800

Apple’s Photos app is the photo-editor-for-the-rest-of-us, but there are still complications that can trip up any photographer, from deciding where to import images to making sure you don’t max out your iCloud storage. In this episode, Kirk and Jeff look at Kirk’s unusual workflow for getting his photos into Apple’s Photos and editing them on macOS.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account
Join the PhotoActive Listeners’ Facebook group

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Clean your tripod
Kirk: Stonehenge Stone Circle Experience | English Heritage

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 86: Jordan Drake on Shooting Video

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 00:00:00 -0800

Your camera likely records video, but if you've never used it, you may be in for a surprise. DPReview TV co-host Jordan Drake joins us to talk about how shooting video on a DSLR or mirrorless camera differs from shooting stills.

Guest:

Jordan Drake: Instagram
DPReview Page

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: FEELWORLD F5 Pro 5.5 Inch Touch Screen DSLR Camera Field Monitor Kirk: Alec Soth Photographic Storytelling: Use code START-LEARNING at checkout for 20% off.

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 85: Film Camera Love with Dan Bracaglia

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 01:00:00 -0800

Dan Bracaglia of DPReview joins us to talk about his love of film cameras, how to get started with film in this day and age, and the enduring appeal of analog photography.

Guest:

Dan Bracaglia: Instagram, website
DPReview Page

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 54: Product Photography with Dan Bracaglia
Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Film Photography: Part 1 Getting Started, DPReview
Michael Kenna: Holga
The Absolute beginner’s guide to film photography: What you need to know - B&W film, DPReview
Panda Labs
Moon Photo Lab
Retro Cameras: The Collector's Guide to Vintage Film Photography
Konica Big Mini: fun but fragile, Matt Loves Cameras
Olympus XA
Throwback Thursday: The Olympus Stylus Epic and my love for sliding lens covers, DPReview
Leica M6, Wikipedia
Nikon FM2, Wikipedia
Camera Manual Library
No 2A Folding Pocket Brownie
We’ve come full rectangle: Polaroid is reborn out of The Impossible Project, TechCrunch
Polaroid
FujiFilm Instax
Best Instax Cameras in 2020, DPReview

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Why iPhone Is Today’s Kodak Brownie, Om Malik
Kirk: 10 Steps to Improve Your Computer Ergonomics

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 84: Editing Shadows and Highlights

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 11:30:00 -0800

We often talk about "bringing up the shadows" and "recovering highlights" when editing photos, particularly with raw files. But what does that mean exactly? This week, we walk through some edits to show just how that's done. This episode is available as audio with embedded images, and also as a video—go to photoactive.co and get the video link in the show notes.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 83: Raw and ProRaw on the iPhone

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 18:30:00 -0800

Is Apple’s new raw photo implementation ProRAW or FauxRAW? In this episode, we look at why you’d want to shoot raw on an iPhone in the first place, and then dig into the details of Apple’s new ProRAW format, which is available only on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 6: Raw vs. JPEG
Halide app
Manual app
Lightroom for iOS
Affinity Photo
Understanding ProRAW, by Ben Sandofsky
Episode 30: Jason Snell Takes Control of Apple Photos
ProRAW Editing, Gentlemen Coders video
ProfileGainTableMap tag in DNG 1.6
[RAW Power](tktk)
Adobe Lightroom release notes, including the following note: "* Apple ProRAW: Apple ProRAW DNG images may appear overexposed in Adobe apps compared to Apple Photos. We are working closely with Apple to address this."
Austin Mann on ProRAW

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Evergoods Civic Access Pouch 2L
Kirk: The Undoing

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 82: Quintin Lake Returns

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 02:00:00 -0800

When we last checked in with Quintin Lake, he was walking the coastline of the United Kingdom and photographing what he found. In September 2020 he finished the trip: 6,835 miles (11,000 kilometers) and 179,222 photos. As he continues to edit his backlog and make and sell prints, we caught up with him to talk about the experience.

Guest:

Quintin Lake, Instagram

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: HomePod mini
Kirk: MacBook Air (Apple M1 Silicon)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 81: The iPhone 12 Pro Cameras

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 00:00:00 -0800

As with every new iPhone release, Apple touts the camera capabilities more than any of the other features. Jeff upgraded to the iPhone 12 Pro right away, while Kirk is happy with his iPhone 11. In this episode, they talk about the choices around iPhones as cameras, and why Jeff ultimately didn’t go for the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which features better camera capabilities.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Viltrox 56mm F1.4 Autofocus Portrait Lens
Kirk: Modernist Bread

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 80: Street Photography with Valérie Jardin

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 01:15:00 -0800

Street photography looks easy: grab a camera, find some people, make some photos. Doing it well is another thing altogether. Photographer, educator, and author Valérie Jardin joins us to talk about the art of street photography, and how to develop the skills for creating great images with the help of her new book, Street Photography Assignments.

Guest:

[Valérie Jardin](www.valeriejardin.com), Instagram, Twitter
Valérie’s book, Street Photography Assignments — use the code JARDIN35 for a 35% discount at Rocky Nook.
Hit the Streets Podcast

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Joshua Coombes #DoSomethingForNothing project
Vivian Maier
Portfolio: Street Dogs
Portfolio: Readers

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Way I See It documentary
Kirk: Des Oiseaux - Pentti Sammallahti

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 79: Professional Retouching with Lisa Carney

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0700

In Episode 78, we talked about everyday photo retouching, such as removing dust spots and objects from your images. Now, we’re shifting to the big leagues, talking to professional retoucher Lisa Carney about the art and business at this level. You may never look at a movie or TV ad the same way again.

Guest:

Lisa Carney, Instagram

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Art of Drew Struzan
Kirk: Pixelmator Pro; AppleScript support

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 78: Everyday Photo Retouching

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 14:00:00 -0700

You may think of “retouching” as a high-end photo skill for professionals—and it is—but there are also many types of retouching that every photographer will run into. In this episode, Jeff covers many of the techniques he uses, from removing dust spots in clear skies to erasing unwanted objects from photos, as well as portrait retouching that’s accessible to anyone. This is an extra-long episode with lots of example images, so don’t forget you can view the photos in some podcast players (like Apple Podcasts or Overcast), and of course you can also view them at PhotoActive.co.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Share Apple Watch Photos Face
Kirk: Ted Lasso

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 77: Photo a Day Challenge

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0700

Photo a Day Challenge

We gave ourselves a simple challenge to create one photo every day for the month of August. It’s advice we give often: shoot often, shoot what’s nearby, use your photographer’s eye to find beauty in the everyday experience. Were we successful? And what unexpected challenges arose?

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: SanDisk 16 GB Thumb Drive
Kirk: Joel Meyerowitz: How I Make Photographs

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 76: Shooting and Developing Film with Angus Haywood

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 00:00:00 -0700

This week we talk to landscape film photographer Angus Haywood about building his own darkroom in a shed behind his house, seeing the world in a square aspect ratio, and the pace and people you experience when shooting film.

Guest:

Angus Haywood, Instagram, Facebook

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Avalanche
Kirk: - Kirk: Shooting in High ISO

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 75: Creative Garden Photography with Harold Davis

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0700

The summer and fall are some of the best times to visit and photograph gardens, so we’re happy to welcome Harold Davis back to the PhotoActive podcast to talk about his newest book Creative Garden Photography. We cover photographing public gardens, your own garden, getting creative with light tables when the weather is sour, lighting, and more.

Guest:

Harold Davis
Instagram

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Creative Garden Photography, by Harold Davis (Use code GARDEN40 to get 40% off when purchasing from Rocky Nook.)
Episode 50: Harold Davis Creative Black and White
Visiting a Garden of Cars
Picture This app (iOS)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Peak Design Clutch
Kirk: Cézanne: The Rock and Quarry Paintings

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 74: Michael Kenna and His New Book 'Buddha'

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 00:00:00 -0700

We’re pleased to welcome back Michael Kenna to the PhotoActive podcast. In this episode, we chat with him about his new book Buddha, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a photographer that spends much of his time traveling, and the value of finding treasure in one’s photo archive.

Guest:

Michael Kenna
Instagram

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Michael's books mentioned in the podcast:

Publishers:

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Sugru
Kirk: MetaImage app

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 73: Real Estate Photography with Rich Baum

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 01:45:00 -0700

Rich Baum joins us this week to talk about real estate and interior photography, a type of shooting that relies as much on discipline and adherence to rules as it does on creative problem solving. If you’re looking to expand your photographic skills or push into the field as a career, good news: you can get started pretty easily by shooting the rooms you’re already in!

Guest:

Rich Baum Photography
Instagram
YouTube Channel

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Luxury Home Magazine
Rich’s YouTube Channel
Shooting Spaces Podcast
Romantic Puget Sound Water View Getaway, the AirBnB that Jeff photographed
Really Bad MLS Photos (Private Facebook group)
Clarification of Expectations, YouTube Video
Architectural Digest

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Epson SureColor P600 Inkjet Printer
Kirk: Michael Kenna: Buddha

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 72: Night Skies with Glenn Randall

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 01:30:00 -0700

Comet Neowise is streaking across the sky as we publish this latest episode of the PhotoActive podcast. How can you capture it, or any views of the night sky, in photos? We’re happy to welcome Glenn Randall, author of the book Dusk to Dawn, to talk all about photographing the night sky, from lens choices to composition to post-processing.

Guest:

Facebook page
Glenn Randall Photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Dusk to Dawn, a Guide to Landscape Photography at Night, by Glenn Randall
PhotoPills
Photographer’s Ephemeris
SunSurveyor
Bahtinov Mask
Roger Clark

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: PhotoStatistica app
Kirk: Fujinon XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 71: The Exposure Square

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:00:00 -0700

You may be familiar with the Exposure Triangle for determining exposure in photos, which is made up of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. In this episode, Kirk explains that it's actually an Exposure Square we need to consider. We also discover the limits of Jeff's knowledge of film photography terms, since his photographic experience is almost entirely digital.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode #8: Gordon Laing on Taking Great Photos In Camera
ISO (Wikipedia)
Aperture (Wikipedia)
Weegee (Wikipedia)
Why Your Camera Makes Airplane Propellers Look So Weird, Resource Magazine
Episode #70: One-Light Portraits with Sandra Coan
Video call quality: webcam vs iPhone vs DSLR, by Jeff Carlson
How to look your best on a video call, by Jeff Carlson

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Dazzne Video LED Lights
Kirk: Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 70: One-Light Portraits with Sandra Coan

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:30:00 -0700

Portrait photography can seem awfully daunting if you’ve never done it. How many lights do you use? Which modifiers are the best? Do you need a studio? How much money should you spend to get started? Oh, and how do you relate to the person in front of your camera? We talk with pro portrait photographer Sandra Coan about shooting with just one light and one modifier—using film!—and her book Crafting the Natural Light Look.

Guest:

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Crafting the Natural Light Look, by Sandra Coan
Episode 39: Tripods with Mason Marsh
Episode 35: Martin Parr Shot My Portrait

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Moment ND Filters
Kirk: Fujifilm 35mm f/2 Lens

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 69: What to Print, with Rick LePage

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 02:45:00 -0700

The last time we talked with Rick LePage, he gave us the basics of printing your own photos. We’re pleased to welcome him again as a guest to go deeper into the topic, starting with the question: How do you choose what to print? It sounds like an easy query, but we discuss not just what you put on your walls (and which walls), but also how printing helps define you as an artist.

Guest:

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Do. The. Work., RickLePage.com
Episode 23: Printing Photos with Rick LePage
West Series 1, RickLePage.com
Episode 2: Managing Photo Libraries
Episode 68: Revisiting Geotagging with HoudahGeo 6.0
Bay Photo
5x7 Glossy and Lustre paper from Red River Paper

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Use your DSLR or Mirrorless camera with Zoom 5 without capture card
Kirk: Minor White, Manifestations of the Spirit, by Paul Martineau

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 68: Revisiting Geotagging with HoudahGeo 6.0

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 22 May 2020 00:00:00 -0700

With photographers finding themselves with unexpected time on their hands at home, it's a great time to update the location data in the photos in your library. Pierre Bernard joins us again to talk about the new features in his Mac app HoudahGeo 6.0, indulging our lazy photographic habits, and...how HoudahGeo supports scuba divers?

Sponsor

HoudahGeo -- If you want to take photos and remember where they were shot, and your camera doesn't have built-in geotagging, use HoudahGeo 6.0 on the Mac to attach GPS coordinates and location names to your photos. Get 25% off HoudahGeo 6.0 with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://www.houdah.com/houdahGeo/buy.html?coupon=PHOTOACTIVE

Guest:

Pierre Bernard

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Shoot with a Pro, YouTube
Kirk: The Zen of Creativity

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 67: Chris Niccolls on Making Videos about Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 08 May 2020 00:30:00 -0700

This week we’re joined by Chris Niccolls, co-host (with Jordan Drake) of DPReview TV, one of our favorite video resources about photography. Yes, there are hundreds of photographers on YouTube, but we’ve long enjoyed Chris’s and Jordan’s friendly and knowledgable approach to reviewing photo gear and educating viewers about all aspects of photography and videography.

Guest:

Chris Niccolls, Instagram

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account
Join the PhotoActive Facebook group

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
DPReview TV, hosted by Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake
The Camera Store TV
Canon EOS R5: Go big, or go home, DPReview
Fujifilm Acros II Film Review (vs. Acros film simulation)
Leica M10 Monochrom Hands-on Review
FujiFilm X RAW Studio
DPReview TV: The gear that changed my life
The Art of Photography

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Annie Leibovitz at Work
Kirk: USB-C Cable

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 66: Manual Focus Lenses and Jeff's New Luminar Book

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 00:30:00 -0700

The autofocus capabilities in today’s cameras are amazing, so why would anyone buy a lens that offers only manual focus? Jeff and Kirk talk about situations where autofocus isn’t a consideration, such as buying inexpensive fast lenses or using an adapter to mount one brand’s lenses on another brand’s camera (like Nikon lenses on a Fujifilm body). We also chat about Jeff’s just-released book, The Photographer’s Guide to Luminar 4. We’ll be giving away a few copies to subscribers of the PhotoActive mailing list, and we also have a 40% discount code to share.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Examples of SX-70 photo manipulations at Flickr
Peter Gabriel album cover. The photo was taken with a Polaroid SX-70 instant camera. The sleeve's designer Storm Thorgerson said: "Peter himself joined with us at Hipgnosis in disfiguring himself by manipulating Polaroids as they 'developed' ... Peter impressed us greatly with his ability to appear in an unflattering way, preferring the theatrical or artistic to the cosmetic."
Episode #16: Buying and Selling Camera Gear
Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter, Nikon G Lens to Fujifilm X Camera Body (X-Mount), $60, the adapter Jeff owns
Fringer EF-FX PRO II EOS to Fujifilm FX Adapter, a Canon adapter that works with autofocus
Fujinon XF56mmF1.2 R
Fujifilm interview: 'We will get through this crisis together’
The Photographer’s Guide to Luminar 4
Episode 59: Luminar 4 and Its AI Emphasis
Luminar 4
Jeff Carlson Luminar 4 Rocky Nook Webinar: YouTube, WebinarJam

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Tripod Boom Arm
Kirk: Sofa Sessions: Conversations with Martin Parr

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 65: Barney Britton on the Future of the Camera Industry

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 01:00:00 -0700

Camera sales worldwide have steadily decreased over the past several years, and now COVID-19 has thrown everything into disarray. Where is the camera industry headed? Special guest Barney Britton, Senior Editor at DPReview, joins Kirk and Jeff to talk about the factors that are contributing to these shifts. It’s not all grim news, though, and we also talk about what changes and advancements we might see in the near future.

Guest:

Barney Britton, website, Instagram

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account
Join the PhotoActive Facebook group

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Camera Sales Are Falling Sharply, Om Malick
Alec Soth | Photographer (video)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: A Photographer's Guide to Navigating the Pandemic, Colby Brown
Kirk: I Know How Furiously Your Heart is Beating, Alec Soth

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 64: Creativity Is Problem Solving, with David duChemin

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 00:30:00 -0700

Creativity Is Problem Solving, with David duChemin

A few months ago when we invited David duChemin to return as a PhotoActive guest to talk about his new book The Heart of the Photograph, we had no idea it would be at the disruptive beginning of a global pandemic. We talk with David about being creative in this new situation, and how creativity can translate into resiliency. Then we focus on his book, and the questions it raises for how we approach making and working with photographs.

Guest:

David duChemin

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account
Join the PhotoActive Facebook group

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Heart of the Photograph, David’s new book
A Beautiful Anarchy podcast, Better Questions? episode
Ellsworth Kelly, Photographs

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Exify app
Kirk: Time to step back and take a deep breath.

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 63: Sharing Photos

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 01:15:00 -0700

Photos are meant to be shared, but with digital photos the options multiply. In this episode, Kirk McElhearn and Jeff Carlson look at several ways to share photos with friends and family.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Focos app, revisited
Kirk: Plex

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 62: Photos App Extensions with Nik Bhatt

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 00:30:00 -0800

Gentleman Coder Nik Bhatt returns to help explain a complicated topic with Apple’s Photos app: Photos Extensions. If you want to use another tool to edit images beyond what Photos offers, you can load that software’s editing tools within Photos. It seems straightforward, but soon gets tricky if you want to go back and adjust some of your edit settings or even if you perform a minor edit in Photos first. If you’ve ever been confused about the differences between Photos Extensions and the “Edit with” feature (which do two very different things), especially for raw files, this is the episode for you.

Guest:

Nik Bhatt

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account
Join the PhotoActive Facebook group

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
RAW Power app
The Ins and Outs of Non-destructive Editing in Photos for Mac and iOS, by Nik Bhatt at TidBITS
The DNG format, Adobe
Linear DNG, Barry Pearson

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 61: Choosing What to Photograph

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 00:00:00 -0800

A listener in the PhotoActive Facebook group asks a great question, “How do I choose a subject to shoot?” In this episode, Kirk and Jeff explore how they approach a scene, with groups of photos from deliberate photo shoots that seek to answer that question.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Jeff's Photo gallery for this episode
Kirk’s Photo gallery for this episode
Episode #13: Aspect Ratios and Why They’re Important
Clise Mansion, Marymoor Park
Fujinon XF 27mm f/2.8 lens
Fujinon XF 50mm f/2.0 lens
Kirk was mistaken about the Vermeer painting. It's Study of a Young Woman
The Colourful Mr Eggleston documentary

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: MILK Photo Books
Kirk: Ellsworth Kelly, Photographs

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 60: Machine Learning with Andrius Gailiunas and Pixelmator Pro

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:45:00 -0800

On this week’s episode, we’re joined by Andrius Gailiunas of Pixelmator to talk about machine learning and how it powers some of the features in Pixelmator Pro. In particular, we’re impressed with ML Super Resolution, a way to enlarge photos beyond their original dimensions while retaining quality and crispness.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Snapshots:

Our Snapshots:

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 59: Luminar 4 and Its AI Emphasis

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 00:45:00 -0800

We’ve talked about several photo editing applications in the past, and in this episode we turn our attention toward Luminar 4 (and not just because one of us has a forthcoming book about it). Skylum has overhauled Luminar in significant ways for version 4, with an emphasis on AI features that save a lot of time and effort on your part.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Get Luminar 4 here (affiliate link)
Episode 55: Photos App in iOS 13 and macOS Catalina
Episode 53: Focus Stacking
How Machine Learning Is Winning the Photographic Face Race, CreativePro
Episode #21 - HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
Luminar Website

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Video: Lighting, Logistics, and Strategies for a Life in Photography
Kirk: Update Your Camera and Lens Firmware (check your camera manufacturer’s site)

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 58: Rule of Turds

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0800

At several points when recording the PhotoActive podcast, Kirk has said that the “Rule of Thirds” does not exist. Most books and articles about photography insist it does, that positioning objects at approximately one third distance from the edge of the frame leads to better composition. So in this episode, we get into it: Does the Rule of Thirds exist, and why?

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: MacBookPro 16-inch, Affiliate link | Apple.com
Kirk: Electronic Level feature in cameras

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 57: Remote Triggered

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 00:00:00 -0800

It’s time to step away from your camera. No, not put it away for the holidays—we’re talking about triggering the camera remotely! In this episode, Jeff and Kirk talk about various ways to trip the shutter from afar, such as using an Apple Watch to control the Camera app on an iPhone, remote cable releases, and products that control a mirrorless or DSLR via apps.

Hosts:

Jeff's website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram
Kirk's website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram
Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 39: Tripods with Mason Marsh
Fuji X Secrets Book, by Rico Pfirstinger
Fujifilm RR-100 Remote Shutter Release Controller
Canon RS60-E3 remote cable release replacement by Fotodiox
David Burnett's camera at House Impeachment hearings
Photographer David Burnett on shooting his third impeachment: 'I felt that historic pang', DPReview
MIOPS Mobile Dongle
Fotyrig 1/4" Mini Ball Head Ring Light Adapter Hot Shoe Mount Adapter
TriggerTrap Mobile review: control your camera’ shutter with your iOS device, Macworld (Note: In the episode, Jeff misremembered the brand of trigger this article was about.)
App-based camera triggers: Alpine Labs Spark vs Miops Mobile Dongle, DPReview

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: FOTOMIX LB-XT3 for Fujifilm X-T3 Camera Quick Release L-Bracket & Camera Mount Vertical Grip
Kirk: Zona, A Book about a Film about a Journey to a Room, by Geoff Dyer

Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, such as at Amazon.com, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Episode 55: Photos App in iOS 13 and macOS Catalina

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 08 Nov 2019 01:00:00 -0800

Photos App in iOS 13 and macOS Catalina

Now that iOS 13, iPadOS 13, and macOS Catalina are out, Jeff and Kirk have some strong opinions on the changes made to the Photos app for each platform. It's time to rant a little.

Sponsor

Luma Labs - Everyone needs a camera strap that is both comfortable and practical. The Luma Loop lets you carry your camera as a sling or snug to your body when you’re not using it. The new Luma Loop 3.5 features custom designed mounting hardware so you don’t have to choose between a strap or a tripod mount. Get 10% off any purchase with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://luma-labs.com

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Take Control of macOS Media Apps, by Kirk McElhearn
Take Control of Your Digital Photos, Second Edition, by Jeff Carlson
Take Control of Photos, by Jason Snell
Episode 52: iPhones 11 and Semantic Rendering
Inside iOS 12: Photos Encourages More Engagement, TidBITS
Episode #12: David duChemin on the Long-Building Vision

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter
Kirk: A Beautiful Anarchy podcast

If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.

Episode 54: Product Photography with Dan Bracaglia

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0700

How do you make product photos look fresh and interesting? Do you need a well-equipped studio? Dan Bracaglia shoots thousands of images of cameras and other accessories in his job as photo editor at DPReview. Dan joins Kirk and Jeff to answer those questions and more.

Sponsor

Guest:

Dan Bracaglia: Instagram, website
DPReview Page

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

DPReview
Westcott Ice Light 2
Canon 80D, the camera DPReview uses for product photography
Canon 90D Review by Dan Bracaglia and Jeff Keller
2019 Guide: Apple iPad Pro for Photographers
Making of Domino’s Commercials: Pulling the Cheese, YouTube video
Fuji X-T3 Review, DPRreview TV episode
Fujifilm X-T3 vs Panasonic GH5 for Video: Quick Look, DPReview TV episode

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
Kirk: Michael Kenna, Beyond Architecture

Episode 53: Focus Stacking

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 00:00:00 -0700

You can control depth of field in a photo using narrow apertures, but what do you do when that’s not enough to get everything in focus? For macro and some landscape photography, the answer is focus stacking, a technique that blends several images shot at different focal lengths. Kirk and Jeff talk about how it works and when you’d want to use it.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
How-To: Focus Stacking in Photoshop, Adobe Create
Episode #20 - The Blur-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named
Photographing the Canadian Rockies, Part 1, Nick Page’s video about when he shot the ice image that appears in the Adobe Create article.
Affinity Photo
Pixelmator Pro
Helicon Focus
Zerene Stacker
Fuji X Secrets, by Rico Rico Pfirstinger
Bob Sober
Episode 47: Jeff Becomes an Event Photographer

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Fujifilm X-T3 Vertical Battery Booster Grip
Kirk: Peak Design Standard Plate

Episode 52: iPhones 11 and Semantic Rendering

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 00:30:00 -0700

Kirk and Jeff both bought the latest models of Apple’s digital camera - sorry, we mean the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. Does adding a third camera make a difference? Is the ultra-wide camera just a gimmick? And what is “semantic rendering” anyway? We explain why nothing is really real, and yet these might be the best-looking photos people create.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Anker Wireless Charger, PowerPort Wireless 5 Stand
Kirk: Todd Hido: House Hunting

Episode 51: Questions, Answers, and Geotagged Flowers

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 00:00:00 -0700

We solicited photography questions from the great folks in the PhotoActive Facebook group, and now we have answers! All the answers. Or maybe just the most interesting ones. But definitely some answers. Panoramas, shooting photos in public places, revealing edits, and more.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 23: Printing Photos with Rick LePage
Hudson Henry Photography
Panoramas Made Simple, by Hudson Henry (PDF). Exclusive free offer to listeners of the PhotoActive podcast, courtesy of Complete Digital Photography Press.
Peter Lik Called Out by Photographers Over ‘Faked’ Moon Photo, PetaPixel
Instacrammed: the big fib at the heart of New Zealand picture-perfect peaks
Episode 40: Location Exploration with HoudahGeo
Street Photography - Know Your Rights, Expert Photography
Photography and the Law, Wikipedia
Droit à l’image (en français)
Episode 9: Instagram for Photographers

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Gemini Photos
Kirk: Flower frog

Episode 50: Creative Black and White Photography with Harold Davis

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0700

Artist, photographer, and writer Harold Davis joins us to discuss his new book Creative Black & White, 2nd Edition, and we talk about the photographer as artist, and how to see the world in monochrome.

Guest:

Harold Davis: Instagram, website
Creative Black & White - save 40% with the code HDAVIS40.

Giveaway:

We’re giving away a copy of Harold’s book, Creative Black & White, to two PhotoActive listeners! To be eligible, simply subscribe to our newsletter that we use to announce new episodes: the form is at the bottom of every PhotoActive page. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Episode 44: Minimalist Photographer Michael Kenna
Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico by Ansel Adams (Wikipedia)
Ansel Adams on capturing Moonrise over Hernandez, interview that includes the original image.
Silver Efex Pro
Skylum Tonality filters for Luminar
Episode 42: Memory Cards (Kirk's snapshot pick, the Tonality filters)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Zeiss 200 Lens Wipes
Kirk: A piece of black cloth

Episode 49: Creating Panoramas

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 00:00:00 -0700

You want to capture a wide-angle shot, but what if your widest lens isn’t wide enough? In this episode, Jeff and Kirk talk about creating panoramas, from the ingenious Pano mode in the iPhone’s Camera app to stitching many images from traditional cameras or drones.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Understanding Photography, by Sean T. McHugh
Kirk: Pixelmator Pro

Episode 48: Adventures with Dan Bailey

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 12:45:00 -0700

Photographer Dan Bailey is our guest this week to talk about his book FUJIFILM X Series Unlimited: Mastering Techniques and Maximizing Creativity with Your FUJIFILM Camera—though we’re not focusing on Fujifilm cameras. We’re more interested in questions such as how many of your camera’s features you should understand, whether technical details really matter, and how Dan became a pro photographer and expert in the first place.

Guest:

Giveaway:

We’re giving away a copy of Dan’s book, FUJIFILM X Series Unlimited: Mastering Techniques and Maximizing Creativity with Your FUJIFILM Camera, to two PhotoActive listeners! To be eligible, simply subscribe to our newsletter that we use to announce new episodes: the form is at the bottom of every PhotoActive page. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Glazer’s Camera in Seattle

Far Side: Devil cartoon

Fuji X-Forum
Galen Rowell, Mountain Light Photography
Michael Kenna Rouge gallery
Joseph O. Holmes “Custom Machinery”
Joel Meyerowitz Empire State photos

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Replacement lens caps: 39mm, 67mm
Kirk: Rouge, by Michael Kenna

Episode 47: Jeff Becomes an Event Photographer

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 00:00:00 -0700

Recently, Jeff was the event photographer for the CreativePro Week 2019 conference in Seattle, a task that requires a different approach to making photos. You've probably been asked to shoot some type of event, so we talk a little about specific gear to deal with low-light situations and catching candid shots in a crowded setting.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
CreativePro Week
CreativePro Week 2019 Daily Highlights photo album at Facebook (Photos by Jeff)
CreativePro Week Instagram Account
Luma Loop straps
Fujifilm X-T3 body
Fujifilm Fujinon XF50-140mm F/2.8 R LM OIS WR
Fujifilm Fujinon XF16-55mm F/2.8 R LM WR
Our Snapshots:
Jeff: BorrowLenses.com [Use this affiliate link to get $30 off a rental; new customers, minimum purchase of $119]
Kirk: Flotato

Episode 46: Pet Photography with Norah Levine

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 00:00:00 -0700

When you think of portrait photography, do you envision tails and fur? This week, we talk to Norah Levine about her book Pet Photography: The Secrets to Creating Authentic Pet Portraits, and how to take great photos of four-legged (or winged) family members.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Guest:

Norah Levine: Instagram, website, Flickr
Pet Photography: The Secrets to Creating Authentic Pet Portraits

Giveaway:

We’re giving away a copy of Norah’s book, Pet Photography: The Secrets to Creating Authentic Pet Portraits, to a PhotoActive listener! To be eligible, simply subscribe to our newsletter that we use to announce new episodes: the form is at the bottom of every PhotoActive page. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Peak Design Travel Tripod
Kirk: Fujifilm X-T3

Episode 45: Editing Photos in Desktop Apps

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 01:30:00 -0700

Maybe you've used Apple Photos and are looking for more editing features, or perhaps you're in the Lightroom ecosystem and weary of subscription pricing. In this episode, Kirk and Jeff chat about other photo editing applications you may not be aware of.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 44: Minimalist Photographer Michael Kenna
The Composition of Michael Kenna’s Photographs: Leading Lines
Lightroom
Affinity Photo
Luminar
Pixelmator Pro
Capture One Pro
Alien Skin Exposure
Picktorial
ON1 Photo Raw
RAW Power
The Ins and Outs of Non-destructive Editing in Photos for Mac and iOS, by Nik Bhatt at TidBITS
Picktorial 4.0 Review, by Jeff in Macworld
Capture One Pro 8.3 review: Aperture replacement light on library features, strong on editing tools (old version)
Episode 38: Levels and Curves with Nik Bhatt
Episode 26: RAW Power 2.0

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: TPE, PeakVisor
Kirk: Holga

Episode 44: Minimalist Photographer Michael Kenna

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 07 Jun 2019 00:30:00 -0700

Michael Kenna has been photographing for 45 years, and is well known for his minimalist, black-and-white landscape photos. Kirk took a trip to Bosham, on the southern coast of England, to see a 45-year retrospective exhibit of his work, and to talk with Michael Kenna about his photography.

Sponsor

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Guest:

Michael Kenna

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Thanks to Luke Whitaker and Angus Haywood of Bosham Gallery for their warm welcome. And thanks to Michael for the ice cream.

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Bypass the Camera Roll in iOS 13
Kirk: Forms of Japan: Michael Kenna

Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast mailing list at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed to the mailing list, you’re automatically entered.

Episode 43: Autofocus with Rishi Sanyal

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 24 May 2019 00:00:00 -0700

You rely on your camera’s autofocus feature, but how does it work? Phase-detection, contrast-detection, machine-learning algorithms, AF-C, AF-S… autofocus quickly becomes a complicated subject for any photographer to keep straight while shooting. Rishi Sanyal, Science Editor at DPReview.com, joins us for this breakdown of autofocus works and how you can use it more effectively.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Guest:

Rishi Sanyal, Science Editor at DPReview.com
Rishi’s Instagram

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Episode note: The Skype connection was spotty during recording. Apologies for the occasional audio glitch.

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Fuji AF Modes
Konica C35 AF, the first mass-produced autofocus camera
Video: How phase detection autofocus works, DPReview
Phase Detection vs Contrast Detection Autofocus, The Creative Photographer
Sony's 'Real-time tracking' is a big leap forward for autofocus, DPReview

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Texture Slider in Lightroom Classic
Kirk: Camera bag insert

Episode 42: Memory Cards

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 10 May 2019 01:45:00 -0700

Your camera stores photos on memory cards, but trying to understand them is a confusing mess of acronyms, speed claims, and marketing. What’s the difference between a UHS-I SD card and a UHS-II card? We break it all down, including why you may not want the fastest (and more expensive) cards available.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Migrate Your Aperture Libraries to Photos or Adobe Lightroom Classic (Apple)
Take Control of Your Digital Photos, by Jeff Carlson
Best USB-C memory card readers, Macworld, by Jeff Carlson
SD memory cards: The features and specifications to look for, Macworld, by Jeff Carlson
SanDisk 64 GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card, 170 MB/s Read
SanDisk 64 GB Extreme PRO SDHC UHS-II Card, 300 MB/s Read
Sony 32 GB SHDC UHS-II Card, 300 MB/s Read
Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Digital Camera (Body Only) - Silver, the camera Jeff bought.

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Fuji X Secrets, by Rico Pfirstinger
Kirk: Tonality Mega B&W Pack

Episode 41: Bird Photography with Marie Read

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 23:00:00 -0700

We’re excited to welcome Marie Read, author of the book Mastering Bird Photography (Rocky Nook), to the podcast. She talks about getting started with bird photography, where to find interesting birds, and, yes, we necessarily talk a bit about gear, since a good telephoto lens is essential for this type of photography.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Guest:

Marie Read
Mastering Bird Photography, by Marie Read
Marie Read Wildlife Photography on Facebook

Giveaway:

We’re giving away a copy of Marie’s book, Mastering Bird Photography, to a PhotoActive listener! To be eligible, simply subscribe to our newsletter that we use to announce new episodes: the form is at the bottom of every PhotoActive page. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.

Hosts:

Episode note: The Skype connection was spotty during recording. Apologies for the occasional audio glitch.

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Marie’s cameras:

Our Snapshots:

Episode 40: Location Exploration with HoudahGeo

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0700

Where did you take that photo? Nearly every smartphone records its position when it captures an image, but very few cameras do. In this episode, we talk to Pierre Bernard, developer of the Mac application HoudahGeo, about how and why you'd want to geotag your photos.

Sponsor

HoudahGeo -- If you want to take photos and remember where they were shot, and your camera doesn't have built-in geo-tagging, use HoudahGeo on the Mac to attach GPS coordinates and location names to your photos. Get 30% off HoudahGeo with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://www.houdah.com/houdahGeo/buy.html?coupon=PHOTOACTIVE

Guest:

Pierre Bernard

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
HoudahGeo
Wintec WBT-201, the discontinued track logger Pierre uses
Review: Canmore G-Porter GP-102+ data logger, by Rob Griffiths
Strava Global Heatmap
The Strava Heat Map and the End of Secrets, WIRED (29-Jan-2018)
Geotag Photos Pro, the iOS app Kirk uses
Adobe Photoshop Fix review by Jeff (not yet online)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Adobe Photoshop Fix
Kirk: Geotag Photos Pro

Episode 39: Tripods with Mason Marsh

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0700

Many photo situations call for stability, and that means setting up a tripod. But the options when choosing one quickly become complicated: height, weight, materials, price, and don’t forget the head that holds the camera. To help sort it all, we welcome photographer, educator, and former photojournalist Mason Marsh to the show.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Guest:

Mason Marsh

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Jeff’s recent tripod: 3 Legged Thing Punks Corey Mag Alloy Tripod Kit w/AirHed Neo
Kirk’s tripod: Vanguard Alta Pro
3 Legged Thing Albert
Peak Design Cuff, which Mason uses to secure his camera to the tripod as backup protection

Mason’s tripods:

Small: Really Right Stuff TFA-01 Ultra Pocket ‘Pod

Medium: Really Right Stuff TVC-23 MK2

Large: Gitzo Tripod Systematic Series 3 XL (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Clamp: Really Right Stuff Travel Clamp Kits

Mason’s Ballheads:

Small: Really Right Stuff BH-40 Ballhead

Large: Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ballhead

Panorama Head: Really Right Stuff PG-01 Compact Pano-Gimbal Head Head

Platypod: Ultra (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: 3 Legged Thing Toolz Multi-Tool
Kirk: The Fujicron quartet (16mm f2.8)

Episode 38: Levels and Curves with Nik Bhatt

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0700

We welcome back Nik Bhatt, of Gentlemen Coders and RAW Power fame, to pick his brain on editing photos using levels and curves: what the differences are between the two tonal adjustment tools, and how to use them. We also talk about understanding the histogram, and touch on editing white balance and why we may be using the eyedropper tool wrong.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: White Wall AR, iOS app
Kirk: White Balance Gray Cards

Backups and 360-degree Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0800

We're tackling two topics in this episode of PhotoActive. First up, all-important backups! We emphasize backups all the time, but what does a good backup system look like? Then, after the break, we turn a never-ending corner and look at 360-degree photography, an interesting and creative niche.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
PhotoActive Episode #27 - Flying High with Ian Schray and Drones
Backblaze Hard Drive Stats for 2018
Backups for Busy Creatives, Jeff’s article at CreativePro.com
How to Back Up Your Mac to Multiple Time Machine Disks, Kirk’s article at his website
Take Control of Backing Up Your Mac
Samsung T5 Portable SSD - 500 GB - USB 3.1 External SSD
A 360-degree photo shot by Jeff, at Facebook
Samsung Gear 360 at Museum of Flight, video at YouTube
The Best 360-Degree Camera, The Wirecutter
Ricoh Theta V 360 Spherical Camera

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Peak Design Shell
Kirk: Drive Docks

Episode 36: Photographing with Constraints

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 01:45:00 -0800

In this episode of PhotoActive, we have some specific ideas about photographing with constraints. Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge of individual shooting features (such as aperture or shutter speed) or get out of a creative rut, imposing constraints on yourself can actually turn out to be a freeing exercise.

Sponsor

Gentlemen Coders RAW Power 2 lets you process raw files on your Mac with full control over Apple’s raw engine, offering features previously available only in Aperture. It has exceptional highlight recovery, as well as noise reduction, capture sharpening, gamut mapping, and more. RAW Power also works with JPEGs, TIFFs, and other standard image formats. RAW Power 2 runs as an extension in Apple Photos or as a standalone app. RAW Power 2 for iOS is a full photo library app that offers the same features, and works with your existing Photos library. Learn more at rawpower.app.

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Using iOS Shortcuts to Import Photos into Lightroom CC Mobile
Kirk: Bright Black World, by Todd Hido

Episode 35: Martin Parr Shot My Portrait

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 00:00:00 -0800

For this week’s episode, we’re moving to the other side of the camera. Kirk had the opportunity to get his portrait done by world-renowned Magnum photographer Martin Parr. He shares what it was like to be the subject, not the photographer.

Sponsor

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
I Had My Portrait Shot by Martin Parr
Martin Parr's photos
Martin Parr Foundation
Remote Scottish Postboxes, by Martin Parr
Britain Through the Eyes of the Photographer Who Knows It Best
The Gucci Timepieces that Appear in Martin Parr’s Photographs Shot Around the World for #timetoparr
Gucci Is Dropping a Super-Limited Book Inspired by Legendary Post-Punk Band New Order
Vogue Brazil Cover
The Last Resort: See photo #21 for the photo of a woman lying on a towel next to heavy machinery.
Yousuf Karsh’s photos of Winston Churchill
Martin Parr Portrait Studio 2019
#Martinparr on Instagram

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Photographer’s Guide to Posing, by Lindsay Adler
Kirk: ExifTool

Episode 34: Ben Long's Complete Digital Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0800

Author, educator, photographer, and all-around knowledgeable guy Ben Long joins us this week to talk about the 9th — yes, ninth — edition of his comprehensive book “Complete Digital Photography.” We cover how photography and people’s expectations about photography have changed since the early versions of the book.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Guest:

Ben Long (Complete Digital Photography, Instagram)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Production Note: We’ve decided to change the frequency of episode releases to fortnightly (every two weeks) due to current commitments we both have.

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Complete Digital Photography, Ninth Edition, by Ben Long
Pentti Sammallahti
Richard Misrach
Desert Cantos, by Richard Misrach
Jerry Uellsman

Our Snapshots:

Episode 33: The Language of Photo Editing

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0800

When we edit photos, we have a good idea of what the Exposure slider does—it makes everything brighter or darker throughout the image. But you’ll also find controls for Whites, Brightness, Brilliance, and others, depending on the software. What’s the difference? In this episode, Kirk and Jeff look at just what various editing controls do, so you have a better idea of which ones to use and how they affect your images.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: OWC USB-C Travel Dock
Kirk: Use your iPhone light as a flashlight

Episode 32: New Year's Photo Ideas

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0800

What is 2019 going to look like? While we aren’t interested in making resolutions that are easily forgotten or ignored, we do have lots of ideas to spark your photographic creativity. Chief among those: Be less critical more often.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode #14 - Chris Marquardt Goes Wide-Angle
Leica M Monochrom
#chimping at Instagram
#shakespearehouse at Instagram
#kerryparkseattle at Instagram
Oblique Strategies cards
Obliques app (iOS)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: The Photo Ark: One Man’s Quest to Document the World’s Animals, by Joel Sartore and Douglas H. Chadwick
Kirk: Apple Pencil 2

Episode 31: The Benefits of Digital Asset Managers

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 00:00:00 -0800

Do you store your photos in an application or in specific locations on your hard disk? In this episode, Jeff and Kirk talk about the advantages of using a Digital Asset Manager (DAM) such as Apple Photos, Lightroom, or Luminar.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Affinity Photo
Luminar
Adobe Lightroom CC
Adobe Lightroom Classic CC
Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan
Take Control of Lightroom CC
Alien Skin Exposure X4
Dropbox
First look: Skylum Luminar 3 adds support for photo libraries, Digital Asset Manager to follow, by Jeff Carlson, at DPReview
Luminar Roadmap, Skylum.com
The Photographer’s Guide to Luminar, by Jeff Carlson (forthcoming)
Buy Luminar using this link and help support PhotoActive (Affiliate link)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Lumy app
Kirk: American Winter, by Gerry Johansson

Episode 30: Jason Snell Takes Control of Apple Photos

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 00:00:00 -0800

If you want to learn all about something, write a book about it. Or, to avoid yourself a lot of work, read someone else’s book about it! Jason Snell has written several versions of his book Take Control of Photos, and he joins us to talk about what’s new in Apple’s photo software and ecosystem for the Mac and iOS devices. We also talk about making print books and calendars, features that were removed from Photos earlier this year, and how machine learning is going to play a more important role in photo software.

Sponsor

Luma Labs - Everyone needs a camera strap that is both comfortable and practical. The Luma Loop lets you carry your camera as a sling or snug to your body when you’re not using it. The Luma Loop’s mounting hardware is custom designed so you don’t have to choose between a strap or a tripod mount. Get 10% off any purchase with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://luma-labs.com

Guest:

Jason Snell (SixColors.com, Twitter, Instagram)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Whoosh! Screen Shine ($13)
Kirk: SD Card Reader

Episode 28: Low-Light Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 00:00:00 -0800

The winter months are dark for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, so how do you create good photos in dimly lit environments? Your camera wants to make the best exposure possible, but in low-light situations, that can lead to long shutter speeds and blurry camera motion. Kirk and Jeff cover the many options for dealing with dark scenes in this episode.

Sponsor

Luma Labs - Everyone needs a camera strap that is both comfortable and practical. The Luma Loop lets you carry your camera as a sling or snug to your body when you’re not using it. The Luma Loop’s mounting hardware is custom designed so you don’t have to choose between a strap or a tripod mount. Get 10% off any purchase with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://luma-labs.com

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Strobist
Kirk: Grant Simon Rogers (Instagram)

Episode 27: Flying High with Ian Schray and Drones

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0800

In traditional photography, a great piece of advice is to “zoom with your feet,” or, move yourself closer to a subject. What happens when the subject is 400 feet high? Or you want a unique viewpoint that wouldn’t be possible without a crane? This week we talk to Ian Schray about flying drones: quadcopters outfitted with cameras.

Guest:

Ian Schray (Twitter)

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Committed Podcast
DJI Drones
DJI Pantom 2 V2.0 Quadcopter
DJI Phantom 4 Quadcopter (Ian’s model)
DJI Mavic Pro 1 (Jeff’s model)
DJI Mavic Pro 2
FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems information
DJI Fly Safe information

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Fstop Labs Accessories for DJI Mavic Pro/Platinum/Alpine White - Transport Clip Controller Transmitter Joystick Protector
Kirk: 133 Countries from Above, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Episode 26: RAW Power 2.0

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0800

This week we’re joined by Nik Bhatt, former developer of Aperture and iPhoto at Apple and now a distinguished gentleman at Gentlemen Coders. Using his deep knowledge of how Apple’s raw photo editing engine works, Nik has just released RAW Power 2.0, an app for macOS and iOS. We talk about RAW Power’s unique features and learn some of the fascinating ins and outs of raw image processing.

Sponsor

Gentlemen Coders, RAW Power 2.0 lets you process raw files on your Mac with full control over Apple’s raw engine, offering features previously available only in Aperture. It has exceptional highlight recovery, as well as noise reduction, capture sharpening, gamut mapping, and more. RAW Power also works with JPEGs, TIFFs, and other standard image formats. RAW Power 2.0 runs as an extension in Apple Photos or as a standalone app. RAW Power 2.0 for iOS is a full photo library app that offers the same features, and works with your existing Photos library. Learn more at rawpower.app.

Guest:

Nik Bhatt

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2018)
Kirk: Any Tripod

Episode 25: Understanding iCloud Photo Library

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0800

If you use Apple’s Photos app on your Mac or iOS device, are you also synchronizing your images via iCloud Photo Library? In this week’s episode, Jeff and Kirk talk about the pros and cons of Apple’s cloud service for photos. Why should you consider it? What are the downsides? And if you have your images in the cloud, is that considered a backup? (No, it’s not. We explain why.)

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Take Control of Your Digital Photos, by Jeff Carlson
The Next Track podcast
Set Up and Use iCloud Photos, Apple
Manage your photo and video storage, Apple
Buy more iCloud storage, Apple
Spect app
Photo browser utilities for the Mac: Quickly sort through a photo shoot, Macworld
Inside iOS 12: Photos Encourages More Engagement, TidBITS
iMazing HEIC Converter

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Mini Gaffer Tape Rolls
Kirk: Everyday Photography Every Day podcast by Michael Rubin and Suzanne Fritz-Hanson

Episode 24: Manual vs Automatic Camera Settings

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 00:00:00 -0800

We (good-naturedly) wade back into the question of “What makes a REAL photographer?” In this case, we’re talking about shooting using entirely manual controls or using the auto or semi-automatic modes on your camera. (Spoiler: Anyone with a camera is a real photographer.) We discuss when each approach works, and the advantages of knowing how shutter speed, aperture, and ISO all work together.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Episode #21 - HDR (High Dynamic Range) Photography
Aperture Priority mode (Wikipedia)
Shutter Priority mode (Wikipedia)
The Exposure Triangle - A Beginner’s Guide (PhotographyLife.com)
Episode #8 - Gordon Laing on Taking Great Photos In Camera
f/8 and Be There - What We Can Learn from WeeGee’s Philosophy

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Road to Seeing, by Dan Winters
Kirk: iPhone XS Max

Episode 23: Printing Photos with Rick LePage

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 21:15:00 -0700

Do you print your photos? Although we know we should make prints, but getting from screen to paper isn’t always easy. It turns out, though, that printing is much easier today than it used to be. In this episode, we welcome photographer and publisher Rick LePage to talk about printing photos at home, from hardware to paper to inks.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Guest:

Hosts:

Show Notes:

(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: Moo.com Business Cards
Kirk: Magnum square print sale

Episode 21: High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Fri, 19 Oct 2018 00:00:00 -0700

“HDR” used to bring to mind surreal landscapes with garish colors and very few shadows. Fortunately, high-dynamic range photography has matured beyond those early days, and is a useful technique for getting more detail out of any scene. The latest iPhone and other smartphone cameras use HDR liberally to create good shots in all types of situations. We talk about making HDR photos using traditional cameras and techniques and also the new iPhone's computational methods.

Sponsor

Masters of Photography, online masterclasses with the greatest photographers in the world. Get 5% off any course with the code PHOTOACTIVE. https://mastersof.photography

Hosts:

Show Notes:

Photos of Chipping Campden (Google images)
Graduated neutral density filter (round)
Graduated neutral density filter (rectangular, requires a holder)
Aurora HDR: A Photoversity Guide, Jeff’s book
Trey Ratcliffe's HDR
The Best Camera Lens Filters, Flashes, and Accessories for Taking Great Photos
The iPhone XS is a leap forward in computational photography, Jeff’s article at DPReview
Lightroom Classic CC
Lightroom CC (which does not have HDR capability)
Affinity Photo for desktop
Aurora HDR 2019

Our Snapshots:

Jeff: SanDisk Rescue Pro software
Kirk: Hoya Pro 1 Polarizing filter. (Be sure to search for the diameter that matches your lens.)