PhotoActive - Episodes Tagged with “Interview”

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

Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter 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, you’re automatically entered.

If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts 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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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

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

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

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 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 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

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 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

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 10: Quintin Lake's Long Photo Walk

Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 21:00:00 -0700

Long walks are great opportunities to bring a camera and make photos—but what about 10,000 km of walking? In this episode, Kirk and Jeff welcome photographer Quintin Lake, who is walking the entire coastline of Britain and taking photos of what he discovers. Our interview talks about the motivation behind Quintin’s The Perimeter project, how it quickly made him realize what gear is essential and what can be left behind, and why ambitious projects like this are worth pursuing.

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/ref/27/?campaign=PhotoActive

Hosts:

Show notes:

See the full show notes, including photos, screenshots, and more, here.

Our snapshots:

Jeff: Verbatim USB-C Pocket Card Reader
Kirk: Retro Cameras, by John Wade