PhotoActive - Episodes Tagged with “Lightroom”

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)

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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

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 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 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

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.