This is The Digital Story Podcast #947, May 14, 2024. Today's theme is "3rd Party Lens Extravaganza." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The floodgates have opened and we're now seeing a wave of 3rd party lenses washing ashore for Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, and yes, even Canon. This week I'm going to share with you my current favorites for this swell of great optics for mirrorless cameras. All of this and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 947 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 3rd Party Lens Extravaganza Here's a list of my current list of favorite 3rd party lenses: Tamron developing 11-20mm F2.8 Di III-A RXD for Canon RF mount - Tamron has announced it's developing a version of its 11-20mm F2.8 Di III-A RXD fast wide-angle zoom lens for Canon RF-mount APS-C cameras. The 11-20mm F2.8, which is already available for Sony E-mount, will offer an 18-32mm equivalent range on Canon's 1.6x crop cameras. The company says the 11-20mm will be available before the end of 2024. No details of pricing have been given. DPReview.com TTArtisan AF 56mm f/1.8 Lens (Sony E) - A lightweight prime ideal for portraiture, the AF 56mm f/1.8 Lens from TTArtisan is designed for use with APS-C Sony E-mount mirrorless cameras and provides a portrait-length full-frame equivalency of 84mm. Capturing images in low-light conditions is no issue with this lens's bright maximum f/1.8 aperture. A minimum focusing distance of 19.7" is available. Driving the autofocus is a stepping motor, which helps enable quiet and speedy performance. One extra-low dispersion (ED) element is incorporated to reduce color fringing and chromatic aberrations in order to achieve greater clarity and color accuracy. $158 B&H Photo. (There's also a version for Fujifilm coming.) 7Artisans releases 50mm F1.4 Tilt lens - 7Artisans has released a new manual focus 50mm F1.4 Tilt lens, compatible with Sony and Fujifilm APS-C cameras, as well as Olympus and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras. At the front of the lens is a numbered aperture ring, with the depth of field scale and distance scale focus ring sitting just behind. Users can rotate the lens a full 360-degrees and the tilt axis moves left to right. The company has yet to confirm how many degrees the lens can tilt on either side. Although photographers commonly use tilt lenses for architecture photography and to experiment with depth of field, 7Artisans claims the 50mm F1.4 offers enough clarity for portraiture, claiming distortion of only 1.9%. DPReview.com Available now on Amazon for $226. Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 XF Lens (FUJIFILM X and Nikon Z) - A compact portrait-length prime lens designed for FUJIFILM X-mount and Nikon Z-Mount mirrorless cameras, the Viltrox AF 56mm f/1.7 XF Lens provides a full-frame equivalent of 85mm, making it ideal for portraiture. Its focal length paired with its bright f/1.7 maximum aperture provides excellent control over depth of field and allows reliable shooting in low-light conditions. The lens design includes four extra-low dispersion elements and three high refractive index elements to reduce optical aberrations and improve overall image quality. Additionally, the lens's lightweight design makes it an optimal choice for traveling. $139 B&H Photo Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art Lens (Sony E) - The lightest in its class and the brightest in Sigma's 50mm prime lineup, the 50mm f/1.2 DG DN Art Lens for Sony E-mount cameras is a well-designed lens for everyday use. Driven by Sigma's dual HLA (High-response Linear Actuator) motors, this lens delivers quiet and high-speed performance. Simultaneously, this focusing system allows for a more compact design, helping make this lens lighter than its counterparts. This classic focal length paired with an extremely wide f/1.2 maximum aperture allows users to effortlessly capture a variety of subject matter. Also, there are physical function buttons and switches that improve the lens's overall ease of use as well as its reliability in the field. To reduce ghosting and improve contrast, a super multilayer coating is used on the glass elements. $1,399 B&H Photo Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 Lens (Nikon Z) - A large-aperture high-resolution prime, the Viltrox AF 16mm f/1.8 Z offers outstanding edge-to-edge sharpness with soft and natural bokeh. Engineered for photo and video applications, this robust and lightweight lens is equally adept for photographers and videographers alike. 4 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and 3 aspherical elements combine to achieve outstanding sharpness, while also reducing sagital coma flare, which distorts the shapes of stars. The optical design also minimizes ghosting and flare when shooting starry skies and long exposure night scenes. Sophisticated LCD screen displays important shooting information including object distance, Fn icons, and aperture identification. $549 B&H Photo. A little something tempting for everyone! The Inner Circle Membership Drive - Spring 2024 I've been enjoying our Inner Circle experience so much this year, I just can't help thinking that you would too. But I know how that is... there are certain things we just never get around to doing. So I thought I could help with that. And I think you're really going to like this. For the next two weeks, we're having the Inner Circle Membership Drive. If you haven't joined us yet, all you have to do is click on this link to go to our Patreon page, scroll to Choose Your Membership, click on Pay Annually, then click on the Join button. The annual membership is $54 a year. The extra incentive is, once I see that you've joined the Inner Circle for a year, I'll send you a coupon code that will allow you to sign up for free, your choice of the Infrared Workshop in June, or the Printing Workshop in August. That's a $145 value! This promotion is for annual memberships only. One coupon code for one online workshop per paid membership. Plus, you will still receive all of the Inner Circle benefits including access to our exclusive space on DerrickStoryOnline and discounts for future online and in-person workshops. And you're helping to support our online community. If you're an existing Inner Circle Member, you can still benefit from the membership drive. All you have to do is switch from monthly payments to the annual payment of $54, and you will also receive a coupon code for either online workshop. If you've left the Inner Circle and want to rejoin us, the same offer applies. The Inner Circle Membership Drive runs from May 7, 2024 through May 22, 2024. Join us today and experience one of our online workshops... for free. Apple Says Destructive iPad Ad 'Missed the Mark' You can read the entire story on NYtimes.com It looks like Panasonic's "completely new kind" of camera is coming next week You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #946, May 7, 2024. Today's theme is "The Inspiration Battle - 5 Tips to Overcome the Blahs." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue An Inner Circle member recently posted that he's been uninspired lately. Others chimed in that it happens to us all at times. And when it does, what can be done? This week I share 5 tips to overcome photographer's block. Plus, a very tempting offer for our podcast audience, and a peek at Peakto Search. All of this, and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 946 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Inspiration Battle - 5 Tips to Overcome the Blahs Any artistic pursuit is vulnerable to creative block, and photography is no exception. Here are five tips to help get things moving again. Go Back in Time - Every photographer has a stash of old gear that's impossible to part with. But instead of letting it languish in the back of the closet, pull out that camera from 2014, charge its batteries, and wander outside. Challenge yourself to make a great shot with a decade-old camera. Shoot a Roll of Film - Nothing will help you appreciate your current mirrorless like revisiting an analog camera from your past. In stead of challenging yourself to capture a great shot, like in tip #1, see if you can even get a good shot out of a roll of 36. This process will activate parts of your brain that haven't been used in years. Break Out a Vintage Lens - There's something about looking at the world through a 40-year-old optic that summons our inner artist. One of my favorites for this exercise is the Nikkor 105mm Ai-S F2.5 lens that Steve McCurry made famous with his shot of the Afghan Girl on a Nikon FM2. Every time I put that lens on a modern Nikon, I feel obligated to do it justice. Take a Trip to Bizarro World - Just like the Seinfeld episode where Elaine's new friend is the exact opposite of Jerry (Season 8, Episode 3), go out and take pictures of a subject that you never tackle. If you're a landscape guy, go to the city; if you love macro, challenge yourself with panoramas; only photograph sill lives, then set up a portrait session. By becoming a Bizarro Photographer, you will shake out the cobwebs and see the world with fresh eyes. Find a Photo Buddy - We tend to work so much alone that we miss opportunities and techniques right under our noses. Hanging out for a day with a photo buddy will help you see the world through someone else's eyes. Be sure to compare pictures at the end of the day and talk about why each of you shot what you did. I promise you, if you embrace one or more of these challenges, you will begin to feel the rise of inspiration as you climb out of your creative rut. The Inner Circle Membership Drive - Spring 2024 I've been enjoying our Inner Circle experience so much this year, I just can't help thinking that you would too. But I know how that is... there are certain things we just never get around to doing. So I thought I could help with that. And I think you're really going to like this. For the next two weeks, we're having the Inner Circle Membership Drive. If you haven't joined us yet, all you have to do is click on this link to go to our Patreon page, scroll to Choose Your Membership, click on Pay Annually, then click on the Join button. The annual membership is $54 a year. The extra incentive is, once I see that you've joined the Inner Circle for a year, I'll send you a coupon code that will allow you to sign up for free, your choice of the Infrared Workshop in June, or the Printing Workshop in August. That's a $145 value! This promotion is for annual memberships only. One coupon code for one online workshop per paid membership. Plus, you will still receive all of the Inner Circle benefits including access to our exclusive space on DerrickStoryOnline and discounts for future online and in-person workshops. And you're helping to support our online community. If you're an existing Inner Circle Member, you can still benefit from the membership drive. All you have to do is switch from monthly payments to the annual payment of $54, and you will also receive a coupon code for either online workshop. If you've left the Inner Circle and want to rejoin us, the same offer applies. The Inner Circle Membership Drive runs from May 7, 2024 through May 22, 2024. Join us today and experience one of our online workshops. Peakto Search for Capture One Pro and Lightroom Utilizing AI, Peakto Search allows users to find any photos OR videos, based on a simple description or image. Capable of searching across multiple Catalogs, Peakto Search is always at hand in the menu bar and operates even when the app is closed. It instantly reveals results and enables users to open photos and videos directly in Capture One Pro or Lightroom. Peakto Search functions as an intelligent search engine. With just a simple description or image-based query, the plugin retrieves corresponding photos or videos. No annotations or knowledge of storage locations are required; Peakto Search's advanced AI swiftly locates content. Capture One Pro confines the ability to search for content to a Catalog or Session. Peakto Search extends this limit by offering a search that can be conducted across multiple Catalogs and Sessions simultaneously. Search results appear in real-time through previews of photos and videos. The video player preview available in the plugin highlights the segments in the video that exactly match the query or reference image. Peakto Search stands out as a uniquely designed plugin. Nestled in the Mac menu bar, it remains effortlessly accessible, even when Capture One or Lightroom is closed, ensuring it serves as a reliable guide through your content. Seamlessly integrated with the editing software, it facilitates the opening of multiple photos and videos in Capture One Pro directly from the search results. Peakto Search is now available for purchase on the CYME website, complete with a complimentary 7-day trial period exclusive to subscribers: 2-year subscription for $89 (equivalent to $5.41 per month) Annual subscription for $65 Monthly subscription for $9 per month Unlimited license for $129 Optimized for macOS Ventura, Peakto Search requires macOS 12 (Monterrey) or later and can fully leverage Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 chips. Peakto Search is compatible with Capture One Pro from version 20. Firmware update roundup: Fujifilm, Nikon, Sony and Panasonic You can read the entire article on DPReview.com Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #945, April 30, 2024. Today's theme is "It's the Shooting Experience, Not Image Quality." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Why do we choose the cameras that we do? Is it sensor size, megapixels, lens catalog, high-tech features, or something else altogether? I recently polled our Inner Circle Members about the brands they use and stick with. I found their responses illuminating, and thought that you might too. All of that, and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 945 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In It's the Shooting Experience, Not Image Quality Derrick Story riding the Verde Canyon Railroad. Photo by Steve Csoto. A recent conversation on the Inner Circle site centered around brand loyalty and what our photographers favor for cameras. I thought the comments were terrific, and I was enjoying each of them when I came across this thought by Rudiger Wolf: Olympus, Leica, Hasselblad, Apple all have unique uses and relevance. I'm finding the shooting experience is becoming more important to me than image quality. Each has a different shooting window (wildlife, portraits, macro, Astro, travel, sports, etc.). We are fortunate to have so many choices and options. Rudiger's comment seemed to have a many heads nodding in approval. Jim Kuzman followed up by writing: "Your comment about the shooting experience really resonates with me. I have some excellent lenses but I'm more inclined to trade ultimate image quality for a smaller, more compact, and ultimately more enjoyable setup that gets me 90% of the quality at 50% of the bulk and weight and 100% of the joy. Larry Borreson chimed in, "I have to agree. Each camera tends to lend itself to its own type of creativity." Michael Alford commented, "Fuji and OM Systems/Olympus. Main systems, but I also have a Lumix LX100. Then Nikon and Bronica for film, I agree with Ruddier that the shooting experience is more important than image quality, At least now that image quality is so high it hardly matters what you use." Forty-two percent of our audience have found the brand they like and are sticking with it. Another 42 percent are toggling between two brands depending on the task that's at hand. I started thinking about my own camera choices. It goes beyond brand for me into the actual camera model. I shoot Nikon for example, but not the more modern Z8 or Z9. I like the Zf. My favorite Olympus model is the PEN-F. And I adore the Fujifilm X100V, but an not interested at all in their X-S20 body. Along with Rudiger, Michael, Jim, and Larry, the shooting experience is my most important feature. And I don't know if this happens to you, but I can see just the picture of a new camera and right away know if I want to hold it in my hands. I remember testing the Nikon Z5 a few years ago. It was a perfectly capable camera, and I said so in my review. But after publishing those words, I promptly sent back my loaner, not even waiting for the full 30 day deadline. I just wasn't inspired with it. I tested other Nikons too. I was intrigued by the Zfc when it was released, thinking that we were going to become fast friends. I took my loaner on a camping trip in Mendocino County. I came home with lovely pictures. But the camera just didn't feel right in my hands. The retro design was sweet, but the shooting experience was off for me. I sent back my loaner after 30 days. More time passed and the Nikon Zf hit the market. Once again, B&H sent me a loaner right away. My first shoot with it was a haunted house assignment for a client. That's crazy depending on a brand new camera for a paying gig. But that's what I did. I never sent the Zf back. The shooting experience was amazing. And I was just as thrilled with its performance when I reviewed the images on my MacBook Pro. I hadn't felt that way since the X100V, and the PEN-F before that. All cameras these days produce good images. It's how you get there that seems to separate the winners from crowd. Sometimes photographers write about a lack of inspiration that strikes them. They don't feel inspired. They're out there experimenting. They feel in a rut. I'm not going to say that buying new gear with solve your creativity problems. But what I will say, is that when you have a camera that really lights you up, even the most mundane situations are fun. Sigma announces six APS-C lenses for Canon RF mount You can read the entire article on DPReview.com Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. AI Ex-Termination: Photoroom and OkCupid Delete Your Ex From Photos You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com Magnum Square Print Sale Exploring the theme Fable, the sale celebrates the symbiosis between visual and written narratives through a collaboration with three writers, who have composed stories and poetry inspired by a selection of images from the sale.? Each of the 85 images featured are available as signed or estate-stamped, museum-quality 6x6" prints online for one week only. ?You can learn more here. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #944, April 23, 2024. Today's theme is "Nikon 28-400mm Lens Review - Does It Measure Up?" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The specs seem almost too good to be true. The Nikon zoom has a focal length range of 28-400mm, yet it's compact and light. On the Z8, Z9, and Zf, it features Synchro VR, enabling 5.5 stops of stabilization. It has weather-sealed construction and close focusing. And it costs $1,296. How does it perform? Tune in to today's TDS Photography Podcast to find out. Plus an OM System Warning and ON1 Photo Raw 2024. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 944 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Nikon 28-400mm Lens Review - Does It Measure Up? When I mounted the brand new NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens on the Nikon Zf with SmallRig grip, I was surprised at how balanced the zoom felt on the camera. I could easily hold and shoot with one hand. The lack of bulk seemed unimaginable when considering that the focal range goes from a wide 28mm to a very long 400mm. If you're outside exploring the world, it's the only lens you would need that day. Let's start by taking a look at the specs. Full-Frame Coverage | f/4-8 to f/22-45 STM Autofocus Stepping Motor 5.5-Stop VR Image Stabilization with Synchro VR on Zf, Z8, and Z9; 5 stops with other Nikon cameras. Zoom lock switch prevents unintentional lens extension 21 Elements in 15 Groups 9-bladed diaphragm creates flattering bokeh Weather-Sealed Construction 77mm Filter Thread Compact square lens hood (included) reduces ghosting and allows zooming operation when inverted 7.9" minimum focusing distance at 28mm 5.6" long at wide angle and weighs just 1.6 pounds Focusing The STM stepping motor is very quiet and focuses quickly in good light. In low light, it's a tad slower. But this is not by any stretch of the imagination a low light lens. Build and Handling Amazing well balanced on a full-frame camera. When racking out the telephoto, lens extends to double its original length at 400mm. The Zoom Ring is nicely damped and large making it easy to grip. It's so large in fact that when the lens hood is reversed, there's still plenty of operating room. I really like the lock switch that prevents accidental extension of the lens barrel. The metal mount and weather sealing are excellent. The Control Ring is easy to find without having to look, and it can be programmed for a variety of functions including manual focusing, exposure compensation and aperture control. Image Quality Again, surprisingly good for a lens of this range. I tested at f/8 with settings of 28, 35, 50, 70, 105, 200, 300, and 400mm. I then viewed the Jpegs and RAWs at 100 percent in Capture One Pro. Center sharpness was excellent at all focal lengths. Some corner softness a extreme telephoto settings. Mild vignetting appeared at 105mm for the RAW files, but was not present in the Jpegs. There was no noticable CA. Overall, very strong performance. Bottom Line The NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens is a very good value at $1,296. If you're traveling and working outdoors, it can replace every lens in your bag dramatically lightening your load. You can keep the NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 pancake in your pocket just in case you run into a low light situation. And quite honestly, be in great shape with those two optics. I think the 28-400mm looks great on the Zf. It's easy to operate. And if you're in good light, it's hard to beat. Highly recommended. OM System Warns macOS Changes May Prevent You From Updating Your Camera You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. ON1 Photo Raw 2024 Is a Doozy and Gets Another Interim Update You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com A Few Notes from the Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop What a great time! I discuss the event in this segment of the podcast. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #943, April 16, 2024. Today's theme is "Riding Shotgun to Sedona." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue There are two facets to any road trip: How you think it will go and how it actually turns out. For the journey from Santa Rosa, CA to Sedona, AZ in my all-electric VW ID.4, I felt like I had a great plan. After all, this isn't my first EV rodeo. I've done two trips to Oregon for workshops, plus numerous adventures up and down the state. But I also know that every excursion takes on its own personality. Ride along with me to Sedona and let's experience it together. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 943 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Riding Shotgun to Sedona Tune-in to hear my on-the-road updates. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #942, April 9, 2024. Today's theme is "The Irresistible Roadtrip." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Ah, the convenience of modern commercial aviation - Just hop on a plane and within a few hours you have landed at your destination. Why would anyone spend the extra time and effort to drive there instead? Well, this photographer for one. And on today's TDS Photography Podcast I will explain why I'm driving to this year's Sedona Workshop instead of flying. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 942 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Irresistible Roadtrip My sister, her husband and their 12-year-old dog drove up from Southern California last week to hang out with us for a few days. Over dinner one night we were talking about the long drive up Interstate 5 and how they navigated the challenges. At one point my wife turned to me and asked, "So why are you driving all the way to Sedona for your workshop? Why don't you just fly there like we did last year?" It's a great question. For the October 2023 event, we drove to San Francisco, went through all the pre-boarding rigamarole, landed in Phoenix, rented a Crysler Pacifica, then began the journey north to Sedona. It was fine. But it did consume an entire day, I was limited on what I could bring to the workshop, and it was expensive. So since I still have free charging with Electrify America for my VW ID.4, I decided to drive to Sedona this second time around. First of all, it's free. I can bring whatever I want to the workshop. That means more cameras to choose from each day, plus my own food, portable refrigerator, more clothes, better gear for our labs, and no one herding me around like I'm a dairy cow. Second of all, I can take pictures along the way. Who knows what I will see or experience between Santa Rosa and Sedona? And when I arrive, I will have my own car packed with my stuff and better able to serve those who are attending the workshop. My wife's question is perfectly logical. Lots can go wrong on a road trip. But lots can go right too. I think photographers are different. Given the opportunity, we need to spread our wings beyond the confines of a fuselage. Even if a unique photo opp never presents itself, we want that possibility. We want stories to go with our pictures. In the end, my sister, her husband, and my wife understand why I must drive to Sedona this year. They know that even though I sometimes defy their logic, my logic is what makes me the intrepid artist. And they will greet me with open arms when I return. Next Week's Podcast - The Journey I'm going to document my trip to Sedona and share those ups and downs as next week's podcast. Be sure to tune in. YouTube CEO Says it is a Problem if OpenAI Scraped Videos for Sora You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. OM System's focus on the outdoors leaves door open for PEN You can read the entire article on DPReview.com Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #941, April 2, 2024. Today's theme is "Finally, Fast Transfer from SD Card to Smartphone" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue In theory, our mirrorless cameras and smartphones should be the best of mates. Together, they could provide the power and portability that we could only dream of a decade ago. But thanks to finicky WiFi mobile apps, transfers from camera to smartphones have been painful at best. Then, the EU stepped in. And everything changed. Find out how on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 941 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Finally, Fast Transfer from SD Card to Smartphone If I told you that you have everything you need right now for reliable, hassle-free transfers of RAWs and Jpegs from you mirrorless camera to your smartphone, would you believe me? If you've toiled with the wireless-enabled mobile apps from Canon, Nikon, Sony, FujiFilm, and OM System, you probably wouldn't. They're fine for Bluetooth functionality, such as geotagging our camera pictures, but they suck at robust transfer of pictures. I had pretty much given up on the whole thing until one day when I was gazing at the USB-C port on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. The port that replaced the Lightning connector by mandate of the EU. That same Lightning connector that I have various card readers for that for some unexplained reason doesn't work with my iPad which does have Lightning. I started thinking, what if I took my Kingston 1 TB card out of the Nikon Zf, put it in my Kingston SD card reader, and plugged it in to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It should work. And it does. And not only does it work, it works fast. So, what software could I use to manage the copying of photos from the SD card to the iPhone. It turns out, that the Apple Files app works great, as does Lightroom Mobile. Photos for iOS also has a direct import function, but it can't separate RAW/Jpeg bundles the way that Lightroom and Files can. So unless I'm shooting Jpeg only, I'll use Files or Lightroom for import. The basic process is easy. Remove the SD card from the camera, put it in the card reader, and connect the reader to the iPhone. Open the Files app on the iPhone and look for your SD card under Locations. In my case, it will read NIKON Z F. Tap on the SD card name to take you to the next screen. You will see one or more file folders there. Tap on the one that reads DCIM. Depending on how your camera sets up the file system, an additional folder may exist inside DCIM. Tap on it and your photos will be revealed. If you shoot RAW+Jpeg, you will see both versions of your pictures there. To choose the ones you want to copy to the iPhone, tap on the 3 dots in the upper right corner of the screen. Then tap on Select. Now, tap on the thumbnails of the pictures you want to copy to the device. They will be marked with a blue check. Tap on the Share button in the lower-left corner of the screen. Choose Save Images. The pictures are now copied to your camera roll on your iPhone and are accessible via Photos and other apps. Swipe up to close the Files app, disconnect the reader from your phone, and return the SD card to your camera. If you want to bypass the Files app and import from Lightroom Mobile directly, you can. Connect the SD card and tap on the blue import icon in the lower right corner of the Lightroom interface. Lightroom will ask you if you want to add photos from the Device (iPhone), Files (app), or Connected camera/card. Choose Connected camera/card, select the pictures you want, then tap the blue Import button at the bottom of the screen. You pictures will appear. Why would you want to use either of these methods for pictures from your mirrorless camera? It's really fast. And this becomes even more important if you have a lot of pictures on the memory card. It's dependable. No picture roulette with this workflow. The laptop can stay home. You don't need it! The smartphone is cloud connected. When you do get back to your computer, all of your pictures will be there. SD card readers are small. It fits in the coin pocket of my jeans. If you want to read about the entire workflow, complete with pictures, check out my free link to the article, Making the iPhone/Mirrorless Camera Connection on Live View. And thanks EU for finally making Apple put a USB-C connector on my iPhone. Huh? Pentax announces a new daguerreotype camera! This was my favorite April Fools story. You can read the entire article on Photofocus.com Ricoh/Pentax announced a daguerreotype camera, catching the film industry off guard. "It's 1830s specs, but with some modern touches," designer Takeo Suzuki stated via Instagram. While the video doesn't reveal many details or a launch date, Suzuki stated that the camera is in development. "We have wanted to embrace analog technology. The Film Camera Project was just stretching a bit and warming up. Pentax is now seriously throwing down." Pentax went on to say that their daguerreotype uses the same process as the original 1830s design. "Young people have increasingly shown interest in these kinds of cameras, and we want them to experience the joy that the early pioneering photographers felt." With traditional daguerreotype cameras, the photographer polished a silver-plated copper sheet until it was like a mirror. Then they zapped it with iodine and bromine vapors to make it light sensitive. After that, they inserted the sheet into the camera, where the exposure was made. The photographer then placed the exposed plate over heated mercury fumes until the image appeared. This produced a surprisingly detailed, one-of-a-kind image. Since the daguerreotype camera is still in development, Ricoh/Pentax offered few other details. However, they did state that they were exploring various materials. "The original wooden housings were often very large and cumbersome," Suzuki stated, "so we are exploring other materials, including innovative inflatable housings." The company also noted that they were looking into using heated fumes "other than mercury," noting that customers shouldn't breathe toxic fumes. Ricoh/Pentax is also looking at creating silver-plated copper sheets with wifi and Bluetooth connectivity so the photographer can upload their daguerreotype prints to social media easily. Happy April Fools! Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. Ricoh's New GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF Cameras Feature a Dreamy Filter You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com Ricoh Imaging has announced a pair of new cameras, the Ricoh GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF, that incorporate a newly developed highlight diffusion filter (HDF) to easily capture softer, dreamier photos. The HDF, which can be quickly enabled or disabled in a single action, has been developed using Ricoh's advanced inkjet technology "cultivated over the years," per Ricoh. The special-effect filter diffuses highlight areas and generates a blurring effect around the edge of the image, which Ricoh promises makes it possible to "produce images resembling those captured in film photography or vintage movies." It is perhaps no coincidence that Ricoh Imaging is making its popular GR III compact camera series deliver more analog-inspired images, given that Ricoh is working hard to ship its Pentax film camera this summer. Vintage aesthetics are definitely in right now as photographers look to capture photos with more character and style. "The Ricoh GR III HDF and Ricoh GR IIIx HDF inherit the fundamental merits of our GR series -- exceptional image quality, flawless point-and-shoot operation and outstanding portability," says Ken Curry, president, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation. "The new GR HDF models give users a new creative option that expands the visual boundaries of snapshot photography." The "exceptional image quality" part is important, as when the HDF is disabled, the GR III HDF and GR IIIx HDF are identical to the existing models, meaning they promise sharp, detailed 24.2-megapixel images captured with 28mm f/2.8 and 40mm f/2.8 equivalent lenses, respectively. Given that there is little to differentiate between the HDF and regular GR III cameras, Ricoh has changed the shutter release button on the HDF versions to a dark silver. The default setting of the Fn (function) button has also been changed, with it controlling the on/off setting for the HDF itself on the new cameras. Ricoh has also added the ability to pre-program three white-balance settings as the base white balance for the new models. This will be available to regular GR III and GR IIIx owners via a free firmware update as soon as the HDF versions hit the market. There is also a new Zone Select AF setting. Since the new models incorporate the new highlight diffusion filter, they no longer include the neutral density (ND) filter mode. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #940, March 26, 2024. Today's theme is "Getting Serious About Portable Power." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Cameras, laptops, drones, lighting - they all require power, and sometimes all at once. When we're at home, it's just a matter of finding enough outlets. But on the road, that can be more challenging in motel rooms. And if you're sharing space with someone, they're probably saying, "Hey, where do I plug my phone in?" And then, how about out in the field? Yes, we all need power, regardless of where we are. And this week, I'm going to tell you how to get it. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 940 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Getting Serious About Portable Power I started on this project years ago. As soon as I realized that I would need watts and watts of power on the road, I began looking for solutions. At first, there were small, pocket-sized power banks with USB-A outlets. They were fine for topping off my iPhone, but they weren't powerful enough for multiple iPad recharges or even camera batteries. But I packed one or two anyway, just in case I found myself in a pinch. Then, in the summer of 2021, I bought a Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Station and a companion SolarSaga 100W solar panel. My road trips were suddenly improved. The Explorer 300 could power up to 6 devices at once via USB-A, USB-C, 12V carport, and two 110V AC outlets. I was able to power my laptop, recharge camera batteries, and keep all of my mobile devices topped off. If I was camping, I could use the solar panel to refuel the Explorer 300, feeling like I had endless energy regardless of my location. Everything changes with power. Now I had plenty of campsite lighting at night. I could ditch the ice chest and replace it with a portable refrigerator, and I could work and play the way I wanted, not worrying about draining little batteries that I couldn't refuel. For workshops, I could ditch the cumbersome extension cords and let participants plug their laptops into the Explorer 300. This worked so well, that I bought a second unit for more flexibility. And if motel rooms hid their only available outlet behind a 200 pound dresser, I didn't care. I would grab the Explorer 300 from the car and keep on chargin'. Like I said earlier, everything changed. Not Just for the Road When I returned to the studio, I would put everything away until my next road trip. That was fine, but it seemed like a missed opportunity. I had a south-facing sliding door that opened to my patio there, and it received hours of potent sunlight most of the year. Why not put that solar panel and power station to work? After all, I'm using solar panels on the roof at home, and my electricity bill is practically non-existent. I expanded my system a little bit, and power generation evolved from a convenience on the road to a hobby. With just a few adjustments at the studio, I was able to reduce my energy consumption by 30 percent from the grid. I'd set the solar panel out in the morning and connect it to a Jackery power station (1 minute), then charge all of my devices, laptop, lamps, and even TV from my mini power station. To give you an idea of the draw I needed, here's a list of my common devices now running off solar. Nikon Zf - 9 watts to charge. OM System OM-1 - 9 watts to charge. iPad mini - 11 watts to charge. MacBook Pro 14.2" M1 - 85 watts to power. Desk Lamp with LED bulb - 15 watts to power. LCD TV - 90 watts to power. Stereo System - 35 watts to power. Occilating Fan - 25 watts to power. BODEGAcooler Mini 12V Portable Freezer P8 - 35 watts to run. With just a couple power stations and 100 watt panel, I could maintain all of these devices without ever having to plug them into the wall. And if there was a power outage, I have my entire backup system designed and ready to go. Better Technology, More Power Recently, Jackery introduced the Explorer 300 Plus with an array of improvements including lithium iron phosphate batteries (LFP), faster charging times, improved LCD display, WiFi, Bluetooth, a companion mobile app, and more control over the settings of the unit - all for about the same price as the original Explorer 300. The new LFP battery has a longer lifespan, safe nature, and high efficiency. The battery is comprised of four main components: a positive electrode, a negative electrode, an electrolyte, and lithium iron phosphate (LFP). They can charge and discharge between 2000 to 4000 times before losing 30 percent of their original capacity. And they have a low self-discharge rate, meaning they do not lose the stored charge when kept in ideal conditions. The two current Jackery Power Stations that I recommend for photographers are the Explorer 300 Plus ($299 before discount) - 288 Wh, 3,000 charge cycles, 300 W maximum output - and the Explorer 1000 Plus Portable Power Station ($999 before discounts) - 1,264 Wh, 4,000 charge cycles, 2,000 W output with 4,000 W peak. My favorite solar panel is the SolarSaga 100 W ($299 before discounts). It's very easy to transport, folds in half so it fits in the back of the car, has a high efficiency, and even includes USB-A and USC-C ports so you can charge directly off the panel if you don't have a power station. More Resources I've published Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Review - Power Your Roadtrips that features lots of pictures and real-life experiences, including my solar setup when camping. Jackery almost always has a good sale going. But if there's something you want that isn't on sale, use code: JADEAL for a 10 percent discount. I have a Jackery ad tile in the second column of TheDigitalStory.com that includes the discount code. Just click on the tile to take you over to their site. I've tested other power generators too. And I'll be publishing reviews on TheDigitalStory. But Jackery is my favorite. High-quality materials, great design, trouble-free, and easy to use. Their tech support is good. And they provide you with extended warranties when you buy on their site. Final Thoughts It's a wonderful feeling to be energy-independent. I feel like I can road trip anywhere, and be just fine if the grid goes down. And in this age of power-hungry devices, you can save money as well in the long run. Fujifilm US cancels suspicious X100VI Limited Edition orders. How to order the camera You can read the entire story on DPReview.com. Photographing the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse You can read the entire story on LensRentals.com. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #939, March 19, 2024. Today's theme is "Photography's Most Powerful Teacher: Failure." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The idea of what is successful and what isn't has been swimming around my head lately. I'm sure a big part of it was our Photo Critique Workshop that just wrapped up. Those discussions about how we view our pictures versus the reactions to them by others were fascinating. So I decided to share a story with you about the secret to good photography. All of this, and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 939 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Adobe interview: 'we're not trying to trick anyone with AI' You can read the entire story on AmateurPhotographer.com. How Nikon and Agence France-Presse in Paris Are Seeking To Ensure Authenticity in Photojournalism You can read the entire story on FStoppers.com. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #938, March 12, 2024. Today's theme is "So Much Photography News This Week!." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Nikon buys RED, Lensrentals gobbles up Borrowlenses, the Princess of Wales gets caught with a sloppy Photoshop job, and a lot more - What a week in the news! So much so, that we are dedicating this week's podcast to the breaking stories in the photography world. Stay tuned! I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 938 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In This Week's Top Photography Stories Nikon to Acquire RED in Surprise Announcement on FStoppers.com. Actually, LENSRENTALS Won't Be Acquiring Employees from BORROWLENSES on ThePhoblographer.com. Edited Royal Family photo sparks major controversy on AmateurPhotographer.com 'Oppenheimer' Cinematographer Urges Filmmakers to Shoot on Analog in Oscars Speech on PetaPixel.com Has Leica just made its best camera ever? on DigitalCameraWorld.com Nikon's Z9 slated to go to the moon in 2026 on DPReview.com. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #937, March 5, 2024. Today's theme is "Film Simulations - Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Your first thought may be, "Why do I care about film simulations?" And that's fair if what you are after is the standard Jpeg processing included with your camera. But since electronic viewfinders can present a view of the world with our settings applied, film simulations can lead the way to more creative photography. I will explain more in the first story of this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 937 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Film Simulations - Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain The announcement of the new Fujifilm X100 VI with its 20 film simulations seems to have re-energized this conversation. Being a fan of these myself, I thought it would be worth a few minutes of our time. Basically, film simulations are merely alternative Jpeg processing formulas. Camera manufacturers have their default recipes, which are excellent, but if you want to get creative there are alternatives. These really became popular with mirrorless cameras because the EVFs allowed us to preview the effect of any film simulation we had applied. Often this encourages creativity. And they are just plain fun. Nearly every camera has a way to apply these. Fujifilm includes a library of simulations developed with their color science built right into the camera. Nikon also has their versions of this, called Picture Controls. They include their own, and then leave 9 slots open for you to add your own. Currently I'm using a set developed by an independent site called Nikon Picture Control Editor. I use these on my Olympus cameras as well. Just like the other brands, OM System includes different looks built into the camera. But, you also have access to all of the controls required to create your own recepies. Rob Trek Online, for example, has published some Fujifilm recipies that you can apply to your OM System camera. You can also apply film looks in post production. Adobe, DxO, Capture One, Photomator, RAW Power, and ON1 all have film looks available. Tips for Film Simulation Shoot RAW+Jpeg. The RAW will be RAW and the Jpeg will reflect the film simulation. Note in your metadata descriptions the film simulation you used. These are not typically captured by the camera. I'm building an album in Capture One Pro that shows all of the film simulations that I'm using for the Nikon Zf. You can always return to the camera manufacturer's profile in post. In Capture One Pro, for example, the Base Characteristics panel will let me switch back to a Nikon ICC profile if I decide I don't like the film simulation I used while shooting. You can see the differences if you switch back and forth between the RAW version (which will have a native camera profile) and the Jpeg version (which will show the film simulation). I find this comparison very instructive. Bottom Line Film simulations, one way or another, can be enjoyed with any mirrorless camera. I love the looks they create, both in B&W and color. With my Nikon Zf, I have seven different B&W simulations to choose from - 3 native, and 4 added. And they are all very different. The New Film Camera from Pentax is a Half Frame Compact You can read the entire article on CasualPhotoPhile.com. Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. Best Micro Four Thirds lenses in 2024 You can read the entire article on AmateurPhotographer.com Nikon Says It is 'Passionate' About Providing Firmware Updates You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #936, Feb. 27, 2024. Today's theme is "Is Something Really Wrong, or Is It Me?" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Even people who use electronics all the time can be baffled by them. You turn it on, get a warning light, and wonder, "Is something really wrong, or is it me?" It could go either way. And it's hard not to jump to conclusions. I've had a rash of these experiences lately. And I'll share a couple of them with you, if for no other reason, to demonstrate that we all fall into this trap. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 936 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Is Something Really Wrong, or Is It Me? I do admit, I push the envelope sometimes, especially if I can save a few dollars. In my mind, I am the king of repurposing. And for the most part, this works well for me. But every now and then I trip on my own shoelaces. My latest folly, which I have to admit makes me laugh at myself, is a story about the Nikon Zf, which comes with one battery and no charger. We all know that a happening photographer can not survive on one battery alone. And to buy a second would tack on $60 to the budget. So I examined an extra battery I already owned, the Nikon EN-EL15 that came with my aging D610 DSLR. It looked just like the EN-EL15c that came with the Zf with just a little less horsepower. And sure enough, when I inserted the EL15 into the Zf, everything worked normally. Problem solved! I checked this substitution online and Nikon officially states that the EL15 was not supported in the Zf. But it was working great. And to make things even better, the Nikon Battery Charger MH-25 that was also included with the D610 charged both the old and the new Nikon batteries. I was in frugal heaven. Life has been good since this discovery. I have two batteries for the Zf, and that's all I need for my everyday photography. I keep the newer one in the camera and pack the older one as a backup. Then on a Saturday Theresa and I had some errands out in wine country. The rain had subsided, and the forecast was fantastic. "I'm bringing the Nikon," I said to myself. I didn't have the battery charger at home. It was at the studio. "No problem," I thought. I can charge the Zf via a USB-C cable. So I dug around in my bag, found a nice substantial one, and connected the camera to a power source. The charging light started blinking, continued for 30 seconds, then went dark. "Hmmm," I thought. "Seems like it should stay on while charging." I checked the LCD screen and noticed that it was not charging. "That's odd," I thought. I'll try again. Same thing happened. 30 seconds of blinking then nothing. My next thought was shrouded in darkness. "Oh no! I have a defective camera." I took a deep breath. "Now hold on there cowboy. It's probably something simple. Maybe it's the cord or the power brick." So, I found another cord and another brick. Same result. I tried yet another tandem. No charge. At this point I had the contents of my equipment bag spread all over the couch, and a battery that was only 40 percent charged. When all else fails, read the owners manual. I found the PDF on my iPad and looked up charging. There was a note that stated when the light blinks for 30 seconds and goes out, it's a charging error. Excellent. I have the only Nikon Zf in California that won't charge via USB. I felt defeated. I repacked the contents of my cord pouch and stuffed it back in the backpack. "Might as well tidy up," I thought. Then I poured myself another cup of coffee and pondered my situation. "Why won't it work? Is it really broken?" Then I thought of one last-ditch effort. What if I switched batteries and tried charging the backup? Who know, right? I fetched the backup battery out of my backpack and switched it out with the one in the camera. Plugged everything ink, and waited. The charge light went on, and it was steady. I checked the LCD screen and it too indicated that the camera was charging. I was partially relieved. I examined the battery that I had extracted from the camera; the one that one not charge. It looked fine. Then I noticed on the back of the battery that I was trying to charge the older EL-15, not the battery that came with the camera. I must have forgotten that I switched them. Then my charging light went on. The Nikon was charging because it had the battery in it that came with the camera, not the 5-year-old cell that wasn't supported. I guess that charging via USB involves more than just the camera, but the battery too. Nothing was wrong with my equipment. It was me. Photomator 3.3 Adds a Powerful New File Browser to the Photo Editor You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com. Pixelmator has released a significant update to Photomator, its award-winning photo editing app for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro. Photomator 3.3 includes a powerful new file browser built on native macOS functionality, promising a fast and convenient photo browsing and editing experience, no matter where photographers keep their files. "One of the things that users love most about Photomator is how right at home it feels on Mac," says Simonas Bastys, lead developer at the Pixelmator Team. "And with the addition of the powerful file browser, it's now simpler than ever to browse and edit photos not just on Mac but also across external drives and cloud services." Pixelmator says users can import "tens of thousands of photos in seconds" by dragging and dropping them into the new Photomator file browser. Edits are directly synced with the original photos without creating duplicate files or catalogs, helping photographers keep their large image libraries organized and clutter-free. "Users can seamlessly edit photos stored across various cloud services such as Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive, as well as SSDs, NAS devices, or SD cards, with the same ease as editing on their Mac. Regardless of the storage location, photo editing is completely nondestructive, letting users preserve the original photo and revert edits at any time," promises Pixelmator. Photomator is available to download for free from the Apple App Store. Within the free version, users can access all of the app's editing tools and save a limited number of edited images. For unlimited access, users must pay $5 per month, $30 a year, or $120 for a lifetime license. Photomator is compatible with devices running iOS and iPadOS 16 or later for iPhone and iPad and macOS 13 or later for Mac. The photo editing app was also named the Mac App of the Year last November by Apple. My Testing Observations Does work well and is fast. When it comes to RAW files, however, Photomator uses the Apple profiles. So if your Mac doesn't support a camera, such as my Nikon Zf, then neither will Photomator. Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. Announcement: The Original OM-1 Has a Major Performance Firmware Upgrade [Coming] You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com OM Digital Solutions has been working on a firmware upgrade for their original OM-1. They announced the OM SYSTEM OM-1 Mark II interchangeable lens camera on January 30, and there have been many inquiries regarding the possibility of a firmware update to the OM SYSTEM OM-1 that was released nearly two years ago. Not every feature of the new OM-1 Mark II will be included in the older camera with this firmware upgrade, no doubt because the Mark II version included new hardware to cope with the additional functionality. However, they are living up to their promise of updating the OM-1. The future firmware upgrade is scheduled to be available later this year, most likely in October. The improvements that will be brought about by the update will be: Autofocus: Improvement of some AF performance capabilities, such as S-AF and C-AF in all-target mode to improve capture of main subjects Operability: Improved usability through the option to assign the trash (delete) button as a menu access shortcut. OMDS says it cannot include new features introduced with the OM-1 Mark II, such as Live GND - the in-built graduated filter - and AI Detection AF for humans. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #935, Feb. 20, 2024. Today's theme is "How Do I Pick My Best Shot? (And the New Fujifilm X100VI)" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Breaking news! The Fujifilm X100VI. And... photographers tend to be too hard on themselves, or way too generous when evaluating their pictures. But there's a middle ground. To reach it, we need to honestly answer a few basic questions during the review process. In the first segment of today's TDS Photography Podcast, I'll let you know what those are, and how they can help you make better choices when selecting your images. Then we take you to Tokyo for the Fujifilm X-Summit. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 935 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In How Do I Pick My Best Shot? Have you ever opened up your laptop to show off a favorite picture, one that you worked very hard on, only to have the viewer rave about a different shot that you had passed by? "But I worked hours on this one to get it perfect!" you counter. "Oh, that one is nice too," the viewer says in a comforting voice. Photographers have many blind spots when evaluating their own work. One of the most common is, "If I spend lots of time working on a picture, it's better than the others." That may or may not be the case. But how do you know? You can move the odds more in your favor by analyzing your favorite photos using this process. It goes something like this. Let's apply this technique to a photo shoot you've just completed. First, you have to separate the good shots from the bad ones. This is easy to do. Say that you have 100 images from the shoot, odds are solid that at least 25 of them will be good. That means they could stand on their own with very little image editing. Second, put the good photos in their own album so you are only looking at those. Third, go through those 25 again and pick the 5-10 pictures that you like best. So far, we haven't really done anything new. But we will with the next step. Fourth, isolate those 5-10 favorites, enlarge the first one to full screen, and ask yourself the following 3 questions. Is the content of this photograph compelling? What I mean by that is, is there a clear center of interest and does it tell a story? Is the image technically sound? That is, is the exposure good and the sharpeness appropriate for the subject? Is there emotional appeal? Do you feel something when you look at the picture? Your best images will answer yes to all three questions. One of the things I've observed during lab sessions at our TDS workshops is that many photographers give too much weight to technical considerations and not enough to content and emotion. The irony is, if we had to live without one of the three, it would be the technical. Photos that have interesting content with emotional appeal will always outshine technically perfect images with general audiences. Once a person identifies your main subject and is attracted to it, the game is over. Pixel peepers may criticize image noise or a plugged-up shadow area, but if they are ignoring a great subject in the process, then they're missing the point. Try this four-step process on a recent photo shoot, and see if you're surprised by the winners. Maybe next time you open up your laptop to show off a picture, it will also be the favorite for the person you're showing it too. If you want more on this subject, check out my Live View article, How to Better Evaluate Our Pictures. This is a free link! Fujifilm X100VI Announced at X-Summit Tokyo Fujifilm photographers have their first X-Summit of the year on Feb. 20th in Japan. And they didn't have to wait long for the announcement of the new X100VI Digital Camera. The estimated ship date is Feb. 28, but you can preorder the X100VI now for $1,599. On today's podcast, you can hear directly from Fujifilm about their new compact camera. Infrared Photography Workshop - Online - June 2024 Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Beginning June 5, 2024, join us for this 4-week exploration into the world of IR. During this event, you will learn: The best IR filter to start with. How to test your existing digital camera for infrared sensitivity. Learn about the different types of IR conversions for digital cameras. See how different IR filters produce wildly different results. Learn how to fine-tune your images with software you already own. Discover advanced techniques to take your images to the next level. And much, much more. This online workshop (Zoom) begins on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, with both morning (9am PST) and evening sessions (4pm PST) available. We will convene weekly thereafter via Zoom for more training sessions (AM and PM), Q&A, and to compare notes. You can attend morning, evening, or both sessions. It's essentially the same content, just different participants. It is so much fun. Plus, you will have unlimited access to our online workshop community, DerrickStoryOnline. Here, you can mingle with other workshop participants (past and present), share images for comment, exchange tips and techniques, and enjoy the fellowship of other creatives who share your passion for image-making. You can reserve your spot for the Infrared Online Workshop here. Apple warns: Drying a wet iPhone in rice could actually make things worse You can read the entire article on Macworld.com For years, we've turned to a simple household staple when we need to save our iPhones from a liquid death: a bag of rice. The method is decidedly low-tech. Just pop your phone in a bag of rice, seal it up, and wait for a day or so. The idea is that the rice will draw the water out from inside the phone before it can fry any internal parts. People who have experienced waterlogged phones swear by it, and there's tons of anecdotal evidence to show that it does indeed work. However, researchers have been claiming for years that it's all a myth and rice doesn't actually dry your phone faster and could slow down the process, leaving your logic board susceptible to further damage. And a new 2024 support document from Apple actually advises against using rice to dry out your iPhone since it could make matters worse, as "doing so could allow small particles of rice to damage your iPhone." Instead, Apple suggests the following steps: Tap your iPhone gently against your hand with the connector facing down to remove excess liquid. Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow. After at least 30 minutes, try charging with a Lightning or USB-C cable or connecting an accessory. If you see the alert again, there is still liquid in the connector or under the pins of your cable. Leave your iPhone in a dry area with some airflow for up to a day. You can try again to charge or connect an accessory throughout this period. It might take up to 24 hours to fully dry. If your phone has dried out but still isn't charging, unplug the cable from the adapter and unplug the adapter from the wall (if possible) and then connect them again. Among the don'ts, Apple also urges against drying your iPhone with an external heat source or compressed air, or inserting a "foreign object," such as a cotton swab or a paper towel, into the Lightning or USB-C port. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #934, Feb. 13, 2024. Today's theme is "The Temptation of Cheap Third Party Lenses." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue It's hard to resist the siren call of super-affordable Chinese-made optics. For the price of a polarizer, we can fill gaps in our lens library that we might not otherwise be able to afford. But even at a modest price, do these accessories provide the quality we need for our work? The answer is "yes," and "no." Find out why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 934 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Temptation of Cheap Third Party Lenses There are lenses that we use all of the time - 24mm, 40mm, 85mm - and lenses that we use every now and then. For our everyday work, I recommend sticking with optics that we know we can depend on, usually manfactured by the camera brand they are being mounted on. But what about those lenses we only use some of the time? Should we pay a premium for those as well? I was looking for a super-wide for the Nikon Zf. I wanted an optic that could cover more ground than my current 24mm. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 20mm S with a maximum aperture of f/1.8 has an overall rating of 4.9 and costs $1,046. It is 4.27" long and weighs just over a pound. It uses a 77mm front filter. The Viltrox 20mm Z has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, no star ratings yet on Amazon, and costs $158. It is 2.7" long, weighs 6.1 ounces, and uses a 52mm front filter. Lens construction differences between the two optics are different, but not as much as you might think. The Viltrox has 10 elements in 8 groups with 7 aperture blades. The Nikon has 14 elements in 11 groups with 9 aperture blades. Both optics have quiet AF and manual focus, and nano multilayer coating on the elements. And both work well on the Nikon Zf. We know that the Nikon 20mm performs well. But what about the Viltrox? I did a little testing with it mounted on the Nikon Zf. Here's what I found. Autofocusing was quiet and smooth. Feels a tad slower than the Nikon, but very much in the acceptable range. Sharpness was very good across the entire frame at f/5.6 and above. At f/2.8 and f/4 sharpness was good, but not as crisp in the corners. Strong vignetting apparent at f/2.8. The effect diminished at f/4 and above. Close-up performance (7.5") is quite good. Lens flare and CA were well controlled. So, right out of the camera, the Viltrox doesn't compete well against the Nikon. It's a stop slower, doesn't focus as fast, and doesn't perform its best wide open. But I worked the files a bit in Capture One Pro. Here's what I did. In Lens Correction, I selected the Nikon AF 20mm f/2.8 D profile. In that same panel, I increased sharpness and compensated for Light Falloff. In the Base Characteristics panel, I used the Nikon Zf Neutral profile. I then processed the image normally including a little devignetting. The finished RAW file looked very good. The bottom line here is if you're willing to spend a little time in post-processing massaging the RAW files, you can get good results from the Viltrox 20mm f/2.8. And if you only need a super wide on occasion, then the extra time might be worth it. However, if you want premium image quality and handling, then the Nikon Z is the superior way to go. The Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 is available in both Nikon Z and Sony E mounts for $158. Fujifilm and Skylum are Hosting 50 Free Photo Walks Across the U.S. You can read the entire article at Petapixel.com. Skylum, the company behind the Luminar Neo editing platform, and Fujifilm have partnered to host 50 free photo walks across the United States, giving photographers a chance to not only see their local cities in a new light but also try out new Fujifilm gear. The two companies say that this "experimental" new program was developed to inspire photographers to explore various metropolitan cities through their camera lenses on a series of guided photo walks where they will be surrounded by a like-minded community. As part of the experience, participants will be able to try out Fujifilm's latest cameras and lenses and get face-to-face time with personnel from both companies. "At almost every event in which Fujifilm participates, we look for an opportunity to integrate photo walks" Victor Ha, vice president of the Fujifilm North America Corporation, Electronic Imaging Division says. "We see photo walks as incredibly important pieces of the creative process. They're not only a way to build camaraderie among creators, but also to allow them to make compelling images and content in real-world settings. We're excited to collaborate with Luminar Neo on these photo walks and to give local creators the tools needed to share ideas, expertise, and stories with each other, and the world." The two companies say that regardless of skill level, these photo walks offer a unique chance to improve skills and also connect with the local community. The first photo walks are scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Dallas, and Salt Lake City in March and the rest will take place throughout the month in cities like Portland, San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, Austin, Clearwater, Detroit, and many others. The full schedule of events can be found on a dedicated Eventbrite page where registration is free. The company says more locations will be added over the next few days. Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop April 16-19, 2024 - TDS photographers return to the greater Sedona, AZ area, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kick off our 2024 workshop season! You can learn more and reserve your spot by clicking here. Hope to see you in April! The OM-1 Mark II: More Camera Than First Meets the Eye You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com The OM-1 Mark II has certainly caused a stir. Here's a deep dive into what this camera is all about and why it's another winner and a bigger upgrade than you might first think. Special Features of the OM-1 Mark II Upgraded: High Res Shot This feature takes a series of photos in quick succession and combines them into a single 80-megapixel raw file and JPEG, now with the option of the raw file being 14-bit. That gives three times the number of tones in the image. There is a handheld 50-megapixel version too, taking advantage of the image stabilization. Upgraded: Live ND Shooting Saving you from carrying ND filters with you for long exposures, Live ND is an ND filter built into the camera. The OM-1 Mark II now gives up to seven stops, i.e., ND128. Although useful on its own, reducing the amount of gear you need to carry, it can be used in conjunction with an ND filter on your lens, delivering exceptionally long exposures even in bright daylight. New: Live GND Shooting As an alternative to Live ND, it's now possible to have one, two, or three stops of graduated ND filter applied to raw files and JPEGs by the camera. There are three levels of feathering of the graduation: soft, medium, and hard. You can also change the angle of the graduation. Upgraded: Pro Capture and Blackout-Free Shooting One of the huge upgrades of this camera is the doubling of the buffer size. If you are not aware of it, Pro Capture continuously buffers images and records the most recent of them when you press the shutter button. With continuous autofocus, the buffering is happening at 50 frames per second (fps), and it will buffer 256 frames. That's 5 seconds' worth of images. In that way, you should never miss a shot when a bird takes to the wing or when the bride kisses the groom. With single autofocus, the camera records a staggering 120 fps and will buffer 213 shots. The camera also has improved blackout-free sequential shooting. Upgraded and New: AI Subject Detection Focusing Another great option for wildlife photographers is the AI Subject Detection. I have found this excellent for detecting partially hidden birds, obscured by twigs and branches, and for latching onto birds in flight with cluttered backgrounds. You can now also select individual subjects in crowded scenes. That's not only great for wildlife photographers but also events and wedding photographers, especially as Human Detection has been added. Furthermore, they are all accessible in the same place on the Super Control Panel, which gives quick access to important features. I haven't tried the vehicular options, but the bird, animal, and the new human detection are outstandingly fast and precise. Conclusion: Like its predecessor, the OM-1 Mark II is a camera that has continued to break the mold; it's definitely not a clone of every other camera out there, and it's good to see that OMDS are sticking to their guns and providing a product with features that tick the boxes of its user base. Consequently, it's already proving to be a popular choice. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #933, Feb. 6, 2024. Today's theme is "Documenting What Makes You, You." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue We have many more dimensions than most folks realize. Yes, in this community, we know each other for our photography. But each of us has far more going on than taking pictures. And we can use that skill to document - and share if we wish - the other areas of our life. Combining our love for photography with the things we enjoy. I will discuss one such example regarding me on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 933 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Documenting What Makes You, You I have lemon trees. Yes, multiple. At the studio, I have a miniature in a wine barrel on the back patio that is wildly prolific and produces the most delicious Meyers. At the house, we have two more small trees. And they seem happy as well. So this time of year I find myself up to my hip boots in fruit. I have already perfected the art of homemade lemonade using Xylitol as the sweetener. Delicious. Theresa incorporates our bounty into a variety of entrees that enhance their appeal. And yet, there are still more lemons. So I searched the Internet for interesting things to do with our harvest. And I stumbled upon a recipe for making Limoncello, an Italian liqueur traditionally served chilled as an after-dinner digestive. "That sounds good," I thought. So I endeavored to make a California version with my Meyers. The basic recipe involves soaking the lemon peels in grain alcohol for a few weeks, then straining, and finally adding simple syrup to sweeten. Limoncello is kept in the freezer and served in petite after-dinner liquor glasses. Now even though the basic recipe is simple, the proportions are very important. And being the type of guy who strives for the best Limoncello west of the Atlantic, I document everything I do as I evolve the recipe. This is where the documentation comes into play. For example: the first batch used 600 ML of Everclear 120 proof grain alcohol, the peels from 12 medium to medium-small Meyer lemons, and finished with 275 ML of homemade simple syrup. But without photographs to accompany my documentation, how do I know in the future what a medium-small lemon looks like? How much peel from each lemon? How do I filter the concoction after infusion? And on and on. So with each step, I photograph what's happening and label those images as part of Batch 1. And this part is as enjoyable as making the Limoncello itself. During the weeks required for infusion, I'm on the hunt for cute bottles that would be appropriate for such a delicacy. And since I'm going to be making lemonade with the juice of those lemons, I need to gather all those parts as well. This past Sunday, on a stormy day in Northern California, I finished the first batch, carefully placed the bottles in the freezer, and we sampled the finished product after dinner. Amazing! The second batch is already underway. For reference, I have photos of every step from version 1 to accompany my precise measurements. I love the pictures almost as much as the drink itself. So by now, you've probably figured out that I'm a hobby mixologist. I've created my own drinks from scratch, and have been able to copy others just by tasting them. I can now add Limoncello to my resume. And I have the pictures to prove it. Capture One Lays Off Staff Amid a 'Significant' Internal Restructure You can read the entire article at Petapixel.com. Capture One is undergoing what it characterizes as "significant changes" internally which has resulted in an unspecified number of layoffs at the company. It is at least the second round of turnover since it announced it was switching to a subscription model. PetaPixel first learned of the layoffs last week, but the company only confirmed them this morning. "Last Monday we made an internal announcement about significant changes for the Capture One team. These are not actions we take lightly and the people that were affected by them were treated with respect and empathy," Capture One tells PetaPixel. "Although we have nothing specific to announce today, as the photography industry continues to evolve and we at Capture One make progress with our strategy as a standalone company, we're implementing changes that align our investments with the areas where we're seeing increases in customer satisfaction and traction with our users. "These changes are difficult, but we're confident they position us better to advance in our mission to provide professional photographers with the most powerful creative and collaboration tools." The company did not provide details on how many were affected, but PetaPixel has learned that a significant portion of the communications team has been let go. Of note, this is the second time in the last year this particular team has been gutted. Not long after the announcement that the company would be moving to a subscription-only model, most of the public-facing communications team was let go. Around this time, Capture One also ended its contracts with external public relations support. It is not clear at this time what kind of internal restructure the company is going through or its scale beyond the Capture One's own use of the word "significant," but the last year has been difficult for the company as it has grappled with widespread pushback in response to its announcement that it would move away from perpetual software licenses. It didn't help that the company made the announcement not long after it concluded a 50% off sale on perpetual licenses, leaving buyers feeling as though they had been bait and switched. The move to a subscription model came with the promise that current customers would be rewarded for their loyalty, but details of that program later revealed it to just be a one-time discount, further raising the hackles of customers. Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop April 16-19, 2024 - TDS photographers return to the greater Sedona, AZ area, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kick off our 2024 workshop season! You can learn more and reserve your spot by clicking here. Hope to see you in April! 'There is no such thing as a real picture': Samsung defends AI photo editing on Galaxy S24 You can read the entire article on techradar.com Like most technology conferences in recent months, Samsung's latest Galaxy Unpacked event was dominated by conversations surrounding AI. From two-way call translation to gesture-based search, the Samsung Galaxy S24 launched with several AI-powered tricks up its sleeve - but one particular feature is already raising eyebrows. Set to debut on the Galaxy S24 and its siblings, Generative Edit will allow users to artificially erase, recompose and remaster parts of an image in a bid to achieve photographic perfection. This isn't a new concept, and any edits made using this generative AI tech will result in a watermark and metadata changes. But the seamlessness with which the Galaxy S24 enables such edits has understandably left some Unpacked-goers concerned. Samsung, however, is confident that its new Generative Edit feature is ethical, desirable and even necessary in today's misinformation-filled world. In a revealing interview with TechRadar, Samsung's Head of Customer Experience, Patrick Chomet, defended the company's position on AI and its implications. "There was a very nice video by Marques Brownlee last year on the moon picture," Chomet told us. "Everyone was like, 'Is it fake? Is it not fake?' There was a debate around what constitutes a real picture. And actually, there is no such thing as a real picture. As soon as you have sensors to capture something, you reproduce [what you're seeing], and it doesn't mean anything. There is no real picture. You can try to define a real picture by saying, 'I took that picture', but if you used AI to optimize the zoom, the autofocus, the scene - is it real? Or is it all filters? There is no real picture, full stop." "But still, questions around authenticity are very important," Chomet continued, "and we [Samsung] go about this by recognizing two consumer needs; two different customer intentions. Neither of them are new, but generative AI will accelerate one of them. "One intention is wanting to capture the moment - wanting to take a picture that's as accurate and complete as possible. To do that, we use a lot of AI filtering, modification and optimization to erase shadows, reflections and so on. But we are true to the user's intention, which was to capture that moment. "Then there is another intention, which is wanting to make something. When people go on Instagram, they add a bunch of funky black and white stuff - they create a new reality. Their intention isn't to recreate reality, it's to make something new. So [Generative Edit] isn't a totally new idea. Generative AI tools will accelerate that intention exponentially in the next few years [...] so there is a big customer need to distinguish between the real and the new. That's why our Generative Edit feature adds a watermark and edits the metadata, and we're working with regulatory bodies to ensure people understand the difference." On the subject of AI regulation, Chomet said that Samsung "is very aligned with European regulations on AI," noting that governments are right to express early concerns around the potential implications of widespread AI use. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #932, Jan. 30, 2024. Today's theme is "A First Look at the OM System OM-1 Mark II." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Just in case you were wondering, OM System is not sitting on its laurels with the OM-1 that was released in March 2022. They've followed up their compact marvel with the Mark II. And on today's podcast, I'm going to tell you all about its feature highlights and who I think this camera is for. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 932 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In A First Look at the OM System OM-1 Mark II When you first look at the OM-1 Mark II, you will notice two things. First, the crown badge now reads OM System and not Olympus. The second, practically nothing else has changed on the outside. And if you're an OM-1 owner, that's a good thing because all of your accessories will work on the Mark II, including the external battery grip. But underneath the hood there are upgrades and an intriguing new feature. Before we get to that, let's take a look at the spec highlights. 5-axis image stabilization with up to 8.5 shutter speed steps compensation. Eye-level OLED electronic viewfinder, approx. 5.76M dots. 3-inch vari-angle monitor (electrostatic capacitance touch panel), approx. 1.62M dots. Dust and splash-proof (IP53 rated). High-speed cross-type phase-detection AF (1,053 points). High-speed contrast AF (1,053 points). AI Detection AF - computational photography for identifying a variety of subjects. Silent Sequential Shooting SH1 - approx. 120 fps with selectable 60, 100, and 120 fps without blackout. 4K video recording and vertical video mode. Sensor dust reduction via a supersonic wave filter. World's first Live Graduated Neutral Density shooting functionality. Can withstand freezing temperatures down to -10 degrees C. 50 MP handheld high-resolution shot and 80 MP tripod high-resolution shot. Compatibility with UVC (USB Video Class) and UAC (USB Audio Class), allowing seamless connection to a PC for use as a webcam. Twin UHS-II SD memory card slots. Grad ND - A Fascinating New Feature This technology uses computational photography to replicate the effects of using a half-ND filter, allowing the photographer to control brightness and darkness within the image, much like an external graduated neutral density filter. Through Live GND shooting, photographers can adjust filter steps (GND2, GND4, or GND8) and types (soft, medium, or hard) in real-time through the EVF or rear LCD. This function allows for customization of the effect's position and angle. Without the need for physical filters attached to the lens, photographers can leverage half ND effects, even with lenses lacking filter threads. More AI Autofocus Developed using deep learning technologies, the AI Detection AF has been enhanced to recognize an extensive array of subjects, including humans, formula racing cars, motorcycles, airplanes, helicopters, trains, birds, and common animals such as dogs and cats. This integration enhances the well-established Face Priority/Eye Priority AF, significantly refining autofocus capabilities. It can accurately identify subjects, even when individuals are in profile, facing away, or obscured by hidden facial features. Subjects are tracked within the frame, ensuring they remain in focus. The OM-1 Mark II can follow intricate details like driver's helmets or the eyes of birds and other animals, going beyond what photographers could normally do on their own. Who Should Buy the OM System OM-1 Mark II? Wildlife and birding enthusiasts are at the top of the list. For example, combined with the new OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS lens that provides effective focal lengths of up to 1200mm, and weighs just over 2,000 grams (4.4 lbs), photographers can easily work with this rig all day, no tripod required. And that's just one of the many telephotos available. The OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4 PRO provides an effective reach of 80-300mm and weighs a mere 382 grams (13.5 oz). The f/2.8 version weighs 760 grams (1.67 lb) and accepts both 1.4X and 2X matched teleconverters. Other top-tier options include the Olympus 300mm f/4 PRO and the Panasonic Leica DG Elmarit 200mm f/2.8. Macro photography is also a strength of this system. There are a variety of optics well-suited for this work. Add the increased depth of field resulting from the Micro Four Thirds sensor, and the OM-1 is a godsend for super closeup photography. Lens options include the OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm f/3.5, 60mm f/2.8, and the 30mm f/3.5 macro optics. Travel photographers and journalists would also benefit from this system. Rugged design, compactness, and versatility make the OM-1 Mark II perfect for those covering the world while traveling light. That's not to say this isn't an excellent system for general photography. There are many capable interchangeable lens cameras available these days. But very few combine the strengths of the OM System in such a compact package. Should OM-1 Owners Upgrade to the OM-1 Mark II? I'm wrestling with this question myself. I have my OM-1 sitting here on my desk, looking as fresh and new as the day I bought it, and trying to decide if I should invest in the Mark II. For dedicated Micro Four Thirds photographers who use the OM-1, the Mark II would provide a solid upgrade and allow the original OM-1 to serve as a secondary camera. The Mark II has improved performance. For example, in Pro Capture mode, the Mark II allows for retrospective capture of approximately 99 frames, an increase over the OM-1's 70 frames. For sequential shooting, the OM-1 Mark II can capture 219 frames in JPEG format or 213 frames in RAW at 120 fps, a dramatic improvement over the OM-1's 92 frames for each. Add the autofocusing speed improvement with new features such as Live GND and vertical video capture, those could be important upgrades depending on your photography needs. Keep in mind that you can continue to use all of your existing MFT lenses and OM-1 accessories with the Mark II. The big question is, do these benefits justify the $2,399 price tag? That answer lies between you and your credit card. The Bottom Line The OM System OM-1 Mark II is a powerhouse interchangeable lens camera that provides more compact options (thanks to MFT lenses) than its full-frame competitors. The Mark II is especially appealing for serious photographers who venture outside of the studio into harsh environments and changing conditions, and who require the versatility of the vast Micro Four Thirds lens catalog. Unless you're a stay-at-home kind of guy, or that you really like the cardio workouts that come with lugging lots of gear up a trail, I would say that the latest OM-1 Mark II is for you. Meike Releases New 50mm F1.8 Autofocus Lens for Z/E Mount for $159 You can read more and place your order on the Meike Global site. The lens is easy to carry and its images are sharp and clear at any aperture. The band new 50mm/F1.8 uses the newest optical structure, making it able to achieve a large aperture of F1.8 while maintaining miniaturization and lightweight. Multi-layer coating technology is used on both sides of the lens to restore more realistic colors. The lens is not easy to attach dust or stains, and can be easily wiped clean. The Nikon Z mount is available now. The Sony E mount will be available by the end of February 2024. Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop April 16-19, 2024 - TDS photographers return to the greater Sedona, AZ area, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kick off our 2024 workshop season! You can learn more and reserve your spot by clicking here. Hope to see you in April! Why You Should Print Your Photos You can watch the video and read the article on FStoppers.com Printing images is a rewarding yet often overlooked aspect of photography. This process transforms digital captures into tangible art, playing a pivotal role in a photographer's creative expression and giving you a meaningful way to display your work. Coming to you from Simon Baxter, this insightful video begins with Baxter sharing his passion for woodland photography and his meticulous approach to printing. He emphasizes the importance of not rushing the process, allowing images to mature over time. Baxter's philosophy resonates with photographers who view their work as a continual process rather than a series of isolated events. His method of revisiting and editing images based on evolving emotional connections is particularly interesting. This philosophy, treating each step from shooting to printing as interconnected, enriches the final artwork and imbues it with deeper personal significance. Baxter also highlights the technical aspects of printing, such as monitor calibration and paper selection, underscoring their impact on the final print. His detailed explanation of how different papers can influence the mood and texture of an image provides valuable insights for photographers striving to fully realize their artistic intent. This attention to detail in the printing process is a testament to the craftsmanship that goes into each piece and how even small differences can affect the final output. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Baxter. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #931, Jan. 23, 2024. Today's theme is "5 Upcoming Photography Conferences to Consider." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue In a recent edition of my Nimble Photographer Newsletter, I wrote about the dearth of photo announcements at CES 2024. But that doesn't mean there aren't other events that will cater to our desire to learn more and see the latest in imaging equipment. This week, I'll share with you 5 upcoming events that will stimulate your mind and tempt your pocketbook. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 931 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 5 Upcoming Photography Conferences to Consider Sometimes it feels like all the cool photo shows have gone away. But that isn't the case. And if you'd like to get out among your peers, here are five upcoming events to consider. Imaging U.S.A. - Jan. 28-30, Louisville, Kentucky Imaging USA features classes, networking opportunities, and a huge trade show to help you feel inspired and ready to grow your photography business. This year we're bringing all the education and excitement to the Derby City. And to make your experience even more rewarding, pre-con classes are available in the days leading up to the conference. 90+ speakers, 130+ exhibitors Top Brands on the Expo Floor Canon Nikon Sony Capture One Fujifilm North America Godox PlatyPod Sigma SmallRig Tamron Zeiss Three-day all-access pass is $459. Expo only pass is free. Camera & Imaging Photo Show CP+, February 22-25, 2024, Pacifico Yokohama, Japan "Nothing Stays the Same" - CP+ is an event where camera fans from all over the world gather to see, touch, and share the joy of photography and video with their friends! For four days from February 22nd (Thu) to February 25th (Sun), 2024, an on-site event held at Pacifico Yokohama and an online event distributed online will be held simultaneously. Anyone can enjoy it, from camera and photography enthusiasts to those who regularly take and edit photos and videos with their smartphones and enjoy their daily lives using SMS. 60+ speakers, 90+ exhibitors Top Brands on the Expo Floor Canon Nikon Sony Epson Fujifilm Godox Lexar Lumix OM System Sigma Synology Tamron Admission is free, but you must pre-register for onsite admission. WPPI, March 3-7, 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada For five days each year, portrait and wedding photographers and videographers come together in Las Vegas to be inspired. Be a part of this remarkable community - evolve your aesthetic, gain invaluable strategies to grow your business, connect with friends, be dazzled by stories from industry icons and create lasting memories. 130+ speakers, 80+ exhibitors Top Brands on the Expo Floor Capture One PlatyPod Godox Sigma Skylum SmallRig Tamron Tenba Four-day all-access pass is $199. Expo only pass is $49. The Photography and Video Show, March 16-19, 2024, Birmingham, UK From long exposure and layering, to business skills and incorporating AI into your workflow, your entry ticket will give you access to more than 350 seminars and live demos, with six stages and theatres to choose from. Led by experts and legends of photography, filmmaking and content creation, be prepared to learn new techniques and approaches; and be inspired to change your perspective on how you create! 100+ speakers, 200+ exhibitors Top Brands on the Expo Floor Canon Nikon Sony Capture One Epson Fujifilm Gitzo Godox Ilford Lowepro Lumix Manfrotto OM System Synology Skylum Tenba 48 pounds for a 4-day pass Shutterfest, April 2-4, St. Louis, MO. ShutterFest is an annual photography event that brings together thousands of professional photographers, photo enthusiasts, and industry experts from around the world. This event is unique in its approach to education and community building. Instead of focusing on traditional lecture-style presentations, ShutterFest offers hands-on classes, interactive experiences, and networking opportunities that help attendees develop their skills, build relationships, and grow their businesses. One of the things that makes ShutterFest so unique is its focus on creativity and hands-on learning. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all approach to photography, the conference encourages photographers to explore their own unique style and vision. The sessions are designed to help attendees break out of their comfort zones and try new techniques, styles, and approaches to their work. This emphasis on experimentation is what attracts many photographers to ShutterFest year after year. What else makes ShutterFest so unique? The conference is designed to be a welcoming and inclusive space where photographers of all skill levels and backgrounds can connect, share their work, and learn from one another. This sense of community is built through a variety of events, including group shoots, networking sessions, and social events. 60+ speakers and 30+ vendors Top Brands on the Expo Floor Canon Sigma Westcott Background Town Tamron Registration is $240 for classes and tradeshow. Las Vegas Criminalizes Stopping For Selfies on Pedestrian Bridges You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com On Tuesday, Las Vegas began enforcing a new ordinance that bans people from "stopping, standing or engaging in an activity that causes another person to stop" on pedestrian bridges and up to 20 feet surrounding connected stairs, escalators, and elevators. Offenders who violate the measure could face a misdemeanor charge. If found guilty, they could face up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine. Clark County officials in Nevada, who voted unanimously to approve the measure earlier this month, say that the ban is not intended to target people stopping to take selfies or tourists pausing to watch and take photos of street performers. Instead, Clark County officials claimed that the measure is intended to reduce crime and increase public safety by ensuring a continuous flow of pedestrian traffic across the bridges. "The Pedestrian Flow Zone ordinance will help to ensure our world-class tourism destination remains a safe place for people to visit," Jennifer Cooper, Clark County's chief communications and strategy officer, says in a statement. Restrictions on the Las Vegas Strip come two months after the Las Vegas Grand Prix -- where pedestrians crowded on bridges to take photos of the event -- and only six weeks before the Super Bowl in February, which is set to draw hundreds of thousands of people for those events. Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop April 16-19, 2024 - TDS photographers return to the greater Sedona, AZ area, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kick off our 2024 workshop season! You can learn more and reserve your spot by clicking here. Hope to see you in April! Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #930, Jan. 16, 2024. Today's theme is "Looking Back and More, Now 2024." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Every January I close out my personal photo library from the previous year and start fresh with an empty catalog. Not only is this a practical endeavor, it's also an opportunity to acknowledge the highlights of the previous year. Today, I share the benefits of this annual exercise. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 930 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Looking Back and More, Now 2024 Despite my trials and tribulations in the past with Apple's Aperture, I still create annual libraries and store the neatly bundled catalogs in my multi-level archival system. Why? It's just the way my brain works. I measure my life's journey signpost by signpost, year by year. Plus, I've discovered some additional benefits to this practice, a few of which I'm going to share today. The Technical Part By way of review, I maintain two personal libraries. The first, Photos, is totally automatic. I take a picture with my iPhone, it's added to my Photos library, backed up in iCloud, and that's that. But I also have a Capture One Catalog. Pictures from my OM-1, X100V, and Nikon Zf are stored and edited here. Compared to the iPhone catalog, these images are more measured, captured in RAW, edited with C1P's excellent adjustment tools, and organized using its catalog tools. Often, there is some topic duplication between the catalogs. And this is a good thing. Let's take our workshop in Sedona, AZ for example. My iPhone pictures go directly into Photos, while the images from the OM-1 are stored in Capture One Pro. If I want to locate a shoot from years past, I can rely on the A.I. object recognition tools in Photos to help me remember the month and year. Who knows, I might even have an image there that suits my needs. But if I want the more "serious" shots, I know exactly which Capture One Catalog to open. It saves me a tremendous amount of time. And it allows me to rotate off my laptop drive those big image libraries from previous years. The Fun Part So the technical part is all good and well. Every one of us has our own system for managing and retrieving pictures. But I've discovered an added benefit too. One that I hadn't anticipated. It's easy to forget how much cool stuff happens in just a single year. Sure, we may still be basking in the glow of an event from last week, or even last month. But a couple of seasons ago. Those can get buried beneath the rigors of day-to-day life. This short stroll down memory lane reminds me that 2023 was a better year than I realized. And it helps me appreciate the good fortune of my life. Want to join me for a quick trip? [review highlights from my 2023 catalog.] As a result of this exercise, I have a much more complete memory of my past year. Sure it had its challenges. There's a substantial 8-week lull when I was laid up with my recovery from the total joint replacement in my hip. But I still managed to take pictures around the house to maintain my sanity. We are so busy, so distracted, and at times, so frustrated with daily life. It's easy to lose perspective. But looking back on my past year in pictures adds balance to my view of 2023. And it helps me appreciate the good moments in life all the more. The Camera Accessory That Saved My Workflow? Peak Design Tech Pouch Review You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com If you're like me, you have a whole bunch of small photography bits--cables, connectors, SD cards, batteries, and more--in your camera bag. If you were to use a different bag, you'd have to take all of them out and transfer them over. That's how I lived for the first couple of years of my career, and it was awful. I would always be triple- and quadruple-checking to make sure I had everything, sometimes forgetting which pocket I had moved it to and having to dig around in a panic. That's when I had to find a better way. Enter the Peak Design Tech Pouch. For months, I started looking at different tech organizers to ideally hold all the random bits that I had between my camera bags. At the time, there were fewer competitors to the tech pouch. What I saw with the others was that they were either more tech/note organizers for office workers carrying far fewer things at once, or they were full sling bags, and I really wasn't looking for either. All I wanted was a simple organizer with photographers in mind that could handle all my random crap and move it seamlessly between bags. While it is larger than other tech organizers, I find the size just about perfect to fit in the extra space of a camera bag. It's not so big that it's in the way of other gear that you could be carrying. It's also not too small that it can't carry everything that you need it to. Having used this for a few years now, I can confirm that it is built to last. I try to be gentle with my gear as I like it to last a while, but I definitely don't baby things. Through all the time of use, this bag hardly has a blemish on it, let alone any substantial damage. All the external and internal zips work great, and still keep things dry if it's a rainier day. Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop April 16-19, 2024 - TDS photographers return to the greater Sedona, AZ area, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kick off our 2024 workshop season! You can learn more and reserve your spot by clicking here. Hope to see you in April! The 'Millennium Camera' Will Capture Arizona's Landscape for 1,000 Years You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com An experiment organized by University of Arizona research associate and experimental philosopher Jonathan Keats, the Millennium Camera is meant to record an extremely long-exposure image that won't be complete for 100 decades. The concept of the camera isn't too far removed from the beer can camera that Regina Valkenborgh set up at the Bayfordbury Observatory in the United Kingdom in 2012. In that case, the pinhole-style camera was in place for eight years and one month and captured what was at the time believed to be the longest exposure photo ever made. If it works as planned, Keats' Millennium Camera will have that record beat by a lot more. It uses a similar pinhole design as Valkenborgh's beer can camera, but has elements made to extend the time the camera will operate. That pinhole leads to a thin sheet of 24-karat gold that will slowly let light through to a small copper cylinder mounted on top of a steel pole. Over the course of 1,000 years, the landscape in front of the pinhole camera will slowly fade a light-sensitive surface that is coated in thin layers of rose madder (an oil paint pigment), The University of Arizona explains. In 100 decades, future humans will hopefully be able to open the Millennium Camera to reveal a long-exposure image of the area through all of the changes Tuscon will undergo. That is, of course, the hope anyway. "One thousand years is a long time and there are so many reasons why this might not work," Keats says. "The camera might not even be around in a millennium. There are forces of nature and decisions people make, whether administrative or criminal, that could result in the camera not lasting." If it does work, however, Keats says that the final image will likely show the longest-lasting features -- like mountains and rocks -- sharpest while the most dynamic parts such as the city itself will be softer. "Sharp" is also used loosely, as the land itself is not completely stable and will experience subtle motion over the extended exposure time. The Millennium Camera is currently installed on Tumamoc Hill next to a bench that faces west over the Star Pass neighborhood of Tuscon. With it is a small plaque that encourages visitors to imagine what the future holds. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #929, Jan. 9, 2024. Today's theme is "The Elephant in the Room - Nikon Zf vs Olympus OM-1." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Typically, Micro Four Thirds photographers aren't concerned by new full-frame camera announcements. They know what they have, and they like it. But the Nikon Zf seems to have upset the apple cart a bit. I've been getting mail citing reviews, defections, and the relevance of MFT photography in light of all this. So let's talk about it. Let's go head to head with the Olympus OM-1 and Nikon Zf. Today's top story on the TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 929 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Elephant in the Room - Nikon Zf vs Olympus OM-1 Let's set the stage a bit for this comparison. The OM System OM-1 was released in March 2022. It has a Micro Four Thirds sensor and is currently selling for $1,999. The Nikon Zf started shipping in October 2023, employs a full-frame sensor, and is currently available for $1,996. Even though the two cameras use completely different sensors, they are competitors. They cost about the same, appeal to serious enthusiasts, have appealing body designs, and are packed with the latest that imaging technology has to offer. But they are very different cameras in many ways too. So let's take a look at their respective strengths and compare them. OM System OM-1 Strengths Telephoto Muscle - Anything over 105mm usually means the OM-1. My favorite combination is the 40-150mm f/2.8 with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. Macro Photography - The Micro Four Thirds System is just so good at close-up photography. I have both the 60mm and 30mm macros. Inclement Weather - I'm comfortable shooting with the OM-1 in just about any environment. It's a robust companion during outdoor adventures. Long Days - If I'm going to be on my feet with gear for the bulk of the day, I want the OM System. Carry-On Air Travel - I can put together a kit for an entire trip in a bag about the size of a kid's lunchbox - and have everything I need. Clever Technology - Live ND, Live Time, Live Composite, in-camera focus stacking, are all examples of the cool tech OM System includes in their cameras. More Lenses - Not only does the Micro Four Thirds lens catalog feature practically any optic that I could need, it also usually has multiple versions of it in different sizes and maximum apertures. Nikon Zf Strengths Street Photography - I know it sounds weird, but I prefer the Zf for street photography and urban exploration. With the pancake 26mm f/2.8 and the compact 24-50mm zoom, the camera has a nice balance and can work just about any angle. Low Light Situations - I've never had a camera where I could increase the ISO to 25,600 without a second thought about quality. Vintage Lenses - Nothing comes close to the Zf for vintage lens work. With the FTZ II adapter, I can use my Steve McCurry 105mm f/2.5 tele one moment, and the wonderful Nikkor G 24-85mm zoom the next. With no crop factor to contend with, the lens I put on there is the lens I get. Portrait Assignments - I had been using the Nikon D610 for portrait work, a camera that I still very much like, but the Zf is an entirely different planet. Features like built-in Skin Softening and Portrait Enhancement make the job so much easier. Aestetics - In my opinion, only the Olympus PEN-F rivals the handsome looks of the Nikon Zf. Why Switching Doesn't Make Sense I could never imagine a scenario when I would sell all of my Olympus gear to bulk up the Nikon Z system. For me, it would be like saying that I'm going to sell my pliers to buy a screwdriver. But depending on what type of photographer you are, you may feel that you need a little bit of both. I realize that this is a total luxury. But as long as I'm traveling for photography workshops, covering events, and working in the unpredictable outdoors, I will be using my OM-1 system. At the same time, I loved shooting with the Nikon Zf in San Francisco, capturing portraits with it for a recent article, and walking into a darkened haunted house, then emerging with incredible shots for the customer. I wouldn't recommend investing in pricy, hefty full-frame telephotos for the Z System. Compact wide angles and short zooms are a better fit. When it's time to go to Safari West this coming Autumn for a workshop, I'll be packing the OM-1 with 40-150mm f/2.8 zoom, and the 1.4X teleconverter. Now, I think OM System can quiet a lot of this chatter by releasing a great camera (or two) in 2024. In the meantime, if you own an OM-1 and are happy with it, ignore the switchers. And if your budget allows for another camera, I think the Zf would be a lovely complement to your existing system. Basic Lens Kit for Each Camera For the OM-1, I have a super-compact kit that includes the 14-42mm EZ Olympus zoom, Panasonic Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 II, 45mm f/1.8 Olympus prime, and the 35-100mm Panasonic zoom. For the Nikon Zf I'm packing the 26mm f/2.8 pancake, 40mm f/2.0 SE, 24-50mm compact zoom, and the Nikon G 24-85mm zoom with the FTZ II adapter. How To Turn Your Apple Watch Into A Camera Remote And Timer You can read the entire article on SlashGear.com How many times do you use your iPhone camera in a day? If you're a photography enthusiast, content creator, or just someone who loves collecting snapshots of their favorite memories, you've probably answered "a lot." It's no surprise, though, considering the quality of the output and the many nifty photo editing features built into the iPhone. However, if you're using your iPhone camera a lot, then you're probably also familiar with the all too frustrating problem of wanting to pose a few meters away but being unable to run back and forth to set up your iPhone's camera timer�over and over. It can be quite a chore no doubt, especially when you're out and about and don't have the luxury of bringing a tripod with a remote. Fortunately, the Apple Watch has your back. This versatile device on your wrist can actually double as a camera remote and timer for your iPhone, so you won't have to waste a good photo or video opportunity ever again. Here's a quick guide on how to use it as such. Spring in Sedona Photography Workshop April 16-19, 2024 - TDS photographers return to the greater Sedona, AZ area, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kick off our 2024 workshop season! You can learn more and reserve your spot by clicking here. Hope to see you in April! Follow Up to My Escape to San Francisco During last week's podcast I discussed how I had come down with a serious case of cabin fever, and my plan to overcome it. I'm happy to report that the therapy treatment in San Francisco solved the problem. If you want to read about my adventure, and see all the pictures, check out this free link to my article titled, 26mm and Be There. It's amazing how therapeutic a photo shoot can be. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #928, Jan. 2, 2024. Today's theme is "All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I have just taken my 100th portrait of the cat. All the blooms have fallen off the Christmas Cactus in the window box. As I sit here watching the rain outside, surrounded by all of this great camera gear, I'm jonesing for a photo adventure. But not today. How I plan to cope with my internment is the lead story in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 928 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go I feel like one of those guys with an electronic ankle bracelet, wandering around the studio with a Nikon Zf around my neck looking for something compelling to photograph. Now I know how the cat feels. I watch her explore every corner of the living room in search of something to play with. Sometimes she lucks out and finds an unlucky bug. Poor little bugger. His minutes are numbered. So I take a picture of the cat. She looks for spiders. And the rain keeps pouring down. Don't get me wrong. I'm thankful for the rain. It is filling our reservoirs and adding fresh water to my open barrels in the backyard. And sometimes I even take pictures in the rain. But it isn't really fun. And it doesn't last for long. I've figured out all sorts of cool things during my interment. I've adapted my favorite Pentax lens, the Pentax HD DA 70mm f/2.4 Limited Lens, to my OM-1. It's going to be fantastic for landscape and portraits with its 140mm equivalent focal length on my favorite all-time cropped sensor camera. But not today. I've been testing the amazing NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 pancake lens on the Nikon Zf. The combo is so addictive that I walk around the studio with it all day. But this thoroughbred needs to run. And today is not that day. I've reorganized both of my camera kits a dozen times. Should I include the 45mm f/1.8 or the 45mm f/1.2 with the OM-1? Is there enough room for both the 40mm and 50mm in my Nikon bag? Maybe I should start over. I even pulled out all of my tripods yesterday and started switching their heads. Now I have a Joby head on the Induro and the Induro head on the Manfrotto. Anything other than a Manfrotto head is an improvement. Finally, after this low point, I decided that I needed to do something meaningful. And fortunately, an opportunity presented itself. Theresa gifted me and the boys tickets to a Saturday Warriors game. I checked the weather report, and there's no rain that afternoon. So I got out my street photography black shirt, oversized jacket, and gray Warriors cap. I tucked the Zf with 26mm pancake into a softball-sized shoulder pouch that I could wear inside of my jacket, and put the iPhone 15 Pro Max in my front jeans pocket. I'll arrive in the City a couple hours before I'm to meet the boys and engage in some serious photography. Then I'll catch the Metro T down to Mission Bay to meet the boys. My super compact pouch meets the bag requirements for Chase Center, and the short lens won't get me in trouble. The three of us will then enjoy the game, and then I will reverse course back to the parking garage at the north end of The City, shooting pictures all along the way. If this plan works, I will have much to report next week. Stay tuned. (I'm totally excited!) Why One Photographer Prefers Micro Four Thirds You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com How Websites Have Become Practically Unuseable A short commentary. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #927, Dec. 26, 2023. Today's theme is "The Fourth Ingredient in a Recipe for Success." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I was thinking about all of the great tools I have access to for my photography - sophisticated cameras, intelligent software, tons of information. And if I were only after good pictures, that's all that I would need. But what if I wanted something more? Special images require a fourth ingredient, and that's the subject of today's lead story. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 927 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Fourth Ingredient in a Recipe for Success This churn began a little over a week ago when I was out for a portrait shoot in a local park. It was a beautiful late afternoon with the sun hanging low in the sky. I was working with Victoria, who had helped me out back in the Lynda.com days. I needed illustrations for an article on Fill Flash that I was writing for Live View. I opted for the Nikon Zf and the Fujifilm X100V for the assignment. The X100 was going to be an example of cameras that have built-in flashes. And the Nikon was going to host the Godex Lux Senior external flash I had discussed a couple of weeks ago. The point of the article was that I could have taken all of the pictures with any camera or smartphone letting the device make all of the decisions, or I could intervene by adding flash and finding the perfect output that still looked natural, but smoothed out contrast and filled in shadows. I would start at each location by looking at the lighting and how it was illuminating Victoria, then ask myself, what could I do to make it better? In the case of the X100V, I used TTL flash, but dialed it down two-thirds of a stop. With the Nikon, I started with manual flash at half power, then increased or decreased output depending on how I liked the first exposure. As I worked each scene, it dawned on me how much I liked this process. I own four of the most sophisticated cameras in the world - iPhone 15 Pro Max, OM System OM-1, Fujifilm X100V, and the Nikon Zf. Each one of them is capable of producing perfectly acceptable photographs in auto-everything mode. And I love that technology. I would not give up a single feature in any of these cameras - subject detection, pro capture, sensor-based image stabilization, high ISO performance, film simulation, wireless communication, portrait enhancement, skin smoothing, and the list goes on and on. But what really excites me is that these tools are at my disposal for when I choose to use them. I make the creative decisions, not the camera. During that photo shoot in the park, I knew I didn't need to tap portrait enhancement or skin smoothing on the Nikon because of the lighting I had created, and Victoria's complexion didn't need it. With the X100V, I added the NISI Black Mist filter for a lovely rendering. The shots from the two cameras are different, and I like them both. The same is true during post-processing. A.I.-powered tools are my able-bodied photo assistants, but not the creator. I refuse to relinquish control. I decide when to apply AI Noise Reduction or any of the other options. I believe these are the best of times for photographers. We have access to 1) amazing gear, 2) sophisticated software, and 3) tons of information. But there's a fourth ingredient. Us. It's our contribution to the equation that makes a creation personal, something truly unique. Years ago I heard this story about a lady named Kate who went back to her butcher who had recently sold her a cut that she used for corned beef. She stood at the counter and explained how difficult the meal was to chew. The butcher respectfully listened to Kate tell her entire story. When she finished, he paused for a moment, then said, "But aye Kate, there's a little in the cookin' of it." The "cookin' of it" is our great opportunity as artists. We have the smartest tools available to help us. But remember, they work for us, not the other way around. Let's not relinquish our power to make something truly spectacular. Author's Note: You can see the pictures from the photo shoot and read about the technique I used by visiting The Endangered Camera Flash on Live View. The Beloved Photography Gear That Nobody Uses Anymore You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com iPhone 15 Pro Wins Best Camera Award 2023 You can read the entire story on FStoppers.com Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #926, Dec. 19, 2023. Today's theme is "5 Photography Things I'm Thankful for in 2023." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue As we bring a tumultuous 2023 to a close, photography has once again been my island of sanity. It's the place where I can focus on the positive, create beauty, and share in the success of others. As I look back on the year, there are five things that stand out. And I'm going to discuss each of them on today's TDS Photography Podcast. Digital Photography Podcast 926 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 5 Photography Things I'm Thankful for in 2023 Thank goodness for photography! I can't tell you how many times I've thought that over the past year. Here are five reasons why. The Launch of Live View Photography Publication - When a handful of us from the TDS community got together and debuted Live View, it put me back in the editor seat for the first time since my O'Reilly Media days. And I love it. Since April 2023, we have published more than 90 top-quality articles. Our photographer-writers are as good as anyone online. And I'm really proud of the work we've done in 2023, and optimistic about what's to come in 2024. The Full Return of In-Person Photography Workshops - We started to inch our way back in 2022, but it was nerve-wracking. Finally, in 2023 we were able to convene without masks and antibody tests. That doesn't mean that COVID has left us, but we have learned to live with it, protect ourselves, and still enjoy community activities. All three in-person workshops were and enjoyable success in 2023, and I can't wait to hit the road again next year. You can learn more about our upcoming workshop season here. Adobe Finally Opens Up Lightroom to Local Folders - The problem with the app formerly known as Lightroom Creative Cloud was that it was inextricably tied to the cloud. Finally, late in 2023, Adobe took the handcuffs off Lightroom, letting us use it for pictures on our local drive. This changed everything for me. And I'm so glad I can now use Adobe's modern version of Lightroom the way that I want. You can read about all of the updates here. Nikon Releases the Zf - Because I'm a film photographer as well, I have lots of vintage glass that I want to use on digital bodies. But there wasn't a full-frame mirrorless that called to me, that is, until Nikon released the Zf. This is such a beautiful, intelligent camera that cheerfully accepts all of my classic glass at their native focal length. In addition to my OM-1 for travel, and the X100V for street, I now have the Zf for those mix-and-match personal projects. And I'm having a blast. You can learn more about the Nikon Zf here. The Blossoming of Our Online Community - We've had the Inner Circle for a while now, but 2023 is the year that this group reached critical mass and became the vibrant online community that I had always hoped. Every day I check in to see what's going on and what people are talking about. My vision was always to provide a safe place for photographers and artists to interact without the distraction of questionable ads or flamethrowing malcontents. And now we have it. And in 2024, as new members join us, it's only going to get better. You can sign up for the Inner Circle here. There's more, of course, but these 5 things rise to the top. And it has not escaped my attention that this community is at the heart of much of this. Thank you so much! Luminar Neo Adds Generative Expand to Its Trio of New AI Tools You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com Skylum has completed its trilogy of new Generative AI tools with the addition of Generative Expand. The company has already released GenErase and GenSwap. The company says this new GenErase tool "empowers users to break free from traditional aspect ratios and add a new dimension to their original compositions. With GenExpand, you can effortlessly extend the boundaries of your photos, whether you're creating panoramic landscapes for vast mountain ranges, serene lakes, etc. or want to give your favorite images more breathing room to stand out against a beautifully balanced background." Adobe offers something similar in Photoshop, and before that, they had Content Aware fill that accomplished something similar, but without advanced AI, the result could often be unsatisfying because the technology repeated parts of images it found to complete the fill. In this example provided by Skylum, you can see a landscape expanded in width and the AI creates a believable topography expansion that matches well with the original photo. Now most photographers, myself included, would wonder why any photographer would shoot an original image that cramped and without context of the rest of the landscape, but there's no doubt the technology works can provide a believable expansion of the image at first glance. This technology seems interesting, but not very useable on higher resolution images. My image experiments were using a Sony a7 IV, and I saw these effects on multiple images mostly taken outdoors. Now, I'll repeat I was on a beta, and the release version may be better. If this review needs a follow up, I'll provide one. I also think part of this lower resolution problem is related to having potentially thousands of people hammering on rendering servers at the same time and companies limiting bandwidth. Still, that's a problem for the people who offer the feature to solve. If I'm going to use this technology on occasion, I want the best possible image quality. I would expect and hope that as the technology gets better we'll see better results. Luminar Neo is a capable image editor, and Skylum has their fair share of pioneering efforts. So, I don't mean to overly criticize Skylum. I use Neo all the time in my landscape work, and it's an excellent product. I appreciate their pushing the boundaries which they often do. I just don't think GenExpand is a home run yet, but it will be useful to some photographers in less demanding use cases. In my examples, the images looked pretty good at 1x, but anyone looking closely will see the problems. The 2024 TDS Photography Workshop Season Gift Certificates are available for all of our workshops! Just send me an email at [email protected], and I'll send you a personalized certificate right away. You can see all of the workshops and reserve your spot at thenimblephotographer.com I've just announced six new workshops for next year - 3 online, and 3 in-person on location. All events are open for registration right now. Here's what's going on. Photo Critique and Building Your Portfolio - Online - Feb. 2024 Spring in Sedona, AZ - In-Person - April 2024 Infrared Photography - Online - June 2024 Inkjet Printing for Photographers - Online - August 2024 Durango, CO and Mesa Verde National Park - In-Person - Oct. 2024 Safari West and Wine Country Experience in Sonoma County - In-Person - Nov. 2024 Reserve Your Spot Today Most of our workshops currently have open seats. But typically that doesn't last for long. So if you want to join us in 2024, and I hope you do, visit the Nimble Photographer Workshops Page and reserve your spot. I hope to work with you in 2024! What did iOS 17.2 do to my iPhone 15 Pro camera? Did the 5x telephoto get better? You can read the entire story on DigitalCameraWorld.com Apple's latest update for the iPhone, iOS 17.2, boasted some headline changes but perhaps the most interesting for photographers is the improved telephoto camera focussing speed. The other big photography feature is support for taking spatial video. Neither of these will garner the most attention, though. The biggest new software change is the arrival of the Journal app, "a new app to reflect on everyday moments and life's special events" which might also be of some interest to those looking to better integrate their photos with words they write and GPS data from hikes in the hills, for example. Back to the camera. One of the best features that goes unnoticed by most users of the iPhone is its LiDAR, a distance sensor that also helps the focusing system stay very fast. This doesn't work at longer distances, however. Similarly, the tele camera doesn't boast 100% focus pixels, which the wide and main cameras have, so it is the weakest of the three when it comes to focusing (though still one of the best camera phones even before this update). Apple specifically describes the iOS 17.2 focus speed improvement as kicking in "when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max" and I've got to say it does feel quicker, in lower light and otherwise, though I have to admit to no idea what is meant by a 'small' object. I've tried this on my iPhone 15 Pro Max with its 5x camera, but the improvement will also affect the 3x camera in the iPhone 15 Pro. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #925, Dec. 12, 2023. Today's theme is "Make It Better with Bare Bulb Flash." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Last week I talked about holiday portraits and discussed the importance of good lighting. Many photographers these days opt for existing light snaps. They're fine, most of the time, but what if I told you about a brighter way to create pleasing portraits? I'm going to do exactly that on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 925 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Make It Better with Bare Bulb Flash Some photographers have moved away from flash photography because they don't like the images produced with shoe-mount strobes or those built-in to the camera. And often for good reason. The light can be over-concentrated on the subject leaving the background murky and off-color. But what if you could use a flash that evenly illuminated the entire scene, including your subject? Wouldn't that be better? There is such a technique. It's called bare bulb flash. And instead of focusing the light through a rectangular fresnel lens, you use an exposed flash tube that spreads the light everywhere. These used to be expensive and bulky units. But I've been testing the Godox Lux Senior Retro Camera Flash ($119) that is super compact, easy to use, works on practically any camera, and allows you to use bare bulb flash. Let me walk you through its features. Buit-In Reflector Is Foldable - Godox designed the Lux Senior with a foldable circular reflector. This is great when you want a more directional light. But you can also fold it out of the way for bare bulb lighting. It's Not TTL, but Auto Works Well - I use the auto mode at f/2.8 ISO 100 with the reflector folded back. You can adjust the scene brightness by changing the ISO or aperture. Once you have it the way you want, Auto mode will take it from there. 7 Manual Output Settings - You can also go completely manual with 7 settings between full power and 1/64th. 2 Optical Modes As Well - Optical Modes that offer S1 and S2 settings. In S1 the flash will fire in response to another manual or TTL flash, while in S2, the Retro Flash will respond similarly, but ignore the initial flash. Rechargable Lithium Battery - No need to worry about carrying batteries. It comes with its own USB-C charging cable that restores the internal battery. In addition to getting great shots, the retro design is a real conversation starter. And the fact that you can use this flash with any camera you have, provides for lots of creative opportunities. No, You Don't Need To Buy The New M3 MacBook Pro You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com I spent over $4,000 on the new M3 Max MacBook Pro. It's amazing, but after directly comparing it to my M1 MacBook Pro, I've realized it's probably not worth upgrading. Two years ago, I made a substantial investment, parting with $2,700 for my M1 Pro MacBook Pro. At that time, it was a significant chunk of change for me, but what surprised me most was that it managed to lure me away from my beloved handmade Windows desktop PC. Fast-forward to the present, and I find myself contemplating an upgrade not because my current laptop falls short, but because the M1 Pro has set the bar so high. Now, with the advent of the M3 Max, the question lingers: is the upgrade worth the exorbitant cost? The M3 Max promises increased speed and efficiency, boasting impressive export times for both video and raw files. My first test was a simple video export in Premiere. The M3 Max outpaced my M1 Pro, rendering a 9.5-minute video in 4 minutes and 6 seconds compared to the M1 Pro's 6 minutes and 13 seconds. For my second test, I exported 100 raw files in Lightroom. The M3 Max finished the job in just 47 seconds, and the M1 took 78 seconds. These gains are impressive, but here's the real question: how often are you actually exporting files? Once or twice a day? How much are you willing to spend to save 5 or 10 minutes? In the grand scheme of things, for the majority of users, the marginal gains in speed may not justify the substantial dent in the wallet. Unless you find yourself in an industry where time is indeed money and rendering projects stretch into the realm of 24-hour marathons, the upgrade may not offer the revolutionary leap you're hoping for. As a photographer and videographer, my M1 Pro has been the best computer I've ever owned -- so good, in fact, that I really don't need to upgrade it. I imagine the majority of people reading this are in the same situation. If you can tell that your current computer is struggling to keep up with whatever tasks you throw at it on a daily basis, it's time to upgrade, but if it's already keeping up, it's probably not spending thousands of dollars to save a few extra minutes a few times a week. The 2024 TDS Photography Workshop Season Gift Certificates are available for all of our workshops! Just send me an email at [email protected], and I'll send you a personalized certificate right away. You can see all of the workshops and reserve your spot at thenimblephotographer.com I've just announced six new workshops for next year - 3 online, and 3 in-person on location. All events are open for registration right now. Here's what's going on. Photo Critique and Building Your Portfolio - Online - Feb. 2024 Spring in Sedona, AZ - In-Person - April 2024 Infrared Photography - Online - June 2024 Inkjet Printing for Photographers - Online - August 2024 Durango, CO and Mesa Verde National Park - In-Person - Oct. 2024 Safari West and Wine Country Experience in Sonoma County - In-Person - Nov. 2024 Reserve Your Spot Today Most of our workshops currently have open seats. But typically that doesn't last for long. So if you want to join us in 2024, and I hope you do, visit the Nimble Photographer Workshops Page and reserve your spot. I hope to work with you in 2024! DPReview Annual Awards: The best photography gear of 2023 You can read the entire story on DPReview.com.com I cover all the winners in the podcast. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #924, Dec. 5, 2023. Today's theme is "The Reluctant Portrait and FindMySnap." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue It's practically impossible not to take pictures during the holidays. If you're lucky, there are plenty of photo subjects in bright, colorful settings. But most folks don't like how photos of them look. Here's how to make them happy. Plus, I'll introduce you to an exciting new iOS app called FindMySnap. All of that, and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 924 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Reluctant Portrait The reason why most folks don't like their picture taken is because they don't like the way they look in the photo. I can totally understand that. Holiday snapshots are notorious for bad looks - unflattering expressions, bad angles, and poor lighting. But if you overcome these obstacles, it's a brand new ballgame, and one that most people would be happy to participate in. Here are my 5 favorite tips to overcome reluctant portraits. Candids Can Be Cruel - Unless you're a toddler, the adorable family dog, or just unnaturally handsome from all angles, candids typically do a disservice to the subject. Forget about spontaneity and go for pleasing. Find Good Lighting - Nearly every home and venue has an area or two where the lighting isn't ghastly. Scout these areas out, then use them to your advantage. One of my favorites is diffused window lighting. Get Permission, then Work Your Magic - Tell the subject that you have a great idea for a shot and that you think it's going to be fantastic. Even reluctant participants will go along with something that seems well thought out. Show Them the Picture! - We have these fantastic LCD screens on the back of our cameras - use them! Once you get a good shot, show it to the subject. Nothing relaxes and builds confidence like success. Chances are this will buy you a few more opportunities. Share Only Flattering Pictures After the Event - People remember who makes them look good. Dispense with the awkward and only share the pleasing. You work at the next gathering will be much easier. When we look back on holiday photos, we want to see our subjects clearly and in a good light. With you intervening to create good photographs instead of just indiscriminately snapping away, you will capture memories that people will enjoy for years to come. And finally, don't forget the group shot! It is the single most important image of the gathering. Happy Holidays! Find Photos Lightning Fast with FindMySnap You can learn all about it at CYME How many pictures do you think you have on your iPhone? I'm guessing alot! In my case, I have about 31,000. And one of our favorite things to do during a conversation about travel, or anything else, is to pull out our smartphone, and find that picture that we can show the other person. Easier said than done, right? Not anymore with FindMySnap. This AI-Powered app indexes your entire photo library, then provides lightning-fast results when you query it. Search phrases I've used include: Mom Christmas, Cat Window, My Sons, and so many more. The results are truly amazing. Plus the app has a bit of fun built in as well. Save and Cherish Your Photo Collage: Adore the set of images you rediscovered? The app auto-generates a photo collage, which you can save to favorites. Show Off Your Best Shots: Easily craft and share your standout images across Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more! Craft Your Perfect Photo Album: Turn your themed photo collections into stunning albums right within Apple Photos! Language Friendly: Whether it's English, Spanish, French, or more, just ask Find My Snap to help you out in your preferred language. You can download and try the app for free. If you love it, you can purchase it for $1.99 a monty, $6.99 a year, or $34.99 for a lifetime license. It works beautifully on both iPhones and iPads. The 2024 TDS Photography Workshop Season Gift Certificates are available for all of our workshops! Just send me an email at [email protected], and I'll send you a personalized certificate right away. You can see all of the workshops and reserve your spot at thenimblephotographer.com I've just announced six new workshops for next year - 3 online, and 3 in-person on location. All events are open for registration right now. Here's what's going on. Photo Critique and Building Your Portfolio - Online - Feb. 2024 Spring in Sedona, AZ - In-Person - April 2024 Infrared Photography - Online - June 2024 Inkjet Printing for Photographers - Online - August 2024 Durango, CO and Mesa Verde National Park - In-Person - Oct. 2024 Safari West and Wine Country Experience in Sonoma County - In-Person - Nov. 2024 Reserve Your Spot Today Most of our workshops currently have open seats. But typically that doesn't last for long. So if you want to join us in 2024, and I hope you do, visit the Nimble Photographer Workshops Page and reserve your spot. I hope to work with you in 2024! Harman Photo's Brand New Color Film is Called Phoenix 200 You can read the entire story on Petapixel.com Harman Photo, the company that manufactures Ilford-brand film, has announced a new color film: Harman Phoenix 200. The limited edition film, which has been teased by the company on social media for weeks, is a 36-exposure, ISO 200, designed for 35mm SLR cameras, and was made entirely in Harman's Mobberley factory in North West England. "We are so well known for our black and white films that we are regularly asked why we don't make colour films," says managing director Greg Summers. "We always believed this wasn't feasible, but I'm delighted to say we were wrong!" Harman says the film produces high-contrast photos with "visible grain and punchy, vibrant colours," which is backed up by the example photos shared by the company. The DX-coded cassette can be rated between ISO 100 and 400 but Harman believes it performs best at ISO 200 in "good, consistent light, with the possibility of halation." "We think this is unlike any other colour film on the market," says Giles Branthwaite, Harman's sales and marketing director. "As it is our first, we also recognise it is not perfect, but the film community is crying out for choice when it comes to colour, and we want them to know we are listening." "This is just the beginning of Harman's colour journey," adds Branthwaite. "Sales from this film will allow us to further invest, refine, and improve our formulations, coating capabilities, and colour technology. Our aim is that each new colour film we produce is an improvement on the previous." The film is available now, and you can find links in the Petapixel article. And, if you want to learn more about the film ecosystem, including the Harmam announcement, be sure to check out the article, A Film Photography Revival? by John Pemberton on Live View. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #923, Nov. 28, 2023. Today's theme is "An Alternative to Black Friday Gifts." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I'm not against Black Friday or Cyber Monday. But the last thing you probably need from me is another list of sale items and doorbusters. So I'm going to hang a U-turn and take you down a different road. I have this great idea for a gift that doesn't require your credit card, and it's one that could be cherished for years. And I'll tell you all about it on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 923 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In An Alternative to Black Friday Gifts Before we pull out of the garage, let me explain a bit of what I've packed for the trip. You see, we're going to need some pictures. Not just any old snapshot, but images that take us back one, two, even three decades. After last week's podcast, I'm hoping that you've been thinking a bit about the files you've backed up and how you might be able to retrieve them. If they are not readily accessible because of old hardware or propritary software, you might want to read my article titled, The Rescue Mission. You can read the story for free using this link. I think it might get your problem-solving juices flowing. If you already have access to those archives and friend and family photos from the past, you're ready to begin. The concept is to cull a batch of family photos and create a keepsake to give as a gift. A common approach is to print those images as 4x6s, then arrange them in an album. This is a good way to go for a single gift. I would consider special touches however such as "lick & stick" photo corners, and additional memorabilia such as report cards, certificates, and graduation programs to round out the photos. But what if you want to produce more than one gift with this content? How can you practically do that? My first suggestion is a hanging calendar with each month a featured photo from your family archives. This also works great for lifelong friends. Imagine the joy produced by a well-designed walk down memory lane. And once it's designed, you can produce as many as you want. Another approach that I think is really cool, is a set of fine-art greeting cards with great photos from the past featured in the collection. You should include envelopes with the set. But don't be surprised if one or two of the favorites end up in frames. Speaking of frames, digital photo frames have really improved over the years. You could load it up with an initial set of images, then add a new batch every month. Many of these frames allow you to do this via WiFi. And finally, I know it sounds corny, but you can make custom commuter mugs and coffee cups with these shots. We have one in our family that's nearly 20 years old, and it still makes me smile every time I see it. Family photographers are historians as well. And if we combine some of this great content we have in storage, with a little creative output, we can warm a few hearts this holiday season. The 2024 TDS Photography Workshop Season You can see all of the workshops and reserve your spot at thenimblephotographer.com I've just announced six new workshops for next year - 3 online, and 3 in-person on location. All events are open for registration right now. Here's what's going on. Photo Critique and Building Your Portfolio - Online - Feb. 2024 Spring in Sedona, AZ - In-Person - April 2024 Infrared Photography - Online - June 2024 Inkjet Printing for Photographers - Online - August 2024 Durango, CO and Mesa Verde National Park - In-Person - Oct. 2024 Safari West and Wine Country Experience in Sonoma County - In-Person - Nov. 2024 Reserve Your Spot Today Most of our workshops currently have open seats. But typically that doesn't last for long. So if you want to join us in 2024, and I hope you do, visit the Nimble Photographer Workshops Page and reserve your spot. I hope to work with you in 2024! PopPhoto is Dead, Again You can read the entire story on Petapixel.com After shuttering in 2017 and reviving in 2021 as an online-only magazine, Popular Photography -- colloquially known as PopPhoto -- has let go its last staff members and is effectively dead once again. The last of PopPhoto's staff has been let go from the publication this month, PetaPixel has learned. While the website is still available to peruse, the most recent story was published several weeks ago (the Black Friday deals story was published well in advance of the popular shopping day). Sources say that no current dedicated staff members are contributing to the site, although some maintenance may be taking place with help from its sister site, Popular Science. After shutting down in 2017, PopPhoto was revived from the dead in December 2021 by Recurrent Ventures, a digital media company that operates online publications such as Futurism, Popular Mechanics, Dwell, and The Drive, among others. Recurrent relaunched Popular Photography behind former DPReview editor Dan Bracaglia who left the then Amazon-owned publication to lead the revival. "This relaunch marks the introduction of a new editorial team, a refreshed design, and more. The new popphoto.com will include regular coverage of smartphone photography and social media, how-to's for all skill levels, cultural commentary, and reviews of new and used cameras and gear--all with an eye towards accessibility and affordability," Recurrent wrote in 2021. According to social media, Bracaglia remained at PopPhoto for just one year as Recurrent began to rein in its investment in the once-renowned publication. It then operated the site with a bare-bones team that focused on deals and reviews over the next year. The previous commitment to "regular coverage" was pulled back significantly. At its peak, Popular Photography magazine -- which was owned and operated by the Bonnier Corporation until it was closed the first time (and which now focuses its efforts on fishing, boating, motorsports, and hunting magazines) -- had a circulation of nearly one million. When the physical magazine shut down, that number had fallen to 320,000 according to the most recent media kit at the time. In related news, Popular Science will no longer publish a printed version of the magazine for the first time in its 151 year history following a series of layoffs that left around five editorial staff members and "a few" others on the commerce team, Axios reports. Recurrent will transition PopSci to a fully digital strategy behind a new CEO -- the third in three years. The Battle Against AI Imagery: Sony Gets Closer to New Crypto Signature You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com As AI imagery becomes more realistic and the barrier to entry for AI image creation gets lower, the need to authenticate whether an image is real or fake is imperative. While fake imagery has always been an issue in the world of photojournalism, AI imagery and the like have made things drastically worse. Because while manipulating images is one thing, creating images from nothing but a thought and selling them as real is an entirely different story. And this is the problem that Sony aims to solve with its new In-Camera Authenticity Technology. This technology aims to combat the problem by applying a machine-based digital signature to image files at the point of capture. Because the signature is applied inside the camera, it removes any opportunities for images to be manipulated between capture and delivery. While this may seem similar to what Leica recently announced with its new M11-P, the difference is that the Leica technology currently uses a dedicated processor for the signature to be applied. The technology that Sony is using is built off current hardware, not only making it easier to implement in future cameras but also making the technology backward compatible with certain older models via firmware updates. So, while the Leica version of authenticity is still a great thing, the Sony version makes everything more accessible, giving it a chance for wider implementation. Although this technology has not been fully released or finalized, plans are for the Crypto-Signature to be accessible on the new Sony a9 III as well as the older Sony a1 and Sony a7 III via firmware update. Kodak's new Super 8 film camera is actually coming out You can read the entire article on TheVerge.com Kodak is gearing up to actually sell the Super 8 film camera it announced way back at CES 2016. It's updated the camera's product page with a new "sign up to buy" button to allow potential customers to register their interest. Kodak's global managing director for motion picture, Vanessa Bendetti, tells The Verge that the company expects the camera to go on sale in limited quantities in the US on December 4th, before releasing in Canada, the UK, and other European markets. When it goes on sale, the camera will cost a whopping $5,495. That's not just expensive when you consider that, as 404 Media notes, vintage Super 8 cameras can generally be had for a few hundred bucks -- it's also expensive compared to Kodak's previously announced pricing. When the Super 8 camera was first announced in 2016, Kodak said it hoped to charge between $400 and $750 for it, and by 2018 it had already increased the potential price to between $2,500 and $3,000. If the idea of shooting on film appeals, and you can stomach the price tag, Kodak is inviting interested customers to sign up to receive more details via this reservation form (which it says you need to fill out even if you're already on the previous reservation list). One final word of warning for anyone who hasn't shot on real film before: 404 Media notes that one $35 Super 8 film cartridge can only shoot roughly two and a half minutes of 24fps footage. Pick your shots carefully. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #922, Nov. 21, 2023. Today's theme is "Bad News Backup." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The task was simple. All I had to do was gather a few images from 2005 that were stored on one of my twin Drobo drives. No, it's not what you think. The Drobos were fine. But unbeknownst to me, the images on them were trapped. And what I thought was the key to unlock them no longer worked. On today's TDS Photography Podcast, I tell the story of the Bad News Backup. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 922 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Bad News Backup Author's Note: I've published a detailed account of this story on Medium.com titled, The Rescue Mission. You can read the story for free using this link. Quietly humming on my desk right now is a white-plastic 2009 MacBook laptop running Mac OS X El Capitan. It's connected to a 2012 Drobo 5D hard drive array with a flickering activity light. They are working together on a very important project. No, I am not a time traveler. Nor am I so nostalgic that I would nurse along decades-old hardware. I am on a mission. I'm determined to retrieve images from my life 20 years ago. To help me, I've enlisted the help of a few unlikely characters, a band of aging old has-beens. Apple has long since stopped supporting plastic MacBooks. Drobo isn't even a company anymore. And the captor of my images, Aperture, was jettisoned in 2015. I had never worried much about the safety of those memories because Apple had promised an escape key: Photos for macOS (Aperture's replacement). If I wanted to peer into an Aperture library, all I had to do was connect the Drobo to a current computer and open the catalog with the Photos app. That was the deal. Or was it? Here's what happened next... The 2024 TDS Photography Workshop Season You can see all of the workshops and reserve your spot at thenimblephotographer.com I've just announced six new workshops for next year - 3 online, and 3 in-person on location. All events are open for registration right now. Here's what's going on. Photo Critique and Building Your Portfolio - Online - Feb. 2024 Spring in Sedona, AZ - In-Person - April 2024 Infrared Photography - Online - June 2024 Inkjet Printing for Photographers - Online - August 2024 Durango, CO and Mesa Verde National Park - In-Person - Oct. 2024 Safari West and Wine Country Experience in Sonoma County - In-Person - Nov. 2024 Reserve Your Spot Today All of our workshops currently have open seats. But typically that doesn't last for long. So if you want to join us in 2024, and I hope you do, visit the Nimble Photographer Workshops Page and reserve your spot. I hope to work with you in 2024! Photographer Switches to JPEG and Is Impeached by Local Club You can read the entire story on FStoppers.com Seattle, WA: Local photographer Wyatt Jones recently decided to switch from shooting in raw to JPEG format in an effort to spend less time editing images. However, he soon discovered he was spending even more time explaining his decision to horrified fellow photographers who were developing negative opinions. "I figured JPEGs would be quicker - just shoot and share!" said Jones. "But when I told my camera club friends, you'd think I just kicked a puppy. They kept asking if I had gone insane." Outraged photographers immediately began cropping up, inundating Jones with reasons he must shoot raw: white balance adjustments, exposure recovery, the ability to re-edit years later, and most importantly, better shadow recovery. "Eric went on a 15-minute diatribe about how shooting JPEG was 'destroying your creative potential'," said Jones. "He said I may as well just be shooting on a Polaroid. But they're my family photos, not the next Avengers movie!" The pleas to switch back to raw fell on deaf ears. Later, Jones proudly posted a JPEG photo to his photography forum titled "The Raw Truth." He hoped his unprocessed image would develop into an interesting discussion. The horrified responses poured in, critiquing the color, noise, and lack of flexibility. "This would have been easily adjustable if you had the raw file," remarked one commenter. "I could have recovered at least 2-3 stops of shadows from the raw data," contributed another. "Your children must be so ashamed to be in this picture," said one particularly rude commenter. After spending four hours defending his artistic choice, Jones finally admitted that perhaps he had acted in haste. The next day, he sheepishly swapped his camera settings back to raw, hoping to regain positive exposure among his peers. But the photography club was still fuming over the debut of Jones' undeveloped JPEG image. They asked him to resign as President and charitably offered to only reduce his membership level from Gold to Silver status. "It's like they had a personal vendetta just because I shot one lousy photo without raw," complained Jones. "I thought artists were supposed to be open-minded!" When reached for comment, Jones said only: "Next time, I'll just hire an editor to handle all the developing drama." Lowest Price I've Ever Seen for the Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod - Save $180 Photographers looking for a beautifully designed tripod with a great strength-to-size and weight ratio will appreciate the Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod from Peak Design. Architecturally inspired, and weighing only 2.8 lb, this innovative tripod reduces folded volume thanks to legs that store closer together than traditional tripods. It's currently available for $419 as part of a Black Friday Sale - that's $180 off regular price. Lightweight carbon fiber construction that folds down to 15.5", and weighs only 2.8 lb. Includes soft case, mobile mount, hex wrenches, and bushing removal tool. Arca-Type Compatible. Mobile Mount Stores Inside Center Column. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #921, Nov. 14, 2023. Today's theme is "The 2024 TDS Workshop Season, Plus the Sony a9 III Global Shutter." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The marque feature of the Sony a9 III is the global shutter. I interview Zach Sutton from Lens Rentals to discuss its significance. Then we roll right into the just-announced Photography Workshop Schedule for 2024. It's an exciting lineup of both online and in-person events. And you're going want to hear what we're up to. All of this on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 921 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Significance of the Sony a9 Global Shutter The Sony a9 III is an amazing camera. And at the top of the feature list is the global shutter. I interview Zach Sutton, the editor of the LensRentals.com Blog, and we discuss the importance of the shutter and the new camera. The 2024 TDS Photography Workshop Season You can see all of the workshops and reserve your spot at thenimblephotographer.com I've just announced six new workshops for next year - 3 online, and 3 in-person on location. All events are open for registration right now. Here's what's going on. Photo Critique and Building Your Portfolio - Online February 2024 - It's difficult for photographers to find constructive feedback for their images. And it's even more challenging to determine their strongest work on their own. In this workshop, participants will be able to present images each week to be reviewed by the group. Plus there will be tips on building a strong portfolio, entering photo competitions, and more. Spring in Sedona, AZ - In-Person April 2024 - TDS photographers return to Sedona, AZ, but this time during the Spring to view the landscape in a whole new way. We will explore iconic locations, picturesque landscapes, mysterious vortexes, and towns frozen in time from the mining days. What a great way to kickoff our 2024 workshop season! Infrared Photography - Online June 2024 - Do you feel like the world is looking like "the same old same old" through your camera's viewfinder? Have you felt your enthusiasm for photography waning? Then it's time for you to consider exploring infrared imaging. Suddenly walks you've taken a hundred times look completely different as you see them through your camera. Old familiar subjects burst to life with new vibrancy. IR photography can energize your creativity, not only for this medium, but for all of your artistry. Inkjet Printing for Photographers - Online August 2024 - This inkjet printing workshop will help you tame your printer, enabling you to create beautiful prints and fine art greeting cards. We'll cover paper stocks, printer setups, project design, and even how to choose the best inkjet photo printer for you. Weekly printing assignments with class support will help you hone your skills. If you're tired of being baffled by the fine art output process, and are ready to start creating artwork that you can physically share with others, this workshop is for you. Durango, CO and Mesa Verde National Park - In-Person October 2024 - Autumn in Colorado. This workshop will combine the beauty of Durango, located in the Animas River Valley and surrounded by the gorgeous San Juan Mountains, elevation 6,500 feet, with the archaeological wonder of Mesa Verde National Park. During the workshop, we will photograph stunning landscapes, explore ruins, and immerse in the town that features hotels, restaurants, and railroads dating back to 1887. Safari West and Wine Country Experience in Sonoma County - In-Person November 2024 - Referred to as the Sonoma Serengeti, Safari West is located on 400 rolling acres in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains and is home to hundreds of African animals, including exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles. We will explore this habitat in a private tour designed for photographers. We'll be driving through large open areas with unobstructed views of the creatures we discover. But the adventure does not end there. During this workshop, we'll enjoy a private wine tasting led by a wine educator, and stand on the cliffs of the rugged Sonoma Coast for stunning landscape work. A true adventure indeed! Reserve Your Spot Today All of our workshops currently have open seats. But typically that doesn't last for long. So if you want to join us in 2024, and I hope you do, visit the Nimble Photographer Workshops Page and reserve your spot. I hope to work with you in 2024! Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #920, Nov. 7, 2023. Today's theme is "How Lightroom Desktop Saved the Day." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Like most of you, I have the $9.99 a month Adobe Photography Plan that includes Photoshop, Lightroom Classic, Lightroom Desktop, and Lightroom Mobile. And even though Lightroom isn't my primary photo management app, at times, I find it very useful. Over the last month was one of those times, and on today's TDS Photography Podcast, I'll share with you why. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 920 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In How Lightroom Desktop Saved the Day For the last few years, I've been using a combination of Capture One Pro and Photos for macOS to manage my pictures. Photos is great for my iPhone shots, and Capture One Pro works well for my professional assignment work. But I also maintain my Adobe Photography Plan because there are times I find it very useful. That became even more the case with the recent Lightroom Desktop update, V7.0, that allowed images to be stored locally, as well as in the cloud. I like Lightroom Desktop because it has most of the tools I need in an easy, uncomplicated interface. But having to wrestle with my Adobe Cloud account hindered its usefulness for me. When Adobe allowed for local storage as well, that thrilled me. Now I can point Lightroom Desktop to my organized picture folders on my hard drive without worrying about exceeding my Cloud storage limit. I can use its cool tools such as the new AI Denoise or Lens Blur for any RAW file on my hard drive. I was really thrilled. But, a turn of events made this even more important. RAW Files from the Nikon Zf When I was testing the Nikon Zf for my published review of it, of course I needed to see how its RAW files performed. At first, Capture One couldn't read them. I was using 16.2.2. Then I saw an update was available: 16.2.5. Right on! I downloaded it and added my perpetual license key. The updated version would not accept it and insisted that I needed to pay $200 for an upgrade to 16.2.5. Pay for an update to a dot release! I trashed the new version and went back to 16.2.2. And I decided that I was going to use Lightroom for working with the RAW files for the Zf. One of the really good things about Adobe is that they are on top of RAW file updates. This is really important when you test new cameras as I do. And since Lightroom Desktop was more flexible than before, this became my workflow for the Zf. I have 20 GBs of Cloud space to work with as part of my Adobe Photography Plan. Lightroom Desktop now allows me to load all of my Zf files locally, then decide which ones, if any, I send to Cloud storage. I do this for my favorites because then I can view them, and tweak if necessary, using Lightroom Mobile on my iPhone. It's the best of both worlds. Adobe Decoding of Nikon's RAW Files Over the last week, I was covering our Wine Country Photography Workshop with the Zf. We were in wine country at the peak of color, and it was amazing. The Zf did a great job of recording all of that beauty, and Lightroom Desktop decoded those files accurately. One of the things I really appreciated in Lightroom was the Profile options. I could go with the Adobe versions: Adobe Color, Adobe Landscape, Adobe Vivid, etc., or, under Camera Matching, I could tap the Nikon profiles that were in my camera: Nikon Flat, Nikon Landscape, Nikon Portrait, etc., plus I had all three Nikon Monochrome profiles available there too. If you don't know about these settings, you have to try them. Once I decided on the best profile for the images at hand, I used the Adobe adjustments to get the most from those RAWs. The editing was fast and effective. I was able to confidently report on the image quality of the Nikon Zf thanks to Adobe Lightroom Desktop. Some photographers might not realize the comprehensive tool set in Lightroom Desktop, items such as Content-Aware Remove that work really well. And now that the app allows for local storage, as well as cloud storage, it can be a life-saver... especially when you buy a new camera and need to work on its RAW files. Really Right Stuff's New Universal L-Bracket Fits Almost Any Camera You can read the entire story on Petapixel.com Really Right Stuff announced a new L-bracket called the MC-LS that is designed to work on basically any camera with the classic SLR design with a perfect fit thanks to five levels of adjustment. The MC-LS is described as a premium universal L-plate that can securely accommodate "most" camera body sizes used by photographers. Really Right Stuff says that the MC-LS offers five levels of adjustment through its sliding L-Component (it has a side-port access window width of 28.1mm and a forward and back slide capability of plus or minus 5mm), reversible Anti-Twist Flange Plate (a minimum of 2.95mm and a maximum of 29.89mm), and fore-to-aft positioning on these elements, which allows it to perfectly adapt to a specific camera's shape. Really Right Stuff adds that the camera socket to the L-component can be adjusted between 43mm and 76.2mm. "The MC-LS, or Multi-Camera L-Set, is designed to be the one plate that seamlessly fits your camera. It is the ultimate choice for photographers who demand the utmost in versatility, durability, and performance. Whether you're a professional photographer or an avid enthusiast, the MC-LS is here to elevate your photography to new heights, providing unparalleled confidence in every shot," Really Right Stuff says. While it probably won't fit on any camera, it should reliably adapt to any camera that uses the classic SLR design that has become basically the unspoken "standard" for photo and hybrid cameras. Really Right Stuff shows it attached to cameras as small as an a7C to as large as a Fujifilm GFX medium format body. Of note, the company stipulates that it doesn't work on cameras like the Nikon Z9 as taller bodies like it would have their ports blocked by the bracket. The same can be said for cameras equipped with a battery grip. Once on a camera, it can attach to a wide range of Arca-style accessories (like tripods, gimbals, and monopods) thanks to its use of the Really Right Stuff Dovetail Standard. The MC-LS L-bracket is designed and manufactured in the United States and is available directly from Really Right Stuff for $140. How to Find and Use the Advanced Computational Features of OM System Cameras You can read the entire article, on FStoppers.com.. The OM-1 and OM-5, and their Olympus predecessors, have many unique functions. Here are some common ones, where to find them, and what they do. In a recent article, I wrote about the advantages of the Micro Four Thirds standard and why there is such a large migration of people to it. OM System cameras, in particular, have unique and unusual innovative features that set them apart from other brands. Although most people who migrate to the OM System do so because of the size and weight advantages, it's also those other distinctive features that make the cameras stand out from the crowd. Most of these are due to something that is overlooked by camera reviewers and photographers alike: the powerful processor. That, combined with the faster speeds of the smaller, especially the stacked BSI Live MOS Sensor of the OM-1, enables the cameras to offer functionalities that are not currently possible with other models, or are being adopted years later. Here are the features covered in the article: The Fastest Raw Never Miss the Action With Pro Capture Live Time and Live Bulb Live Composite Mode: Adding Solely New Light (LiveComp mode is a real boon for those who enjoy light painting, or shooting fireworks, star and light trails, and lighting.) Live ND, Leave Those Filters at Home In-Camera Focus Stacking Using In-Camera HDR (High Dynamic Range) High Resolution (Hi Res) Mode Starry Sky Autofocus for Nighttime Landscapes (Starry Sky AF focuses on the stars and then moves the focus forward to get both the stars and as much of the landscape in focus as possible.) The Best Weathersealing and Built to Survive (OM System Cameras and the M.Zuiko PRO lenses are weather-sealed to the IP53 standard.) It's amazing the technology that is available in cameras today, and it is good news for the entire industry that the OM System is so innovative and leads the way, introducing new technologies that other brands adopt later. It's good news that Canon and Nikon now have their equivalent of Pro Capture, and it would be great if they made it available across their entire range and not just in the top-end models. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #919, Oct. 31, 2023. Today's theme is "Connecting a Camera to Your Smartphone: Has It Got Better?" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Our smartphones and tablets have such beautiful HD screens and are so powerful. They are a natural companion to our mirrorless cameras. Yet, despite Bluetooth and WiFi, the whole process has been an exercise in frustration. Has it got any better? Find out on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 919 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Connecting a Camera to Your Smartphone: Has It Got Better? There are so many situations when I just want to see a photo on my iPhone or iPad without having to remove the memory card, put it in a reader, launch an app, and go through the entire uploading process. And I shouldn't have to. Every modern device has Bluetooth and WiFi. This should be easy. But it hasn't. Have things changed? With my iPhone 15 Pro Max in hand, I've tested the apps from Nikon, OM System, and Fujifilm. This should be a fairly good sampling of where we stand. So let's get to it. Nikon SnapBridge with a Nikon Zf Grade C - When everything works as it is supposed to, I can remotely control the camera with the iPhone, download pictures in a variety of resolutions from the Zf to the iPhone, automatically geotag pictures, and more. The Bluetooth side of the equation works well. Once you set up Auto Link and pair the devices, they find each other nearly instantly. This is particularly important when you want to automatically geotag pictures captured with the Zf. Things start to break down for remote photography and downloading images because those require a WiFi connection, which the Zf has a hard time maintaining. In fact, the WiFi can gum up the works so badly that you sometimes have to turn it off to use the Bluetooth. Once reestablished however, everything works really well. Nikon needs to make the WiFi side of the equation more stable. Once they do, this app could be rise to an A grade. O.I. Share with OM System OM-1 Grade B+ - The O.I. app has evolved steadily over the years, and its current version is the most stable and functional to date. Setup is fairly straightforward, having the smartphone scan a QR code on the camera back. Once the connection is made, you can remotely control the camera, import photos, including RAWs, edit pictures with all of the Art Filters available in post), add geotags, and even update the firmware for the camera and Olympus lenses. The Bluetooth and WiFi connections are stable. It does take a little time to fire up the WiFi when you want to download pictures or remotely control the camera, but once established, the connection is solid. The realtime geotagging has very much improved. One you turn on the feature in O.I. Share, you don't even have to launch to app for geotagging to engage. You can confirm that BT and geotagging is active via the icons on the camera's LCD. This tandem has really improved, and it deserves a solid B. Speeding up the WiFi connection process would move it to a grade of A. Fujifilm Xapp with X100V Grade B - Fujifilm photographers were not happy with the previous version of their smartphone app. So the software engineers went back to the drawing board and created an entirely program: Xapp. The Xapp provides a variety of functions including geotagging, importing pictures, remote control, backing up camera settings, and firmware updates. The Bluetooth connection works great. All you have to do is launch the app with the camera on, and the two see each other right away. Again, this provides fairly seamless geotagging of the camera images. WiFi is required for importing pictures and remote control. This works fairly well, but I have had to initiate the connection more than once to enable. I would say it's definitely more stable than with the previous app, but it does have its wobbles. Overall however, Fujifilm has improved this experience with Xapp. And if they can further streamline and stabilize the WiFi connection, they would deserve an A grade. Final Observations One thing that I noticed with all three camera apps is that the more I use them and connect, the better they seem to work. So I think it's worth it to fire them up on a regular basis. In the case of the iPhone, all of the imported images are shared with Photos for iOS, and as an extension, iCloud. This is very handy and it makes post production and backup seamless. I think it's worth tapping these apps for the automatic geotagging alone, which is also the best functioning. And when you do want to import wirelessly, most of the time it goes well with little hassle. Indeed, times have improved. Join Us for the Next Online Inkjet Printing Workshop Nov. 29-Dec. 20, 2023 Just in time for the holidays, this inkjet printing workshop will help you tame your printer, enabling you to create beautiful prints and fine art greeting cards. We'll cover paper stocks, printer setups, project design, and even how to choose the best inkjet photo printer for you. Weekly printing assignments with class support will help you hone your skills. If you're tired of being baffled by the fine art output process, and are ready to start creating artwork that you can physically share with others, this workshop is for you. You can Sign Up Here for the workshop. And remember, Inner Circle Members get a 10 Percent Discount. Canon is actively conducting market research on a "retro" style camera body You can read the entire story on CanonRumors.com Back in August, we spent a bit of time reading between the lines about a "retro" influences Canon camera from comments made by a Canon executive. This topic was brought up in response to the hype around Nikon's Zf retro camera body. Now it appears Canon is actively asking customers which of their most iconic camera bodies customers would like to see again, but with a modern take. According to The Federation of Independent Photographers, Canon has been officially conducting market research through multiple channels getting feedback from Canon shooters about which camera they'd like to bring back. The top 4 choices for a retro inspired EOS camera are the Canonet QL17, Canon P, Canon F-1 and the top selling Canon AE-1. While there are a few "Debbie Downers" out there that are on the ol' "who cares what a camera looks like?" high-horse, we have seen a lot of excitement on the possibility of Canon paying homage to at least one of their iconic camera bodies. 1,000 Off Canon's Flagship Camera The Canon EOS R3 is now $4,999, which is $1,000 off its normal $5,999 price tag. The full-frame 24MP BSI CMOS sensor has an updated DIGIC X processor, which helps boost the overall speed for up to 30 fps continuous shooting with an electronic shutter, 6K 60p raw and 4K 120p video recording, plus intelligent Dual Pixel CMOS II autofocus with Eye Control AF for intuitive focus point selection. The R3 is also the first EOS R-series camera to feature a built-in vertical grip, making it an ergonomic choice for long shooting times and for seamlessly switching between horizontal and vertical shooting orientations. The rugged body design also incorporates a high-resolution 5.76m-dot OLED EVF and a 3.2" vari-angle touchscreen LCD, along with dual memory card slots, wireless and wired connectivity, and an updated Multi-Function Shoe design for expanded accessory compatibility. If you've been waiting to pull the trigger on this flagship Canon, now seems like a good time. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #918, Oct. 24, 2023. Today's theme is "A Scary Night Out with the Nikon Zf" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I'd been testing the Nikon Zf for a week when I landed the ultimate low light torture test: Opening night publicity shots for a commercial haunted house. When we were working out the details of the assignment, the client warned me, "It's going to be dark, very dark." With the Zf in hand, I replied, "Bring it on!" What happened on that frightful night is the lead story in this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 918 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In A Scary Night Out with the Nikon Zf Captured with the Nikon Zf at the Blind Scream Haunted House in Santa Rosa, CA. Photo by Derrick Story. Most people would probably think I was insane. Who in their right mind would accept a virtual darkness photo shoot with a brand-new camera and only a few lenses? I must admit, I was a bit nervous beforehand. But as you know, I always am. I was armed with the Nikon Zf mirrorless camera and 40mm f/2.0 lens. I also had the FTZ II adapter that allowed me to use my AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G that came with my Nikon D610, and the AF-S 24-85mm G zoom. I only had one battery that came with the Zf, that is, until I tried the Lithium from the D610 and discovered that it worked. Now I had two batteries. I was ready for action. In the podcast, I tell the story of how the haunted house shoot unfolded. If you want to read my full review of the Nikon Zf, it includes lots of detail and plenty of pictures. Canon Japan formally discontinues the last EOS-M cameras, saying goodbye to EF-M You can read the entire article on DPReview.com Well, the writing has been on the wall for a while, but Canon's Japanese website has finally confirmed the end of the EF-M system. Or, at least, is describing all the EOS-M camera models as being discontinued. Canon USA told PetaPixel, "At present, sales of EOS M series cameras and EF-M lenses vary from region to region depending on user needs," but the confirmation that sales have stopped in Canon's home market, where the EOS-M models sold particularly well, tells a fairly clear story. The EF-M system, Canon's first foray into mirrorless cameras, was a compact APS-C mirrorless system that could use EF and EF-S DSLR lenses via adapter, but its own lenses could only be used on EF-M bodies. The range extended from some of Canon's smallest, most affordable beginner-friendly ILCs up to the enthusiast-focused M5 and M6 models. The relatively small lens range reflected this focus, with a handful of variable aperture zooms supplemented by three relatively compact primes. The arrival of the RF mount undermined confidence in the future of the system and the launch of APS-C RF models essentially spelled the end for EF-M. The R cameras sacrifice some of the compactness of EOS-M modes and currently have fewer APS-C (and APS-C appropriate) lens options, but give buyers the confidence that Canon is committed to the lens system. To some degree, anyway: Canon doesn't have a great history of fleshing out its APS-C systems, perhaps in the hope of up-selling people to its full-frame cameras and, unlike with EF-M, has been actively blocking third parties from doing so. But, regardless of where we stand or how we got here, it seems that, after eleven years, Canon has turned a page on the first chapter of its mirrorless camera story. Ricoh makes official statement on its film camera project. It's not what we expected! You can read the entire story on DigitalCameraWorld.com It turns out that film photography lovers may not be getting quite as spoiled as was previously thought. It was recently stated by a Ricoh employee that four new Pentax film cameras are coming next year, including two SLRs. However, this timeline might not come to fruition as Ricoh has now made an official statement that will put water on this new film camera fire. "We found information on several websites regarding our film camera development," reads the statement. "This included two compact film cameras for Spring 2024 as mentioned by a colleague working for Ricoh Imaging Europe. "This is not our official remark, nor is it based on any fixed information. We are indeed challenging the development of a compact film camera; however, we have not yet decided whether or when we will launch such a product." While this news does leave a big question mark for me, and clearly there are some communication issues, and although this could have been a blunder... it does raise suspicion over the whole project. Which we haven't really had a substantial update on since May 2023, which is 5 months as of writing this article. Who knows what the future will hold for the Pentax and its reveal of film cameras, but if you're in the market for a new-to-you film camera then we highly recommend checking out our best film camera guide and while you're there take a look at our best 35mm film or best 120 film guides to keep your film supply in stock. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #917, Oct. 17, 2023. Today's theme is "Nervous Before a Photo Shoot? Me Too." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue You'd think that after doing something professionally for decades, dealing with nerves would be a distant object in my rearview mirror. The fact of the matter is: I still get anxious before a big photo shoot. But I've learned how to channel nervous energy into creative output. And I'll share those tips with you on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 917 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Nervous Before a Photo Shoot? Me Too. The driving force behind every photo shoot is to deliver the best images possible to the client. When I focus on that, everything else seems to fall into place. But that desire for excellence also creates pressure. And that first 10 to 15 minutes of the job include a bit of anxiety. What I've learned over the years is that bit of pressure actually helps me focus. Even though I must appear confident and relaxed to help the client feel at ease, inside I'm laser-beamed on figuring out the best way for us to start the session. In the end, both parties are relieved and happy with the results. Here's my approach. Conversation First - Before the actual photo shoot, have a phone conversation or Zoom call with the client. This is important to begin building rapport, and to find out expectations. This information will help you build your gameplan for the job. Prepare Your Gear Ahead of Time - Use the information from the client discussion to determine the gear needed for the job. Begin this process 48 hours in advance. Why 48 hours? Because you will initially forget to include important items, wake up in the middle of the night remembering them, then still have time the next day to add them to your kit. Plan for Backup Scenarios - You will build your ideal plan, and hopefully that will work. But also construct a Plan B incase the wheels fall off the wagon. Having a great backup plan will greatlyt decrease your anxiety. Plan to Arrive Early - This will give you time to scout, contemplate, test shoot, and get comfortable. Nothing creates tension like arriving late to a photo shoot. Make sure you're early. Put the Subject at Ease - I know this seems counterintuitive when you're nervous yourself, but you'll discover that your efforts to help the subject feel calm and confident will have the same effect on you. Don't Start with Your Best Option - Everyone is going to need to warm up. Begin the shoot with your second or third favorite option. Once things get rolling, then you can go to your first choice. Keep it Moving - This is where your preparation pays off. By keeping the shoot moving at a snappy pace, everyone will feel like it's going well, and will relax even more. Share a Few Pictures from the Back of the LCD - Once the subject sees how well he/she looks, their confidence will grow and they will relax even more. Keep Those Complements Flowing - Praise feels good, especially in the middle of a photo shoot. By this point, everyone should be feeling pretty darn good. And thanks to your being prepared, generous, and focused, everything else will fall into place. Adobe MAX 2023: Here's what Lightroom users need to know You can read the entire article on DPReview.com At its annual Adobe MAX event, Adobe rolled out new versions of its flagship applications, including the Lightroom ecosystem that encompasses Lightroom Classic, Lightroom desktop, and mobile Lightroom apps. They can now simulate shallow depth of field using existing depth maps or by creating new ones, edit in greater dynamic range on HDR displays, add a new Point Color tool for adjusting specific colors and more. Lightroom Classic 13.0 and Lightroom 7.1 for macOS and Windows are available starting today to Creative Cloud subscribers via the Creative Cloud app, while the Lightroom 9.0 mobile apps for iOS, iPadOS and Android are available in their respective app stores. Here are the key features. Lens Blur - The new Lens Blur tool is characterized as being in Early Access but is available to all subscribers. If the photo already includes device depth information, Lightroom uses that as the depth map; if not, Lightroom analyzes what's in the scene (such as a prominent subject) to determine which areas should be out of focus. HDR output and editing - The new HDR mode reveals the full dynamic range within an HDR-captured photo (which includes many Raws), extending the histogram and the Tone Curve tool to account for the added values. You can visualize which areas are beyond SDR and the capabilities of your current computer monitor. Point Color - In previous versions of the Lightroom apps, it's been possible to manipulate colors by adjusting their hue, saturation and luminance in the HSL/Color tool. However, that was limited to 8 main colors. The new Point Color tool makes color selection more granular by sampling pixels in an image using an eyedropper. Lightroom desktop goes local - Until now, the desktop version of Lightroom (not Lightroom Classic) has been tightly tethered to the cloud. By default, every image you import gets synced to Creative Cloud and made available to Lightroom on other devices. Sometimes, though, you may want to open an image and use Lightroom's tools to edit it without adding it to your cloud library (and taking up cloud storage). Now, a new Local option in Lightroom lets you browse your storage and edit images locally without any cloud involvement. If you do decide to sync one with the rest of your devices, you can copy it to the cloud, where it becomes part of your regular library. A Couple Comments from Sedona The TDS Sedona Photography Workshop is now in the books, and I've returned to Santa Rosa. But I received a few emails from participants that I thought you might enjoy. Tim wrote: "Well, that was fun. Thanks to all for helping "break me in" to this whole photo workshop thing. It was the opposite of intimidating, as a result of Derrick's relaxed style and the good humor and openness that each of you brought. I'll take loads of good memories and some ok photos as well from this week! Thanks again everyone, and safe travels! Michael wrote: "Thanks again for another great workshop! Great people, great scenery, great learning experience. And also, great weather! (Florence #1 is still fresh in my mind.) This really works as a destination. You'll be doing it again, but I don't think you can improve on it. I hope the same group reassembles next year someplace -- we look forward to advising on options." As for me, I talked a bit about the workshop in the Nimble Photographer Newsletter, and I included some pictures as well. And in case you're curious, I'll be returning to Sedona in 2024, plus we'll have new exciting locations too. Keep an eye out for an upcoming podcast with the entire workshop schedule for next year. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #916, Oct. 10, 2023. Today's theme is "Ride Shotgun on Photo Scouting Mission." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue If you want to have half a chance of a photo workshop running smoothly, you have to get out there and scout ahead of time. There are so many things that just don't show up on websites. Today, I'm going to invite you along for my final day of exploration before the Sedona Photography Workshop begins in less than 24 hours. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 916 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Ride Shotgun on Photo Scouting Mission Join Derrick as he explores the Northern Arizona countryside the day before his workshop begins. Astrophotography in October 2023: what to shoot in the night sky this month You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com Tuesday, October 10: Conjunction of the crescent moon and Venus - Rising in the east a couple of hours before sunrise will be an 18%-illuminated crescent moon displaying 'Earthshine' - reflected sunlight from our oceans onto the lunar surface. Just below it will be Venus, itself only 42%-lit, but very bright thanks to its closeness to Earth. Between the two is Regulus in Leo, one of the brightest stars in the night sky at just 77 light-years away. Saturday, October 14: 'Ring of Fire' annular solar eclipse - Today almost everyone in North, Central and South America will see a partial solar eclipse, with any special location's distance from a 125 miles wide central path determining how much of the sun will appear to be blocked by the sun. Only those within that path - which goes through the US Southwest, Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia and Brazil - will be able to photograph a 'ring of fire' around the moon as it eclipses up to 91% of the sun. To photograph this you'll need to use solar filters at all times and only watch it through the LCD screen on the back of your camera. The U.S. states the central path runs through - and from where the 'ring of fire' will be visible - comprise Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas. Saturday, October 21: Orionid meteor show - Up to 20 'shooting stars' are expected from the peak of the Orionids peak, which will occur in the early hours. Meteors will appear to emanate from the constellation Orion, though they can appear anywhere in the sky. The best way to photograph them is to leave a camera with a wide-angle lens on a tripod in continuous mode in the hope of catching one. Go for 30-second exposures. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #915, Oct. 3, 2023. Today's theme is "How to Go Carry-On Only for a 10-Day Photo Trip." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I'm on my way to Sedona, AZ for our upcoming photography workshop. We will be working in a variety of beautiful settings, and I plan on coming home with plenty of pictures. And since a lot of my gear has to be packed in my suitcase, I'm going super-nimble and will be carrying on both of my bags. How could such a thing happen for a 10-day photo trip? Find out on today's TDS photography podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 915 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In How to Go Carry-On Only for a 10-Day Photo Trip I have had such bad luck with checked bags that I've changed my approach to flying. I'd rather pay a bit more for a comfortable seat that allows my to board early and stash my suitcase in the overhead compartment. I hang on to my carry-on shoulder bag at my seat where I will have a laptop, iPad, and AirPods for the flight. My suitcase is the amazing Solgaard Carry On Suitcase that easily fits in the overhead compartment. I also use eBag Packing Cubes which keep everything organized and provides extra compression for my clothes. But there's so much more that fits in my suitcase for this trip. MeFoto Backpacker Tripod for our night photography, and Manfrotto monopod for hiking. Lowepro Pro Tactic compact camera case. OM Digital OM-1 mirrorless camera with lenses; Fujifilm X100V, iPhone 15 Pro Max. Cables, power bricks, audio recorder, filters, and various accessories. Two pairs of Clothing Arts Pick-Pocket Proof® Adventure Travel Shorts, one pair of Eddie Bauer long travel pants, T-shirts, underwear, socks, long sleeve shirt, foldable rain shell, and down jacket. Laundry detergent, spot remover, portable first aid kit, flashlight, iPhone stand, hat, sunglasses, and sunblock. In my shoulder bag that complements the carry-on suitcase, I have my MacBook Pro 14.2" laptop, iPad mini, AirPods, more lenses, cable kit, and water bottle. In the podcast, I explain how this all works together. 4 Productive Mindsets When Traveling for Photography You can read the entire article on Fstoppers.com For a lot of photographers, the act of traveling is a double-edged sword. We travel to be able to see the world and draw as much inspiration as we can from everything we see and experience. At the same time, the act of traveling often requires pushing out of our comfort zones and leaving behind a lot of the things that allow us to operate with fewer worries and limitations. Traveling often involves the unpredictability of new surroundings, the randomness of photographic subjects, and the requirements (and limitations) of our gear. Travel is a huge equalizer that requires a lot of planning and a lot of energy to make sure that the experience is both productive and refreshing at the same time. Here are four things to keep in mind that might help you make the most out of your travel experiences no matter where you are going. Here are four key points. Don't Let Unfavorable Weather Stop You Give Yourself Some Wiggle Room Don't Forget To Be a Tourist Connect With People How Do iPhone 15 Pro RAW Files Stack Up to ILC Cameras? I discuss what my findings are after testing my iPhone 15 Pro Max. You can view and download the full resolution image here. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #914, Sept. 26, 2023. Today's theme is "Don't Care How Great the iPhone Is, I'm Never Selling My Camera." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue After spending the entire weekend setting up and testing the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I can report that it is a wonderful addition to my photography arsenal. There is an entire gear bag of goodies packed into that Titanium package. So will it replace my X100V, OM-1, or GFX 100S? Not on your life! Find out why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 914 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In I Don't Care How Great the iPhone Is, I'm Never Selling My Camera One of the things that I really like about the iPhone 15 Pro Max is how the Action Button allows me to hold the iPhone like a real camera and trip the shutter with a physical button instead of tapping the screen. This is a definite improvement. And you'd think that with Apple hitting its stride with serious photography, that the convenience of the iPhone would finally move enthusiasts to sell their cameras and go light. But that's not going to happen. Let's start with 5 reasons why, and go from there. The Electronic Viewfinder - My mirrorless cameras have one, my iPhone does not. Physical Controls - The Action Button is a huge step forward for the iPhone, but it doesn't compare to the buttons and dials on my other cameras. Built-In Tripod Socket - Yes, you can get MagSafe tripod adapters for the iPhone, I have one, but they are not the same as having a built-in socket all of the time. SD Card Storage - I really like SD Cards. They are small, but not too small, convenient, provide physical storage in addition to Cloud, and are only feasible on my regular cameras. Filters and Accessories - Yes, you. can buy filter adapters for the iPhone, but they pale in comparison to just screwing in a filter to the front of your camera. And how about spare batteries? Then we get into things like how wonderful a camera feels in your hands, the physical benefits of a larger sensor, the amazing color science developed by Fujifilm, tilting LCD screens, and on and on. And have you ever had your photo shoot interrupted by a phone call when using your favorite ILC camera? I think not! I like how cameras make me feel when I'm working. There's a real partnership there. It's like the two of us together can make something beautiful. The iPhone will never replace my working cameras. But what it has done is become my backup camera allowing me to travel even lighter than before. I can now carry just the OM-1 or X100V in a tiny bag and be just fine because I have the iPhone 15 Pro Max in my pocket. Regardless of the top of the line smartphone that you're toting around, it is a worthy addition to your photography bag of tricks. Addition, not substitution. 50 years of Billingham Bags: the story You can read the entire article on AmateurPhotographer.com The year 1973 was a good one for creating cultural icons. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon was released, and Roger Moore made his James Bond debut in Live and Let Die. Meanwhile in the West Midlands, newly married young couple Ros and Martin Billingham decided to set up a business making bags to supplement the meagre incomes from their day jobs, and along the way created the world's most iconic camera bag. Fifty years on the Billingham brand is still regarded as the Rolls Royce of camera bags, exported worldwide and used by a who's who of the biggest names in photography. So how did it all start? [Closing paragraph] - Despite the fact that they're now in their 70s, and they have in their co-director son, Harry, a safe pair of hands, Ros and Martin appear to still be enjoying themselves far too much to think about retiring. 'Even after all these years it's still nice to walk in and see the manufacturing process,' beams Ros. 'That's why we're still here, still working.' Martin adds: People always seem to need bags, and there isn't a perfect bag. So we have to keep designing and making lots of different ones. There are really only two types of bag - too big or too small.' Google Pixel 8: new leaked promo video details new & improved camera features You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com It's flagship phone launch season, and hot on the heels of the new iPhone is the Google Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, due to launch on October 4th. Google has officially only released a basic teaser video for the upcoming phones on its Pixel 8 webpage, but a new, more detailed video showing what the new phones will have to offer has recently been leaked by tipster Kamila Wojciechowska. It reveals camera features like: A new Pro Mode, exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro. This will give users added control over more advanced camera settings, enabling greater photographic freedom. Night sight is back, so expect uncannily detailed low light images, even in almost complete darkness. Super res zoom, enabling 8x zoom with the Pixel 8, and 30x zoom for the '8 Pro. Real tone, for improved color accuracy, for lifelike, realistic skin tones. Magic editor: this looks like a clever feature, enabling you to switch faces in a photo with minimal effort. Pro Camera Specs (uncomfirmed) Main Camera: 50MP Samsung GN2, f/1.68 aperture Ultrawide Camera: 64MP Sony IMX787, f/1.95 aperture Telephoto Camera: 48MP Samsung GM5, f/2.8 aperture, 5x optical zoom, Super Res Zoom up to 30x Front Camera: 11MP Samsung 3J1, dual phase detect AF, f/2.2 aperture, 95-degree field of view Google may also be introducing new video capture features, including Video Boost, Night Sight for low light videos, Audio Eraser for reducing ambient background sounds, and improved skin tone rendition. We'll have to wait until October 4th for the official Pixel 8 reveal, but if these leaked details do turn out to be correct, the flagship phone fight between Google and Apple is going to be fierce. Setting Up the iPhone 15 Pro for Photographers You can read the entire article on Live View Apple has made a few key refinements to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max that are very photographer-friendly. These changes not only improve the camera's output, but also provide a better experience when taking pictures. In this article, I will first review the key settings that maximize the iPhone's imaging capabilities, and then show you the most efficient way to hold the camera and take pictures. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #913, Sept. 19, 2023. Today's theme is "2 New Cameras That You Should Know About." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Maybe it was the unveiling of the Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max that cast a shadow over two excellent cameras announced just days before. But we're going to shine a light on them both. One from Panasonic. The other from Fujifilm. Both terrific. Learn more about them on the first story of today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 913 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 2 New Cameras That You Should Know About The Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 II The Panasonic Lumix G9 II ($1,897) is the follow-up to the G9 and is the first-ever Lumix Micro Four Thirds camera to include phase detection autofocus. Panasonic redesigned the body for a more upright, angular appearance and has packed plenty of tech inside. 25.2MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Sensor 100MP Handheld High-Res Mode 3.68m-Dot 0.8x-Magnification OLED LVF = 60 fps or 120 fps changeable refresh rate. 779-Point Phase-Detection AF System - When it comes to autofocus, dependability is the most important thing, and with Phase Detection AF you can fully supplement and track the subject in six different situations that until now had been a challenge for conventional systems to capture. Dual UHS-II SD Slots; Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 5-Axis Sensor Stabilization; Dual I.S. 2 - Dual I.S. 2 combines the camera's 8 stop-rated 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization technology with lens-based 2-axis image stabilization to compensate for a broader range of movement types to render sharper, clearer imagery. Dual I.S. 2 requires the use of compatible Lumix lenses featuring O.I.S. When working with adapted lenses, you can manually select whether to use the in-camera sensor-shift. 3.0" 1.84m-Dot Free-Angle Touchscreen ISO 25600 and 75 fps Continuous Shooting - 75 fps when using the camera's electronic shutter, or up to 14 fps when using the mechanical shutter. Weather-Sealed Design Equipped with several recently-developed pre-programmed settings, the G9 II features the Leica Monochrome photo style, which delivers beautiful creations of black and white scenes. A USB Type-C port allows for fast file transfers as well as high-speed in-camera battery charging. But not a separate battery charger. Compared to the OM System OM-1 The G9 II's sensor isn't as fast as the Stacked CMOS variety in the OM-1, it has fewer subject detection modes, the EVF is lower resolution (3.68 M vs 5.76 M, weaker battery life (390 vs 520), weighs more (23 oz vs 21 oz), and is a bigger camera compared to the OM-1. The G9 II does have more resolution however, (25 MP vs 20 MP), costs $100 less, and has a few more video goodies. Bottom Line for the G9 II First of all, it's great that Panasonic comtinues to build sophisticated, well-designed Micro Four Cameras. Photographers love having the choice between the two brands, and the overall system is far more vibrant thanks to Panasonic's contributions. The G9 II is a handsome camera as well, and some my prefer the slightly bigger size with more resolution. And if that's the case, I'm confident they will enjoy shooting with Panasonic's flagship MFT camera. You can preorder the Panasonic Lumix G9 II now. It begins shipping in early November. Fujifilm GFX 100 II The FUJIFILM GFX100 II Medium Format camera ($7,499) is also a redesigned mirrorless with updated autofocus. 102MP 43.8 x 32.9mm BSI CMOS Sensor 9.44m-Dot EVF 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization - 8 stops ISO 80-12800, Up to 8 fps Shooting 3.2" 2.36m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD Multi Aspect Ratios Improved autofocus algorithms and updated tracking ensures your subject stays locked in focus regardless of their movements. Plus, subject tracking for Animal, Bird, Automobile, Motocycle and Bike, Airplane, and Train Deliver photos or video straight to the cloud moments after they're created with the GFX100 II's world first, accessory-free integration for Frame.io Camera to Cloud. Utilize the camera's built-in Wi-Fi or Ethernet LAN connection to connect to Frame.io and deliver hi-res raw or JPEG images, send h.264 video proxies, or upload 8K ProRes video securely for review. New REALA ACE Film Simulation mode - a recreation of one of Fujifilm's more lifelike film stocks. It's similar to Provia but with slightly lower saturation and slightly lower contrast. It's not as big a difference as the camera's negative film modes, letting it act as an alternative default shooting mode. Direct record to SSD The biggest improvements compared to other Fujifilm 100 models is better stabilization (up to 8 EV), faster burst rate (8 fps), higher viewfinder resolution (9.44M dots / 1.00x), and higher movie resolution (8K UHD or DCI) up to 30p - 4K UHD or DCI up to 60p). It truly is video-centric. The addition of a full-sized HDMI port, the ability to capture ProRes 422 footage, the option to output direct to SSD, the inclusion of vectorscope and waveform displays, all point to Fujifilm devoting a lot of time and effort to deliver a camera that video creatives will take to easily. You can preorder the FUJIFILM GFX100 II Medium Format camera now. It should begin shipping later this month. A Brief History of Olympus, From the Six to OM Digital You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com As the history of this storied brand enters a new era, under new ownership and now bearing the banner of OM Digital Solutions, let's take a trip back in time to explore its origins, successes, and the milestone camera designs that will forever be associated with the Olympus name. OM System Announce the New TOUGH TG-7 Adventure Camera You can read the entire article on Fstoppers.com Historically, the Olympus TOUGH cameras were well respected by outdoor adventurers, divers, and those who work in extreme environments. The New OM System TOUGH TG-7 has taken a huge step forward with a host of exciting new features. The camera is shockproof, designed to withstand being dropped from 2.1 meters (7 feet), and it is waterproof to up to 15 meters (49 feet) depth. If you want to go deeper, then the PT-059 case allows it to be used up to a depth of 45 meters (147 feet). With these specifications, this camera will appeal to divers, snorkelers, wild swimmers, sailors, canoeists, surfers, and other water sports enthusiasts. There are five underwater shooting modes that optimize settings for various scenes: Underwater Wide, Underwater Snapshot, Underwater Macro, Underwater Microscope, and Underwater HDR. As divers know, the blueness of the scene increases with depth. Consequently, the white balance modes automatically adjust based on the underwater shooting mode, although manual adjustments are also possible. These white balance modes are Underwater: Shallow, Underwater: Mid-Range, and Underwater: Deep. Many owners of previous TOUGH models have used them for macro photography. This camera takes it further with its Microscope Control Mode. That is for close-up shooting, where one can get within 1 cm of the subject. That allows users to effortlessly switch between 1x, 2x, and 4x magnifications with the single touch of a button, mimicking the experience of using a microscope to observe and photograph subjects. On top of that, the rear LCD monitor allows for subject magnification of up to 44.4 times. Furthermore, the camera has focus stacking from three up to ten shots and focus bracketing up to 30 shots. By using focus bracketing, the photographer can blend them into a single frame with a wide depth of field using the OM Workspace software. There are also two optional lens accessories that will allow even more possibilities for macro mode. Inherited from the OM System interchangeable lens cameras such as the OM-1 and the OM-5, another feature included in this camera is Pro Capture mode. This facility is unique to the OM System and buffers shots for half a second before the shutter is fully depressed. This means you should never miss the action because of your reaction time. The camera has a USB-C socket, so the battery can be charged within the camera. You can preorder the OM SYSTEM Tough TG-7 now for $549. It begins shipping soon. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #912, Sept. 12, 2023. Today's theme is "Natural Diffusion - The Joy of Greenhouse Photography." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue There are two basic challenges to close-up flower photography - First, you need interesting and compelling subjects. And second, simplifying your gear so that the shooting experience is enjoyable, yet produces compelling results. Fortunately, there is one solution to both of these obstacles. And that's the first story in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 912 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Natural Diffusion - The Joy of Greenhouse Photography Nearly every major city has a botanical garden and accompanying conservatory that's open to the public. And yet, many photographers don't find the time to visit either. And maybe that's because they have to actually step inside a conservatory of flowers to truly appreciate what it has to offer. I recently spent time inside the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Inside this large greenhouse are a variety of exhibits including: aquatic plants, tropics, and many exotics. If you live in the City, entrance is free. For those of us outside San Francisco, the admission is $15 - a bargain for the opportunities inside. The conservatory is photographer-friendly, as long as you follow a few basic rules. No tripods or free-standing equipment allowed. All bags or equipment must remain on a person in your party at all times. - More on this later. No nudity or lewd activity or behavior. No movement of plants or Conservatory property allowed. No holding of crowd or prevention of other guests to roam freely. Pathways must be kept clear at all times. Traveling Light in the Greenhouse Because basically, you're taking pictures inside of a giant softbox, very little equipment is required. I mounted the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens ($449) on my OM SYSTEM OM-1 mirrorless camera ($1,999 on sale), and that was it. For my shot of the Vireya Rhododendron, for example, my settings were ISO 320, f/5.6, 1/30th of a second, handheld. The RAW file was absolutely beautiful. Flowers You Just Don't Normally See Staying with the Vireya Rhododendron, I was really attracted to this flower. The odds of me seeing it in the wild would be slim. Vireyas grow in cool mountainous regions of Southeast Asia, either as epiphytes high in the tall trees of the cloud forest or on open ground in shrubberies. There are over 300 Vireya species, comprising approximately one-third of all rhododendrons. Many rhododendrons make poisonous nectar. This poison helps to keep herbivores away but is harmful to humans who consume honey made with the nectar. Yet, here it was right in front me. I used my LCD to compose a low-angle shot, then was able to move on to the next subject. Accompanying Website for Identification Many of the flowers have ID cards in their vicinity, but another helpful feature of most botanical gardens is their website that identifies their major species with additional information about them. So once you pick your favorite shots and edit them to your liking, you can add this rich metadata from the comfort of your couch. That way, when someone asks you, "What flower is that?" You can confidently answer. Final Thoughts Greenhouse photography is enjoyable, equipment-friendly, and yields wonderful shots that you would be hard-pressed to get otherwise. It's definitely worth a visit. Fujifilm X100V replacement due in early 2024 with brand new lens (report) You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com It's been over three years since Fujifilm released the insanely popular X100V, and to this day it's still hard to get your hands on it. Most camera retailers are still out of stock, and those after one are having to wait months. The good news is, it looks like early 2024 will give way to its replacement - and it could come with a brand new lens. The bad news? We're already anticipating delays. There aren't many cameras that stay quite as in demand as the Fujifilm X100V has been, so news of its successor is very exciting. Since its launch, the X100V has suffered delays, parts shortages and an overwhelming and hard-to-keep-up with demand; Fujifilm even had to stop taking orders! So will the next in line suffer the same fate, or will Fujifilm find a way to meet orders? A key factor could be the integrated lens. The X100V is fitted with a 23mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.0 optic but, according to a source at Fuji Rumors, the next X100 could have a brand new lens. No details have been shared yet as to what this might look like - it could be anything from a minor redesign that could make it weather-sealed to a shift in focal length and aperture. For now, those on the X100V waitlist will have to decide whether to continue on that journey or hold off until more information is available about its replacement. With 2024 not many months off, we'd be inclined to wait that little bit longer to find out what Fujifilm can offer in terms of an upgrade. After all, you've probably already waited months already - what's a few more? Adobe Is Ending Creative Cloud Syncing: Here's What That Means You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com What Is It? - Adobe Creative Cloud sync allows users to save files on their own devices to a folder called "Creative Cloud Files," which would automatically copy those files to their cloud storage. Those files could then be accessed on the Creative Cloud website and other devices. Adobe is discontinuing Creative Cloud sync on February 1, 2024, but only for free and paid personal users. The syncing feature will still be available for enterprise and teams business accounts until October 1, 2024. Adobe's Creative Cloud plans all include some form of cloud storage, which seems to be continuing on as is despite the discontinuation of sync functionality. In its announcement, Adobe said the change was due to the company "modernizing the Creative Cloud storage experience." What to Do - Adobe recommended users back up their work to another third-party cloud service or to their own hardware. Though it's important to note that the software company said all items in users' local Creative Cloud Files folders would "remain intact and under your complete control." PetaPixel is aware these are conflicting statements and has asked for clarity, but did not receive a response ahead of publication. Those who wish to leave their work where it is can do so, but it may be best to back up these files and upload them to a third-party cloud service. What the comments are saying: Chris - "This has nothing to do with Lightroom or its syncing. This is simply discontinuing a probably very little used single folder syncing feature that was their version of Dropbox sync folder or Google Drive sync folder or iCloud sync folder all of which are much more robust and reliable. But lots of companies offered their own anyway so since this need is much better met with one of those and probably still a lot of work for them to keep running on latest software and older I'm sure they realized best to finally remove. Won't delete anything you have saved in it locally and will just turn into a normal folder. But you could just move it into your iCLoud documents folder or Google Drive folder and still sync it between your devices." And Chris again- "Nothing would change with your workflow. Lightroom syncs from iPad to Desktop. This has nothing to do with that core feature of that software. They are just talking about the single Creative Cloud Files sync folder that was meant to be like a Dropbox sync folder or iCloud sync folder etc. So probably rarely used since syncing is available with all those products far better." Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #911, Sept. 5, 2023. Today's theme is "The Nik Collection Transformation is Complete. And It's Wonderful." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue On August 30th, DxO released Nik Collection 6.3 completing the overhaul of the entire suite of creative plugins. Every line of code has been rewritten. The software runs great on Mac and Windows machines. And for many of us, it's like falling in love all over again. I'll explain why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 911 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Nik Collection Transformation is Complete. And It's Wonderful Nikon D610, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 G, DxO PhotoLab 6, Analog Efex from Nik Collection 6.3. Photo by Derrick Story. When DxO acquired Nik Collection from Google, it was languishing. Those 8 magical plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom Classic had not been update in years. What was once the darling of the creative photography community seemed destined for the old folks home. To revive the software suite, DxO knew there was much work to be done. I'm not sure they realized exactly how much work, but the effort became Herculean. Now, years later, version 6.3 achieves that goal. And for many of us, it marks a long overdue homecoming. The Highlights Because version 6.3 is incremental, it's easy to overlook its importance. DxO finished upgrading HDR Efex and Nik Sharpener Pro. So now all 8 plugins have the refreshed interface, new features, and updated code. But a number of other important changes are part of version 6.3. And let's compare just a few of them to Nik Collection 5. Full Compliance with Apple Silicon - Use Nik Collection 6 on Apple Silicon machines without the need for Rosetta Don't lose your old version of Nik Collection - If you have a favorite old version, you can now have both the old and the new on the same machine. Automatic integration with Affinity Photo during installation - Nik Collection 6 detects the presence of Affinity Photo during installation. Convert layer to Photoshop Smart Object - Create a Smart Object for Photoshop directly with a single click from any plugin (except Nik Perspective). Support of high-definition displays and multiple displays - Use HiDPI monitors and work without disruption when using multiple screens. Local Adjustments Improvements - Make even more precise local adjustments with the option to diffuse your Control Points. Rename local adjustments and save them as part of presets. Control Points and Control Lines gain greater precision with the option to invert their impact. And a lot more. Fully refreshed by DxO from the ground up - With the arrival of v6.3, every line of code has been rewritten by DxO, giving you unity, performance, and stability. How I Now Use Nik Collection I have an image library that is organized by file folders that I can tap using DxO PhotoLab 6, OnOne Photo RAW 2023, Luminar Neo, or Lightroom Classic. If I know that I want to use a Nik plugin, such as Silver Efex or Analog Efex (two of my favorites!), I begin in DxO PhotoLab. There I can apply SmartLighting, ClearView Plus, and DeepPrime Denoising. Then, from PhotoLab 6, I send the image to the desired Nik plugin. DxO creates a Tiff to serve as the handoff. I then do my plugin work, then apply the changes that send the Tiff back to PhotoLab. I now have the original edited RAW plus the enhanced Tiff in the same library. PhotoLab has lots of export options. The one I typically use is Export directly to macOS Photos. I send a full-resolution Jpeg to Photos, which then adds the image to my iCloud library and makes it available on all my devices. Final Thoughts If all of this wasn't already good enough, DxO has committed to monthly updates to their extensive library of lens and camera modules. And they are expanding their support to third-pary lens manufacturers like Viltrox. You can buy or upgrade to Nik Collection 6.3 for $79 or $149. And there is a free trial available. I upgraded from version 5 for $79, and it has been worth every penny. ICYMI: New Firmware updates from Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Ricoh plus ACR update adds Sony A6700 Raw support You can read the entire article on DPReview.com So, in case you missed it, there have been several recent firmware updates for several popular camera models in the past couple of months as well as updates for Adobe Camera Raw, which added support for some new cameras and lenses. Most recently, there have been firmware updates for the Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z8 mirrorless cameras, helpful bug-fixing updates for the Fujifilm X-S20, Fujifilm X100V and the Ricoh GR III / GR IIIx, and a pair of updates for the Panasonic S5 II and S5 IIx cameras, among others. I cover the highlights in the podcast. Moving 1.5 Million Photos from an Old Drobo to a New QNAP NAS You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com Back in February of this year, I began making a huge transition from the Drobo NAS system (now out of business) to the newer and far superior QNAP system. Back then I had just installed the two new NAS systems but had not moved any data. I had many people (most of whom were using Drobo) ask how the QNAP transition was going. I told them that it was too early to tell and that I had a lot of work to do before I could give them a fair and honest answer. Here I am about 6 months later and I have been using the system non-stop, but there was a lot to do between then and now. Some had to do with the data transition and some was just the back-to-back photo tours. Let me tell you what I have found, both the good and the bad. When Drobo started showing signs of their pending demise, I was in a panic. I had ALL my data on their boxes and both the company and the units were failing. I literally lost sleep worrying about this problem. I pride myself on having every digital image I have ever taken (the keepers) and having them in two locations. I even tell my clients about this setup so that they know I will have their images safe for years to come. I can tell you now that the panic is gone and I am really happy with the new QNAP solution. I have not only replicated what I was doing with the Drobo units, but I have surpassed the functionality and usability by far! It is not an inexpensive solution, but it is something that is vital to my business. As professional photographers, our data is everything, and keeping those images safe is critical. I am now sleeping better at night. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #910, August 29, 2023. Today's theme is "When It's Bright, Pack Light." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue One of the great things about summer is that there's lots of light. And this is particularly beneficial to Micro Four Thirds photographers who have plenty of compact, super-sharp optics available. That means we can cover just about any outside event with gear that fits in a handbag. I share one such example on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 910 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In When It's Bright, Pack Light When I learned that one of my boys was running in the Santa Rosa Marathon, I circled August 27th on the calendar. I've always wanted to cover this event, and now I had the ultimate incentive. If you've ever chased a marathon, it's both fun and challenging. First, you have to have some method to know when your runners are in the course. Then you have to calculate how to get ahead of them, and in position, to capture the action as they run by. This is one of those assignments where being nimble pays big dividends. As I was planning for the shoot, some items were a given. No question that I was going to use the OM System OM-1 camera. And per a discussion in an earlier podcast, I was going to shoot in C-AF+TR. My bag would be the Lowepro Streamline 150. And the only real accessories I needed would be an extra battery and a polarizing filter. So, all that's left is the question of which two lenses? I figured the Olympus 14-42mm EZ ($299) could handle the after race celebrations in the town square. But for the action optic, my choice might surprise you. You'd think that I'd reach for the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO zoom ($1,299). But I didn't need to go that big. And there's no way that optic would fit in the compact bag that I wanted to carry. Plus, there was going to be plenty of light. I didn't need f/2.8 to get the job done. So instead, I selected an optic that I first purchased for my Cuba assignment. [Side story about packing for Cuba here.] What was that optic? The Panasonic Lumix G Vario 35-100mm f/4-5.6 ASPH. MEGA O.I.S. lens that measures 2.19" x 1.97" / 55.5 x 50 mm and weighs in at 4.76oz / 135g. And it sells for $399. You're probably thinking that a lens that affordable and compact can't be worthy of event photography. Think again. Check out these specs. Aperture Range: f/4 to f/22 Stepping AF Motor, Internal Focus Rounded 7-Blade Diaphragm 70-200mm (35mm Equivalent) One Aspherical Element, Two ED Elements MEGA Optical Image Stabilization Includes compact, reversible lens hood And it is compatible with practically every MFT camera body, including the OM-1. When I returned from Cuba, which was my first important shoot with this lens, I was amazed at the color, clarity, and sharpness of the images that I captured with it. Talk about punching way above one's weight. The numerous 5 Star reviews on the B&H site mirror my own experiences. And for the Santa Rosa Marathon, this optic delivered again. Shooting in C-AF+TR mode, it locked in on my subjects quickly, tracked them accurately, and silently nailed each shot. I've posted the Marathon gallery on DerrickStoryPhotography.com. And if you want to see the Cuba gallery, it's there as well. Some lenses just blow your mind. Others allow you to move about the world freely. The Panasonic 35-100mm does both. All you need is a little summer light. PS: Max completed the race with a beautiful 3:38 time. He finished in the top 1/3 of the field. That was just icing on the cake for me. It's official: monkeys can't hold copyright over images, and neither can AI You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com In a move that will reverberate throughout the creative industries, it has been ruled by a federal judge that AI-generated artwork is not copyrightable under United States law. In short, no image can be copyrighted unless it has been authored in part by a human being. "Human authorship is an essential part of a valid copyright claim," said US District Judge Beryl Howell, rejecting a claim made by computer scientist Stephen Thaler over a piece of AI artwork titled A Recent Entrance to Paradise. You are probably familiar with the case of British wildlife photographer David J Slater in 2014, who was denied copyright for selfies taken by macaques using his camera. The court ruled that a non-human creator cannot hold copyright under US law; instead, it becomes part of the public domain. "Plaintiff can point to no case in which a court has recognized copyright in a work originating with a non-human," read the court order in the Thaler case, alluding to cases such as that brought by Slater in the past. In short, an image created by an ape is not copyrightable - and nor is an image created by AI. "Human authorship is a bedrock requirement," continued the order (via The Hollywood Reporter). "The act of human creation - and how to best encourage human individuals to engage in that creation, and thereby promote science and the useful arts - was thus central to American copyright from its very inception." The outcome is a significant and potentially landscape-changing one - most visibly in terms of the current strike action in Hollywood. A key point of contention between the film studios and the WGA / SAG-AFTRA (the Writers' Guild of America, and the Screen Actors' Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) is the desire to replace all or part of the work done by writers and performers with AI. With it being definitively ruled that such work cannot be copyrighted, the studio system will lose interest in this point (as it would mean that movies and TV shows created with AI would not be fully protected). As surmised by The Hollywood Reporter: "While cameras generated a mechanical reproduction of a scene, she explained that they do so only after a human develops a 'mental conception' of the photo, which is a product of decisions like where the subject stands, arrangements and lighting, among other choices." The GR III Is So Popular, Ricoh Can't Keep It in Stock You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com According to Asobinet, the GR III has become so sought after in China and Japan that estimated delivery dates are months out. In Japan, some stores are so uncertain of when more might arrive that they unable to provide an estimated shipping date. It's not clear what is driving up the demand for the GR III specifically, but it might be the overall increase in demand for cameras around the world, led mainly by a surge in China. Earlier this year, Ricoh apparently told fans in China that its manufacturing facilities were unable to keep up with the market demand which caused inventory shortages both there and around the world. One theory for the sudden boost in popularity for the four-year-old camera is that it might have been considered a viable alternative to the popular Fujifilm X100V, which has been extremely difficult to find ever since it exploded in popularity late last year. Even nearly a year later, the compact Fujifilm point-and-shoot remains on backorder from multiple dealers around the world. Considering the Ricoh GR III is similar to the X100V in that it is a fixed wide-angle lens, compact camera equipped with an APS-C sensor, those who were struggling to find an X100V may have turned to Ricoh for a substitute. That, in turn, has pushed Ricoh to the brink of its manufacturing. The GR III was also already popular among photography enthusiasts since it combines high image quality and performance in a small package. I just checked B&H Photo for any of the Ricoh GR IIIs - Diary Edition, Street Edition, etc., and all flavors are out of stock. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #909, August 22, 2023. Today's theme is "Photomator Coming of Age." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue In May 2023, the Mac version of Pixelmator Photo was rebranded as Photomator and released to the public. Combined with the previously released iPhone and iPad versions, Photomator seamlessly integrated the AI-powered editing process on all devices. What? You're not familiar with Photomator? You're not alone. And we're going to change that today on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 909 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Photomator Coming of Age Photomator is for macOS and iOS devices only, and it makes the most of native macOS technologies, such as Apple Silicon, Swift UI, Core ML, Core Image, and Metal. It runs extremely fast on Apple Silcon Macs, which is a bit deceptive as it performs complex AI-based operations. We'll get to those in a minute. "All your edits are seamlessly syncing with the Photos library and, with support for iCloud, across all your devices, so you can start editing on one device and pick up on another. And what's best, if you buy Photomator for Mac, you'll also get unlimited access to the iPhone and iPad version with the same license." Now if the name is sounding familiar, and you're feeling a bit confused, you're not alone. The Pixelmator Team has another full-featured app, Pixelmator Pro, that's been around for a while longer. The way I look at Pixelmator Pro, is that it's more like Photoshop with its graphics tools and layered editing environment, and Photomator is more like Luminar with its AI-powered tools. Speaking of those, let's look at what's available with version 3.1 Photomator AI-Powered Tools Auto Enhance - Automatically enhance photos like a pro photographer. Super Resolution - Magically increase the resolution of photos with no unwanted blurring. Smart Deband - Quickly remove color banding artifacts from photos and increase color depth. Denoise - Effortlessly remove camera noise and image compression artifacts. Repair - Remove small imperfections or even entire objects from photos. ML Crop - Automatically improve the composition of photos Select Subject - Quickly and easily select subjects of photos. Select Sky - Instantly select the sky in any photo with ease. Select Background - Automatically select the background in any photo. Plus Photomator supports all of the traditional adjustment sliders that you would expect. However, many of them have innovative twists, such as Selective Clarity, which allows you to apply texture and clarity to Shadows, Midtones, and Highlights. Selective Color uses Machine Learning to finetune its selections. There's a Channel Mixer for infrared photographers. And and excellent complement of LUTs as well. And then there are the presets. Photomator comes with a collection of gorgeous, handcrafted photography presets for your photos. With 9 unique preset groups, you can easily emulate analog film, apply vintage and cinematic looks, enhance urban or landscape photography, and more. When you edit an image in Photomator, the changes are saved to iCloud and propagated to all devices associated with that account. The edits are totally non-destructive, so you can use Revert to Original or Before/After in Photos for images edited in Photomator. Photomator 3.1 is available now in the Mac App Store and the iOS App Store. There is a free trial to check it out. I purchased a lifetime license for $69 that unlocks the app on all of my devices, macOS or iOS. They also offer monthly and yearly licensing at affordable prices. The Latest Stories on Live View will Entertain and Educate This week's Live View features: Great Photographers of the 20th Century by Michael Alford On the Accidental Discovery of Your Work Being "Derivative" by John Pemberton Fair Photography Isn't Fair by Cynthia Whelan My Thanks to an Unknown Photographer by Derrick Story You can read all of these stories, and much, much more, by visiting Live View. Canon reiterates RF-mount is open to third parties, but don't get your hopes up just yet You can read the entire article on DPReview.com Journalists in China recently had an opportunity to interview a group of Japanese Canon executives, and posed questions about the current state of third-party lenses for RF-mount mirrorless cameras. First spotted by Canon Rumors on the Weibo account Camera Beta, Canon executives stated that the company is open to the idea of third-party RF-mount lenses and is, in fact, in talks with several lens manufacturers. While this sounds promising, Canon is much more reserved and deliberate when it comes to allowing other optical manufacturers to use their RF lens mount standard. And unusually, has taken legal action to prevent lensmakers entering the RF system without permission. This more or less aligns with what we heard from Canon when we posed a similar question to company executives back at CP+ earlier this year. According to the new Camera Beta interview, Canon is open to requests for licensing the RF-mount to third parties. However, it doesn't just issue a blanket license for the outside manufacturer to make any and all lenses. Canon, instead, treats each third-party lens request on a case-by-case basis. Exactly how Canon decides which third-party lenses get an official license for the RF mount was not made clear. And as Canon Rumors points out, just what exactly does a license for the RF-mount allow third-party manufacturers to do? Beyond just making lenses fit with the physical RF-mount on R-series cameras, will third parties get access to proprietary Canon autofocus specs or firmware? Will third parties be limited to manual focus lenses? We simply don't know. With Canon's statement in mind, one can speculate that Canon is concerned about third-party offerings competing directly with their own. From a business perspective, it's a valid strategy. That said, we've always believed that more lens choices benefit the consumer, and increase the attractiveness of any given system overall. Although it's unclear whether or not we will soon begin to see an increase in third-party lenses for Canon's mirrorless cameras, it's clear that the demand is there. Sunflower Farm Asks for No More Nude Photo Shoots on Their Land You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com A sunflower farm in the U.K. has urged people to stop the nude photo shoots that have been increasing in their fields. Stoke Fruit Farm Shop on Hayling Island, off England's south coast, made the unusual plea on social media after three nude shoots took place in just one day. "We just want to remind people that we are a family attraction. We attract everyone from newborns all the way up to 100 years old," the owners say in a Facebook post. "We want people to come here, enjoy picking flowers and having fun with the family, taking photos, and enjoying things. I understand there's a few people out there who want to take risque photos and photos for their Instagram profile et cetera. "All I ask is that they're considerate of the other people around them. So just think about who else is around you when you're taking the photos in the sunflower field and think how that could affect them." The sunflower farm has erected signs around the colorful fields that read "No public nudity." "Reminder to all, we are a family area and please keep your clothes on in the sunflowers. We are having an increase of reports of naked photography taking place and this must not happen during our public sessions please!" One person on their Facebook page commented: "Yes, we stumbled on a 'session' -- I'm not a prude but I don't expect to see almost naked bodies while searching for the best blooms." Another person reported that their son saw a woman wearing "just a thong." Adding, "[He] got a right eyeful last night, should have seen his face!" Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #908, August 15, 2023. Today's theme is "What to Do with All of Those Old Family Photos?." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Old family photos are indeed important. Even if you don't think so right now, there will surely come a time when your opinion changes. And sometimes we're handed a stack of snapshots well before we have the time to deal with them. When that happens, what do you do? I have a practical suggestion that I think you will find useful. Find out more on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 908 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In What to Do with All of Those Old Family Photos? I attended a family gathering this past week, and my cousin handed me a large envelope of pictures... I tell the story on the podcast. The Quick Scan Method for Old Photos Group the photos in sets of six with the same year of origination. Place them face down on your flatbed scanner. Before closing the lid, take a picture of their backs with your smartphone. Scan the set of six with the flatbed. Name the files (photo scan and smartphone picture) so they can be kept together. Create an album in your photo management software and add the two files you just created. File the original pictures in the same groups as you scanned them. Store the originals in a safe place. Someday, when you are ready to deal with these pictures, you will have digital contact sheets of them. That way you can quickly find the shots you want and make a solo scan of the original. And if you never have time to return to this project, at least you have digitized the images and saved them from further deterioration. TTArtisan Brings Its 50mm f/1.4 Tilt Lens to Micro Four Thirds You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com After announcing its 50mm f/1.4 Tilt Lens for Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Leica L, Nikon Z, and Sony E mounts last year, TTArtisan has released its compact tilt lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Given the diverse mount compatibility of the manual-focus lens, it is no surprise that it was designed to work for a wide range of sensor sizes. While the 50mm f/1.4 lens delivers an equivalent focal length of 75mm on APS-C cameras such as Fujifilm X Series models, it will provide an equivalent 100mm focal length on Micro Four Thirds cameras. The lens incorporates seven elements organized across six groups, including a high refractive index element. TTArtisan promises "outstanding image quality" with minimized aberrations and reduced distortion. The manual lens can focus as close as 50 centimeters (about 18.7 inches). Thanks to the two times crop factor, the lens will offer better magnification on Micro Four Thirds cameras. The lens sports a 12-bladed aperture diaphragm and accepts 62mm front filters. Alongside the focus and aperture rings, the lens also includes tilt controls that offer eight degrees of tilt and can be rotated 90 degrees. Photographers can achieve what TTArtisan calls a "Lilliput" look by rotating the lens. Named after the tiny people in Gullliver's Travels, this look makes objects appear much smaller in the frame and gives images a miniature toy appearance. Although the tilt function enables "Lilliput" images with dramatic out-of-focus areas, the tilt function can also be used to achieve a greater depth of field, allowing more elements in the frame to be sharp. PetaPixel's guide to using tilt-shift lenses for product photography closely examines how tilt lenses offer photographers much more control over perspective, distortion, and depth of field. The TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 Tilt Lens has been built with photography and videography applications in mind. For video users, the lens' focus and aperture rings are made to fit most focus followers, like purpose-built cinema lenses. The TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 Tilt Lens is available from Pergear for $199 in all its mount options. Olympus' new owner is about to buy Toshiba for $14 billion. Who's next? You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com In a fascinating move, the investment firm that bought Olympus' camera business is about to buy electronics giant Toshiba as well. Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) purchased the Olympus Imaging Division in January 2021, and continues to operate it under the name OM Digital Solutions. The firm has now announced a $14 billion (approximately �11 billion) offer to purchase Toshiba - which, among its many operations, continues to make industrial cameras and imaging technology (and, until 2019, was a distributor for Canon). Toshiba hasn't made consumer cameras for some time; it ceased producing point-and-shoot cameras some 20 years ago, with Sony buying its image sensor business in 2015. However, it has fingers in many technology pies - including semiconductors, quantum storage, business displays, televisions, printing, digital solutions, railway solutions, energy and hybrid technology... as well as a very rich research & development ecosystem (including a highly respected research lab in Cambridge). Intriguingly, Toshiba is a company that has been plagued by public scandal following very high-profile accounting fraud (which saw the prosecution of five senior executives, among them a pair of former company presidents). This is a similar situation to the tarnished reputation of Olympus, again following a public case of accountancy fraud, which led to it being purchased by JIP. Well, the main thing is that the best Olympus / OM System cameras probably won't benefit from Toshiba technology. This is not, after all, a merger; JIP is a firm that specializes in rescuing embattled or failing companies (among them carving out Sony's Vaio computer business), but it does not have a history of cross-pollinating them. That said, given that Toshiba does have specialist imaging divisions, it's possible that these might be somehow merged with OM Digital - perhaps at the R&D phase, if nowhere else. It may also, conceivably, open up Toshiba's patent library if anything is relevant to the OM business. Any cooperation between the two companies would be a boon for OM Digital; to have its consumer camera business shored up by the industrial camera business is sure to be a welcome development. Photos: Deadly Wildfires Sweep Across Maui You can read the entire article on The Atlantic, Aug. 10, 2023. Yesterday, wildfires that were fanned by winds driven by a distant hurricane tore across the Hawaiian island of Maui, forcing thousands to flee, destroying hundreds of structures, and killing at least 36 people, according to an Associated Press report. The historic town of Lahaina was hit especially hard as the fast-moving fires burned through buildings toward the waterfront, forcing a number of people to jump into the water to escape. Gathered below, early images from the disaster in Lahaina. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #907, August 8, 2023. Today's theme is "5 Photography Books that I Recommend." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Photography books have room in our lives just like inkjet prints. Studying a photographer's work by flipping through the pages shows a depth that we just don't get from a tablet display or even a laptop screen. And I have five recommendations that prove this point beautifully. Learn more on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 907 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 5 Photography Books that I Recommend I'm sitting on the couch with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. My camera is in the messenger bag next to me, and I feel like I haven't shot anything interesting lately. I take a sip of coffee, then reach for one of my photo books from a small stack perched on the ottoman. I flip through the pages, forward, backwards, and forward again. I land on a 1979 portrait of Blondie with her band and just let the book stay open there. I take another sip and start to notice things. Blondie's red jumpsuit against the all-black dress of her band. But wait, one of the band members off to the right has just a hint of that red on his jacket. How cool is that? I take another sip of coffee. Her hair seems to be blowing. But not anyone else's. It looks great. How did that happen? Her pose is outstanding. She looks so fit and beautiful and confident. Even if I didn't know a note of her music, I would be impressed with this woman. My coffee mug is now empty. I don't remember the last sip. I don't need to see any more pages right now. I need to go take some pictures. I close the book, sling the messenger bag over my shoulder, and head out to the car. The Books This selection of 5 varies from inspiration to perspiration. We need both in photography. Let's start with inspiration. Annie Leibovitz Photographs - ANNIE LEIBOVITZ is one of the most celebrated and admired photographers of our time. She began her work photographing for Rolling Stone magazine and quickly established a reputation as a chronicler of popular culture, eventually becoming a contributing photographer at Vanity Fair and Vogue. Her first book, Annie Leibovitz: Photographs, was published in 1983. In 1999 she published the bestselling Women, with a Preface by Susan Sontag, for which the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington exhibited a selection of portraits in conjunction with the hardcover publication. 74 pages, hardback or soft cover. Streetwise - Mary Ellen Mark - In 1988, Mary Ellen Mark published a poignant document of a fiercely independent group of homeless and troubled youth living in Seattle as pimps, prostitutes, panhandlers and small-time drug dealers. Critically acclaimed, "Streetwise" introduced us to individuals who were not easily forgotten, including "Tiny" (Erin Blackwell)--a 13-year-old prostitute with dreams of a horse farm, diamonds and furs, and a baby of her own. In 2014, Mark received the George Eastman House Lifetime Achievement in Photography Award. There's also a follow up edition, Streetwise Revisited. Richard Avedon - the Kennedys - Richard Avedon's photographs of John and Jacqueline Kennedy and their two children combine politics. the style. public. interest and photographic history to provide a compelling glimpse of two icons of American life. This title critically examines the work of one of the finest photographers of the 20th century. 128 pages. The Essence of Photography - 2nd Edition - There is a lot more to photography than simply picking up a camera, pointing it toward something, and tripping the shutter. Achieving a great photograph requires thought and preparation, an understanding of the photographic process, and a firm grasp of how light and composition affect a photo. There must be personal involvement and personal expression. There must be experimentation, with the recognition that only a small percentage of experiments end successfully. 368 pages. Complete Digital Photography - 9th Edition - Ben Long - In this book is everything you'll need to know in order to create great digital photos, from how a camera works to all the details of shooting, image editing, output, and workflow. The step-by-step tutorials included here offer great tips and techniques on improving your processes from start to finish. You'll learn about exposure theory, composition, lighting, masking, image adjustment, and much more. 416 pages. Happy reading! The Olympus Tough TG-6 Camera Has Been Discontinued You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com The Olympus, now OM System, Tough TG-6 is no longer being actively produced and is no longer avaiable from OM System in Japan. The popular waterproof point-and-shoot is still available in the United States and it is unlikely that this will be the end for the product line. The TG-6 is one of the most rugged cameras currently available. The $500 camera is waterproof down to 15 meters (50 feet), shockproof to falls of up to 2.1 meters (seven feet) high, can survive crushing pressure of up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of force, and can withstand temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius. It is also dust-proof rated as IPX6. The front lens is sealed with double-pane glass to prevent fogging and condensation as well, making it one of the most robust camera bodies on the market. Even though the camera might be on its way out, it is highly unlikely that OM System lets this system go the way of the dodo. Not only is it considered one of the best choices for underwater photography, OM System is still creating new products that actively build on the system. Earlier this year, the company announced a new housing for the TG-6 that is designed for the medical space and can be autoclaved, meaning it can be fully sanitized after use. That casing was even mainly focused on use in Japan, so it would be even more unusual for the company to discontinue the line there now. With all that in mind, expect to continue to find the TG-6 available to purchase around the world until stock on store shelves is depleted. Additionally, it would not be too far outside the realm of possibility to expect OM System to announce a new TG-7 camera sometime soon that uses the same body design and button layout of the TG-6. Are we getting a Fujifilm GFX 100 II? Rumors suggest it's coming this year You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com Is a Fujifilm GFX 100 II on the way? After a quiet year for GFX, rumors suggest that we could be seeing a successor to Fujifilm's original 100MP camera later this year. It's fair to say that Fujifilm's GFX lineup of medium format cameras has opened new possibilities for photographers to get into larger format photography without the exorbitant prices of other brands, and has left a lot of photographers fervently awaiting what might be coming next. The last GFX release was the Fujifilm GFX 50S II in September 2021 and, with no new GFX cameras coming last year, we are overdue a new camera to keep the system fresh and up-to-date. Fujifilm has made huge strides in the APS-C realm with the excellent Fujifilm X-H2S and Fujifilm X-T5, seeing big leaps in image quality, autofocus, image stabilization, and speed, and we can't wait to see how these can filter into the GFX system. The latest rumors point to a new replacement for the Fujifilm GFX 100. Following its release in June 2019, the Fujifilm GFX 100S was launched in February 2021 and managed to squeeze the excellent 102MP medium format sensor into a body roughly the size of one of the best full-frame cameras. Since the GFX 100S' release, Fujifilm has jumped forward with its processor tech, with the new X-Processor 5 found in its latest APS-C cameras being able to handle better autofocus, including deep-learning subject recognition and tracking, as well as higher video rates, and faster shooting speeds. So it is almost inconceivable that Fujifilm wouldn't be keen to upgrade the GFX range with this processor, as well as a host of other improvements. Threads to get web version and advanced search in coming weeks You can read the entire article on 9to5mac.com It's been a month since the official launch of Threads, Meta's new microblogging social network. Since then, the platform has been getting numerous updates with new features like built-in translation and a chronological feed that only shows content from accounts you follow. And soon, Threads will get a web version and advanced search. The news comes from Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who confirmed that both a web version and advanced search are coming to Threads "in the next few weeks." Currently, the only way to access Threads is through its mobile app, so one of the most requested features by its users is a web version that works on desktop platforms. Last week, Instagram head Adam Mosseri had already confirmed that the team behind Threads has been working on a web version of the platform. For a brief moment, Threads user profiles on the web were showing Reply buttons. While clicking on the buttons did nothing, it was a major hint that the web version would be coming soon. Threads also lacks an advanced search feature. The only thing users can search for now is other accounts, with no way to search for specific posts or words. This should also be addressed soon. You can find me on Threads as @derrickstory Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #906, August 1, 2023. Today's theme is "The Autofocus Mental Block." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue How many times have you had the absolutely incorrect autofocus mode for the subject at hand? Chances are very good more than once. We're such funny creatures, we photographers. We'll double-check our exposure mode, make sure white balance is adjusted, we'll even tap into exposure compensation. But that AF button on the back of the camera... it might as well read "only push in an emergency." Why is that? I have a theory that should improve the situation. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 906 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Autofocus Mental Block The promise of technology sometimes falls short. We're told that these improvements will save us time, and they may, but it feels like solving one problem often creates 5 new ones. I'm not saying that autofocus falls into that category. But I will say that life was certainly more simple before it. With manual focus you turn a ring on the lens until the picture looks sharp in the viewfinder. That's it. One sentence. In contrast, I'm going to spend the next 15 minutes talking about the various different autofocus settings your camera most likely supports and how to use them. See what I'm saying? Basic Autofocus Modes Let's start with a review of the basic AF modes offered on most modern mirrorless cameras. Single AF (S-AF) - The default setting for many photographers. Press the shutter button halfway, focus is locked, press further to make the exposure. Designed for static subjects, but we all know this gets pressed into service more than that. Continuous AF (C-AF) - The camera starts focusing when the shutter button is pressed, and keeps focusing until the picture is recorded. When you're trying to follow a subject with C-AF, you may or may not get a sharp picture of it. You may get the background, another person, or a light post. Continuous AF + Tracking (C-AF+TR) - This mode was designed to correct the shortcomings of regular C-AF. The thinking is that if you start by focusing on a subject, the camera will continue to track it regardless of how poorly you follow it. Automatic AF (AF-A) - Camera switches between AF-S and AF-C depending on if your subject is stationary or if it starts moving. Subject Detection AF - The camera can identify certain subjects - cars, motorcycles, planes, helicopters, trains, birds, dogs, and cats - and will automatically focus on them. Face Detection AF - The camera will identify human faces and focus on one or many automatically. And it can often even focus on the eyes, or just the right or left eye. Manual Focus - The photographer determines the focus by turning the lens ring. One of the challenges of all these settings is finding them in your camera. On my OM-1, for example, the standard AF modes are on AF-Screen 1. Starry Sky AF is there also. Face and Eye Detection are on Screen 2, as is Subject Detection. Once you figure all of that out, then you need to choose a Target Mode. On the OM-1, you press and hold the multi-selector on the back of the camera and use the front dial to cycle through all of the Target Mode configurations. You can choose ALL (1,053 targets), Single, Small, Cross, Middle, or Large depending on your style, the subject, and how much you trust your camera. A Practical Approach to Surviving Autofocus First of all, it's imperative that you learn the quick settings for AF functions without having to rumble around in the Menu. If you have to search the Menu in the field, you probably won't do it. On my OM-1, I press the AF button on the top/left of the camera and use the back dial to scroll through the focus modes. For the Target Mode, press and hold the multi-selector on the back of the camera and use the front dial to cycle. Other settings, such as Subject Detection, work great as My Menu items. Next, while at home, practice switching between AF and Target modes so that it becomes second nature. If you know you're going to be shooting a certain type of subject before you head out the door, then you can set your camera accordingly. You can also use Custom Modes that combine a variety of settings. With a little pre-practice, you can master all of the AF settings on your camera and never get caught with your guard down again. Canon Warns Discarding Its Printers May Pose a Wi-Fi Security Risk You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com The number of printers this vulnerability affects is massive and encompasses 196 total models. It includes the home and business E, G, GM, GX, iB, iP, MB, MG, MX, TR, TS, and XK inkjet series as well as the Pro series photo printers (which includes everything from the Pro-10 through the Pro-1000 printers). It also affects some large format printers including Canon's Pro line (Pro-520 through Pro-6100S) as well as the TM, TX, GP, and TC series printers. The full list of all affected printers can be found on Canon's website. When one of these printers comes into the hands of a third party (such as in the case of repair, loaning it out, or when throwing it away), Wi-Fi connection information is still stored on the device even if it has been initialized through the normal process. Bleeping Computer notes that those who are aware of the vulnerability could pull the information off the printers which would give them access to the a home Wi-Fi network. The exact information that is stored on the device varies per printer, but it will usually include network SSID, the password, network type, assigned IP address, MAC address, and network profile. Basically, the printers typically retain all the information a malicious third party would need in order to gain access to a private network. From there, they could access shared resources, steal data, or launch any number of attacks on a user's privacy. Make sure you reset all settings before handing the printer off to another party. What's In The Night Sky for August 2023 Including the Perseid Meteor Shower You can read the entire article on Fstoppers.com August is upon us and it is going to be an action-packed month for astrophotographers. So what have you got to look forward to? The peak of the brilliant Perseid meteor shower, two supermoons and there is still plenty of Milky Way core action to be had as the nights begin to get darker for those in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere. August also means that, as the nights begin to get longer and the midnight sun comes to an end, for those in the higher northern latitudes this will create more opportunities to photograph the Northern Lights. Be sure to click the link later on for my best tips on how to capture the Aurora Borealis. We are fast approaching Solar Maximum, so I highly recommend chasing the Northern Lights over the next few years. With the two supermoons being at the beginning and end of the month, the new moon will fall during the middle of the month, just in time for the peak of the Perseid meteor shower around the 12th to 14th of August. The Perseid meteor shower is one of the best meteor displays of the year with many meteors per hour. On a clear night, it is an amazing spectacle for you and your family or friends to enjoy, and even better if you can combine it with some amazing photography. It's official: new cameras are not getting any better You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com What do you think is the best full-frame camera currently available, when judged purely on its stills image quality? The Canon EOS R3, a Nikon Z9? Wrong. According to DxOMark, it's a tie between the Nikon D850, and Sony a7R III - two aging cameras launched back in 2017! Since then several newer cameras have achieved equal overall DxOMark scores; cameras like the Nikon Z7 II, Leica M11, and the Sony a7R V. But in the case of the a7R V, you've got a camera that is five years newer than the Mark III, with an entirely different sensor, but still delivers pretty much the same overall image quality. This plateau in sensor performance is something I've also observed when lab testing new cameras for Digital Camera World. There's inevitably some difference between rival cameras in a particular segment of the market, but on the whole, a new camera will rarely - if ever - noticeably out-perform its predecessor when judged upon image quality attributes like dynamic range or noise levels. The only area where a new sensor can significantly boost image quality is resolving power, as inevitably a 60MP camera can capture more fine detail than one equipped with a 45MP sensor. But should we be all that surprised at this lack of recent sensor improvement in interchangeable lens cameras? If we consider the 'peak' of sensor performance to be around 2017, this coincides almost perfectly with the explosion of phone photography, the relentless push towards the 200MP camera phone sensors we have today, and the stunning image quality the latest smartphones can produce. And that's not stunning "for a phone", but stunning, period. However much we may love 'proper' cameras, it's phones that capture the vast, vast majority of images now, so it makes sense that this is where you'll now find the big advances in image sensor development. So while that new interchangeable lens camera you've been lusting after is unlikely to give you appreciably better image quality than a slightly older model, look on the bright side: you could instead pick up a used camera like a D850 and potentially get equally good images, for a fraction of the price. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #905, July 25, 2023. Today's theme is "Why Take-and-Bake When You Can Eat Right Now?." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue RAW files remind me of take-and-bake pizza. You have all the ingredients, but you don't get to eat a slice until you take it home, fire up the oven, and wait 40 minutes. Not exactly instant gratification. Jpegs, on the other hand, are piping hot and ready to go. No waiting. No baking. Seems like no contest. So why do so many of us torture ourselves with take-and-bake? I'll explain how to have your pizza and eat it too on this week's TDS Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 905 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Why Take-and-Bake When You Can Eat Right Now? Think about your favorite pizza restaurant. Why do you prefer their pies over the other guys. Everyone uses the same basic ingredients, right? Yet, there just something a little better about the takeout from your preferred restaurant. It's the recipe, right? A little more basil, a better mozzarella, a sweeter tomato sauce all add up to an experience that's better than the others. Camera manufacturers feel the same way about their Jpeg recipes. They have evolved over decades and are closely guarded secrets. A Canon Jpeg looks different than one from a Nikon camera, and Fujifilm files have a different vibe than those from a Sony. All of this care put into these Jpegs only to be overlooked because we insist on take-and-bake RAW files. Yes, we would rather spend an additional 40 minutes on a photo that may or may not look as good as what the camera can make for us. Now I know the situations when RAW files are beneficial. We all do. Extreme lighting conditions and weird lighting are at the top of the list. But a lovely Summer morning by the lake isn't one of them, and yet we still shoot RAW. I have five reasons why you may want to embrace the moment and just shoot Jpegs. You might find that you're just as happy with the pictures, and even more pleased that you could enjoy all those wonderful flavors immediately. Automatic Optical Correction - Who knows better than the camera manufacturer how to correct any optical imperfections in its lenses? And they build that correction right into the Jpeg file. Film Simulations - These aren't hackish filters like we see in some editing apps. Film simulations built into cameras are often based on serious color science. They allow you to match the mood of your capture with the essence of your subject. Sharpness and Clarity - Many mirrorless cameras provide us with the ability to tweak the sharpness and clarity of our images. Crank it up for urban architecture, tone it down for portraits. Highlight and Shadow Tones - Did you think that the only way you can compensate for highlights and shadows is in post production? You might want to revisit your camera's menu. Custom Settings - Most cameras have at least four custom settings. That means you can quickly address your most common lighting scenarios and subjects with just the twist of a dial. I also recommend in setting the camera to SuperFine, or whatever the highest quality Jpeg setting is available. This provides you with even more data to work with if you ever need to. Now all you have to do is get out there and enjoy photography. And when you get home, put your feet up, enjoy a slice of leftover pizza, and revel in the fact that you don't have to start working on those RAW files. The Best Lenses Available for Under $400 You can read the entire article on LensRentals.com Finding affordable lenses in the photography marketplace has become more and more of a challenge over the last few years. Where a $2,000 price tag was once considered expensive, has now become normalized. There are plenty of lists online recommending expensive lenses, heck, we posted our list of the most expensive lenses just a few weeks ago. But what about those of us who are on a limited budget? Who are just getting started in photography or videography, and don't yet have the means to build a 5-figure kit of lenses at our disposal? Well, we're going to try to get you covered here as well. Before we drop into the list of recommended lenses, it's important to note some things about the state of the photography and videography market. If you're looking to save on costs and are just getting started, your best bet might be to look at DSLR systems, as opposed to mirrorless platforms. Canon and Nikon both have decades of incredible lenses and cameras that are now being unloaded in the used market for bottom dollar prices and a Canon 5D Mark III, despite being ten years old, is still a rock-solid camera. While it doesn't have the features that the most modern mirrorless camera has and is bulky in comparison, it's a great place to start if you're looking to build out a professional kit without a lot of money. I discuss the specific lenses in the podcast. Want to Write About Your Photography Experiences? Our photography publication, Live View has a couple of spots open for aspiring photography writers. Our mission statement is: "If we were to sum up Live View in one word, it would be passion. Our writers are here because they want to share articles about topics that inspire them. This is the space to explore their discoveries." So if you want to write to a large audience and share images too, please contact me at: [email protected]. Kodak Specially Manufactured Black and White 70mm Film for Oppenheimer You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com As "Barbenheimer" sets records at the box office this weekend, Kodak has revealed it manufactured a special black and white film stock for use in Oppenheimer. The Eastman Double-X Black and White film in 65mm was specifically created for use with the IMAX and Panavision System 65mm film cameras. Oppenheimer tells the story of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb. The movie follows a non-linear narrative and director Christoper Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema use black and white to distinguish between two time periods. "It was a gutsy choice. One of my very first phone calls was to Kodak, enquiring if they had any 65mm large-format black and white films tock," van Hoytema tells the Kodak website. "But they had never made that before, and early on it was uncertain as to whether they would or could achieve it in time for this production. But they stepped up to the plate and supplied a freshly manufactured prototype Double-X 5222 65mm film stock, delivered in cans with handwritten labels on the outside." But even though Kodak made the working prototype, the film stock had never been run through an IMAX camera before and it required a reconfiguration of the laboratory film processor. "It became quite a complex engineering process -- encompassing things like the thickness of the backing for the film emulsion, and making new gates and pressure plates in the cameras so as to avoid scratches," says van Hoytema. The final film reel for Oppenheimer weighs 600 pounds and is 11 miles long. The movie is in cinemas now. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #904, July 18, 2023. Today's theme is "Creativity Also Grows in the Garden." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Summer travel is fun. But if we limit our photography to a week or two of vacation, we're not going to add much to the image library. Fortunately, one of the best and infinitely entertaining photo destinations is often right under our nose: the backyard garden. And on today's TDS Photography Podcast, I'll explain how you can reap a bountiful harvest without ever getting your hands dirty. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 904 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Creativity Also Grows in the Garden I think it's safe to say that we spend most of our time looking at gardens from a distance. And why not? It's quite beautiful to gaze out the back window and see all of those beautiful colors and textures. But if the back patio is as close as you get, you're missing out on some great photo opportunities. Here are five things that you could probably explore right now and create beautiful imagery doing so. Flowers and Blossoms - I love eating fresh squash from the garden. But I like those bodacious blossoms just as much. Squash holds nothing back: giant green leaves, booming flowers, and ultimately the vegetable itself. And that's just one item of many in the garden. Insects and Bugs - Time to get out the close-up lens for these little critters - Bees, spiders, wasps, and various other busy inhabitants in your garden make great macro subjects. And if you happen to photograph a butterfly or two, all the better. Birdbath in the Morning - A birdbath and accompanying feeder is a great way to attract our feathered friends to the outdoor studio. Most of the bathing at my place happens in the morning before the water gets too warm. The post-bath preening is also a great photo opp. Webs and Things - Spider webs are fascinating in the right light, and they are both challenging and fun to photograph. Pay extra attention to their surroundings so that you can get an overall interesting shot. Timelapse, Infrared, and Other Special Techniques - Notice a flower on the verge of opening up? Try your hand at timelapse. Have some interesting hardscape and plant combinations? Consider experimenting with infrared photography. Have frequent visitors that would be good movie subjects? Try slow motion video. The garden is an amazing wonderland for photography experiments. Plus it's easy to use larger accessories such as tripods and flashes because, well, you're at home. Maximize your creative photography all summer, not just on vacation, by spending some time in the garden. You might be surprised and delighted by what you discover. See a Rock Cairn? Push It Over, Yosemite National Park Says You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com Landscape photographers or visitors to national parks might feel bad about knocking over rock cairns since it likely took someone a bit of time and effort to get them into place. But in a post on Facebook this week, Yosemite National Park officials are encouraging visitors to knock over rock cairns as part of the "Leave No Trace" ethics of visiting national parks. "Why did Wilderness Restoration Rangers dismantle this rock cairn? According to Leave No Trace ethics when we recreate in wilderness spaces, our goal is to leave no signs of our impact on the land and respect other creatures living in it," Yosemite explains. "Unfortunately, this dramatically oversized cairn is a mark of human impact and is distracting in a wilderness setting. Building rock cairns also disturbs small insects, reptiles, and microorganisms that call the underside home!" the national park continues. "When used appropriately, rock cairns are great for navigation, safety, and delineating a new or hard-to-follow trail. In general, rock cairns should only be constructed by rangers and trail workers. Please dismantle and refrain from building rock cairns when you visit Yosemite." So, photographers, have no qualms about toppling rock cairns that are interrupting a landscape scene. They don't belong and are not only visually disruptive, but ecologically damaging. Best Mac for photo editing You can read the entire article on Macworld.com One reason why Macs are a great choice for today's photographers is their excellent color accuracy and display quality. For example, there is a 4.5K display on the 24-inch iMac. There was a 5K display on the 27-inch iMac, but Apple discontinued that model in March 2022 and it's not yet clear if there will ever be another iMac with a larger screen. The great quality displays aren't only reserved for the iMac though. If you want a Mac you can carry around with you - so that you can edit photographs when you are out in the field - then you will want to consider a MacBook Pro. The 14-inch MacBook Pro that was introduced in 2021 and updated in 2023 offers an excellent 3,024 by 1,964 screen (that's 5.9 million pixels). The 16-inch MacBook Pro offers even more pixels - 7.7 million. In fact, Apple claimed that the screen on the 2021 MacBook Pro was the world's best notebook display when it launched. It is a Liquid Retina XDR display with an extreme dynamic range of, according to Apple: 1,000 nits brightness and 1,600 nits of peak brightness. There is also a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which should make it possible to see detail in shadows, deeper blacks and more vivid colors. But the big deal about the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro screens is that these were the first, and so far only, Macs with ProMotion. ProMotion first arrived on the iPad Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro and it offers an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz (which means it can refresh images 120 times a second). However, it can also vary this refresh rate depending on what's required - saving battery life. As for the best machines themselves, I cover those in the podcast. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #903, July 11, 2023. Today's theme is "Capture One Pro Power Tips with Alex on RAW." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue We may think we know the ins and outs of Capture One Pro, that is, until comparing notes with someone who's a true expert. This week I interview Alex on RAW who taught me a bunch of stuff I didn't know, and I have the feeling you'll be impressed as well. Informative for both existing C1P users, and for those curious about its hidden magic. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 903 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Capture One Pro Power Tips with Alex on RAW Last Friday, Alex and I connected online to discuss all things magic with Capture One Pro. Alex is a portrait and event photographer based in Tallinn, Estonia. As a professional photographer, he has been using Capture One for 16 years, since Capture One version 3. He's also a Phase One Certified Professional and a Capture One trainer. Eight years ago, he started his blog about Capture One -- AlexOnRAW, which now has more than 30 000 followers and newsletter subscribers. You can visit his website, AlexOnRAW to discover all the helpful information that's available. Also for convenience, here are some direct links to topics we discussed during the interview. TDS listeners can benefit from the 80 percent summer sale that will be available till July 15. Also, the TDS discount code THEDIGITALSTORY gives 10 percent OFF all my products. And for products on sale, it will provide an additional 10 percent OFF on top of the existing discount. Save 80 percent on the Complete Bundle of Capture One Tools and Styles. Download four sample chapters from the Capture One Hidden Features eBook. Download 20 sample Film Styles for Capture One. Download 5 sample Ready Looks for Capture One. Note: In accordance with Google Safe Browsing, Google Safe Search and Symantec, alexonraw.com is a safe domain. Satechi Mac mini Stand and Hub Review The Apple Mac mini M2 Pro ($1,149) is a wonderful machine that muscles through my photography work without even working up a sweat. My only real complaint with it is the backside location of the ports. Fortunately, the Satechi Stand and Hub for the Mac mini ($99) solves that problem... and more. The accessory works with the Mac mini M1 and M2, and the Apple Studio 2022. It matches the Apple hardware perfectly and expands its usability. USB-C Host Connection 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A Ports 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Port SD / microSD Card Readers Internal M.2 SATA Drive Enclosure It plugs into one USB-C port in the back of the Mac mini, and provides loads of connectivity on the front where it's easy to access. But the real kicker is the M.2 SATA drive enclosure underneath. I added a Western Digital 2TB WD Blue 3D NAND Internal PC SSD ($125) that augments the 512GB internal drive on the Mac mini. Note: the hub only supports SATA M.2 drives. I've tested the WD Blue, and it works great. This works like a charm. I keep the system software and applications on the Mac mini internal drive, and the master images, catalogs, and movies on the WD Blue. Performance is blazing fast. And the entire set up (Satechi hub plus 2TB SSD = $225) costs one third of the price compared to upgrading the Mac mini to a 2TB internal drive ($1,899). The Satechi hub is port-powered, so it doesn't need any external power. Its design allows for ventilation. And it looks great. In fact, it feels a bit like having a Mac Studio at a bargain price. If you're working with a Mac mini M1 or M2, and want to improve its flexibility affordably, you can't miss with the Satechi Stand and Hub for the Mac mini. I like it almost as much as the mini itself. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #902, July 4, 2023. Today's theme is "Photoshop's Generative Fill - AI for the Rest of Us." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue In the current Photoshop beta, Adobe is featuring a new tool called Generative Fill. It taps their Firefly technology, a set of creative, generative AI models designed to be commercially safe. How does this all hang together, and in what ways can it improve our images? Find out on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 902 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Photoshop's Generative Fill - AI for the Rest of Us Photographers who have the $9.99 a month Creative Cloud plan that includes Lightroom and Photoshop, also have access to the latest Photoshop beta that features Generative Fill. It's a revealing peek into the future of imaging. Experimenting with Generative Fill in the current Photoshop beta. What You Can Do with Generative Fill With Generative Fill, you can accomplish four impressive edits: Generate objects: Select an area in your image, then describe what you'd like to add/replace through a text prompt. Generate backgrounds: Select the background behind your subject, then generate a new scene from a text prompt. Extend images: Extend the canvas of your image, then make a selection of the empty region. Generating without a prompt will create a harmonious extension of your scene. Generating with a prompt will add content to your image while extending the rest of your scene. Remove objects: Select the object you want to remove, then generate without a prompt to let the Generative AI technology make it disappear.  Why Use Adobe's Technology for AI Image Generation? One of the selling points of Adobe's version of this technology is the design of Firefly itself. Its generative AI models are designed to be commercially safe. Firefly is trained on Adobe Stock's hundreds of millions of professional-grade, licensed, high-resolution images that are among the highest quality in the market. This helps ensure Firefly won't generate content based on other people's work, brands, or intellectual property. Another selling point for Adobe's approach is Firefly's integration into the Photoshop workspace. This allows you to explore freely while still maintaining complete control over your creative process and outputs, all inside the Photoshop app. The newly generated content is created in a generative layer, enabling you to exhaust a myriad of creative possibilities and to reverse the effects when you want without impacting your original image. So, How Do You Use Generative Fill? Let's start with creating an object since that's probably what most folks are curious about. It's quite simple. Use any selection tool in Photoshop to make a selection around a desired object or an area in your image. Select the Generative Fill button in the contextual taskbar that appears. Type your text prompt. Click the Generate button. You'll be offered a handful of images that you can cycle through. If none of them grab you, you can generate again for additional options. Whatever you choose, it will be seamlessly blended into the background image, but on its own layer so you can continue to tweak it as necessary, such as tapping different blending options. Generative Fill makes removing objects easy. All you do is make a wide selection of the object you want removed, don't enter anything in the text field, and click on the Generate button. poof! If you like your subject, but not the background, you can create a new one. To do so, choose Select > Subject, then choose Select > Inverse. Then enter your text prompt and click on Generate. And finally, if you want to extend your image in any direction, Extend the Canvas on that side and select the open area. Apply Generative Fill without a prompt will create a seamless extension of your image. What I Like About the Adobe Approach While I was working with Generative Fill, I felt like it was another tool in my image editing bag of tricks, albeit a very powerful one. Yes, I can have fun and do crazy things, such as add flying saucers to a Tahoe sunset. But for the most part, I was enhancing images that I had already created, but yet wasn't fully satisfied with. And I think that's the magic of Adobe's approach. I still felt like a photographer, an artist, a technician. And now instead of having just a crescent wrench and a tire jack, I had a compressor-powered socket wrench with a hydraulic lift. Can't wait to see what this all looks like in the next version of Photoshop. Landscape Photographer Says People Don't Believe His Pictures Are Real You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com An award-winning photographer who has people doubting whether his work is genuine tells PetaPixel that he does not use composites and the otherworldly landscapes he visits is partly to blame. Aytek Cetin won the International Landscape Photographer of the Year award in 2021 for a series of amazing photos shot in Cappadocia in Turkey, a place famous for its "fairy chimneys" and hot air balloons. "I had questions about the fairy chimneys photographs with some people saying they can't be real, and I replied to these people that the rock formations in those photographs were genuine," he says. "I regularly organize photography tours to that region. The lighting conditions and the atmosphere can vary, but I'm thinking that it wouldn't be fair to take people to a place that doesn't look like the one in the photo." Cetin says that he doesn't use composites but will employ different shooting techniques to get the best results. "In most of my photos, I use focus stacking for maximum clarity. Sometimes if I'm photographing a mountain in the background, it looks much smaller and farther away than with the effect of the ultra-wide angle lens, in this case, I use the focal blending technique," he says. "For example, I shoot the flowers in the foreground at 15mm and the mountain in the background at 30mm and then combine them with Photoshop. Of course, apart from these shooting techniques, I love editing photos and adding my artistic perspective to the images." The Most Expensive Lenses Currently in Production You can read the entire article on LensRentals.com. When you start your photo or video career, you'll likely find several lists containing the best bargain lenses available for your interested style. These lenses often include the nifty 50, cheap but sharp zoom lenses, and various other lenses that are considered staples within their focal length. But what about expensive lenses? Sure, all quality lenses usually come with a financial cost, but a few thousand dollars in a digital shopping cart at B&H Photo can net you a great, well-rounded kit for your career. But if you were to outfit the most expensive camera bag, do you know what lenses it would contain? Here is that list... Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #901, June 27, 2023. Today's theme is "How ON1 Photo RAW 2023 Wrecked my Workflow." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I was doing just fine. Leaning on Capture One Pro for my big assignments and macOS Photos for iPhone snapshots. It wasn't perfect, but comfortable. Then ON1 incorporated Photo Keyword AI into their latest Photo RAW release, and I made the big mistake of testing it. On this week's podcast, I'll explain the chaos that ensued. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 901 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In How ON1 Photo RAW 2023 Wrecked my Workflow You may recall that I talked about ON1 Photo Keyword AI, which is a terrific object recognition keywording app that dovetails nicely with Lightroom Classic. While I was on my ON1 product page, I noticed a new release, ON1 Photo RAW 2023.5 that included Keyword AI, plus AI Resize, AI Portrait and a bunch of other goodies. I hadn't tested this latest version, so I thought I'd give it a spin. Before I explain the events that followed, I want to tell you the story of the time my aunt gave me a cool photo lightbox for sorting slides... OK, back to Photo RAW. This app is really a rollup of the bulk of ON1's technologies and plugins. It covers the entire imaging workflow from import, to sorting, organizing, editing, sharing, exporting, and printing. It's on sale right now for $69.99 (Mac/Windows, 2 computers) and includes AI presets and lots of goodies. So I started thinking about how this could fit into a referenced masters model for my photo workflow. Here's the approach that I tested. ON1 Photo RAW for import placing the copied masters from the camera in a file structure on my computer drive. Run Keyword AI on the images. Cull, star rate, and color label the images in ON1. Those labels appear in both Lightroom Classic and C1P. Point either Lightroom or C1P to the now keyworded, rated, and labeled images in the master folder on my computer. Go about my work as normal from there. Basically, at this point, I was using ON1 as a robust importer for the other apps that I normally use. But then I made a mistake. I started playing with the editing tools in ON1 Photo RAW. Goodies like Content Aware Crop, NoNoise AI, Super Select AI, AI Adaptive Presets, and more. Before I knew it, all of my 3 star images were looking great and have never left Photo RAW. I used the Share button for those and sent the finished products directly to Photos for macOS, edits, keywords and all. Now I had a foot in both streams. Image edits from Photo RAW were not automatically synchronized with Lightroom Classic or C1P, even though the masters were. I had to decide where my editing was going to take place. One of the things that I noticed during testing, is that the initial RAW processing with my X100V files was prettier with C1P. Yes, I could get to the same spot with Photo RAW, but out of the gate, the C1P RAWs looked just as good as the in-camera processed Jpegs. So, where does this leave me? Here are my temporary conclusions: The stuff destined for Photos and iCloud storage will definitely begin in PHoto RAW. It's importer is far superior, and I can include keywords and take advantage of all the AI tools. Client photo shoots that don't require keywords will go directly to Capture One Pro as normal. My personal projects... This is where it becomes a game-time decision. I may go directly to C1P or Lightroom, sort first in Photo RAW, or just keep editing on ON1 after the sort. Time will tell. The bottom line is that ON1 Photo RAW is just too affordable and powerful to ignore. I had managed to keep it at arm's length in the past, but the new AI technologies combined with the semi-automatic keywording is just too alluring to bypass. It may take me a while to refine my workflow again. But just like that lightbox that tore apart my entire apartment, once I got things reassembled, it was better than ever. And I think that's what's going to happen here as well. The ON1 18th Anniversary Sale is going on right now. DPReview.com looks forward to a new chapter with Gear Patrol You can read the entire article on DPReview.com.com We've heard from many of you over the past several weeks, and we realize there are many questions about what comes next for DPReview. We're thrilled to share the news that Gear Patrol has acquired DPReview. Gear Patrol is a natural home for the next phase of DPReview's journey, and I'm excited to see what we can accomplish together. I want to reassure you that we remain firmly committed to what makes DPReview great: the best camera reviews in the business, industry-leading photography news and features, and one of the most active photography communities anywhere on the internet. This is just the beginning of a new chapter for DPReview and we don't have all the answers yet, but I'm sharing what we know below and will continue to share information about this change as we get more acquainted with our partners at Gear Patrol. Thank you for your continued support of our team and legacy. We appreciate it and can't thank you all enough. Open Seat for the Sedona, Arizona Photography Workshop One of our pre-registered photographers just informed me that he has to release his reservation for the Oct. 10-13 Sedona, Arizona Photography Workshop. I was going to start building a waiting list anyway, so this seems like the perfect time. Northern Arizona in Autumn is a photographer's paradise. Not only will we explore Sedona, but we have a number of additional locations lined up that will delight your senses and fill up your memory cards. If you would like to get your name on the list, and hopefully snag the open sear, just write me at: [email protected] New BenQ monitors could be the ultimate screens for photo and video editing You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com. BenQ consistently makes some of the best monitors for photo editing, and now it's launching two new monitors aimed squarely at discerning photographers and videographers. The new PhotoVue SW272Q and SW272U replace the outgoing SW271C and SW270C, with the key difference between the two new models being panel resolution: the SW272Q is a Quad HD (2560 x 1440) display, while the SW272U has a Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) resolution. Both are 27-inch displays like their predecessors, and both boast USB-C connectivity for simple link-up with an attached laptop, but BenQ has now boosted Power Delivery from 60W to a healthier 90W. But what really makes the SW272Q and SW272U special is their color accuracy and wide-gamut color space coverage. Both models boast 100% sRGB and 99% AdobeRGB coverage, along with factory color calibration to an accuracy of Delta E ≤1.5. The PhotoVue SW272U and SW272Q are certified by Pantone Validated, Pantone SkinTone, and Calman Verified for color performance and calibration. Both also support HDR, though only the SW272U supports hybrid-log gamma, making it the more suitable display for video editing. What's more, both models also feature hardware color calibration. Unlike conventional monitor calibration where a LUT (look-up table) is saved to your computer to modify the graphics card's color output, the SW272Q and SW272U calibrated color data is stored in the monitor itself, independent of the connected computer. The monitor's stand has also been upgraded with a soft-touch rubberized surface on the stand's base, while a detachable back cover and cable hub improves cable management. As with previous models, the SW272Q and SW272U are both supplied with a detachable hood, though only the hood supplied with the SW272U can be used in portrait orientation. Both models also feature a fine-coated anti-reflection panel coating to dramatically cut down reflections and glare, simulating the texture and experience of viewing paper. The Ultra HD SW272U, priced at $1,599.99, starts shipping this month. The Quad HD SW272Q, priced at $799.99, will begin shipping July 3rd. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Very few photographers I know enjoy spending the time to add keywords to their photos. Quite honestly, it is the least enjoyable task in our craft. But all of that is changing as of today. ON1 Software just released Photo Keyword AI. Does this transform how we find images? Indeed it does. And I will explain why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. This is The Digital Story Podcast #900, June 20, 2023. Today's theme is "The End of Keywording as We Know It - ON1 Photo Keyword AI." I'm Derrick Story. Digital Photography Podcast 900 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The End of Keywording as We Know It - ON1 Photo Keyword AI I've had decent luck using the object recognition capability of Apple Photos to assist searching for my images. The same goes for the Cloud version of Lightroom. But what about the folks who use Lightroom Classic and Capture One Pro? To this point, they've been stuck with the old-fashioned approach to marking and retrieving their images. Now, those photographers can continue to use the applications they favor, and can add Object Recognition intelligence to them via Photo Keyword AI. I explain how this works in the first segment of today's show. 'AI or Not' is a Free Web App That Claims to Detect AI Generated Photos You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com "AI or Not" is a free web-based app that claims to be able to identify images generated by artificial intelligence (AI) simply by uploading them or providing a URL. Powered by Optic, the company says its technology is the smartest content recognition engine for Web3 and claims it is capable of identifying images made using Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, Dall-E, or GAN. "Optic AI or Not is a web service that helps users quickly and accurately determine whether an image has been generated by artificial intelligence (AI) or created by a human. If the image is AI-generated, our service identifies the AI model used (mid-journey, stable diffusion, or DALL-E)," Optic says. "Our mission is to bring transparency to the media on blockchains so all communities can realize their creative and economic potential." PetaPixel decided to see if the platform would be able to handle a range of images: both simple and easy-to-identify ones that astute human eyes could spot, as well as more challenging fakes. With some of these images, the platform's inability to tell real from fake makes sense: Optic only promises that it can detect images created entirely by Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, Dall-E, or GAN, so the Tom Hardy image, the fake social media influencer, and the street photo with an altered face makes sense. However, it's inability to see the fully AI image of Trump and Fauci shows this platform has a ways to go yet. According to Flickr the most popular camera in the world isn't even a camera! You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com A new study by Flickr has revealed the most popular cameras used by photographers on the site and you'll probably be shocked by the top result. The once very popular photo-sharing platform has now been a little overshadowed by Instagram but there is still a community of photographers who regularly use it. More than 470 million images were analyzed to access which camera is the moist [popular and it turns out... it's not even a camera. Taking the number one spot with over 13 million tags on Flickr is actually a camera phone and it's not even one of the latest models. Not only is Apple the most popular brand showing how people's approach to photography has changed but the iPhone 11 which is now four years old has been tagged over 13 million times. In the US, the most popular camera is another Apple product, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, so it's no wonder we've been seeing a drop in actual camera sales. In the last few years, the big names have made some pretty incredible camera released such as the Sony A7 IV, the Nikon Z9 and the Canon EOS R5, but sadly, the price point of these cameras make them out of reach for a lot of people. According to Simple Ghar who led the survey, the Canon 5D Mark IV released in 2016 is still the world's most popular camera with over 11.7 million tags. The results were broken day on a country-by-country basis showing an extremely varied preference when it comes to favorite cameras but overall Canon is still the most popular brand. For Japan, Sweden and Ireland, the Canon EOS R3 came out on top, although it costs close to $6K and is entirely aimed at professionals (but perhaps that says more about the type of people who use Flickr). Canon mirrorless systems were also the first choice system for Brazil and Turkey who preferred the Eos R while Ghana is still working with the original, Canon EOS R. Despite being in the mirrorless market for the longest, very few countries' top choice was Sony system. That being said, the US is one of the largest countries in the world, and its most popular camera is the Sony A9 Mark II which means there are likely to be thousands of photographers using it. Even Olympus however, beat Sony when it comes down to country wins with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II coming out on top in Bolivia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Belarus and South Korea. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #899, June 13, 2023. Today's theme is "Why Speciality Cameras Are Not GAS - And the Pentax Monochrome." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue It was an overcast Sunday morning, and I had a couple hours for a photo shoot. I wanted something different today. Not landscape. No portraits. Different. I settled on visiting the Pacific Coast Air Museum right here in my own backyard. But what camera to bring? I discuss my choice, and why, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 899 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Why Speciality Cameras Are Not GAS The Pacific Coast Air Museum features a unique collection of authentic, well-cared-for aircraft, and a non-profit organization with a dedicated base of aviation experts who are giving back to the Sonoma Community through education and preservation. You'll find a three-acre field covered with authentic, well-cared-for aircraft. You can crawl under them, look inside wheel wells and bomb bays, peer into cockpits, and examine all the details. The aircraft are primarily military, from the Korean War and Vietnam eras through the modern age. All are authentic. Many still have their original engines and all have complete or nearly complete cockpits. Several are equipped with authentic but inert ordnance. In all cases, they strive to restore and maintain these historic aircraft to represent them during their civilian or military career. What a fun way to spend an overcast morning! Now, what camera to take? I wanted something different. My goal was to capture the spirit of the 1960s and 70s when many of these aircraft were in service. I decided to shoot in black and white. So I reached for the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome and fitted it with one of my favorite Pentax lenses, the Pentax HD Pentax DA 20-40mm f/2.8-4 zoom. (More on this camera in the following story.) Shooting with this specialty camera landed me back in the 1970s. Its DSLR form factor felt like a 35mm film camera and the monochrome-only images reminded me of shooting with Kodak Plus X film. I was totally immersed in the experience. Now you and I both know that I could have packed any camera and had a great time exploring this airfield. So why the monochrome? I think the answer is in how I feel. Whether it's the Pentax Monochrome, Fujifilm X100S, my IR-converted Olympus E-M10, or the 35mm Nikon FG film camera, I'm on an adventure. I have a challenge to come home with pictures that excite me, that look different than my work shots that I do for clients. I can do anything artistically that I want on that airfield, and the camera I choose is part of that fun. Now some folks might say that this is a rationalization for Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS). You could say that, but it isn't. First of all, I don't buy every camera that I shoot with. The Pentax Monochrome is on loan. Anyone can go to lensrentals.com and get practically any camera in the world. You don't have to buy to experiment. Second, if you find yourself engaging in specialty photography on a regular basis - B&W, infrared, medium format, etc. - then it has evolved to be part of your creative workflow. You're not getting your hands on these tools just to admire them on a shelf, you're using them to create interesting images. Saying the camera isn't important to capturing a compelling image is like saying that a hammer isn't important to building a fence. Of course it is! Don't limit your creativity because you're afraid of being judged as a materialist. Get your hands on what you need, use it to make great images, and ignore the chatter. Hands on with the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome DSLR Camera The Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome is indeed a specialty camera. And for those who love B&W photography, it can be a pleasure to shoot with. Let's take a look at its specs. 25.7MP APS-C CMOS Sensor SAFOX 13 101-Point Phase-Detection AF 1.05x-Mag. Pentaprism Optical Viewfinder 3.2" 1.62m-Dot Touchscreen LCD Up to 12 fps Continuous Shooting 5-Axis SR II In-Body Shake Reduction UHD 4K30p Video Recording Three Custom Monochrome Image Modes Face Detection and Touch Autofocus Wi-Fi & Bluetooth; Dual SD Card Slots The first thing that jumped out at me is that this is a real camera. It feels like one, shoots like one, and delivers like one. I don't own the original K-3 Mark III, but I can see why so many Pentax photographers like it. Things that I Liked Build quality Responsiveness Custom Image menu - Standard, Hard, Soft (D-Pad) Outdoor View setting (D-Pad) Choice of RAW file - DNG or Pentax Highly editable RAW files in C1P Digital Filters - such as grainy monochrome Excellent image quality Things that I Did Not Like Fixed back LCD $2,199 price tag Bottom Line If you have a handful of Pentax lenses that you like, and aren't using much these days, the Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome is a great way to put them to use. It's also a great alternative to other monochrome cameras that cost even more. I used it in combination with my iPhone Pro Max, using the iPhone for the color work, and the Pentax for black and white. And finely, the monochrome files from the camera looked different than color files that I converted in post production. It's a bit hard to describe, but the Pentax images looked more natural, more like Kodak Plus-X from a film camera. It's not an investment for everyone. But for those who want a deep immersion into black and white photography, it has a lot to offer. Mastering Mobile Photography: Top Smartphone Cameras of 2023 You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com Apple's iPhone 14 Pro Max is more than just a smartphone; it's a versatile photographic tool. The phone showcases a triple-lens rear camera setup: a 48-megapixel wide sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor. This configuration allows photographers to capture a wide range of shots, from panoramic landscapes to detailed close-ups, all while maintaining high resolution and rich color reproduction. The phone's Night Mode is particularly impressive. Now available for all three lenses, it intelligently adapts to different light conditions, enabling photographers to capture vibrant, detailed images even in low light. This opens up a world of creative possibilities, from capturing cityscapes under neon lights to shooting wildlife at dawn or dusk. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is another standout in mobile photography. Its camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 48-megapixel telephoto lens. This powerful hardware is complemented by Google's advanced computational photography capabilities. The Pixel's software uses AI and machine learning to enhance image quality and make automatic adjustments. This leads to better low-light performance, enhanced digital zoom, and improved portrait mode effects. Google's Night Sight and Super Res Zoom take these enhancements even further, providing remarkable low-light shots and impressive zooming capabilities. For travel photography or impromptu street shots, these features make the Pixel 7 Pro a powerful companion. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra comes equipped with a comprehensive camera system, housing a 108-megapixel wide sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses. This setup offers great versatility, accommodating a variety of shooting situations and styles. The phone's Space Zoom feature is particularly impressive, offering up to 100x digital zoom. This feature can capture distant subjects with an impressive level of detail, which could be particularly useful in situations like wildlife photography or sporting events. Furthermore, the Single Take feature allows users to capture a series of photos and videos with one shutter press, perfect for fast-paced events or dynamic scenes. The Sony Xperia 1 IV, with its triple 12-megapixel lens setup (wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto), offers professional-grade capabilities. The Photography Pro feature emulates the manual controls found in DSLR cameras, providing full control over parameters like shutter speed, ISO, and focus. This makes it an ideal choice for photographers who prefer hands-on control and precision. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #898, June 6, 2023. Today's theme is "The Roving Medium Format Photographer (Plus Vision Pro)." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I love self assignments. And my latest one was a gem: road trip to Huntington Beach CA to cover the international reveal of the VW ID.Buzz North American model. In addition to the debut, there was an auto show featuring more than 240 vintage VW microbuses, each with its own personality. And to cover this event? I chose the Fujifilm GFX 100s. What! Yes, that's correct. Find out why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 898 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Roving Medium Format Photographer (Plus Vision Pro) The topic for last week's Nimble Photographer newsletter was What I've Learned After 2 Years of Shooting Medium Format. I described how I've adjusted my rig to go from serious portrait shoots to everyday event photography. The key was finding compact lenses that keep my kit nimble. As an example of this, I roadtripped to Southern California with the Fujifilm GFX 100S and the compact GF 50mm f/3.5 WR lens attached. The entire kit is housed in a very nimble Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 25i shoulder bag that has enough room for my Fujifilm XF10 ultra compact with 28mm lens. Switching to the GF 50mm changed everything. It has a 40mm equivalent, which I love. Plus it's super compact and fun to shoot with. That lens transforms the GFX 100S from a bulky medium format to an on-the-go lovable lug. To prove my point, this was the only kit I packed for my 9-hour journey to Huntington Beach for the debut of the North American VW ID.Buzz. And I had a blast! Here's why I loved shooting with this rig in So Cal. Did Someone Say Resolution? - I had 102 megapixels to play with. This eliminated the need for a bulky zoom lens. If I wanted to get closer, I just cropped and still had resolution to spare. Gotta Love that Flip Up LCD Screen - Shooting events in general and car shows in particular requires a variety of camera angles. The 3.2" 2.36m-dot tilting touchscreen LCD made easy work of high and low compositions. 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization - There's no way I'm packing a tripod for this event. And thanks to the built-in IS, I don't have to. All My Film Simulations in Capture One Pro - C1P fully supports the GFX. So I have access to all of those lovely Fuji film simulations in post. So if I'm not satisfied with my choice at capture, then I can change my mind during editing. Geotagging the Gig - Even though I wasn't able to use the new App because the 2.0 firmware wasn't ready yet for the 100S, the camera still paired easily with the old Cam Remote app to apply location data to all of my shots. Plus, it was really fun to roam row after row of vintage VW busses with the GFX in hand. And the photos are absolutely beautiful! Apple Vision Pro: Apple's big bet on a brand-new platform starts at $3,499 You can read the entire article on Macworld.com. After months--years, even--of rumors, Apple has finally unveiled its mixed-reality headset. Dubbed Apple Vision Pro, it supports both AR and VR applications and boasts features and specs that make other competing products look like toys. Apple calls it "the most advance personal electronics device ever" and has filed over 5,000 patents related to it. But it will cost you. Apple says it starts at $3,499 and will be available early in 2024. Apple claims it is a high-end TV, sound system, computer, and more-making the cost a bargain by comparison. Apple calls it a new type of product that blends the digital and real world. It's the first Apple product you look through, and not at. You control everything using your eyes, hands, and voice, rather than holding physical controllers. Apps and the interface can be moved around and resized, and even cast shadows on the real world to help you understand scale. Apple says that just as the Mac introduced us to personal computing, and the iPhone introduced us to portable computing, Apple Vision Pro will introduce us to "spatial computing." You're able to place multiple apps in the real world space and can type with either voice or a virtual keyboard, but you can also use Bluetooth keyboards and trackpads, and with a glance at your Mac, you can use it on a large virtual display. An external display shows people what your eyes look like at the moment with a feature called EyeSight, so others are not disconnected from you. But if you're in a fully immersive experience, a cloudy view shows others that you're not able to see them at the moment. The apps we know are all completely redesigned for the virtual space. FaceTime shows each participant in a large video tile and uses spatial audio to help you place who is talking. Vision Pro also lets you capture photos and video in full 3D, so you can watch them using the headset and experience them with real depth. Watching a film dims the room or places you in a large virtual environment. Wine Country in Autumn Photography Workshop This November November 2-4, 2023 - Sonoma County Wine Country is a special place in November. The harvest is in and it's time to enjoy the fruits of labor. During this workshop we'll combine an outstanding and educational wine experience with beautiful photography, at a relaxed pace. It's the perfect get-away for those who love alluring scenery, great food, and delicious tastings. If you want to do something truly different, beautiful, flavorful, and come home with unique pictures, this wildly affordable workshop is for you. We still have a few seats open. And now you can fly directly into Sonoma County Airport and you're here! Reserve your spot now. The Secret to Good Photography You can read the entire article on Live View I want to give you a taste of what we're up to on Live View. So here's a reading of my latest article, The Secret to Good Photography. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #897, May 30, 2023. Today's theme is "Why I Love Graduations and a Review of the New XApp." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Photographers are witnesses to the good and bad of life. Since I've left the newspaper business, I photograph mostly good. And one of my favorite positives is documenting Junior College graduations. There is something very special about these people. And being there to watch them celebrate their accomplishments reminds me that there is hope for our community, and for society overall. I'll explain why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. Digital Photography Podcast 897 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Why I Love Graduations I was one of a handful of credentialed photographers hired to cover the 2023 Santa Rosa Junior College Graduation Ceremony. Each of us had specific assignments and were tasked with overall coverage as well. Basically, we're there to retell the story that is happening before us. This moment features hundreds of graduates, each with their own story. But what is different about this collective is, generally speaking, the odds they had to overcome to reach this moment. Junior College life is different than at a four-year university. I know this firsthand from my two years at Chaffey Junior College in Southern California that saved my academic career that was eventually completed at a university. JC graduations, at least the ones I've covered, do a great job of capturing the challenges and accomplishments of those seated in their caps and gowns. The speakers on stage tell stories of adversity, financial challenges, doubt, and ultimately, triumph. For many families in the stands cheering for those seated on the football field, they are seeing the first from their clan receive a higher education diploma. Their child, sister, brother represent the hope that following generations will have more opportunity than those before them. Many of the graduates had to balance their studies with one or more jobs, often being key providers for their family. Their life consisted of work, study, family, more work, more study, and if they were lucky, some sleep. They often had to piece together small scholarships and grants, in addition to what could be spared from the paycheck, to pay for books and tuition. And remarkably, thanks to the genius that is the junior college system in California, most of the graduates received their diplomas debt free of educational expenses. Many of the graduates will go one to four-year schools, as I did. Some will enter the workforce now as dental hygienists, medical assistants, firemen, computer programmers, hospitality specialists, fashion designers, and electricians, just to name a handful of the disciplines. These are people we need in society. And not only do they graduate with the technical skills required for their career, they are disciplined and are willing to exert the effort required for success. They are prepared to meet the challenges of the workplace because they are already battle tested. Every educational milestone is an accomplishment, from high school diploma to doctorate degree. But there is something unique and special about those who battle to achieve an AA Degree or Certificate. And for me, it's a real honor to be able to share that moment with them. Fujifilm's new XApp simplifies mobile sharing for recent X-camera models You can read the entire article on DPReview.com. Fujifilm unveiled a new phone app for its cameras. The Fujifilm XApp replaces the old Camera Remote app for users of supported cameras and will be the new default going forward. XApp looks to roll image transfer, sharing, remote control, firmware updates, and even some unique stats into one convenient interface. Fujifilm is boasting improved image transfer times, more reliable Bluetooth connections and a minimalist design. Compatible cameras will also automatically sync their datestamp to the smartphone's clock, and can assign GPS data to images if desired. In addition, the Fujifilm Xapp will track your shooting habits and locations. Everything from your lenses, preferred film simulations and number of shots (in virtual 'rolls' or 'feet of film' depending on whether you shoot video or stills) can be seen in a unified timeline interface. You can also use the XApp to store, change and apply camera settings, making it easy to sync settings across cameras of the same model when you're shooting with multiple bodies. Not all Fujifilm cameras will be making the leap to the XApp, as it requires Bluetooth functionality. That said, a long list of cameras will be compatible, with others like the GFX 100 and GFX 50R added in the future. Wine Country in Autumn Photography Workshop This November November 2-4, 2023 - Sonoma County Wine Country is a special place in November. The harvest is in and it's time to enjoy the fruits of labor. During this workshop we'll combine an outstanding and educational wine experience with beautiful photography, at a relaxed pace. It's the perfect get-away for those who love alluring scenery, great food, and delicious tastings. If you want to do something truly different, beautiful, flavorful, and come home with unique pictures, this wildly affordable workshop is for you. We still have a few seats open. And now you can fly directly into Sonoma County Airport and you're here! Reserve your spot now. Confessions of a Photographer Who (Formerly) Packed for Every Possibility You can read the entire article FStoppers.com. As a 6'1" guy with 20+ years in the Army National Guard and a lot of construction projects behind me, I'm fairly used to carrying heavy things. Recently, my wife and our three kids (all under five years old) took an overnight flight to Lisbon, Portugal. Traveling from La Crosse to Amsterdam via Minneapolis with only one flight left, the airline gave away my seat to someone else -- just my seat, of course. According to their system, I never showed up at the La Crosse airport despite getting on two planes thus far and everyone in my party traveling with me. Nevertheless, I was stuck in Amsterdam alone, waiting for the next flight, while the rest of our group went to Portugal without me so the kids could get there before nighttime. The Epiphany - Prior to this seat-being-given-away episode, we had been awake for 22 hours and just raced across Schiphol Airport because of a short layover. When I say race, I mean fast walking with two or three of the kids in a stroller and 42 lbs of camera gear in my backpack. For this trip, I had four lenses, two Canon mirrorless bodies (an R5 and R6 II), an Insta360 X3, a Profoto A2 flash, two microphones (I had no use for even one mic), and two ball heads, among other countless accessories. That's not even counting my tripod in our carry-on. I decided to pack lighter after a trip to Hawaii with the kids in December. How did I do this time? I left my drone at home, mostly because of the confusing drone laws in Europe. But hey, I felt pretty proud about reducing my kit! So, How Did It Go? I loved it! Limiting what I used allowed me to create better photos. Although I didn't do as much architectural photography as I usually do (three kids under five), my work was better than anything I've ever done before. I also felt more confident knowing I didn't have to take all these things. I might still bring a backup camera body in my carry-on, but now that the iPhone is so amazing, I'm even doubtful about that. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #896, May 23, 2023. Today's theme is "Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Being the creatures of habit that we are, it's easy to stick with things we're comfortable with. In the world of photography, that could mean landscapes only or "I'm really a Photoshop guy." But what would happen if you stepped out of your comfort zone into the unknown waters of experimentation? I have a few real life stories to share of photographers who did just that. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 896 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone Point Reyes Shipwreck by Steve Csoto. It's not that most photographers don't want to experiment, but sometimes they need a little nudge. I just spent a week with a group of artists in Northern California who were doing exactly that. Their stories are interesting. And I thought that you might way hear the different ways these folks stuck their big toes in the pool of uncharted creativity. Scott: I'm Primarily a Street Photographer Scott generally packs a compact Ricoh GR when he heads out the door. But last week he brought a Fujifilm mirrorless camera and a humongous telephoto zoom lens. "I told my friends that there were elk in Pt. Reyes, and they challenged me to come home with a picture." On the first day were were standing on a deck overlooking Tomales Bay with his rig in hand. Here's what happened. Harry: I'm Not Going to Shoot Big Landscapes Harry's story is how he began working with Intentional Camera Movement, Close Ups, in-camera processing, and quadpics. Rich: Going the Extra Mile The most senior member of the group, Rich, doesn't do that much hiking these days. But in Pt. Reyes, he pushed himself out to areas that he normally wouldn't explore. And he returned with some very compelling images. Steve: I'm Not Going to Be Bound by Conventional Standards One of the best examples of Steve's artistic rebellion was when we visited the Pt. Reyes shipwreck. Everyone returned with a unique angle or approach to photographing the old ship. Steve went way beyond that. Michael: Experimenting with the Illusion of Depth Michael saw the lingering fog as an opportunity to add more depth to his images. He would find a foreground subject that was detailed, then position it against a distant tree in the background shrouded in fog. Each of these photographers stepped outside of their comfort zones and shared their images with the others. And to be honest, they left Northern California different artists than the ones that had arrived a week earlier. Pentax's first 'Film Camera Project' release to be a fixed lens compact, hints film SLR may be next You can read the entire article on DPReview.com. In the midst of the film resurgence, Ricoh announced last year that they were going to explore the idea of building a new film body camera under the Pentax banner. Details were scant; we knew that Ricoh was launching a 'Film Camera Project,' to formally house a research and development team, but we didn't know timelines, form factor, price points they had in mind or what criteria they were using to use to decide if actually building a film body was a viable idea. The last peep on that front from them was Pentax's December 2022 announcement, until this past weekend when Ricoh published a pair of new YouTube videos that detailed the project's progress. In a video released we learn more about the camera that Pentax has committed to building, along with a hint of a possible second film camera to come. Pentax's first film body will be a compact fixed-lens camera, according to Pentax product planning/design team member Takeo Suzuki. Pentax clearly sees an opportunity in film cameras and may be positioning itself to fill the void left by its competitors. The company has famously kept manufacturing DSLRs as other manufactures have moved to mirrorless bodies. Perhaps here too, Pentax is seeing gold to be mined with consumers seeking ways to discover or rediscover a classic style of image-making. Film photographers may not represent the mainstream today, but the community is growing. The closest parallel may be in the return of vinyl record albums, which grew from a small niche of buyers a decade ago to outsell CDs in 2022 (the first time since 1988), accounting for $1.2 billion, a 20% jump from the previous year. So film photography could be a fad, or, if it goes the way of vinyl, a potential boon for Pentax. Wine Country in Autumn Photography Workshop This November November 2-4, 2023 - Sonoma County Wine Country is a special place in November. The harvest is in and it's time to enjoy the fruits of labor. During this workshop we'll combine an outstanding and educational wine experience with beautiful photography, at a relaxed pace. It's the perfect get-away for those who love alluring scenery, great food, and delicious tastings. If you want to do something truly different, beautiful, flavorful, and come home with unique pictures, this wildly affordable workshop is for you. We still have a few seats open. And now you can fly directly into Sonoma County Airport and you're here! Reserve your spot now. Madavor Media Offers Bundle of Photo Sites You can read the entire article OutdoorPhotographer.com. Madavor Media is offering the following bundle of its print and digital photo properties: ICN - Image Creators Network Outdoor Photographer Imaging Resource Digital PhotoPro Digital Photo This is an "as-is" only bundle offering and includes archives, websites, and sub roster. Price: $500,000. Serious inquires only. AI-Generated Image of Pentagon Explosion Caused Markets to Dip You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. An artificial intelligence (AI) generated photo which showed a fake explosion outside the Pentagon went viral and caused the markets to briefly dip today. On Monday morning, an image showing a huge cloud of black smoke on a grass lawn outside a building was widely shared across Twitter with reports that there had been an explosion near the Pentagon building in Washington D.C. But the photograph of the explosion was a hoax, purportedly generated with AI technology. The U.S. stock market briefly dipped as news of the purported explosion spread. The fake image was reportedly first shared on Twitter at 10:06 local time -- although the original post has since been removed from the platform. And by 10:10, the U.S. stock market had turned sharply lower shortly after reports of the explosion had circulated. However, the market bounced back and stabilized after the photo was revealed as an AI-generated hoax. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #895, May 16, 2023. Today's theme is "Scouting for a Photo Shoot Is a Photo Shoot." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I've been exploring some of the most beautiful corners of Northern California in preparation for our Pt. Reyes Photography Workshop that begins this week. I love scouting missions. No pressure, no timeline, no expectations. Just looking for the best places to bring my crew for their upcoming shoots. But if it's just a scouting mission, why do I always come home with such great pictures? We'll find out why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 895 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Scouting for a Photo Shoot Is a Photo Shoot So, technically, a scouting mission is designed to find great locations for photo shoots and decipher the best time to return for optimal results. Typical scenarios include locations for movie making, ideal spots for portrait shoots, hidden treasures for photo workshops, or great vantage points for wildlife and landscape photography. The thinking is that you can scout any time of day, in any weather condition because that isn't the real shoot. You gather the information, look up a few things, then return when the conditions are ideal for your project. And that's what makes scouting missions so fun. Basically you're just following leads, exploring tips, and sometimes just wandering aimlessly out in nature. I like to pack a lunch, plenty of water, and an extra layer so I don't have to return to civilization any earlier than absolutely necessary. I do bring a camera, of course. My favorite for these days is the X100V with a couple specialty filters. The camera is light, versatile, and records great pictures. My iPhone Pro Max fills in the gaps. I think there's a bit of a psychological thing going here, however. Because I don't feel the need to capture great images, I always seem to do so. I guess you could say that the pressure is off, and the bar is set low. Listen to this audio segment I recorded out at Tomales Point last week when scouting for the workshop. I had just completed a hike on a beautiful day, captured lots of pictures, and had returned to the car where I was sitting with the hatch up watching the world go by. [Insert audio here] I don't sound very stressed, do I? That got me thinking about frame of mind and our approach to photo shoots. Maybe there's something to lower expectations. What if we just go out with out camera and have fun? I was taking pictures with a pro mist filter, R72 IR filter, switching to B&W film simulations, playing with weird angles, and just sitting on the ground. I never really cared about how good any of those shots would be. I was like Rainman with an expensive camera. After playing with a handful of images on the computer back at the house, and really enjoying the pictures, I decided to look up other scouting trips. And darn it, if I really didn't like those photos as well. I'm beginning to think that Scouting for a Photo Shoot Is a Photo Shoot. All I have to do is forget that fact the next time I pack up the car to go exploring. Amazon sues its own Marketplace sellers for selling fake Canon batteries You can read the entire article on DigitalCameraWorld.com. Canon USA and Amazon.com have filed a joint lawsuit against sellers of counterfeit Canon camera batteries and chargers sold through Amazon.com. The statement from Canon (opens in new tab) specifies that the joint lawsuit was filed with the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington against 29 Amazon accounts selling fake products, infringing Canon's trademark rights. The fact that Canon is pursuing trademark infringement is to be expected, as fake Lithium-ion batteries and substandard charging equipment being fraudulently sold with Canon branding could well be dangerous for unsuspecting end users. More surprising is that Amazon is jointly filing the lawsuit, as it's Amazon's own platform that's facilitating the sale of these counterfeit goods. If Amazon already had tighter control over its Marketplace seller listings, this issue could well have been prevented before fake products could ever reach buyers. With this lawsuit in progress, you might therefore assume Amazon had now removed all dubious Canon-labelled listings from its Marketplace platform. However when we did a quick search for 'Canon battery' on Amazon.com, we found several suspicious products still prominently listed for sale. These items feature images of batteries clearly embossed with the Canon logo, but there are several clues that hint that these products might not be the real deal. Item titles such as "Battery for Canon Rebel...." (you'd expect the product title of a genuine battery to lead with "Canon") don't inspire confidence. Likewise, the 'Brand' section in the product details of these suspect listings usually specifies the battery brand as 'Generic' or even 'EOSRebel' - not 'Canon'. And of course there's the surprisingly cheap prices being charged for these batteries - often way less than half Canon's RRP. It all gives us serious cause for concern. Imaging Resource was a respected camera review site founded in 1998 and was the only other United States-based photo publication with a dedicated camera testing lab except for DPReview which itself is being closed down by Amazon. Wine Country in Autumn Photography Workshop This November November 2-4, 2023 - Sonoma County Wine Country is a special place in November. The harvest is in and it's time to enjoy the fruits of labor. During this workshop we'll combine an outstanding and educational wine experience with beautiful photography, at a relaxed pace. It's the perfect get-away for those who love alluring scenery, great food, and delicious tastings. If you want to do something truly different, beautiful, flavorful, and come home with unique pictures, this wildly affordable workshop is for you. We still have a few seats open. And now you can fly directly into Sonoma County Airport and you're here! Reserve your spot now. The Z8 is Nikon's best mirrorless camera yet You can read the entire article TheVerge.com. Take the Z9's guts, put them in a smaller body, and cut almost $1,500 off the price, and you've got the Z8. When I reviewed the $5,496.95 Nikon Z9, I said that "Nikon finally put itself in the professional mirrorless camera race, and in a lot of ways it's now winning." I said this because, while most camera manufacturers went small and light, Nikon made a big, heavy mirrorless camera with very high specs that felt made for working professionals. The company has now taken those great specs and put them into a smaller $4,000 body. The new Nikon Z8 boasts a 45.7MP stacked CMOS sensor that, thanks to the Expeed 7 image processor, can shoot RAW photos at 20fps for over 1,000 frames. There are also autofocus readings up to 120fps. And impressive video specs: 12-bit N-RAW at 8K 60fps or 4K 120fps. With the Z8, Nikon is now playing ball with most of the other camera manufacturers who set out to get big specs into smaller systems, and it is going to be more challenging to capture an audience when its camera now looks like everyone else's. Tune in to my video above for sample photo and video from the Z8, which is available for preorder today and launches on May 25th, 2023, for $3,999.95. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #894, May 9, 2023. Today's theme is "I Asked ChatGPT 5 Photography Questions - Here's What It Said." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Amid the looming doom and gloom in the photography community about AI, I began to wonder about its usefulness to help enthusiasts take better pictures. I decided to put ChatGPT to the test and ask it 5 reasonable photography questions. How it responded, is the first segment of today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 894 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In I Asked ChatGPT 5 Photography Questions - Here's What It Said AI may still destroy the world. It's too early to tell. But in the meantime, can ChatGPT help us be better photographers? "ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022. It is built on top of OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 foundational large language models (LLMs) and has been fine-tuned (an approach to transfer learning) using both supervised and reinforcement learning techniques." From Wikipedia. I wanted to see how good its photography chops were, so I asked it the following questions. To hear its answers, tune in to the podcast. When taking pictures, should I use Auto White Balance in rooms with tungsten lighting? When taking pictures, what's the longest shutter speed I should use without a tripod? My son started playing PeeWee soccer. What camera, lens, and accessories should I purchase to capture good photos of him? I am going to start photographing weddings professionally, what software should I use on my computer to organize and edit all of those pictures? I am considering quitting my current full time job and becoming a professional photographer for a living. What advice do you have for me? And finally, I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about photography. Here's how it replied. Imaging Resource is Now Offline as the Camera Website Shuts its Doors You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com. It was first reported back in 2019 that Imaging Resource was to be shuttered but the website was seemingly saved when it was bought by Madavor Media in 2020. The website operated for a couple of years under Madavor but without Etchells as the editor. That was until the BeBop Channel bought Madavor Media in March 2023. However, when BeBop purchased Madavor it was made clear in a press release that the only publicly traded company for jazz, dance, and theater was most excited about acquiring another of Madavor's brands; JazzTimes. As PetaPixel's editor-in-chief Jaron Schneider noted in March, "BeBop's focus on theater and music seems to put the multiple photography publications the corporation now owns in a strange spot, as the new owner does not have a history in the niche or even in general technology." Madavor Media also owned Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo, and Digital Photo Pro. Imaging Resource was a respected camera review site founded in 1998 and was the only other United States-based photo publication with a dedicated camera testing lab except for DPReview which itself is being closed down by Amazon. This Week on Live View "The Square Mile Photography Challenge" by Lawrence Lazare; "The Cameras that Made Me" by Andrew Howe. Andrew writes: "IThe accepted maxim is that it is "the photographer that makes a great picture not the camera". I have no issue with that, but I think it is an over-simplification. The camera IS just a tool, but people can have a strong relationship with their tools. I am certainly been guilty in the past of spending hours watching or reading views purely as a symptom of Gear Acquisition Syndrome. However, sometimes we start with a purpose and our search is for the tool that will best serve that purpose. If you choose wisely, then sometimes this new tool will not just facilitate your purpose?-?it will inspire it." If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Mylio Photos Is Relaunching as a Free App You can read the entire article FStoppers.com. Mylio Photos is about to be reborn as a free app with some options that will have a price attached. Mylio Photos is a complete photo management solution that allows users to easily collect, organize, browse, search, and share their media files, including photos, videos, and documents. Mylio Photos' AI SmartTag technology can recognize over 1,000 activities, objects, and properties in photos. In an industry first, users can customize the filter's sensitivity to fine-tune results for identifying animals, plants, environments, food, and more. Unlike most other AI tools, Mylio Photos' AI tools run on users' devices without transferring data, providing impressive speed and complete privacy. Mylio Photos users who want to connect their devices, access their library from anywhere, and automatically protect their photos can sign up for the Mylio Photos+ add-on plan. To get a preview of new Mylio Photos features and functionality coming with spring and summer releases (including the upcoming Version 23 update). Mylio runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, and Android. The version that connects all your devices is a subscription option, at $99 per year. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #893, May 2, 2023. Today's theme is "Wedding Photography Makes You Better at Everything." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue It's time of year when the flowers are blooming and the weddings are booming. And chances are that at some point you will be asked to photograph someone's nuptials. Should you immediately disregard the request? Maybe pretend that you didn't get the email? I say think twice before declining. Weddings can make you a better photographer. I'll explain why on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 893 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Wedding Photography Makes You Better at Everything Back story on my own wedding history. Here are five ways that I think weddings make you a better photographer. Weddings encompass a variety of photography challenges - To successfully shoot a wedding you need to capture: closeups of flowers and place settings, portraits of bride and groom, group shots of entire family, establishing shots, flash photography, action shots, and more. Weddings force you to interact - Unlike putting the camera on a tripod at sunset, you must interact, and sometimes negotiate, with others at weddings. Weddings help you master your camera - You'll need to be able to change WB, adjust flash, lower shutter speeds, change depth of field, and possibly even switch to video mode - and quickly. Weddings force you to think about how much gear you actually need - Unless you want to lug around 50 pounds of equipment for 8 hours, you need to think about what you really need, and what you don't. Weddings improve your post-processing speed - You'll discover that you have thousands of images to cull, many of them similar in nature. And most likely you'll have an anxious couple waiting for your selects. If you shoot a wedding or two early in the season, you will be ready for any type of event photography, sports, portraits, and macro. Plus you might make enough to by a new lens. Vintage digital cameras you should actually buy You can read the entire article on AmateurPhotographer.com. By not being as truly perfect as modern cameras and smartphones, they have become the obvious choice to some people for creative and fun photography. The icing on the cake being that you can sometimes find them for a bargain price. Fujifilm F10 (and subsequent 6MP models) Ricoh GR Digital (and subsequent) - non-APS-C version Olympus C-750 / C-765 Canon Powershot S90/S95 Sigma DP1/DP1s/DP1x Sony Cyber-shot R1 Olympus PEN E-P1 Leica Digilux 2 Casio Exilim S100 Contax i4r Lego Camera This Week on Live View "Kodachrome in Black and White - iPhone Photography in Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah" by Cynthia Wehlan; "Beyond Black and White" by Derrick Story. Cynthia writes: "In 1948, a National Geographic Society expedition passed through here and named the area Kodachrome Flat. In 1963, the state of Utah acquired the land from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and established a state reserve. After securing permission to use the name Kodachrome, a popular color photographic film from the Eastman Kodak Co., the reserve was called Kodachrome Basin State Park."?-?Utah State Department of Natural Resources." So what does she do? She pulls out her iPhone and begins shooting in B&W. If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Leica launches two new watches inspired by the Leica M11 Monochrom You can read the entire article DigitalCameraWorld.com. The Leica Watch collection consists of two models - both with the mechanical, hand-wound movement developed and produced in-house - the Leica ZM 1 and Leica ZM 2, which are now available in the new Monochrom Edition. Following the holistic view of the Leica product portfolio, the ZM in the name stands for "Zeitmesser" - which is the German descriptive word for an instrument that measures and displays time (not a clock). Following the success of the latter series of Leica Watches that were launched in 2022, the ZM collection is now available in 25 Leica stores worldwide including the USA, UK, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Portugal, China, Japan, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. The recommended retail price starts at £9,900 (approximately $12,400 / AU$18,800) for the Leica ZM 1 Monochrom and £13,300 ($16,700 / AU$25,300) for the Leica ZM 2 Monochrom. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #892, April 26, 2023. Today's theme is "Going Beyond the Polarizer." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue It's true, we just don't need many filters these days for our digital cameras. Maybe a protection filter. Maybe not. Many photographers, if they carry anything at all, it's a polarizer. But if you're interested in distinguishing your work from the masses, there are a couple other filters I recommend. And I'm going to share those in the first segment of today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 892 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Going Beyond the Polarizer In our digital cameras, White Balance has replaced a whole slew of color correction filters. And I say, "Thank God!" What a pain in the neck strap they were. In fact, I have an entire shoebox filled with amber and green and gosh knows what in various sizes. I still have yellow, orange, red, and green screw-ins for B&W photography. But I don't really need them since they too are emulated in my digital cameras. However, I still find the polarizer quite useful. It can tame distracting reflections, deepen a blue sky, and slow the shutter speed by 2 stops. No wonder it's still quite popular. But I'm going to share a secret with you. The polarizer isn't the only filter in my bag of tricks. There are two others that I depend on. One of them you probably know about. The other, I would be surprised if you did. Let's start with the one your know about: the Hoya R72 Infrared filter. I just talked about it recently, and it allows me to convert my Fujifilm X100V into a harsh light IR capture device. I find it indispensable. The one you probably don't know about is the NiSi Black Mist Filter. Now we've all had our disappointments with external diffusers and softeners. Forget about all of that. NiSi filters are a whole different ballgame. They come in 3 strengths, and the effect is subtle, but profound. Here are their basic characteristics. Reduce highlights and lower contrast - If I want to shoot midday, and I don't want to work in B&W, this is my color option. Can be used to create a cinematic look - Because of the way the NiSi diffuses light sources, such as a street lamp, the image has a glow that feels very cinematic. Doesn't derail sharpness - When I use it for portraits, I still get wonderfully sharp eyes, but skin is much more attractive. Comes in a variety of sizes - They make screw-in versions for 49mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm. Plus they have special mounts for the X100V, Ricoh, GR IIIX, and iPhones. I'm currently using the NiSi Black Mist 1/4 Filter for FUJIFILM X100 Cameras (Black) $69. And Ricoh GR IIIX photographers can use the NiSi Black Mist Filter Kit For Ricoh GR IIIx $95. And the NiSi IP-A Filmmaker Kit for iPhone $149 includes IP-A Filter Holder, Black Mist 1/4 Filter, P1 Prosories Case, and a True Color ND-VARIO Pro Filter. I'm posting two examples with the Black Mist 1/4 on a X100V in the Show Notes. Both images were captured around midday. The first is a bumble bee collecting pollen on a Blue Blossom Ceanothus flower. The NiSi filter helped me tame the contrasty light for a lovely image. And the second is Sylvester the cat resting her chin on a shoe in the bright light streaming in from a south facing window. Regardless of which camera you use for your creative work, there's probably an artistic filter that fits it. And the best part is, you don't have to do anything in post. Just take the picture and enjoy. The Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is so Popular, Ricoh Can't Keep it in Stock You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. Ricoh has already sold out of its Japanese allocation of Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome cameras twice. Clearly, the company's latest DSLR is extremely popular. Announced earlier this month, the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is the only black and white DSLR on the market. Based on the original K-3 Mark III, Pentax's flagship APS-C camera, the body of the Monochrome version is not substantially different other than a lack of color in the design and the fact that the sensor is only capable of capturing black and white photos. Clearly, the camera is extremely popular, at least in Japan, since Ricoh has not been able to keep it in stock. While the camera doesn't start shipping until the end of April, pre-orders have flooded the company to the degree that it's not going to have any more available for at least a couple of months. Ricoh in Japan actually apologized that it had run out of its allocation for the country the same day the camera was announced. "We are pleased to announce that the number of pre-orders for the PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome Matte Black Edition, a monochrome digital SLR camera that is scheduled to be released on April 28, 2023, has greatly exceeded our initial expectations. As a result, production is unable to keep up with demand," Ricoh said on April 13. "Therefore, we will temporarily suspend accepting new orders until we have a certain outlook for product supply. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to customers who have been waiting for this product." Five days later, Ricoh announced that it had resumed accepting orders for the camera as it had, apparently, been able to catch production up with orders and would be able to ship out this second allocation by the end of May. That did not last long. On April 21, Ricoh sold out again. "We will temporarily suspend accepting new orders at the Ricoh Imaging Store until the next product supply (scheduled for summer 2023) is confirmed. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to customers who have been waiting for this product," the company writes. The Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome DSLR is still available to pre-order for $2,200 in the United States, but given the popularity in Japan, it's not clear how quickly those pre-orders will actually be shipped to buyers. This Week on Live View "Learning Process From Ansel Adams" by Ben Long; "5 Simple Steps for Shooting on the Street" by Sean Staples; and "Shooting Blind" by Lawrence Lazare. If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. What juice jacking and trustjacking are, and how to protect yourself You can read the entire article AppleInsider.com. Inserting an unprotected iPhone or iPad into a new port can leave you with unwanted infections. "Juice jacking" and "trustjacking" are two ways to catch digital diseases, but there are ways to protect yourself. You might not have previously thought about cybersecurity when charging your iPhone on the go, but that Lightning cable can carry data as well as power. Here are the vulnerabilities involved and how to minimize the risks. Smartphones and tablet computers use the same port for charging and data transfer. "Juice jacking" exploits the possibility that an owner might connect their device to a malicious or compromised charging port, which can then be used to steal data from the device. Previously, iOS devices were more vulnerable to juice jacking, since connecting an iOS device to a PC didn't require authorization. However, when iOS 7 was introduced in 2013, this was no longer the case. How to prevent juice jacking When you connect your iOS device to a computer, iOS 7 prompted you with, "Trust This Computer? Your settings and data will be accessible from this computer when connected via USB or Wi-Fi." You could then select "Trust" or "Don't Trust." The wording was later changed to, "Allow this device to access photos and videos? This device will be able to access photos and videos while it is connected to your iPhone." You could then choose "Allow" or "Don't Allow." Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #891, April 18, 2023. Today's theme is "Are You Nuts? (buying a monochrome only camera)." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue I would imagine that most people's first reaction to the just-announced Pentax K-3 III Monochrome DSLR would be, "Who would buy that?" In fact, I may have uttered the same thing. But after a little research on the idea, I'm not so sure. Find out why, and lots more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 891 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Are You Nuts? (buying a monochrome only camera) The Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome is variant of its highly regarded 25.7MP APS-C DSLR, but with no color filter array. What happens without the color filter array? Well, according to Pentax, typical color image sensors are designed to receive light passing through red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color filters, so each pixel detects only one color-data component. To compose a monochrome image, color sensors must convert color data into monochromatic data by interpolating the color data they collect. The new monochrome-specific image sensor, however, can faithfully reflect the brightness data obtained by each pixel in the image -- without the interpolation process -- to produce extra-fine monochromatic expression, in images high in resolution and rich in gradation. Plus, there's no AA (anti-aliasing) filter either. The changes just weren't on the inside either. The PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome provides white backlight illumination on the LCD data panel positioned on its upper panel, while featuring "Monochrome" lettering printed on the upper-left shoulder of the back panel. Its menu screen features a black-and-white visual scheme as default, while the SR (Shake Reduction) badge is finished in silver. The icons printed on buttons and switches across the camera's exterior are finished in three shades of gray to assist the users with their camera operation. All in all, the concept of monochrome photography is evident throughout the camera body. Plus, since WB isn't an issue, the white balance button of the PENTAX K-3 Mark III is replaced with the Fx (function) button. Still not swayed? Fair enough. Let's dig a little deeper. This is only the third monochrome-only camera on the market. Leica and Phase One each have an offering, at many times more the price than the Pentax. Leica is just getting ready to release the M11 Monochrom Rangefinder Camera. What's interesting about the M11 Monochrom is that this is, I believe, the fourth edition in its monochrom line. Far from a one and done. As I continued to research and think about the Pentax Monochrome, I realized five things that weren't initially apparent to me. Total Embodiment of B&W - It's not just the sensor, the entire camera oozes monochrome goodness, from its stealthy body design, to custom BW settings, to the heart of the camera itself. It is the total B&W experience. Compatible with Every Vintage Pentax Lens - Yes, you can use your modern Pentax AF lenses on the Monochrome, but you can also mount a Pentax-M 50mm f/2.0 and further stylize your B&W captures. Vintage lens are a blast on any camera, but imagine using your favorites on this Monochrome body. And since the image stabilization is sensor-based, you have IS for the vintage glass as well. Affordable by Comparison - The Leica M11 Monochrom was just released for $9,195. Plus, we know how much the lenses sell for. The Pentax Monochrome will be released in late April for $2,199. Better Low Light Performance, No Color Noise - The monochrome sensor provides an additional stop of sensitivity, better capture sharpness, and less noise. No Post Processing Required - For those who want the pure photography experience without the need for post processing, just grab your yellow and red filters, and fire away with the Pentax Monochrome. Am I saying that you should check your credit card balance and buy the K3 Monochrome? No, I'm not. It is a specialty camera for a niche audience. But what I am saying is that I'm thrilled that Pentax continues to explore all aspects of photography and deliver tools for those who want this experience. I'm very much hoping to get my hands on one. I just hope that I'll be able to let it go once I do. Meike's New 85mm f/1.4 to be the First 3rd Party Autofocus Lens for Canon RF You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. Meike has announced a new 85mm f/1.4 autofocus lens for Sony E, Nikon Z, Leica L, and -- surprisingly -- Canon RF mounts. If this stands, Meike will be the first third-party manufacturer to come to market with an autofocus-equipped lens for Canon's mirrorless mount. While Meike isn't the first third-party camera lens manufacturer to make an autofocus-equipped Canon RF lens, if things stand it will be the first to actually successfully sell it. For example, Rokinon (also known as Samyang), tried to release a 14mm f/2.8 autofocus lens for Canon RF and Viltrox attempted to sell several autofocus lenses that would mount to Canon's mirrorless cameras, but those companies quickly heard from Canon's lawyers and ceased production. Last September, Canon confirmed that it was pursuing legal action against manufacturers that were producing autofocus lenses for its RF mount. It's not clear if anyone who actually purchased any of those lenses received them, and -- until now -- no third-party manufacturer has tried to produce another since Canon's legal department is particularly aggressive -- the company has repeatedly shown that outside of cameras in its printer department as well. The only third-party RF lens to get the official nod from Canon is the Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1 aspherical, which is notably not an autofocus lens. In addition to RF mount, Meike intends to make the stepping motor-driven autofocus lens available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Leica L-mounts (though the company humorously refers to it as Panasonic L mount). At the time of publication, Meike had not determined a final price or the release date. The lens is currently on display at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen if Canon will allow Meike to actually produce the RF mount version of the lens. This Week on Live View "This imaging revolution will be different than the last one" by Ben Long; "A Day Later, A Dollar Wiser" by Jim Kuzman; and "No Skies Were Harmed in the Making of My Photographs" by Michael Bryant. If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. Hope to see you there. Incredible Hand-Held 30 Second Exposures With an iPhone App You can read the entire article FStoppers.com. From the creators of ReeXpose comes Reeheld. It apparently uses AI stabilization (something we are all very aware of at the moment) to create stunning handheld images. This is ideal for when you don't have your camera kit with you. Missing your tripod? Don't worry using this app can give you up to 30 seconds of exposure blending the correct parts together. Now I'm not a landscape photographer as such but there are times when I'm out and about and like to take pictures but just don't have my camera with me. This could be the answer. Other apps that Dewis includes in his video are Spectre which has been around for a long time but has just not been updated in quite a while. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #890, April 11, 2023. Today's theme is "The Thing About Sunsets (and other notes from Maui)." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue When you're on an island in the Pacific during springtime, the sky is a moving picture show of clouds. And when the sun begins to set, well, that's the main feature. Photographers are drawn to sunsets like moths to flame. And in my view, there's more to it than just another pretty picture. This, and other notes from Maui, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 890 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Thing About Sunsets (and other notes from Maui) Sunset is about a quarter to seven in Maui right now. So around 6pm, regardless of what you're doing, we usually put a bookmark there and head down to the beach. It's fun to watch the gathering crowd in what has become an evening tradition on the upper west side of the island. Some folks bring fish and veggies to barbecue while others are holding cocktails in a plastic cups. And you can hear fragments of conversations wafting in the air. The other night, as the sky was lighting up in shades of orange and blue, a lady walked by and noticed how stunning it was. "Will a picture of that turn out?" she asked out loud. I said, "Of course. Try to frame it with those palm trees. The silhouettes will add some depth to your image." "Oh, that's a good idea she said," while holding her iPhone up to the sky. She was not alone. Many of us were capturing the moment with our cameras. It's not that I have a shortage of Maui sunsets. But each one of them is a little different and often has its own story. And that's the thing about sunsets. Yes, the common denominator is that they are beautiful. But they are also different. And just because you captured one the night before, doesn't mean you should pass on the next. Because they will be as unique as two snowflakes landing on a frozen leaf. One of the reasons I never get tired photographing Maui sunsets is because I always have other elements to play with. On the horizon, there are the islands of Molokai and Lanai that always attract their own clouds. I can count on at least on sailboat drifting by. And then there are the silhouettes of palm trees and people in the foreground. No reasonable photographer can turn their back on a striking sunset without pulling out their camera. Nor should they. There is no better way to end the day than standing with loved ones and strangers admiring nature's final flourish before the evening stars take over the sky. Meet Me at High Noon If sunsets are the epitome of beauty and ease, photography at high noon is its scurrilous sibling. With the sun high overhead and the landscaped bathed in harsh, contrasty light, middle of the day compositions can be a real challenge. I remembered to pack a Hoya R72 IR filter to use with my X110V in monochrome+R mode, and immersed myself in hyper B&W photography. I love the results! DPReview closure: an update You can read the entire article on DPReview.com. We've received a lot of questions about what's next for the site. We hear your concerns about losing the content that has been carefully curated over the years, and want to assure you that the content will remain available as an archive. We've also heard that you need more time to access the site, so we're going to keep publishing some more stories while we work on archiving. Thank you to this community and the support you've shown us over the years. This Week on Live View "Get Outside and Leave that Big Camera Behind" by Scott Houston and "How to Make Your RAW Files Look Even Better" by Derrick Story. If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. Hope to see you there. Tesla Sued Over Report Employees Shared Private Car Camera Footage You can read the entire article PetaPixel.com. "Since at least 2019, the cameras in Tesla vehicles captured highly-invasive videos and images of the cars' owners, which Tesla employees were able to access--not for the stated purposes of communication, fulfillment of services, and enhancement of Tesla vehicle driving systems--but for the tasteless and tortious entertainment of Tesla employees, and perhaps those outside the company, and the humiliation of those surreptitiously recorded," the lawsuit reads. "By virtue of this defective system, Tesla employees accessed and circulated recordings of Tesla customers in private and embarrassing situations, without their consent including, for example, video of a man approaching a Tesla vehicle completely naked, and video of vehicle crashes and road-rage incidents," the lawsuit continues. "Tesla employees also shared pictures of family pets, which were made into memes by embellishing them with captions or commentary before posting them in group chats. While some postings were only shared between a few employees, others could be seen by 'scores' of Tesla employees. And as is common with internet culture, many of these videos and images were very likely shared with persons outside the company." Multiple reports have confirmed that Tesla employees were able to view images of customers through the company's cars and shared them amongst each other, despite Tesla's own privacy statements. Portrait Beast: We Review the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Lens for Fujifilm You can read the entire article FStoppers.com. The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 autofocus lens is the first in their high-end PRO series line, and it is clear from first opening the box that this lens means business. It is all metal and feels extremely robust, with a smooth focusing barrel and an aperture ring that has just the right amount of resistance to click into place without feeling cumbersome. The lens is certainly not small or light, but I found it quite comfortable to use. I really like the way it pairs with the Fujifilm X-T5, not only aesthetically but more importantly it balances nicely with the camera, especially for a lens with a full frame focal length equivalent of 112.5mm. What I loved the most were the beautiful colors, pleasing skin tones, and excellent contrast. Portrait photographers will absolutely love the bokeh, and as someone who enjoys shooting wide open, this lens hits the spot. Regarding image quality, this is one of the best lenses I've tested and certainly rivals the quality I get with my Fujifilm lenses. I upgraded the firmware to version 1.0.2 after my studio session, and there was a noticeable difference in the autofocus performance. I thought that the autofocus was good even before the update, so having the slight bump in performance was a nice touch. One thing I really appreciate is how quiet the lens is. The STM motor is fast and almost silent, and when using it with eye tracking, I was able to achieve excellent and consistent results with the X-T5. Outside of some flaring when shooting in direct sunlight, I really can't find anything negative to say about the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2. In fact, from the moment I put it on my camera, I fell in love with it, because it handles like a much more expensive Fujifilm lens in terms of design, performance, and most importantly, image quality. I think that Viltrox has hit a home run with this lens, and for those of us who shoot with Fujifilm cameras, it is a very appealing lens in terms of focal length, autofocus, and overall quality. The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 AF Lens is available now from B&H Photo for $549. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #889, April 4, 2023. Today's theme is "Why Being Good is Great." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue It feels like we live in a world of extremes right now. Big successes and tragic failures dominate our headlines, and often our approach to work and creative pursuits. The goal is to be great, to be admired as the best, to be on top. That's fine if it happens. But my observation is that folks who are good at what they do seem to be happier. How could that be? Find out on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 889 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Why Being Good is Great I think the easiest way to begin this discussion is with a look at my own career. Then we can meander from there. I am good at a few things. I'm a good writer, photographer, podcaster, educator, and musician. But, I am not great at any of these. Most likely, I will never win a Pulitzer Prize, hang a show in a museum, win a broadcasting award, accept a professorship at Harvard, or write a Top 10 song. And yet, I am wildly happy. But how could that be? By every measure of pinnacle success, I have fallen short. Do I not have the appropriate fire in my gut to climb the mountain of fame and fortune? Am I short on talent? Maybe I just don't work hard enough. All of those may be true. But I don't think that's my problem. My issue is that I like being good at what I do. When I publish an effective article, make someone smile during a podcast, see someone's eyes sparkle when they learn something new in class, or giggle at one of my silly songs, I feel good. Maybe I have a small glass of whiskey before dinner. Watch something interesting on TV afterward. Then sleep like a baby. I think the achievement of being good at what you do is undervalued. I marvel at people who are good at things that I am not. I appreciate the plumber who fixes my sink in a fraction of the time that it would take me to do so. I know that am not good at plumbing. Doctors who prolong my vitality, administrators who fix bureaucratic mistakes, a food server who manages to overcome the shortcomings of the chef she has to work with that night - these are all people who are good at what they do. And they are the folks who make the world a better place. In our world of photography and creativity, what does being good actually mean? I have 5 bullet points that you may find helpful. Being a good photographer means: You have learned how to operate your camera so it is a natural extension of your vision, not a distraction. You have learned how to adapt to different photo situations, know how to adjust your camera accordingly, to produce a good image, even if outside your normal comfort zone. You can adjust your pictures in an image editor to improve them, and do so in a reasonable amount of time. You can look at someone else's picture, recognize the effective aspects of it, and identify, if present, areas that may need improvement. Others recognize you as a capable photographer, converse with you as such, and appreciate some of the work that you've produced. If you are accomplished in these five categories, you are a good photographer. And if you continue to work on your craft, you will become better. Does this mean that if you try even harder you will become great. Who knows? And what difference does it make? What's important to me, and I suspect this may be true for you as well, is that others respect my work. If I overhear someone say, "Yeah, he's a pretty good writer," I'm ready to celebrate with a couple tacos and a cold beer. I like being good at what I do. I sleep well at night. And I try to see the admirable capabilities in others. I think some of the happiest people on earth are those who understand they are good at what they do. This is why, I say, being good is great. Digicam Finder is a New Resource That Replaces DPReview's Camera Library You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com. Digicam Finder is a new resource that has successfully ported over a huge amount of information from DPReview in an attempt to keep a historical record of every digital camera released since the early 1990s alive. Last month, after DPReview announced that it would cease operations on April 10 and eventually close, fans of the website scrambled to retain the site's massive library of content before it was deleted. One such endeavor kicked off almost immediately after the news broke and has already launched: Digicam Finder. "Ever since the DPReview closure announcement there was a looming risk that we'll all lose the entirety of its 25 years of data," Peter Green, co-developer of the platform, tells PetaPixel. Green, who is the co-founder of the private investment platform Republic, says that Digicam Finder is designed to be a new source of the most complete and accurate digital camera data on the Internet, which was built and maintained by him and a passionate group of users from the DPReview community. "Many of us were thinking how to preserve [DPReview] and worked non-stop this past week. Well, now I'm happy to say that with the community effort, we managed to save it and it will keep being available for public access post-DPReview's closing," Green says. Digicam Finder has mirrored the basic information of more than 2,500 digital cameras that date back to 1994. The site contains full specifications and is searchable by several parameters. Additionally, Green says that the site is built on "modern tech rails" that make it mobile-friendly and very fast to load -- both advantages over what he admits were some downsides to DPReview which he says felt "like a 25-year old website" at times. Live View Is Launching Today You may recall that a couple months ago I talked about a new publication I was working on for Medium.com called Live View, and I was looking for writers within our community. It's now coming to life! Live View launches today with two stories, and will publish every Tuesday moving forward. Our first article is by Cynthia A. Whelan titled, Why I'm an iPhoneographer (and why you might want to be one too.) Cynthia is an experienced photographer who attended my writing workshop in Dec. 2021. She's exploring the world in her rec van and will be sharing her findings on Live View. The second article, Shooting Motorsports (how to make your images look fast) is by John Zachary. John is an experienced motor sports photographer who moved from lugging DSLRs to shooting with Fujifilm's mirrorless cameras. He says he's never been happier. If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. Hope to see you there. Photography cheat sheet: Color temperature & the Kelvin scale You can read the entire article DigitalCameraWorld.com. White balance, or WB, is necessary on cameras as light doesn't just vary in brightness, but also in color. Each light source has its own individual 'color temperature', which varies from red to blue as you move through the visible spectrum. Human vision is very good at compensating for this, so a sheet of white paper will look white whether it's viewed in daylight or by candlelight. It's the job of the camera's White Balance system to do the same thing and compensate for the color differences in the lighting, so the colors in a scene look exactly as we would expect. Digital cameras have a wide range of options for controlling the White Balance to suit the color temperature of the light in the scene, including Automatic White Balance (AWB), which will cleverly look after all this for you. However, as with all your camera's automatic settings, the Auto White Balance isn't foolproof, and it may under-compensate for extreme conditions because it can only operate within a restricted range of temperatures. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #888, March 28, 2023. Today's theme is "The Distraction That Is Color." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The bulk of my photography is captured in color. But there are those moments, when I look at the preview on the back of the camera and think to myself, "this just isn't right!" And the majority of the time the problem is the color itself. Sounds crazy? Well, I'll explain myself on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 888 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Distraction That Is Color Here's what happened the other day. It was about noon, and the sun was high and bright. I had made a stop in Morro Bay and wanted to photograph my cool campsite. The sky was blue with plenty of clouds. There were tall trees in the background, and there was the campsite itself with my VW ID.4 sporting a patio cover on the passenger side with a comfy Coleman camp chair and table in the shade. Sounds perfect, right? I pulled out the Fujifilm X100V and mounted the 28mm lens to give me a bit more elbow room. Took the picture, reviewed it on the LCD, and recoiled. How could such a lovely scene photograph so poorly? Well, the bright midday sun was definitely part of the problem. It added a nasty contrast to the scene. But the real culprit was the over-abundance of color. There was just too much. My ingenious campsite was lost in a cacophony of blues and greens. The protagonist of my visual story was being consumed by the supporting cast. When I shoot with the X100V, I carry two filters with me: a circular polarizer and a Hoya R72 Infrared. The polarizer was definitely the wrong direction. But the R72 could solve my problem. I screwed it into the front of my lens, set the aperture to f/2.0, switched film simulation to Monochrome+R, and recomposed the shot. Jackpot! My protagonist had returned to center stage, and the sky and trees were now a lovely supporting background. I had eliminated the distraction that is color. Here are 5 tips to keep in mind if you ever encounter a similar situation. Know how to quickly find the B&W setting on your camera. Shoot RAW+Jpeg to leave all of your options open. Test your camera for IR sensitivity. If it passes, carry and R72 IR filter with you. Don't be afraid to shoot midday, but know that IR and B&W do much better at this time than color. Practice seeing in IR to understand how it doesn't affect manmade objects - the pavement, cars, bikes, benches, etc. - the same was that it does the living, especially plants and the sky. Like I said at the top of this segment, I normally shoot in color. But I'm not hesitant in the least to switch to B&W if the situation calls for it. And I'm generally quite please with the outcome when I do. Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake Join PetaPixel to Lead its YouTube Channel You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com. Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake are joining PetaPixel and will lead its new YouTube Channel. The two have been a mainstay in the photography industry for more than a decade as hosts for first The Camera Store and then DPReview. Their current home at DPReview is shutting down, but the two have no intention of stopping their excellent video reviews and photography-based content as they will be joining PetaPixel as the faces of its new YouTube channel launching in May, providing a nearly seamless transition from their previous home to their new one. "I'm thrilled that PetaPixel is not only giving us the opportunity to keep our photography YouTube show going, but also the chance to make some fun changes to our format in upcoming episodes," Drake says. "Sure, we'll still be releasing reviews for the latest photo/video gear shot in the frozen lands of Canada, but we're already working on field tests, documentaries, and episodes that are bigger than anything we've done before." "This is a big move, but one that I'm very excited about. Working with PetaPixel brings me back to the reason why I got into this industry in the first place: a deep love for photography," Niccolls adds. "I can't wait to work with a team that is as passionate about the craft as I am. Our show will still continue the high standard of technical knowledge that we are known for, and our dedication to testing gear in the field," Niccolls continues. PetaPixel is ecstatic to be able to provide the two with a place to continue to share their professional insight and recommendations with a community that has appreciated them for the better part of 15 years. How to Choose Binoculars: We Review the OM System Olympus 10 x 42 PRO You can read the entire article FStoppers.com. A good pair of binoculars are often invaluable to photographers. There are many important things to learn about buying them. Here's what led me to the OM System Olympus PRO binoculars, why they are my perfect choice, and why my old ones were a mistake. My binoculars were showing their age. I bought them around 20 years ago, shortly before I moved to Tanzania. They were small, light, and easy to carry around, which I needed back then. But they had shortcomings. I know now I made the wrong decision when I bought them. Those old Steiners were 10 x 26. That first number refers to the magnification and the second to the diameter of the objective lens. Back then, I found the 10x magnification was more than I needed for the large animals I saw in Africa, and I could often not fit the entire creature in the frame. The second number refers to the objective lens' size. 26 mm is small, so the light transmission through them was not great; think of a camera lens with a small aperture. In the bright light of the savannah, that smaller objective lens was less of an issue. However, here in the often cloudy and dull North of England where I live now, it is. Furthermore, I am no spring chicken. Their low light-gathering capacity meant that, although I see things 10 times bigger, the image was dull and lacking detail, and I gained little from using them. Everyone's vision gradually deteriorates with age, and a dark image isn't what I need. Consequently, although they fit in my pocket, I rarely take them anywhere. If only I knew then what I know now, I would have invested in something better. I know that my OM System camera lenses are known for being hypodermic needle-sharp. A search of many different review websites also rated that brand's binoculars as exceptionally good. Furthermore, I know it is a brand I can trust. But, even so, I wanted to put them to the test to be sure. OM System produces three grades of binoculars - Compact, Standard, and PRO - still sold with the Olympus branding. I went for the PRO version mainly for its increased clarity of image, durability, and because they are waterproof. So, before buying, I trialed a pair of mid-sized OM System Olympus 10 X 42 PRO binoculars. On unpacking them, I found the binoculars were pleasant to hold. The rubberized grip was warm to the touch. The focusing ring was large and easy to reach with my forefinger and thumb. Importantly, its focusing action was smooth, with just the right amount of resistance to focus quickly and accurately. Many pairs I tried over the years are too tight and jerk when you start to turn them, and others are too loose. But not these. They fit in the Goldilocks zone. The hinge between the two barrels is tighter, which is excellent. Once set to the correct distance between my eyes, they stayed there. These are high-quality, professional instruments. The huge difference I noticed using these binoculars compared to anything else I had used before is their brightness. I tried this pair and my old binoculars side-by-side and watched the eider and cormorants on the water and flying. With the Olympus binoculars, I could see details in the shadows that were not visible with the smaller, older ones. Furthermore, those old Steiners seemed to put a slightly muddy cast, whereas the Olympus ones were crystal clear. They sell for $499. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #887, March 21, 2023. Today's theme is "Gearing Up for Spring." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue For those of us north of the equator, spring is just around the corner. Even though some folks may still have a month of slush and snow before the flowers grow. Either way, it's time to get in shape for one of the best photography seasons of the year. Tips on how do that, and much more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 887 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Gearing Up for Spring I look at spring activities through two lenses. The first is physical. Bad winter weather tends to take its toll on my fitness. And if I really want to enjoy outdoor life again, I have to be in decent shape. The second lens is my camera gear. What do I need, if anything, to have the right tools for my adventures? And once I capture those images, is my workflow ready to accept them without strain? Let's start with lens #1 - the physical aspect of our craft. I've long held the opinion that the greater our energy, the better our creativity. Now I'm certainly no triathlete, but I do strive to be able to enjoy a full day of activity without cutting corners on my photography. I've already started working my way back in to shape. Every non-rain day here in Northern California, I get out by bike and go for a 20-30 minute ride. I have a few different routes that I alternate with to keep things interesting. And after just a couple weeks I'm already feeling stronger. On bad weather days, I have a 20-minute workout indoors that incorporates a variety of stretches, weights, and tension using a surgical tube. Many of these exercises were learned as part of my physical rehab from injuries. Others were learned from magazine articles and advice from friends. Regardless of which routine I'm able to do on a give day, I plan for early afternoon. This provides the added benefit of propelling me through the remainder of the day with much more energy than I would have otherwise. Honestly, there are no downsides here. DxO PhotoLab 6 Now has Full FUJIFILM X-Trans Support You can read the entire article on Dan Bailey Photo Blog. Instagram Co-Founder Doesn't Like What the App Has Become You can read the entire article PetaPixel.com. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #886, March 14, 2023. Today's theme is "Crazy Retro Weekend." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue So I did the craziest things this weekend, at least photography-wise. I was off on a road trip with some good photo possibilities, and the only camera I brought was a 10-year-old compact. Why would I do such a thing with the wonderful capture devices I have at my disposal? I'll explain myself on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 886 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Crazy Retro Weekend As you probably know, we still have an atmospheric river flowing through California. On one hand, these things can be really destructive. On the other, there are countless photo opportunities if you can navigate the water. I had to hit the road on Saturday for family activities, and since I didn't have to drive, I could use this opportunity to take pictures during the excursions. Of all things, I decided to pack my Fujifilm X20, vintage 2013. Why would I do that? Well, I've encountered article after article about the popularity of older digital compacts, and I wanted to fully immerse myself, pun intended, in this concept. The X20 had been one of my all time favorite cameras, as a sidekick, but this weekend it's going to be the only game in town. Let's step back to 2013 when popular compacts such as the Canon PowerShot G15, Sony Cyber-shot RX100, and the X20 were turning our heads. All of these devices are amazing photographic tools. By comparison, the iPhone 5, which was the hot smartphone at the time, featured an 8-megapixel camera that was fine, but not in the same class as any of these compacts. Of the trio, the Fujifilm X20 is my favorite. Here's why. It starts with the 2/3"-type X-Trans CMOS II sensor. When I open a RAW file from the X20 in Capture One Pro, it's beautifully toned and elegantly editable. Highlight and shadow recovery are smooth and gradual, the colors are natural, and the sharpness is wonderful. The pictures look like photographs, not digital images. As lovely as the output is, the process of taking pictures is just as pleasing. It starts with the advanced optical viewfinder that adjusts the field of view as you zoom from 28mm wide to 112mm telephoto. When you press halfway on the shutter button, a digital overlay appears with exposure settings and focus confirmation. And of course you can still compose using the 3", 460k dot LCD. Fujifilm includes 10 of its film simulation modes, including four monochromes. I use Astia Soft for my color work, and Monochrome+Yellow filter for black and white. Owners of the X100 series of cameras will understand just how important these are. And it's this shared DNA that adds to the X20's allure. The Advanced modes provide panorama, a variety of filters, multiple exposure, and my favorite, Pro Focus that's a forerunner to Portrait mode on our iPhones - sharp subject with soft background. And finally, the Fujinon Super EBC 28mm-112mm f/2.0 to f/2.8 zoom lens is the crown jewel. It's fast, colorful, sharp, and covers a field of view that allows you to artistically compose in just about any situation. Plus, it's stabilized. That's something the X100V still doesn't have. Comparing to today's cameras, the X20 doesn't have many of the X100V's bells and whistles, such as Bluetooth, WiFi, tilting LCD, and a 24-megapixel sensor. But it does have what we love about Fujifilm cameras: beautiful design, click-stop dials, Fujinon aspherical lens, X-Trans sensor, Fuji color science, gorgeous optical viewfinder, built-in flash, Q menu, and images that have a certain magic to them. So how did it go? Well, because of the conditions, I was shooting RAW+Jpeg, using BW+Y mode. That gave me a lovely BW Jpeg and a full-color RAW file if I needed it. In the rainy, stormy conditions of the Bay Area, the B&Ws look terrific. My 4000x3000px files are sharp and contrasty. If I need to resample any of them to make a large print, I can easily do that with today's AI software. So did I capture anything with the X20 that I could not have created with my X100V or OM-1? No, probably not. But it was the adventure that got my creative juices going. And I may captured images that I otherwise would have bypassed because I was so engaged in the challenge of working with the camera. It was truly fun. And I'm very pleased with the pictures. Lenrentals' most rented-out point-and-shoot isn't a point-and-shoot at all You can read the entire article on DPReview.com. Camera and lens rental company Lensrentals has published a list of its most popular 'point-and-shoot' cameras but the thing we found most interesting is how few of the cameras on the list would sensibly be described as such. We recognize that, for many people, the term 'point-and-shoot' is synonymous with the term 'compact camera,' but we've always felt that there are plenty of compact cameras that encourage or reward a more hands-on approach to their photography than simply pointing at a subject and pressing the shutter button. Lensrentals' most rented 'point-and-shoot' cameras of the past year. 10. Olympus Tough TG-6 9. Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III 8. Fujifilm X100F 7. Nikon Coolpix P1000 6. Leica Q2 Monochrom 5. Ricoh GR IIIx 4. Sony Cyber-Shot RX100 VII 3. Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 IV 2. Fujifilm X100V 1. Leica Q2 Of the list, it's only really the Olympus TG-6 or Nikon P1000 (whose appeal in both cases is about something other than just simplicity of operation) and, perhaps, the Sony RX100 VII that one might sensibly expect to be simply pointed and shot. The Best Affordable UV Protection Filters You can read the entire article PetaPixel.com. Best Protection Filters Under $50 This isn't an exhaustive list of the best UV filter options under $50, but these are solid, alphabetically-ordered choices that include a robust design, multi-coating on both sides, and promise good light transmission. Hoya HD Protector - The Hoya HD Protector filter, which has been replaced by the more expensive HD3 model, offers strong performance if you can track one down. It's still available through various retailers, and the 77mm and 82mm sizes cost just under $50. K+F Concept UV filter - With sizes ranging from 37mm all the way to 127mm, which is extremely unusual (and more than $50), the K+F Concept MCUV filter is an affordable option that includes 28 multi-layer coatings and strong light transmission performance. The 82mm version is frequently available for around $35, which smaller versions costing even less. Marumi Exus Lens Protect - The Marumi Exus Lens Protect filter is a bit tricky to find these days, but if you can, it's a great option for around $50. The Japanese-made filter uses high-quality optical glass with strong transmittance. Best Protection Filers Under $100 B+W UV Haze MRC 010M or B+W MRC Master 007 - The B+W UV Haze MRC 010M and B+W MRC Master 007 UV filter lines push the limit of the price tier, coming right up against the $100 cutoff. B+W is a well-known, very well-respected player in the filter game. You can't go wrong with B+W filters. Canon Protector - The Canon Protect series of lens filters cost around $70 and meets the Canon standard. It's a completely good choice. Chiaro Pro 99-UVBTS - Chiaro's best UV filter, the 99-UVBTS, delivers 99% light transmission and features a side- and top-knurled design to make it easy to remove. It features Schott glass. The 77mm version is available for around $70, give or take $10 depending upon discount prices. Hoya NXT Plus - The Hoya NXT Plus line is good choice at around $65, this multi-coated filter also uses Schott B270 optical glass and has nice knurled sides. Nikon Neutral Clear - Simple, effective. Nikon's protection filter line is a fine choice for around $95. PolarPro QuartzLine UV - For $100, the PolarPro QuartzLine UV series gives you a stylish, color-neutral UV filter that protects your lens. Sony Multi-Coated (MC) Protector - Like Canon and Nikon, Sony has a line of filters that purely serve as clear protective filters. If you like Sony gear, you can't go wrong with this Sony-branded Zeiss T* filter. The 77mm version is $70. Sony's UV filter employs Zeiss T* technology Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #885, March 7, 2023. Today's theme is "A Workflow You May Find Interesting." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue With all of the great editing tools available, plus a myriad of backup options, how do we craft a photography workflow that maximizes our options while still providing the flexibility to enjoy and share our images on all of our devices? I've cobbled together one such workflow, and I'll share it in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 885 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In A Workflow You May Find Interesting Last Saturday was a wild weather day in Sonoma County. We had off and on rainstorms, a glistening landscape, big crashing waves, and at times, magnificent skies above. So my friend Oliver and I got in the car and spent the day outdoors. I took the OM-1 with the 12mm-40mm PRO II zoom and photographed everything from redwood trees to seashore cliffs. Given the lighting extremes, I stayed in RAW capture the entire time. When I think about the objectives for the day, there was an interesting variety that didn't naturally mesh with one another. Wanted to photograph with my "real camera" and not the smartphone. Needed to use RAW to cope with the wild lighting conditions. Wanted to squeeze the most out of the initial processing of those RAW files with Capture One Pro or Lightroom. Wanted to play with some of those images with imgmi on my iPad. Also wanted to share the pictures with Oliver in a timely manner. Wanted to have my favorites backed up to iCloud or Creative Cloud and available on all of my devices. What kind of workflow is that? A crazy one. Here's what I do today. Capture with the OM-1 in RAW. Copy to and cull in Capture One Pro (Lightroom Classic would be the alternative.) Mark my favorites with 3 stars. Decode and process the favorite RAWs using the advanced tools in C1P (or LR) including optical corrections, tonal recovery, and color adjustment. Export full-sized, high quality Jpegs out of C1P and import into Photos for macOS (or Lightroom CC). Let iCloud (or Creative Cloud) backup those 3 star images and share them across all of my devices. Play with some of the images using my AI editors such as imgmi. Create a shared album of favs in Photos and provide access to Oliver and others to view and download. My master RAW files are housed in Capture One Pro and backed up to my Synology RAID drive. I can always return to that library to revisit other shots or fine tune the images I've already worked on. I have my 3-star favorites on my iPhone, iPad, and all of my Macs via iCloud. I can show them off to anyone who will sit still, plus I can use my favorite editing extensions on them via Photos, such as Luminar and ON1 Effects. And at the end of the day, I have the best images from the shoot in a variety of places, both online, in computers, and on RAID drives. Yes, I'm not overpaying for online storage because I'm not putting every RAW file I shoot in the Cloud. It sounds like a lot of work when I say it here. But to tell you the truth, it feels effortless, maybe because I'm having so much fun. Have You Ever Made a Series of Landscape Photos From One Location? You can read the entire article on Fstoppers.com. Visiting beautiful locations for landscape photography can be quite rewarding. Often these, are one-time occasions. If you want to visit the same location more than once, you have to look for something close. This article is about making a long-term series of photos of one location. Back in the eighties, I visited a forest nearby almost daily. I remember how I made a series of four images from a nice forest path with trees lined up, one for every season. Although this is nothing new, it is kind of special to have such a series of photos of a place you visit a lot, especially when you look at it many years later. With digital photography, it has become much easier to take photos of one specific place on a regular basis. You can take as many images as you like. At the same time, it's become much more difficult to do so. The world has become so much smaller, which means we can easily travel to the farthest reaches of the Earth to visit amazing locations, only to forget about the nice places nearby. Often, these travels are a onetime experience. Although amazing in most situations, you never get a connection with those faraway locations. You're a passerby, and if you're lucky, the light and weather conditions are perfect for a beautiful one-time landscape photo. The benefit of having a nice local patch is the ability to visit it as often as you like. It means you learn everything about it -- how the light is flowing at different moments of the day or how weather conditions influence its appearance. If you shoot that same place more than once, you end up with a series of photos that will become quite special as the years go by. Paul McCartney on Linda McCartney: 'I was into photography, but she was better' You can read the entire article DigitalCameraWorld.com. As Linda McCartney's retrospective opens in Arizona, Paul McCartney opens up about his late wife's photography Did you know that legendary Beatle Paul McCartney's first wife was a professional photographer? And a brilliant one at that! Linda McCartney (1941-1998), born Linda Eastman, was the first-ever female photographer to shoot a cover image for Rolling Stone magazine - with an image of Eric Clapton. She was a renowned music photographer in her own right covering the early New York doo-wop scene. The Linda McCartney Retrospective is an exhibition opening this week at the University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography, and has been curated by Paul McCartney and their daughter Mary McCartney, who is now also a photographer and documentary filmmaker, to showcase Linda's entire career from 1965 to 1997. Students at Arizona's Center for Creative Photography had the chance to interview Paul McCartney (opens in new tab) about Linda, and his responses provide a great insight into her life and career, as well as her duties as a working professional photographer, wife, and mother of four. Paul is quoted saying, "Linda was a great photographer and loved it so much that she would always find a way." The first person ever to have both photographed a Rolling Stone magazine cover, and appear on it herself in 1974, Linda McCartney was highly renowned for the work she put into her career as both a photographer and musician, founding the band Wings where she performed vocals and keyboard, alongside Paul. She was voted as the US Female Photographer of the Year in 1967, and received the Distinguished Photographers Award from 'Women In Photography' in 1987, and even appeared on an episode of The Simpsons called 'Lisa the Vegetarian' with her husband Paul McCartney in 1995, the same year she was sadly diagnosed with breast cancer. The Linda McCartney Retrospective (opens in new tab) exhibition will showcase 176 photos, running until August 05, 2023, and can be visited at the University of Arizona's Center for Creative Photography. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #884, Feb.28, 2023. Today's theme is "AI Photo Editing on Your Smartphone." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Using AI editing tools on a smartphone makes even more sense than on your computer. Image enhancement on mobile devices is not the easiest task in the world. Their smaller screens and less precise input (aka our fingers) present a bit of a challenge. AI tools can help, and today, we're going to look at one such offering from Skylum that can really speed things up. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 884 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In AI Photo Editing on Your Smartphone Skylum just updated their imgmi app to include AI Skin and AI Body adjustments. Added to the existing tools - Sky Replacement, Remove Powerlines, AI Enhance, Basic Adjustments, Crop & Rotate tool, Erase, and a collection of LUTs called filters - this app is rounding out nicely, especially for one so young (Sept. 2022). Think of it like Luminar Neo for your phone. There are versions for iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. I haven't tested the Android version, but the ratings on the iOS app store are more favorable than those on Google Play. The iOS version taps your camera roll and allows you to save finished pictures as a new image back to the same location. Once you return to Photos for iOS, you can continue working on the picture with its tools. Together, Photos + imgmi, you have a powerful image enhancement package that's easy to use. Before Editing After just a few clicks. Select Sky This is a very powerful feature in the app. The AI identifies the sky area of a photo, then presents you with a number of different substitute options divided into categories such as Blue, Dramatic, Sunset, etc. Once you choose a sky, tap Tools again for a set of refinements including Adjustments such as Relight, Defocus, Haze, plus, other goodies such as Orientation and Mask. And if you wish, you can even add your own stock sky images from your camera roll, and they will be available as well. Nice touch! Remove Powerlines I think a more apt title would be "Remove Lines." The app can indeed identify power lines and remove them. But in my testing, it often didn't stop there and removed other lines that it found, such as the pin stripping on a car driving by. Even with these minor hiccups, I'm still glad they included this feature. Power lines are tough to deal with, and this gives us a fighting chance. AI Enhance Any Skylum user knows how wonderful this tool is. The mobile version isn't quite as intelligent or powerful as what we use on the computer, but it's still pretty darn good. Skin and Body AI These are the two latest features just added this week. And I thought Skin AI was particularly helpful, especially for portraits with side lighting that were not kind to the subject. Filters These look like Luts to me, and I like them. Again, broken out into categories such as Creative Portraits, Great Landscapes, Pets, Selfie, and B&W, these filters are far more sophisticated than what we normally see in mobile apps - and you get a lot of them. Adjust and Crop A solid set of basic tools that you would expect to have in an app of this caliber. Erase I love having an Erase tool, especially since Photos still haven't included one. The Skylum version lets you set the diameter of the eraser, then you just drag your finger across the area you want gone. It does and intelligent content away fill to replace the removed object. And there is a Restore option if you need to fix an over zealous swipe. Final Thoughts I've been waiting for Skylum to bring some of their AI magic to mobile devices, and imgmi is a great start. I like it best on my iPad mini where I have a bit more operating room to use it. It's a wonderful complement to the Photos app. Skylum offers a 7-day free trial, then an assortment of pricing options. I recommend the $24.99 a year plan. I anticipate they will continue to add tools and enhance this software. But even now, in its early stages, I think it's worth the price. Couple Finds Trove of 2,000 Cameras and Lenses in Storage Unit You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com. Kristen Cusumano, who works part-time at a tanning salon, was asked by her boss in December to empty out a storage unit. "My boss, the guy who owns the salon, happens to own several other properties around town, including a storage unit. One of the guys who rented out a unit passed away a few years ago and eventually my boss had to empty out the unit. "My boyfriend was doing some work for him at the time, and my boss asked him if he'd be interested in clearing out the unit. My boyfriend loves doing that kind of stuff, and when he found out that we could keep whatever we found inside as payment, he agreed immediately." After clearing out all the boxes, the couple now estimates that the collection contained over 1,000 film cameras and roughly 1,000 lenses. The equipment the couple found is a film photographer's dream. "The vast majority of the collection is Miranda and Minolta," Cusumano says. "There's also a good amount of FEDs, Voigtlander, Zorkis, Zenits, Fujicas, Yashicas, Pentaxs, Prakticas, Mamiya Sekors, Exaktas, Olympus's, Exas, Petris, Konicas, and some TLRs and other brands I can't think of at the moment. "I'm keeping the Minolta XK, the TLRs, and most likely one of each of the Minoltas since we have so many of them and they're just so aesthetically pleasing to me," Cusumano says. "Fridrik will most likely be keeping an Orion and Miranda T and probably one of each of the Mirandas for the same reason." It's unclear how long the camera equipment was hidden away in the storage unit, but many of them may now be destined for actual photo-making again. Brinno's new timelapse camera is a stamina champion with 100 days of life You can read the entire article DigitalCameraWorld.com. Brinno TLC300 is the perfect construction camera, offering 100 days of power from four AA cells. The best timelapse cameras are what you need if you want to create a stop-motion movie of something taking place over days, weeks, or even months. If you want, therefore, to create a video of a building being built, these are what you need. And Brinno is the best-known brand in this specialist camera market - having sold over a million cameras since its first launch in 2008. The new Brinnoi TLC300 is designed to give users the best possible experience in timelapse, while also keeping things very simple so as to not confuse any users. For instance, the TLC300 is completely IPX4-rated waterproof housing, and pair that with its mounting accessories and its 100-day battery life, you have a camera that can outdo almost all of the current market competitors, and while others use rechargeable battery cells, the TLC300 uses four standard AA batteries available worldwide, so when that 100-days is up, you can easily swap in some more without having to reach your charger. However, addressing the elephant in the room, this new timelapse camera can only capture 1080p. It might be unlimited until the battery runs out, but there is no escaping the fact that in a world of 4K cameras or the ability to use a mirrorless camera or DSLR and achieve a 4K timelapse - 1080p may seem a little below par. But, it is undoubtedly fine for the web and display use this sort of video is useful - and is a step up from the 720P offered by its predecessor the Brinno TLC200 Pro. One key feature is the TLC300's ability to schedule recording, not only have you give a certain time on a specific day, but you can also schedule multiple days with breaks in-between scheduling Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday to record and skip the others. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #883, Feb. 21, 2023. Today's theme is "7 Photography Sins to Avoid." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue One of things my mom used to say to me as a child was, "Derrick, you should know better!" Sometimes I did and forgot. Other times I really didn't know better, but that rebuttal only earned me the follow up admonishment, "There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action." (Goethe) Life is complicated, but photography isn't, and today I'm going to remind you of 7 things that you probably already know, and possibly may have forgotten. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 883 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 7 Photography Sins to Avoid There are two types of sins in photography, technical and behavioral. We'll start with behavior. Rule 1: Don't Act Innocent When You're Not If you're going to take a picture of something, then do it. But don't act like you didn't snap the shutter when you really did. You can always ask for forgiveness when confronted with, "Did you just take a picture?" The answer is, "I did. Why do you ask?" (Say this politely, don't be a dill weed.) Let the inquirer explain their concern, then try to respond as intelligently as possible. Rule 2: Don't Take Pictures When Posted Signs Say "No Photography Allowed." You may not understand the reason why photography is not allowed in certain locations, but nobody cares about your opinion, especially the security guard who caught you on CCD camera. If there's something forbidden that you really want to photograph, then you'll have to go through the steps of getting permission. BTW: If you get caught, see Rule 1. Rule 3: Do Not Use a Telephoto for Unauthorized Public Photography I love street photography. But there's an unspoken rule that I'm now going to speak: You need to keep it fair by using a lens that gives the subject a chance to know they are being photographed. Standing a half block away with a long telephoto lens is creepy. Don't be creepy. If you are confronted after taking a picture, see Rule 1. Now let's cover a few technical sins to avoid. Rule 4: Don't Let Your Camera Decide What to Focus On Autofocus cameras are great. But if you let them run the show unchecked, you're going to miss a lot of got shots because the camera did not focus on the most artistic element in the frame. Invest some time in learning how your autofocus system works, then intervene as appropriate. I like to use a medium cross pattern that I move around the frame with the jog stick on the back of the camera. That way I'm deciding what's interesting, not the camera. Rule 5: Don't Rely Solely on Auto Exposure Indeed cameras are pretty smart about exposure. But they will still turn a black anvil into a gray one, and will make that beautiful white snow a shade of yucky. With mirrorless cameras, exposure compensation is so easy because you get realtime feedback in the electronic viewfinder. There's really no excuse for a poorly exposed shot. Rule 6: Don't Let Lens Flare Kill Your Contrast Shooting in the direction of the sun or any bright light source can lead to intriguing and sometime artistic images. But if the sun above can also kill the contrast of an image if glarey light is bouncing off the front of your lens. And when the sun is low, even a lens hood might not provide enough protection. I often cup my hand around the lens hood to shade the front of the lens. And if you don't believe it makes a difference, test this yourself with before and after pictures. Rule 7: Don't Over-Sharpen in Post Production I don't know why we have this weird obsession with ultra sharp images that also suffer from too much clarity and dehazing. If you want your final picture to look like it was captured with a 2003 digital camera, just be heavy handed with these adjustments. Yes, many of our pictures can benefit from some sharpening and a dash of dehaze. But know when to say when. Now you can no longer use ignorance as an excuse! Meta Will Start Charging $12 a Month For Verification on Instagram You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com. Mark Zuckerberg's Meta is taking a page out of Elon Musk's Twitter playbook and will roll out paid verification to both Instagram and Facebook starting this week. Announced first via Zuckerberg's Instagram Broadcast Channel this morning, the new program -- called Meta Verified -- will allow users to verify their account with a government-issued ID and get a blue badge in exchange for $11.99 a month if purchased on the web, or $14.99 if bought through iOS. Zuckerberg positions it as "extra impersonation protection" against accounts claiming to be other accounts and will also allow those who pay for the subscription to get direct access to customer support. "Long term, we want to build a subscription offering that's valuable to everyone, including creators, businesses and our community at large," Meta adds. "As part of this vision, we are evolving the meaning of the verified badge so we can expand access to verification and more people can trust the accounts they interact with are authentic." Those who pay for verification will also receive increased visibility and reach in areas like search, comments, and recommendations. Subscriptions will include "proactive monitoring" for account impersonation. The company also promises more "exclusive features" but did not elaborate. Why You Should Try Editing Your Photos in Reverse You can read the entire article Fstoppers.com. It sounds like a strange concept, but the reasoning behind it is sound, and it is straightforward and easy to do. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to edit your photos in reverse and why it will help you make better and more precise photos. Coming to you from Anthony Morganti, this great video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of editing your photos in reverse. If you work in Lightroom or any program with a similar layout, you probably start with basic global adjustments like exposure, highlights, shadows, etc., then move on to more local adjustments. And while that works fine for a lot of photos, if you are anything like me, you probably notice that often, once you make some of the local adjustments, you have to go back and refine the global adjustments because they throw the overall image out of balance. Morganti's method of starting with the local adjustments put them in balance first so that when you make the global adjustments, you maintain the relationships between different elements, reducing your workload and making the edits easier. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Morganti, and give it a try! Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 75 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #882, Feb. 14, 2023. Today's theme is "Your Camera's Hidden Features." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Every camera I've owned had one or two tricks up its sleeve that I didn't initially discover. Then one day I'd be reading a review or listening to a podcast and learn about it. Which make me think, what sort of magic resides inside your camera that you haven't uncovered yet? I'll share a few of my favorites in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 882 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Your Camera's Hidden Features To help illustrate my point, I have tips for the Sony A7 IV, Ricoh GR III, Fujifilm X100V, OM System OM-1, and the iPhone. Even if you don't have one of these cameras, knowing about these tips can help you search them out on your device. Let's get started. Sony A7 IV HEIF instead of Jpeg. HEIF stores twice as much information as Jpeg in the same file size. For example, Jpeg color is limited to 8 bits, where HEIF can manage 16 bits of color. The Sony A7 IV allows photographers to choose between Jpeg or HEIF for their compressed format. The setting is: Menu > Shooting > Image Quality > Image Quality Settings > File Format. In this menu, you can also select RAW+HEIF for a true power couple. Nearly every app supports HEIF now, in part thanks to Apple's iPhone use of it. And it truly is a cut above Jpegs. Ricoh GR III Automatic Horizon Correction. When composing on a LCD screen, it can be difficult to get the horizon perfectly straight. Fortunately, the Ricoh GR III has a Horizon Correction setting that you can enable. It's in the (7) Shooting Assist menu at the bottom of the screen. When you turn it on, the camera corrects 1.5 degrees if the IBIS is on and 1 degree if it's off. That may not sound like a lot, but it makes a huge difference in your pictures. BTW: Did you know that the GR III has built in memory that provides up to 40 RAW or 140 Jpegs captures in case you have an SD card problem? You can switch to Internal Memory in the Format menu. Fujifilm X100V Film Simulation Bracket. One of the many reasons that Fujifilm photographers love their cameras is because of the great color science express through the various film simulation settings. But what if you weren't exactly sure which one is best for any given subject? The Film Simulation bracketing that allows you to choose three different styles and have them recorded with each press of the shutter. Start by choosing the simulations you want via: Menu > Shooting Setting 1 > Film Simulation BKT. Back out of the Menu, then press the Drive button, navigate down to BKT, and select Film Simulation Bracket. If you shoot RAW+Jpeg, you will capture three RAW files and three film simulations with each press of the shutter button. And the RAW film simulations look different than the Jpeg versions. One bonus Fujifilm tip: If you mount the excellent WCL 28mm lens on the X100V, the camera automatically identifies it and adjusts the electronic viewfinder and LCD for a 28mm field of view. You can see the difference by switch between the electronic viewfinder and the optical. OM System OM-1 One-Touch White Balance. We usually know when we should use Custom White Balance to adjust for mixed or artificial lighting, but usually don't because it feels like a hassle. But on the OM-1, it's as simple as pressing a button on the front of the camera. The top button on the front of the camera, the one with a dimple in it, is for One-Touch White Balance. Just point the camera at a white object or a white sheet of paper that's reflecting the lighting of the room, press the One-Touch button with your middle finger, then while still holding down the button, fire the shutter with your index finger. The camera will ask you if you want to save that setting by pressing the OK button. Once you do, you're set! Bonus Tip: Handheld Assist. When Handheld Assist is On, the status of camera shake is displayed on the monitor when the shutter button is pressed halfway or during exposure. This is useful for reducing camera shake during long exposure in hand-held shooting. The gray frame indicates the range that camera shake can be corrected. To minimize camera shake, hold the camera so that the outer indicators (roll shake) are stabilized near the center right/left on the frame and the center indicator (horizontal and vertical shake) near the center within the frame. How to set Handheld Assist: Press the [MENU] button. In 8. Image Stabilizer, select Handheld Assist. Select Off (default setting) or On. The iPhone Pro Lens Correction. In the Camera Settings menu, there's a toggle for Lens Correction. Make sure that it's on so that your images have less distortion with the wide and ultra wide lenses. If you want distortion for effect, toggle it off. Reveal Additional Settings While Taking Pictures. Some people never discover the hidden settings menu that includes Night Mode, capture proportions, exposure compensation, self-timer, and more. You can reveal it by tapping on the Angle Bracket that's pointing up at the top of the camera interface. Hide the menu by tapping on it again. OM Digital Solutions releases OM System M. Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO You can read the entire article on DPReview.com. The 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO is an autofocus lens that delivers up to 2x macro (or 4x with a 2x teleconverter). Its stabilization system is compatible with the Sync IS system, allowing it to work in conjunction with in-body stabilization of Olympus / OM System cameras. The lens is constructed from 18 elements, arranged in 13 groups. Its design has two focus groups that act conjunction, allowing very close focus when the focus limit switch is in the 'Macro' position. The lens also has a focus ring that can be snapped back to reveal a focus distance scale and (on Olympus or OM System cameras) engage manual focus. In addition to the slide to switch between MF and AF, there's also a dedicated IS toggle, an L-Fn (lens function) button for assigning custom functions and a focus limit switch which is split between macro, 0.25-0.5m, and 0.25-infinity. The lens weighs 453g (16oz) and measures 136mm (5.4") long with a 70mm (2.7") diameter. For very close-up work, the lens has a groove behind all these controls, which should be compatible with the tripod collar from the M.Zuiko 40-150mm F2.8 Pro (though OMDS isn't promoting it as such). OMDS says it has no plans to sell the collar separately but it may be possible to source it from service centers. The OM System 90mm F3.5 macro IS pro will be available in March 2023 with an MSRP of $1,499.99 in the U.S, and CAD $2,049.99 in Canada.We have a wonderful workshop headquarters reserved that puts you right in the middle of this natural goodness. Not only is it a peaceful place for us to gather and work, but you can walk right out your front door and photograph the amazing diversity of wildlife there. Controversial AI Program Generates Photorealistic Police Sketches You can read the entire article Petapixel.com. Two developers have created artificial intelligence (AI) software that generates photorealistic police sketches using DALL-E. Forensic Sketch AIrtist was made to cut down the time it takes to create a police sketch of a suspect. It was created at a Hackathon event in December 2022 and works by inputting facial features. "First, the artist collects a description from the witness by using our client," explains the software developers. "Then the client sends the description to our server where the request is parsed and sent to DALL-E's API. After a few seconds, we have the sketch ready to be sent to the client and, in turn, to the artist. "After that, the artist can opt to end the drawing process or to download the generated sketch and perform some small corrections to it." In an interview with Vice, Jennifer Lynch, the Surveillance Litigation Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says that the use of AI in police forensics is "incredibly dangerous." "The problem with traditional forensic sketches is not that they take time to produce (which seems to be the only problem that this AI forensic sketch program is trying to solve). The problem is that any forensic sketch is already subject to human biases and the frailty of human memory," says Lynch "AI can't fix those human problems, and this particular program will likely make them worse through its very design." "If these AI-generated forensic sketches are ever released to the public, they can reinforce stereotypes and racial biases and can hamper an investigation by directing attention to people who look like the sketch instead of the actual perpetrator," adds Lynch. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion. Thanks to OM System for the illustration of their 5 axes image stabilization system.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #881, Feb. 7, 2023. Today's theme is "Recording Video to Enhance Your Still Photography." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Many stills photographers overlook the fantastic movie capture tools built into our cameras. Primarily, because they are not interested in making movies. But what if those ignored features could greatly enhance your photo presentations? Wouldn't that be useful? Find out how on today's TDS Photography Podcast. Digital Photography Podcast 881 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Recording Video to Enhance Your Still Photography I can tell you why I don't make more movies than I do. It's because I hate video editing. It bores me to tears. But that doesn't mean that I completely bypass the video features on my iPhone and OM System OM-1. Why? Because many of those settings can record content that vastly improves my photo presentations. Let me show you a couple examples. Environmental Audio When your record a movie with your camera, you are capturing both sound and pictures. Those two elements can be separated and used independently. Here is an example that you can see for yourself. Recently I was scouting for our upcoming Pt. Reyes Photography Workshop. I found a wonderful spot where the geese were talking and the toads were croaking. It was so melodic and peaceful. I initially captured a few still pictures. But they just didn't do justice to what I was experiencing at the moment. So I set my iPhone to movie mode and recorded the scene. The movie itself is good and does a better job of telling the story than just the still pictures. But what if I could combine the two? In Photos, I exported the audio only which gave me an .M4A file. I then opened the file in my favorite audio editing app, Fission. I trimmed the soundtrack, added fade-in and fade-outs, and boosted the audio volume. I added my new soundtrack to my Apple Music library. Then I opened Photos and selected the images I wanted and created a Slideshow Project. Using the Ken Burns effect to keep things moving, I substituted my "marsh sounds" audio track for the canned Apple music. I've published a short teaser here so you can see for yourself how well it works. A Few Tips Capture Panos - Broad panoramas play really well in slideshows with the Ken Burns effect enabled. Get Yourself a Handy Audio App - For the Mac, I really like Fission by Rogue Amoeba for $35. But there are many good ones for Mac and Windows. Keep Your Audio Files Organized - You'll find that you'll build up a sweet audio library that you can go to time and time again. One final note on the value of movie capture. If you camera can record 4K video, you can pull out individual still frames from that footage to fill in gaps in your slideshows. This works really well. It's worth it to review your recording settings on your smartphone and your camera. They can prove to be very valuable for immersive photo projects. Two Seats Left for the Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 16-19, 2023 Pt. Reyes and its surrounding areas (Tomalas,Inverness, etc.) provide a wealth of landscape and wildlife photography - and we will explore both! This four-day photography adventure takes you to rugged Northern California coastline, rolling hills, seashore wildlife, Tule Elk, tranquil inlets, and so much more. This is the perfect getaway to relax, breath fresh air, enjoy the company of your fellow photographers, eat good food, and fill your memory cards with beautiful images. We have a wonderful workshop headquarters reserved that puts you right in the middle of this natural goodness. Not only is it a peaceful place for us to gather and work, but you can walk right out your front door and photograph the amazing diversity of wildlife there. You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events. Go Wide! A look at four top ultra-wide primes for Micro Four Thirds You can read the entire article on DP Review. One of the great things about the Micro Four Thirds system is that it's easy to find a good long lens - including the ones you used to use on your DSLR (remember those?). With its quarter-size sensor the system gives us the reach of a 400mm lens when we've only mounted a 200mm. The downside of course comes when we want a wide angle view, as the 2x crop factor means we need a 10mm lens to get the same view we'd achieve with a 20mm on a full-frame camera. Fortunately though, we now have a pretty decent array of extreme wide-angle options for the system (including quite a few zooms). For this article I've restricted myself to prime lenses, and have still put together a good little collection to compare. The idea is both to demonstrate what's available and to show what impact slight differences in focal length have on the angle of view of the lens. I've picked four lenses of about the same focal length and within a tight price range, but which have a number of characteristics that lend each a distinct identity. The lenses going head-to-head are: Laowa 7.5mm F2 MFT $499 Meike 8mm F2.8 $399 Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 9mm F1.7 ASPH $498 Samyang 10mm F2.8 ED AS NCS CS $430 As is often the case now, those looking for ultra-wide options, especially at an affordable price, should consider the many manual focus lenses on the market. Thus only one lens in this comparison offers autofocus and comes from a mainstream Micro Four Thirds manufacturer. I'll be looking at the physical characteristics of the lenses, their coverage, how nice they are to use as well as the quality of image they produce. In all the following images taken with these lenses, the aperture was set to F8 to help eliminate vignetting as much as possible. All samples were made with a Panasonic Lumix G9. We're including the angle of view in the specs so you can get a better idea of how much of a scene you'll see, something not always accurately reflected by the focal length in millimeters. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #880, Jan. 31, 2023. Today's theme is "Top Gear for Outdoor Photography." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue When we explore the great outdoors with gear in hand, we require ruggedness, dependability, and usually an extra bit of reach. So among all the different options available today, what are the items favored by experienced outdoor photographers? In today's podcast, we review their recommendations. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 880 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Top Gear for Outdoor Photography I found an article titled 10 Best Cameras & Lenses of the Year: OP Editors' Picks 2022 on OutdoorPhotographer.com, and I thought it was one of the better recommendation pieces I had seen in recent history. I particularly liked that it was based on the research and experience of their editors who are top tier nature photographers. I want to share with you some of their findings because it's already that time of year when we start thinking about our upcoming adventures in 2023. I also have some comments on their preferences. Regarding the OM-1, Harold Mancusi-Ungaro wrote me: "Coincidentally your email found me in Antarctica photographing penguins with my OM-1. I can tell you that the AI subject AF for birds finds penguins on land as well as swimming and diving long the shores. And with its weather sealing I don't worry about the occasional splash in the Zodiacs. I love the camera." So lots of good hardware in this segment. AI-powered watermark removal poses uncomfortable implications for content use You can read the entire article on DP Review.com. Artificial intelligence being used to create photorealistic artwork is already causing significant unrest within the photography industry, but a new tool, WatermarkRemover.io, is among the most concerning. WatermarkRemover.io, which is available for free, uses AI to remove watermarks from images - as implied by its name. While there are some benign reasons to want to remove watermarks from an image, for example, if you own the rights to an image but can't locate a version without the watermark, but it's easy to imagine much more nefarious scenarios in which someone wants to remove a watermark from a photo. This isn't an article centered around bashing WatermarkRemover.io. It has every right to exist, and the developers aren't completely responsible for whether users download the tool to do something illegal - removing watermarks to steal photos is illegal, at least in the US. However, it's worth considering how the tool fits into an increasingly murky AI landscape. You can already edit watermarks out of images with photo editing applications like Adobe Photoshop. In some cases, it's very easy to do so. Where AI comes in is making complex tasks, like removing multi-colored watermarks with different opacity values, much easier. I've Joined Mastodon I'm now posting and surfing on Mastodon. I've joined the Medium group there, but I'm available site wide. If you're on Mastodon as well, look me up so we can follow one another. I polled our Inner Circle Members about Mastodon, and only 14 percent said that they were active on it. 36% knew about it, but hadn't pulled the trigger. And 18 percent said it just wasn't their thing. We will see... Follow Up to Mac mini M2 Pro Setup Much has changed since last week's show on Luma Display and the new Mac mini. Here's an update. As for the cool little 15.6" full HD display for $99 that I'm using to configure the Mac mini M2 Pro, it's an QQH 15 inch Portable Travel Monitor. And they are currently offering another $10 off if you clip the coupon box on the display page. Now that I have things dialed in, I'm really enjoying using the Mac mini M2 Pro with the 2017 iMac 4K display. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #879, Jan. 24, 2023. Today's theme is "Will Astropad Luna Display Work for Our Photography?" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Astropad Luna Display is a $119 dongle with supporting software that enables you to turn your iPad or Mac into a wireless secondary display and create a portable dual monitor setup with the devices you already have. It supports Macs, PCs, and iPads in a variety of configurations. But, is it robust enough to use for our photography workflow? I tell all in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 879 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Will Astropad Luna Display Work for Our Photography? Alright, so here's the backstory. I have a 2017 4K iMac with a gorgeous screen. And it fits perfectly in my studio workstation. But being 2017, its brains are getting a bit laggy with today's software. I don't want to ditch the entire computer just because it needs a new processor. So, I was thinking, what if I invested the $119 in the Astropad Luna Display, purchased a brand new M2 Mac mini, and used my existing iMac as the display? This approach would save the iMac from the electronics recycler and save me the $1,600 required for the companion Apple Studio Display. Plus, I would still have the brains of the iMac as a backup computer. I decided to test the feasibility of this approach by purchasing the Luna Display and testing it with my 2020 Intel 13" MacBook Pro. If using the iMac as a secondary monitor for the MacBook worked, it certainly would suffice with the more powerful M2 Mac mini. Here's what I learned. Do not use the WiFi connection for the two devices. It's way too laggy. I'm using the Ethernet cable, and the performance is much better. I tried to get USB-C to USB-C to work, but could not. The configuration options are really nice. I'm using the iMac as a secondary screen, and I still have all the screen real estate of the MacBook Pro. Plus, I can use the mouse for the iMac on both the MacBook and the iMac. Both keyboards work as well. Very nice. At first I thought the performance was going to bug me, because working in Capture One Pro on the iMac display was a little different than natively on the MacBook Pro. But to be honest, I forgot about that as I became absorbed in my editing. So not as fast, but not bad either. A downside is that I'm now using my Ethernet port for the display, making it not available for other uses. I do have a powered multiport connector that would solve the problem. I haven't tested it yet, but I will. You can take full advantage of the iMac's 4K Retina Display, but you have to enable Retina in the Luna Display software settings. It's fairly easy to switch the iMac back and forth from secondary display mode to native iMac mode. Simply hold down the ESC key to exit Luna Display. So, what's my bottom line? So, I am going to order the Apple Mac mini M2 and use the iMac as the display. I'm not recommending that everyone do this, because some folks may find it too much hassle compared to a dedicated display, or the performance just a bit short. I will report more once I get all the pieces in place. Apple announces updated MacBook Pro and Mac Mini models with new high-end M2 chipsets You can read the entire article on DP Review.com. Apple has updated its MacBook Pro and Mac Mini lineups to make the most of its new M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets. The new 14" and 16" MacBook Pro units are available with the company's high-end M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets while the updated Mac Mini is available with the M2 and M2 Pro chipsets. The M2 Pro and M2 Max chips are featured in new MacBook Pro models. The new 14" and 16" MacBook Pro laptops feature the same design as the previous iterations, including the displays, albeit with improved performance and connectivity. While the general arrangement of ports is unchanged with the new models-MagSafe 3, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an HDMI port-the HDMI port is now HDMI 2.1. The prior MacBook Pro models used an HDMI 2.0 port, a much-maligned decision that limited the MacBook Pro to a single 4K display at up to 60Hz. The new models allow support for up to four external displays, including an 8K display at up to 60Hz and 4K displays at up to 240Hz. When Apple announced the M2 last summer, many wondered when Apple's popular and affordable Mac mini would receive an update. The wait is over. You can now purchase the Mac mini with the standard M2 or the new M2 Pro chip - the M2 Max is not an option. It's worth noting that the prior M1-powered Mac mini wasn't offered with an M1 Pro or M1 Max. You can purchase the Mac mini with either the M2 Pro chip, the 10-core CPU/16-core GPU version, or the more powerful M2 Pro with a 12-core CPU and 19-core GPU. RAM is configurable up to 32GB. The M2 version of the Mac mini supports up to two displays, whereas the M2 Pro version can use three displays. The M2 Mac mini supports up to 6K resolution at 60 Hz. The M2 Pro version supports up to 8K resolution at 60 Hz or 4K at up to 240 Hz over HDMI, so the M2 version apparently still uses HDMI 2.0, whereas the M2 Pro Mac Mini has an HDMI 2.1 port. All versions of the new Mac mini include DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, USB 4 and USB 3.1, Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, a pair of USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet and a 3.5mm headphone jack. However, the M2 Pro model includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the M2 model has just two. The prior Mac mini had Thunderbolt 3 ports. Like the new MacBook Pros, the Mac mini supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. Online Printing Workshop Scheduled for March 8, 2023 One seat just opened! This inkjet printing workshop will help you tame your printer, enabling you to create beautiful prints and fine art greeting cards. We'll cover paper stocks, printer setups, project design, and even how to choose the best inkjet photo printer for you. Weekly printing assignments with class support will help you hone your skills. March 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023 - Two Class Options Each Day. Each class is recorded and made available to participants. Plus, class members will have access to our growing online printing community on DerrickStoryOnline. You can sign up for the printing workshop ($145) by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events. Light Pollution Might Be Worse Than Previously Thought You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. It turns out light pollution might be worse than it appears by satellite. The problem has been steadily increasing over the years, which creates added difficulties for night photography. Satellite data previously estimated that light pollution was increasing at a rate of 2% annually, but new research puts that number closer to 10%, according to a new research article published in Science. The problem in getting accurate numbers, according to the article, is due to LED lights. This is equivalent to a doubling of light pollution every eight years. "Satellites can measure the light emitted upward, but they are not sensitive to all wavelengths produced by LED lighting or to light emitted horizontally," the article states. To obtain the new estimates, 51,351 citizen scientists from 2011 to 2022 were shown maps of the sky at different levels of light pollution and selected which maps best matched their views. The gap between the two figures is likely due to the fact that LEDs have become more common and have become a go-to option for replacing older, less-efficient bulbs. The increased light pollution can have effects on sleep patterns and even agriculture as the light can distract insects, The Verge notes. However, it also presents an issue for night photographers. While a washed-out sky of an urban area will always make for a more difficult canvas for astrophotography than a dark, remote sky, increased light pollution anywhere will require adjustments when shooting at night. There are light pollution filters, and photographers can upgrade their overall gear. PetaPixel's astrophotography guide suggests a number of cameras to check out. Additional light pollution might mean more tweaking of ISO and apertures settings as well before a photographer can take that perfect shot. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #878, Jan. 17, 2023. Today's theme is "The Uncomfortable Reality of AI Generated Images." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue In many ways, Artificial Intelligence is a friend to photographers. This technology makes our cameras smarter and our software easier to use. But there's also an uncomfortable side that creates computer-generated images based on text input. I'll explore some of those issues in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 878 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The Uncomfortable Reality of AI Generated Images Last week I talked about the popularity of analog photography. In many ways, this could be a response to the relentless march of digital imaging supplanting hand-crafted images. One surging aspect of digital technology is the AI-generated image. Current software such as Stable Diffusion, Jasper Art, Starry AI, Dream, and DALL-E 2 work by entering a text prompt into a text-to-image generator that produces visuals based on those prompts. The output ranges from surrealist illustrations to hyper-realistic photos. Much of the artwork I've looked at feels like a really good video game. Understandably, there has been some concern in the photography community about AI-generated art. Is this something that will eventually replace all of us? The short answer is no. AI-generated photography will no more replace picture taking than photography replaced painting. They are different art forms. But that doesn't mean that Artificial Intelligence won't disrupt segments of the photography world. I could see, for example, AI dominating stock photography at some point. Imagine an art director being able to enter text prompts into a web interface and presented with a variety of options based on those words. That seems quite plausible to me. I could also see Artificial Intelligence playing a role in social media where people have lots of ideas to communicate, but not necessarily the skills to illustrate them. But when it comes to documentation, my belief is that photography will still rule the roost. Areas such as real estate photography, education, science, and even portraits will still lean heavily on the tools that we use now. That being said, there are still some areas of concern for photographers. First of all, where do all those images come from that computers use for machine learning? It is likely that copyrighted work has been used to fine-tune the algorithms that are constantly improving. And what about distinctive artistic styles? What if a style is learned from a specific photographer, then incorporated into output, but without credit or compensation to its creator? That's troubling. Here's an interesting anecdote from the article, "Why AI Is a Threat to the Photography Industry" on DIY Photography. Alex London has worked in Costume and fashion design in New York City for the last ten years. His work is intricate and detailed and a large portion of his work is spent working with Art Directors and photographers on editorial shoots and brand campaigns. He shared with DIYP how he had recently lost a job to AI. Alex was hired to create some concept work. After agreeing initially to his fee, the next thing that Alex knew was that the company had bypassed his creative ideas and fed a sample of his body of work into the AI. He says that he was shocked at the output that the machine managed to create. "It looked like something that I would have done," Alex says, "which was really surreal," he adds. "Not to put too fine a point on it," he says, "the whole thing feels like yet another way not to pay creatives a fair wage." There have also been stories in chats online about models being hired for a casting. When they arrived they were shocked to be told that in fact their likeness was being scanned to be used as data for AI software, to help the machines learn as it were. And it's this slightly underhand hiding the truth that is getting people upset. It's one thing to lose work to a computer, but when a whole industry and its related industries crash because of it, we could be in for a world of hurt. Author Peter Dench expands on these points in his article, The Human Cost of Artificial Intelligence in Photography published in Amateur Photographer. After less than an hour of my own exploration into image generation I'm frustrated and bored. I can see the potential but ethically it's questionable. Software like Stable Diffusion scrapes copyrighted images from the web, taking aspects from other people's work and recombining them. It's not straight up plagiarism but it feels uncomfortable and certainly doesn't feel like photography. Mellor is on point. 'One of the interesting philosophical questions about it is that it takes away the eventfulness of photography. When we think about photography you often think about it in terms of someone with a camera who was in some place at some time and they recorded something happening, even if it's a stillness, even if it's nothing, there's a kind of an event of a photograph whereas what these do is they have 'eventless' photography.' 'There never was a time when this was created other than someone like me who has absolutely zero photographic skill, typing in text prompts and pumping out an image.' I think that clearly some of these issues need to be sorted out. I don't think any of us want to be unwitting contributors to our own professional demise. While we work through the copyright challenges, there are many AI benefits to our imaging work. I truly enjoy taking pictures with my iPhone and OM-1 mirrorless camera, both of which rely on computational photography. Using object recognition for search in Apple Photos feels like magic at times. And text recognition is truly useful for fast lookup and information retrieval. So if we can navigate the potential dark side to Artificial Intelligence in photography, and continue to develop the positives, then we may just survive this latest technology disruption. NVIDIA's Live Streaming Software Can Digitally Fake Eye Contact You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. NVIDIA Broadcast, the company's tool for live streaming and video conferencing, can now digitally alter a subject's eyes in real-time to make it seem as though they are looking directly into the camera. One issue with shooting live-streamed video at home for professional use -- and it even crops up in simple video calls -- is that many people are uncomfortable staring directly into the camera instead of either on a script or at other people on screen. While doing so makes the user uncomfortable, not doing so breaks engagement with audiences. To help solve this problem, NVIDIA has been developing a type of "deepfake" technology that can artificially adjust a subject's eyes to make them appear as though they are making contact with the camera. Called Eye Contact, it improves audience engagement with a subject by simulating eye contact. "The new Eye Contact effect moves the eyes of the speaker to simulate eye contact with the camera -- achieved by estimating and aligning gaze.," NVIDIA explains. "The eyes retain their natural color and blinks, and there's even a disconnect feature in case you look too far away, to transition smoothly between simulated and real eyes." Online Printing Workshop Scheduled for March 8, 2023 This inkjet printing workshop will help you tame your printer, enabling you to create beautiful prints and fine art greeting cards. We'll cover paper stocks, printer setups, project design, and even how to choose the best inkjet photo printer for you. Weekly printing assignments with class support will help you hone your skills. March 8, 15, 22, 29, 2023 - Two Class Options Each Day. Each class is recorded and made available to participants. Plus, class members will have access to our growing online printing community on DerrickStoryOnline. You can sign up for the printing workshop ($145) by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events. DPReview Readers' Choice Awards 2022: Product of the Year You can read the entire article on DPReview.com. And the winner of our 2022 Readers' Choice Product of the Year award goes to the Fujifilm X-H2S, with 34.7% of the total vote. The X-H2S delivers the highest performance in an X-mount camera, thanks to its 26MP stacked sensor. Its much-improved AF system can track complex motion at high frame rates, and a large buffer makes high-speed shooting very usable. It's also an impressive video tool: it can capture 4K/60p video (and even 6.2K/24p), includes internal ProRes LT recording, and can capture 14-bit video at up to 30p for slightly expanded dynamic range when using Fujifilm's new F-Log2 gamma profile. There's even an optional cooling fan for dedicated video shooters. It's no surprise that DPReview readers chose the Fujifilm X-H2S as their Product of the Year. As always, thanks to everyone who voted in our polls. We appreciate your participation and couldn't do any of this without you! Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #877, Jan. 10, 2023. Today's theme is "Is Film Photography Really Making a Comeback?" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue We keep seeing the headlines, but do we know what they really mean? And if indeed analog photography is making a comeback, how does that play out in the overall world of imaging? Thanks to my TheFilmCameraShop that I run on Etsy, I'm in frequent contact with those who fancy a fresh roll of Kodak Tri-X, and here's my take on the state of analog photography. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 877 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Is Film Photography Really Making a Comeback? I think a better way to frame this discussion is that analog cameras have become more in demand over the last two years. And I think there are some very logical reasons why. Outside of top-end models from Leica and Nikon, no one is making quality 35mm film cameras right now. So like oil and other finite resources, when they're gone, they're gone. We're seeing a pushback to the perfection of digital imaging. Some creatives are looking to film to create that artistic, somewhat imperfect look, while others are turning to old digital cameras. Film is expensive, but there is a wide variety of options that are truly intriguing. And we are seeing new film emulsions all the time. Film photography is easy. I know this sounds weird, but think about it. You don't need a computer, backup system, or have to learn software. Take the picture, send off the roll, and get back finished prints. And finally, film photography is cool. Most folks won't give you a second look if you say you like to take pictures. But if you say that you like to shoot film, they are interested. You know it's interesting, film photography has become part of our cultural DNA. Just go to any used book store and dig around in the old magazine section. When you flip through the pages of Life, Time, and others, it's like looking back through your artistic ancestry. And the fact that we can create pictures like those today has an almost time machine feel to it. The very first article that I wrote for Medium was Why Film Photography Won't Go Away. For a first effort, it was a hit. But it wasn't my writing that grabbed the spotlight, it was the subject: Film Photography. People are interested in it, even if they never intend to shoot a single frame of Kodacolor 200. There isn't a film photography resurgence, it never really went away. It's the fact that it's still here that impresses headline writers. It feels like the Pentax K1000 should have been buried with 8-Track tapes and shag carpet. But here it is today, alive and well with its audio brother vinyl records. You don't have to be popular to be good. You just have to be good. And film photography is indeed very good stuff. New Eco-Friendly Film Lab Lets You Pick Which Photos to Print from a Roll You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. The company says that it realized photographers are not likely going to want prints of every photo on a roll of film, which means that every time a photographer asks for prints to be mailed along with developed negatives, a large number of those prints will be discarded -- Analogue Wonderland estimates between 50% and 80%. "This represents a huge environmental waste -- every one of those prints takes paper, ink, electricity, and shipping -- irrespective of the quality of the focus, colors, and composition," the company says. "On the other extreme there are photographers who never choose prints, worried about the risk or lacking the confidence to bet that something magical will have been captured. This is an entirely different type of waste -- artistic instead of environmental -- but equally avoidable." Its new system works like this: photographers order film and scans through Analogue Wonderland. After the film has been processed, customers are emailed a link to view those scans in their account. From there, the photos can be reviewed and the ones that a photographer actually wants to be printed can be selected. When the negatives are mailed, they include only the photos that a photographer specifically denoted as the ones that they wanted. Analogue Wonderland says that this process is more eco-friendly, results in higher quality prints since its editing team has the opportunity to fine-tune color, contrast, and crop the image before sending it to the printer, and the system is no less convenient than other established methods and there is no requirement to download, change, or reupload images. Analogue Wonderland is UK based. Hopefully we'll see a service like this in the States before too long. Online Printing Workshop Overwhelming Favorite for March Addition I polled our Inner Circle Members about topics for a potential March Online Workshop, and the overwhelming favorite was a redux of the Inkjet Printing Class. So stay tuned while I pull together some details, and hopefully I can make an announcement next week. You can sign up for any of our events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events. Meet Luminar 100, a new 35mm color film stock made from Kodak Aerocolor IV aerial film You can read the entire article on DP Review.com. As the film revival continues strong, another new color film stock has been released, this time by Montreal-based Popho Camera Company. And unlike other respooled rolls of film, Popho Camera Company comes right out and says what its new Luminar 100 film stock is: respooled Kodak Aerocolor IV 2460, historically used for aerial surveillance. Popho Luminar 100 is a daylight-balanced color negative film stock that Popho describes as having 'medium saturation and contrast' with 'warm tones, enhanced red sensitivity and a wide dynamic range.' Popho notes the film stock is 'well-suited for landscape and other general photographic applications.' Kodak, in its data sheet for Aerocolor IV 2460, says the film uses the company's 3.9-mil (0.10mm) ESTAR Base with gel backing for 'flexibility, moisture resistance, high tear resistance, and excellent dimensional stability' and has an 'abrasion-resistant emulsion, an antihalation undercoat, and a dyed-gel backing.' Kodak also says the film doesn't have integral color masking, Unlike many of the recent film stocks we've seen pop up, Luminar 100 isn't a limited release, meaning it should be around for years to come. 36-exposure rolls of Popho Luminar 100 are available to pre-order for $10.51 each. This isn't a crowdfunding campaign and the first units are produced and will be shipped out (without the paper box) by mid-January 2023. We have pre-ordered a roll and will feature the results once we shoot and develop the film after its arrival. Limited Ricoh GR III 'Diary Edition' Debuts a New Film-Like Photo Mode You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. Ricoh has announced the GR III Diary Edition, which features a different "warm gray" finish, comes with specially-designed accessories, and debuts a new image mode that provides "a negative-film finishing appearance." Other than aesthetic changes, the GR III Diary Edition is the first Ricoh camera to receive a new image mode that the company says provides an appearance that is similar to negative-film. "Based on the visual effects possible only with negative film, this mode produces an exquisite balance between rich colors and the uniquely discolored prints resulting from using negative film," the company says. This new photo mode will be available for GR III and GR IIIx-series models via a firmware update that is scheduled to be released following the availability of the Diary Edition. At the time of publication, Ricoh did not provide any examples of what photos taken in this mode look like. The Ricoh GR III Diary Edition Special Limited Kit will be available in late January 2023 from Ricoh's website for $1,149.95. The company says that it plans to sell the camera as a standalone (without the strap, ring cap, hot shoe cover, or case) in the spring. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #876, Jan. 3, 2023. Today's theme is "Shoring Up My Backup System with the Synology DiskStation DS220+" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue In last week's show I discussed getting what I needed (instead of what I wanted). And now I've done exactly what I should have: shore up my backup system with the Synology DiskStation DS220+. This week, I talk about how I have this $299 workstation setup, and how it's working for my photography. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 876 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Shoring Up My Backup System with the Synology DiskStation DS220+ I've made tremendous progress filling the gap in my backup system. As you may recall from last week, my weakness was the immediate backup of working files and photo shoots. I really like the solution I settled on. I now have running the Synology DiskStation DS220+ 2-Bay NAS Enclosure with a pair of WD 8TB WD80EFZZ Red Plus SATA III 3.5" Internal NAS HDD internal drives. After initial setup and testing, here are the reasons why I like this solution. Good Value for the Money - $299 plus hard drives feels like a good price for what I get. Can Run on My Network, But Don't Have To - I could plug the DiskStation directly into my router and use across the network, and even tap via the Internet. But after testing that, I've decided to plug directly in using Ethernet cables (RJ45 included) and the twin Gigabit Ethernet Ports. Good Choice or RAID Options - RAID 0, 1, JBOD, Synology Hybrid - I'm using RAID 1. Decent Read/Write Speeds - Reads up to 225.98 MB/s and Writes up to 192.21 MB/s. Tons of Supported Protocols - CIFS/SMB, CalDAV, FTP, HTTP, HTTPS, NFS, SMB 3.0, SNMP, and iSCSI. Good Admin Software - Easy to setup and easy to use. Currently I have an iMac and MacBook Pro plugged directly into the DiskStation using RJ45 Ethernet cables. The iMac has an Ethernet port, so that's easy. And I purchased a uni RJ45 to USB C Thunderbolt 3 - Type-C Gigabit Ethernet LAN Network Adapter for $16 to use with the MacBook. I use the Connect to Server > Browse > Synology DiskStation sequence to access the RAID unit. You can get there even faster if you add Network to your Finder Sidebar. Once you're connected, the DiskStation shows up as a Shared Disk on the Desktop. The Synology DiskStation DS220+ 2-Bay NAS Enclosure is easy to use, relatively fast, and I can have multiple computers connected to it simultaneously, even without getting the router involved. It solved my backup problem perfectly. 52Frames Weekly Photo Challenge: Improve Your Photography One Week at a Time You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com. Make 2023 a year of creative breakthrough. We all know the key to getting better is consistency. Doing something over and over again will eventually make you better at anything. 52Frames is a photography community that encourages you to improve by prioritizing consistency over perfection: a photo every week for a year. Photography, like any other skill, requires practice. It's like going to the gym: you need a training plan, with clear goals and ways to achieve them. 52Frames is an online community that helps people to engage in creative play and personal growth through a weekly photo challenge. It is a friendly community of people who want to improve their camera skills in a fun and easy way. There is actually a hidden photography lesson behind each week's challenge. The challenges encourage the photographers (who call themselves "Framers") to feel creative freedom and express their own creative take on their submissions. Week 29 of this year, for example, was "Common Object," which allowed the Framers to take pause during the week and observe the many photographic opportunities around them that they would usually just pass by. Perhaps this is one of the beautiful things about 52Frames: everyone responds to the same brief in a different way. The result is like taking a virtual tour around the world through the album each week. Each week, 52Frames issues a challenge, which often is a new opportunity to explore outside your comfort zone and learn something new. The challenges may be centered around a technique, like a principle of composition, or it may be something more creative and story-driven, like "Red." Levitation Week inspired the members to learn layer masking in Photoshop. Fast Shutter Speed Week was an opportunity to capture fast-moving subjects and learn to work with your shutter controls. One challenge that stood out to me personally was Portrait of a Stranger. Being a studio photographer, I am mostly comfortable with my subjects. In short, they know why they are there, and I simply need to photograph them. Going out on the street and asking a stranger to take their photograph is a whole different ball game. The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023. SOLD OUT Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023. SOLD OUT Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 16-19, 2023 Pt. Reyes and its surrounding areas (Tomalas, etc.) provide a wealth of landscape and wildlife photography - and we will explore both! This four-day photography adventure takes you to rugged Northern California coastline, rolling hills, seashore wildlife, Tule Elk, tranquil inlets, and so much more. This is the perfect getaway to relax, breath fresh air, enjoy the company of your fellow photographers, eat good food, and fill your memory cards with beautiful images. Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023 Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023. SOLD OUT Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023 You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events. Do's and don'ts to building a great portfolio You can read the entire article on PhotoFocus.com. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #875, Dec. 27, 2022. Today's theme is "Investing in What Your Need, Not What You Want" I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue What I need and what I want are not always the same things. It's wonderful when the two line up. But when they don't, I have to make a decision. Today was one of those days. This week I discuss my final equipment purchase of 2022. And how it was what I truly needed. And how I was able to resist what I really wanted. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 875 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Investing in What Your Need, Not What You Want Back in August with Podcast 854, I discussed our collective backup systems and how many photographers in our community weren't totally satisfied with their systems. I was among the "somewhat satisfied" group and fading quickly. My two Drobos were still running fine, but their software dashboards were no longer being updated and not compatible with macOS Ventura. My twin-drive RAID enclosure died. And even though I didn't lose any data, I didn't have a replacement moving forward. I found myself once again cobbling together a backup system based on random hard drives and iCloud. I knew I needed to fix this. Fast forward to the end of 2022 with no progress. I had a little money left over in the budget and wanted to make a year-end purchase for tax purposes. Here's where it got interesting. B&H Photo was running some screaming sales. One in particular that caught my eye was the FUJIFILM GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6 WR lens for $499 - a savings of $500! This optic would give me an equivalent of 28mm-55mm for my GFX 100S. I didn't own a zoom for that camera, and especially a zoom in my favorite range. And for only $499! I left that catalog page open for two days. But I never added the lens to my cart. Why? Because what I really needed was a 2-drive RAID enclosure with a couple of 8TB drives. And yes, that rig costs about the same as the lens. So you can see my dilemma. What I really wanted was the new lens to play with rather than the new backup drive system. Finally, today, I ordered the Synology DiskStation DS220+ 2-Bay NAS Enclosure with a pair of WD 8TB WD80EFZZ Red Plus SATA III 3.5" Internal NAS HDD internal drives. Thanks to discounts and PayBoo's "no sales tax," then entire setup cost me $550. Well within my $600 budget. How did I get to the point of choosing what I should invest in over what I wanted? Here's how: Time - Waiting and debating over 48 hours instead of making an impulse purchase. Pros and Cons List - This is where I have to be very honest with myself about the true benefits of each product. Acknowledging I May Be Able to Get What I Want in the Future - If this lens went on sale once, odds are good it will happen again. And maybe next time I will be in a better position to purchase it. Photography is the toughest area for me to resist tempting new purchases that I don't absolutely need. But if I stick to my system for vetting potential new gear, I almost always make the right choice. Whether I like it or not. FILM NEWS: A NEW FILM CAMERA FROM PENTAX? You can read the entire article on JapanCameraHunter.com. Big breaking news. Over on the Pentax Japan website they have released a statement and a video, a pretty important one at that. Just have a wild guess what it is about? Yes, that is right, calm yourselves. A new film camera from Pentax. Or at least the intention to start earnest work on researching one. Now if that doesn't sound great then I don't know what will make you happy. So let's have a delve into it. As many of you may know, Pentax and Ricoh are now the same company, and although the announcement was made by the Ricoh CEO Noboru Akahane, it was made under the umbrella of Pentax. Which inevitably leads to a few interesting thoughts. They could have gone with Ricoh, which would have almost certainly meant a compact camera, but with the announcement under Pentax, that opens the possibility of a new SLR or even a medium format camera. This is very exciting indeed. The official title for the announcement is "Film Camera Project", which sounds like music to my ears. The camera project states there are two initiatives for this project. To begin considering the development of a new film camera, using the experience of veteran engineers to work with young designers and engineers. This could lead to some very interesting ideas, with new and more modern materials and techniques. The second initiative is work with film fans to find out what they want from a new camera, utilizing social media and events to aid the development. This is a very nice touch, it shows that not only are they listening, but they are open to feedback. This is a breath of fresh air for a traditional Japanese company like Ricoh. Both Pentax and Ricoh bring a real wealth of heritage and experience to the table. If any company in Japan can make a new film camera it will be these two. When I was asked if a Japanese company ever make another film camera, Pentax and Ricoh were the only ones I really thought that would have the onions to do it. And well, now they have announced that they are going to give it a crack of the whip. The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023. SOLD OUT Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023. SOLD OUT Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 16-19, 2023 Pt. Reyes and its surrounding areas (Tomalas, etc.) provide a wealth of landscape and wildlife photography - and we will explore both! This four-day photography adventure takes you to rugged Northern California coastline, rolling hills, seashore wildlife, Tule Elk, tranquil inlets, and so much more. This is the perfect getaway to relax, breath fresh air, enjoy the company of your fellow photographers, eat good food, and fill your memory cards with beautiful images. Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023 Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023. SOLD OUT Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023 You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events. Photographer Behind Instagram's Most Liked Photo Doesn't Like The Crop You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com. Getty Images shooter Shaun Botterill took the photo that's officially recorded as the most-liked Instagram post of all time with 71 million likes as of publication. Botterill says that it's impossible to plan for a trophy lift with so much chaos going on. "It is quite a weird feeling, it's a bit surreal, you go: 'Holy s**t,' he's right there where you want him to be and that doesn't happen often," the photographer says"Even his hands coming up [with the trophy], I think the way he's holding it and smiling, he's definitely got a moment with the fans." Botterill says that he prefers the original horizontal crop and not the square one that Messi shared on his Instagram. He believes the wider view provides better context and better captures the adulation the soccer legend was receiving. Botterill doesn't have any social media accounts and initially was unaware that his photo had smashed the all-time record for likes on Instagram. Mark Zuckerberg reposted the photo, confirming that it had taken the record previously held by an egg. "That's the funny thing for me because I'm not on Instagram, I wouldn't even know how to crop an Instagram picture," Botterill says. Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free! In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well. I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence. Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS. If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training. Virtual Camera Club News The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear. Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout. My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me! The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address. Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation. Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs. See you next week! You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.