Jeff Carlson and Kirk McElhearn discuss photography and the Apple ecosystem. We cover using an iPhone or any other camera with Apple hardware and software, and we welcome photographers to discuss their work.
Episode 148: Creativity with S J Watson
Aug 18, 2023
Show notes
“With writing I’m trying to use a story to create images, and with photography I’m trying to use images to create a story.” That’s S J Watson, best-selling novelist of Before I Go to Sleep. In this episode we talk to him about how street photography feeds his writing and vice-versa, and the way different endeavors contribute to creative mindsets.
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Photos by S J Watson:
Episode 147: Is Photo Editing Too Difficult?
Aug 04, 2023
Show notes
Is photo editing too difficult? Layers and sliders and specialized apps and lots of options are available to us for processing our digital photos. How much is too much, and are we moving away from photography and getting lost in software?
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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
Episode 146: Tea and Coffee
Jul 21, 2023
Show notes
When we record PhotoActive, Kirk is at the end of his day in the U.K. and Jeff has just begun in Seattle, which means we both start off with steaming mugs of our favorite caffeinated beverages. For a change, we thought we’d make this the tea and coffee episode, essential ingredients for any photographer.
00:01:40 Coffee and tea's importance in photography. 00:03:49 Tea: a delicious beverage that enhances experiences. 00:07:30 College student finds love in caffeine-infused coffee. 00:12:53 Espresso in Italy and ritual of coffee. 00:15:45 Types of tea: white, yellow, green, oolong, black. 00:20:16 First flush harvest of Darjeeling tea. 00:24:40 Tea: A daily ritual with segmented breaks. 00:26:33 Instant coffee has improved in taste. 00:30:52 Bad matcha, learn to make it. Expensive or insipid if not done right. 00:35:29 Try different teas, don't be scared. 00:38:11 Chinese jasmine tea: hint of jasmine, good. Bad: bitter, visible flowers. Earl Grey: interesting, bergamot. Flavored teas: like cheap wine, added fruits.
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A Hario Siphon coffee brewer at work heating water in the lower chamber. (Photo by Jeff Carlson)La Pavoni Europiccola lever espresso machine (Photo: La Pavoni)
Episode 145: Kirk Simplifies with One Camera
Jul 07, 2023
Show notes
He really went and did it. When Kirk decided to simplify his photography setup, he sold all of his Fujifilm cameras and lenses, put the Leica Q2 Monochrom up for sale, and bought a brand new Leica Q3. In this episode, we talk about the reasons behind such a drastic move and the advantages of simplifying your gear.
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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
The Leica Q3 (Source: Leica)The Leica Q3 Viewfinder (Source: Leica)The Leica Q3 Rear Screen (Source: Leica)The Leica Q3 Back (Source: Leica)(Photo: Kirk McElhearn)Titus the cat (Photo: Kirk McElhearn)
Episode 144: Wrangling Libraries with Matthieu Kopp
Jun 23, 2023
Show notes
If you’re like Jeff and Kirk, you probably have multiple photo libraries spread across your disks. Whether it’s because you use several editing apps, or some libraries are tied to outdated applications (RIP Apple Aperture), you don’t want to lose track of all those photos. This week, Matthieu Kopp of CYME joins us to talk about converting and managing multiple libraries using CYME’s utilities Avalanche and Peakto, and why both tasks aren’t as simple as you might think.
Special deal! CYME is offering a 20% discount on their utilities Peakto and Avalanche until July 23, 2023 using the code PHOTOACTIVE20 at checkout when purchasing from CYME.
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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
Peakto (Image: CYME)Avalanche (Image: CYME)
Episode 143: Mike Shaw Wants You to Enjoy the Stars
Jun 09, 2023
Show notes
The weather is warming up, the skies are clearing, and we point our eyes and cameras to the sky. But capturing the night sky well requires more than just snapping a photo of the heavens. Mike Shaw, author of the new book The Beginner’s Guide to Astrophotography, joins us to talk about what gear you need—yes, you can do it with a smartphone!—and how to make stunning star photos.
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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
Episode 142: Photomator
May 26, 2023
Show notes
The folks behind Pixelmator Pro have just released Photomator for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and it’s won us over. Designed as a straightforward photo editor (versus the can-do-everything that is Pixelmator Pro), Photomator is surprisingly deep for an app that on the surface is non-intimidating. In this episode, we look at the new Mac version and why it’s likely to become Kirk’s main photo editor.
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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
The Photomator interface. /Photo by Jeff CarlsonUsing layers in Photomator to enhance the backlighting of the tulips. /Photo by Jeff CarlsonPhoto edited in Photomator / Photo by Kirk McElhearnPhoto edited in Photomator / Photo by Kirk McElhearn
Episode 141: You Say You Want a Resolution
May 12, 2023
Show notes
Camera resolution is easy, right? More pixels, more quality, more options, more better! But as soon as you start digging into it, from the iPhone 14 Pro’s 48 megapixels to Sony sensors with 60 megapixels, all sorts of considerations make themselves known. Do you need that much resolution? How did we survive with less than 20 MP in the recent past? We pixel-peep and also look at the big picture.
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Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
Image upsampled to 6000x4018 pixels. /Photo by Kirk McElhearn
Episode 140: Denoise and Healing Tools
Apr 29, 2023
Show notes
Adobe added a new AI-assisted denoise feature to Lightroom and a Remove tool in the public beta of Photoshop, both of which are impressive. But how many photographers find themselves using these and other tools?
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
The noisy original (edited for tone and color)./Photo by Jeff CarlsonNoise removed using Denoise in Lightroom Classic./Photo by Jeff CarlsonA close-up comparison of the original (left) and the denoised version (right).Event photography is often tough for camera sensors. This photo from CreativePro Week 2022 was shot using a Fujifilm X-T4 at ISO 2500 and processed with DxO PureRAW 2./Photo by Jeff CarlsonAnother photo from CreativePro Week 2022, this one shot at ISO 5000 and processed in DxO PureRAW 2./Photo by Jeff CarlsonPhoto by Kirk McElhearnUsing the new Remove tool in the public beta of Adobe Photoshop, the people in front of the castle have been removed./Photo by Kirk McElhearn
Episode 139: The Rant Episode
Apr 14, 2023
Show notes
It’s time to rant. Are photographers spending too much energy in front of the computer instead of behind the camera? Does posting a photo to a public forum make it an invitation for criticism? And is there actually a good street photo of a woman looking at her cell phone amid all the copycats out there? This isn’t just curmudgeonly banter—we dig into some photographic issues that have been gnawing at us.
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