

PhotoActive
Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 31, 2025 • 34min
Episode 187: Checking In on AI in Photography
We know, it seems like we just talked about AI in photography, but the field is moving pretty fast. Google announced improvements to their generative AI models, which are both impressive and sloppy at the same time. We also look at new AI-based landscape masking tools in Lightroom, speculate on what WWDC could bring to Apple’s Photo app, and more.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Notebook LM
Google I/O ‘25 Keynote
Google SynthID
Lightroom Landscape AI Masking, Julieanne Kost
MacWhisper
Skylum Luminar Mobile
Kai's Power Tools 3.0 - Macintosh Repository
Snapshots:
Jeff: Anker 737 Power Bank
Kirk: Steve Reich: Collected Works
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

May 16, 2025 • 42min
Episode 186: A Surrender: Markus Naarttijärvi and Daniel Agee
It’s another photo book! We’re joined by photographer Markus Naarttijärvi and publisher Daniel Agee to talk about Markus’s new book A Surrender. When we last talked to Daniel, he was at photo service Glass, but now he’s struck out on his own to form the publishing company Good Fight, and A Surrender is the first title.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Guests:
Markus Naarttijärvi: Glass
Daniel Agee: Glass
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
A Surrender, by Markus Naarttijärvi
Good Fight
Markus’s “Sad Boy” Playlist, Arctic Noir
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

May 2, 2025 • 35min
Episode 185: Quintin Lake’s Book The Perimeter
Quintin Lake traversed the Coast of Britain over several years, photographing and documenting the journey. Now, he’s turned his well-received project into a new photo book called The Perimeter. We welcome Quintin back to PhotoActive not just as a guest, but as an in-person guest with Kirk in his house in the UK.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Book:
The Perimeter, by Quintin Lake, Penguin UK
The Perimeter, by Quintin Lake Book (Amazon US)
The Perimeter, by Quintin Lake Book (Amazon UK)
The Project:
Quintin Lake home page
Quintin Lake on Instagram
The Perimeter project
The Perimeter FAQ
Episode 10: Quintin Lake’s Long Walk
Episode 82: Quintin Lake Returns
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Apr 11, 2025 • 29min
Episode 184: US Tariffs and Camera Gear
The US government has begun to impose high tariffs on goods brought in from nearly every country in the world. Since most camera gear is made in Japan and China, what does this mean for the industry and, more important, for your own purchasing decisions? Since the policies are changing by the day, we decided to release this episode a week early.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Apr 4, 2025 • 32min
Episode 183: Fujifilm GFX100RF, A Medium Format Walking Around Camera
With the bonkers success of the Fujifilm X100VI, it seemed only a matter of time before Fuji made a compact camera based around its GFX medium format line. That’s the recently-announced GFX100RF, a new compact-ish, 100 megapixel, fixed-lens, $5,000 camera. We look at the inventions and the tradeoffs incorporated into this high-res entrant into the compact field.
(Image: Fujifilm)
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Fujifilm GFX100RF
Episode 157: Photos at the High End: Hasselblad 907x/CFV 100C
Fujifilm GFX100RF review: one sensor, nine cameras, The Verge
Fujifilm GFX100RF Review: An X100 All Grown Up, PetaPixel
Leica Q3 vs. FujiFilm GFX100RF size comparison, Leica Rumors
Episode 159: Fuji X100VI and the Appeal of Small Fixed-Lens Cameras
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Mar 24, 2025 • 30min
Episode 182: Photoshop on iPhone
Adobe has released Photoshop for iPhone, a bonafide version of real Photoshop, not to be confused with Photoshop Express or other earlier variations. We take a look at this new app with one main question in our minds: Who is this for?
A programming note: Toward the end of the episode we talk about using the Remove tool in Photoshop and Lightroom, but Jeff forgot to take screenshots. When he tried to reproduce the same actions later, he didn’t get the same results as described while we were doing it. So we apologize that we don’t have visuals to accompany what we’re describing.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Photoshop on iPhone
Episode 181: Leica Lux Grip and App for iPhone
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Mar 7, 2025 • 42min
Episode 181: Leica Lux Grip and App for iPhone
Two episodes ago Jeff expressed cynicism about iPhone add-ons that try to make the phone more like a traditional camera. And yet here we are looking at Kirk’s new Leica LUX Grip accessory...and not hating it? Learn about why this could be the camera grip for the iPhone that succeeds where others falter, and how the Leica LUX app does some very smart things in the name of photography.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Fjorden Grip
Leica LUX Grip
Leica LUX App
Episode 179: iPhone Camera Accessories
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Feb 22, 2025 • 33min
Episode 180: David Young’s Brief History of Photography
On this week’s episode we welcome David Young, photographer and author of the new book A Brief History of Photography: From the Very Beginning to the Age of Digital. It may feel like photography is only a little more than a hundred years old, but the principles of the art, from lens design to chemistry, have been around for centuries. We had a great conversation about things that surprised David while researching the book, the long obsession with ultra-wide apertures, and more.
Author photo courtesy of Alex Hurst (Ireland).
Guest:
David Young, Flickr, Book
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
A Brief History of Photography, by David Young (RockyNook.com). Use code YOUNG40 at checkout for 40% off!
A Brief History of Photography, by David Young (other resellers)
Snapshots:
Jeff's snapshot: Black Doves
Kirk's snapshot: Bloom: Living World, Brian Eno
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Feb 11, 2025 • 33min
Episode 179: iPhone Camera Accessories
This conversation dives into the world of iPhone photography accessories, debating the merits of lenses, grips, and even gimbals. The hosts share their insights on balancing sophisticated tools with the simplicity of mobile photography. A fascinating feature on street photographer Vivian Maier reveals her forgotten brilliance and the impact of her work on modern photography. Plus, there's a playful homage to the often-overlooked microfiber cloth, highlighting its essential role in keeping lenses pristine.

Jan 24, 2025 • 28min
Episode 178: Photographing the LA Fires
The recent devastating fires in Los Angeles have created a lot of fire photography, and some of it compelling both for its content and its artistry. We talk about the challenges of photographing such extreme situations.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Jake Sullivan Instagram
Stuart Palley Instagram
The Gear Photographer Stuart Palley Uses to Shoot Wildfires, Outside Magazine
Joel Meyerowitz, Aftermath
Los Angeles Fire and Citizen Journalism, The Daily Edit
Snapshots:
Jeff's snapshot: Always
Kirk's snapshot: SAS Rogue Heroes
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.


