PhotoActive

It’s time to talk about the B-word again! Jeff couldn’t trick Kirk into saying “bokeh,” but this week we’re looking at a few ways to get background blur using Portrait mode in the iPhone and editing in Lightroom. Technology has improved quite a lot in the last couple of years, to the point where simulated bokeh can sometimes pass off as natural lens blur. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Take Control of Apple Watch Episode #20 - The Blur-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named Our Snapshots: Jeff: Universal Magnetic Tripod Mount Adapter for All Phones Kirk: Braun Analogue Wall Clock 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.

The photographer’s dilemma rears again. Not only are we sometimes struck by gear acquisition syndrome when new cameras are announced, we run into it when new computers that can process our images come to market. In this case, it’s the new M3 MacBook Pro and M3 iMac models from Apple. Will the M3 processor make a difference when working with photos? If you bought an M1 iMac when it came out, is it time to upgrade? Kirk and Jeff hash it out. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Apple Scary Fast Event Apple has no plans to make a 27-inch iMac with Apple Silicon M3 vs M3 Pro vs M3 Max: specs, features compared iStat Menus Our Snapshots: Jeff: JJC Viewfinder Eyecup Eyepiece for Fuji Kirk: Michael Kenna: Photographs and Stories 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.

Google’s Pixel phones are held up as the Android smartphones to follow, and their cameras are often pitted against the iPhone as examples of the state of the art. However, as Kirk discovered when he bought a Pixel 8, the details matter... such as the Pixel 8 not being able to use the full resolution of its main camera. Also in this episode, we check in with some new developments in the generative photography world with Adobe’s release of Firefly 2 and GenAI integration in Photoshop. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Take Control Books MacVoices Video with Take Control Can an iPhone user learn to love Android? | Macworld An iPhone user's (surprisingly positive) experience with Windows Phone Pixel 8 Specs Made by Google '23: Keynote Google Pixel 8 Pro Review for Photographers: Android’s Best Camera The Best Android Phone | Wirecutter Adobe MAX 2023: Here's what Lightroom users need to know Episode 138: DPReview and AI Adobe announces improved Firefly AI, new Content Credentials, and more at MAX 2023 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.

On the surface, making photos with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro is relatively simple: pick a zoom level, pick a format (raw or not), and go. But as soon as you get just below the surface, you’re faced with a surprising amount of complexity. In this episode, we wade into all the megapixels (including from the iPhone 14 Pro) to try to make sense of it all. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Note: Jeff discovered after recording that the problem he was seeing with HDR photos on his MacBook Pro was caused by a setting in a separate app (Lunar), not a bug in macOS Sonoma. Photomator 3.1 review: A machine-learning augmented photo editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad, DPReview Special deal: $10 off first year membership offer Our Snapshots: Jeff: OneWorld 65 International Adapter Kirk: Starfield game 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.

Who wants to talk megapixels and tetraprisms? In this episode, recorded shortly after Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, Kirk and Jeff look at the specs and possibilities of the newest cameras-that-also-make-calls. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Which iPhone 15 Is Right for You? The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max Review for Photographers Avoid Overspending for iPhone 15 USB-C Cables and Chargers OWC Thunderbolt Cables Special deal: $10 off first year membership offer Our Snapshots: (No snapshots this episode) 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.

In episode 111, we talked to the founders of the photo app and community Glass about their approach to making a social photo service that isn’t exhausting or frustrating like Instagram or many others. For this episode, we catch up with Daniel Agee, the head of Marketing and Community at Glass, to talk about Glass’s two year anniversary, eschewing VC funding, and how community is making such a difference. Guest: Daniel Agee, Photography, Daniel on Glass. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Glass.photo Episode 111: The Glass App(roach) to Photography Introducing Patron Endless Appreciation podcast Special deal: $10 off first year membership offer Note: We’re taking the next episode off as a late summer break. The next PhotoActive episode will go live on September 29, 2023. Our Snapshots: (No snapshots this episode) 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.

“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. Guest: SJ Watson, Photography. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Before I Go to Sleep, by S.J. Watson Write Now with Scrivener Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room, by Geoff Dyer let's get lit podcast The Experiment Our Snapshots: Jeff: Call Sheet Kirk: Michael Kenna | Hokkaido 2020 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.

Exploring the complexities of photo editing software, the evolution from analog to digital tools, and the impact of advanced editing software on photography. Contrasting tailored features of software like Lightroom with broader toolsets like Photoshop. Discussing simplified editing for amateurs with Apple Photos and the constraints of Apple's editing features. Exploring DJI Air 3 drone features and challenges with the Peak Design Micro Clutch camera grip.

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. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! YESPLZ coffee subscription Creama.co coffee subscription Morning coffee ritual article Jeff’s Coffee Gear: Acaia Black Pearl scale, ~$250 Cosori Pour Over, $30 La Pavoni Europiccolo, $1000 OXO Brew Gooseneck Kettle, $100 Rancilio Rocky grinder, $440 Timestamped content: 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. 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.

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. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast! Leica Q3 Leica Q3 Initial Review, DPReview Episode 137: Zoom Lenses with Chris Niccolls Episode 68: Revisiting Geotagging with HoudahGeo 6.0 Our Snapshots: Jeff: ON1 Photo Keyword AI Kirk: Dark Passage movie 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.