PhotoActive

Do you capture photos using your camera’s automatic modes, or do you shoot using manual settings? Jeff and Kirk debate both approaches, looking at situations where each is appropriate and clarifying which features constitute “auto” modes. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram Subscribe to the PhotoActive Instagram account Show...

Camera marketing often leans heavily on sensor size and numbers of megapixels, because those are numbers that are easy to sell. But are they easy to understand? When does an APS-C sensor outperform a medium format one? Are larger pixels better? Should Jeff take the plunge and buy the 100 megapixel Fujifilm GFX 100S? Our guest Richard Butler, technical editor at DPReview, helps clarify how sensor s...

In episode 87, we explored Kirk’s workflow for importing and editing images into Apple’s Photos app. Now, we revisit the topic by focusing on how Jeff works with photos on the iOS side, using both the Photos app and Lightroom on the iPhone and iPad. And has Jeff fallen in love with presets? Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram...

Retinal neuroscientist Bryan William Jones joins us this week for a fascinating discussion about how our eyes, brains, and technology work together to create and record images. Can we apply the understanding of the way we see to the way the camera sees? Guest: Bryan William Jones: Instagram , website Flickr Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos ,...

The experience of using a camera is just as important as what you put in front of the lens. If the controls are complicated — or too minimal — you wind up focusing on the camera, not the images. In this episode, we count buttons and deliberate whether today's cameras are helping or hindering photographers. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photo...

How has the past pandemic year affected or changed your photography? Kirk and Jeff discuss not just cancelled trips and lost opportunities, but also the process of getting back into the habit of photography as we hopefully head toward a vaccinated, post-Covid reality. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram Subscribe to the Photo...

Apple’s Photos app is the photo-editor-for-the-rest-of-us, but there are still complications that can trip up any photographer, from deciding where to import images to making sure you don’t max out your iCloud storage. In this episode, Kirk and Jeff look at Kirk’s unusual workflow for getting his photos into Apple’s Photos and editing them on macOS. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on...

Your camera likely records video, but if you've never used it, you may be in for a surprise. DPReview TV co-host Jordan Drake joins us to talk about how shooting video on a DSLR or mirrorless camera differs from shooting stills. Guest: Jordan Drake: Instagram DPReview Page Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram Show Notes: ( Vie...

Dan Bracaglia of DPReview joins us to talk about his love of film cameras, how to get started with film in this day and age, and the enduring appeal of analog photography. Guest: Dan Bracaglia: Instagram , website DPReview Page Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram Show Notes: ( View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co ) R...

We often talk about "bringing up the shadows" and "recovering highlights" when editing photos, particularly with raw files. But what does that mean exactly? This week, we walk through some edits to show just how that's done. This episode is available as audio with embedded images, and also as a video—go to photoactive.co and get the video link in the show notes. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's phot...

Is Apple’s new raw photo implementation ProRAW or FauxRAW? In this episode, we look at why you’d want to shoot raw on an iPhone in the first place, and then dig into the details of Apple’s new ProRAW format, which is available only on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram Subscribe to th...

When we last checked in with Quintin Lake, he was walking the coastline of the United Kingdom and photographing what he found. In September 2020 he finished the trip: 6,835 miles (11,000 kilometers) and 179,222 photos. As he continues to edit his backlog and make and sell prints, we caught up with him to talk about the experience. Guest: Quintin Lake , Instagram Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's phot...

As with every new iPhone release, Apple touts the camera capabilities more than any of the other features. Jeff upgraded to the iPhone 12 Pro right away, while Kirk is happy with his iPhone 11. In this episode, they talk about the choices around iPhones as cameras, and why Jeff ultimately didn’t go for the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which features better camera capabilities. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's...

Street photography looks easy: grab a camera, find some people, make some photos. Doing it well is another thing altogether. Photographer, educator, and author Valérie Jardin joins us to talk about the art of street photography, and how to develop the skills for creating great images with the help of her new book, Street Photography Assignments . Guest: [Valérie Jardin]( www.valeriejardin.com ), I...

In Episode 78, we talked about everyday photo retouching, such as removing dust spots and objects from your images. Now, we’re shifting to the big leagues, talking to professional retoucher Lisa Carney about the art and business at this level. You may never look at a movie or TV ad the same way again. Guest: Lisa Carney , Instagram Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's w...

You may think of “retouching” as a high-end photo skill for professionals—and it is—but there are also many types of retouching that every photographer will run into. In this episode, Jeff covers many of the techniques he uses, from removing dust spots in clear skies to erasing unwanted objects from photos, as well as portrait retouching that’s accessible to anyone. This is an extra-long episode w...

Photo a Day Challenge We gave ourselves a simple challenge to create one photo every day for the month of August. It’s advice we give often: shoot often, shoot what’s nearby, use your photographer’s eye to find beauty in the everyday experience. Were we successful? And what unexpected challenges arose? Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk...

This week we talk to landscape film photographer Angus Haywood about building his own darkroom in a shed behind his house, seeing the world in a square aspect ratio, and the pace and people you experience when shooting film. Guest: Angus Haywood , Instagram , Facebook Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's photos , Kirk on Instagram Show Notes: ( View sho...

The summer and fall are some of the best times to visit and photograph gardens, so we’re happy to welcome Harold Davis back to the PhotoActive podcast to talk about his newest book Creative Garden Photography . We cover photographing public gardens, your own garden, getting creative with light tables when the weather is sour, lighting, and more. Guest: Harold Davis Instagram Hosts: Jeff's website...

We’re pleased to welcome back Michael Kenna to the PhotoActive podcast. In this episode, we chat with him about his new book Buddha, how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a photographer that spends much of his time traveling, and the value of finding treasure in one’s photo archive. Guest: Michael Kenna Instagram Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram Kirk's website , Kirk's ph...

Rich Baum joins us this week to talk about real estate and interior photography, a type of shooting that relies as much on discipline and adherence to rules as it does on creative problem solving. If you’re looking to expand your photographic skills or push into the field as a career, good news: you can get started pretty easily by shooting the rooms you’re already in! Guest: Rich Baum Photography...

Comet Neowise is streaking across the sky as we publish this latest episode of the PhotoActive podcast. How can you capture it, or any views of the night sky, in photos? We’re happy to welcome Glenn Randall, author of the book Dusk to Dawn, to talk all about photographing the night sky, from lens choices to composition to post-processing. Guest: Facebook page Glenn Randall Photography Hosts: Jeff'...

You may be familiar with the Exposure Triangle for determining exposure in photos, which is made up of ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. In this episode, Kirk explains that it's actually an Exposure Square we need to consider. We also discover the limits of Jeff's knowledge of film photography terms, since his photographic experience is almost entirely digital. Hosts: Jeff's website , Jeff's photo...

Portrait photography can seem awfully daunting if you’ve never done it. How many lights do you use? Which modifiers are the best? Do you need a studio? How much money should you spend to get started? Oh, and how do you relate to the person in front of your camera? We talk with pro portrait photographer Sandra Coan about shooting with just one light and one modifier—using film!—and her book Craftin...

The last time we talked with Rick LePage, he gave us the basics of printing your own photos. We’re pleased to welcome him again as a guest to go deeper into the topic, starting with the question: How do you choose what to print? It sounds like an easy query, but we discuss not just what you put on your walls (and which walls), but also how printing helps define you as an artist. Guest: Rick LePage...