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.
- 32 minutes 54 secondsEpisode 179: iPhone Camera Accessories
Photographers love to accessorize their cameras, and the iPhone is no different. A case is one thing, but what about other photo-centric add-ons? Should you buy an extra-wide or telephoto lens that snaps in front of the built-in cameras? What about grips and shutter buttons that make the iPhone feel more like a traditional camera? We weigh in with our opinions and experiences with these types of embellishments. (And Jeff accidentally uses the B-word.)
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)
Finding Vivian Maier (documentary)
And here’s the AI-generated ode to microfiber cloths:
Oh humble microfiber, soft and true,
A silent savior in all that you do.
With threads so fine, a wondrous weave,
You banish dust and dirt, make surfaces breathe.No stain too stubborn, no smudge too sly,
Your magic touch makes grime comply.
From glass to wood, from screen to steel,
You polish and shine with effortless zeal.A guardian of gadgets, protector of screens,
In your fibers lies the cleanest of dreams.
No harsh chemicals, no wasteful spree,
Eco-friendly warrior, you set us free.Oh microfiber cloth, so light yet strong,
In your service, we find where we belong.
For every streak erased, every speck undone,
You are the unsung hero of everyone.So here’s to you, oh fabric divine,
A marvel of science and design.
May your threads endure and ever thrive,
For in your care, our homes come alive.
Snapshots:
- Jeff's snapshot: Vivian Maier: Street Photographer
- Kirk's snapshot: Microfiber cloth
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.
11 February 2025, 10:45 am - 28 minutes 19 secondsEpisode 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)
The Gear Photographer Stuart Palley Uses to Shoot Wildfires, Outside Magazine
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.
24 January 2025, 9:00 am - 35 minutes 11 secondsEpisode 177: AI in Photography in 2025
We’ve been looking at various AI-related photography topics in recent episodes, such as using the Clean Up feature in the Photos app to remove unwanted items or the bigger question of “What is a photo?” Now it’s time to look broadly at what AI can offer photographers and where we think it’s going.
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)
Snapshots:
- Jeff's snapshot: SmallRig 35"/90cm Softbox LA-O90 Quick Release Octagon Soft Box for Bowens Mount COB Lights
- Kirk's snapshot: Megalopolis
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.
10 January 2025, 9:30 am - 27 minutes 19 secondsEpisode 176: Cleaning Up Libraries
As we wrap up 2024, we’re realizing our photo libraries have grown quite a bit—in Jeff’s case, almost filling his cloud storage. So as we anticipate some holiday downtime, we’re turning our attention to strategies for cleaning up our photo libraries.
Note that we’re taking the next episode off to celebrate Christmas, so our next scheduled episode is January 10, 2025. Happy holidays!
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)
Take Control of Your Digital Photos by Jeff Carlson
Take Control Books, publisher of fine ebooks by both Kirk and Jeff (and other authors)
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.
13 December 2024, 8:00 am - 34 minutes 54 secondsEpisode 175: What Is a Photo?
Our recent discussions of AI and the Photos Clean Up tool have brought us full circle to the bigger question: What is a photo?
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
Sponsor:
Nitro from Gentlemen Coders
Currently featured by Apple as an “App We Love,” Nitro is the new photo editor and manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad from the developer of RAW Power. And now, Nitro is on sale for the holidays. You can get Nitro for 50% off until December 2nd, 2024, and 20% off after that.
Designed for every photographer and every photograph, Nitro combines flexible storage options, unmatched camera support, and professional editing tools. If you liked Aperture or RAW Power, you’ll love Nitro and its beautiful user interface.
On the editing side, Nitro includes full masking support with AI masks, gradients, and brushes. Remove dust blemishes and other imperfections using Clone and Spot Removal tools. And, just like RAW Power, you can apply raw-specific tone and tuning adjustments. Nitro gives you more control over Apple's RAW decoder than any other app. And, it’s great at editing JPEGs and HEIF images too!
For organizing, your photos can live in Apple’s Photos library or in the file system, with support for XMP sidecars and synchronizing metadata and edits with iCloud Photo Library. Nitro also supports more cameras and formats than Photos, Darkroom, or Photomator, including compressed Fujifilm RAW files and the Nikon HE format. And while comparing shots, synchronize pan and zoom of up to 16 images at a time. Integration with ExifTool on the Mac lets you see and compare all of the metadata in your images.
Try Nitro for free for 7 days without any obligation. No subscription signup, no nonsense.
And remember, you can get Nitro for 50% off until December 2nd, 2024, and 20% off after that.
Check it out at [https://nitrophoto.app](nitrophoto.app).
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
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.
1 December 2024, 8:00 am - 32 minutes 5 secondsEpisode 174: Photos Clean Up
Aimless pedestrians wandering in the background of your photo? Trash on the ground in the foreground? Apple can help. In this episode we're looking at Clean Up, the new Apple Intelligence tool in the Photos app that uses generative AI to remove areas of a photo.
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)
Episode 60: Machine Learning with Andrius Gailiunas and Pixelmator Pro
You Can Use Clean Up with a Clear Conscience, Six Colors
Apple vs Adobe: One is Clearly Better at AI Photo Clean Up, PetaPixel
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.
18 November 2024, 8:00 am - 38 minutes 28 secondsEpisode 173: iPhone Photo File Formats
In our quest to better understand the often-confusing changes and additions to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro photo situation, we’ve decided to tackle the photo file formats. HEIF, ProRAW, JPEG-XL... there are a lot of options to choose from.
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)
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.
4 November 2024, 6:00 am - 35 minutes 14 secondsEpisode 172: Photographic Styles on the iPhone 16
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro introduce a new twist on an existing feature, and the result is... confusion and complexity. Photographic Styles can be very powerful, but it really requires you to dig into the details.
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)
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.
18 October 2024, 7:00 am - 35 minutes 52 secondsEpisode 171: iPhone 16 Pro Hands-On
Now that Kirk and Jeff have received their iPhone 16 Pros, it’s time to take them into the world and see how the new photographic features work. Is the Camera Control all it’s cracked up to be? Does a 48 megapixel ultra-wide camera make much difference? We talk about our first hands-on experiences with Apple’s new pocket cameras—sorry, mobile phones. Oh, and what about all this Apple Intelligence stuff?
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)
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.
4 October 2024, 7:00 am - 44 minutes 5 secondsEpisode 170: iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro
It’s that time again: new iPhones! By which we mean, of course, new Apple Cameras That Also Do Other Stuff. Kirk and Jeff are both upgrading their phones this year, largely due to the new Camera Control button but also the 48 MP (megapixel) ultra-wide camera and the new 48 MP Fusion camera that reads data fast enough to remove the shutter lag when shooting raw images. There’s a lot to discuss in this bonus-length episode!
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
Nitro from Gentlemen Coders
Nitro is the new photo editor and manager for Mac, iPhone and iPad from the developer of RAW Power. Designed for every photographer and every photograph, Nitro combines flexible storage options, unmatched camera support, and professional editing tools. If you liked Aperture or RAW Power, you’ll love Nitro and its beautiful user interface.
On the editing side, Nitro includes full masking support with AI masks, gradients, and brushes. Remove dust blemishes and other imperfections using Clone and Spot Removal tools. And, just like RAW Power, you can apply raw-specific tone and tuning adjustments. Nitro gives you more control over Apple's RAW decoder than any other app. And, it’s great at editing JPEGs and HEIF images too!
For organizing, your photos can live in Apple’s Photos library or in the file system, with support for XMP sidecars and synchronizing metadata and edits with iCloud Photo Library. Nitro also supports more cameras and formats than Photos, Darkroom, or Photomator, including compressed Fujifilm RAW files and the Nikon HE format. And while comparing shots, synchronize pan and zoom up to 16 images at a time. Integration with ExifTool on the Mac lets you see and compare all of the metadata in your images.
Try Nitro for free for 7 days without any obligation. No subscription signup, no nonsense.
Check it out at [https://nitrophoto.app](nitrophoto.app).
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Snapshots:
Jeff’s Snapshot: MHW-3BOMBER Mini Cube 2 Coffee Scale
Kirk’s Snapshot: Peak Design iPhone 16 Pro Max case
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.
13 September 2024, 7:30 am - 38 minutes 20 secondsEpisode 169: Peakto 2.0 with Matthieu Kopp
Is your photo library spread out among different drives and apps? We’re not talking about maybe having a couple of Lightroom Classic catalogs—it’s not uncommon now for a photographer to have Lightroom libraries, Capture One libraries, Apple Photos libraries, even old iPhoto and Aperture libraries collected over the years. In this episode we welcome back Matthieu Kopp of CYME to talk about version 2.0 of the utility Peakto, which can bring sense to all of that accumulated chaos.
As a bonus, Matthieu also shared a discount code for PhotoActive listeners to get 15% off any CYME app: PHOTOACTIVE15.
Guest:
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)
15% discount code for CYME apps: PHOTOACTIVE15
Our Snapshots:
Kirk: Civil War
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.
16 August 2024, 7:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App