The 6mm f/2.4 camera on the iPhone X is a welcome addition for those of us previously using single-camera handsets. Have the option to use a stabilized mild telephoto in addition to the wider lens is helpful not only for portraits, but for landscape work as well.

"Under the Bridge" - Captured with the 6mm camera on an iPhone X at f/2.4. Photo by Derrick Story.

And since the recorded image goes directly into my Photos for macOS library, I can finish off the image using the Luminar editing extension. The workflow is very fast, and the results are appealing.

This is not to say that I'm ditching my mirrorless. But when I went for a bike ride the other morning, all I had was my iPhone X in my pocket. And thank goodness I didn't have to pass on this shot just because I didn't bring my full camera kit with me.

Photos for macOS as Your Digital Darkroom

You can learn more about using Luminar as an editing extension in my lynda.com training, Photos for macOS: Advanced Editing Extensions.

And if you'd prefer to cozy up with a book, check out The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features chapters on basic editing, advanced post processing, and editing extensions.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #611, Nov. 28, 2017. Today's theme is "The Creative Photographers Gift Guide 2017." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Now that we have survived Black Friday and Cybermonday, we can take a deep breath and consider gift items for their merit as well as their price tag. For today's show I've handpicked 10 items that photographers will love. And I'm going to introduce you to them right now.

The Creative Photographers Gift Guide 2017

Think Tank Photo DSLR Battery Holder 2 ($10.75) - The DSLR Battery Holder 2 from Think Tank eliminates the hassle of fumbling around through your camera bag searching for that extra battery. When the shot is there and you need power right away, this small, compact and efficient folding holder will help you get back up and shooting in no time. It's lightweight and easily stores in any optional Think Tank bag, pouch or skin. It features hook and loop closure and holds two standard lithium-ion DSLR batteries. For durability, it's made from rugged rip-stop nylon.

Nimble Photographer Fingerless Gloves ($12.99) - Soft, 100 percent acrylic gloves with exposed fingertips enabling you to adjust devices and keep your hands warm. Rubberized dots on the palm side assist with gripping tripods and light stands. High-wrist design ensures that gloves stay within jacket sleeves, even during activity.The Walking Man logo is embroidered on top of each wrist with silver thread providing a classic look.Designed for men's hands, all sizes.

Indigo Marble, Wrap & Protect Electronic Equipment ($20.95) - #1 Premium Medium Camera Cover from Indigo Marble, Wrap & Protect Electronic Equipment, Adjustable & Light Weight to Provide Quick Fit with SLR Straps or Slings, 15" Square with Strong External Pocket.

FlashBender 2 Reflector, Bounce Flash, Snoot, Gobo ($27.96) - The small and lightweight shapeable Flash Bender 2 Small Reflector is ideally suited for on-camera flash event photography. The Small Reflector can also be used off-camera to soften, shape and control your main, background, hair, rim, or accent lights. What's New with Flash Bender 2? New Attachment Design: Flash Bender 2 reflectors use an improved belt and buckle design to provide a faster and more secure attachment to your flash. The integrated attachment strap is adjustable to fit all popular brands of accessory flashes with a circumference measuring from 8" to 9 3/4". New Lighter Weight Reflectors: We developed custom fabrics for the Flash Bender 2 Reflectors to reduce weight and soften highlight reflections. The softer fabrics also allow for increased flexibility and improved light shaping abilities.

Solar Charger 24000mAh Portable Charger ($39.99) - Lightning and Micro Dual Input - No matter whichever cable you are carrying, you can recharge the power bank with either the attached micro-USB cable or your own lightning cable. Amazing Monster Capacity - Can fully charges an iPhone 10 times, a Samsung Galaxy S7 6 times, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro 2.2 times and other smartphones multiple times. Quick Charging Technology - Auto detects your device to deliver its fastest possible charge speed up to 2.1A. DC 5V/2.1A high-speed input is 2.1 times as fast as normal DC 5V/1A input - a full recharge only takes 11 hours with DC 5V/2.1A charger.

Elvid OptiView 100 3.2" LCD Viewfinder Loupe ($49.95) - The OptiView 100 3.2" LCD Viewfinder Loupe from Elvid is a 1:1 magnifying loupe, which attaches to the back of a camera, over an LCD screen up to 3.2" in size. Because it features multi-coated optical glass, the viewfinder enables you to see your images or videos with better sharpness and contrast. In addition, the rubber eyecup blocks stray or extraneous light, and the viewfinder's built-in diopter can be adjusted +/-3, which allows you to view without glasses.

Fovitec StudioPRO - 5' x 6.5' Black/White Double-Sided Pop-Out Muslin Backdrop ($54.95) - The Fovitec StudioPRO pop-out muslin backdrop combines portability and convenience with professional-grade materials and construction. The background is made of high-quality cotton with a matte finish to prevent reflections, and is the staple of every professional and aspiring photographer/videographer.

Finnhomy Professional Portable Photo Studio ($60.99) - 16" Cube Portable Photo Studio, designed for effortless product photography. You can easily take pictures of your item with pure color backdrops. The 5500K daylight white LED bands provide perfect lighting, you can adjust the bands on the steel strips or just place them on the frame bar, the magnets on the back will stick right on!

MeFOTO Classic Aluminum Globetrotter Travel Tripod ($172) - The MeFOTO GlobeTrotter is a compact travel tripod that folds up inversely and also turns into a full size monopod without the use of any tools. It's available in Black or Titanium. The GlobeTrotter can be used with many different style cameras including a DSLR with a zoom lens. The GlobeTrotter comes with a dual action Q series ballhead with Arca-Swiss style quick release plate. Carry case with shoulder strap included.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 Lens ($199) - Positioned as the perfect portrait prime, the black M.Zuiko Digital 45mm f/1.8 from Olympus is a sleek 90mm equivalent lens for Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. The short-telephoto focal length pairs with a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture to benefit working in low-light conditions and also offers greater control over depth of field for producing selective focus effects. The optical construction of the lens incorporates two extra-high refractive index elements, which help to reduce distortion and spherical aberrations in order to realize notable sharpness and accurate rendering. Additionally, a Movie & Still Compatible (MSC) autofocus system is employed to deliver quick, quiet, and precise focusing performance to suit both video and photo applications.

Videoblocks - Royalty-Free License Agreement

So I've been talking about all of the royalty free content I can download via my Storyblocks account. But you may be thinking, how could I prove that it's OK for me to use this video if I had to? Well, one of the things that Videoblocks provides is a personalized Royalty-Free License Agreement.

In your My Account page, just complete the basic information such as your name and address. Once you've done that, then you can click on the Get License Agreement button. Videoblocks will generate a personalized License Agreement for you and download it to your hard dive. Keep it on file in case you ever need that backup documentation for publishing your movies that contain Videoblocks content.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be your tour guide for this site. But if you need content right now, you can join Videoblocks for $149 a year and gain access to great video, stills, and audio content. This is really a great idea...

New Benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members

Speaking of video:

Starting in December 2017, I have a great new benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members: Nimble Software Series. Each month I will post two training videos for our Inner Circle Members, covering Capture One Pro, Lightroom, Luminar, Photos for mac OS and more. Each video will run between 10 to 30 minutes, and will show you specific techniques for improving your images.

To become an Inner Circle Member, simple pledge $5 or more a month through the TDS Patreon program. Existing Inner Circle members are automatically enrolled in the Nimble Software Series, and receive their first two movies on Friday, December 1, 2017.

We have more benefits coming in 2018 for our Inner Circle Members. Join today and become part of the TDS Elite.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members!

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Videoblocks - Go to videoblocks.com/digitalstory to get all the stock video, audio, and images that you can imagine for just $149. Save on millions of studio-quality clips, tracks, and graphics.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Macphun has released Luminar 2018 1.0.1 with a list of improvements and fixes for both Mac and Windows users. They also announced a Black Friday special that runs through November 29.

For $69, you get the latest version of Luminar 2018 for Mac and Windows, plus an Urban Preset Collection, Creative Look LUTs Collection, Ultra Wide Landscape eBook by Ian Plant, and Aerial Photo & Video Training by Matt Granger.

As for the specifics of the update, Luminar 2018 version 1.0.1 for Mac includes these fixes and improvements:

• Fixed crash on saving to .PSD format.
• Fixed bug when Adobe Photoshop Elements is unavailable.
• Fixed bug with Luminosity Mask preview on filter.
• Fixed "Image Cannot be saved" issue with Adobe Lightroom.
• Fixed RAW Develop\Develop issue when converting Panasonic files.
• Added support for more Adobe Photoshop plugins, including Topaz Labs plugins.
• Improved RAW processing on opening file.
• Improved Windows preset preview.
• Improved accuracy of the filter collapse/expand triangle control.
• Improved application and Batch processing UI.
• Fixed RAW Develop/Develop issue with DNG files.

For the Windows version of the app, these issues were addressed:

• Workspaces.
• Luminosity Mask.
• Image Resize & Sharpen on Export.
• Improved Hotkeys support.
• Improved RAW opening & processing.
• RAW support for more cameras, including Nikon D850.
• Fixed bug when launching Photoshop with a blank image.

Plus, improved performance and fixes for a number of reported bugs, including the fixed issue with LowRes image preview on layers with masks, and fixed progress bar for opening images.

In addition to working as a standalone application, Luminar 2018 comes with plugins for Lightroom, Aperture, and Photoshop, plus an editing extension for Photos for macOS.

Photos for macOS as Your Digital Darkroom

You can learn more about using Luminar as an editing extension in my lynda.com training, Photos for macOS: Advanced Editing Extensions.

And if you'd prefer to cozy up with a book, check out The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features chapters on basic editing, advanced post processing, and editing extensions.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

What does a family of nerds do once the plates have been cleared on Thanksgiving? Stack up their iPhones for a friendly comparison of the screens. And we thought Steph Curry was the perfect photo subject.

From bottom to top: iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6S with a 3rd party replacement screen, iPhone 5S, and at the top was a Samsung Android smartphone. (Yes, there's one in every family.)

What started this foolishness? Folks were marveling at the color and detail in the new iPhone X and wanted to see how their handset compared to it. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, we had a stack of Steph Currys. We photographed this whacky distraction with an iPhone 6S Plus.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #610, Nov. 21, 2017. Today's theme is "The Conservation Movement Needs a Champion." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

I've been thinking about my time at WildSpeak ever since I returned from Washington D.C. Through all the talks and powerful images, something had been missing. At first, I couldn't put my finger on it. Then today, I figured it out. Conservation needs a champion. It needs a modern day Roosevelt, or Ghandi, or some powerful figure that can get broader attention. And the reason why I feel that way is the subject of today's TDS Podcast.

The Conservation Movement Needs a Champion

Outside the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. is the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial. It pictures him on the move with the inscription, "My life is my message."

I thought about how one person can represent, and even effect change for millions of people. And how I wish Mr. Gandhi was here today so I could talk to him about the health of our planet.

The problem that surfaced in my mind and heart after two days of WildSpeak wasn't the inspiration or education. Once again, I learned so much. One of my favorite talks was "Long Distance Migrants" by photographer and naturalist Gerrit Vyn. These birds that traverse our globe illustrate how interconnected we all are. And how if we damage one area it affects the entire planet.

The problem for me after two days in Washington D.C. was that I didn't see a path forward. I see a cause without a dynamic leader. And until we have our Gandhi, progress is going to be difficult.

You may be thinking, "What about Al Gore?" No disrespect to Mr. Gore, but he has been too much of a polarizing figure. What we need is someone who can reach the other half of the aisle.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. In 1981, President Ronald Regan nominated C. Everett Koop to be our Surgeon General, an office that we typically don't hear much about. And to boot, a conservative physician nominated by a conservative president.

Soon thereafter in his Report of the Surgeon General, it was reported that nicotine has an addictiveness similar to that of heroin or cocaine. Koop's report was somewhat unexpected, especially by those who expected him to maintain the status quo in regard to his office's position on tobacco products.

During his tenure, in 1984, Congress passed legislation providing for new, rotated health warning labels on cigarette packs and required advertising to include the labels. Those labels remain unchanged today.

Koop issued a challenge to Americans in 1984 to "create a smoke-free society in the United States by the year 2000." As Surgeon General, he released eight reports on the health consequences of tobacco use, including the first report on the health consequences of involuntary tobacco smoke exposure. During Koop's tenure as Surgeon General, smoking rates in the United States declined significantly from 38 percent to 27 percent. (From Wikipedia.)

That's real change. One person essentially turned the tide on cigarette smoking in America. One person can do the same for conservation. We need to find that person so he or she can get to work.

How Did My Packing Go?

Here's a follow up report on my preparations for the Washington D.C. trip. As it turned out, the unexpected star was my inflatable neck pillow. I'll explain in this segment of today's show.

Fantastic Black Friday Sale for Audioblocks

I'm going to take a slight detour this week and talk about the fantastic Black Friday Preview Sale going on for Audioblocks. Get unlimited downloads from over 100,000 royalty-free music tracks, loops, and sound effects on Audioblocks - only $49 for your first year. That's $100 off the normal price.

To give you an idea of this value, I recently paid $69 for just one royalty free audio track. So I'm definitely taking advantage of this offer.

All you have to do is go to Videoblocks.com and click on the "I want unlimited audio" button. This is a great deal.

New Benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members

Speaking of video:

Starting in December 2017, I have a great new benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members: Nimble Software Series. Each month I will post two training videos for our Inner Circle Members, covering Capture One Pro, Lightroom, Luminar, Photos for mac OS and more. Each video will run between 10 to 30 minutes, and will show you specific techniques for improving your images.

To become an Inner Circle Member, simple pledge $5 or more a month through the TDS Patreon program. Existing Inner Circle members are automatically enrolled in the Nimble Software Series, and receive their first two movies on Friday, December 1, 2017.

We have more benefits coming in 2018 for our Inner Circle Members. Join today and become part of the TDS Elite.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members!

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Videoblocks - Go to videoblocks.com/digitalstory to get all the stock video, audio, and images that you can imagine for just $149. Save on millions of studio-quality clips, tracks, and graphics.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Many photographers capture both RAW and JPEGs. I think a lot of that comes out of social networking. We have those JPEGs on our cameras. We can send them via Wifi to our mobile devises and upload them to social sights. And then when we're ready to do the heavy work, right, the serious work on our images, then we want to work on RAW files in applications such as Capture One-Pro.

So we find ourself having both types of files on our memory cards. Now when you bring in the images to Capture One-Pro, you might not want to bring in those JPEGs.

Why? Because Capture One Pro's already going to create JPEGs for you. Plus, if you bring them both in, you'll have to manage them in the catalog. And that's probably extra work you don't need. So here's how to cheery pick the RAWs only off the memory card.

Handle RAW and JPEG files on a memory card from Capture One Pro 10 Essential Training by Derrick Story

Basically your enable a sort in the import dialog box that separates the RAWs from the Jpegs. The you select the RAWs only for copying to your catalog. It seems simple once you know the trick. And it can save you a lot of time up the road with catalog management.

More Capture One Pro 10 Techniques

You can master Capture One Pro in just a few hours by viewing my LinkedIn Learning Training title, Capture One Pro 10 Essential Training, which also includes an entire chapter dedicated to version 10.1.

I've received my shipping notification for a 256 GB iPhone X. It should arrive the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (which I think is perfect!). In the meantime, I'm going to be figuring out the scenarios that I will use for testing the new device. And it dawned on me, if you want me to look at anything specifically, now's a great time to ask.

Here's my scenario. I'm upgrading from an iPhone 6S. I use Photos for macOS, Photos for iOS, Luminar, and Capture One Pro. I do shoot RAW files with the iPhone, as well as video and Live Photos. iPhone photography makes up about 1/3 of my total captures.

If you want me to look at anything specific, here's how to submit your query:

• Visit the TDS Members page and use the email address listed there.

OR

• Use the Contact Form on The Nimble Photographer site.

If I have any follow up questions, I'll ping you back via the email you provide. I can't promise that I will address every question. Sometimes folks get really specific on these things. But I will definitely use these queries to help shape my reporting of the iPhone X.

Thanks a bunch!

You can download RAW Power for iOS for free and transform your iPhone into a powerful mobile post production workstation. The app works on all devices running iOS 11, except: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iPad mini 2 and 3, iPad Air 1, and iPod Touch. I tested it on an iPhone 6S, and it worked great.

The big selling point with this particular processor is that the app was developed by a team led by Nik Bhatt, a former Senior Director of Engineering at Apple and the former Chief Technical Officer of the Apple Photo Apps group. Hence, this app is able to efficiently tap Apple's RAW engine decoder so you can get the most out of your captures. Think mobile Aperture when you think about RAW Power.

In use, the experience is terrific. It interacts seamlessly with iCloud and the Photos library system. Edit in one place and the results are available everywhere. When I opened edited images on my Mac, they looked great and even had the editing badge applied - very, very smooth workflow.

All the tools are available for free except for White Balance, Curves, and Depth Effect (for dual-camera iPhones). You can unlock those for $10.

The one thing to note is that you'll still need an app to capture RAW files with the iPhone. There are a number available. I've been using ACDSee Pro and Lightroom Mobile. I also transfer .ORFs from my Olympus cameras to my iOS devices in the field, then edit those with RAW Power. Either way, once you have the RAWs on your phone, RAW Power does a great job of decoding, adjusting, and helping you organize them. Well done!

RAW Power has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Like all good citizens in the air, I switch my iPhone to Airplane mode when it's time to takeoff, and I leave it there until landing. But that doesn't mean I'm not taking pictures.

"Flying Over Oakland" - Captured with iPhone 6S in Airplane mode. Photo by Derrick Story.

Much to my delight, the camera is still recording geotags, even in Airplane mode. So as I'm snapping my way across the U.S., I'll know approximately where each image was captured. How nice is that?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #609, Nov. 14, 2017. Today's theme is "Back into the Unfriendly Skies." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

By the time you hear this podcast, I'll either be in Washington D.C. covering the WildSpeak Conference, or stranded somewhere in between. It's really weird these days to get on a plane without knowing when you will actually reach your intended destination. But that is the reality of air travel in these United States. And what I'm doing to prepare for this journey is the topic of today's TDS podcast.

Venturing Back into the Unfriendly Skies

I remember it was a very hot afternoon when I found my way to the TSA trailer parked at the Sonoma County Airport. I had a 3 pm appointment to interview for my KTN, Known Traveler Number. This would give me access to TSA Pre for the next two years.

The big moment was when the TSA staffer scanned my passport and we waited together for the results. "You're clean!" she exclaimed. We can finish off your application. I wondered at the time what would happen if I didn't come back clean. Would they arrest me on the spot?

I received my KTN about a week later, and I've only had to fly once since then - to retrieve my son Zach from New York right after the Santa Rosa firestorm. But now I have two big business trips where I'm packing all my gear. So these will be the first real test of traveling under the KTN umbrella.

I'm leaving nothing to chance, however. So here's how this photographer is preparing for his journey from San Francisco to Washington D.C.

• Pack Light and Keep it with Me - I have a pilot's roller bag that fits easily in any overhead bin. I would like to have more packing space for a business trip to a cold weather destination, but I have to survive a connection at Dallas Fort Worth. So everything goes in either the roller or my Think Tank Retrospective 7. And it all stays with me.
• Packing Cubes-One of the reasons that I can get all of my big clothes in that pilot's roller is thanks to my set of Packing Cubes. They keep my bag organized and make it each to compress my clothes into a small space. If you've never used packing cubes before. Treat yourself.
• Portable Power - Many airports are better than they used to be for providing power outlets in waiting areas, that is, until you really need one. Same goes for on the planes themselves. I carried a OUTXE 16000mAh Rugged Power Bank with Flashlight IP67 Waterproof Solar Portable Charger Outdoor Dual USB Phone Battery Pack with me all through the recent evacuations, and it's coming with me on this trip as well. Seems to be a necessity of the modern age.
• Work for the Road- One of the huge frustrations of being delayed or stranded is the amount of time that is wasted. Most of us are very busy these days, and right now, I'm busier than I've been in years. I can't afford to write off a day. So I've prepared a number of work items that I can tackle in the air or the waiting room. It will help keep my frustration at a minimum if things do go awry.
• Food - You would think that in these modern days or air travel, at least we would have food and water available. But a missed connection can lead to late nights in lobbies or substandard backup flights that provide nothing worthy of eating. I always kid myself for packing healthy food. And I almost always need it.

Videoblocks - One Stop Downloading for video, audio, and images for your projects

This week I want to walk you through the steps that I used to find and download some aerial footage that I needed for a project using my Storyblocks account. I started with the search block on my home page, then entered "aerial landscape" and chose "footage" from the popup menu. Other options included "Backgrounds" and "After Effects".

I was then presented with dozens and dozens of options, more than I could count. I chose a snippet titled, "silhouette of trees at sunset" because it had the same vibe as the footage that I wanted to use it with. It was a 13-second video, 1920 x 1080, 29.97 fps. I could either download the .mov file (243 MBs) or a MP4 file that was only 20 MBs. I could download to my HD or save the file to Dropbox. A few seconds later, it was playing on my computer, ready to use in my project.

It's that easy to use. If I'm in the middle of editing and I say to myself that I need this or that, I just hop over to video blocks, search for what I'm looking for, download it, and get back to work. It's royalty free, so I can use it right away.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be your tour guide for this site. But if you need content right now, you can join Videoblocks for $149 a year and gain access to great video, stills, and audio content. This is really a great idea...

Will I Be Testing the New Olympus 45mm and 17mm f/1.2 PRO Lenses?

Yes I will. I will have my hands on both lenses on December 6, and I'll be able to publish my review of them on Friday, Dec. 8. So, if you're contemplating either one of these, I'll be able to give you some more insight into these lenses very soon. Stay tuned!

And if you want to preorder either of these optics, here's some more info about them:

• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 45mm f/1.2 PRO lens ($1,199.00) Will be available in late Nov. 90mm (35mm Equivalent), Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16, 14.46 oz (410 g)
• Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm f/1.2 PRO lens ($1,199.00) Will be available in Jan. 2018, 34mm (35mm Equivalent), Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16, 13.76 oz (390 g)

New Benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members

Speaking of video:

Starting in December 2017, I have a great new benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members: Nimble Software Series. Each month I will post two training videos for our Inner Circle Members, covering Capture One Pro, Lightroom, Luminar, Photos for mac OS and more. Each video will run between 10 to 30 minutes, and will show you specific techniques for improving your images.

To become an Inner Circle Member, simple pledge $5 or more a month through the TDS Patreon program. Existing Inner Circle members are automatically enrolled in the Nimble Software Series, and receive their first two movies on Friday, December 1, 2017.

We have more benefits coming in 2018 for our Inner Circle Members. Join today and become part of the TDS Elite.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members!

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Videoblocks - Go to videoblocks.com/digitalstory to get all the stock video, audio, and images that you can imagine for just $149. Save on millions of studio-quality clips, tracks, and graphics.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

One of the great things about iPhone photography is that whenever I encounter an interesting scene, I have the ability to capture it. Such was the case last night at a family event.

"Illuminated Pool" - Captured with an iPhone 6S and processed in Luminar. Photo by Derrick Story.

The original shot had the ballroom entrance illuminated with tungsten lighting with the pool in the foreground. My original instinct was to capture the complementary colors of blue and orange. And when I reviewed the images a bit later, I thought they were OK.

But I felt like there was a better shot hidden within this scene. So I opened the photo on my MacBook and started playing with cropping and graphical effects. And there it was. The really interesting composition didn't have the ballroom at all, except as a reflection in the pool. The edited image was more abstract instead of a literal interpretation of the scene. And to be honest, it is far more interesting.

My point is that we often have better images trapped within our ho-hum captures. And thanks to our high resolution capture devices, we can extract the art from within our snapshots, and still have enough pixels for publishing, or even printing.

Take a look at your shots from the last week. Are there any hidden gems?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Most Capture One users have master catalogs with thousands of images. If, however, you want to take a project with your on the road (and leave the rest of the catalog behind), it's very easy to do.

Once you've exported a project as a catalog, you can copy it to your laptop and take it on the road. If you make changes to the exported catalog, you can integrate them back into the master collection by using the Import Catalog command under the File menu.

Here's a movie that shows you the steps for exporting the project.

Output a project or album as a catalog from Capture One Pro 10 Essential Training by Derrick Story

More Capture One Pro 10 Techniques

You can master Capture One Pro in just a few hours by viewing my LinkedIn Learning Training title, Capture One Pro 10 Essential Training, which also includes an entire chapter dedicated to version 10.1.

Micro Four Thirds photographers have always admired Panasonic's video capabilities. But with the introduction of the Pansonic DC-G9 body ($1,698), serious still shooters have much to be excited about as well. Looks like we have a worthy competitor for the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II ($1,799).

"To withstand heavy field use, the LUMIX G9 is composed of a magnesium alloy full die-cast front/rear frame and is not only splash proof and dustproof, but also freeze proof down to -10 degrees centigrade. The largest-in-class Status LCD on the top of the camera makes shooting even easier and more comfortable. For the rear monitor, a 3.0-inch free-angle LCD in 3:2 aspect ratio with 1,040K-dot high resolution is equipped. The G9 has a double SD Memory Card slot, compatible with the high-speed, high-capacity UHS-II."

Now add up to 6.5 stops of sensor stabilization, and shooting bursts at 20 fps with continuous autofocus using its electronic shutter (9 fps with mechanical) and 60 fps with single AF (12 fps with mechanical). The buffer allows for up to 50 Raw images to be captured in a single burst. Oh, and you still have great video as well: UHD 4K video at up to 60 fps, with a maximum bitrate of 150Mbps.

The Panasonic G9 is available for preorder at $1,697.99, and it should ship in January 2018. What a way to start the new year!

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #608, Nov. 7, 2017. Today's theme is "My Top 5 Photo Apps of 2017." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Competition on the photo software space has heated up in 2017. Lightroom still maintains its "King of the Hill" status, but there are newcomers and veterans alike challenging that position. But how do you determine what's right for you? Today I will share my favorite 5 with the hope that this information will make your decision just a bit easier.

My Top 5 Photo Apps of 2017

All five of these apps are the winners. I'm not ranking them because each person has his/her own unique needs, and the program that meets those needs the best should be their top pick.

That being said, I have my personal favorites among these five. And I will share those opinions during this discussion. So let's get started.

• Lightroom - Pick your version - Excellent editing tools combined with a reasonable DAM, Lightroom has the largest support community with a bounty of how-to information and tips. Its cloud connectivity with mobile devices is excellent. And if you don't know what you need in an all purpose photo management app, this isn't a bad place to start. Good for pros and enthusiasts. Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
• Capture One Pro - My favorite RAW decoder in this lineup. C1 is know for its excellent, photo-like image quality, but it's also a darn good DAM as well. If you don't care about cloud connectivity and can live with the higher price tag, this app is fantastic for serious RAW photography. Good for pros and enthusiasts. Mac and Windows.
• Luminar-What started out as an innovative image editor for the Mac is now evolving into a full service application for Mac and Windows. The editing tools are outrageously good. A DAM is coming in 2018. And you can't beat the reasonable price tag. If I had to pick a dark horse contender to 2018, Luminar would be it. Good for enthusiasts and snapshooters. Mac and Windows.
• Photos for macOS High Sierra - Although it still lives in the shadow of its predecessor Aperture, the third version of Photos is quite capable. Apple RAW decoding is excellent and is tied to the OS, not the Photos app. Performance is outstanding, as is iCloud sharing and backup. If you're an iPhone shooter, Photos is a no-brainer. But it's also a good fit for enthusiasts thanks in part to the excellent lineup of editing and output extensions. Good for enthusiasts and snapshooters. Mac and iOS.
• Affinity Photo - If you want the power of Photoshop, but with a more modern UI and photographer emphasis, then Affinity is your app. Super powerful tools, great performance, good price, and a killer iOS app to boot. Good for pros and enthusiasts. Mac, Windows, and iOS.

Videoblocks - One Stop Downloading for video, audio, and images for your projects

Over the last month, I've had this ongoing conversation with a group called Storyblocks. They provide downloadable photography, video, and audio for creatives who need royalty free content for their projects. Considering that we have a community of visual artists here, I was interested in learning more.

For me personally, I'm more interested than ever in having additional movie and photo content available. As I record more video and stills with my Spark, there are gaps that I would love to fill. Footage for intros, transitions, and closing content that could augment what I've recorded.

Instead of just editing together a few clips, I could make a real movie. So I started exploring Videoblocks online library of royalty free content.

Two things happened as a result. First, there is a ton of great footage to augment my work. I'm really excited about this because I feel like this will move the ball forward for my projects. And second, the extensive library of content is also stirring my imagination for new creations. "What if I downloaded this footage here, then went and shot that, then combined them?"

This is the perfect time of year to explore Videoblocks. Take those great images and videos for your 2017 adventures, and elevate them to the next level.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be your tour guide for this site. But if you need content right now, you can join Videoblocks for $149 a year and gain access to great video, stills, and audio content. This is really a great idea...

New Benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members

Speaking of video:

Starting in December 2017, I have a great new benefit for TDS Inner Circle Members: Nimble Software Series. Each month I will post two training videos for our Inner Circle Members, covering Capture One Pro, Lightroom, Luminar, Photos for mac OS and more. Each video will run between 10 to 30 minutes, and will show you specific techniques for improving your images.

To become an Inner Circle Member, simple pledge $5 or more a month through the TDS Patreon program. Existing Inner Circle members are automatically enrolled in the Nimble Software Series, and receive their first two movies on Friday, December 1, 2017.

We have more benefits coming in 2018 for our Inner Circle Members. Join today and become part of the TDS Elite.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members!

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Videoblocks - Go to videoblocks.com/digitalstory to get all the stock video, audio, and images that you can imagine for just $149. Save on millions of studio-quality clips, tracks, and graphics.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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Among the many embers that iPhone X has stirred, the demise of the camera industry is among them. "DSLRs and mirrorless devices are on their way out," many claim.

Yes, there is a changing of the guard, but not the annihilation of a culture. And the folks migrating to smartphones over other cameras were never really the intended audience for interchangeable lens devices.

The Olympus PEN-F is an example of the types of cameras that manufacturers need to develop to continue to delight true photography enthusiasts. Photo by Derrick Story.

Before the Kodak Brownie, photography was for hearty souls who had the patience for the process and the creativity to create a vision. As the tools became easier to use, more people embraced them. To some degree, you can equate the iPhone as the modern Brownie.

People want pictures to document their lives. Smartphones are the perfect devices to do so. Plus, they have many creative features that make it fun to capture history. I love shooting with my smartphone. And I have an iPhone X on order.

But that doesn't mean that I'm giving up my other cameras as a result. I'm not carrying around a toolbox with only a screwdriver in it.

True photographers will always be true photographers. They will embrace a variety of tools and techniques to further their craft. These will be the remaining customers for the modern camera industry.

Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Pentax, and others will have to adjust to their shrinking market. They will no longer be able to pad the bottom line with cheap digital capture devices for the masses. Those days are gone.

But photography enthusiasts are still here. And they want to be catered to. So the companies that can take care of the folks like me, will still be here a decade from now. And the tools they create for us will be just as amazing as the iPhone X, only for a different audience.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Luminar 2018 is scheduled to ship on November 16. You can preorder now for $59 with bonuses, saving yourself money and receiving extra goodies. And as a Luminar user myself, I think this is one of the best values in photography software.

Image by Karen Hutton processed in Luminar.

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Image by Karen Hutton before processing.

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My favorite highlights in this latest version include:

• Windows compatibility (with a shared license for both platforms).
• Faster RAW processing.
• A boatload of new filters including lens correction, dodge and burn, LUT mapping, RAW develop, matte look, brilliance/warmth, and plenty more.
• Plugin support for Aurora HDR and Creative Kit.
• And lots of improvements including the cropping tool, sharpen on export, and DNG handling.

Plus, Luminar 2018 license holders will receive the new digital asset manager (DAM) for free when it's launched in 2018. Bottom line is this: Luminar can be used as a standalone solution; plugin for Lightroom, Aperture, and Capture One Pro; and as an editing extension for Photos for macOS. It's my favorite app for image editing. It's affordable. You don't have to rent it. And it's fun. What's not to like?

You can preorder now.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

It dawned on me as I was placing my order for an iPhone X the other morning, what a paradox I am as a photographer.

On one hand, I'm spending money I don't have for a smartphone of the future, primarily because of its camera. On the other, I had just refurbished a half dozen cameras for listing in TheFilmCameraShop that I run for 35mm enthusiasts.

My film camera, a Contax Aria, shot with my iPhone.

But wait, it gets even crazier. Last week I photographed Hop Kiln Winery with a DJI Spark, stitching 8 images together in Lightroom CC. Later that day, I pulled out a DxO ONE to inconspicuously capture some high resolution candids.

And that's not to mention that my everyday creative camera is the fabulous Olympus PEN-F with its army of high quality compact lenses.

So, what gives? Have I totally lost my identity as a photographer? Actually, quite the opposite. I'm more focused and creative than ever.

What's happening is that I always have the right tool for the job. When I want that true film look, I pull out my Contax Aria with a Zeiss Tessar 45mm pancake lens. When I need an aerial view of the world, I fire up the Spark. The iPhone is always with me so I never miss a photo opportunity. And the PEN-F inspires me to go out and take pictures when I might otherwise feel less creative.

It's not cheap being a photographer these days. But then again, it never was. But it sure is fun. And I feel more prepared than ever to make interesting images. Plus, I don't think I've ever enjoyed this craft more than I do now.

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.