This is The Digital Story Podcast #892, April 26, 2023. Today's theme is "Going Beyond the Polarizer." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

It's true, we just don't need many filters these days for our digital cameras. Maybe a protection filter. Maybe not. Many photographers, if they carry anything at all, it's a polarizer. But if you're interested in distinguishing your work from the masses, there are a couple other filters I recommend. And I'm going to share those in the first segment of today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

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Going Beyond the Polarizer

In our digital cameras, White Balance has replaced a whole slew of color correction filters. And I say, "Thank God!" What a pain in the neck strap they were.

In fact, I have an entire shoebox filled with amber and green and gosh knows what in various sizes. I still have yellow, orange, red, and green screw-ins for B&W photography. But I don't really need them since they too are emulated in my digital cameras.

However, I still find the polarizer quite useful. It can tame distracting reflections, deepen a blue sky, and slow the shutter speed by 2 stops. No wonder it's still quite popular.

But I'm going to share a secret with you. The polarizer isn't the only filter in my bag of tricks. There are two others that I depend on. One of them you probably know about. The other, I would be surprised if you did.

Let's start with the one your know about: the Hoya R72 Infrared filter. I just talked about it recently, and it allows me to convert my Fujifilm X100V into a harsh light IR capture device. I find it indispensable.

The one you probably don't know about is the NiSi Black Mist Filter.

Now we've all had our disappointments with external diffusers and softeners. Forget about all of that. NiSi filters are a whole different ballgame.

They come in 3 strengths, and the effect is subtle, but profound. Here are their basic characteristics.

• Reduce highlights and lower contrast - If I want to shoot midday, and I don't want to work in B&W, this is my color option.
• Can be used to create a cinematic look - Because of the way the NiSi diffuses light sources, such as a street lamp, the image has a glow that feels very cinematic.
• Doesn't derail sharpness - When I use it for portraits, I still get wonderfully sharp eyes, but skin is much more attractive.
• Comes in a variety of sizes - They make screw-in versions for 49mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm. Plus they have special mounts for the X100V, Ricoh, GR IIIX, and iPhones.

I'm currently using the NiSi Black Mist 1/4 Filter for FUJIFILM X100 Cameras (Black) $69. And Ricoh GR IIIX photographers can use the NiSi Black Mist Filter Kit For Ricoh GR IIIx $95. And the NiSi IP-A Filmmaker Kit for iPhone $149 includes IP-A Filter Holder, Black Mist 1/4 Filter, P1 Prosories Case, and a True Color ND-VARIO Pro Filter.

I'm posting two examples with the Black Mist 1/4 on a X100V in the Show Notes. Both images were captured around midday. The first is a bumble bee collecting pollen on a Blue Blossom Ceanothus flower. The NiSi filter helped me tame the contrasty light for a lovely image. And the second is Sylvester the cat resting her chin on a shoe in the bright light streaming in from a south facing window.

Regardless of which camera you use for your creative work, there's probably an artistic filter that fits it. And the best part is, you don't have to do anything in post. Just take the picture and enjoy.

The Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is so Popular, Ricoh Can't Keep it in Stock

You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com.

Ricoh has already sold out of its Japanese allocation of Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome cameras twice. Clearly, the company's latest DSLR is extremely popular.

Announced earlier this month, the Pentax K-3 III Monochrome is the only black and white DSLR on the market. Based on the original K-3 Mark III, Pentax's flagship APS-C camera, the body of the Monochrome version is not substantially different other than a lack of color in the design and the fact that the sensor is only capable of capturing black and white photos.

Clearly, the camera is extremely popular, at least in Japan, since Ricoh has not been able to keep it in stock. While the camera doesn't start shipping until the end of April, pre-orders have flooded the company to the degree that it's not going to have any more available for at least a couple of months.

Ricoh in Japan actually apologized that it had run out of its allocation for the country the same day the camera was announced.

"We are pleased to announce that the number of pre-orders for the PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome Matte Black Edition, a monochrome digital SLR camera that is scheduled to be released on April 28, 2023, has greatly exceeded our initial expectations. As a result, production is unable to keep up with demand," Ricoh said on April 13.

"Therefore, we will temporarily suspend accepting new orders until we have a certain outlook for product supply. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to customers who have been waiting for this product."

Five days later, Ricoh announced that it had resumed accepting orders for the camera as it had, apparently, been able to catch production up with orders and would be able to ship out this second allocation by the end of May.

That did not last long. On April 21, Ricoh sold out again.

"We will temporarily suspend accepting new orders at the Ricoh Imaging Store until the next product supply (scheduled for summer 2023) is confirmed. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to customers who have been waiting for this product," the company writes.

The Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome DSLR is still available to pre-order for $2,200 in the United States, but given the popularity in Japan, it's not clear how quickly those pre-orders will actually be shipped to buyers.

This Week on Live View

"Learning Process From Ansel Adams" by Ben Long; "5 Simple Steps for Shooting on the Street" by Sean Staples; and "Shooting Blind" by Lawrence Lazare.

If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view.

If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at dstory@gmail.com.

What juice jacking and trustjacking are, and how to protect yourself

You can read the entire article AppleInsider.com.

Inserting an unprotected iPhone or iPad into a new port can leave you with unwanted infections. "Juice jacking" and "trustjacking" are two ways to catch digital diseases, but there are ways to protect yourself.

You might not have previously thought about cybersecurity when charging your iPhone on the go, but that Lightning cable can carry data as well as power. Here are the vulnerabilities involved and how to minimize the risks.

Smartphones and tablet computers use the same port for charging and data transfer. "Juice jacking" exploits the possibility that an owner might connect their device to a malicious or compromised charging port, which can then be used to steal data from the device.

Previously, iOS devices were more vulnerable to juice jacking, since connecting an iOS device to a PC didn't require authorization. However, when iOS 7 was introduced in 2013, this was no longer the case.

How to prevent juice jacking

When you connect your iOS device to a computer, iOS 7 prompted you with, "Trust This Computer? Your settings and data will be accessible from this computer when connected via USB or Wi-Fi." You could then select "Trust" or "Don't Trust."

The wording was later changed to, "Allow this device to access photos and videos? This device will be able to access photos and videos while it is connected to your iPhone." You could then choose "Allow" or "Don't Allow."

Virtual Camera Club News

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.

TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events.

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.

My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me!

The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.

Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.

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

See you next week!

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #891, April 18, 2023. Today's theme is "Are You Nuts? (buying a monochrome only camera)." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

I would imagine that most people's first reaction to the just-announced Pentax K-3 III Monochrome DSLR would be, "Who would buy that?" In fact, I may have uttered the same thing. But after a little research on the idea, I'm not so sure. Find out why, and lots more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Are You Nuts? (buying a monochrome only camera)

The Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome is variant of its highly regarded 25.7MP APS-C DSLR, but with no color filter array.

What happens without the color filter array? Well, according to Pentax, typical color image sensors are designed to receive light passing through red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color filters, so each pixel detects only one color-data component. To compose a monochrome image, color sensors must convert color data into monochromatic data by interpolating the color data they collect. The new monochrome-specific image sensor, however, can faithfully reflect the brightness data obtained by each pixel in the image -- without the interpolation process -- to produce extra-fine monochromatic expression, in images high in resolution and rich in gradation. Plus, there's no AA (anti-aliasing) filter either.

The changes just weren't on the inside either. The PENTAX K-3 Mark III Monochrome provides white backlight illumination on the LCD data panel positioned on its upper panel, while featuring "Monochrome" lettering printed on the upper-left shoulder of the back panel. Its menu screen features a black-and-white visual scheme as default, while the SR (Shake Reduction) badge is finished in silver. The icons printed on buttons and switches across the camera's exterior are finished in three shades of gray to assist the users with their camera operation. All in all, the concept of monochrome photography is evident throughout the camera body. Plus, since WB isn't an issue, the white balance button of the PENTAX K-3 Mark III is replaced with the Fx (function) button.

Still not swayed? Fair enough. Let's dig a little deeper.

This is only the third monochrome-only camera on the market. Leica and Phase One each have an offering, at many times more the price than the Pentax.

Leica is just getting ready to release the M11 Monochrom Rangefinder Camera. What's interesting about the M11 Monochrom is that this is, I believe, the fourth edition in its monochrom line. Far from a one and done.

As I continued to research and think about the Pentax Monochrome, I realized five things that weren't initially apparent to me.

• Total Embodiment of B&W - It's not just the sensor, the entire camera oozes monochrome goodness, from its stealthy body design, to custom BW settings, to the heart of the camera itself. It is the total B&W experience.
• Compatible with Every Vintage Pentax Lens - Yes, you can use your modern Pentax AF lenses on the Monochrome, but you can also mount a Pentax-M 50mm f/2.0 and further stylize your B&W captures. Vintage lens are a blast on any camera, but imagine using your favorites on this Monochrome body. And since the image stabilization is sensor-based, you have IS for the vintage glass as well.
• Affordable by Comparison - The Leica M11 Monochrom was just released for $9,195. Plus, we know how much the lenses sell for. The Pentax Monochrome will be released in late April for $2,199.
• Better Low Light Performance, No Color Noise - The monochrome sensor provides an additional stop of sensitivity, better capture sharpness, and less noise.
• No Post Processing Required - For those who want the pure photography experience without the need for post processing, just grab your yellow and red filters, and fire away with the Pentax Monochrome.

Am I saying that you should check your credit card balance and buy the K3 Monochrome? No, I'm not. It is a specialty camera for a niche audience.

But what I am saying is that I'm thrilled that Pentax continues to explore all aspects of photography and deliver tools for those who want this experience. I'm very much hoping to get my hands on one. I just hope that I'll be able to let it go once I do.

You can now order your Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome.

Meike's New 85mm f/1.4 to be the First 3rd Party Autofocus Lens for Canon RF

You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com.

Meike has announced a new 85mm f/1.4 autofocus lens for Sony E, Nikon Z, Leica L, and -- surprisingly -- Canon RF mounts. If this stands, Meike will be the first third-party manufacturer to come to market with an autofocus-equipped lens for Canon's mirrorless mount.

While Meike isn't the first third-party camera lens manufacturer to make an autofocus-equipped Canon RF lens, if things stand it will be the first to actually successfully sell it.

For example, Rokinon (also known as Samyang), tried to release a 14mm f/2.8 autofocus lens for Canon RF and Viltrox attempted to sell several autofocus lenses that would mount to Canon's mirrorless cameras, but those companies quickly heard from Canon's lawyers and ceased production.

Last September, Canon confirmed that it was pursuing legal action against manufacturers that were producing autofocus lenses for its RF mount. It's not clear if anyone who actually purchased any of those lenses received them, and -- until now -- no third-party manufacturer has tried to produce another since Canon's legal department is particularly aggressive -- the company has repeatedly shown that outside of cameras in its printer department as well.

The only third-party RF lens to get the official nod from Canon is the Cosina Voigtlander Nokton 50mm f/1 aspherical, which is notably not an autofocus lens.

In addition to RF mount, Meike intends to make the stepping motor-driven autofocus lens available for Sony E, Nikon Z, and Leica L-mounts (though the company humorously refers to it as Panasonic L mount).

At the time of publication, Meike had not determined a final price or the release date. The lens is currently on display at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen if Canon will allow Meike to actually produce the RF mount version of the lens.

This Week on Live View

"This imaging revolution will be different than the last one" by Ben Long; "A Day Later, A Dollar Wiser" by Jim Kuzman; and "No Skies Were Harmed in the Making of My Photographs" by Michael Bryant.

If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. Hope to see you there.

Incredible Hand-Held 30 Second Exposures With an iPhone App

You can read the entire article FStoppers.com.

From the creators of ReeXpose comes Reeheld. It apparently uses AI stabilization (something we are all very aware of at the moment) to create stunning handheld images.

This is ideal for when you don't have your camera kit with you. Missing your tripod? Don't worry using this app can give you up to 30 seconds of exposure blending the correct parts together. Now I'm not a landscape photographer as such but there are times when I'm out and about and like to take pictures but just don't have my camera with me. This could be the answer. Other apps that Dewis includes in his video are Spectre which has been around for a long time but has just not been updated in quite a while.

Virtual Camera Club News

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.

TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events.

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.

My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 90 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me!

The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.

Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.

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

See you next week!

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

Practically any child who's ever inherited anything from a relative received a box of aging slides and negatives as part of the bargain. None of us really asked for this stuff. It was just loaded up with the rest of the mementos.

The funny thing is, there are often treasures sandwiched in there between the embarrassing vacation shots and awkward birthday moments. But to discover them, we have to set aside a little time to explore.

In my view, it's time well spent.

But then what? Once you discover that timeless portrait of a loved one captured on celluloid, what do you do with it? The answer is nestled right there in your gear bag. Using a digital camera with a close-focusing lens is the easiest way to preserve, enhance, and ultimately share aging film images that may have otherwise languished.

Here's a simple path forward.

Digitize the Film

The first step is to make a digital copy of the negative or slide. You'll have to spend a few minutes getting things set up. But once you do, the process is easy.

An LED light with a film holder to illuminate the film negative.

You'll need some sort of illuminated stage to put the film negative on so that it's backlit. Currently, I use an LED light with a diffuser and a film holder, but you can use anything in your gadget box that works. I've gone as simple as using a plain white sheet of paper as the diffuser and a large diameter lens protection filter to keep the film flat on the stage. If you have an old lightbox laying around, that works great too.

Once you have the stage set up, put your camera on a tripod and get things as level as possible. Shoot in RAW. This will give you the highest quality output. I use the self timer to trigger the shutter so I don't jar the camera at exposure. And make sure the focus is on the actual film so that the image is as sharp as possible.

Process the Image on Your Computer

If you digitized a negative, then you need to convert it to positive. You can use any photo app that has a Levels adjustment. Mac users can go as simple as opening the file in the Preview app that comes standard on the computer.

Even the humble Preview app on Macs can be used to convert a negative to a positive.

In Preview, go to Tools > Adjust Color. The Levels adjustment is at the top of that panel. It displays a histogram with three triangle "handles" below it. To convert the negative to positive, grab the handle on the left and drag it to the right side of the histogram. Then grab the handle on the right and drag it to the left. This will create your initial conversion. Now play around with all three handles to get the final exposure you want.

Inverting the Levels adjustment converts your negative to a workable image.

If you want to tone the photo a bit to give it more of an old time look, try the Sepia slider or play with Temperature. When it's time to crop the image, go to Tools > Rectangular Selection and click-drag the frame. Use Tools > Crop to finish it off.

Finishing Touches

You can score points with other family members by sending them a copy of the digitized file. I also recommend printing the image on nice photo paper and framing it for inclusion in the family gallery. Framed prints make excellent gifts too.

Final Thoughts

There are two basic reasons why treasured family images never make it out of the shoebox. First, it does take some time to sift through them to find the ones worth saving. But once that happens, most folks don't realize how easy it is to digitize that content and start sharing it with others. Just cobble together the few items you need to create a backlit stage, then get our your camera.

We can't bring our loved ones back to life. But what we can do is resurrect their best moments - not only for us, but for the generations that follow.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #890, April 11, 2023. Today's theme is "The Thing About Sunsets (and other notes from Maui)." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

When you're on an island in the Pacific during springtime, the sky is a moving picture show of clouds. And when the sun begins to set, well, that's the main feature. Photographers are drawn to sunsets like moths to flame. And in my view, there's more to it than just another pretty picture. This, and other notes from Maui, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher

Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In

The Thing About Sunsets (and other notes from Maui)

Sunset is about a quarter to seven in Maui right now. So around 6pm, regardless of what you're doing, we usually put a bookmark there and head down to the beach.

It's fun to watch the gathering crowd in what has become an evening tradition on the upper west side of the island. Some folks bring fish and veggies to barbecue while others are holding cocktails in a plastic cups. And you can hear fragments of conversations wafting in the air.

The other night, as the sky was lighting up in shades of orange and blue, a lady walked by and noticed how stunning it was. "Will a picture of that turn out?" she asked out loud. I said, "Of course. Try to frame it with those palm trees. The silhouettes will add some depth to your image." "Oh, that's a good idea she said," while holding her iPhone up to the sky.

She was not alone. Many of us were capturing the moment with our cameras. It's not that I have a shortage of Maui sunsets. But each one of them is a little different and often has its own story.

And that's the thing about sunsets. Yes, the common denominator is that they are beautiful. But they are also different. And just because you captured one the night before, doesn't mean you should pass on the next. Because they will be as unique as two snowflakes landing on a frozen leaf.

One of the reasons I never get tired photographing Maui sunsets is because I always have other elements to play with. On the horizon, there are the islands of Molokai and Lanai that always attract their own clouds. I can count on at least on sailboat drifting by. And then there are the silhouettes of palm trees and people in the foreground.

No reasonable photographer can turn their back on a striking sunset without pulling out their camera. Nor should they. There is no better way to end the day than standing with loved ones and strangers admiring nature's final flourish before the evening stars take over the sky.

Meet Me at High Noon

If sunsets are the epitome of beauty and ease, photography at high noon is its scurrilous sibling. With the sun high overhead and the landscaped bathed in harsh, contrasty light, middle of the day compositions can be a real challenge.

I remembered to pack a Hoya R72 IR filter to use with my X110V in monochrome+R mode, and immersed myself in hyper B&W photography.

I love the results!

DPReview closure: an update

You can read the entire article on DPReview.com.

We've received a lot of questions about what's next for the site. We hear your concerns about losing the content that has been carefully curated over the years, and want to assure you that the content will remain available as an archive.

We've also heard that you need more time to access the site, so we're going to keep publishing some more stories while we work on archiving.

Thank you to this community and the support you've shown us over the years.

This Week on Live View

"Get Outside and Leave that Big Camera Behind" by Scott Houston and "How to Make Your RAW Files Look Even Better" by Derrick Story.

If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. Hope to see you there.

Tesla Sued Over Report Employees Shared Private Car Camera Footage

You can read the entire article PetaPixel.com.

"Since at least 2019, the cameras in Tesla vehicles captured highly-invasive videos and images of the cars' owners, which Tesla employees were able to access--not for the stated purposes of communication, fulfillment of services, and enhancement of Tesla vehicle driving systems--but for the tasteless and tortious entertainment of Tesla employees, and perhaps those outside the company, and the humiliation of those surreptitiously recorded," the lawsuit reads.

"By virtue of this defective system, Tesla employees accessed and circulated recordings of Tesla customers in private and embarrassing situations, without their consent including, for example, video of a man approaching a Tesla vehicle completely naked, and video of vehicle crashes and road-rage incidents," the lawsuit continues.

"Tesla employees also shared pictures of family pets, which were made into memes by embellishing them with captions or commentary before posting them in group chats. While some postings were only shared between a few employees, others could be seen by 'scores' of Tesla employees. And as is common with internet culture, many of these videos and images were very likely shared with persons outside the company."

Multiple reports have confirmed that Tesla employees were able to view images of customers through the company's cars and shared them amongst each other, despite Tesla's own privacy statements.

Portrait Beast: We Review the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 Lens for Fujifilm

You can read the entire article FStoppers.com.

The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 autofocus lens is the first in their high-end PRO series line, and it is clear from first opening the box that this lens means business. It is all metal and feels extremely robust, with a smooth focusing barrel and an aperture ring that has just the right amount of resistance to click into place without feeling cumbersome. The lens is certainly not small or light, but I found it quite comfortable to use. I really like the way it pairs with the Fujifilm X-T5, not only aesthetically but more importantly it balances nicely with the camera, especially for a lens with a full frame focal length equivalent of 112.5mm.

What I loved the most were the beautiful colors, pleasing skin tones, and excellent contrast. Portrait photographers will absolutely love the bokeh, and as someone who enjoys shooting wide open, this lens hits the spot. Regarding image quality, this is one of the best lenses I've tested and certainly rivals the quality I get with my Fujifilm lenses.

I upgraded the firmware to version 1.0.2 after my studio session, and there was a noticeable difference in the autofocus performance. I thought that the autofocus was good even before the update, so having the slight bump in performance was a nice touch. One thing I really appreciate is how quiet the lens is. The STM motor is fast and almost silent, and when using it with eye tracking, I was able to achieve excellent and consistent results with the X-T5.

Outside of some flaring when shooting in direct sunlight, I really can't find anything negative to say about the Viltrox 75mm f/1.2. In fact, from the moment I put it on my camera, I fell in love with it, because it handles like a much more expensive Fujifilm lens in terms of design, performance, and most importantly, image quality. I think that Viltrox has hit a home run with this lens, and for those of us who shoot with Fujifilm cameras, it is a very appealing lens in terms of focal length, autofocus, and overall quality.

The Viltrox 75mm f/1.2 AF Lens is available now from B&H Photo for $549.

Virtual Camera Club News

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.

TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events.

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.

My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me!

The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.

Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.

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

See you next week!

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #889, April 4, 2023. Today's theme is "Why Being Good is Great." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

It feels like we live in a world of extremes right now. Big successes and tragic failures dominate our headlines, and often our approach to work and creative pursuits. The goal is to be great, to be admired as the best, to be on top. That's fine if it happens. But my observation is that folks who are good at what they do seem to be happier. How could that be? Find out on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher

Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In

Why Being Good is Great

I think the easiest way to begin this discussion is with a look at my own career. Then we can meander from there.

I am good at a few things. I'm a good writer, photographer, podcaster, educator, and musician. But, I am not great at any of these.

Most likely, I will never win a Pulitzer Prize, hang a show in a museum, win a broadcasting award, accept a professorship at Harvard, or write a Top 10 song. And yet, I am wildly happy.

But how could that be? By every measure of pinnacle success, I have fallen short. Do I not have the appropriate fire in my gut to climb the mountain of fame and fortune? Am I short on talent? Maybe I just don't work hard enough.

All of those may be true. But I don't think that's my problem. My issue is that I like being good at what I do. When I publish an effective article, make someone smile during a podcast, see someone's eyes sparkle when they learn something new in class, or giggle at one of my silly songs, I feel good. Maybe I have a small glass of whiskey before dinner. Watch something interesting on TV afterward. Then sleep like a baby.

I think the achievement of being good at what you do is undervalued. I marvel at people who are good at things that I am not. I appreciate the plumber who fixes my sink in a fraction of the time that it would take me to do so. I know that am not good at plumbing.

Doctors who prolong my vitality, administrators who fix bureaucratic mistakes, a food server who manages to overcome the shortcomings of the chef she has to work with that night - these are all people who are good at what they do. And they are the folks who make the world a better place.

In our world of photography and creativity, what does being good actually mean? I have 5 bullet points that you may find helpful. Being a good photographer means:

• You have learned how to operate your camera so it is a natural extension of your vision, not a distraction.
• You have learned how to adapt to different photo situations, know how to adjust your camera accordingly, to produce a good image, even if outside your normal comfort zone.
• You can adjust your pictures in an image editor to improve them, and do so in a reasonable amount of time.
• You can look at someone else's picture, recognize the effective aspects of it, and identify, if present, areas that may need improvement.
• Others recognize you as a capable photographer, converse with you as such, and appreciate some of the work that you've produced.

If you are accomplished in these five categories, you are a good photographer. And if you continue to work on your craft, you will become better.

Does this mean that if you try even harder you will become great. Who knows? And what difference does it make?

What's important to me, and I suspect this may be true for you as well, is that others respect my work. If I overhear someone say, "Yeah, he's a pretty good writer," I'm ready to celebrate with a couple tacos and a cold beer.

I like being good at what I do. I sleep well at night. And I try to see the admirable capabilities in others. I think some of the happiest people on earth are those who understand they are good at what they do.

This is why, I say, being good is great.

Digicam Finder is a New Resource That Replaces DPReview's Camera Library

You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com.

Digicam Finder is a new resource that has successfully ported over a huge amount of information from DPReview in an attempt to keep a historical record of every digital camera released since the early 1990s alive.

Last month, after DPReview announced that it would cease operations on April 10 and eventually close, fans of the website scrambled to retain the site's massive library of content before it was deleted. One such endeavor kicked off almost immediately after the news broke and has already launched: Digicam Finder.

"Ever since the DPReview closure announcement there was a looming risk that we'll all lose the entirety of its 25 years of data," Peter Green, co-developer of the platform, tells PetaPixel.

Green, who is the co-founder of the private investment platform Republic, says that Digicam Finder is designed to be a new source of the most complete and accurate digital camera data on the Internet, which was built and maintained by him and a passionate group of users from the DPReview community.

"Many of us were thinking how to preserve [DPReview] and worked non-stop this past week. Well, now I'm happy to say that with the community effort, we managed to save it and it will keep being available for public access post-DPReview's closing," Green says.

Digicam Finder has mirrored the basic information of more than 2,500 digital cameras that date back to 1994. The site contains full specifications and is searchable by several parameters. Additionally, Green says that the site is built on "modern tech rails" that make it mobile-friendly and very fast to load -- both advantages over what he admits were some downsides to DPReview which he says felt "like a 25-year old website" at times.

Live View Is Launching Today

You may recall that a couple months ago I talked about a new publication I was working on for Medium.com called Live View, and I was looking for writers within our community.

It's now coming to life! Live View launches today with two stories, and will publish every Tuesday moving forward.

Our first article is by Cynthia A. Whelan titled, Why I'm an iPhoneographer (and why you might want to be one too.) Cynthia is an experienced photographer who attended my writing workshop in Dec. 2021. She's exploring the world in her rec van and will be sharing her findings on Live View.

The second article, Shooting Motorsports (how to make your images look fast) is by John Zachary. John is an experienced motor sports photographer who moved from lugging DSLRs to shooting with Fujifilm's mirrorless cameras. He says he's never been happier.

If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. Hope to see you there.

Photography cheat sheet: Color temperature & the Kelvin scale

You can read the entire article DigitalCameraWorld.com.

White balance, or WB, is necessary on cameras as light doesn't just vary in brightness, but also in color. Each light source has its own individual 'color temperature', which varies from red to blue as you move through the visible spectrum. Human vision is very good at compensating for this, so a sheet of white paper will look white whether it's viewed in daylight or by candlelight. It's the job of the camera's White Balance system to do the same thing and compensate for the color differences in the lighting, so the colors in a scene look exactly as we would expect.

Digital cameras have a wide range of options for controlling the White Balance to suit the color temperature of the light in the scene, including Automatic White Balance (AWB), which will cleverly look after all this for you. However, as with all your camera's automatic settings, the Auto White Balance isn't foolproof, and it may under-compensate for extreme conditions because it can only operate within a restricted range of temperatures.

Virtual Camera Club News

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.

TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events.

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.

My Writing on Medium.com: I now have 51 published articles on Medium.com. And if you haven't visited the site, and enjoy good writing on a variety of topics, I suggest that you may want to take a look. You can just go to the home page and enter "Derrick Story" in the search field. And if you like what you read, then follow me!

The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.

Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.

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

See you next week!

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