This is The Digital Story Podcast #962, August 27, 2024. Today's theme is "Getting Ready for Alaska." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

In less than 2 weeks, I'm boarding a plane as the first leg of my trip to Alaska. I've never been there, and I want to be prepared for anything that I may encounter. Since I'm smack dab in the middle of my planning, I thought I'd share my thought process with you. All of that, and more, on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

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Getting Ready for Alaska

So, let's cut to the chase... which camera am I taking? I've narrowed it down to two different systems. Here are the contenders.

OM System OM 1 Micro Four Thirds

• OM-1 camera body
• OM System 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO II Zoom
• Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Zoom
• Olympus 1.4X Teleconverter
• Olympus 17mm f/1.8 Prime
• Olympus 75mm f/1.8 Prime

OR...

Nikon Zf Full Frame

• Nikon Zf camera body
• Nikon 28-400mm Z f/4-8 Zoom
• Nikon 24-50 Z f/4-6.3 Compact Zoom
• Nikon 40mm Z f/2.0 Prime
• Nikon 26mm Z f/2.8 Pancake Prime
• Viltrox 20mm Z f/2.8 Prime

Pros and Cons

We will be traveling the inside passage via ship, but I will be hiking on photo excursions when in port. Compactness is less of an issue for this trip than others.

I'm hoping to be able to photograph the Northern Lights, wildlife, landscape, street photography, and life on the ship.

I'm leaning toward the Nikon for this trip because of its low-light capability and depth of field control, and using the OM-1 for the Durango trip that's two weeks after Alaska for its portability during hikes.

I'm discussing all of this in the podcast.

Other Essentials for the Trip

• MacBook Pro 14" M1 laptop
• Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Power Station
• Solgaard Check-In Closet Lite with FlowCloset System
• Lowepro Trekker Lite BP 150 AW Backpack (flat in the suitcase)
• Tenba Cooper 13 Slip Carry-On Shoulder Bag

WD Announces SanDisk 8 TB Memory Card

You can read the entire story on thePhoblographer.com.

Apple's 'Glowtime' iPhone event will be September 9th

You can read the entire story on DPReview.com.

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.

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.

Great Photography Articles on Live View - 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.

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 #961, August 20, 2024. Today's theme is "Zero Computational Photography with Process Zero." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Are you ready to see what kind of pictures your iPhone captures with absolutely no computational photography applied? You might wonder how that could even happen. The latest version of Halide (2.15) includes a feature called Process Zero. And when it's enabled, you record a RAW file with no AI or computational photography adjustments. Basically, it's like shooting slide film with an analog camera. And the results just might surprise you. I explain how it works, plus more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Zero Computational Photography with Process Zero

Halide Mark II is an iPhone camera app for enthusiast photographers. It provides lots of control over the capture process. And with version 2.15, it basically allows for complete control over the image appearance with what they call Process Zero. Here's how they describe it.

"When you take a photo on your iPhone, your photo is processed. The newer your iPhone is, the more processing typically happens: sometimes AI even comes in to make significant changes to your shot. People are made brighter, noise is reduced, details enhanced and 'flaws' removed.

Easy, quick adjustments, ideal when you want to skip the editing or get a first pass on your shots.

Feature Review

• It produces photos with more detail and allows the photographer greater control over lighting and exposure. This is not a photo filter-- it really develops photos at the raw, sensor-data level.
• Process Zero is available on every iPhone that runs Halide and iOS 17, not just the latest iPhones Pro.
• iPhone controls noise by combining multiple photos. You are no longer capturing a single moment in time, and when you average together multiple photos, noise goes away. Process Zero is a single-shot process.
• Process Zero gives you a single 12-megapixel shot. It will be less saturated, softer, grainier, and quite different than what you see from most phones. Each shot includes a true Bayer RAW file, if you want to use it in a full-fledged RAW editor, but we designed Halide so you don't need one.
• You can subcribe to get the latest version of Halide and Image Lab for $11.99 a year. They offer a 1-week free trial.

"Camera" is the indie movie every photographer will love and you can stream it now

You can read the entire story on DigitalCameraWorld.com.

Photographer Retrieves $25K Worth of Stolen Gear Thanks to AirTags, Films Encounter on Meta Ray-Bans

You can read the entire story on PetaPixel.com.

There's a cheap LED camera light hidden inside this fake film roll

You can read the entire story on TheVerge.com.

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.

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.

Great Photography Articles on Live View - 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.

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 #960, August 13, 2024. Today's theme is "Roof Top Camping and Nimble Photography." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

As I wandered through the campgrounds during my latest outing, I noticed some very impressive encampments that I'm sure required plenty of manpower to set up. Being the Nimble Photographer that I am, I prefer a lighter touch, which leaves me more time for photography and campfire gazing. In this week's show I talk about the TentBox Go RTT, roll out awnings, portable fire rings and more. Time saved in camp leads to more photography. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Roof Top Camping and Nimble Photography

I'm going to break this feature story into two parts. I'll lead off with the camping set up (including a picture in the show notes), and then I'll discuss the photography rig I used in camp and on the trail.

The Camp Setup

One of the most important features or any comfortable campsite is the sleeping arrangement. Over the years I've migrated from sleeping on the ground with a closed-foam pad, to tents with inflatable mattresses, to inside the VW Vanagon, to inside the VW ID.4 SUV, to finally a Roof Top Tent (RTT) on the roof of the ID.4.

When I first describe the RTT to people who aren't familiar with them, it's hard for them to imagine. What do you mean you're sleeping on top of your car? How could that be comfortable?

Those are reasonable questions. Here's the way it works.

Believe it or not, most RTTs work on a wide variety of cars. You need to be able to put roof racks with cross bars on top. The RTT securely mounts on top of the roof racks. It is collapsed while you're driving, then opened once you're in camp.

People often ask about the amount of weight that the roof and racks can support. The answer is a surprising amount. The roof racks determine how much weight you can put on them. There are two categories: dynamic weight and static. Dynamic is during driving, and that's the rating you'll usually see listed on the rack. Mine can bear up to 165 pounds of dynamic weight.

In terms of static, when you're not driving, that can go up to 600 pounds or more of distributed weight, like people laying down in a roof top tent.

My TentBox Go weighs 73 pounds and measures Width: 50 in, Length: 90 in, Height: 45 in when open, and collapses to 18 in tall when collapsed. They achieve this light weight by using a trampoline styled base with a closed-foam air mattress on top.

I am 6'7" tall and weigh 238 pounds. I can stretch out full length in the TentBox Go and there are no weight issues with the top of my car or the racks.

And because the tent sits up on the racks, the aerodynamics of the car remain intact when I'm driving. My KwH per mile is virtually the same as without the tent at 65 MPH or slower, and a .3 loss per mile between 65 MPH and 72 MPH, and .5 loss per mile over 75 MPH. My normal average is 3.3 miles per KwH with no tent. So if I'm driving over 75 MPH, that can go down to 2.8 miles per KWH. On my recent camping trip, with car fully loaded, maintained my 3.3 miles per KwH for the entire trip.

Once the tent is erected, there are screened doors on both sides, a front screened window, and a screened skylight window. At night I would close the side and front windows and leave the skylight open so I could look at the stars.

A collapsible ladder comes with the tent that stores inside the unit during transport. I would go up four rungs then roll onto the mattress. It was easy and I never felt unsafe. Going back down is just as easy.

Inside, there is plenty of room to sit up if you want to work on your pictures. This is especially nice when the mosquitos are out and you want protection from them.

As for sleeping, I've never had a better couple of nights camping. The trampoline base is firm with just the right amount of give for sleeping on your side. Add the closed-foam air mattress that's designed for the tent (optional price), and I'm talking really comfortable.

Sleeping bag, pillows, and mattress all stay in the tent, even for transport. So it's always ready to go.

To set it up, you take off the protective cover, grab the ladder and extend it, then extend two poles inside the tent to raise it. It takes just a couple minutes. And it is very sturdy. It's rated stable up to 35 MPH winds when opened.

I add a SlimShady 6.5' ($389) lightweight roof mounted awning on the opposite side of the ladder that weighs just 29 pounds, but provides 42 square feet of covered patio space.

Both the upstairs bedroom and the patio add less than 100 pounds to the car, and don't adversely affect my mileage at normal speeds.

Now it's just a matter of adding the patio chairs, foldable table, and the propane-powered portable fire ring (though not directly under the patio cover.). I'm using the Camp Chef Juniper ($149) portable fire pit. It's also nice for grilling in a frying pan.

I also use the JetBoil Portable Stove System ($129) for rapid water boiling for coffee and meals.

I have the entire campsite set up in 45 minutes, which leaves me the rest of the afternoon for relaxation and photography.

Now for the Photography

It's been a long time since I've shot with an all-in-one zoom lens. So I wanted to test how far I could push the Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR Lens ($1,296) for the Nikon Zf ($1,996). Here's how it went.

Pre-Orders for Mint's $799 Rollei 35AF Film Camera Start September 10

You can read the entire story on Petapixel.com.

James Bond chooses Leica to photograph the Olympics

You can read the entire story on DigitalCameraWorld.com.

There's a cheap LED camera light hidden inside this fake film roll

You can read the entire story on TheVerge.com.

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.

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.

Great Photography Articles on Live View - 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.

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 #959, August 6, 2024. Today's theme is "County Fair and Fabulous Olympics Photography." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

If the steamy summer doldrums have put your photography on ice, then a colorful county fair might provide the inspiration to get you back outside. Even though fairs themselves are timeless activities, the rules have changed considerably. This week I punch your ticket for the Sonoma County Fair in Northern California. Then we travel to Paris for some truly impressive sports photography. 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

County Fair

Derrick talks about his photography at the local county fair.

• Preparation - check the fair website before leaving home.
• Camera Gear - things have changed.
• Security - getting inside the fairgrounds.
• Time of day
• Tell the Story - putting together a variety of shots.
• Save the Fun Zone for Last
• Don't Forget to Eat
• Processing and Presentation

Fabulous Summer Olympics Photography

Lots to talk about regarding the Summer Olympics, especially with the photography.

David Burnett does it again, with this epic Eiffel Tower Olympic image on 4x5 film

You can read the entire story on DigitalCameraWorld.com.

EPIC photo of gravity defying surfer Gabriel Medina in the air goes viral during Olympics

You can read the entire story on AmateurPhotographer.com.

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.

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.

Great Photography Articles on Live View - 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.

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.