The Digital Story: November 2024 Archives

This is The Digital Story Podcast #973, Nov. 12, 2024. Today's theme is "Tips for Showing Your Pictures on a 4K TV." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Family gatherings, special occasions, wedding receptions, and photography workshops - these are all great opportunities to show your pictures on a big screen. But how do you set things up so they look as good as possible? I have a few tips for you, and I'm going to share them on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Digital Photography Podcast 973

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Tips for Showing Your Pictures on a 4K TV

On the final day of our photography workshops, we all gather around a big 4K TV and share a handful of our pictures from the week. This is always a highlight of the event for me, and I think it's the same for each photographer.

Over the years I've used and experimented with different systems for large-screen display. In the early days, I used an Epson projector with a screen. At the time, it didn't seem too terrible, but I do remember turning around my laptop and showing the audience its display so they could see what the picture "really looked like." By today's standards, this method just isn't good enough.

Now we have big 4K LCD screens with HDMI input. Depending on the brand and model, these can be quite good. They're still not as excellent as our laptop screens or dedicated computer monitors, but with a little tweaking, the results can be quite pleasing. Here are a few tips to get the most from these TVs.

Making the HDMI Connection

I always carry an HDMI cable that plugs directly into my MacBook Pro. I recommend at least 6' long so you don't have to sit right under the big LCD during the presentation.

The great thing about HDMI is that you only need a cable and that's it. No fiddling with WiFi sharing and other wireless options. The signal is robust and the quality is good.

You will need the TV remote control to change the Input from the current HDMI input, probably a cable box, to the HDMI input you're using for your presentation.

Using Apple AirPlay

An Apple TV box isn't quite as simple as a single HDMI cable, but it does have a few advantages.

First, you're not tied to the TV itself as you are with a cable, and you can put the laptop anywhere in the room. And second, others can share their images as well. You're not limited to just one device accessing the TV screen.

But there are more steps involved for this arrangement.

You have to pack an Apple TV, power cord, and HDMI cable.
There needs to be a WiFi network available for both Apple TV and the laptop.
Once you have the Apple TV connected to the LCD via HDMI, go to Settings and make sure it's on the WiFi Network.
Then put your laptop, iPhone, or iPad on the same network.
On the laptop, go to the Control Panel and click on Screen Mirroring. The Apple TV should show up in the list of options.
For an iPhone or iPad, go to the Photos app, pick the picture you want, go to Sharing, and choose AirPlay.

Adjusting Tone and Color

Regardless of which method you use, you'll probably have to adjust tone and color if that's important to your viewing audience. Using the TV remote, go to Menu > Picture Settings. You should have options for Brightness, Contrast, Sharpness, Color, Tint, and Color Temperature, depending on the brand and model of the TV.

Adjust the sliders in the TV Settings while comparing the appearance to the picture on your computer or device. You might not be able to get a perfect match, but I've found that I can get it pretty close.

A Reminder for Success

Regardless of which method you use for displaying images on an LCD TV, allow for time beforehand to set up and test your configuration. It's easy to forget when the share buttons are and other settings for your presentation.

If it's an important once in a lifetime occasion, such as a wedding reception, practice at home before you get on location. Make notes as to where the settings are for your devices, and make a few dry runs to get everything dialed in.

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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.

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This is The Digital Story Podcast #972, Nov. 5, 2024. Today's theme is "Post Mortem Lightroom: What Happens When the Subscription Ends?" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

For many photographers, their life's work is organized inside a Lightroom catalog. Most often, the software is part of an Adobe subscription for $9.99 a month. So what happens if that photographer passes away? Are those images in jeopardy? What is the best move forward for those entrusted with the catalog? I address those issues on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Digital Photography Podcast 972

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First, A Note to My Fellow Americans

Today, Nov. 5, 2024, is national election day. Each citizen has the opportunity to cast a ballot for their choice for president, and in many cases, down-ballot as well for Representatives to the House, the Senate, local officials, and sometimes even propositions.

If you're registered, please vote. The foundation of this country's political system is based on one person, one ballot. And this country depends on your participation. If you haven't done so already, please make time today to make your voice heard.

Post Mortem Lightroom: What Happens When the Subscription Ends?

A friend of mine, and a very dear friend of my brother-in-law Pat, recently passed away. He was an avid photographer who had more that 45,000 images in his Lightroom Classic catalog.

Pat is helping his family by taking a look at the MacBook Pro that houses the Lightroom catalog, the Photos app, and anything photography-related. He's going to make a recommendation to the family about the best way to preserve this work for others who may want to view it.

Our friend was a biologist who documented his observations with a Nikon D500. He was also a family man and a father. Like so many, most of the family moments are in his Photos library, and his work in the Lightroom catalog.

Pat and I have met twice to brainstorm on the best path forward. My recommendation is to "Freeze It In Time." Since everything is well organized in both Photos and Lightroom, we already have a card catalog of sorts since both applications have database underpinnings.

In addition to the User Collections in Lightroom, and the User-Created Albums in Photos, both applications have various forms of search that could help relatives find images they may be looking for. So if we just preserve the laptop as is, it will be available for future reference. And as an added measure of security, everything should be backed up onto secondary drives.

The potential fly in the ointment are the subscription services tied to those applications. What happens to the functionality of those libraries if the subscription ends.

According to Adobe, with Lightroom Classic, "You can continue to access all your photos on your local hard drive through Lightroom for the desktop. You can continue to import and organize photos and output your edited photos through Export, Publish, Print, Web, or Slideshow. Access to the Develop & Map modules and Lightroom for mobile is not available after your membership ends."

So in theory, we can continue to use Lightroom Classic as an organizer, export images when needed, and even use some of the presentation features. What we can't do is further edit the photos. So the images are literally frozen in time.

The news could be even better for the Photos library. If storage doesn't exceed the free iCloud plan, then everything should be there indefinitely. Things aren't quite as clear if paid storage is involved.

According to Apple:

If your iCloud storage exceeds your new storage plan capacity, iCloud won't sync or update your information, and iCloud backups won't complete. iCloud starts syncing again and iCloud backups resume when you increase your storage capacity or delete information to make more space.

If you downgrade to the free iCloud plan, you will no longer have access to iCloud+ features like Hide My Email, Private Relay, and HomeKit Secure Video support.2

If you pay for both Apple One and an iCloud+ plan, you can downgrade or cancel the iCloud+ plan and just use the iCloud+ plan included in Apple One. After you select Change Storage Plan, there might be additional steps before you can downgrade or cancel your storage.

Some sites claim that Apple will delete your data after 30 days of unpaid subscription. But I couldn't find anything official to corroborate that.

Regardless, it seems wise to download the entire Photos library on to a computer or hard drive. And before doing that, go to Settings in Photos, under the iCloud tab, and choose Download Originals to This Mac.

I have used the "Freeze It In Time" approach with my Aperture libraries. I have an old MacBook that maintains my archive, and I can export images out of them anytime I want.

Also, innovative software like Mylio and Peakto provide access to Lightroom and Aperture libraries, as well as Capture One. Going this route allows us to use modern computers that are faster running software that's current.

There is a time investment and software cost to go this route, but it is also a stable option that should work well for years to come. That is, as long as they aren't subscription-based.

The Bottom Line

When we debate the pros and cons of renting our software, we tend to think in present terms. But all of us have an expiration date. So it's wise to think about image preservation now, and build in a plan that others can easily access.

That way our families can focus on the memories we captured with our cameras instead of worrying about how to maintain them.

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