This is The Digital Story Podcast #685, April 30, 2019. Today's theme is "Weighing in on the Full Frame Panasonic S1." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

For experienced mirrorless photographers, the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 might feel like a beast of a camera. With the standard 24-105mm zoom lens attached, it is every bit as hefty as a Canon 5D with comparable zoom. In fact, it's about 3.75 pounds. That being said, this camera packs a lot of technology in that body, and that's what I'm going to take a closer look at in today's TDS Photography Podcast.

Weighing in on the Full Frame Panasonic S1

For my field test, I traveled east to the picturesque town of Calistoga. I set the S1 to RAW+Jpeg, program mode, auto white balance and ISO with its 24-105mm zoom lens. I wanted to see how it performed in its default mode.

Before I share my results, however, let's take a look at the highlight specs for the $3,400 camera and lens combo.

• 24.2MP Full-Frame MOS Sensor
• Venus Engine Image Processor
• 5.76m-Dot 0.78x-Magnification OLED LVF
• 3.2" 2.1m-Dot Triaxial Tilt Touchscreen
• UHD 4K60 Video; HDR and 10-Bit Recording
• ISO 100-51200, Up to 9 fps Shooting
• Contrast-Detect 225-Area DFD AF System
• Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization
• Weather-Sealed Construction
• Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro O.I.S. Lens

Let's start with the sensor. It is beautiful! IMHO, the Panasonic is every bit as good as the top Sony mirrorless in terms of dynamic range, low light performance, and color rendition. When paired with the zoom lens, the images are crisp and colorful, especially the Jpegs.

The RAW files are more, well, RAW. I like the Jpeg processing of the S1 and how it renders those images. The RAWs have wild potential, but even in Capture One Pro 12, they were a bit dull at the starting point (which is OK, BTW.)

Moving into the shooting experience, it took me a while to get comfortable with the S1.

When I compare the RAW files at 400 percent to those of the Olympus E-M1X, it really depends of how much light is available. During normal outdoor shooting, there wasn't a noticeable difference between the two sets of shots, except, however, for the faster drop-off of depth of field with the S1.

However, as the ISO goes up, the differences become more apparent. I think it's safe to say that the S1 has a 2-stop advantage in low light.

So, is this camera for you? If you've been jonesing for a full frame mirrorless, you have to consider the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1 a contender. Great sensor, excellent features, and top notch pictures - this camera delivers on the full frame promise.

Plus you're starting out with a reasonable L-Mount lens catalog thanks to the trio Panasonic launched with, plus 11 new optics from Sigma, plus Leica glass.

But, if you don't need full frame, I would choose a lighter more nimble camera, especially if the bulk of your shooting is in reasonable lighting. Plus, you could save yourself quite a bit of money.

Facebook, Instagram sue company that made over $9M selling fake likes and followers

This falls into the category that money can buy you love, or at least it could...

DP Review reports:Despite Instagram's Terms of Use (TOU) saying purchasing likes, followers and general activity isn't permitted, there's no shortage of services available that'll do just that. Instagram has long tried to shut these services down, but now the issue is going to be challenged in court for one particular New Zealand-based company.

Facebook has announced in a post on its Newsroom website that it and Instagram have filed a lawsuit in United States federal court against a company and three individuals located in New Zealand. According to the complaint, the defendants used various websites and corporations 'to sell fake engagement services to Instagram users.'

The lawsuit specifically seeks to stop the defendants from 'Engaging and profiting in the sale of fake likes, views and followers on Instagram,' 'Violating our Terms of Use and Community Guidelines' and 'Violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and other California laws for distributing fake likes on Instagram even after their access was revoked and their accounts were suspended.'

Update on the Nimble Photographer Podcast

A new episode will drop on Thursday. This time I'm talking with musician Alan Howarth. He's worked on scores for big time Hollywood hits such as Halloween. I think you'll be interested to hear the parallels between a musician's journey compared to that of a photographer or writer.

If you're interested in learning insights from working artists who have managed to survive in this competitive environment, I would encourage you to subscribe to The Nimble Photographer Podcast. It's available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Podcasts, and wherever you listen to your shows. My next interview should be live next week. In the meantime, you may want to check out to complete conversations with Trey and Ben. They're available right now.

New Online Trainings for Capture One Pro 12 and Luminar 3 with Libraries Now Available

Luminar 3 with Libraries Essential Training

Check out my new training, Luminar: Digital Asset Management that is available on LinkedIn Learning and on lynda.com.

Not only do I cover the library features, I provide a Quick Start chapter to get you up to speed in minutes, I show you the Magic Editing Filters in Luminar, and I explain how to use Luminar with other applications.

Once you apply these tools to your images, you'll discover that you can enhance them in ways never before possible, especially so easily. I hope you have a chance to explore both my training and the Luminar application itself. It may change your photography.

Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training

Topics in this course include (peppered with inside tips):

• Tapping all the new features in Capture One Pro 12
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

TDS Workshops Update

Humboldt Redwoods Workshop Update

Our grand finale of the season will be on Sept. 18-20 in one of the most beautiful areas on the planet. Our headquarters will be in Fortuna, CA - an easy drive from the Eureka Airport only 25 minutes away.

We're located on the Eel River, and situated perfectly to explore the Redwoods just south of us. This will be an excellent event to cool off, slow down, and get some great images. Plus, you'll be able to spend some quality time with your fellow virtual camera club members.

We still have a couple openings on the reserve list. You can secure your seat by visiting www.thenimblephotographer.com, and place a fully refundable deposit for the event.

Updates and Such

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts!

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.

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

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

Portfoliobox - Your PortfolioBox site is the best way to show off your best images.

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.

The reasons why I've shot RAW+Jpeg over the years have changed, with the only constant being that I still do. Some people might wonder, "Why would you capture two files for the same image?" The answer is: those files are very different.

When I hear people lament the demise of Aperture 3, one of the first comments was how it so effortlessly managed RAW+Jpeg pairs. On a more modern front, of all the features that Skylum could have added to Luminar 3.1, a headliner was easy RAW+Jpeg organization. Something must be going on here.

Of all the features that Skylum could have highlighted in Luminar 3.1, RAW+Jpeg was a major star. Why was that?

The Difference Between RAWs and Jpegs

In basic terms, a RAW file must be processed. Typically this happens with computer software such as Lightroom, Luminar, Capture One Pro, Photos for macOS, and other image editing applications. With today's wonderful capture devices, there's a lot of photo information that you can mine from a RAW file, especially highlight and shadow recovery.

Jpegs, on the other hand, are fully baked. The camera handles the processing of the image, and it's ready to go once it's been written to memory. You can view the picture with practically any device or software from smartphones to web browsers. You can send a baby picture to Aunt Jane without worrying if she has the latest version of Lightroom. Jpegs are the epitome of versatility.

Why I Love RAW+Jpeg

But that's not why I capture Jpegs with my RAW files. We have mirrorless cameras to blame for that.

Removing the mirror and prism from these devices wasn't their only innovation. We also started to see built-in film emulation profiles, art filters, and various effects that could be applied to Jpeg files. Many of these are quite wonderful. I love the monochromes that my Olympus PEN-F captures.

And if I shoot RAW+Jpeg, I can have those lovely monochromes, and I can have super-rich RAW files, all with one click of the shutter. And for many of us, this is an important aspect of our creative workflow.

RAW files are the ultimate safety net. Yes, with Jpegs, I can go out on a wire with some crazy in-camera filter and reach for the stars. But if that experiment fails, I still have the original digital negative to work with. This makes taking risks with important shots far more reasonable.

And that, among other reasons, are why RAW+Jpegs are here to stay.

Learn Luminar with Libraries Inside and Out

Want to master Luminar 3 with Libraries in just one day? Take a look at my new training, Luminar: Digital Asset Management that's available on LinkedIn Learning and on lynda.com.

Not only do I cover the library features, I provide a Quick Start chapter to get you up to speed in minutes, I show you the Magic Editing Filters in Luminar, and I explain how to use Luminar with other applications. It's fun, and you'll love the results!

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

Current Luminar photographers have a treat waiting for them with a free download of version 3.1. And if you haven't made the jump yet, you can now for only $60. ($50 if you use coupon code THEDIGITALSTORY.)

If you're a current Luminar photographer, go to Check for Updates and walk through the few basic steps to install version 3.1. The process went smoothly for me. Once you have it, here are a few of the new features to try.

New Accent AI 2.0 - The improved Accent AI filter lets you get natural-looking results in less time. New "human-aware" technology recognizes people in your photos and applies adjustments selectively for more realistic images.

RAW+Jpeg Pairs - If you capture RAW and JPEG at the same time, it's even easier to stay organized in Luminar 3. When you import RAW and JPEG pairs, you can decide which files to see. View just RAW or just JPEG for a less cluttered library, or see both and use the JPEG file as a reference while you edit. Edits to JPEG and RAW files are independent but can be easily synced. Use the View menu to control which images are shown for a clutter-free library.

Better Sorting - Are you using the Gallery view to get organized or search for that perfect image? Now when you sort using a method like File Type or Color Label, a second organization is also applied. When you sort your images they are presented by the new category first, and then automatically listed by date.

Plus, there was a lot of work under the hood to improve performance. And there are some nice touches too such as a new progress bar to keep you informed during intense operations.

Luminar 3.1 is available today for both Mac and Windows platforms.

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #684, April 23, 2019. Today's theme is "How an Artist Evolves" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

On one level, evolution seems inherent in the artistic process. Creativity is both exploration and problem solving. This is all fine in theory, but what about the practical reality of being an artist in today's economy? How does work? In today's podcast I share my findings based on conversations with two creatives tackling this very topic. I hope you enjoy the show.

How an Artist Evolves

I've been working on this project that I find fascinating, and I think you might find it interesting as well. I've started a new podcast called, The Nimble Photographer where I seek out artists who have redefined success and are willing to share their stories with me.

My first conversation was with photographer Trey Ratcliff where he talked about failures vs successes. Then, I sat down with writer Ben Long, who had to reinvent his career after the crash of 2008. I have upcoming interviews scheduled with musicians, painters, and more, all touching on the topics of evolution and reinvention.

First, I want to start with this thought by Trey, who addresses the notion of success vs. failure. I think he makes some good points here.

Now, I want to jump over to Ben, who touches on the idea of doing what we love for a living, and where did that idea come from in the first place.

If you're interested in learning insights from working artists who have managed to survive in this competitive environment, I would encourage you to subscribe to The Nimble Photographer Podcast. It's available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, and wherever you listen to your shows. My next interview should be live next week. In the meantime, you may want to check out to complete conversations with Trey and Ben. They're available right now.

New Online Trainings for Capture One Pro 12 and Luminar 3 with Libraries Now Available

Luminar 3 with Libraries Essential Training

Check out my new training, Luminar: Digital Asset Management that is available on LinkedIn Learning and on lynda.com.

Not only do I cover the library features, I provide a Quick Start chapter to get you up to speed in minutes, I show you the Magic Editing Filters in Luminar, and I explain how to use Luminar with other applications.

Once you apply these tools to your images, you'll discover that you can enhance them in ways never before possible, especially so easily. I hope you have a chance to explore both my training and the Luminar application itself. It may change your photography.

You can download a 30-day Luminar trial here.

Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training

Topics in this course include (peppered with inside tips):

• Tapping all the new features in Capture One Pro 12
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

TDS Workshops Update

Humboldt Redwoods Workshop Update

Our grand finale of the season will be on Sept. 18-20 in one of the most beautiful areas on the planet. Our headquarters will be in Fortuna, CA - an easy drive from the Eureka Airport only 25 minutes away.

We're located on the Eel River, and situated perfectly to explore the Redwoods just south of us. This will be an excellent event to cool off, slow down, and get some great images. Plus, you'll be able to spend some quality time with your fellow virtual camera club members.

We still have a couple openings on the reserve list. You can secure your seat by visiting www.thenimblephotographer.com, and place a fully refundable deposit for the event.

Updates and Such

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts!

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.

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

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

Portfoliobox - Your PortfolioBox site is the best way to show off your best images.

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.

Luminar 3 with Libraries includes a cataloging feature that helps you organize your images. This is a helpful addition to this application that already does an amazing job enhancing your pictures. But you may be wondering, "Exactly, how does the library feature work?" If you have 3 minutes, I can give you a pretty good idea.

Overview of how the Luminar catalog works from Luminar: Digital Asset Management by Derrick Story

Essentially, what you do is set up a watch folder. Every picture that you put in that folder becomes visible in the Luminar library. This is regardless if it is loose, or in another folder.

When you first set up Luminar 3 with Libraries, Skylum recommends that you point the application to your Pictures folder. I'm not as keen on that as they are. Instead, I recommend that you create a specific folder for your Luminar catalog. This gives you more control as you learn the application.

Take a look at the video. I walk you through the setup screens for Luminar 3 with Libraries. It is from my new training, Luminar: Digital Asset Management that is available on LinkedIn Learning and on lynda.com.

Not only do I cover the library features, I provide a Quick Start chapter to get you up to speed in minutes, I show you the Magic Editing Filters in Luminar, and I explain how to use Luminar with other applications.

Once you apply these tools to your images, you'll discover that you can enhance them in ways never before possible, especially so easily. I hope you have a chance to explore both my training and the Luminar application itself. It may change your photography.

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #683, April 16, 2019. Today's theme is "What Makes Nikon, Nikon?" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Nikon is celebrating 60 years of the Nikon F, which was released in 1959 to overcome technical obstacles inherent in the rangefinder design. At that time, the F wasn't designated as a professional camera. But that soon changed. And the events that fueled its evolution are the subject of today's TDS podcast.

What Makes Nikon, Nikon?

Anyone who has ever pressed the shutter button and wound the film advance on an analog Nikon camera, knows that they were a marvel of mechanical design. And that's one of things that always stood out for me with those early Nikons, was attention to detail.

To help illustrate this point, here is a common scenario for me. I will purchase some forgotten Nikon that had been sitting in someone's garage for decades. On the outside, it will be covered in layers of fine grime that had settled on it over the years. It probably endured extreme temperatures as well.

More often than not, after a through cleaning of the exterior, and replacing the rubber seals in the back, the camera will fire up, take a picture, and wind with the precision of a finely designed machine. How many of today's cameras would fare as well under those conditions?

There are definite milestones to the evolution of the Nikon SLR and DSLR. For today's show, I'm choosing five of them that I think make Nikon, Nikon.

• 1959 - The Introduction of the Nikon F - Nikon rangefinders were popular cameras and sold well. But there were a handful of technical challenges that required a new camera design. One of the problems that had to be solved was attaching longer, telephoto lenses, which was difficult to do on rangefinders. Another was designing a large, inner diameter lens mount to accommodate faster lenses and reducing vignetting. Plus, a total system camera with a wide variety of interchangeable lenses and accessories seemed to be the path forward. (Source: The Phoblographer.)
• 1959 - World's First Telephoto Zoom Lens - In the same year, Nippon Kogaku K.K. released the Auto NIKKOR Telephoto-Zoom 8.5 - 25cm f/4-4.5--the world's very first telephoto zoom lens for still photography cameras. Source: Nikon Rumors.
• 1971 - NASA and the Nikon F2 - 1971 was a busy year for Nikon. First, the production of Cameras for NASA, which commissioned a specially designed, space-ready cameras for their Apollo 15 and 17 missions. The result was the Nikon Photomic FTN, which was constructed to withstand the extreme environments of space.
  Also that year, Nikon releases the iconic Nikon F2, which was a reliable, easy-to-use, and feature-packed camera heavily patronized by professional photographers, especially newspaper and magazine photographers of that decade. Source: Nikon Rumors.
• 1972 - World's First Extra-Low Dispersion Lens - The NIKKOR-H 300mm F2.8, which was the first lens to use extra-low dispersion glass, was released. This technology is widely used today by practically all lens makers.
• 1986 - First SLR with Built-In Autofocus - The Nikon F-501 (N2020) is released. It was the first Nikon SLR camera to have its autofocus mechanism controls built into the body. Apart from its outstanding features, the F-501 also sported a different look compared to previous models. The black polycarbonate body instead of metal was one obvious change; another is the extended grip on the shutter button side. However, it also borrowed the red stripe that first appeared in the F3, but placed horizontally instead of vertically. (Source: The Phoblographer.)
  BTW: this camera is truly under-rated. It has a fantastic feature set and great durability, and can be purchased today for less than $100.

Other fun facts include that the iconic red line made its debut in 1980 with the Nikon F3. In 1992, Nikon released the NIKONOS RS, the first underwater SLR with autofocus. And in 2004, the company releases the Nikon F6, which was to be the final installment in their highly popular flagship Nikon F-series line. The F6 combines the well-loved features of the previous Nikon F cameras and the latest technological advances during this time. Source: Nikon Rumors.

The release of the F6 marks the end of an era, but Nikon does not slow down, with subsequent milestones including the first camera with WiFi, first DSLR with video capture, and back to space with the International Space Station.

But after all of this, what still makes Nikon to me is a company that's priority is making cameras, lenses, and the accessories for them. Their optical expertise expands to microscopes, surveying equipment, and scanners. And they don't stray far from products that don't include lenses.

Regardless of which camera brand you favor and shoot with, chances are good that Nikon technologies have in some part influenced them. And their 60 year run with the F Mount has been good for all of photography.

Wedding photographers reveal the 'red flags' they see at ceremonies that signal a doomed marriage - including no eye contact and poor 'cake etiquette'

This is an excerpt from an article published on The Daily Mail.

A group of wedding photographers have revealed the relationship 'red flags' they have noticed at ceremonies over the years that ultimately signaled a 'doomed' marriage. The photographers formed Reddit thread to explain how various simple moments at weddings ultimately spelled the start of a marriage breakdown.From smashing cake into one another's faces to fighting on the day of their nuptials, these were the tell-tale signs they could all agree on.

• Whether there was cake etiquette - Couple needs to be in sync. "Sometimes one of them (usually the groom) will force cake all over the other's face and embarrass and upset them. I've seen this happen a handful of times and all of those relationships that I have kept up with have ended in a divorce."
• Having a bad fight on the day - "If they are respectful toward one another (and toward me) during a day full of stress then I think that's a good indicator of being able to deal with other problems that may arise during a marriage," a woman said.
• When the couple are very quiet or won't talk - Just as overly loud and obnoxious couples can signal trouble, those that barely speak throughout the day are also a concern, so says their photographers.
• Wanting to change a partner
• The omen of getting married outdoors - So other professionals chimed in to say they distrusted any sort of outside venue at all. Just try to be under some sort of cover. Whether it be rain or wind, you'll want some kind of protection from the elements - or it could lead to unnecessary fighting on the day,' another said.

TDS Workshops Update

Humboldt Redwoods Workshop Update

Our grand finale of the season will be on Sept. 18-20 in one of the most beautiful areas on the planet. Our headquarters will be in Fortuna, CA - an easy drive from the Eureka Airport only 25 minutes away.

We're located on the Eel River, and situated perfectly to explore the Redwoods just south of us. This will be an excellent event to cool off, slow down, and get some great images. Plus, you'll be able to spend some quality time with your fellow virtual camera club members.

We still have a couple openings on the reserve list. You can secure your seat by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com, and place a fully refundable deposit for the event.

Updates and Such

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts!

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.

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

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

Portfoliobox - Your PortfolioBox site is the best way to show off your best images.

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.

The blustery Spring weather in Northern California was perfect for a Sunday day hike. Normally, I would slip the Fujifilm XF10 into my cargo shorts pocket because of its excellent color rendition. But since I have the equally svelt Ricoh GR III on loan, I packed it instead. It did not disappoint.

Big Rock Trailhead - Ricoh GR III. Photo by Derrick Story.

One of the challenges of springtime hiking is that I'm not in my best outdoor shape after the wet winter. So climbing those hills with as little gear as possible is important.

For this 5 mile hike with 1,100' elevation gain, I brought the Ricoh, a water bottle, and my iPhone X. Other than what I was actually wearing, that was it. And I have to say that climbing those hills was much more enjoyable as a result.

Hiking on the Ridge - Ricoh GR III. Photo by Derrick Story.

In addition to its APS-C sensor, and excellent 28mm lens (equivalent), the GR III produces excellent DNG files with good color.

I mention the DNG files on purpose. I shot RAW+Jpeg on this hike, and it was clear that the DNG files looked much better in Capture One Pro 12 than the corresponding Jpegs. The RAW files had better color and tonal gradation. A lot of times I don't really start to notice a difference between RAW and Jpeg until editing. But in the case of the GR III, there was quite a distinction between the two even at the thumbnail phase.

The upshot of this is interesting to me. Because for urban shooting, I really love the Jpegs in the various monochrome modes available on the GR III. They are just beautiful. But for color work, I very much prefer the DNG files, at least those processing in Capture One Pro, to the Jpegs.

Cattle on the Ridge - Ricoh GR III. Photo by Derrick Story.

After process the RAWs in Capture One Pro 12, I did a little finishing work on a couple of the images with Luminar Flex. I particularly like warming up the tones a bit with the Golden Hour filter, then adding a dash of secret sauce with the Orton Effect adjustment.

The bottom line, I was pleased with the images that I created with the Ricoh GR III on this hike. And I throughly enjoyed my workout as well, staying nimble with this little guy not slowing me down at all.

Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

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

You can squeeze every drop of quality from your optics in Capture One Pro 12 by tapping the Lens Correction panel before editing your shot. Here you can enable profiles for your optics, adjust distortion, reduce light falloff, and even correct for diffraction. Combine this capability with a good RAW file, and you can enjoy amazing image quality as a result.

In this 4-minute video, I walk you through the steps for maximizing optical performance in Capture One Pro 12. This is from my essential training on LinkedIn Learning and lynda.com.

Improve optical performance with Lens Correction from Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training by Derrick Story

I don't apply Diffraction Correction to every image, only those where I think it's appropriate or can improve an important photograph. It does use extra processing power, so I save it for those pictures that really count.

This is just one of the many techniques that I cover in this course. Other topics include (peppered with inside tips):

• Tapping all the new features in Capture One Pro 12
• Auto adjustments and basic image editing
• Advanced editing techniques (and goodbye to Photoshop)
• Organizing your catalog
• Using star ratings and color labels to cull images
• Building an electronic contact sheet
• Creating a slideshow to review and present images
• Strategies for protecting master images

For those of you new to this application, I have a Quick Start chapter that gets you up and running in less than 20 minutes. Yes, that's the entire workflow, start to finish, in less than half an hour.

You can learn all the ins and outs of this amazing software in the comfort of your home, or even on your smartphone by watching this fast-paced training: Capture One Pro 12 Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning. If you're a lynda.com fan, it's available there as well. You will learn everything from image organization, to expert editing, to output and more. It will feel good to finally take control of your photo library with Capture One Pro 12.

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #682, April 9, 2019. Today's theme is "Spark Joy by Organizing Our Camera Gear." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Marie Kondo is a best-selling author who hosts a show on Netflix titled Tidying Up. Her mission is to spark joy through cleaning and organizing using the KonMari Method. She attacks clutter by organizing a home into 5 categories: clothing, books, paper, komono, and sentimental items. As photographers, our gear falls into the komono category, and that is the focus of today's TDS podcast.

Spark Joy by Organizing Our Camera Gear

Even though I've never seen Marie address photography gear directly, her systems lends itself well to our challenges, which I see as two-fold: 1) Avoiding redundancy in cameras and lenses, and 2) providing organized access to the items that we use.

To help us tackle both challenges, I have five steps for you to consider when address your gear.

• Make a list of all the gear that you own - This is important to help us spot redundancies. In her show, Marie has clients put all of their clothing on the bed so they can see how much stuff they have accumulated. We can do the same with our gear, either physically or by list. Either way, this step is critically important.
• Organize gear by category - For example, I have one kit that I use for my public relations clients, another for my personal travel, and a third for my portrait and studio work. Every piece of gear must go in a category.
• Review your categories for redundancies - This is where the opportunity for thinning happens. Do you really need 3 zoom lenses that cover the same focal lengths? Tighten up your categories so that you have what you need, but nothing more. The items that don't make the cut can be sold for cash.
• Create storage units that are organized by the categories that you've established - Old camera bags are great for this. Each category should have its own storage unit or units. These containers should fit neatly into a secure space that you've established to store your gear.
• Get in the habit of returning gear to its assigned space after use - I will admit that there are times that I don't want to spend the extra few minutes maintaining my organizational system. But in the long run, this saves me time because I always know where everything is, and I never lose an item.

Since I've started using this system, it really has sparked joy, and Marie advocates. I actually smile when I open up my storage area and see those neatly stacked containers with my cameras, lenses, and accessories inside.

10 Life Hacks for Your Photo Studio

This is an excerpt from an article published on PetaPixel.com.

Having a photography studio is fun, but it is even more fun when you start applying simple and cheap solutions plus common sense to make your shooting experience (and your clients' experience) smoother. This is the list of what I think are the smartest and most useful photography studio life hacks.

• Transparent Rubber Hairbands
• Wine Boxes
• IKEA Pegboard
• Shelf Rails and Wood
• Metal Clips and Magnets
• Shoe Rack
• Elastic Ropes and Clips
• Door Stopper
• Silver Reflector Backdrop
• Neon Tubes and PVC Corrugated Roofing Sheets

TDS Workshops Update

Sonoma Coast Workshop Update

I've secured a beautiful home for us just south of Bodega Bay. This will serve as our headquarters during the event. There's plenty of room for our classroom and presentation work, plus beautiful areas for relaxing, and even sleeping accommodations for those who wish to stay there.

We've just had one seat open up. So I've updated the inventory on the reserve list page. And you can place your deposit if you want to join us. If you do, you'll have an incredible photography experience.

Updates and Such

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts!

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.

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

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

Portfoliobox - Your PortfolioBox site is the best way to show off your best images.

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.

Photographers who want to use the latest image editing technology with their existing workflow may want to take a look at Luminar Flex ($70), that offers the power of Luminar 3 in a plugin format for Lightroom, Photoshop, Photos for macOS, and Aperture.

Once installed, Luminar Flex is accessible via Plugins in Lightroom Classic.

The Luminar Flex Experience

If you've worked with Luminar in the past, you'll feel right at home with Flex. It's essentially Luminar 3 without the organizer. (More on its strengths later.) As the two products continue to evolve, Flex with be the plugin version, and Luminar 3 will be the editor with the organizer, but without plugin functionality. Current registered users of Luminar 3 will receive Flex 1.0 for free. But up the road, they will be separate products.

I've tested Flex with Photos for macOS and Lightroom. With Photos, it's an editing extension and very straightforward to use. With Lightroom Classic, the first step is to make sure the plugin is installed. Luminar will give you that option with you first launch Flex, which I did as a standalone app. (This was the only time I opened it as a standalone.) There's also an Install Plugins option in the top menu bar for Flex.

Once Flex has been installed as a plugin for Lightroom, you can access it via the normal way you tap other plugins. In my case, I go to File > Plugin Extras. (See the first illustration.)

Luminar Flex interface via Lightroom. Click the Apply button in the upper right to return the edited photo to Lightroom.

Next, load a Lightroom image in Luminar Flex. Now you can use all of its tools including, filters, looks (there are some new ones), and layers. When you have the image to your liking, click on the Apply button for the edited image to return to your Lightroom library. After that, you have both versions available: the original image and the Luminar-edited one.

Two usage notes: First, my images always returned from Flex in the Tiff format, regardless of what settings I made in Lightroom preferences. I may be missing something somewhere, but I wanted to mention it in case you were having the same experience. And second, I noticed that my IPTC metadata was removed from the file upon return. This will definitely need to be fixed in an update.

Images side-by-side in the Lightroom library - the original on the left and the returned image from Luminar Flex on the right.

Luminar Flex Moving Forward

Up until this point, Luminar users have received some of these plugins as part of the overall package. So, if you're running Luminar 2018 or Luminar 3, you may already have this capability, depending on your host app. But if I understand Skylum correctly, this will change up the road. Luminar with Libraries will evolve as a standalone image editor and organizer. Luminar Flex will take a different path as an enhancement fine-tuned to existing workflows with Photoshop, Lightroom, Photos, and Aperture.

So, for the current Luminar user, what exactly are the advantages of using Luminar Flex? According to Skylum, they include:

• An easier installer for plugins.
• An updated install path for improved compatibility with Adobe software.
• Support for Photoshop Elements on Windows.
• Support for re-editing smart objects and picking up where you left off.
• Support for Photoshop Actions.
• A faster workflow, optimized for plugin users.
• New Luminar looks.
• New workspaces for designed for task-based workflows.

Also, if you are a current Luminar user, and have downloaded additional Looks, you can use them with Flex as well. Looks that you made or used in Luminar 3 or Luminar 2018 are compatible with the new app. You can either reinstall your custom Looks packs in Flex, or manually copy items between the Luminar Looks folders.

Luminar Flex is available now for $70 for new users and as a free download for registered Luminar 3 and Luminar 2018 photographers. (From Skylum: "All current customers will receive a free license to Luminar Flex Plugin. If you own Luminar 2018 or Luminar 3, you get a free version of Luminar Flex, just check the My Software section in your Skylum account.).

My recommendation is that if you can download a free copy, do so and test it. If you haven't started using Luminar yet because you don't want to migrate away from your current workflow, Luminar Flex might be a good solution. I use Luminar with both Lightroom and Photos, and it really adds depth to my workflow. To be honest, I can do things in Luminar that I just can't with other applications.

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