This is The Digital Story Podcast #874, Dec. 20, 2022. Today's theme is "What's It Going to Be in 2023?" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Just when I thought I had everything dialed in, 2022 happened. The enclosure for my backup RAID died, Capture One took another step toward a subscription model, and I was banned from Twitter. This seems like a good time to take a step back and reexamine my entire photography ecosystem. And if you're interested in doing the same, listen on. I hope you enjoy the show.

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What's It Going to Be in 2023?

As I'm planning for the new year that's right around the corner, I thought I'd start with a pros and cons list - what are the aspects of my workflow that are in good shape, and what are the areas that need attention.

I'm dividing my workflow into five areas: Capture, Organization, Processing, Backup, and Sharing.

Pros and Cons

Capture - Good Shape - OM System OM-1, Fujifilm X100V, and Pentax KP. Will see what the iPhone 15 looks like in the Fall.

Organization and Processing - OK for 2023, but not sure beyond - Have a perpetual license for Capture One Pro 23, so I don't have to make any decisions right now. But will be watching this landscape closely because a change might be in the works for 2024 depending on what everyone does. Photos for macOS Ventura is fantastic for my mobile photography work.

Backup - Flirting with Danger - My Drobos are aging and not supported by macOS Ventura and my RAID enclosure died. I do have Dropbox and the 1TB iCloud plan, so I'm not totally screwed. But need to shore this up in 2023

Sharing - Moving Away from Social - The Twitter permanent suspension was a real eye-opener. I had been using Twitter for daily photography updates to the TDS site via a sweet little API. That's gone now, and we're trying to figure out a new solution.

I could go to Facebook, but not a real fan of that platform beyond what we already use it for. And Instagram seems pretty volatile. I'm looking at Mastodon and Tumblr, but not really sure about any of them.

In the meantime, I'm going to put energy into our Nimble Photographer newsletter on Substack, maintain our The Digital Story Facebook page, and keep an eye peeled.

Bottom Line - I definitely have some things to work out this year? Will keep you posted as I navigate through them. But clearly, there's work to be done in 2023.

What Are the Best Alternatives to the Adobe Photographer Plan?

You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com.

Adobe ruled the waves for image processing. However, evermore people are jumping that ship in favor of alternative methods. Most have similar functions, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. If you are thinking about changing, here are some alternative combined digital asset management, photo development, and editing options.

This article is a brief introduction to the various programs out there. When choosing what you need, there is a balance to be achieved between cost and functionality. All these packages include DAM (digital asset management) and raw development. Not all include advanced image editing, although most raw developers have some degree of local adjustments and simple tools like spot removal and graduated filters. Some features are common to many programs, but not all: HDR processing, panorama stitching, focus stacking, sky replacement, watermarking, and time-lapse creation. Some come with integrated AI-based noise control and sharpening. Others rely on external plugins to do those functions.

I am also writing this for desktop (or laptop) editors. Consequently, I only concentrate on computer-based programs and not comparing the cloud services that some offer, nor the phone and tablet apps.

I'll mention the unique selling points of each, but this isn't an in-depth review. If you want a DAM program, they all work. If you want raw development, then they all do that too. Some allow advanced image editing, while others require you to open a different program. The workflow of each is unique too. Therefore, making direct comparisons is difficult.

Adobe Made $17.61 Billion in 2022, $10.46 Billion on Creative Cloud Alone

You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com.

Adobe's Fiscal Year 2022 earnings have been released and the company achieved a record revenue of $17.61 billion, which represents a 15% year-over-year (YoY) growth. Creative Cloud revenue grew to 10.46 billion on its own.

The financial results for the Silicon Valley-based software company are, in a word, impressive. Adobe achieved revenue of $4.53 billion in its fourth quarter (Q4) of fiscal year 2022, which represents a 10% year-over-year growth. Additionally, record cash flows from operations were $2.33 billion, and the Digital Media segment -- the part of the business that contains all of Adobe's creative applications -- pulled a revenue of $3.30 billion or 14% YoY growth.

Creative Cloud alone represented $2.68 billion in revenue in Q4, representing 13% YoY growth that continues to show that Adobe's choice to switch from a model of annual perpetual software releases to subscriptions has been a massive boon for the company's profits.

Adobe's annual numbers are staggering. The Digital Media segment saw revenue of $12.84 billion, which represents 11 percent year-over-year growth. Within that, Creative Cloud revenue grew to $10.46 billion, representing 10 percent year-over-year growth. Both the Document Cloud and Digital Experience segments also saw double-digit YoY growth, highlighting a set of multiple divisions that saw monumental profits in 2022.

Looking at just the revenue for Adobe Creative Cloud, it's no wonder that Capture One is strongly pushing to shift its business model to subscriptions. Adobe has seen wild, incredible growth basically every year since it did away with the Creative Suite and moved to the Creative Cloud, and any business in this segment is obviously going to look at Adobe's strategy in order to remain competitive.

Photographers can ask for perpetual software until they're blue in the face, but no company is going to turn down this kind of revenue.

The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023. SOLD OUT
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023. SOLD OUT
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023. SOLD OUT
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

Just Released! Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training

With Photos for macOS, you can manage, enhance, and share photos in a variety of ways. It's evolved into a powerful, but easy to use imaging application. And it's free!

In this course, I take you on a detailed exploration of how to use Photos for both the Monterey and Ventura versions, plus tips for iOS as well.

I start with an exploration of the interface, then move into the new features. Noteworthy topics include how to remove duplicates from your library, different ways to use Live Text to transform your camera into a personal assistant, how to search for pictures by object type, copy images from messages to Photos, use Quick Notes with Photos, and automate common tasks with shortcuts and built-in Mac intelligence.

Also included are updates on some of the recent improvements to the importing process, with lots of useful tips for organizing and editing your pictures. (The editing tools are terrific!) Upon completing this course, you'll be working more effectively with Photos for macOS Monterey, Ventura, and iOS.

If you use a Mac and haven't explored Photos for a while, I think you'll be surprised by its power. Take a look for yourself by visiting Photos for macOS Ventura and iPhone Essential Training.

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.

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 #873, Dec. 13, 2022. Today's theme is "I Am Worn Out by Subscriptions." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

I think a little something inside of me snapped the other day when I read that Capture One was beginning the process of migrating us over to a subscription based model. For some reason, I'm not sure why, it was the final straw. And now I'm standing back and looking at everyone who insist on reaching into my pockets every month in exchange for a service. What I discovered is the lead story on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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I Am Worn Out by Subscriptions

In our last Nimble Photographer Newsletter, I wrote about Capture One moving to a subscription-based service, and how I'm not sure how that's going to effect my future with them.

This topic was already tumbling around in my head. Earlier this month I created a Numbers spreadsheet with all of the subscriptions that I currently maintained.

It's a simple 3-column spreadsheet that has a checkbox in column one, subscription name in the second, and the monthly amount in the third column.

If a subscription is checked, its monthly amount is added to the total. Unchecked, it is not. This allows me to manage my bottom line by checking and unchecking subscriptions.

Currently, my subscription list has 18 items. Most of these are for work, such as the Adobe Photography Plan, Mighty Networks, Vimeo, and Squarespace. Others are personal such as Netflix, Apple TV+, and NY Times.

When I began the exercise, every box was checked for a total of $610 a month for both personal and business subscriptions. If I unchecked the personal items, my business total is $313 per month. That left me with $297 a month in fees for personal subscriptions. That was just too much.

On my first pass, I was able to remove $80 in subs that I just didn't need. I will take a crack at a second pass later this month.

So you can imagine my joy about the Capture One news.

So here's my view on why I like perpetual licenses vs. monthly subscription fees. With a perpetual license, I can decide whether to upgrade on a release by release basis.

Sticking with our Capture One example, If I don't plan to add any new cameras in a given year, and I don't absolutely have to have the latest set of features, I can opt out of the update and stand pat with what I have. And to be honest, I could probably do that every other year.

Capture One had been charging $199 for a perpetual license upgrade. If I updated every other year, that would work out to be far less than the subscription model that forces me to pay on a regular basis.

And I don't mean to be picking on Capture One, because this is happening everywhere. Even new cars want subscriptions for specific add on features.

I understand why businesses want subscriptions. They have our money no matter what. But that seems somewhat uncompetitive to me. They don't really have to earn our purchase anymore with dazzling new features.

In my business, I have resisted subscriptions. The TDS Photography Podcast is free. The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is also free. Online and physical workshops are a set price.

If you want to support the work I do beyond attending a workshop, you can pledge $54 a year through Patreon. I love the folks who do that. Because they recognize that it takes a lot of work to publish a weekly podcast and a weekly newsletter. And they choose to help me keep that going.

Services who constantly reach for customers' wallets for every little thing better be careful. Because at some point customers might just decide to go somewhere else. And that number is 0$ a month in subscriptions.

DxO Offers More Than 1,700 New Optics Modules and FOV Enhancements for PhotoLab 6.1

You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com.

Now, DxO is announcing the immediate availability of 1,700 new DxO Optics Modules, consisting of three new cameras and 18 optics, including the highly anticipated Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens. The total number of DxO Optics Modules now exceeds 78,000 camera and lens combinations. These updates apply to the newest edition of Photolab 6.1, which is also available now.

For example, there's the new Canon RF 15-30mm lens at 16mm: DxO says that generic raw conversion software will typically crop 10% or more of the image. For photographers who want to avoid losing precious detail from the edge of the frame, DxO's corrections maximize the lens' field of view while also delivering superior corrections to sharpness and distortion.

The company also claims another unique benefit of working with DxO Optics Modules is the fully automatic correction of lack of lens sharpness uniformity across the entire image. DxO uses an exclusive lens sharpness calibration that delivers tailor-made adjustments and corrections across each lens' field of view. Unlike competitors, sharpening is applied at different levels, specific to a lens' idiosyncrasies. For instance, sharpening might increase towards the edge of the frame to balance any radial softness. This achieves superior results when compared to applying general sharpening across the entire image -- an approach taken in lesser software.

DxO PhotoLab 6.1 (Windows and macOS) is now available for download on the DxO website at the following prices:

DxO PhotoLab 6.1 ESSENTIAL Edition: $139
DxO PhotoLab 6.1 ELITE Edition: $219

A free 30-day trial is available. Owners of DxO PhotoLab 6 can update for free from within the software.

Also, throughout December, DxO has a special holiday gift: photographers save 30% when they buy two or more DxO software titles.

$71 Coat Makes Wearers Invisible to AI Security Cameras

You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com.

Students in China have invented a $71 "invisibility cloak" that hides wearers from artificial intelligence (AI) security cameras. Developed by a team of students at Wuhan University, the "InvisDefense" is a low-cost coat that can be worn day or night to evade detection from security AI camera systems.

To the naked eye, it looks like any other ordinary camouflage pattern coat. However, during the day the coat's customized camouflage prints which is designed through an algorithm effectively blind visible light cameras. At night, the coat's embedded thermal devices emit unusual heat signals to confuse infrared cameras.

"Security cameras using AI technology are everywhere. They pervade our lives," Wei tells Vice World News. "Our privacy is exposed under machine vision. We designed this product to counter malicious detection, to protect people's privacy and safety in certain circumstances."

The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023. SOLD OUT
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023. SOLD OUT
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

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.

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 #872, Dec. 6, 2022. Today's theme is "5 Handmade Photo Gifts that People Will Love." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

When it comes to the holiday season, I say, "Use your talents for good!" And what better way to share your photography than creating memorable gifts for friends and loved ones? Today, I'll share with you 5 great ideas that you can pull together quickly for this time of giving. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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5 Handmade Photo Gifts that People Will Love

Handmade fine art greeting cards by photographer John Hershey.

What do you give people who have everything they want? Something they didn't realize they needed. Photographers are in a unique position to create a variety of holiday treasures. Here are a few to consider for your loved ones.

• A Personalized Family Portrait - Not just any department store group shot, but one in a location that has meaning photographers by someone who knows all the players.
• A Family or Friends Treasure Board - Chances are very good that you have a catalog of images of friends and family. How about creating a framed treasure board with those images that show the history of these folks over the years?
• 2 Hours of Tech Support - This can be an especially nice gift for older family members who just can't get anyone to help them with their phones, computers, or cameras.
• Set of Fine Art Notecards with Blank Interiors - Notecards are wonderful to have on hand for quick thank you notes and special acknowledgements. And if you include matching postage stamps, this gift is sure to wow.
• Hand Me Down Camera - To a budding photographer.

A nice touch to any gift you give is handmade wrapping paper. You can use a number of textured photos and print them in a pattern on lightweight paper. It's a wonderful finishing touch!

Adobe Stock Will Now Let Contributors Sell AI-Generated Artwork

You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com.

Adobe has announced that its stock photography service, Adobe Stock, is now accepting illustrations created using generative artificial intelligence (AI) such as those created by OpenAI's Dall-E or Stable Diffusion.

In a blog post, the company says that the choice to allow generative AI onto its platform came after it "deeply considered" questions of ethics and proper use of the technology. The result it that while it is accepting artwork created with AI, it has also created a new submission policy that it believes will ensure generated artwork is used responsibly by creators and customers both.

"While early generative AI technologies have raised valid concerns, Adobe is committed to helping lead the evolution that will come from this technology into tools that empower artists, while never seeking to replace human imagination," the company writes.

"Properly built, used, and disclosed to viewers, generative AI can be a powerful tool to enhance creativity, accelerating the creative process to benefit both consumers of digital assets and the community of contributors who produce those assets."

Pantone Just Announced Its 'Unconventional' Color of the Year for 2023

You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com.

Today is the day we learn which color will take the crown as the color of the year for 2023. Are you ready to start seeing the unconventional new shade everywhere?

All eyes are on Pantone, the worldwide standard for color communication, as they announce their hotly anticipated color of the year for 2023. Last year's shade was PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri and chosen in part to reflect the optimism in the air post-pandemic. For 2023, however, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is the color chosen and is described as an unconventional shade for an unconventional time. Viva Magenta is claimed to be able to communicate power and demonstrate strength.

If you're not too familiar with Viva Magenta as a color, think of a bold magenta shade with a pink undertone. While I do appreciate a company declaring a color of the year could look like just another marketing gimmick, Pantone doesn't just pluck a random color out of thin air. Instead, they look to creative industries, from entertainment to fashion, to interiors and design to make an educated guess about what shades will be important in the coming 12 months. For photographers that operate in these creative circles, it can only be a good thing to know what the color of the year is. I know when I've mentioned the selected shade to various art directors, designers, or commercial clients, they have always been impressed I even knew what it was.

The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023.
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

OM-1 Firmware Update 1.3

Update your OM-1 camera's firmware today for these benefits.
- Improved performance of C-AF when shooting still images.
- Improved performance of C-AF when recording videos.
- Stability of other operations has been improved.
Updating for the first time? Watch our instructional video to learn how to update your firmware.

You can learn more here about the update.

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.

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 #871, November 29, 2022. Today's theme is "The Secret Lives of Photographers." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

It's true: we love our cameras, taking pictures, and hanging beautiful images on the wall. We are photographers. But many visual artists are also talented in other areas of creative expression. I've learned this over the years during casual conversations at workshops and conferences. And many times I've been impressed with the revelations. This week's podcast is dedicated to the secret (artistic) lives of photographers. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In

The Secret Lives of Photographers

Last week I reached out to our community of photographers who follow me on Substack and asked them about their hidden talents. I got some great responses.

Here in the order of most popular talents are what they shared.

• Playing a musical instrument.
• Writing short form essays and articles.
• Graphic arts.
• Painting.
• Songwriting.
• Drafting.

I also provided an "Other" category where readers could list activities that were not included in the poll. I found some of these fascinating, and want to share a few of them with you.

Barb: "Tapestry weaving is a great addition to Photography. They are both about images but the tactile nature of working with yarn has a fulfillment all its own. They both use color and light but the visualizations are wonderfully different and complimentary."

Evelyn: "Watercolor, ukulele, weaving, spinning and knitting are my things besides photography."

John: "Watercolor painting, graphic design, piano playing. All compliment photography and each other."

Karl: "Wood working , wood turning, copper art, driftwood art."

Carl: "I am furniture maker (22 pieces in our home) and wood turner of both open and closed form vessels."

Jim: "Musically I am primarily and organist and pianist, but six years ago, at age 50, decided to teach myself bass guitar just to learn something new. For my full time work, I am a technical writer, but also enjoy some casual writing and blogging for fun."

Clearly we have a talented audience here. Thanks to everyone who voted in the polls and contributed comments. I thought this was a lot of fun.

Sony Will Supply Apple with 'Advanced' Image Sensor for the Next iPhone

You can read the entire article on PetaPixel.com.

Sony is set to provide Apple with a "state-of-the-art" image sensor for its next iPhone that will supposedly double the amount of light it can capture and give it the ability to clearly capture a face even with a strong backlight.

Nikkei Asia reports that it has learned Sony will supply Apple and "other smartphone makers" with access to the new image sensor, which the company is producing in response to pressure from Samsung Electronics, which also makes smartphone sensors.

According to the report, Sony's new image sensor doubles the saturation signal level in each pixel which allows it to capture more light while also allowing it to reduce overexposure or underexposure in certain settings. As a result, the sensor is capable of not only better low-light performance, but it is better able to meter starkly different exposures, such as a face that is heavily backlit by the sun.

At the time of the announcement and in that detailed presentation in February, Sony did not say when the new sensor would find its way into consumer devices or even when it intended to manufacture the sensors at scale. Those questions appear to be answered now though, as Sony is preparing to be able to provide it for use in smartphones that are expected to be released in the Fall of 2023.

The latest sensor on the iPhone 14 is already extremely impressive, so adding even more imaging prowess to the smartphone will no doubt further close the gap between standalone cameras and mobile devices.

Canon's new 'Pro' webcam software costs as much as just buying a capture card

You can read the entire article on TheVerge.com.

It felt like companies were offering some goodwill during the pandemic when they released free software that allowed a camera you already own to work as a webcam, but now, Canon's looking for some of that sweet recurring subscription revenue. A new update to its EOS Webcam Utility software adds a bunch of new features, but only as part of a new Pro tier that costs $5 per month or $50 per year.

Opting to pay gets you new features like streaming up to five cameras at once via USB, wireless single-camera streaming, 60fps support, finer controls for custom scene profiles, watermark insertion, control of your camera settings via the UI, and some further granular tweaks. While much of that sounds nice and may make for a better experience when using the EOS Webcam Utility, the Pro version tops out at just 1080p resolution (the free tier is still stuck with 720p). That seems a little paltry for a paid service utilizing a variety of cameras capable of outputting 4K via their HDMI ports.

Look, I get it: Camera companies are thirsty for recurring revenue streams just like everyone else -- and normally, their only source is a pro service program like Canon Professional Services (CPS). But while some of these new features added to Canon's webcam software seem nifty, I can't shake the fact that basic capture cards are really cheap now, and two years of this service costs about as much as buying an Elgato CamLink 4K for yourself -- which supports the same 1080p / 60p and even goes up to 4K resolution without any subscription. As for all the advanced software control, OBS may be a pain in the ass to learn, but it's free to use.

It's a relief to see that Canon will maintain the free tier for owners who just want the basics and can't be bothered to buy additional hardware for streaming, but now it seems like a safe bet that most new features will be kept behind the paywall.

The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023.
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

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.

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 #870, November 22, 2022. Today's theme is "Totally Fun Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

There are many accessories and optics that can make a photographer's work more creative and efficient. And sometimes we don't even know that those helpful items can be. But maybe after today's podcast you'll have a better idea. Here are my suggestions for fun and functional goodies for the visual artists in your life.

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Totally Fun Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers

• Lens Cap Keeper Holder Buckle Kit (52-67mm) $13 - The buckle could be attached on the camera strap. Each buckle holds three sizes of lens caps on opposing sides of the holder. Fits most lens caps. Easily attaches to your camera's neck/shoulder strap/bag strap and no extra modification of your camera or lens cap is required. Avoid losing your lens cap during shooting sessions on the go.



• Everyone's a Photographer Until T-Shirt $17 - Everyone's A Photographer Until Manual Mode designs. Do you or someone you know love taking pictures? Then get this funny design. Photographer will absolutely love this design.

• FanVince Winter Gloves - $17 - With the Unique and Sensitive touchscreen Fingers Capability (touchable thumb and forefinger), all your touchscreen devices, even the smartphone covered with screen protector, can be easily clicked used. Coming with enough silicone particles on the palm, thumb, index finger and middle finger, which effectively increases the grip strength and abrasion resistance of the touch screen gloves.



• Geekey Multitool TSA Friendly $18 - Original Stainless Steel Key Shaped Pocket Tool for Keychain | Bottle Opener, Screwdriver, Ruler, Wrench, Bit Driver, File, Bike Spoke Key | TSA Friendly - Its features include a 3.2/3.3mm Bike Spoke Key, a Screwdriver tip that will fit a #2/3 Slotted, #2 Square Drive, #2/3 Phillips, and #2/3 Combinations (Phillips/Slotted or Phillips/Square) screw all in one bit, Imperial and Metric Closed Wrench, ¼ inch Open Wrench, ¼ inch Bit Driver, Scoring Tip, Serrated Edge, Can Opener, Wire Stripper, File, Imperial and Metric Ruler, Protractor, Bottle Opener, Multi-head fit Driver, and a Lanyard Hole.



• ALPS Mountaineering Classic Trekker $30 - The Classic Trekker quickly locks into place thanks to its high-quality fast locking lever system, making on-the-go adjustments a breeze. Featuring 7075 aluminum construction, the Classic Trekker is both durable and lightweight. You can use the Classic Trekker as a traditional walking staff or trekking pole with the length extension feature. Another bonus feature is you can remove the round wooden top to reveal an accessory mount allowing the Classic Trekker to double as a monopod. You won't want to hit the trails without the Classic Trekker.



• Apple AirTag 4 Pack - $75 - Precision Finding with Ultra Wideband technology leads you right to your nearby AirTag (on select iPhone models).
• Neewer Photo Studio Lightbox $115 - Shooting Light Tent with Adjustable Brightness, Foldable and Portable Tabletop Photography Lighting Kit with 80 LED Lights and 4 Colored Backdrops. Featuring 80 LEDs, a CRI of 85+, 6000-6500K color temperature, the 20" × 20" × 20" / 50 × 50 × 50cm light box provides bright white light to showcase your products. The brightness adjustment knob on the power adapter allows you to conveniently adjust light brightness. Easily set up the light box with the hook-and-loop fasteners. The foldable design lets you fold it down and carry it wherever you go.



• KODAK Slide N SCAN Film and Slide Scanner with Large LCD Screen $180 - With the new SLIDE N SCAN Digital Film Scanner from KODAK, you can view, edit and convert your old photos, no tech savvy necessary! This easy yet elegant 22MP scanner delivers crisp, clear, beautiful images with the press of a button. Best of all, there's no straining to see. Watch old memories come to life on the large 5" LCD screen with extra wide viewing angle and gallery mode--perfect for previewing pictures, or for using the scanner as a desktop photo frame! Unlike other frustrating scanners that require you to remove the tray and reposition slides each time, our easy-load insert system allows for continuous feeding, speeding up the scanning process significantly. In addition to the main 50mm slide holder, three adapters are also provided for compatibility with 135, 110 and 126mm films. You can finally skip the stressful software and complicated onboard buttons--and simply scan!

Fujifilm Japan is temporarily ceasing X100V orders due to having too many to process

You can read the entire article on DPReview.com.

Fujifilm announced the release of its X100V APS-C digital camera back in February 2020. Now, nearly three years later, Fujifilm Japan has announced it is having to temporarily stop orders due to having too many back orders, according to a new report from FujiRumors.

In the public notice posted to Fujifilm Japan's website, it reads 'we have received orders that have greatly exceeded our initial plan, and we are unable to keep up with the supply of products, so we will temporarily stop accepting orders from today.' Based on the public notice being issued only by Fujifilm Japan for now, it appears as though this cessation of new orders will only be affecting the Japanese market. We have contacted Fujifilm representatives to confirm whether or not similar measures will be put in place in other regions.

Derrick Note: B&H posted a Request Assistance button on their site for the camera stating: "Unfortunately, our supplier cannot provide an accurate timeframe so we have suspended backorders for this item. Reach out to our Experts (available via Live Chat or Phone) to find an alternative solution tailored to your needs." and Amazon Marketplace is selling "renewed" cameras for $2,169.

The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023.
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

The Average US Adult is Hoarding Over $2,000 of Unused Tech: Report

You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com.

New research has revealed that the average U.S. adult is sitting on over $2,000 worth of unused tech -- with the majority of consumers surveyed owning at least one camera in their home that they are not using. According to new data from camera reseller, MPB, alongside research provider CINT, the U.S. is hoarding over $650 billion worth of technological devices they do not use.

In MPB's online survey, which was completed by 13,000 adults, two-thirds of Americans revealed they have at least one piece of unused tech in their home. The average U.S. adult is estimated to be sitting on $2,459 worth of unused tech.

The average amount consumers spend every year to keep up with the latest technology is over $500. And two-thirds of consumers surveyed feel that the cost of technology is too expensive.

According to the survey, millennials and Generation Z are holding on to the most unused tech. Adults aged between 18 to 34 have an average of $3,691 worth of unused tech in the U.S. 56 percent of them have at least one unused camera in their home.

When asked why they had not sold an unused piece of tech, the two most popular reasons consumers gave were that they did not think they would receive much money in return and they or someone close to them might need it one day.

My Twitter Account Now Permanently Suspended

Without warning and for no reason.

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.

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 #869, November 15, 2022. Today's theme is "Scratches, Dings, and Paint Chips." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Most enthusiast photographers go to great lengths to protect their gear. We use high tech camera bags, half cases, aluminum bottom plates, protection filters, lens hoods, and more. But what level of concern is truly important for our equipment? We explore these worries and more on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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The Story of Kent Porter

In Sonoma County, we have a photography legend named Kent Porter, who has worked as a photographer for the Press Democrat for 34 years. During the past five years, he's been concerned with the effects of climate change here in Northern California.

I think you will find his story interesting.

How Front Element Scratches Affect Your Images

You can read the entire article on LensRentals.com.

To put it simply, front element scratches will reduce the contrast and sharpness of your images, but nearly exclusively at the point where the scratch is on the element. So will you notice these scratches in your images? Probably not. This is because of how lenses capture light. In general, dirt, debris, and damage will be most evident when it's closest to the focal plane (sensor). At lower aperture values (f/1.4, f/2.8, or f/3.5 for example), a front element scratch will be almost impossible to detect, and dust or damage on the actual sensor (or on the rear element of the lens) will appear as a small shadow or possibly a blurry artifact. At higher aperture values (f/16, f/20, f/22, for example), a front element scratch may be a bit more noticeable, appearing as a place with less contrast and hazier. A rear element scratch or sensor scratch will be much more apparent at higher apertures, appearing as a flare, or in some cases, even a black blob. This is why it's easy to test whether or not you have sensor dust - just set your aperture to f/16 or above, point the camera to the blue sky, and press the shutter. You'll likely see sensor dust pretty easily, as dark spots.

To illustrate this point, we pulled some scratched lenses from our repair department's inventory and did some side-by-side comparisons. Example photos are below, and as you can see, both lenses performed near equally to their undamaged brethren. I doubt you'll be able to see any differences between the scratched and unscratched comparisons.

As you can tell from above, you likely won't be able to see the differences between one image and the other, and scratches will have almost no noticeable changes to your images. However, one place where it can have larger effects is when you have flares in your images, so let's look at how each lens performs when we're intentionally flaring lights.

That said, obviously, regardless of these results, no one wants to put a big scratch on the front of their lens, so, it's important to take means of protecting their lens if they can, so here are some tools that can help protect the front of your camera lens.

The Best Filter System I've Tested: We Review the Kase Wolverine IV Magnetic Filter System

You can read the entire article on Fstoppers.com.

The Kase Wolverine IV magnetic system is the best filter system I have ever used when it comes to usability. Nothing comes close to how straightforward and easy this system is.

There are two ways to use this filter system. The first is with a static circular adapter ring that attaches to the lens. This static ring is small, lightweight, and screws on with the filter threads on the front of most lenses. Once it's screwed onto the lens, you can attach multiple circular filters via the magnets in the filters and adapter rings.

The polarizing filter that comes with the pack doesn't have the common dual circular feature that allows it to rotate once attached. Instead, because it's being attached via the magnets, it's never fixed in place and can therefore be rotated to whatever orientation you need.

Additionally, you can attach ND filters on top of the polarizing filter should you need to control the exposure too. In my experience, most people tend to want the ability to shoot with one ND and one polarizing filter. This smaller, static adapter ring offers this ability in what I think is the most user-friendly manner I have ever experienced. It is, without a doubt, the best-implemented filter system I've ever used.

With so many filter systems on the market, it can be difficult to figure out which is best for you. As photographers, many of us have our own personal preferences. Despite this, I find it difficult to imagine anyone disliking this system. Aside from the poor performance of the 6-stop filter, the Kase filter system comes closest to perfect overall.

The polarizer and 10-stop filter system are true standouts amongst many of the options available on the market. Coupled with the fact that this system is incredibly easy to use, it makes for what could be the best option on the market.

The 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Lineup

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023. SOLD OUT
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023.
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

The 2022 Oregon Coast Workshop a Success

Here's a brief overview of the wonderful time we enjoyed together last week.

What's new in the latest Capture One 23 release

You can read the entire article on PhotoFocus.com.

Smart Adjustments - Aimed at portrait, wedding and event photographers, the Smart Adjustments offers consistency in your portraits in just a few clicks with Smart Adjustments. Automatically adjusting Exposure and White Balance to match looks across a series of images. Designed to work where copy/apply could not give consistent results before. Smart Adjustments can be added as a Style getting you closer to one-click editing.

Cull and Import Upgrades - Sort and select images faster with a dedicated function specifically designed for culling. View, rate, tag and browser with zero delays (no preview generation required). View similar images for faster selection on import or with the new dedicated cull view. Specially designed with high-volume photographers in mind, to make finding your best shots faster.

Also: Layers in Styles, Change Capture Time, Improved Performance for Sony Files, and performance enhancements.

My Twitter Account Suspended

Without warning and for no reason.

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.

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 #868, November 8, 2022. Today's theme is "Fujifilm Muscles Up with the New XT-5." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Yes, the Fujifilm X-H2 and X-H2S are great cameras for those who need those capabilities, but for many of us who are more straight photography oriented, the X Series is what caused us to fall in love with brand in the first place. And now with the announcement of the X-T5, the affairs continues. We'll take a look at the new 40MP wonder, plus more stories, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

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Fujifilm Muscles Up with the New XT-5

Let's start with an overview of the specs:

• 40MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS 5 HR BSI Sensor
• 4K 120p, 6.2K 30p, FHD 240p 10-Bit Video
• 7-Stop In-Body Image Stabilization
• 425-Point Intelligent Hybrid AF System
• 3.69m-Dot OLED Electronic Viewfinder
• 3" 1.84m-Dot Tilting Touchscreen LCD
• 20 fps E. Shutter, 15 fps Mech. Shutter
• Improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
• ProRes & Blackmagic RAW via HDMI
• 160MP Pixel Shift Multi-Shot

From B&H Explora - you can read the entire review here:

All of this is fine, but there are two and a half changes that I really noticed in my week of use. The first is a more robust grip: rather than the gradual slope of the XT-4, the hand rests along a steep wall that may not be much deeper than its predecessor but feels more secure in the hand. It was the first thing I noticed when I picked the camera up, and it's felt good every time since.

The other change is one I'm personally more conflicted about, but it's also something others will undoubtedly celebrate: the removal of the flip-out vari-angle screen. That particular feature is now the exclusive domain of the X-H series, where the functional benefit for video types (like me) will be universally worth the usability downgrade for photo types (like me). I was content to make that trade-off with the X-T4, but I know many resented it, and those folks will be quite happy with FUJIFILM's return to the 3-way tilt mechanism of the X-T3. This means that you can get your high- and low-angle photography without affecting the camera's rotational center of gravity: you don't need to compensate for the additional weight sticking out the left side, and you do feel that in your day to day. Additionally, that third "tilt," where the screen completely detaches on one side from the main mechanism, gives additional flexibility while shooting off-angle portraiture.

The biggest change to the XT-5 isn't visible: The X-Trans 5 looks just like its predecessor, but it is a milestone in APS-C engineering. The 40MP sensor means a massive 53% jump in pixel count, marking the largest increase the line has seen and may ever see. In fact, the X-Trans 5 sensor is the highest-resolution APS-C sensor on the market, period.

I love my X-T4 the same way I loved my X-T3 before it and the X-T2 before that but, once again, FUJIFILM has come out with a camera that's made me take a long, hard look at the credit limit on my Payboo card. Darn it, I think they've got me again.

The Fujifilm X-T5 is scheduled to begin shipping on Nov. 17, 2022. You can preorder it now for $1,699.00 US.

OM Digital Solutions is removing the Olympus name from its entire product portfolio

You can read the entire article on DPReview.com.

Last year, OM Digital Solutions (OMDS) announced it would gradually transition from using the name the Olympus branding it acquired to its own OM System brand it developed. Now, that transition is getting fast tracked, just a week after OMDS announced the first interchangeable lens camera bearing its new OM System name, the OM-5.

In a press release posted to its Japanese website, OMDS announced will be replacing the 'Olympus' name on all of its current product lineup with 'OM System.' According to the announcement, the change will impact all products in OMDS' lineup, including cameras, lenses, binoculars and accessories. Aside from swapping 'Olympus' with 'OM System,' the affected products will otherwise remain unchanged, with the original specifications and build quality.

This change comes nearly two years after Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) completed its acquisition of Olympus' camera and imaging portfolio under its then-new OM Digital Solutions subsidiary. Ten months after the acquisition, OMDS announced its new OM System brand, which it implied would serve as the successor to the historic brand formerly known as Olympus.

The Olympus name has been on various cameras, lenses and accessories in some form since the 1930s. While the brand and the products bearing its name has seen various owners over the years under the greater Olympus umbrella, this transition to OM System appears to mark the end of a name that's been stamped on cameras of all shapes and sizes for almost a century, including the game-changing OM-1 and its popular Olympus Pen lineup.

The New Nimble Photographer Weekly Newsletter

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.

Because of this rotating content, you won't see the same layout each time. There will be a certain freshness about The Nimble Photographer Newsletter that you typically don't see with other publications.

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is a valuable addition to our existing community benefits that include TheDigitalStory Podcast, The Nimble Photographer website, TheFilmCameraShop, and Derrick Story on Medium.com.

How to Sign Up

You can Sign Up for Free to the Nimble Photographer Newsletter and receive each edition weekly in your inbox.

I'm looking forward to sharing lots of great content with you.

Are Modern Photos Too Perfect?

You can read the entire article on FStoppers.com.

We are at a remarkable time in photography: cameras and lenses are more capable than ever, and we can create images that photographers could only dream of a decade ago. And for the most part, that is a great thing. However, there can be a downside to that. Are images too perfect nowadays?

Coming to you from aows, this interesting video discusses the idea of reintroducing imperfection to photos. I think this is an important thing to think about. A lot of photography today places technical perfection at the top of the list of priorities. And no doubt, we should not confuse the idea of deliberate imperfection with not possessing sound technique. Rather, we should reassess if the constant pursuit of technical perfection is hindering us from improving our photos in other ways. After all, there are a lot of photos out there that are clinically sharp, with beautiful colors and crisp editing, and yet, they are often somehow lacking something -- something that makes them compelling, that makes the viewer unable to look away. When our technique is good, it is time to make room for other aspects of image-making as well. Check out the video above for the full rundown.

Virtual Camera Club News

Update on the 2023 TDS Workshop Season - We're off to a great start for the 2023 TDS Workshop Season. Workshops are filling up quickly.

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 #867, November 1, 2022. Today's theme is "Announcing the 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Season." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

From the red rocks of Sedona to the rugged shoreline of Point Reyes, the 2023 TDS Workshop season includes new online and in-person events. And I will share all of them with you today. Plus, the two biggest complaints about the new OM System OM-5, and two favorite things about macOS Ventura. 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

Announcing the 2023 TDS Photography Workshop Season

Now that we're back in full swing with in-person workshops, plus a revamped slate of online events, there should be plenty to tempt any enthusiast photographer. Here's an overview of the TDS 2023 Photography Workshop Season.

• Inkjet Printing Workshop for Photographers Online Workshop - Nov/Dec 2022 and Nov/Dec 2023.
• Maximizing Your Micro Four Thirds Camera Online Workshop - Feb. 2023.
• Ultimate B&W Photography Online Workshop - April 2023
• Pt. Reyes In-Person Photography Workshop - May 2023
• Infrared Photography Online Workshop - July 2023
• Sedona Arizona In-Person Photography Workshop - Oct. 2023
• Wine Country in Autumn In-Person Photography Workshop - Nov. 2023

You can sign up for any of these events by visiting our Photography Workshops Page. Inner Circle Members receive a 10 percent discount on all events.

The Two Biggest Complaints About the New OM System OM-5 Camera

The OM System OM-5 mirrorless camera ($1,199.99 US) is chock-full of advanced features such as: High-Res Shot, Live ND, and Composite Modes; 121-Point All Cross-Type Phase-Detect AF; all-weather construction; 30 fps Shooting; ISO 200-25600; and a 20.4MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Sensor. You can take this handsome, compact MFT camera just about anywhere and get the shot.

But there have been two specifications that have universally annoyed OM System fans - 1) using a micro-USB port instead of USB-C for connectivity and in-camera charging, and 2) the none-updated Menu System.

It's interesting how important the basics are. Yes you get Live ND and other computational photography functions in the mid-range OM-5, but if you overlook ports and menus, it doesn't satisfy many customers.

Take note OM System designers!

The New Nimble Photographer Weekly Newsletter

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.

Because of this rotating content, you won't see the same layout each time. There will be a certain freshness about The Nimble Photographer Newsletter that you typically don't see with other publications.

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is a valuable addition to our existing community benefits that include TheDigitalStory Podcast, The Nimble Photographer website, TheFilmCameraShop, and Derrick Story on Medium.com.

How to Sign Up

You can Sign Up for Free to the Nimble Photographer Newsletter and receive each edition weekly in your inbox.

I'm looking forward to sharing lots of great content with you.

My 2 Favorite Photography Features in macOS Ventura

Duplicates Management - If you have duplicate images in your Photo Library, macOS Ventura can detect them and merge the duplicate images together. The people album can now be sorted alphabetically, and edits made on one photo can be copy and pasted to another photo.

Lift a Subject from the Background - The ability to copy the subject in Photos is a feature that I'm very excited about. With this, I can copy the subject to my clipboard and paste it practically anywhere.

Note: Hardware Requirements for Ventura -
iMac (2017 and later)
iMac Pro (2017)
MacBook Air (2018 and later)
MacBook Pro (2017 and later)
Mac Pro (2019 and later)
Mac Studio (2022)
Mac mini (2018 and later)
MacBook (2017)

Virtual Camera Club News

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 #866, October 25, 2022. Today's theme is "Putting the AI in ImAge with Aaron Hockley." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Like any disruptive technology, Artificial Intelligence has its share of misconceptions. It's not that it's coming, it's here! To help make sense of what's going on right now, I sit down with photography technologist Aaron Hockley to discuss the role of AI in imaging today. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

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Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In

Putting the AI in ImAge with Aaron Hockley

Aaron Hockley is the author of The Computer Ate My Photos and runs the website, Tech Photo Guy. He sits down with me in the Santa Rosa Studio to talk about how Artificial Intelligence is permeating our daily photography life.

ON1 Resize AI 2022 review

You can read the entire article on LifeAfterPhotoshop.com.

ON1 Resize AI 2022 is extremely impressive, both as an image size upscale for large prints and as a tool for making lower-resolution images from older cameras usable again. Its ability to reconstruct textures is extraordinary and uses the power of AI to work out what it's looking at and what it should look like when enlarged. The results are noticeably better with higher-quality, large-sensor originals to work from, however, and $99.99 does seem expensive. Then again, ON1 Photo RAW 2022 users will get this AI resizing in free update, and ON1 Resize AI 2022 will also be free to those who bought the (non-AI) ON1 Resize 2022 product.

Pros

• Incredible detail rendition
• Works on JPEGs - doesn't need RAWs
• Easy presets for different print sizes and aspect ratios
• Optional output sharpening, cropping, 'gallery wrap' feature
• Resize by pixel dimensions, percentage, megapixels, print size

Cons

• Less effective on small-sensor images or compressed JPEGs
• Quite expensive

I just used it on a project where a family member asked me to scan and restore a 2"x3" B&W print so they could make an 11"x14" metal print from it. After scanning and retouching, I ran it through ON1 Resize AI 2022 to create a file large enough for a big print. The results were impressive, and the software really helped me make this project a success. The detail and sharpness of the final image was impressive.

The New Nimble Photographer Weekly Newsletter

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.

Because of this rotating content, you won't see the same layout each time. There will be a certain freshness about The Nimble Photographer Newsletter that you typically don't see with other publications.

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is a valuable addition to our existing community benefits that include TheDigitalStory Podcast, The Nimble Photographer website, TheFilmCameraShop, and Derrick Story on Medium.com.

How to Sign Up

You can Sign Up for Free to the Nimble Photographer Newsletter and receive each edition weekly in your inbox.

I'm looking forward to sharing lots of great content with you.

Adobe MAX 2022: Major updates to Lightroom & Photoshop, plus more on Adobe's AI future

You can read the entire article on DPReview.com.

The updates to the Lightroom ecosystem make it easier to use masking workflows, remove unwanted elements from images, and utilize AI masks on mobile platforms. More advanced AI-powered masking is available on Lightroom for desktop, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). This time last year, Adobe introduced re-envisioned selective adjustment tools, including Select Sky and Select Subject. Today, Adobe builds upon these tools with all-new Select People, Select Objects, and Select Background. Powered by Adobe Sensei, Adobe's AI technology, retouching portraits is much easier with the new Select People. The software can detect and generate high-quality masks for individuals or groups in any portraits and can select specific body parts, such as face skin, body skin, eyes, teeth, lips, hair and more.

Similarly, Select Objects is 'now the quickest and most flexible way to mask objects in Lightroom,' says Adobe. You paint over the desired object with Brush Select or draw a rectangle around the object with Rectangle Select. The AI will then automatically refine the edges to create a precise mask.

The new Select Background option makes it easier to choose the background of an image. Before, you could use Select Subject and then invert the mask. Now you can achieve the same result in one less step.

On Lightroom for desktop, Lightroom Classic, ACR and iOS/iPadOS, Adobe has introduced Adaptive Presets for portraits. Adaptive Presets aren't new, having been introduced this past summer, but using them on portraits is a new feature, and they're now available on mobile. They were previously exclusive to desktop. Adaptive Presets for portraits allows the user to quickly enhance an entire portrait or target specific features like eyes, teeth or eyebrows.

Across all Lightroom apps, there's a new Content-Aware Remove feature. Based on the same technology as Content-Aware Fill, Content-Aware Remove will adaptively fill in removed 'blemishes' based on the surrounding content. You can also manually select the sampled area for more fine-tuned control.

Virtual Camera Club News

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 #865, October 18, 2022. Today's theme is "Why Would You Put a Cheap Lens on an Expensive Camera?" I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

Over the last few months we've seen incredible lens bargains from independent manufacturers. Optics that would normally cost 2-3 times more are available in a variety of focal lengths and mounts. Generally speaking, we know that their quality doesn't match the performance of name brand offerings. So is there any situation when a cheap lens would be a viable option? I weigh in on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App!

---

Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher

Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In

Why Would You Put a Cheap Lens on an Expensive Camera?

One of my favorite rabbit holes to fall into are the comments sections of photography articles where armchair experts lambast other commenters and the post itself. And one topic that's sure to bring the heat is when a new bargain lens is announced.

The latest dustup centered around the post titled, AstrHori announces $289 40mm F5.6 manual lens for Fujifilm GFX cameras on DPReview.com. They wrote:

"The fully-manual lens offers a 32mm equivalent focal length and is constructed of seven elements in five groups. It uses a five-blade aperture diaphragm, has a minimum focusing distance of 41cm (16.1") uses a 62mm front filter thread and uses physical rings for both aperture and focus."

Now I have a GFX 100S with a couple lenses, but I could use a moderate wide. So I was interested in this announcement. Of course I turned to the comments knowing that this should be great fun.

When I checked in, there were 96 comments. Most of them wouldn't consider buying this optic. A few were curious.

Then I watched a video review of the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 Tilt lens by Christopher Frost. Tilt-Shifts are really interesting optics, and to be able to score a new one for $200 is an interesting proposition.

Frost showed that the lens isn't very sharp wide open, but cleaned up nicely as it was stopped down. There were 47 comments for the video, many of them willing to give the lens a try because of its unique abilities and that it could perform well at smaller apertures.

So this leads me to my answers to the question, "Why Would You Put a Cheap Lens on an Expensive Camera?"

• The lens has unique capabilities.
• Sharpness isn't the number one priority.
• Creating a unique look.
• It's affordable!
• It fills a seldom used gap in your lens library.

I once had this client that wanted a specific look for their photography. They liked strong backlighting with a bit of flare and very soft backgrounds.

I spent $100 on a Yongnuo lens and put it on my Canon 5D Mark II. I was able to easily create the type of images they wanted. And to tell you the truth, I found them quite appealing myself.

If you put yourself in a box that the pictures your produce must be perfectly sharp, straight, and classically composed, I fear that you may be missing opportunities to create something truly compelling.

Yes, there are times we need our best lenses to meet the requirements of the job. But not every subject demands that. And sometimes a cheap lens on an expensive camera is just what the artist ordered.

FBI Arrests Gallery Owner for Forging Ansel Adams Photos

You can read the entire article on Petapixel.com.

The FBI raided the home of a gallery owner who is accused of cheating clients out of more than 100 rare fine art photographs, including prints by famed landscape photographer Ansel Adams, worth an estimated $1.6 million.

Wendy Halsted Beard, who owned the Wendy Halsted Gallery in Birmingham, Michigan, was arrested on Friday and charged with mail and wire fraud and accused of orchestrating a scheme involving photographs that she received on consignment.

Prosecutors allege that she sold pictures without the owner's knowledge, pocketed the cash, or failed to return unsold works.

According to an affidavit, an 82-year-old victim gave Beard $900,000 worth of fine art photography in 2018 for her to sell on consignment. Included in the collection was a mural-sized photograph of The Tetons and the Snake River by Adams.

Beard agreed to sell the photograph for $685,000 with a 5% commission. Investigators say she sold it for $440,000 but the victim was never notified she had sold it and never received the money.

A second victim, an 89-year-old collector suffering from Alzheimer's disease, consigned photos, including prints by Adams as well as photographers Ion Zupco, Arnold Newman and Jerry Uelsma.

The collection included a signed print of Tenaya Creek shot by Adams in Yosemite National Park in California in 1948 and valued at $4,000 to $5,500.

Investigators say that when the said client's relatives asked for the Adams photos to be returned to them, Beard gave them cheap copies from a gift shop instead of the original, signed photographs.

On Friday, FBI agents raided Beard's home and arrested her. She was released on $10,000 unsecured bond Friday after making an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit on charges punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.

The New Nimble Photographer Weekly Newsletter

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.

Because of this rotating content, you won't see the same layout each time. There will be a certain freshness about The Nimble Photographer Newsletter that you typically don't see with other publications.

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is a valuable addition to our existing community benefits that include TheDigitalStory Podcast, The Nimble Photographer website, TheFilmCameraShop, and Derrick Story on Medium.com.

How to Sign Up

You can Sign Up for Free to the Nimble Photographer Newsletter and receive each edition weekly in your inbox.

I'm looking forward to sharing lots of great content with you.

The 2x 'lens' on the iPhone 14 Pro is surprisingly good

You can read the entire article on TheVerge.com.

One of the iPhone 14 Pro's big new features is a big new camera sensor. For the first time, an iPhone has a high-resolution main camera sensor -- 48 megapixels to be exact -- and the best thing about it isn't that you can take 48-megapixel photos. You can, sure, but RIP your phone's storage space. Nope, one of this sensor's best features is the 12 megapixels in the middle. Apple has added a 2x zoom mode to its camera app, and all it does is use the central portion of the main camera sensor to crop in and mimic the effect of a 48mm-equivalent telephoto lens. That's it. Simple, but it's actually kind of a big deal.

I wasn't expecting to like the 2x zoom. For starters, it feels dangerously close to digital zoom. That's when you zoom in on a portion of an image without the benefit of extra pixels or optics. Your phone essentially magnifies a portion of the full image, which reduces resolution. In order to get the image back up to the original resolution, it has to make some guesses about information that it's missing, and things get watercolor-y fast.

Digital zoom has gotten better recently by using computational tricks to fill in the gaps, but even so, I'd rather stick with good old-fashioned optics. In any case, that's not what Apple's doing here -- this crop to 2x uses all 12 megapixels at the center of the sensor, so you're getting a full-resolution image, just without the pixel binning tricks that are available when the full width of the 48-megapixel sensor is used. It doesn't need to fill in any missing information because it's all just there.

For subjects in close quarters, especially portraits, I like the 48mm better than either the 1x (24mm) or the 77mm-equivalent 3x lenses. Apple's camera engineers must have figured that might be the case because they made it the new default focal length when you turn on portrait mode, and I think that was a very smart move. It's a common belief among photographers that a 50mm lens has a field of view that's similar to the human eye, so this has that going for it, too.

Virtual Camera Club News

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.