Episodes

  • Episode 210: Photo Scouting

    Episode 210: Photo Scouting
    May 26 2026
    Before you go out to do some photography, how do you determine where to go? Jeff had a portrait session booked and discovered that the location was fenced and blocked -- but scouting in advance gave him time to find a new spot. We talk about tools and techniques for finding the best photo spots and conditions. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on BlueskyKirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!Google MapsStorm Radar appTPELumyBest Budget Coffee Grinders for 2026, CoffeeGeek Jeff’s Snapshot MiiCoffee DF54 Single Dose Coffee Grinder Kirk’s Snapshot Ankarsrum Mixer Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive. Jeff defends his spot throughout the day in the Piazzale Michaelangelo in Florence, Italy. (Photo: Jeff Carlson) One of the photos from that spot in Florence. (Photo: Jeff Carlson) The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE)
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    29 mins
  • Episode 209: What If Apple Makes a Camera?

    Episode 209: What If Apple Makes a Camera?
    May 11 2026
    Our conversation in this episode started with news of John Ternus becoming the next CEO of Apple as of September 1, but that led to an intriguing concept that isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem: What if Apple makes its own camera? Imagine a fixed-lens compact mirrorless with a larger sensor, better glass, and all of the technologies Apple has developed for the iPhone. Could it happen? We get into the details. (Photo: Apple QuickTake 200, by Don DeBold. Used by Creative Commons license.) Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on BlueskyKirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!Apple Leadership - John TernusApple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company, Patrick McGeetado smart thermostatAppleCD - WikipediaStyleWriter - Wikipedia Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    27 mins
  • Episode 208: DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom Killer?

    Episode 208: DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom Killer?
    Apr 27 2026
    The well regarded video editor DaVinci Resolve just introduced a Photos module inside the app, making some people wonder whether the free software could replace traditional photography tools like Lightroom. We also talk about a book of passport photos, photos that change history and film simulations. (Image: Black Magic Design) Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on BlueskyKirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!Book Review: 'Passport Photo Service,' by Philip SHarkey, NYTimesOccasionally a picture can change the course of history, The GuardianDaVinci ResolveThe color grading tool used by Hollywood now supports still photos - and it’s free, Digital Camera WorldThe film simulation rabbit hole: Why digital photographers are obsessing over analog looks, Digital Camera WorldEpisode #8 - Gordon Laing on Taking Great Photos In CameraThe difference between drinking coffee and teaParachute Backup at Mac App StoreEpisodes on Backups Jeff’s Snapshot EPSON inkjet printer cleaning sheet A4 size 3 pieces MJCLS Kirk’s Snapshot Parachute Backup app Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    31 mins
  • Episode 207: Monochrome Sensors, DNG, and Apple 50th

    Episode 207: Monochrome Sensors, DNG, and Apple 50th
    Apr 12 2026
    We remain fascinated by monochrome cameras, and this week we discovered just how tough it is to source the sensors used by the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome. We also talk about DNG, Adobe’s universal raw format, becoming an official image standard (and why the big camera companies probably won’t adopt it). And if you hadn’t heard, Apple turned 50! Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on BlueskyKirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!The GR IV Monochrome Is Expensive Because the Sensor Is Hard to SourceGR IV MonochromeNvidia CEO's Defense Of DLSS 5 Gets Contradicted By One Of His EmployeesAfter Over 20 Years of Efforts, DNG Is Now the Official RAW Image StandardApple's Best Products in Its 50 Year History, According to CNET'Restoring' Old Photos With AI Is a Fundamentally Broken ConceptAbraham Lincoln colorized Jeff’s Snapshot Take Control of iPhone Photography Kirk’s Snapshot David Pogue Writes the History of Apple Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    31 mins
  • Episode 206: You Can’t Trust Photos Anymore

    Episode 206: You Can’t Trust Photos Anymore
    Mar 30 2026
    So it’s come to this. Generative AI has quickly gotten so good that it’s hard to distinguish real photos from generated ones. So where do we go from here? We talk about C2PA authentication, trusting your sources, and more. (Image: Generated with Adobe Firefly) Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on BlueskyKirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!Inspiring International Garden Photographer of the Year Winners (PetaPixel)Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA)Google Thinks AI Can Make You a Better Photographer: I Dive Into the Pixel 10 CamerasFujifilm will explore the potential of 1-inch sensors, Digital Camera WorldFujifilm Instax Mini 13AirPods Max 2My Original AirPods Max Stopped Working, So I Put Them in the Freezer. Really Jeff’s Snapshot Anker Soundcore Space One Kirk’s Snapshot Logitech MX Creative Console Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    33 mins
  • Episode 205: Spec Goblins and the MacBook Neo

    Episode 205: Spec Goblins and the MacBook Neo
    Mar 15 2026


    Apple has announced the MacBook Neo, a $600 laptop running on the same A18 Pro processor that was used in the iPhone 16 Pro. Oh, and it has 8GB of RAM and starts at 256GB of storage. Believe it or not, lots of people on the Internet take issue with those specs, so we look at it from the point of view of whether it could be a good machine for photographers who blew all their money on a $10,000 Leica f/1.2 lens.

    Hosts:

    • Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
    • Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

    Show Notes:

    (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

    • Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

    • MacBook Neo

    • You Probably Don't Need an f/1.2 Lens

    • Leica Leitzphone

    Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.

    If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.

    Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    29 mins
  • Episode 204: Storage Prices

    Episode 204: Storage Prices
    Mar 2 2026

    The prices of digital storage are set to climb this year because AI is eating up all the available inventory. And modern photography is entirely dependent on storage, whether it's the SD cards that store the captured images, the internal solid-state memory that stores data on your computer, or the external SSDs and traditional hard drives that keep your archive of photos.

    Hosts:

    • Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
    • Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky

    Show Notes:

    (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)

    • Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!

    • Western Digital is out of hard drives, because Ai (of course)

    • Take Control of Your Digital Storage

    Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.

    If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.

    Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    29 mins
  • Episode 203: Do You Have $10,000 to Spare?

    Episode 203: Do You Have $10,000 to Spare?
    Feb 14 2026
    The best-selling compact camera in Japan is from... Kodak? We’ve talked about compact cameras in the past, but it remains a fascinating part of the photo marketplace as people look for something different than mirrorless and DSLR cameras. By the way, do you have $10,000 to spare on a new 35mm lens? Leica’s Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH was just announced at that eye-watering price. Lastly, Jeff covers some new Lightroom features in the latest versions. (Photo: Leica) Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on BlueskyKirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky Show Notes: (View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co) Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!I Asked AI to Predict the Weather. It's About as Reliable as a Groundhog - CNETCompact Camera Sales More Than Doubled Last Year in Japan | PetaPixelRegarding the price of the Ricoh GR cameras, Kirk was thinking of the prices in the UK. In the US, the prices are $1,600 and and $2.200.Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. | Leica Camera USLeica 35mm Noctilux-M f/1.2 ASPH Review: A Long Time Coming | PetaPixelAdobe Lightroom Classic release notesAftershootThomas Pynchon: Vineland (Kirk said it was published in 1980; that should be 1990)How 'One Battle After Another' Shot the Car Chase Scene Like a Gritty '70s Film - YouTube Jeff’s Snapshot The Uncool by Cameron Crowe Kirk’s Snapshot One Battle After Another (Compact cameras. Credit: PetaPixel) Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered. If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more. Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.
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    32 mins