PhotoActive

Hosted by Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn

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Episodes

211

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Jeff Carlson and Kirk McElhearn discuss photography and the Apple ecosystem. We cover using an iPhone or any other camera with Apple hardware and software, and we welcome photographers to discuss their work.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 12, 2026Episode 21126 min

Episode 211: Obsessive Isn’t a Bad Word

We often talk about framing a photo to get the best composition, but sometimes we don’t nail it. Or we realize in editing that a tighter crop would be better. Or something crept into the edge of the frame at the last second. In this episode, we talk about cropping photos, whether AI cropping is worth trying, and why there’s only One True Aspect Ratio. 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! LUMIX L10 Uncompromising Image Quality Panasonic Lumix L10 Review: Compact, Stylish, and Capable | PetaPixel Episode #13 - Aspect Ratios and Why They're Important — PhotoActive Podcast When editing this episode, Kirk went to the Guardian website, and the photos of the day were not all in 3:2 aspect ratio, whereas he is sure that in the past they almost always were. Most photos in this daily selection are in 3:2 but this is changing. Photos of the day | The Guardian Enlarging easel: this is the tool you use to crop when printing photos with an enlarger. 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. Lumix L10 Aspect Ratios (Credit: Panasonic) Kirk’s bread (Photo by Kirk McElhearn)

May 26, 2026Episode 21028 min

Episode 210: Photo Scouting

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 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! Google Maps Storm Radar app TPE Lumy Best 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)

May 11, 2026Episode 20926 min

Episode 209: What If Apple Makes a Camera?

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 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! Apple Leadership - John Ternus Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company, Patrick McGee tado smart thermostat AppleCD - Wikipedia StyleWriter - 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.

April 27, 2026Episode 20830 min

Episode 208: DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom Killer?

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 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! Book Review: 'Passport Photo Service,' by Philip SHarkey, NYTimes Occasionally a picture can change the course of history, The Guardian DaVinci Resolve The color grading tool used by Hollywood now supports still photos - and it’s free, Digital Camera World The film simulation rabbit hole: Why digital photographers are obsessing over analog looks, Digital Camera World Episode #8 - Gordon Laing on Taking Great Photos In Camera The difference between drinking coffee and tea Parachute Backup at Mac App Store Episodes 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.

April 12, 2026Episode 20731 min

Episode 207: Monochrome Sensors, DNG, and Apple 50th

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 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! The GR IV Monochrome Is Expensive Because the Sensor Is Hard to Source GR IV Monochrome Nvidia CEO's Defense Of DLSS 5 Gets Contradicted By One Of His Employees After Over 20 Years of Efforts, DNG Is Now the Official RAW Image Standard Apple's Best Products in Its 50 Year History, According to CNET 'Restoring' Old Photos With AI Is a Fundamentally Broken Concept Abraham 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.

March 30, 2026Episode 20632 min

Episode 206: You Can’t Trust Photos Anymore

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 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! 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 Cameras Fujifilm will explore the potential of 1-inch sensors, Digital Camera World Fujifilm Instax Mini 13 AirPods Max 2 My 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.

March 15, 2026Episode 20528 min

Episode 205: Spec Goblins and the MacBook Neo

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.

March 2, 2026Episode 20428 min

Episode 204: Storage Prices

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.

February 14, 2026Episode 20331 min

Episode 203: Do You Have $10,000 to Spare?

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 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! I Asked AI to Predict the Weather. It's About as Reliable as a Groundhog - CNET Compact Camera Sales More Than Doubled Last Year in Japan | PetaPixel Regarding 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 US Leica 35mm Noctilux-M f/1.2 ASPH Review: A Long Time Coming | PetaPixel Adobe Lightroom Classic release notes Aftershoot Thomas 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.

February 3, 2026Episode 20230 min

Episode 202: Pixelmator Pro Returns

Now we know what Apple is doing with Pixelmator Pro after its acquisition of Pixelmator: it’s part of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle. Also, we celebrate the latest black and white camera to hit the market, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, and ponder large-format photographer Sally Mann’s discovery of digital photography. 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! The Ink Drinker, Seattle Episode 60: Machine Learning with Andrius Gailiunas and Pixelmator Pro Ricoh GR IV Monochrome PetaPixel Video Sally Mann, Digital Camera World Episode 141: You Say You Want a Resolution Jeff’s Snapshot Reflections: On Cinematography, Roger Deakins Kirk’s Snapshot None Cocktail menu at The Ink Drinker (Photo: Jeff Carlson) A woman reads a book at The Ink Drinker, Seattle (Photo by Jeff Carlson) 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.