The Digital Story Photography Podcast

Like so many photographers in the U.S., I had been preparing for weeks to ensure my readiness for the August 21 Solar Eclipse of 2017. And judging by the images I saw on Instagram and throughout social media, many were happy with their results. So I thought that I’d dedicate this show to my preparations, and the event itself. After all, we get to do it all again in 7 years!

In my mind, road trips are a two-person activity. One needs to focus on driving, while the other serves as navigator. And with the current mapping technology, sudden route changes to avoid traffic jams are a great benefit if you have someone to monitor the situation. These days, that person would be me. And the side benefit to acting as navigator is that you also enjoy tremendous photo opportunities. And we’re going to explore those on today’s show.

When we’re in the great outdoors, open space is a thing of beauty. But in our daily lives, it’s a rare commodity. Counter tops, desks, closets, and garages tend to be filled to the brim. This tends to hold true for our suitcases, and yes, our camera bags as well. And before you know it, we’re lugging around extra pounds that we just don’t need. But there is a simple solution, and that’s the topic for today’s show.

Travel is as important to many photographers as the cameras they carry. Because let’s face it: you can have the coolest mirrorless in the world, but if you don’t have anything interesting to shoot, it’s not worth much. But unfortunately air travel has become increasingly unfriendly for us. So this week’s show is dedicated to making our trips as painless as possible.

Time is like horizontal space in an office. If there’s an opening, it becomes occupied. Seems to be a law of human nature that free time belongs to the young and the old. For everyone else, time must be planned. And if your photography isn’t on the agenda, it won’t make the cut. Ensuring that doesn’t happen is the first topic of today’s show.

Sometimes we make things too big. And as such, we shy away from them. I was actually thinking about this as it relates to making prints from our digital images. The idea of printing and all that goes with it seems like so much work. But what if you said to yourself, "I’m going to make just one print." That doesn't seem so bad, does it? We explore this approach on today's TDS Podcast.

Quite frankly, drones were just too cumbersome to mess with. Since aerial photography was not essential to my business, I decided to bide my time until the right quadcopter was developed. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long. In June 2017, DJI released the Spark. It is truly the Nimble Photographer drone, and the top story for today's show.

Some of my favorite moments during the Rail Adventure Workshop were our one-on-one meetings during the 19-hour train journey through the South to New Orleans. And one of the names that often came up during our discussions was my friend Frederick Van Johnson and his podcast, TWiP. Friends asking about friends, Southern hospitality, street photography, and so much more… all on today’s TDS podcast.

It was the day after Summer Solstice when we touched down at O’Hare Airport. You could feel the heat seeping through the cracks in the covered walkway that connected the plane to airport. There was no mistake. It was summer and I was in Chicago. And what transpired over the next few days is the top story for today’s show.

My nimble lifestyle depends a lot on not having to carry large, expensive lenses in my daily messenger bag. And thanks to the great design of my micro four thirds optics, I don’t have to. But the one thing I do have to sacrifice for the zooms is a fast maximum aperture. That has become less of an issue with the latest crop of cameras providing terrific ISO 3200 performance. We’ll take a closer look in today’s show.

Regardless if you live in a cozy apartment with just a narrow balcony, or have your own house with a spacious back patio, you can create a photo wonderland with container gardening. Not only do you enjoy the benefits of nurturing your botanical friends, but they will reward you with stunning images. I’ll plant those seeds on today’s show.

If you were in San Jose for the 2017 WWDC Keynote, I sure hope you didn't drink too much coffee beforehand. This year's presentation was a marathon 2.5 hours, covering Apple TV, the Mac, all the OSs, Apple Watch, iPad and the brand new HomePod. And thankfully for us, there was a little photography mixed in there too. And that’s the focus of today's show.

Clients can put you in the tightest spots, and I don’t mean just with scheduling. Physically, I’ve found myself with big shots to capture and virtually no room to record them. Then there are the times your arms aren’t long enough, the steps aren’t high enough, and room just isn’t deep enough. How does one survive such tight squeezes? By going wide, my friend. And that’s the focus for today.

How many times have you held back a shot because you thought it was too cliche? Or maybe it featured what we call a mature subject, such as a sunset or the Golden Gate Bridge. But, maybe, just maybe, it’s more artistic than you realize. And it’s even possible that both photographers and the general public would admire it. That’s what I call the crossover shot. And it’s the first topic for today’s show.

Photography isn't about getting some of the settings right; it's about nailing all of them. If there are 10 things you need for a great shot, and you accomplish only 9, then guess what? You're probably going to be disappointed. I was thinking about this after my latest blunder, and realized that there are a handful of mishaps that have plagued me repeatedly. And that's the theme for today’s show.