7 Techniques for Bending Reality in the Sierras - TDS Photography Podcast

This is The Digital Story Podcast 1,030, Dec. 16, 2025. Today's theme is, "My 5 Favorite Photo Purchases of 2025." I'm Derrick Story. I'm lucky enough to be able to test loaner gear for my podcasts and articles. But sometimes I like something so much that I buy it with my own money and incorporate it into my workflow. Today, I will share my five favorite purchases in 2025 - plus some industry news as well. All of that, and more, on Today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1030 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In My 5 Favorite Photo Purchases of 2025 Here are my top 5 photo purchases for 2025 in reverse order, David Letterman style. Number 5 - Lowepro Trekker Lite BP 150 AW Backpack (Gray, 18.5L). Bought for $49.88 on B&H Super Special; available now for $99 for the holidays. Number 4 - Canon PIXMA G620 Printer Bought for $249 on B&H Super Special, available for $299 for the holidays. Number 3 - Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 Z Lens for Nikon Z Bought for $407; available now for $329. Number 2 - OM System OM-3 Mirrorless Camera Body. Bought for $1,999 when first released; available now for $1,799 on holiday special. Number 1 - iPhone 17 Pro 256 GB. $1,099 direct from Apple. This Week in the News Joel Meyerowitz: How I Make Photographs review: Learn from one of street photography's greatest photographers as featured on DigitalCameraWorld.com Why Printing Still Matters and How It Separates Authors From Image-Makers as featured on FStoppers.com Michele Singer Reiner, Wife of Rob, Was an Accomplished Photographer as featured on PetaPixel.com Viltrox is adding versatility to the viral fixed-lens camera as featured on DPReview.com Virtual Camera Club News Workshops! The 2026 TDS Photography Workshop Season. We are featuring webinars, online workshops, and in-person events focused on creating impactful images in the company of those who love photography as much as you. Our workshops are like no others, and we think you will throughly enjoy the camaraderie and the tips and techniques. Stop by The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page and reserve your spot today. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. 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. 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 1,029, Dec. 9, 2025. Today's theme is, "Year-End Organizing Checklist for Photographers." I'm Derrick Story. It's easy for photographers to be distracted by holiday sales as the year closes. Black Friday discounts and Cyber Monday deals are indeed tempting. But instead of focusing on acquiring new gear, this is a great time of year to manage what we already have. And that's what we're going to talk about on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1029 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Year-End Organizing Checklist for Photographers Over the course of the previous 11 months, many of us bought new accessories, cameras, and lenses. Most likely we traveled to beautiful destinations and filled our SD cards with thousands of images. And if we're lucky, we even made a few dollars along the way. December is the perfect time to organize and account for all of that activity. Have you documented the serial numbers for your new gear? Is your backup system up to date? Do you know where your receipts are? Do you have any plans for next year? This podcast can serve as a handy checklist to make sure your photography-house is in order as we prepare to embark upon 2026. Let's start with image backup and archiving. Protect the Work You've Done I think in terms of calendar year when organizing my images. In part, this is how my brain works. So I soon will be closing out 2025 and starting anew with 2026. This year's images have been backed up along the way. But December is the time to test your system to make sure it's as robust as you believe it is. And that's item one on our checklist: Test Your Backup System. I have my images organized on an external RAID drive and on a portable SSD. My favorite shots are saved in iCloud as an additional layer of convenience and protection. I can access my Cloud account from any of my devices as long as I have an internet connection. For the connected drives, I use Peakto to account for them and provide a friendly user interface for managing the shots. I like it because it brings everything together from various locations into one easy-to-view location. I put my system to the test by creating a list of shots that I want to find, and then search for them. This is a strict Pass/Fail activity. If I don't recover 100 percent of the photos I have on my list, then I troubleshoot the system until I reach perfection. Serial Numbers and Updated Insurance Riders It doesn't do any good to insure equipment that you've sold. December is the time to review your insurance riders to delete items that you no longer own, and to add gear that you've acquired over the year. In addition to the policy itself, I keep an inventory list separately as well. Is your accounting woefully out of date? Shore it up now. It feels great to have everything itemized. Plus now you have a platform to add additional information such as purchase date, price, and even a photo of the item with a short description. If you experience theft, fire, flooding or some other loss, your inventory will help facilitate a fast recovery. Print Your Best Pictures We have no idea what the future has in store for us. Hard drives and computers could go the way of the dodo bird. A massive solar storm or cyber attack could erase everything. AI bots could go rouge. I know this sounds very sci-fi, but we just don't know. Archival prints are immune from all of this. We don't need a device to view them. They have a long shelf life. And they are beautiful. If you were to make six prints every year of your best stuff, chances are good that you would have an entire exhibit archived by the time you retire. Think about it... if you wanted, you could erase every device you own and still have a collection of images left for posterity. Start this year by making at least 6 of the largest prints your printer can output. Store them in an archival box and mark the outside clearly. Then next December, do it again. Identify the Gear That You're Not Using Our photography, like everything else, evolves over time. We find new areas of interest and perhaps become less enamored with previous favorites. Our gear will reflect those changes. We're pretty good about adding new items to accommodate fresh interests. But the old stuff tends to migrate to the back of the closet, out of sight. Since we have to pull everything out anyway to account for it in our inventory, why not use this opportunity to designate lesser-used items for sale? Not only does this save space and simplify inventory control, but those extra dollars can go into future purchases for new things we need. Make Plans for the New Year Once you have your 2025 under control, it's time to think about the coming year. Do you have a project that you've been thinking about? Now is the perfect time to sketch it out, add milestones, and set your goal. Is there a destination that you've wanted to photograph? December is a great time to research best times to visit, create budgets, and start discussions with your travel partner. Blocking out space on the calendar for your adventures and goals not only increase the likelihood of them materializing, but it also reveals the open spaces you have for other activities. It's a lot easier to agree to attend a family gathering in July when you know that month is open. Plus, what a great feeling to have events to look forward to. Final Thoughts Photographers living north of the equator may think of December as an uninspiring time of short, cold, days. But there's great opportunity to plant seeds for the coming year. Set aside some time to work on this checklist. And have a great 2026! December Checklist for Photographers Protect the Work You've Done - Test your backup system. Serial Numbers and Updated Insurance Riders - Account for your gear. Print Your Best Pictures - Create your device-independent archive. Identify the Gear That You're Not Using - Reclaim space and generate income. Make Plans for the New Year - Block out chunks of time for your craft. This Week in the News The best (and worst) photo gifts DPReview readers have ever received as featured on DPReview.com 10 More Crazy Photography Facts You (Probably) Didn't Know as featured on FStoppers.com Viltrox teases new conversion lenses for Fujifilm X100 cameras as featured on DigitalCameraWorld.com Virtual Camera Club News Workshops! The 2026 TDS Photography Workshop Season. We are featuring webinars, online workshops, and in-person events focused on creating impactful images in the company of those who love photography as much as you. Our workshops are like no others, and we think you will throughly enjoy the camaraderie and the tips and techniques. Stop by The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page and reserve your spot today. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. 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. 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 1,028, Dec. 2, 2025. Today's theme is, "Catching Up on the Latest Photo News." I'm Derrick Story. We've been so busy with workshops and gift guides that I haven't been able to share the latest interesting news stories in our space. Well that changes today! I have the DP Review Camera of the Year, the Leica Photo of the Year, and the scoop on what really killed Minolta. All of that, and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1028 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Catching Up on the Latest Photo News Here are the stories this week... The DP Review 2025 Product of the Year as featured on DPReview.com The Leica Picture of the Year 2025: Joel Meyerowitz's street photography masterpiece captures the magic of New York as featured on DigitalCameraWorld.com What Really Killed Minolta? A Post-Mortem as featured on FStoppers.com 113 Years Ago, the US Tried to Outlaw Fake Photographs as featured on PetaPixel.com Virtual Camera Club News Workshops! The 2026 TDS Photography Workshop Season. We are featuring webinars, online workshops, and in-person events focused on creating impactful images in the company of those who love photography as much as you. Our workshops are like no others, and we think you will throughly enjoy the camaraderie and the tips and techniques. Stop by The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page and reserve your spot today. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. 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. 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 1,027, Nov. 25, 2025. Today's theme is, "The 2026 Photography Workshop Season." I'm Derrick Story. The 2026 workshop season features more events than ever! We have informative webinars, online intensives, and in-person explorations to exciting locations. I'll go over the entire lineup today, and then chat with Rob Knight who is leading some of the events. It's going to be a great year of photography! Digital Photography Podcast 1027 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The 2026 Photography Workshop Season In the coming year we'll be exploring the beautiful Maine coastline, magical Utah landscape, a hot air balloon festival, and Route 66. Plus we have online events covering backyard bird photography, mastering Lightroom, creative photo techniques, and inkjet printing. You can view the entire lineup, plus reserve your spot, by visiting the The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page. So let's take a closer look at these offerings. Jan 10 -- Webinar -- Make the Most of Your Next Photo Workshop (DS & RK) When you attend a photography workshop, you want to maximize your shooting time and get the most value for your hard-earned money. This program is full of tips, techniques, and ideas to help make the most of your time in the field. Rob Knight and Derrick Story have been leading photography workshops for the last sixteen years, and working hard to ensure his clients have great workshop experiences. There are a few things that can make the difference between a good workshop and a great one. He will share what he has learned from his observations leading workshops and stories from some of his colleagues to help you have a good time, save you stress in the field, and make sure that you come back from your next photography workshop with amazing photos, and even better stories! Online Workshop - Real-world Adobe Lightroom -- Jan. 8-29 -- (RK) Adobe Lightroom Classic and Lightroom desktop provide industry standard image organization, editing, and finishing. Join Adobe Certified Expert Rob Knight and learn to take advantage of all the great tools Lightroom has to offer. Whether you are a Lightroom beginner, or you are an experienced user looking to up your game, Rob will make sure you don't miss a trick. Webinar -- Feb. 21 -- Backyard birds and beyond (DS & RK) Wildlife photography, and birds in particular, can be a daunting discipline to explore. The long lenses and specific camera settings require a bit of study and a LOT of practice to master. This 2 hour webinar will begin with the basics for photographing birds and wildlife. Host Rob Knight will go over equipment considerations, camera settings, shooting modes, auto focus, and more. Online Workshop -- Jan. 28-Feb. 18 Mobile Photography with the iPhone, iPad, and Camera (DS) The iPhone, combined with a compact camera, is a powerful tandem for on-the-go photography. In this online workshop, we will explore how to pull together these devices to build a robust and enjoyable workflow. Online Workshop - March 5-26 - Becoming a More Creative Photographer (RK) It's easy to study the technical aspects of photography to improve your camera skills. There are endless books, videos, classes, etc that cover aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, but what about creativity? What techniques can we employ in order to create more compelling and expressive photos? Online Workshop -- Creative Photo Techniques (DS) Four weeks... and a different creative technique each session! We'll explore B&W techniques, Infrared, HDR, long exposure, and more. Do you feel like you're taking the same photos over and over? Climb out of that rut with our creative camera techniques workshop, and discover your inner artist. May 14-17, 2026 - Coastal Maine Photo Workshop (RK) Hit the road with Rob Knight for a classic American road trip to explore the iconic towns, lighthouses, fishing boats, and more in Portland and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. July 2026 -- SC Hot Air Balloon Classic and Micro Brewery Photo Workshop (DS) The Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic is a two-day event that allows us to photograph every aspect of the festival from preparation, to morning glow, to lift off, to individual rides. It's a colorful feast for the eyes. Additionally, Sonoma County has a thriving microbrewing culture. We'll go behind the scenes and learn about the brewing process and taste the results for ourselves. Oct. 5-10 - Moab, Arches, and Dead Horse (DS) Currently wait list Our workshop headquarters is a spacious casa located a few blocks from downtown Moab shops, restaurants and galleries. Arches National Park is 5 miles away, Dead Horse State Park and other photo locations are less than an hour from our HQ. In addition to full kitchen, table for 10, a comfortable common area, our casa includes a private hot tub, outdoor fire pit, BBQ Grill, washer and dryer, WiFi, and parking. Arrivals begin on Monday, Oct. 5 at 4pm. The workshop starts on Tuesday morning. And departure is Saturday morning by 9am. Our photo excursions will include the beautiful landscape of Arches National Park, Dead Horse State Park, the Colorado River, and more. Oct. 15-18 - Route 66 Photography Workshop (RK) Join pro photographer and Route 66 explorer Rob Knight to explore the "mother road" this October. We will be based in Winslow and Kingman, Arizona, putting us right in the middle of the action. The stretch of Route 66 through northern Arizona contains many of the most iconic spots that still exist from the heyday of American car culture. We will visit towns along Route 66 like Seligman, Oatman, and Williams, Arizona. Along the way, we will explore and photograph the roadside attractions that made Route 66 so legendary. Online Workshop - Inkjet Printing for Photographers (DS) Nov. 3, 10, 17, and 24, 2026 Just in time for the holidays, this inkjet printing workshop will help you tame your printer, enabling you to create beautiful prints and fine art greeting cards. We'll cover paper stocks, printer setups, project design, and even how to choose the best inkjet photo printer for you - all the details that you've always wondered about. We Hope You Can Join Us! Stop by The Nimble Photographer Workshop Page and reserve your spot today. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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 1,026, Nov. 18, 2025. Today's theme is, "Photographer's Gift Guide 2025." I'm Derrick Story. Over the course of a year, I test many cool photo and camping accessories. Most of these would make affordable, excellent gifts for the photo enthusiast in your life. This week I'll share my favorites, just in time for the holiday season. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1026 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Photographer's Gift Guide 2025 Each of the items I discuss today are listed in the show notes, complete with descriptions, pricing, and links. So don't worry about taking jotting down details during the podcast. Just sit back and relax, then hit the show notes afterward. K&F CONCEPT 67mm Black Diffusion 1/4 & Circular Polarizing in-1 Filter Pro Mist Cinematic Polarizer Effect Filter with 18-Layer Coating - $29.99 - Combines black diffusion 1/4 and polarizing filters to soften highlights and reduce reflections in various shooting conditions without causing vignetting. CNC-designed trapezoidal pattern for easy grip and rotation, paired with sandblasted anti-glare treatment to minimize stray light interference. Comes with 3 vacuum-sealed cleaning cloths for added protection. Godox iT32 TTL Mini Flash with X5O Trigger Kit $98.90 - One Modular System, Built for All - Offering auto TTL, Manual, Stroboscopic flash compatibility, and Godox's 2.4 GHz X wireless system, the iT32 TTL Mini Flash enables diverse lighting setups when paired with a separately available X5-series unit. Users can choose or switch between the X5C, X5N, X5F, X5O, or X5S to respectively find compatibility with a wide range of Canon, Nikon, FUJIFILM, Olympus/Panasonic, or Sony cameras; which means you can use a single iT32 flash body and opt for different hot shoes with wireless flash trigger capability. A compact and versatile lighting tool, this flash features an adjustable power range from 1/128 to 1/1 with fine-tuning options, 1.5 sec recycling, HSS support, a color touchscreen, and a convenient LED modeling lamp. The iT32 operates using a built-in USB-C rechargeable battery to provide up to 510 full-power flashes and still has a lightweight individual body at just 6 oz. Apple AirTag 4 Pack - $79.88 - Keep track of and find your items alongside friends and devices in the Find My app. K&F CONCEPT 4 Pack Camera Lens Pouch Set - $24.99 - Our Lens Pouch Set equipment within 4 sizes range from S to XL, Size S accommodating lenses: 2.75" x 3.93"(*H); Size M for 3.14" x 5.5"(Dia*H); Size L for 3.54" x 7.08"(Dia*H); Size XL for 3.93" x 8.66"(Dia*H), which fit most DSLR/mirrorless lenses. Equipped with a side belt strap for convenient hand carrying or a hook to attach it to any bag, backpacks, or tripods for portable convenience. Lowepro Trekker Lite BP 150 AW Backpack (Gray, 18.5L) - $149.88 - The gray, 18.5L Trekker Lite BP 150 AW AW Backpack from Lowepro has a soft structure, separate compartments, and customizable inserts. The pack accommodates a Sony a6000 or similar-sized camera with an attached lens, two additional small lenses, or a charger and a battery. Alternatively, it will hold a DJI Mavic Air 2 or similar small drone. A dedicated sleeve stores a 13" laptop, and there's extra room for a small tripod and personal items. You can easily configure this bag to meet your needs when traveling. It has a removable camera insert with strap kit and large grab handles on the top, side, and front. The rear of the pack has a hideaway strap system and a separate laptop sleeve. This backpack is essentially three products in one: an accessory strap kit, an everyday travel backpack, and a photo gear insert. BLUETTI Elite 30 V2 Portable Power Station, 288Wh Solar Generator, 600W AC Outlets (Power Lifting 1500W), Fast Charging LiFePO4 Battery - $189 - With a 600W AC inverter, 288Wh LiFePO4 battery, and 9 outlets, it weighs only 9.5 lbs, making it an excellent companion for outdoor camping, road trips, or home emergencies. 1500W power lifting, which can easily power small electric heating appliances such as kettles and toasters, greatly extending usage possibilities. Elite 30 V2 supports 8 charging methods, including AC charging, solar charging and car fast charging. With super fast charging, it goes from 0% to 100% in just 70 minutes, without damaging the battery. Stoke Voltaics Electric Kettle, 120V Portable Water Boiler - $99.99 - This portable 500W electric kettle brings water to a boil in just 5 minutes--perfect for daily use at home, in the office, or while traveling. Reliable performance wherever hot water is needed. Perfect for more than just boiling water, from tea and coffee to instant noodles and hot chocolate--designed for all your hot drink and quick meal needs, anytime and anywhere. Anifurry Wood Camping Chair with Wood Tray - Mohave - $137.99 - Experience the ultimate in comfort and portability with the Foldable Camping Chair, meticulously crafted for the outdoor enthusiast. Featuring a lightweight beech wood frame for easy handling and durability, this elegant camping chair combines a soft, textured top layer made of wool with a robust bottom layer of 900D Oxford fabric for exceptional durability. Designed for mobility, the chair quickly disassembles for easy transport, making it ideal for any adventure. from campsites to outdoor concerts, Whether you're relaxing at a picnic or enjoying an evening under the stars, the Camping Chair offers a perfect blend of sophistication, comfort, and practicality, ensuring it's the only chair you'll need for your outdoor activities. FUJIFILM INSTAX Mini EVO Hybrid Instant Camera Black + Fuji Instax Film 20 Sheet + Custom Case & Album 32GB Micro SD Memory Card Accessory Bundle - $324.99 - Capture and instantly print photos from this Hybrid instant camera or print directly from your smartphone or tablet using its Bluetooth connectivity. Add some excitement by selecting from a variety of 10 lens effect options and 10 film effect options, giving you up to 100 different ways for more printing fun. Bundle pack accessories that include 20 film print exposures , 32gb micro memory card, USB memory card reader, fitted camera case and a photo album. Ultra Thin Studio Edge Flapjack Light, 18''/45.5cm 70W Dimmable Portrait Light with AC Adapter/2.4G Wireless Remote - $159.99 - 70W LED video light is a new design with round shape, aluminium shell, ultra-slim panel (with thickness only 1.5 inches/3.8 centimeters), using a backlight and distribution technology in the guarantee of creating beautiful softer lighting; Cooling effect is also increased; Comes with a 2.4G remote control (indoor 50m barrier-free) to adjust the color temperature, brightness and channels. ou can adjust the brightness between 0-100% and color temperature from 3200k to 5600k steplessly based on how bright you have it. It can realize accurate color rendition and clear photographic images for its 95+ High CRI. DxO Black Friday Sale - Save Up to 27 percent with Discount Code: DIGITALSTORY - PhotoLab 9 regular $239, $189 with discount code; NIK Collection 8 regular $169, $132 with discount code; FilmPack 8 regular $149, $123 with discount code. TDS Workshop Gift Certificate - I'll send you a handmade gift certificate that can be used for any upcoming online or in-person workshop. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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 1,025, Nov. 11, 2025. Today's theme is, "Using Motion to Enhance Mood." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue The first day of our Autumn Workshop was exploring the Sonoma Coast. It was a gray day, perfect for experimenting with mood-enhancing techniques. I slowed the shutter to 1/2 second to create a somber, peaceful environment. That technique, plus more about our workshop on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1025 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In Using Motion to Enhance Mood As I watched the waves roll to shore, one after another, I knew that I want to incorporate that motion into a series of images. My approach was to juxtapose people against this backdrop. In the first segment of today's show, I explain how I did it. DxO PhotoLab 9 with the OM System OM-3 As I had mentioned a couple weeks ago, I was pairing the OM-3 with PhotoLab 9 for our Sonoma County Fall Workshop. Here are my impressions after the event. Camera Industry News Here are a few interesting stories from this week's photography news. Canon's latest F1.2 lens is surprisingly fast, shockingly inexpensive from DPReview.com. Panasonic is Shuttering Its Lumix Pro Services in Europe from PetaPixel.com. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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 1,024, Nov. 4, 2025. Today's theme is, "My Favorite New Features in Lightroom 9." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue Lightroom Desktop continues to vie for the hearts of enthusiast photographers who aren't already locked in to Lightroom Classic. And for those of us who want a more flexible solution, the terrific tweaks in version 9 bring it steps closer to becoming a total photo management and editing solution. I'll cover new features for both Classic and Desktop in today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1024 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In My Favorite New Features in Lightroom 9 When Adobe added local file management to Lightroom Desktop in October 2023, I became far more interested in tapping it for photo shoots. The Local tab makes it far more practical for those of us who prefer to organize our photos in the Finder instead of the Cloud. Lightroom Desktop 9, just announced at Adobe Max, continues to meld cutting edge AI tools with common sense file management. The five new features that I'm most impressed with has a little AI with a dash of workflow sweetness. Here are the new tools I've started using right away. Assisted Culling (Classic and Desktop) Wedding and portrait photographers are going to love this. But honestly, anyone who takes lots of people shots, like parents of toddlers, are going to appreciate this timesaving feature. Whether you're in Cloud mode or Local viewing, Assisted Culling is now near the top of the lefthand column. Click on it to open your options, check the boxes that are important to you, and Lightroom goes to work. First time through, I turned on everything on. Under Select I checked: Subject Focus, Eye Focus, and Eyes Open. I enabled them all for Reject too: Documents and Receipts, Misfires, and Exposure Issues. Lightroom marks the proposed selects with a green check and the rejects with a red X. You can copy your selects to the cloud, or apply batch actions such as ratings and labels to both the select group and the rejects group. All of this filtering work is accomplished in seconds, saving a huge amount of time. It's likely that more options will be added over time, enhancing its usefulness for other types of photography such as landscape. But even in its present Early Access state, it's a great addition. Show Subfolders in Local Storage (Desktop) Subfolders are a great organizational tool for photo shoots that have different locations or components. If I'm photographing landmarks in Arizona for a week, I don't want every shoot lumped into one giant folder. I prefer something more like "Arizona 2025" with subfolders containing the different locations. Now in Lightroom 9, if I toggle on the Include Subfolders switch at the top of the interface, and see my entire week of shooting my clicking on the master folder. I find this particularly helpful when I'm rating all of the images from the week. But I still have my subfolders for organization. It's the best of both worlds. Color Labels (Desktop) Speaking of organization, color labels are now available in Lightroom Desktop 9. This goes hand in hand with being able to label an entire shoot at once in addition to star ratings. I use color labels to indicate things like images that I pulled for an article, pictures that I've printed, or for marking client favorites. Color labels are a wonderful complement to star ratings, and I'm happy to see them in Lightroom 9. Batch File Renaming (Desktop) The practical tools hit parade continues! I can now build custom templates to rename my photo files. Not only is this helpful in Lightroom itself, but the app also applies those new names at the Finder level. So instead of being stuck with IMG_2048, IMG_2049, I can rename those files to include practically any bit of information I want, such as custom names, dates, sequences, and yes, the original file names too. Using this feature, I went from ZF1_5373.jpg to ZF1_5373-Coco-2025-09.jpg - adding a custom name (Coco) and a date (2025-09). Even if you don't use Lightroom Desktop for anything else, you can point it to a folder and have it rename all of the files in that folder for you. Remove Dust Spots (Classic and Desktop) The AI-powered Dust Removal feature in the Distraction Removal panel automatically detects and removes dust spots in a photo, created by dust on your camera's sensor. Click on the Remove icon on the right side of the interface, go down the panel to Distraction Removal, and you'll see we now have a Dust option in addition to People and Reflections. Click Apply under Dust, and Lightroom detects and removes that pesky sensor dust marks. Talk about a time saver! The Evolution of Lightroom Desktop Lightroom Desktop is evolving into a powerful, flexible image management and editing application. It's free of the database mechanism that's embedded in Lightroom Classic, and it's no longer handcuffed to the Cloud either. I can simply point Lightroom Desktop to my nicely-organized file system, and it provides the tools to help me manage it. This latest round of new features enhances this experience. Simple things, such as subfolders and color labels, are very helpful. And then to add AI-powered culling and dust removal to the mix is a great bonus. All of this is available right now to Adobe Photography Plan subscribers. Go to your Creative Cloud account, update to Lightroom 9, and get to work. Camera Industry News Here are a few interesting stories from this week's photography news. Lightroom has a new slider - and it's a game-changer for fixing red skin. Meet the new Color Variance tool from DigitalCameraWorld.com. Pentax Bet Everything on Photographers Coming Back to DSLRs. Now What? from FStoppers.com. Affinity Going the DaVinci Resolve Route Is Brilliant and a Proven Success from PetaPixel.com. Healthy upgrade: Nikon Zf firmware v3.0 adds grain from DPReview.com. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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 1,023, October 28, 2025. Today's theme is, "The OM-3 Plus DxO PhotoLab 9 for My Upcoming Workshop." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue One of the things I really like about next week's Sonoma County Fall Workshop is the sheer variety of subject material. Every day is something new - perfect for the versatile OM System OM-3. And I'm pairing up my mighty MFT with some serious processing software: DxO PhotoLab 9.1. The workflow is a lot easier than you'd think. I'll explain why on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1023 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In The OM-3 Plus DxO PhotoLab 9 for My Upcoming Workshop For the first segment, I'll start with the OM System OM-3 and the lenses I'm packing for the workshop. Then I'll move into why I'm using DxO PhotoLab 9.1 for the processing of those files. BTW: If you purchase any DxO software, you can use coupon code:DIGITALSTORY for a 15 percent discount. Camera Industry News Here are a few interesting stories from this week's photography news. From Hollywood to handmade: Jeff Bridges revives a panoramic film camera classic from DPReview.com. DxO PhotoLab 9.1 vs PhotoLab 8: Is the Upgrade Really Worth It? from PhotoFocus.com. Real Estate Agents Are Using AI Images Instead of Actual Photos from DPReview.com. Lomography made a new film camera that charges with USB-C from TheVerge.com. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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 1,022, October 21, 2025. Today's theme is, "How I Lost My Shirt on a Wedding Photo Assignment." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue We all know that wedding photo assignments can be challenging, but you shouldn't lose your shirt in the process. Here's one such story that happened last week. Plus, DxO FilmPack 8, Annie Leibovitz, and more. All waiting for you on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1022 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In How I Lost My Shirt on a Wedding Photo Assignment Here's the story of how I lost my shirt during a wedding photo assignment in San Francisco, CA. And you can read the companion article here. Camera Industry News Here are a few interesting stories from this week's photography news. Exciting News: DxO FilmPack 8 Has Arrived! from PhotoFocus.com. Annie Leibovitz Is the WPPI 2026 Keynote Speaker from PetaPixel.com. Springsteen, James Dean, Bardot - own a portrait of a legend for less from DPReview.com. Comparing the MacBook Pro M5 with the MacBook Air M4 from Apple.com. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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 1,021, October 14, 2025. Today's theme is, "7 Techniques for Bending Reality in the Sierras." I'm Derrick Story. Opening Monologue We're back from the Eastern Sierra! One discussion topic that ran through the entire week was "Keeping It Real or Going Surreal." Our photographers embraced a variety of approaches to create their own unique images, and I will share those with you on this week's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show. Digital Photography Podcast 1021 Tune-In Via Your Favorite Podcast App! Apple Podcasts -- Spotify Podcasts -- Stitcher Podbean Podcasts -- Podbay FM -- Tune In 7 Techniques for Bending Reality in the Sierras The deep blue of the high mountain lakes, the vibrant yellows and oranges of the Aspens and Cottonwoods, the weathered wood of Bodie, and the surreal tufa at Mono Lake - you would think this would be enough to fill the eyes of any photographer. But many of us wanted to further transform these amazing scenes into our own works of art. We wanted to go beyond postcard and calendar shots in search of a look that was unique. And that's what we did. Here are seven techniques that our workshop photographers experimented with during our week in the Eastern Sierra. Custom Color Profiles, Film Simulations, and Art Filters Slow Shutter Speeds with NDs and Polarizers Infrared - both Monochrome and Color B&W - Both In-Camera and in Post Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) Reflections Shooting Into the Sun Soon I will be posting a gallery on DerrickStoryOnline where our Inner Circle Members and workshop participants can see examples of these techniques. Camera Industry News Here are a few interesting stories from this week's photography news. Ricoh and Realme are working on a smartphone camera with a film-like aesthetic for people tired of perfect photos from DigitalCameraWorld.com. Sales Charts Show the Ricoh GR IV Is Picking Up Where the GR III Left Off from PetaPixel.com. iPhone 17 Pro camera upgrade: is it worth leaving your 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 Pro behind? from DPReview.com. Kodak launches Kodacolor 100 and 200 to feed the film resurgence from TheVerge.com. Virtual Camera Club News Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view. If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at [email protected]. Costa Rica! June 2026 - Complete information and registration here. This will be a once in a lifetime photography event. I hope you can join us. Inner Circle Bold. Sign up for the Annual Membership that's only $75.60 a year, you will receive all of the regular Inner Circle benefits, plus a coupon for your choice of a 2026 Online workshop hosted by me. 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. 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.