Podcast · Arts & Books

PhotoActive

by Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn · English · Arts & Books

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.

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 32 min
Latest: 12 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026 · 37 minNew

Episode 218: iPhone 18 Pro Camera Hands On

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro gains a variable aperture and a faster main camera, but that’s not all. In iOS 27, Apple has also revamped the Camera app somewhat. Jeff has been shooting with the iPhone 18 Pro since its release, and we talk about his hands-on experiences. 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!…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E217 · 18 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Episode 217: iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro
Apple has announced its new iPhone lineup and for the first time it includes a foldable, the iPhone Duo. But photographers will want to check out the iPhone 18 Pro. We discuss what's new, from the variable aperture to improved maximum f-stop to (finally) manual controls in the Camera app. 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…
E216 · 29 Aug 2026 · 29 min
Episode 216: Cameras Are Everywhere
From Meta’s “pervert glasses” to rumored camera-equipped AirPods, cameras are making their way into more of our personal technology. 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! Airpods with Cameras , MacRumors Meta Can’t Stop the Avalanche of Content Filmed on Pervert Glasses , PetaPixel How People With…
E215 · 17 Aug 2026 · 32 min
Episode 215: "It Feels Un-Apple-y"
With new iPhones on the horizon, we discuss the new Apple Upgrade program -- and why it feels less like the Apple we knew. We then pivot to amazement about the photographers who shoot the Tour de France every year. And then Jeff shares details about the Godox iT32 flash, a flash and wireless controller that’s affordable and clever for how it works. 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: (…
E214 · 20 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Episode 214: Dealing with Heat and a Drone Made for Water
The recent heat waves in the US and UK have us thinking about ways to keep our cameras and phones cool. We also look at a report on Apple’s new raw processing technology coming in iOS 27, and Jeff talks about the HoverAir Aqua, a camera drone designed to be used on the water. 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…
E213 · 9 Jul 2026 · 34 min
Episode 213: Jeff Goes to the Dark Side (Sony)
We’ve mocked YouTubers who make a fuss about selling all their camera gear to switch brands and systems, only to do it all again later for clicks. Well, the universe has a sense of humor, because that’s just what Jeff has done—the first part, anyway. He sold his Fuji X-T3 and lenses in became a Sony photographer. And it was the last thing he expected. We also talk about Apple raising the prices of most of its products. 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…
E212 · 21 Jun 2026 · 41 min
Episode 212: Craig Grannell on Apple’s New AI Photo Announcements
Apple introduced its next OS 27 systems at its Worldwide Developers Conference, which included changes to the Camera and Photos apps that revolve around AI features. Actually, that’s almost literal: the new Spatial Reframing feature lets you rotate a scene and generative AI fills in the missing details. Is it a slide into AI slop or a legitimate tool to help photographers? We’re joined by writer and photographer Craig Grannell to talk it out. Guest: Craig Grannell: Revert to Saved , Craig on Mastodon , Linktree Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram , Jeff on Glass…
E211 · 12 Jun 2026 · 26 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: (…
E210 · 26 May 2026 · 29 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…
E209 · 11 May 2026 · 27 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 ,…
E208 · 27 Apr 2026 · 31 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…
E207 · 12 Apr 2026 · 31 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…
E206 · 30 Mar 2026 · 33 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!…
E205 · 15 Mar 2026 · 29 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…
E204 · 2 Mar 2026 · 29 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…
E203 · 14 Feb 2026 · 32 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…
E202 · 3 Feb 2026 · 30 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…
E201 · 3 Jan 2026 · 33 min
Episode 201: What’s Real
Is your phone not accurately capturing the world around you? An article in the Guardian questions whether image processing in smartphones is making photos that aren’t genuine. Also, Leica released a firmware update that radically changes the entire interface, leading to a discussion of how important the UI in our cameras is when making 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…
E200 · 23 Dec 2025 · 40 min
Episode 200: All Our Cameras
Two Hundred episodes! To celebrate roughly seven and a half years of the PhotoActive podcast, Kirk and Jeff picked some favorite photos from the digital cameras they’ve owned. 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! Episode 35: Martin Parr Shot My Portrait Martin Parr on collecting photobooks, shooting…
E199 · 8 Dec 2025 · 34 min
Episode 199: Vroom Vroom
We get views into two very different types of photography in this episode. Jeff travels to Nevada for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix where the cars’ speed is a challenge to photograph... but not as difficult as the rules set by the Formula 1 organization. Then we look at the fascinating dye-transfer process and how this dying art is being used to print William Eggleston’s prints. 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…
E198 · 29 Nov 2025 · 37 min
Episode 198: I’m Not an Animal
We’ve got several things to discuss in this episode, from little-known settings in the iPhone Camera app, to shooting panoramas, to the Leica M EV1 and to Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. 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! Leica M EV1 Leica M EV1 PetaPixel Video Snapshots: Kirk & Jeff:…
E197 · 3 Nov 2025 · 37 min
Episode 197: Overenthusiastic in Your Opinion
What started with a couple of new settings related to the iPhone Camera app quickly devolves into a discussion of Apple’s Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26, changes and consistency in the Camera app’s interface, and whether all of this is too confusing for most people taking photos with their iPhones. 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…
E196 · 20 Oct 2025 · 35 min
Episode 196: Has Camera Tech Hit a Plateau?
Has camera technology plateaued? We’re seeing technical advancements in image processing and autofocus, but what about the core parts like sensors? Also, we spend three hours talking about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (not actually 3 hours). 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! Snapshots: Kirk: Mission:…
E195 · 3 Oct 2025 · 37 min
Episode 195: Hands On with the iPhone 17 Pro
Fifty percent of the PhotoActive podcast got a new iPhone 17 Pro, which means one of us has been testing the new cameras and can report back with first impressions. Who could it be? However, fifty percent of the podcast also got hands-on time with the other new phones, the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air. Listen to find out who got what, who’s seen what, and what we think after the first weeks with Apple’s new cameras... we mean phones. 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…
E194 · 12 Sep 2025 · 42 min
Episode 194: iPhone 17 and Apple’s Fall Event
The new iPhone models are here, a yearly event that we look forward to mostly to see what Apple has done with the iPhone cameras. Does a 48 megapixel telephoto camera capable of 8x zoom appeal to you enough to buy a new iPhone Pro? Is the svelte shape of the new iPhone Air compelling enough to pay more for, despite it having just one camera and less battery life? Or did you see the Cosmic Orange color of the iPhone 17 Pro and made your decision immediately based on that? We look at what Apple announced and what we’re looking forward to. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on…
E193 · 6 Sep 2025 · 30 min
Episode 193: Photography Police and Google Pro Res Zoom
Are you following the proper rules of photography, or are you at risk of being busted by the photography police? Maybe you’re shooting photos out of focus, or introducing light leaks, or using direct flash. All of these can be considered “bad” photography, but they’re also currently popular styles of shooting. Also in this episode, Jeff talks about his experience with the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL and its Pro Res Zoom feature that uses generative AI to clean up images shot at up to 100x zoom. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram , Jeff on Glass , Jeff on Mastodon ,…
E192 · 18 Aug 2025 · 33 min
Episode 192: Process, Product, and Problem Solving
Are you taking photos for yourself, or are you feeding the social media algorithms for brief dopamine hits when someone praises your images? In this episode, Kirk and Jeff ruminate on how the endless scroll of images is affecting how we enjoy and make photos. And we ask ourselves: what do we really want to photograph? 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…
E191 · 1 Aug 2025 · 30 min
Episode 191: Macro Photography
Macro Photography Don’t know what to photograph? No vacation plans? With macro photography, you can get great results literally in your back yard. What was once a style of photography that required specialized gear is now something you can do well with just your phone — though of course there’s plenty of gear available if you want to go deeper into it. 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:…
E190 · 21 Jul 2025 · 32 min
Episode 190: Fuji X-Half, AI Scaling, and Lightroom Changes
Fujifilm’s new X-Half camera is a curious hybrid: a digital camera with analog feel but a modern price. We also discuss news of OM Systems possibly using AI upscaling in future cameras to boost resolution and look at a few changes in the latest versions of Lightroom. 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…
E189 · 4 Jul 2025 · 35 min
Episode 189: Traveling with a Camera
It’s the night before you leave for vacation and you need to choose which camera gear goes and stays. Do you reach for the 300mm telephoto, knowing it can get great photos but is large and bulky? Or do you take the smallest camera you can carry to ensure you have it with you at all times? And what else needs to come along? In this episode, Jeff and Kirk think about being on vacation, equipment they’ve taken on past trips, and what they would take now. Hosts: Jeff Carlson: website , Jeff's photos , Jeff on Instagram , Jeff on Glass , Jeff on Mastodon , Jeff on Bluesky Kirk McElhearn: website…

About PhotoActive

PhotoActive is a English arts & books podcast from Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 32 min
Latest episode: 12 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1391697658

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