In this episode, I challenge you to check your patterns and routines. Are you dedicating time to your photography, to grow as an artist? I share a story about my effort to overcome a certain inertia with my life patterns and its impact on my photography, and how a disruption to my typical day-to-day rhythm sparked creativity and making time for personal growth.

Also, an update to the ON1 Photo RAW Essentials book is coming! Join my mailing list for a discount when the eBook launches in late January.

Have a photo adventure this April! Join me on a photo workshop in Big Sur California, happening April 8-11th, 2024. There are a few spaces available.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Non-destructive editing is the professional standard for photo editing in the digital age - and with good reason. Keeping your original image untouched is fabulous. Creating virtual copies or versions of an image to try out different looks and styles without duplicating the original file is wonderful. However, there are pitfalls, such as editing tool lock-in or, in a world where you can endlessly refine and tweak settings, the mental challenge of treating a photo as done.

Those are challenges for sure. Yet my big problem with non-destructive editing is plugins (and no, Smart Objects doesn’t solve this problem for me). Listen to this episode to learn more, and share your thoughts in the comments.

Using Photoshop Smart Objects For Round Trip Edits In Lightroom, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/using-photoshop-smart-objects-for-round-trip-edits-in-lightroom

2024 Workshop Lineup, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/workshops

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Happy 2023! I use a lot of photo software for my photography - Lightroom, Photoshop, ON1 Effects, ON1 Resize, Topaz Sharpen AI, Luminar Neo, Radiant Photo… I admit it, I like software tools. I don’t use every tool every day, some are more specialized or niche than others. My core processing tools are Lightroom and ON1 Effects. These are my bread and butter.

These days, subscriptions are common place. Like it or not - subscriptions are here to stay. Adobe was the first to make the pivot to the subscription model, leaving perpetual licenses in the rear view mirror. Other vendors have waded into the subscription waters, and I think it’s a matter of time before perpetual licenses become the exception and not the rule.

I have been a subscriber to Adobe’s Photography Plan for several years now. I got curious if the Adobe subscription has been worth the money for me and my photography. I took a look at the features Adobe has delivered since November 2019 and asked a simple question about each feature - would I pay to upgrade for that feature? Listen to the episode for my thoughts and my more complete analysis is below. For me, the subscription pencils out and I’m getting value for my yearly outlay to Adobe.

2023 Photo Workshops

It is the start of a new year and a great time to think about where you want to take your photography in 2023. I wholeheartedly endorse attending a photo workshop - not a photo tour, a photo workshop - to improve your photography and spark your creativity. This was one of the very first topics I talked about, way back in Episode #3 of the Stop Down Photography Podcast. If you are new to the podcast, you may have missed this episode. Have a listen.

I am hosting workshops in 2023. All of the workshops for 2023 are listed on my workshops page. Some workshops are sold out. There is space open in my two Oregon workshops in November of 2023.

The Oregon Coastal Adventure, Nov 7-10, 2023: Headquartered in the heart of old town Florence, Oregon on the Siuslaw River, this workshop concentrates on the central Oregon coastline. Locations include Heceta Head, Heceta Beach, Yachats, and the breathtaking Cape Perpetua. We’ll also venture inland to Sweet Creek for an excellent forested hike along a picturesque creek.

Bandon Beach & Beyond, Nov 13-16, 2023: Based in Bandon, Oregon with its amazing sea stacks, this workshop explores Bandon and the southern coastline of Oregon. Locations include Shore Acres in Coos Bay, Port Orford, Lone Ranch Beach, Sisters Rock, and the endless pockets of rugged coast between Bandon and Brookings at the southern border of Oregon.

Whether you join me on a workshop or sign up with another photographer, make 2023 the year you immerse yourself in several days of photography. You’ll be glad you did.

My Lightroom Subscription Analysis

The context for my examination of my Lightroom subscription has two primary constraints:

I care about Lightroom Classic, the desktop-centric application

I am the type of person that historically upgrades my software every year

So, how did I judge the Adobe Lightroom releases? I reviewed the Adobe Lightroom release notes for the versions released from November 2019 through October 2022 and looked at each feature in each release. The question I ask about each feature is simple:

If Lightroom were a traditional, perpetual license, would I pay to upgrade to have that feature?

The summary of my analysis is yes, for me, the Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop subscription is worth the money. The features that Adobe has put into Lightroom have been compelling enough to

Adobe released four major versions of Lightroom in the last three years

Versions 9.x, 10.x, 11.x, and most recently 12.0

I would have paid for three of them

The 9.x, 11.x, and 12.x releases have features that are compelling to me and I’d pay to get them

Assuming a perpetual license for a Lightroom upgrade would be in the $100-$120 range:

3 paid upgrades would be about $300-$360

My subscription plan costs $120/year, or $360

If it were Lightroom alone, the subscription (probably) costs a bit more than yearly paid upgrades. However, the subscription also provides a license for Photoshop which I also use, has also gotten feature updates, and back in the day costs hundreds of dollars for a single license.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

I have a set of 3 questions to help me get unstuck when I’m in the field:

What do I want to say?
How do I effectively say it?
Why is one writing technique preferred over another to deliver my message?

I learned this approach to storytelling from writing. A writer asks these key questions as they work on their piece, whether it’s creative writing, a screenplay, or even educational or technical writing. The story arc needs to be there to effective get your message across to the reader.

It’s similar for photographers - we are visual storytellers. When I’m stuck in the field, I use these questions to get unstuck. In this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast, I talk about these questions and examples of how you can use them when you are stuck in the field, trying to find the best story the landscape has to share.

Studio News

In studio news, I have finished writing and editing the next edition of ON1 Photo RAW Essentials. It is off to the indexer (yes, the print edition gets an index!) and the eBook is on track to release in mid-December. The print book will follow a few weeks after the eBook.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

I carve out at least one day a week to step out into the landscape with my camera. However, of late, I’ve been skipping those outings. I’ve made excuses of one kind or another, or talked myself out of taking in a landscape shoot. I have done camera work for some family events, but not landscape photography. A couple of days ago, the conditions in San Diego were perfect for sunset. I asked myself “Do I need another sunset photo?” That question gives me pause. And that is the topic for this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast. I also try to answer that question.

In studio news, I have been doing the deeper planning for my Death Valley workshop happening January 24th - 27th, 2023. The detailed itinerary is shaping up wonderfully. One space has opened for the Death Valley workshop. If you are interested in joining me and a small group in Death Valley in January, visit the workshop link and grab that open space.

I am also hard at work on the 2023 edition to ON1 Photo RAW Essentials. The new release of Photo RAW 2023 added a slew of new features that demand a book update. I’m well into the new edition and am on track to publish it by the end of December 2022. You can hear a little more about the book project in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) YouTube video I posted a few weeks back.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Photographers, myself included, hold our cameras in high regard. It is the beloved tool we use to create our photos, to express ourselves. We put a lot of time and energy into choosing our cameras to select the one that best fits our photography and personal style. Yet to our viewers, the camera doesn’t matter - at all. That is the topic for this episode. Listen and hear how a recent meeting with an old friend that underscored that sobering truth for me.

In the studio, I am busy working on an update to my book, ON1 Photo RAW Essentials. Subscribe to my newsletter at https://scottdavenportphoto.com to be alerted when it’s finished.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

The summer heat has kept me indoors a lot these past few months. As we enter September and the temperatures drop ever-so-slightly in the Northern hemisphere, I am stepping back out in to the landscape. I have noticed I am rusty and my muscle memory is in need of some retraining. I especially noticed my after-shoot workflow was a little clunky with my hiatus from the camera. So … here are 4 tips for your after-shoot workflow:

Charge your batteries while importing photos

Import still photos first, video second

Cull the obviously bad photos at the start of import

Work only on your selects

Listed to the episode for more details.

In studio news, I have finished the podcast migration! The Stop Down Photography Podcast is at its new home, scottdavenportphoto.com/podcast, and the move went smoothly! If you’re hearing this podcast, then you are all set.

September is also a time in the photo industry cycle that new software releases come out. I have been watching a few different software packages tease and in some cases deliver new features and functions.

ON1 announced Photo RAW 2023. You can see my first look at it on YouTube on my website at https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/4-amazing-features-in-on1-photo-raw-2023. If you are purchasing ON1, please support this podcast and use my affiliate link, http://bit.ly/sdp-ON1 and use offer code SDP20 for a 20% discount.

Skylum has released some extensions to Luminar Neo, including an HDR extensions and a noise reduction extension. Extensions are a purchased add-on to Luminar Neo, so you can pick and choose the extra features you want. If you are buying Skylum software, you can support this podcast by using link https://bit.ly/sdp-luminar-neo and use offer code SDP10 to save US$10.

Radiant Photo is the new kid on the block. This is an AI-powered editor and takes a different approach to editing. I’m still exploring this software. You can see my review on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TEMZI8hWIQ. If you are adding Radiant Photo to your toolkit, please support this podcast and use my affiliate link, https://radiantimaging.pxf.io/6bN4Rr.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

I am a photographer of an age where one foot of my photography was in film and the other is in digital. Make no mistake about it - I love digital photography and I have no intentions of going back to film. I don’t miss the darkroom, or waiting for the negatives, or wasting half a roll of film to switch to a different ASA (ISO). Yet there is one thing I do miss about my days working with film. And it has nothing to do with actual film. I share what that is in this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast.

Also in this episode … the podcast is moving! During the weekend of August 20, 2022 the podcast feed is moving to a new home on scottdavenportphoto.com/podcast. If you are listening in your favorite podcast app, the change should largely be invisible to you. If you’re on the web, and specifically on stopdownpodcast.com, update your bookmarks to the this podcast’s new home. All future episodes will be posted to scottdavenportphoto.com/podcast.

Finally, my 2023 landscape photography workshops are all open for registration. Visit scottdavenportphoto.com/workshops for all the details.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

A few weeks ago I had an interesting experience that I knew I wanted to discuss on the podcast. I was working with a student who is starting a blogging business, and she wanted to improve here photography skills. She writes articles about health, well-being, and mindfulness and includes nature and landscape photos to visually enhance her content.

We met in San Diego and talked some about her photography and the types of images she needs for her business. When we got out into the field, I noticed something interesting. My approach to the location changed. The photo opportunities I saw were different. Why? The images to be captured had a specific purpose to fulfill. It was like being on a photo assignment… and that’s a creative exercise anyone can do.

In studio news, a couple of things. First, I have the roster for 2023 photo workshops set and they are opening for registration. I have four physical, in-person photo workshops planned for next year:

Death Valley, January 2023

Big Sur, April 2023

The Oregon Coast (2 workshops), November 2023

The details are on my workshops page on scottdavenportphoto.com.

Second, the podcast is moving. As I’m sure you know, costs are rising everywhere, and I’ve needed to look for ways to trim the expenses for my business. So I am consolidating The Stop Down Photography Podcast website into my main website, scottdavenportphoto.com. Rest assured all of the past content will move over and be maintained and the entire backlog of podcasts will continue to be available. I am in the midst of the migration and expect to complete it by the end of August 2022. I will announce on the podcast when that switchover takes place.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Episode 100! This is certainly a milestone for this podcast. Like our photo journey, the road to this milestone has been one step at a time, the result of continued, sustained effort.

Looking back at the past 99 episodes of The Stop Down Photography Podcast, the most popular ones are the “Taught Me” episodes. In my daily life, I very often connect the philosophies of other people and ideas - photographers, artists, or otherwise - to my photography. I thought for Episode 100 it would be a good to do another of those. And it so happened I had another of my mini-epiphanies connecting music to photography.

Join me for a story of an odd pairing … the pyschedelic melodies of Pink Floyd as a source of motivation. Have a listen - I think you’ll get motivated to take another step forward on your journey as a visual artist.

Subscribe to my mailing list and be among the first to hear about my 2023 photography workshops.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

A photo journey is rarely a straight line. There are switchbacks, twists, and turns along the way. Visual artists change direction, pivot, encounter roadblocks. For me, that carries over into my project work. I don’t work linearly through a project, and many personal photo projects stall.

Pressing pause on a personal photo project is totally fine - as long as you do revisit it from time to time. I conceived of a small personal photo project, The Off Season, about 7 months ago and finally returned to the project to complete it. In this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast, I share why I think it’s important to dust off older projects and make progress on them, maybe finish them up. In addition to the satisfaction of completing a body of work, it is a jolt of invigoration into your photography.

Also, an update on the last podcast episode, 3 Tips For Milky Way Photography f/98, to cover the topic of Long Exposure Noise Reduction (LENR). Thanks to listener Tony for asking the question - does LENR have a place in astrophotography to help combat noise from the higher ISOs we have to use?

If you have a question about the podcast or other photo question, use the contact form to send it in. Messages come straight to me, Scott Davenport.

Other resources mentioned in this show:

Put It On The Shelf f/14, The Stop Down Photography Podcast

Personal Photo Projects For 2021 f/52, The Stop Down Photography Podcast

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

In early April, I headed into the Southern California desert for some astrophotography. Clear skies and a new moon were perfect conditions to capture the Milky Way. And I learned a few things during this star gazing adventure. I have 3 tips to share with you for better photos of the core of the Milky Way. I hope you enjoy the episode.

Tip 1 - Planning Is Important (If Not Vital)

Astrophotography needs certain conditions to be met or your photos will fall flat. You need to know where and when to go for the best Milky Way photos. The location you choose needs to have low light pollution. Without a dark sky, the stars and Milky Way won’t be visible. Use tools like the interactive map at lightpollutionmap.info to find a dark sky.

Next, you need to know when to go. The folks at capturetheatlas.com publish a yearly calendar that lists the best dates of the year to see the Milky Way - and when the galactic core will be visible.

Finally, you need a clear sky. Fog, rain, or clouds will obscure the night sky. Use your favorite weather forecast app (or multiple apps) to check the forecast. My go-to app is Yr.no which has great micro forecasts.

Tip 2 - Choose The Right Lens And Camera Settings

The galactic core of the Milky Way will stretch across a wider part of the sky, so you want a wide angle lens to capture its breadth. You also want fast glass that can gather a lot of light, an increased ISO, and limits on exposure time to avoid blur.

Use a wide angle lens, 24mm or wider

Use a wide aperture like f/2.8

Increase ISO to 3200

Use the NPF exposure calculation in Photo Pills

Tip 3 - Manual Focus For Tack Sharp Stars

For tack sharp stars, use manual focus.

Turn off auto-focus and focus peaking

Turn on any manual focus assist features

Frame a bright star in the viewfinder

Rotate the focus ring until that star is its smallest

Resources mentioned:

lightpollutionmap.info: Use it to help you find a dark sky for astrophotography.

capturetheatlas.com: Calendars with the best times to see the Milky Way.

Yr.no: A weather app with great microclimate forecasts.

Photo Pills: Exposure calculators for pinpoint stars

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

The topic for this episode of the podcast was inspired by a listener question. If you have a question you’d like my thoughts on, please submit your question through the contact form on my website.

Our camera is the primary tool we use to create our work and express ourselves as artists. We get attached to certain cameras, and they sometimes become an extension of ourselves. Nevertheless, an inevitable question every photographer will face is – should I upgrade my camera body?

I take on this question in the podcast and share thoughts about several possibilities that motivate photographers to move forward and purchase a new camera body. I hope you enjoy the show!

Also check out:

Announcing The 2024 SDP Workshops f/114, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/podcast/announcing-the-2024-sdp-workshops-f-114

Scott’s current camera lineup, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/gear-cameras-lenses

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If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser.com. Fresh, current ratings help other photographers find out about the show.

Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Landscape photographers often seek out the untouched landscape, visions of nature that have no human presence - the pristine landscape. When I first started with landscape photography, those are the types of images I sought out. And I like those images, and I still capture those images. Yet, does including a human element in your photo make it bad? Spoiler alert, no. In this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast, I share thoughts about human elements in your landscape photography, and how well-placed people or structures can tell a stronger story and make your photos better.

Another topic discussed is how I’m using Topaz Sharpen AI to recover field mistakes I made with past photos. Images I thought were lost to camera shake or missed focus are once again usable when using tools like Sharpen AI. The technology is truly amazing. Add Topaz Sharpen AI to your toolkit and recover photos you thought were lost to camera shake or missed focus.

Resources and articles mentioned in this episode:

The Hidden Gems In Your Photo Library f/35, The Stop Down Photography Podcast

Should You Use a Human Element in a Landscape Photo or Not?, FStoppers

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Highs and lows are part of any artistic pursuit and photographers are certainly not immune. I am no stranger to emotional peaks and valleys, and I’m sure you can relate as well. In this episode of the podcast, I share a story across the span of one day during which I hit both highs and the lows in my photography… in very rapid succession.

I think you’ll find it a relatable story. Also, how pre-visualization of an image is good yet spontaneity and the element of surprise also yields good work. I hope you enjoy the show. Keep an eye on my YouTube channel for on-location and behind the scenes footage of the photo outing described in this podcast.

There is one space open for my one and only landscape photography workshop for 2022. The Big Sur Experience is a 4-day photo workshop in the Big Sur area on the California coast. The cost is $1695 for this 4-day workshop. Click the link to read all the details on the workshop page.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Big Sur Experience photography workshop, May 9-12, 2022

Scott’s YouTube channel

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Landscape photography requires patience. Yet there are things you can do in the field to streamline your workflow and be more productive. I used these techniques last week on a visit to La Jolla, California. On this day, I knew I would not have a lot of time to linger at the beach and these 4 things made me more productive in the field.

Look Around. It seems obvious, but how often we leap directly into snapping away with our cameras. Look around first. Explore the location. Think about potential compositions, but resist the urge to capture the images.

Take Handheld Test Shots. Now get the camera out and take some sample compositions. Work handheld and be more nimble. Don’t sweat the technical details just yet. You’re making sketches of potential compositions. Review your test shots and identify your strongest composition.

Make Small Adjustments - Still Handheld. Work your strongest composition and make refinements. Try angle variations, focal length changes, take steps left and right. These changes change the dynamic of elements in the scene. .

Plant The Tripod And Break Out The Filters. With your prime composition well-dialed in, set up the tripod and get out the filters. Then - patience. Let nature unfold before you and capture its decisive moment.

If you are signed up for The Big Sur Experience photo workshop, check your email! I sent out the workshop handbook. The handbook has loads of details about our upcoming adventure in California, from recommended gear and clothing to locations we will visit.

There is one space open for my one and only landscape photography workshop for 2022. The Big Sur Experience is a 4-day photo workshop in the Big Sur area on the California coast. The cost is $1695 for this 4-day workshop. Click the link to read all the details on the workshop page.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Waiting is both fact and reality for certain genres of photography. Landscape photographers wait for the light. Wildlife photographers wait for their oft-shy subjects to pose. Street photographers may wait for the right person to walk through their frame.

However, not all waiting is created equal. I certainly find that to be true. While I am willing to wait, sometimes hours, for one type of photo, I can rapidly grow impatient for a different type of photo. That’s interesting – and an insight into what makes you tick as a photographer. When you know what subjects and scenes you are willing to wait for, you know the type of photography you’re passionate about.

The Big Sur Experience Landscape Photography Workshop

Join me on my one and only photo workshop for 2022 in the stunningly beautiful Big Sur area. The workshop runs 4 days from May 9th through May 12th. The cost is $1695 and is limited to 6 participants. Full details are on the workshop webpage: https://scottdavenportphoto.com/big-sur-experience-2205

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

The end of the year is a natural point to take a moment and reflect on your photography for the past year. If you set photo goals for 2021, measure how you did, and look to what lies ahead in 2022. In this episode, I share how I did against my photo goals for the year and talk about the challenges 2022 is going to present for visual artists.

On a personal note, first and foremost, thank you for listening to The Stop Down Photography Podcast. Heading into 2022, some personal events unfolding will impact the amount of time I can dedicate to photography and content creation. I expect the cadence of podcast episodes to be slower, but I do fully intend to keep making podcast episodes. Listen to this one for more details.

Ready to review your body of work in 2021 and set photo goals for 2022? Listen to Episode #51 Reflect On Your Photography for some ideas on how to do that, and how to leverage your photo library.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

If you have listened to my podcast for a while, you know I am a fan of The Beatles. I’ve been enjoying the three-part documentary The Beatles: Get Back and as I’ve watched I see many lessons in there for photographers. I have 5 observations from Get Back that relate to photographers:

A change of scenery is good

Outside influences are good

Versatility feeds creativity

The start and the finish are very different

Creators can’t help but create

Listen to the podcast for more thoughts on these themes and how they can help keep your art and photography moving forward.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

I have a confession - I really enjoy assassin movies. You know those movies where the protagonist is a highly-skilled, ultra-focused, near infallible villain. Maybe it’s a guilty pleasure - or an excuse to eat popcorn.

On my return flights from the Oregon Coast, I rewatched some of the John Wick films. I also saw one of my favorites, The Hitman, again recently. That got me wondering… why do I like these movies so much?

Well… as you might guess, the answer has an intersection with my photography. Four connections, actually.

Disciple and rigor

Knowing your gear

Improvising in the field

Revealing the unseen world

Intrigued? Have a listen to this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast and see how much these connections ring true for you.

And if you are in the mood for an assassin movie now, here are a few of my favorite super-assassin films:

The Jason Bourne movies (Amazon)

The John Wick movies (Amazon)

The Hitman (Amazon)

Pitch Black / The Chronicles Of Riddick / Riddick (Amazon)

Got a movie suggestion? Leave a comment or use the contact form to tell me.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

A few weeks ago, I talked about how I was preparing for my trip to the Oregon Coast. My planning included brainstorming a few themes to explore with my camera while in Oregon. I also promised to talk about how the pre-visualization played out once in the field. It was a mixed bag. As it turns out, plans may be worthless, but planning itself is important. Join me for a chat about the photo themes I explored in Oregon and how I hit, or in some cases missed, the mark.

I also have some things to share from the workshops I hosted while in Oregon. The photographers that joined me created some very impressive images. During the photo presentation part of the workshop, I noticed some themes in the work. One of the themes really surprised me. Listen to learn more.

If you are interested in joining me on a photo workshop in 2022, join me on Patreon. The Patreon community is the first to know about upcoming workshops, before they are announced publicly. You can also join my mailing list using the Sign Up For My Newsletter button at the bottom of every page of scottdavenportphoto.com.

You might also enjoy these episodes:

Don’t Let Bad Weather Discourage You f/89

Preparing For The Oregon Coast f/86

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

When we are at home and the weather conditions are poor, we tend to talk ourselves out of stepping outside with the camera. When you are on a photo workshop, you are more inclined to go out with the camera despite the weather.

My first Oregon workshop of November 2021 had a mix of weather… and some days nature served up gray, featureless skies coupled with rain. In this podcast, I share two stores about the weather and how they impacted my workshop group. Also, how these amazing photographers found interesting, compelling photographs in spite of the weather. Bad weather doesn’t mean bad photographs.

You might also enjoy Episode 15, Sketching Over Planning.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

When I talk about photography, I tend to express ideas in terms of painting. Photography shares some characteristics with painting. Both art forms can be depictive of a tangible subject or abstract, disconnected from a physical form. Both can be personally expressive or represent the world as it is.

Over the course of art history, the styles of painters evolved through the eras of romanticism, realism, and impressionism. Loosely categorized, I see landscape photography along a similar spectrum. In this podcast, I pose a question:

Are you a realist, an impressionist, or a romantic?

Understanding where your work lies is interesting, perhaps revealing. It can shed light on a path forward to defining and refining your personal photographic style. It can also help you understand why you prefer certain styles of work or shy away from certain digital manipulations in your imagery.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Do these photos look real to you? Your answer could be cause for concern. And that’s terrifying. Washington Post

Truth And Photography f/11, The Stop Down Photograph Podcast

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

There is no better way to grow as a photographer than to immerse yourself in photography. And there is no better way to do that than take part in a photo workshop. That rings true for me, both as an instructor and as a student. When a workshop finishes, I am always invigorated and my passion for photography rekindled.

I am very excited to share with you my workshop line up for 2024. I am hosting 3 workshops next year:

Bryce Canyon National Park, Feb 13-15, 2024, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/bryce-canyon-2402

The Big Sur Experience, Apr 8-11, 2024, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/big-sur-experience-2404

Adventures In Antarctica, Nov 29-Dec10, 2024, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/adventures-in-antarctica-2411

2024 is going to be a great year for photography. And I hope you’ll join me on an adventure next year.

Can’t wait until 2024? I have last-minute availability in my Oregon workshops in November 2023. There is one space open in each workshop:

The Oregon Coastal Adventure, Nov 7-10, 2023, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/oregon-coastal-adventure-2311

Bandon Beach & Beyond, Nov 13-16, 2023, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/bandon-oregon-2311

There’s still time to join us!

And if you missed Episode 3 of this podcast, you can listen here: https://scottdavenportphoto.com/podcast/ignite-your-creativity-with-a-photo-workshop-f-3

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

As a person that pursues photography as an expressive art form, how do you measure your success as a photographer? Early in our photo journey, when our skills are improving by leaps and bounds, our images get better and better. Improvement is quite obvious, even within the span of a few days or weeks. We make stronger images and more of them. And we tend to measure success by the number of good images captured during each session with the camera.

But … should we continue to measure success by the number of ‘keepers’ for the long term?

As our camera skills improve, and our photographic eye refines, we tend to take fewer photos. Captures are more considered. And fewer photos means fewer keepers. Our perception of a strong photo also becomes more critical. The keeper rate falls.

Perhaps as you evolve as a photographer, so must how you view and gage success with your photographs. Instead of measuring the outcomes, think about measuring the effort, the act of mastering the craft.

In this episode, I share thoughts about this topic and why I think the practicing photographer should rethink how you measure success with your photography.

You might also enjoy these episodes:

What Vincent Van Gogh Taught Me About Photography f/37

Just Get Out There! f/85

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Preparing for a photo trip has its own level of enjoyment. Picking out the gear, thinking about locations, and the growing anticipation of photographing a new place, or even a familiar favorite, I like the build-up to the actual trip. It’s fun.

In a few short weeks, I will be on the Oregon Coast for some photography. In addition to the gear choices and virtual location scouting, I am doing something a little different. I am thinking about what ideas and feelings I can explore through photography on this trip. I talked about this concept in Episode 84.

Feelings the Pacific Northwest elicits for me include the power of the ocean and where things meet. I am visiting in November, and want to explore the concept of the off-season. In this podcast, I share thoughts about these theme-based concepts and how they might affect the locations I choose to visit. I also discuss the gear I will bring on the trip - I’m always asked!.

I hope you enjoy it and that it sparks some ideas for you when you prepare for your next photo trip.

Gear mentioned in this episode:

Camera bodies: Sony A7Rii, Sony A6400

Lenses: Sony 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS, Sony 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS, Sony 20mm F/1.8 G, Sony 70-200mm F4 OSS

B-Roll cameras: Sony RX0, DJI Osmo Pocket

Still Filters: Haida M10 filter system

Video Filter: Haida NanoPro Magnetic Variable ND

All of Scott’s gear is here: https://scottdavenportphoto.com/gear.

Scott’s full-length video training course, Story And Vision, is all about post-processing images with expression and intent. Don’t just toss around sliders and apply filters. Make adjustments and apply style that enhances the story of your photo.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

In early October 2021, I hosted a group of photographers from a San Diego camera club for a sunset shoot at the beach. It was the first group outing I’ve hosted since 2019! And I gotta tell you … it was energizing! In this episode I share thoughts, observations, and feeling about this event and why the simple act of just getting out there with your camera is important.

I also talk about how this workshop has been the first I’ve done as a mix of virtual and physical meetings. The virtual aspect of the workshop is intriguing … which prompts a question that I could use your help with. If I were to host a virtual photo class, what topic do you want to learn about? Use the contact form on scottdavenportphoto.com to share you thoughts with me.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

We all start our photo journey capturing things and places. Flowers, mountains, animals, your hometown, a city you are visiting. We photograph nouns. And that’s normal and part of the process of finding out what we enjoy photographing, the subjects and scenes that make us want to pick up our camera again and again.

Yet, when I look at the work of other photographers, the images that I find most interesting are photographs that convey ideas. I’ve noticed this in my own work as well. These images have staying power. They are more than just well-arranged subjects in a strong composition. The image conveys a story for sure, and also an idea, a feeling. The photo is more than the sum of its parts.

In this podcast, let’s talk about capturing ideas with our cameras, not just places and things.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

After a year plus of pandemic conditions, growing accustomed the new normal of limited interaction with the world and produced a problem for photographers – inertia. After weeks or maybe months of not regularly making photographs, finding the motivation to pick up the camera and capture images. I’ve certainly been fighting inertia during the pandemic.

This past week, I had the good fortune to meet up with my long time photo buddy, Spencer Pablo. And our conversation left me energized and wanting to create new images. In this episode, I share some of the things we talked about and how meeting up with a photo buddy can help you push through any motivational challenges you are facing.

1 Space in my Oregon Workshop: One space opened in my Oregon Coastal Adventure photo workshop this November. I am taking a small group, just 6 photographers, on a 4-day adventure in Oregon. The workshop is $1295. You can claim that space here: https://scottdavenportphoto.com/oregon-coastal-adventure-2021

Luminar Neo: Skylum announced a new product, Luminar Neo, a new creative photo editor. Pre-orders are as low as US$34 for a single license. More details about Luminar Neo on the product and how to grab the early-bird pricing are on Scott’s website.

You can see more of Spencer’s work here: https://www.spencerpablophotography.com

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

As a content creator with a photo business, paying attention to industry news comes with the job description. A portion of my time is spent reading industry news and product announcements with a “business hat” on. This past week, as I was absorbing product announcements, I took off my business hat and put on my “artist hat.”

My non-business creative brain got thinking… for the photo artist in us, is the photo industry news enlightening? Does it help in the creation of our art? Or, is it all just a big distraction? A distraction that doesn’t advance us as artistic people? And that is the topic for this eposide of the podcast.

ON1 announced Photo RAW 2022. with new features including the new Sky Swap AI feature to replace dull skies, the ability to run Photoshop plug-ins, and a new Time-Lapse feature. Support the podcast and save money using offer code SDP20 at checkout. For a full review of the new features coming in Photo RAW 2022, read the article on scottdavenportphoto.com.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

As photographers, we often seek out specific photos. We travel to the gorgeous, breathtaking location, or the iconic city or other famous subjects to create an image we know has a good chance of being strong. Although, there are plenty of photo opportunities all around us … all the time. We just need to be open to seeing them.

In this podcast, I share a story of how life put me in Fallbrook, California. It’s not a place that jumps to mind as a hotbed of landscape photography. However, when I switched gears from seeking a certain kind of photo, and let myself be open to seeing the photographs I could make, there were good photos to be had.

Visit the website to see the photo I took in the parking lot when I was getting coffee.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Every photographer and every creative knows that inspiration strikes… it is not something that an artist just turns on. There isn’t a bucket of inspiration we dip our cup into when we want to make photographs. Creativity has peaks and valleys, inspiration ebbs and flows. And that is a normal cycle in a creative life.

In this episode, I talk about my current creative valley and why I’m taking a “lean in” strategy and embracing the valley. Creativity can’t be forced, and sometimes it needs space to breathe and regenerate.

I’m taking a cue from Episode #14, Put It On The Shelf, and will take a short hiatus from the podcast. I’m thinking for the month of August 2021, I’ll take a break from the podcast. It’s not a full sabbatical from photography, though. Listen for more thoughts.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Captain Barbosa in the film Pirates Of The Carribbean said this about the pirate code of parlay:

The code is more what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules.

That’s exactly what the “rules” of photography are. They are guidelines, helpful advice for creating and composing our photos, technical recommendations for using our cameras, and suggestions for post-processing. Learning the rules is an important part of the photographer’s journey. And so is knowing that the rules can be bent and broken.

In this episode, I talk about 5 rules of landscape photography that I think you should break. I got thinking about this when I broke my own glow rule in post processing. Enjoy the show!

5 Landscape Photography Rules You Should Break

The Rule Of Thirds: The rule of thirds is an essential concept to learn as a photographer. It is also a rule that should definitely be broken. Symmetrical scenes or compositions that leverage negative space are examples of when to break this rule.

Fill The Frame: This rule is about making your subject occupy the frame and avoiding dead space. In a landscape scene, leaving a little extra wiggle room at the edges of the frame is helpful. A composition with no leeway at the edges can be a problem if the horizon needs to be straightened - even slightly - in post.

Landscapes Require Extreme Depth Of Field: No doubt, crisp detail from the foreground to background looks great in a landscape. Yet equally compelling landscape photos can be made at wider apertures and shallower depths of field. Try this with the composition technique of framing, and listen to the episode for more ideas.

Golden Hour Or Blue Hour Is The Only Time To Capture Landscapes: The sweet light of the golden hour is beautiful. However, photography is about the light, not about your wristwatch. The “off hours” can be great, too. Overcast days in the forest, or infrared at midday, or unique light just after a rainstorm.

Landscapes Must Be Epic: The epic, almost otherworldly, landscape images of rugged terrain have been a social media trend for several years. And yes, these images look great. Photos of simpler, more peaceful scenes are also great. And, unless you live in the foothills of the Dolomites, the “everyday” landscape is much closer to your doorstep.

If you’re interested in the seascape tips I mentioned in this podcast, have a listen to episode #68, 5 Tips For Seascape Photography f/68.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

I took a hike in the mountains local to San Diego last weekend. I wanted to take in the sunrise in the mountains, and that meant a very early rise, an hour-plus drive to the trailhead, and then the hike itself. And it was a really great outing. Good weather, great sky, the photo accompanying this podcast is just a short distance from the summit of Garnet Peak.

A hike like this one requires endurance. After the hike, I was thinking about endurance and the role it plays in our photography. Photographers need endurance. And not just physical stamina. We also need mental fortitude, a level of grit, to keep pushing forward in our artistic pursuits.

Check out my full review of ON1 NoNoise AI. This noise reduction software yields excellent results, it holds its own against other products like Topaz DeNoise AI, and man … NoNoise AI is very, very fast.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

In the previous episode of the podcast, I shared the photo gear I was packing for a non-photo trip, a family vacation. I have returned from that trip and am happy to say that my gear choices worked wonderfully. I successfully fit photography into this non-photo trip and have images I know I’ll be happy with.

Looking back on the trip, some things certainly worked better than others. Also, my success wasn’t just about the gear I chose to bring. It was a balanced combination of the gear choices, travel choices, flexibility, and a touch of opportunism. In this episode, I explain how the gear worked, how certain travel choices provided more chances for camera work, and how staying nimble and flexible led to pleasantly unexpected photo opportunities. I hope you enjoy the show.

I am also finalizing the 2024 photo workshop schedule. I’m narrowing in on 3 workshops for next year, one in February, a second in April, and a third in November/December of next year. It’s a little early to announce, though I will say one of these workshops is going to be big - trip of a lifetime big.

Get the the inside track on workshops and the first opportunity to register. Join my mailing list using the signup form on the my website’s landing page.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

I can’t believe 2021 is already half behind us! “The days go slow and the years go fast” … as the saying goes. For us photographers, the mid-year mark is a natural point to assess our progress for the year thus far and checkpoint our photo goals. Are you on track? Have some goals been achieved? Or is a course correction needed?

In today’s podcast, I share thoughts about the importance of measuring against your goals and some thoughts about how to go about that. Also, back in Episode 52 of this podcast, I shared my three photo goals for 2021. This week, I checkpoint my progress and have some mixed results to report. Listen for more.

And … if you didn’t set any photo goals for 2021, it’s never too late to start!!

Lightroom Asset Management

I leverage Lightroom’s filtering and search tools a lot to answer questions about my photography habits. It’s much more than just a find-my-photo tool. I have a book and video course on Lightroom Asset Management that explains my entire asset management workflow, from top to bottom. The book/video combo runs about US$15. It’s a bargain.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

In today’s digital age, post-processing is an important part of creating our images. I’ve used many different apps over the years to create my images, and I still use several software packages today. I have not found one tool “to rule them all.”

I am frequently asked which tool “is the best” or which “is my favorite” and these questions are valid, but usually lacking context. What is a “favorite” or “best” very much depends on what you, the artist, want to do with your photos and what your approach to editing is. In today’s podcast, I share my reasons for using multiple photo applications, and I hope it gives you context and things to think about for your own workflow.

The 4 reasons I use multiple photo applications in my workflow.

Asset Management: I treat asset management as distinct and different from post-processing. Most of our asset management tools come with solid fundamentals for editing, yet they don’t satisfy all of my editing needs.

Specialty Tools: The digital filters in different tools use different algorithms - and produce different looks. Some of those looks, like LUTs or texture blends, I cannot get with the basic editing tools in my asset manager.

Ease Of Use: Some photo packages I find easier to use than others. Yes, you can do anything in Photoshop, although another tool with a simpler interface or a streamlined, specialized tool lets me make my edits more quickly. I may enjoy post-processing but I don’t enjoy wrestling with a tool to achieve a look.

Sparks Of Inspiration: A streamlined workflow is great. Yet to avoid becoming formulaic, starting with a different tool, or exploring a new one, can spark creativity.

You’ll notice that image quality isn’t explicitly listed. Of course, image quality is important. No matter what tools I use, the final image has to look good!

Photo Apps I’m Using Today

Adobe Lightroom

ON1 Photo RAW (save 20% with offer code SDP20)

Skylum Luminar AI (save $10 with offer code SDP10)

Adobe Photoshop

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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I tend to see the world in large sweeps. I see foreground, midground, and background as parts of a whole. That’s my natural way of seeing the world, and that influences how I see the subjects of my photos. I see subjects in context and capture how they relate to their surroundings.

That’s an interesting topic … how do different photographers tend to see the world outside of photography, and how does that influence their photography. Does personality or past experiences bias how photo subjects are seen? And, when you become self-aware of how you see your subjects, what learning and growth opportunities does that present?

Good topic for a podcast, I think!

You Might Also Enjoy

Harness The Energy Of Others f/6, The Stop Down Photography Podcast

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Photographers are constantly managing tradeoffs. One creative choice for an image invariably comes at the cost of something else. Every frame we capture contains a compromise. Photographers learn this early on our path to mastering photography. The exposure triangle - aperture, shutter speed, ISO - teaches us this lesson. Adjust one, the others are affected.

There are plenty of other compromises we make with each and every photo. Some are technical, some are compositional, some might even be financial. So how best to manage the tradeoffs? Anchor your creative choices around the story of your photo, and manage the ripples of the artistic decisions as best you can.

I have more thoughts on this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast.

Read an interesting and entertaining backstory of why we have the 24 frames per second video standard. Guess what? It’s a compromise!

How An Off-The-Cuff Compromise Made 24fps The Standard Film Rate, DIY Photography

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

For the past decade, I have exerted a lot of energy into improving my seascape photography. I’ve certainly improved, my workflow is more refined, and I am more consistently producing solid photographs of the ocean. After finishing a batch of photos from my latest visit to the San Diego coastline, I honestly felt a little unfulfilled.

The photos I produced are good quality, yet it felt a little “easy” to create them. Is that good or bad? Is my well-oiled, low-effort workflow a signal that I am stagnating creatively? Do I need to stretch and branch out? And what does doing so look like?

Let’s explore this idea in this episode of The Stop Down Photography Podcast.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

It’s a fair statement that we photographers take more bad photos than good ones. Over time, our keeper rate will improve as we practice our craft and grow our photographic eye. But … a keeper rate over 50%? That’s crazy talk … I’d be happy with 5%.

So what can we do with all those “bad” shots? Learn from them. Put yourself in the role of the casual observer, disconnected from the photographer that captured the image. As you review the photo, pay attention to where your eye wanders, how the subjects of the photo interplay, and what story the photo tells you (or doesn’t tell you!).

Then tap into your photographer skills and think about what different decisions you might make with the camera if capturing that scene or subject again. How could you tell that story more strongly? Let’s talk about this in today’s podcast.

Studio News

On my blog, I posted a full review of the updated ThinkTank Rotation Backpack. This is my go-to field bag and the front half of my ground-free kit. I’ve got a full write-up and video detailing the features of this backpack and why it’s a critical part of my creative and nimble field workflow.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

While working through some photos taken a few years ago at Long Pond on Mount Desert Island in Maine, I realized how little I explored that area. The photos I have are nice, they are of good quality. Yet my repeated visits to this pond did not push me artistically. I stopped to reflect on why that was.

I think it is because I didn’t give myself permission to spend time at the location, explore the area, think about additional photos that might not be the “killer landscape” image. And that is so critical for artistic growth. Embarking on experiments for the sheer purpose of learning and growing. I share more thoughts in today’s episode.

Also, I am adding an additional workshop to the 2021 calendar. The Oregon Coastal Adventure in November 2021. Check the workshops page on my main website for details. The workshop will open for public registration very soon. More details in the podcast.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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In art forms like music, live performance, or motion pictures, the artist can take the audience on a bit of a journey. It could be a few seconds to a few minutes or longer. And at the pivotal moment, there is the crescendo. These art forms can build an audience to a climax. The process of building up the tension or anticipation or surprise is knowable to the audience.

A musical example is the song Swingtown by The Steve Miller Band. The first 45 seconds of the song is a build-up of instruments. Each one lays down a simple rhythm or beat. In an of themselves, the individual riff or melody is peppy and upbeat but is not elaborate or flashy. Yet once all of the drums, guitars, pianos, and vocals come together, you’re hearing a wall of sound. And the process, the build-up, is part of the experience.

Photography is a different type of art form. The process by which a photograph is made is unknown to the viewer - and by and large, the viewers don’t care about the process. They take in the photo in a single “visual gulp” and pass judgment on the sum total of the work. Of course, we photographers pursuing an artistic lifestyle are interested in the process. We are the exception.

Does that mean the artistic process is not important? No, of course not. It is very important - to us and to fellow photographers. However, to viewers, your process will be largely hidden. That is both OK and very good to know because it reminds us that when we produce our work, we need to know it’s the final image that matters most. That is what our viewers will see.

The Oregon Coast Workshop Update

Workshop page

The Oregon Coast workshop I am co-hosting with Derrick Story has sold out. Yes, wow, that was fast. If you were not able to get a space in this workshop, please let me know. At a minimum, I will make sure you are on the waitlist for the workshop. Things do happen in the months leading to a workshop and there may be a cancellation. Also, I am considering opening a second workshop, also in November, likely the week of November 15th, 2021. If you are interested, please reach out through the contact form on scottdavenportphoto.com.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

In today’s podcast, I share a story of how our subconscious mind affects our photography. And can do so in curious and interesting ways. After a recent visit to the San Diego beach, I noticed a theme in the photos from that outing… a theme I wasn’t aware of when I was capturing the images.

Workshops are back! Join me on the Oregon Coast from November 9th through 12th on a workshop, co-hosted with Derrick Story.

The Oregon Coast workshop information page

Workshop registration page

Reserve your space with a $295 deposit.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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I have been stepping out more with the camera of late. And, as you might have guessed, I made several visits to the San Diego coastline. Gotta get my fill of sand, surf, and sky! As summer approaches in the Northern hemisphere and the prospect of travel seems more possible than it did a couple of months ago, you might be thinking of a coastal visit in your near future.

In today’s podcast, I have 5 tips for seascape photography to share with you. Put these into practice on your next visit to the beach and you’ll create stronger photographs.

Know The Weather And Tides. Weather is important for all landscape photography, and seascapes are no exception. Don’t be deterred by “poor” weather, because photo opportunities can be found in all sorts of weather. Also, know your tides! Be safe and don’t get cut off from the mainland hidden away in a beautiful cove. Also, some beaches look better at lower tides, and others are more interesting at high tides.

Include Foreground. This isn’t just about having a foreground subject (which is important, especially at wide angles). Foreground is also about giving your viewer a place to “virtually stand” in the frame. A small patch of sand or a rock outcropping lets your viewer mentally step into the frame and take in the fullness of the scene.

Capture Motion And Change Mood. What mood do you want to convey with your photo? The power of the ocean? A relaxed day at the beach? A complete feeling of zen with smoky and smooth water? Choosing a shutter speed to capture the right type of motion will set the mood of your photo. Use fast shutter speeds to capture power. Dial in a moderately slow shutter speed for silky fingers of water. For a feeling of total zen, break out the big ND filters and take multi-minute photos.

Photograph The Ebb. Related to the previous tip, after a wave laps up on shore, photograph its retreat. The rush of water returning to sea creates wonderful leading lines that draw your viewer into the scene. A bonus tip - before setting up and taking your images, watch how the ocean behaves and the lines your eye follows. The ocean is giving you hints on how to compose - use them!

Get Wet. For a good seascape photo, sometimes you have to get wet. If getting a little wet is the difference between a good seascape and an outstanding seascape, I choose to get wet. It is only water. Of course, be smart and be safe. Don’t risk personal health or potential injury for a photograph. In colder climates, having waders or muck boots can keep your feet and calves dry. I’ll often pack an extra towel and a pair of dry socks in the car for after the shoot!

Listen to the episode for more in-depth thoughts on each of these tips.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Yr.no weather predictions

Windy app for ocean swells and direction

Tide Chart (iOS) for tide predictions

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Travel is a joy. Exploring a new place or revisiting an old one, as well as reconnecting with friends and family away from the routines of home. As photographers, our thoughts gravitate toward the photo opportunities our travels will present. But what to do when the purpose of a trip is not photography? You are not immersing yourself in photography like you would on a photo workshop. Instead, you are going on a business trip, or heading to a conference, or taking a family vacation. You want to incorporate photography into the trip… so how best to pack? What gear to bring?

In this podcast, I share the photo gear I am packing for an upcoming family vacation. The nature of the trip changes the cameras and lenses I’m bringing, the bag I’m using to carry my gear, and of course the tripod choice. I hope you enjoy the show!

Products and events mentioned in this episode:

MindShift PhotoCross 13” Backpack, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/thinktank-photocross-13-backpack-review

MindShift FilterHive, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/mindshift-filter-hive-review

3 Ways I Use My PlatyPod, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/vlog-3-ways-i-use-platypods-in-my-photography

Really Right Stuff TVC-24 MK2, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/gear-tripods-ballheads

Bandon Beach & Beyond workshop, November 2023, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/bandon-oregon-2311

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

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Photographers are visual storytellers. It is paramount that when you capture a photo, you know the story you are telling in that frame. Today’s podcast is a discussion about knowing the story of your image, and I share a couple of recent experiences with understanding the story in our images.

I also launched a new video course this week - Story And Vision. This 12-chapter video course teaches you how to assess the story in your photo and enhance it with your post-processing tools in the digital darkroom.

Listeners of the podcast can Save 15% on Story And Vision. Use the offer code STOPDOWN at checkout. Offer valid through April 30th, 2021.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

It is no secret to the Stop Down Photography Podcast audience that I am a Beatles fan. The Fab Four entered my photographic orbit again this past week. I was driving, iTunes on shuffle, and (as has been known to happen) a Beatles song hit the speakers. It was Penny Lane - classic.

Penny Lane was a track on the Magical Mystery Tour album, a record chock full of solid songs. But… it’s not the album that got my photographic brain active. It is the made for television film of the same name.

The Magical Mystery Tour was the 3rd Beatles film. And it was not a success. Yet there are several connections to and lessons for photographers in this film. This is the topic for today’s podcast.

The connections between The Magical Mystery Tour and photography I talk about are:

Be Open To The Journey

The Presentation Medium Matters

Have A Clear Story

Keep Producing Work

There is still time to SAVE 15% on my new video course Story And Vision. This 12-chapter course is all about becoming a better visual storyteller and making stronger images. Use the offer code STOPDOWN at checkout to SAVE 15%. Offer valid through April 30th, 2021.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

Our paths as artists, as visual storytellers, is not a straight path. There are switchbacks, detours, pauses, and backtracking as we forge ahead on our quest to become stronger photographers. Yet there is a repeated pattern to our learning, a cycle of artistic improvement.

This idea of a cycle of artistic improvement crystalized for me while assembling the chapters of a new video course I’ll be releasing later this month. In this episode, I talk about the cycle of improvement. There are four phases of the cycle: Capture, Analyze, Express, and Reflect. Like phases of the moon, there is no beginning or end, the pattern is circular and we don’t get to take one lap around the track and call it good!

Capture
It makes sense to start with capturing images. We are, after all, photographers! And, a base set of images is needed - you need a starting point from which to grow and improve. If you’re listening to The Stop Down Photography Podcast and reading these show notes, you are already aware of the importance of capturing strong assets. You’re paying attention to composition, checking your angles, choosing a depth of field appropriate for the scene or subject… all those things.

Analyze
The next phase is a self-critique of your unprocessed images. The reason an image assessment is so important is that it helps you answer the big overarching question:

What adjustments are needed to make the story of your photo stronger?

Before you bring a photo into your digital development tools, spend a few minutes of measured thought with your photo. Ask questions. What are the subjects of your photo? How do they interact? Where do you want your viewer to look? What mood do you want to convey? You need to spend a little time to understand your photo, to know the story of your image.

This phase shifts your post-processing mindset to thinking about the adjustments that will strengthen the story of your image, not just pushing sliders and throwing on filters.

Express
This phase is when you post-process. You get to express yourself creatively and artistically. The key thing is – the adjustments are in service of the story of your photo. Your processing approach will change when the story of your photo is at the forefront of your mind. Global adjustments tend to happen quickly, and you will spend more time with creative adjustments like split tones, color grading, or glows … adjustments that convey a certain mood. You will spend more time with localized adjustments, shaping and crafting light, accentuating key subjects, and guiding your viewer’s eye.

Reflect
Once processing is done, take another moment and reflect on the final image. Yes, a little more self-reflection is a means to improvement! This is an opportunity to take a step back and consider the story you’ve just told in the photo. For an image that really works, what is it that makes the photo come together? What compels you to keep looking at the frame? For a photo that falls short, what are the problems? What would you change about the photo? How would you capture it differently to tell a stronger story?

And The Cycle Continues
Reflection leads back to Capture. Apply the lessons you learned in the Analyze, Express, and Reflect phases to your next outing with the camera. Will you compose differently? Get closer? Use a different depth of field? Be more patient and wait for the right moment?

As you practice in this cycle, when you’re in the field, making the capture, you might already be thinking about the Express phase. You can see more than just the scene in front of your lens … you’ll visualize the story that will unfold.

Capture, Analyze, Express, and Reflect. You can start today and analyze a few of your images, and then keep doing it. You’ll grow as a visual storyteller and improve as a photographer.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

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Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.

The contrast in a photo makes it powerful. Good contrast enhances the photo of a subject and lets our photos tell a stronger story. When we think of contrast, our first thought is usually highlights and shadows. Yet there are more types of contrast than just light and shadow. In this episode, I’ll share 5 types of contrast you can use to make your photos have more impact.

Light & Shadow

Color Contrast

Texture Contrast

Fluidity Contrast

Subject Contrast

Contrast adds a duality to your photos and creates good visual tension. Develop your eye to recognize scenes and photo opportunities with more contrast and you’ll create images with more impact. Listen to this episode for more thoughts about the contrast in our images.

Visit the episode webpage on scottdavenportphoto.com to see example photos for each of these types of contrast.

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Supporters Of The Show - Thank You!

Thanks to everyone that supports this show, through comments, reviews, and shares. Sharing this podcast with your photo friends and camera clubs is one of the many zero-cost ways you can support the show. If you wish to support the show financially, you can also make a one-time donation.

Affiliate Links

Product links in this post may contain affiliate tags. Depending on the purchase, Scott Davenport Photography may receive compensation if you purchase a product via one of those links. There is no additional cost to you. The use of affiliate links never influences the content or opinions of the episodes.