Scott's Photo Blog

Twitter Us for Show Updates

If you'd like short show updates and other photo news, please add us to your Twitter rolls. I've set up an account for the show at http://twitter.com/DPLife.

There's nothing as depressing as being on Twitter with no one following you, so, please, add us quick!

Now, let's see if I can Michael to Twitter - anyone want to make a bet?

Our New Show is Here: Welcome to our Digital Photography Life!

Michael and I are thrilled to announce our new podcast - Digital Photography Life: Make Every Shot Count.

You can read all about Digital Photography Life on the show's homepage at http://photography.personallifemedia.com.

There's a lot involved in launching a new show, and Michael and I have been working hard to bring Digital Photography Life to you.

If you visit the site now, you'll find what we're calling Episode Zero: The Official Trailer for Digital Photography Life. It's not a full show; just a taste of what's to come. Truth is, we had to post some kind of audio file to allow iTunes and other podcast aggregators to "find" the show. So, Episode Zero it was.

But even though it isn't a full show, Michael and I were so happy to be taping again! We've really missed the opportunity to talk with you all.

Show #1 is coming soon - we've already taped the interview with the guy whom many of you guessed would be our first guest - the inimitable Scott Kelby.  If you've even been considering buying Lightroom 2 - or if you have the program and want to know how to get the most out of it - you have to listen to this interview.

Scott's always been a big supporter of me and Michael, and also of our audience, who he says are the nicest and most enthusiastic shooters he meets. We agree! Scott gives away two great prizes on Episode #1, but you're going to have to wait till next week to hear what they are.

Digital Photography Life finds us with a new network: Personal Life Media. Michael and I thrilled to be working with the gang there - they bring a lot of savvy to the table. We think they'll be able to help us make the most out of Digital Photography Life.

So, please visit us at Digital Photography Life. You can read a little about the show, check out our awkward biographies (it's hard to write about yourself!) and subscribe to the show through iTunes or RSS.

Thanks for all your support and best wishes. Please join us in our Digital Photography Life. We think it's going to be a blast.

Amazing News: We Were Nominated for Two Podcast Awards

Thank you all for the incredibly kind and supportive comments you left on the heels of our leaving The Podcast Network. We're pretty unhappy with some of the unfortunately-worded characterizations of us and our show that have been made by TPN, but we're trying our best not to respond. We don't want to be in an endless back and forth.

Besides, it would be like critiquing a calendar from 1987: It's over. Time to move on. One of my favorite sayings in situations like this is "Bitterness is a poison you swallow in the hopes it will kill someone else." We have no personal animus towards TPN or anyone there. May they live and be well.

On happier news, Michael and I hope to announce any day now the name and home of our new photography podcast. Since we can no longer reach the supportive and enthusiastic community that formed around The Digital Photography Show, we'll be counting on you to help us get out the word about it.

In the meantime, if you'd like to help us out, please consider voting for us in The Podcast Awards. Yes, thanks to your fantastic support, The Digital Photography Show was, for the second year in a row, nominated for two Podcast Awards!

One of our nominations is for the all-important "People's Choice Award," which is the equivalent of the "Best Overall" award, and the second is, somewhat mysteriously, in the “Best Mobile Phone Formatted Podcast” category. Since we don’t do anything special to format our show for mobile phones, we’re not quite sure how we wound up there, but, hey, we’ll take what we can get! At least we’re not nominated in the “Best Podcasts to Listen to with the Volume Turned Off” award.

While our time on The Digital Photography Show is done, the award recognizes the work of the past year, so we’re going to go for it. Moreover, since we can’t get our new show mentioned on The Digital Photography Show homepage or in the audio stream, receiving the Podcast Award could really help us draw people’s attention to where to find us. Plus: Bragging rights!

You can vote once a day through November 6, 2008, in this year’s Podcast Awards. Tell everyone you know! Since every other show will be allowed to promote themselves on their actual podcasts, as opposed to us, who have no voice, it’s going to be an uphill battle to win this thing. But, hey, uphill battles build character right? And they burn more calories, too.

So vote today and everyday for The Digital Photography Show in the two categories in which we are nominated. Vote here.

And stay tuned for information about what’s next for me and Michael.

Gonna Give You Four Thirds of My Love

I love new technology, but I haven’t been able to get very excited about the new Micro Four Thirds format for digital cameras.

Basically, the incredibly-catchily named Micro Four Thirds system (and that was an example of sarcasm, BTW. Is any industry worse than the digiphoto one when it comes to product names?) is a methodology for making smaller SLR-like cameras with interchangeable lenses.

However, David Pogue’s review of the first Micro Four Third (I just can’t stop using that fantastic term!) camera, the Panasonic DMC-G1 (another great moniker that really sings, don’t you think?) makes the technology sound pretty compelling.

As Pogue explains, these MFT cameras aren’t exactly SLRs, since you can’t fit a through-the-lens visioning system into such a small body. Instead, you view your image through an electronic viewfinder or on the back LCD.

All the previous electronic viewfinders I’ve tried have been so terrible that I considered them unusable, but Pogue says the DMC-G1’s has a higher resolution and better refresh rate, so here’s hoping it doesn’t suck too bad.

Pogue says the G1 has excellent image quality and takes much better pictures than a typical compact. But he advises not to buy it. He says that the assortment of compatible dedicated lenses is still too measly (there are, uh, two), and that the camera isn’t really all that small (Olympus’s 420 full DSLR is actually lighter than the G1).

Still, the idea of a lighter, smaller (although, at  $800 list, not much cheaper) DSLR-like camera is appealing. But, even as I write this, I’m thinking, really? Appealing to whom?  Because the enthusiasts are always going to want a full DSLR. Maybe a compact equivalent like this would make sense as a second camera, but would you really want to invest in two sets of lenses? That seems extreme, even for a neophilliac like me. I’d be happy with a Canon G10, that takes great pictures, has some DSLR-like controls, and lists for $499.

Likewise, is this overkill for the anyone who’s less than an enthusiast? Is the average person who just wants to photography  family and friends really going to spend this much and learn the ins-and-outs of what lenses to use and why?

The jury’s still out as far as I’m concerned. Pogue has me a little more interested, but far from sold. What do you think?

Never Can Say Goodbye: Why You'll Never Hear the Farewell Episode of The Digital Photography Show

Three days ago, I posted here that Michael and I would be leaving The Digital Photography Show to launch our own podcast. I told you that our farewell episode, which Michael and I had already taped and sent to The Podcast Network (TPN), would be posting soon.

Unfortunately, it appears that episode will never air. But we don't want you to think it was our choice to end it like that!

Here's how it went down. We wrote TPN on September 26th that we would no longer be doing the show. Upon receiving my note, TPN immediately changed the passwords to our account, effectively silencing our voices. That rendered us unable to post any blog notes or new episodes.

That immediate suspension of our ability to communicate with you came as a huge surprise to me and Michael - that was not at all the reaction we expected.

Despite that, based on discussions we had with TPN, we believed would be permitted to post a final episode and note. We really wanted to say goodbye to our listeners in the actual show, since the vast majority of them don't read this blog.

In the final episode we taped for TPN, which you apparently will never hear, we said our goodbyes. We let everyone know where they could find us in the future (which is, for now, right here on www.scottsphotoblog.com). We said we would be starting a new show soon, and that it would feature the same kind of commentary, review, instruction and interviews that we love doing. We expressed our appreciation to TPN for giving us our start, and we wished the best to any new hosts who might take over The Digital Photography Show (exactly as I did in my October 10th post here).

I have to take a moment for a brief aside here. Since it breaks up the story of Why You'll Never Hear Our Last Episode, I'll indent it.

There's was one moment from our last show I really wish you could have heard.

After we ran through all our thank-you's (we actually had more of a "script" for the show than we usually do, since we didn't want to leave anyone out) Michael said there was one more person he wanted to thank. As we had already written and rewritten the list a number of times, I had no idea who he could be thinking of.

"Who?" I asked him, wondering who we could have overlooked.

"You," Michael said. He went on to say a couple of nice things then, which I really can't remember because, to be honest, I was too concentrated on not choking up.

As you can imagine, taping our last episode - saying goodbye to all of you and and putting closure to something which had been such a highlight of our lives - well, the whole thing was pretty emotional to begin with.

Leave it to Michael to almost push me over the edge.

And yes, I said nice things about him too, none of which were sufficient to let the guy know just how much I love and value him, though. No point in both of us blubbering.

Those of you who know us know that we would never have recorded a show that was ugly, unkind or unfit for posting. We just wanted to put closure to the endeavor which had been our passion for two and half years now.

We sent our farewell episode to TPN three days ago. We were subsequently informed that they wouldn't post the show, nor would they post the note we had written. Instead, they put up their own notice.

Their notice didn't mention that Michael and I would be doing a new show and it didn't link back here. Hence, the vast majority of people who listened to the show or even read the TPN blog will never know where to find us or that we'll be back on the air soon. They'll just think we disappeared and left without even the courtesy of a "so long."

They'll think "oh, those guys went on and on about how we were a community of friends and then they just quit without even saying goodbye. Jerks."

You can imagine how that makes us feel.

I won't try to characterize, explain, defend or criticize TPN's decisions in all this. It is what it is. Once TPN changed our passwords, they had total control over what got posted on The Digital Photography Show, and they have chosen to exercise their control in this way. Give us the serenity to accept those things we can't control, right? And move on.

But we did want to let you know that it was never our intention to so abruptly disappear or leave without saying "goodbye." If you know any other listeners of The Digital Photography Show, will you let them know too, please?

So, that's our story.

Starting our new show will be harder without the ability to tell listeners of The Digital Photography Show where to find us. But Michael and I are resourceful. We've also made many wonderful friends in the digital photography business over the years - you know who some of them are. Heck, you are some of them.

We'll be counting on all of you to help us get out the word about our new show. Stay tuned! And thanks for all the nice comments and emails. We really appreciate your support, understanding and patience through all this.

Show Notes for The Digital Photography Show #98

For those of you who haven't heard the podcast yet, Show 98 was our last episode of The Digital Photography Show. Awwww....

(PS: I'm posting this on the morning of October 10; it could be another day before the show is available on The Podcast Network.)

It's really hard and sad to say goodbye, but it was time for us to move on. The good news, though, is that we'll be back!

Michael and I are launching a new digital photography podcast - our goal is to begin in early November.

We're laying the groundwork now for a great show. Please stay tuned in here at Scott's Photo Blog - we'll announce where we're going as soon as we can.

In the meantime, thank you all for making The Digital Photography Show such a great experience for us. Thanks to The Podcast Network for giving us our start and a place to call home. Thanks to all the wonderful guests, advertisers and sponsors who contributed such incredible content and support.

And most of all, thanks to all our listeners for sticking with us. What a great time we've had! You guys are the best, and we hope you all join us for our new show.

We understand  The Podcast Network may be continuing The Digital Photography Show with new hosts. Our best wishes to them - if they have even half as much fun as we did, they're in for a great ride.

If you'd like to share some parting words for us, please leave your comments below. We no longer have access to our account on The Podcast Network.

In the immortal words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, "we'll be back!" (Well, those weren't exactly his words, but you know what we mean). Check back soon at www.scottsphotoblog.com.

So Many Nikons, So Few Fortunes

If you're confused about which Nikon DSLR to buy - and who wouldn't be? - my darling Lori Grunin at CNET just published a list of her recommendations.

Lori has advice whether you're on a tight budget, a hobbyist, or a budding pro (and a few more categories, too).

The bad news about Lori's suggestions? There are no surprises: The more expensive the camera, the better it performs.

Lori also gives a bit of advice I was just discussing with Kerry Garrison on the most recent episode of The Digital Photography Show: "On a general note, if your budget is tight, and unless there's a specific feature or performance level you need from a particular model, it's usually a good idea to save money on the body and spend it on a better lens." We said the same thing!