

PhotoActive
Jeff Carlson & Kirk McElhearn
Jeff Carlson and Kirk McElhearn discuss photography and the Apple ecosystem. We cover using an iPhone or any other camera with Apple hardware and software, and we welcome photographers to discuss their work.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 15, 2026 • 29min
Episode 205: Spec Goblins and the MacBook Neo
Apple has announced the MacBook Neo, a $600 laptop running on the same A18 Pro processor that was used in the iPhone 16 Pro. Oh, and it has 8GB of RAM and starts at 256GB of storage. Believe it or not, lots of people on the Internet take issue with those specs, so we look at it from the point of view of whether it could be a good machine for photographers who blew all their money on a $10,000 Leica f/1.2 lens.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
MacBook Neo
You Probably Don't Need an f/1.2 Lens
Leica Leitzphone
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Mar 2, 2026 • 29min
Episode 204: Storage Prices
The prices of digital storage are set to climb this year because AI is eating up all the available inventory. And modern photography is entirely dependent on storage, whether it's the SD cards that store the captured images, the internal solid-state memory that stores data on your computer, or the external SSDs and traditional hard drives that keep your archive of photos.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Western Digital is out of hard drives, because Ai (of course)
Take Control of Your Digital Storage
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Feb 14, 2026 • 32min
Episode 203: Do You Have $10,000 to Spare?
The best-selling compact camera in Japan is from... Kodak? We’ve talked about compact cameras in the past, but it remains a fascinating part of the photo marketplace as people look for something different than mirrorless and DSLR cameras. By the way, do you have $10,000 to spare on a new 35mm lens? Leica’s Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH was just announced at that eye-watering price. Lastly, Jeff covers some new Lightroom features in the latest versions.
(Photo: Leica)
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
I Asked AI to Predict the Weather. It's About as Reliable as a Groundhog - CNET
Compact Camera Sales More Than Doubled Last Year in Japan | PetaPixel
Regarding the price of the Ricoh GR cameras, Kirk was thinking of the prices in the UK. In the US, the prices are $1,600 and and $2.200.
Noctilux-M 35 f/1.2 ASPH. | Leica Camera US
Leica 35mm Noctilux-M f/1.2 ASPH Review: A Long Time Coming | PetaPixel
Adobe Lightroom Classic release notes
Aftershoot
Thomas Pynchon: Vineland (Kirk said it was published in 1980; that should be 1990)
How 'One Battle After Another' Shot the Car Chase Scene Like a Gritty '70s Film - YouTube
Jeff’s Snapshot
The Uncool by Cameron Crowe
Kirk’s Snapshot
One Battle After Another
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Feb 3, 2026 • 30min
Episode 202: Pixelmator Pro Returns
Now we know what Apple is doing with Pixelmator Pro after its acquisition of Pixelmator: it’s part of the new Apple Creator Studio bundle. Also, we celebrate the latest black and white camera to hit the market, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, and ponder large-format photographer Sally Mann’s discovery of digital photography.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Ink Drinker, Seattle
Episode 60: Machine Learning with Andrius Gailiunas and Pixelmator Pro
Ricoh GR IV Monochrome PetaPixel Video
Sally Mann, Digital Camera World
Episode 141: You Say You Want a Resolution
Jeff’s Snapshot
Reflections: On Cinematography, Roger Deakins
Kirk’s Snapshot
None
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Jan 3, 2026 • 33min
Episode 201: What’s Real
Is your phone not accurately capturing the world around you? An article in the Guardian questions whether image processing in smartphones is making photos that aren’t genuine. Also, Leica released a firmware update that radically changes the entire interface, leading to a discussion of how important the UI in our cameras is when making photos.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Now that phones alter our photos without us knowing, how do we know what’s real?
Episode 114: Bryan Jones on Why Color Doesn't Exist
Leica Q3 firmware update
Leica’s engraved fonts
Leica TikTok
Actions Ring - On Screen Overlay
3M Precise Mouse Pad
Kirk’s Snapshot
Logitech MX Master 4
Jeff’s Snapshot
Moment Tripod Mount for MagSafe
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Dec 23, 2025 • 40min
Episode 200: All Our Cameras
Two Hundred episodes! To celebrate roughly seven and a half years of the PhotoActive podcast, Kirk and Jeff picked some favorite photos from the digital cameras they’ve owned.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Episode 35: Martin Parr Shot My Portrait
Martin Parr on collecting photobooks, shooting tennis, and the challenges of modern street photography, Popular Photography
Remote Scottish Postboxes, Martin Parr
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Dec 8, 2025 • 34min
Episode 199: Vroom Vroom
We get views into two very different types of photography in this episode. Jeff travels to Nevada for the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix where the cars’ speed is a challenge to photograph... but not as difficult as the rules set by the Formula 1 organization. Then we look at the fascinating dye-transfer process and how this dying art is being used to print William Eggleston’s prints.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
The Insane Logistics of Formula 1
Clive Mason, Getty Formula 1 Photographer
William Eggleston's Guide
William Eggleston: The Last Dyes (book)
William Eggleston: The Last Dyes (exhibit info)
Dye destruction print
The Last Cibachrome
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Nov 29, 2025 • 37min
Episode 198: I’m Not an Animal
We’ve got several things to discuss in this episode, from little-known settings in the iPhone Camera app, to shooting panoramas, to the Leica M EV1 and to Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Leica M EV1
Leica M EV1 PetaPixel Video
Snapshots:
Kirk & Jeff: Frankenstein
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Nov 3, 2025 • 37min
Episode 197: Overenthusiastic in Your Opinion
What started with a couple of new settings related to the iPhone Camera app quickly devolves into a discussion of Apple’s Liquid Glass effect in iOS 26, changes and consistency in the Camera app’s interface, and whether all of this is too confusing for most people taking photos with their iPhones.
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Acorn 8
Use iPhone camera tools to set up your shot – Apple Support
Review: iTunes 11 adds cool features, but can be jarring to longtime users | Macworld
Take Control of iPhone Photography
iPhone 17 Pro vs. Pixel 10 Pro XL: I Pitted Smartphone Royalty Against Each Other - CNET
RICOH GR IV Monochrome High-end Compact Digital Camera Development News - Ricoh
Snapshots:
Kirk: Cory Doctorow: Enshittification
Jeff: Napster View
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.

Oct 20, 2025 • 35min
Episode 196: Has Camera Tech Hit a Plateau?
Has camera technology plateaued? We’re seeing technical advancements in image processing and autofocus, but what about the core parts like sensors? Also, we spend three hours talking about the Apple Watch Ultra 3 (not actually 3 hours).
Hosts:
Jeff Carlson: website, Jeff's photos, Jeff on Instagram, Jeff on Glass, Jeff on Mastodon, Jeff on Bluesky
Kirk McElhearn: website, Kirk's photos, Kirk on Instagram, Kirk on Glass, Kirk on Mastodon, Kirk on Bluesky
Show Notes:
(View show notes with images at PhotoActive.co)
Rate and Review the PhotoActive Podcast!
Snapshots:
Kirk: Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning
Jeff: Freewell iPhone Pro Filmmaker Basic Kit
Subscribe to the PhotoActive podcast newsletter at the bottom of any page at the PhotoActive web site to be notified of new episodes and be eligible for occasional giveaways. If you’ve already subscribed, you’re automatically entered.
If you like the show, please subscribe in iTunes/Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app, and please rate the podcast. And don't forget to join the PhotoActive Facebook group to discuss the podcast, share your photos, and more.
Disclosure: Sometimes we use affiliate links for products, in which we receive small commissions to help support PhotoActive.


