The Stop Down Photography Podcast

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. Rate & Review 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.

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 Rate & Review 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.

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. Rate & Review 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.

Whether you are a seasoned photographer or just starting out, there are common photo mistakes that we all make. And we make time and time again. In this podcast, a light-hearted rundown of several rookie mistakes I’ve made in very recent history that cost me good photos. Have a listen and hear if any of these fumbles and stumbles have happened to you. - Failure to get crisp focus - Forgot to adjust the polarizing filter - Didn’t bring a spare battery - Left the remote trigger at home Attention ON1 Photo RAW users! I am teaching 2 classes at the KelbyOne ON1 Photographers Conference, July 25th - 26th, 2023. Join me and a host of other great instructors for two days of ON1 classes, everything from landscape to travel, macro to wildlife, portrait to print preparation. Save 50% with early bird registration for US$149. All the details are here: https://kelbyonelive.com/on1-conference?af=scottdon1 Join me this November for my Bandon Beach & Beyond landscape photography workshop. A small workshop, just 6 photographers, spending 4 days capturing the stunning Oregon Coast. You’ll get plenty of 1-on-1 time with Scott both in the field and with post-processing. Improve your camera work, level up your processing skills, and capture great photos and great memories. The workshop is US$1595 and all the details are on the workshop page: https://scottdavenportphoto.com/bandon-oregon-2311 I mentioned two photo backpacks in this episode. Check out my reviews of each: - MindShift Rotation 180, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/review-thinktank-updates-the-mindshift-rotation-backpack-34l - ThinkTank PhotoCross 13, https://scottdavenportphoto.com/blog/thinktank-photocross-13-backpack-review Rate & Review 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.

This podcast is all about staying active with your photography, pacing yourself, and a little bit about World War Z. How does a 10-year old zombie apocalypse movie intersect with photography? It’s a phrase uttered in the beginning of the film … “Movemiento es vida”, movement is life. That phrase rings true for me in several ways, and certainly for photography. I hope you’ll give a listen to a personal story of mine from the pandemic, the behavior changes the global lockdown triggered for me, and how I’m moving forward with my photography…. with a new appreciation for pacing. Join me this November 2023 for a photo workshop. There is space available in my Bandon Beach & Beyond landscape photography workshop. Spend 4 days with me and a small group of like-minded photographers, capturing the rugged beautify of the dramatic Oregon Coast. Rate & Review 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.

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. Rate & Review 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.

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. Rate & Review 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.

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. Rate & Review 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.

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. Rate & Review 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.

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 Rate & Review 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 Rate & Review 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 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. Rate & Review 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.

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. Rate & Review 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.