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Nikon Nikkor Z 26mm Pancake Lens Review

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Photography's Most Powerful Teacher: Failure - TDS Photo Podcast

DSCF2905-Pt-Reyes-1024.jpg Fujifilm Velvia film simulation with a Fujifilm X100V digital camera.

When Oppenheimer cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema accepted his Oscar recently, he opened his acceptance speech by urging aspiring filmmakers to "... please try shooting with that incredible, new, hip thing called celluloid." I understand exactly where he's coming from.

The color palettes and tonality of various film stocks are a refreshing (and artistic) change from the barrage of saturated color and knife-edge sharpness of many digital images. And even though it's not practical for many hobbyist photographers to shoot and process film, there are alternative Jpeg recipes that come very close to the real thing.

ZF1_1629-Gold-100-San-Jose-1024.jpg Kodak Gold 100 film simulation with a Nikon Zf. Photos by Derrick Story.

Some cameras, like the Fujifilm X100VI (and all Fuji cameras for that fact) have alternative recipes built right into the camera. The photographer can switch from Velvia to Astia with just a press of a button.

Other cameras, such as the Nikon Zf include Picture Controls and leave open slots in the menu for third-party formulations. I have filled up all those openings on my Zf with the likes of Ilford HP5, Kodak Tri-X, and Gold 100.

This creative goodness is made possible by the nature of mirrorless cameras with their electronic viewfinders. We can enable a look, such as HP5, and then actually view the world via the film emulsion through the EVF. This takes creativity to a whole new level.

Those who worry that this experimentation might yield results they don't like later on the computer screen can rest assured that if the camera is set to RAW+Jpeg, the RAW file will still be pristine and completely editable while the Jpeg displays the color and tonality of the film simulation. It's the best of both worlds.

ZF1_1608-Zf-Velvia-1024.jpg "The World Will Miss You" Fujifilm Velvia film simulation of a Nikon Zf.

Resources to Get Started with Film Simulation

If this sounds interesting to you, I have some resources to help you get started.

Peering Through the Looking Glass of Film Simulations - Explains what film simulations are, how to apply them to your camera, with links to sites that feature recipes. This is a free link.

Film Simulations - Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain - In this podcast, I talk about how I use these recipes to energize my creativity.

Once you go beyond the standard Jpeg processing formula for your digital camera, I doubt that you will ever see the world the same through your EVF. And if you don't believe me, just ask award-winning cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #939, March 19, 2024. Today's theme is "Photography's Most Powerful Teacher: Failure." I'm Derrick Story.

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Opening Monologue

The idea of what is successful and what isn't has been swimming around my head lately. I'm sure a big part of it was our Photo Critique Workshop that just wrapped up. Those discussions about how we view our pictures versus the reactions to them by others were fascinating. So I decided to share a story with you about the secret to good photography. All of this, and more, on today's TDS Photography Podcast. I hope you enjoy the show.

Digital Photography Podcast 939

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Adobe interview: 'we're not trying to trick anyone with AI'

You can read the entire story on AmateurPhotographer.com.

How Nikon and Agence France-Presse in Paris Are Seeking To Ensure Authenticity in Photojournalism

You can read the entire story on FStoppers.com.

Virtual Camera Club News

The Nimble Photographer Newsletter is now publishing every Thursday. Readers will enjoy a variety of content spanning from short photo essays, to commentary on weekly events, to reviews of the latest and coolest photo gear.

TDS Workshops! - You can sign up for available workshops by visiting The Nimble Photographer. Inner Circle Members receive a 10-percent discount on all events.

Inner Circle Members: A big thanks to those who support our podcast and our efforts! We are having a blast at our new Inner Circle hangout, the private group I've set up at DerrickStoryOnline. We'd love it if you join us. You can become an Inner Circle Member by signing up at our Patreon site. You will automatically be added to the new hangout.

Great Photography Articles on Live View - If you check out our publication and appreciate what you see, be sure to follow us and clap for those authors. You can find us at medium.com/live-view.

If you're interested in writing for Live View, drop me a line at dstory@gmail.com.

The New Donation Kit for Carefree Shipping of Found Film Cameras - If you've discovered a film camera that's no longer being used, our new Donation Kit makes it easy to pack and ship. Just visit the Contact Form on thenimblephotographer.com, click the box next to Donating a Film Camera, and let me know what you have. In your note, be sure to include your shipping address.

Affiliate Links - The links to some products in this podcast contain an affiliate code that credits The Digital Story for any purchases made from B&H Photo and Amazon via that click-through. Depending on the purchase, we may receive some financial compensation.

Red River Paper - And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.