The latest version of Photos that shipped with macOS Sierra is the iceberg of imaging applications: simple elegance above the waterline, and a heavyweight beneath it. And if you join me for Photos for macOS Essential Training, I'll take you on a deep dive to explore its many wonders.

And now that we have robust editing extensions, such as Luminar, wireless file transfer using Cascable, and seamless iCloud connectivity for sharing our images across all devices, Photos has evolved into an essential app, especially for mobile photographers.

Here's the introduction movie to give you an overview of the course.

Set aside some time to learn how you can incorporate Photos for macOS in to your photography life.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Here's what motivated me to find out more about the Rokinon 7.5mm F3.5 UMC Fisheye Lens...

The client escorted me into a large ballroom that in a few days would be filled with more than 350 people and said, "We want a group shot of everyone, and you have 7 minutes to take it."

I replied, "Great. I'll be ready."

There were a few ways that I could approach this assignment, but my research led me to using the Rokinon 7.5mm F3.5 UMC Fisheye Lens on my Olympus E-M5 Mark II. The optic had good ratings, was affordable, and covered the 180 degrees that I would need to make this shot. I would stand on the stage and use the fully articulated LCD to compose the shot. And the f/3.5 maximum aperture would let me shoot at a reasonable ISO 1600.

So I went for it. And I'm now the happy owner of a very nice fisheye lens.

A few mornings later, I got my rig together, recorded RAW for maximum latitude, processed the group shot in Capture One Pro so I could adjust the distortion, and finished off the image in Luminar. The final shot looked great. The client is happy. And I now have a new lens to experiment with. (I can't show you that shot, because it's proprietary. But I have one just as good to share.)

The specs for this optic are impressive for its $249 price tag.

• 180 degrees angle of view
• 9 elements in 7 groups
• Aperture range f/3.5-f/22
• Minimum focusing distance of 0.295ft
• Approximately 1.9 inches long
• Manual focus with click-stop aperture ring

Here's the scoop about the shot I can show you...

I took it out for a spin the night before my assignment so I could get a feel for how it performed. Here's an image from inside Oracle Arena using the Rokinon at f/3.5 on the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. (Processed in Capture One Pro and finished in Luminar.)

"Oracle Arena Pregame" by Derrick Story - Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, Rokinon 7.5mm lens at f/3.5, ISO 3200, 1/5th of a second, handheld.

What a blast! So much so, that I only shot with the fisheye all night. As for lens performance, there is some softness on the corners at f/3.5, and that's about the only nit I can come up with. Some reviewers have complained about the stiffness of the manual focus ring. I kind of like it. For most of my work, I'm setting the focus to just off infinity and leaving it there. I like the the focus ring doesn't move on its own after I set it.

And the bottom line is, I've captured two photos in two days that I could not have recorded otherwise. The Rokinon 7.5mm F3.5 UMC Fisheye Lens is available on Amazon for $249. I wish I would have bought this one long time ago. (Plus it looks great on my E-M5 Mark II...)

More Capture One Pro Tips and Techniques

Improve your skills by watching Capture One Pro Essential Training now available on lynda.com. More than 5 hours of tips, tricks, and techniques. Plus many free movies using advanced techniques.

Luminar for Finishing Touches

Whether I'm starting the workflow in Capture One Pro, or in Photos for macOS, I'm often finishing my favorite images with Luminar, the most exciting image editor I've used in years.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #560, November 29, 2016. Today's theme is "Thoughts from 5 Conservation Photographers." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

On November 15 and 16, I spent two days in the company of some of the best conservation photographers in the world. During that time, I photographed them, recored segments from their talks, and even sat down for an interview at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington D.C. And today I'm going to share highlights from those two days with you, so you too can be a part of this amazing conference called WildSpeak 2016.

This show is supported in part by MindShift Gear, who proudly sponsors the iLCP in their mission to protect our planet and it's resources through photography.

Additional funding was contributed by Red River Paper, who supports The Digital Story from California to the East Coast, and everywhere in between.

And a special thanks to members of our Inner Circle, who have pledged through Patreon, enabling me to bring shows like this to all of our listeners.

Thoughts from 5 Conservation Photographers

Today's show features thoughts from seven important conservation photographers: Amy Gulick, Chris Linder, Daniel Beltra, Sandesh Kadur, and Robin Moore. Audio and interview were recorded at WildSpeak 2016 at the Carnegie Science Center in Washington D.C. I hope you enjoy the show.

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

MindShift Gear - MindShift Gear is a group of committed professional photographers and product designers who support conservation and protection of our natural resources and planet.

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Not long ago, I wrote about the frustrations of connecting our digital cameras directly to a Mac. But new software to the rescue. Cascable Transfer is in beta, and you can use it right now to send Jpegs, RAWs, or both to your macOS computer.

The procedure is simple. Turn on WiFi with your camera, connect to it with your computer, then launch Cascable. If your camera is one that is supported, then the screen soon fills with thumbnails from the memory card.

Choose the shots you want, decide if you want to bring over the RAW, Jpeg, or both, then initiate the copy process. You can send the files to a folder, import to Photos for macOS, or put them inside of Lightroom. I had the best success with folders and Photos. The Lightroom transfer still needs a little work.

With Photos, my RAW files went right into the app, plus Cascable created an import album too so I can review all the shots that came into the app wirelessly. Everything was intact and looked great.

Because wireless transfer isn't as fast as plugging a memory card directly into the computer, this isn't a method that you'd want to use for hundreds of RAW files. But for a dozen or so images, the 5-6 minute wait time is reasonable.

You can try to beta version of Cascable now for free. And if you preorder your final copy, you can save 50 percent off the $14.99 price when it's released. I'm going to order mine now.

Master Photos for macOS

Apple's Photos for macOS app was designed from the ground up to help you organize, edit, and share your pictures and videos. While the interface appears simple, finding the hidden nuances of Photos is not so straightforward. There's more to this app than initially meets the eye.

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the true sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. From the point of view of a working photographer, Derrick provides everything you need to know to get the most out of the imaging tools built into macOS and iCloud.

This book is up to date with the current version of Photos that shipped with macOS Sierra. It includes discussions on Memories and object recognition, plus all of the tools that make this a compelling application for Mac-toting photographers.

You can order your own copy directly from the publisher, Rocky Nook. Use coupon code DSAPPLE35 for a 35 percent discount. We recommend the Print & eBook Bundle that gives you the Kindle, iBook, and PDF versions, plus the lovely print edition.

You can also order your copy on Amazon.com

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

Most Mac users probably don't realize that Siri is waiting to serve as a personal photo assistant. All they have to do is ask.

In my case, I hold down the CMD key + Spacebar and state, "Find pictures of a cat." In just a couple seconds, this appears on my screen.

Lots of results from my asking Siri to find pictures of a cat.

How does this magic work? It's the combination of object/animal/people/place recognition build into Photos 2.0 plus Siri on macOS Sierra. I haven't keyworded any of those images as "cat;" who has time for that? The algorithms in Photos can find instances of a cat on its own without my help.

And by the way, none of them were keyworded or had descriptions.

If you're using Photos on macOS Sierra, you really need to try this. It's a lot smarter than you may realize.

It takes just a few seconds to make sure Siri is set up correctly on your Mac.

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

Apple's Photos for macOS app was designed from the ground up to help you organize, edit, and share your pictures and videos. While the interface appears simple, finding the hidden nuances of Photos is not so straightforward. There's more to this app than initially meets the eye.

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the true sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. From the point of view of a working photographer, Derrick provides everything you need to know to get the most out of the imaging tools built into macOS and iCloud.

This book is up to date with the current version of Photos that shipped with macOS Sierra. It includes discussions on Memories and object recognition, plus all of the tools that make this a compelling application for Mac-toting photographers.

You can order your own copy directly from the publisher, Rocky Nook. Use coupon code DSAPPLE35 for a 35 percent discount. We recommend the Print & eBook Bundle that gives you the Kindle, iBook, and PDF versions, plus the lovely print edition.

You can also order your copy on Amazon.com

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

My favorite nugget of advice for business travelers is to add a bit of personal time to each trip to explore your surroundings. And if you're a photographer, writer, or other type of artist, visit a museum or gallery.

I am consuming imagery daily via online services such as Instagram and Facebook. And some of those shots I find truly inspiring. But there's something completely different about physically standing before a work and interacting with it face to face.

Experienceing "The Kin Series & Related Works" by Whitfield Lovell in the Phillips Museum, Washington D.C.

Many of the museums allow your to take pictures of the works (without flash) so you can continue to study and think about them once you've returned home. I've found that all types of art has helped me look at my photography with fresh eyes.

Renoir's "Luncheon of the Boating Party" is one of my favorite paintings. You can see it at the Phillips Collections in Washington D.C.

Another thing that I've found, much to my delight, is that my boys will walk through a museum with me and discuss what we're seeing together. They've been doing so since they were about 6 years old. These are moments a dad doesn't forget.

Mother and daughter in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

And finally, set aside a little additional time to hang out in the museum cafe. I have never been disappointed, and having something tasty to eat and a refreshing drink finishes off the enjoyable afternoon.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Macphun is offering a couple of sweet deals on two excellent software bundles, both of which I use regularly. In fact, I designed a set of presets, which are one of the bonus items in this offer. (And they are very helpful!) These offers are good through December 1st.

Luminar Deal

In addition to being one of the best (and creative) image editors available for the Mac, Luminar is my favorite editing extension for Photos for macOS, and a friendly addition to Lightroom. The Black Friday deal is really about the lowest price available, plus the bonus items. You can Luminar order here.

Luminar Bonuses

• Africa with Athena Video by Athena Carey ($60 value)
• Cameras in the Wild ebook by Contrastly ($29 value)
• Making the Image ebook by Dan Bailey ($25 value)
• Luminar Presets pack ($25 value) - I designed a set of presets that's included in this presets pack.

Black Friday Pricing

• Retail Value: $209
• Special Black Friday Price for Macphun Users: $49
• Special Black Friday Price for New Users: $59

It's easy to add custom presets to Luminar. Just go to File > Add Custom Presets Pack and navigate to your (free) new presets (mine are included in this offer).

Aurora HDR 2017

Aurora HDR 2017 has become my default HDR processor. It runs wonderfully on my Mac laptop, includes a variety of interesting presets, and has every fine-tuning adjustment that a discriminating photographer would want. So you can use it in "one click" mode, or noodle with an image for an hour. It's up to you. Plus, I like it as an editing extension for Photos and a plug-in for Lightroom. You can order Aurora HDR 2017 here.

Aurora HDR 2017 Bonuses

• The Essentials of Street Photography & The New York Photographer's Travel Guide by James Maher ($25 value)
• 20 Minute Video Training from Trey Ratcliff ($20 value)
• Holiday Preset Pack ($25 value)

Black Friday Pricing

• Retail Value: $169
• Special Black Friday Price for New Users: $89
• Special Black Friday Upgrade Price for existing Aurora HDR Owners: $79
• Special Black Friday Upgrade Price for existing Aurora HDR Pro Owners: $49

Make 2017 the Year of Creative Photography

These two apps will integrate with any workflow, ranging from Capture One Pro, to Photoshop, to Lightroom, to Photos. Yet, they will allow you to process your images in new and interesting ways. Plus, with these great bonuses, you can quickly up your game by learning tips from the experts.

Want to Use Luminar and Aurora HDR 2017 as Editing Extensions?

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

Apple's Photos for macOS app was designed from the ground up to help you organize, edit, and share your pictures and videos. While the interface appears simple, finding the hidden nuances of Photos is not so straightforward. There's more to this app than initially meets the eye.

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the true sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. From the point of view of a working photographer, Derrick provides everything you need to know to get the most out of the imaging tools built into macOS and iCloud.

This book is up to date with the current version of Photos that shipped with macOS Sierra. It includes discussions on Memories and object recognition, plus all of the tools that make this a compelling application for Mac-toting photographers.

You can order your own copy directly from the publisher, Rocky Nook. Use coupon code DSAPPLE35 for a 35 percent discount. We recommend the Print & eBook Bundle that gives you the Kindle, iBook, and PDF versions, plus the lovely print edition.

You can also order your copy on Amazon.com

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #559, November 22, 2016. Today's theme is "Photographer's Gift Guide." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

If you only think in terms of DSLR camera bodies and fast prime lenses, then yes, photographers are hard to buy for. But we have more facets than some give us credit for. And the buying guide that I've assembled for you focuses more on the artistic than the mechanical.

Photographer's Gift Guide

I have a list for you that includes a treasure trove of affordable, desirable gifts for photographers. Let's take a look.

• @NatGeo: The Most Popular Instagram Photos - $12.46



• Black OneKnot Cotton/Leather Camera Wrist Strap - $12.90
• LUCIE Editions Fine Art Posters - average price $25. The Lucie Limited Editions are limited edition posters made by master photographers recognized at The Lucie Awards. These Lucie Honorees represent some of the most important photographers of the 21st century.
• Think Tank Photo Mirrorless Mover 25i Camera Bag - $64.75. The bag can be carried by the top handle, worn over your shoulder with an adjustable strap, or worn on a pant belt using the rear pass-through slot. It can also be worn as a backpack by using an optional Shoulder Harness V2.0. Stretchable side pockets and an interior mesh pocket can hold accessories such as memory cards, batteries, or the included seam-sealed rain cover.



• Pentax Analog Clock $69 - This handsome Pentax ME Super features a bayonet-mounted quartz Waterford clock that creates the perfect desk accessory.
• Polaroid Snap Touch Instant Print Digital Camera With LCD Display (White) with Zink Zero Ink Printing Technology - $179. Prints 2"x3" color photos, 3.5" LCD touchscreen viewfinder, 13MP photos, 1080p/720p video, Bluetooth enabled, Burst & photobooth modes, Micro SD card slot[up to 128GB], and, Editing app compatible with iOS & Android.
• The Apple Photos Book for Photographers: Building Your Digital Darkroom with Photos and Its Powerful Editing Extensions - $15.14
• On The Rocks: 10 Assorted Blank All-Occasion Note Cards Feature Dramatic Rocky Landscapes, w/White Envelopes. $9.98



• Ansmann X7 LED Search Light - $9.40. The X7 LED Search Light from Ansmann is a pen sized LED work light that can also function as a 1 LED directional flashlight. As a work light it utilizes 6 SMD LEDs with a brightness of 11 lumen and a maximum continuous runtime of 10 hours. As a flashlight it offers 1 lumen output and can run for up to 120 hours. Form fitting rubberized housing protects the light from impact and keeps it comfortable to hold. A built-in magnet and pocket clip provide convenient placement options. Three AAA alkaline batteries are included.
• Zoom H1 Ultra-Portable Digital Audio Recorder (Blue) - $79.99. Perfect for musicians, journalists, podcasters, and more, the H1 records high-quality WAV and MP3 files to meet any professional need. The H1 has a stereo X/Y microphone configuration that captures perfect stereo images. A built-in speaker lets you listen to your recordings right away.

Uber starts selling digital gift cards online

Uber has made it much easier to buy gift cards for friends, family and anyone else who paid for your fare in the past. You can now get digital gift cards straight from Uber's website and send them straight to someone else's email address. The company started selling physical gift cards through retailers back in September, but now you only have to click a few buttons to get one. Complete story with links via Engadget.

Next Week's Show - Audio Recordings from Washington D.C,

I have an interview and numerous audio clips from the WildSpeak conference in Washington D.C. And I'm going to share that content with you on next week's show.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members! I was able to pay for the podcast server and the backup system from last month's pledges. Your contributions are making a positive impact.

The 2017 Workshop Season is posted. I've sent responses to those who signed up on the reserve list. If you haven't received a confirmation yet, please send me mail at derrick@thedigitalstory.com.

B&H and Amazon tiles on www.thedigitalstory. If you click on them first, you're helping to support this podcast. And speaking of supporting this show, and big thanks to our Patreon Inner Circle members.

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

See you next week!

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

Hedge for Mac - The fast solution for moving photos and videos from memory cards to drives, or drives to drives for that matter. Learn more at Hedge for Mac.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Photographers from all over the world entered their absolute finest images to compete for a spot in Nature's Best 2016, now on display at the National Museum of Natural History through September 2017. The winning photographs are stunning.

You have until September 2017 to see this exhibit at the Smithsonian.

I attended a reception honoring the winners last night, then marveled at the display of Nature in all of her glory in the gallery. The photographs appear to be printed on aluminum and are expertly lit, so each picture has tremendous impact.

"Mt. Bromo" by Dr. Marc Tan is the winner for Asia Landscapes. It was one of my favorite images on display.

If you can't make it to Washington D.C., you can order the Collector's Edition for $14.95 (which I've already done.)

For those times that you're working off the grid, you may want to bring your own power generator to ensure that your camera and mobile devices stay operational. I had a good talk yesterday with Jeff Crystal of Voltaic Systems, and learned that these solar solutions are quite reasonably priced.

For a little over a $100, we put together a kit that included a portable solar panel, storage battery, and adapter for my camera battery. With these components, I can charge by iPad mini, iPhone, and batteries for the Olympus E-M5 Mark II.

During this discussion a wildlife photographer came up to us and exclaimed, "I've been using this gear in the field for months, and I love it." I'm thinking that a real time testimonial is always helpful when learning about new tech. He was there to buy more.

For most nimble photographers, the 6 Watt kit should get the job done. For extended trips, you may want to move up to a 9 Watt panel that costs a little more.

As Jeff said during out discussion, "Once you remove laptops from the equation, everything gets easier (and cheaper)." So true in many ways...

The Voltaic System has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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