Those interested in learning about the state of Unmanned Aircraft Systems should follow the news out of Drone World Expo, opening in San Jose, CA on Oct. 3.

As the conference organizers explain it, "Drone World offers real-world solutions to your business and environmental challenges. UAS/UAVs provide the capability for you to capture data in a way that will have a tremendous impact on your business. Applications including imaging, photography, video and film, precision agriculture, construction, security and public safety, mapping and surveying, inspections, research and conservation, communications, parcel delivery, and humanitarian efforts."

Speakers include high ranking U.S. government officials such as Michael Kratsios, Deputy Assistant to the President and the Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer at the White House; tech specialists such as Eric Mueller, Aerospace Engineer, NASA; plus business leaders and enthusiasts.

If you're in the San Jose area, you may want to attend in person. You can register here. Otherwise, I'll be on the ground and will share the tidbits that I find interesting.

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

I've used the Elgato Cam Link for my last two Nimble Classroom events, and it has performed like a champ. In fact, after the last class, one participant even commented on how good the live action video looked.

What is it? It's a $129 interface about the size of a thumb drive that converts HDMI output from your camera to USB for your computer. In my case, I'm using an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II, which has an HDMI port (the mini size), then connecting the camera to my MacBook Pro via an HDMI cable and Cam Link.

I chose the E-M5 Mark II because is has terrific video controls and clean HDMI output. In other words, it will send just the feed without menu icons and other distractions. Plus, it doesn't automatically shut down after just a few minutes like some cameras do.

I'm using mimoLive by Boinx Software to produce my live classroom. It allows me to seamlessly switch among live action cameras, audio sources, and screen capture. Plus it can record to disc at the same time it's streaming live to my audience. And Cam Link works perfectly with it.

The main gotcha with Cam Link is to pay close attention to the hardware requirements for your computer. It requires a 4-core Intel processor and USB 3. Compare the specs of your potential computer to the minimum system requirements published by Elgato. Other than that, all you have to do is get the correct cable, then start streaming.

Elgato Cam Link was the missing link for my live action classroom. For a $129, I consider it a terrific value.

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

Conservation photographers from all over the world will gather again at WildSpeak 2017 in Washington D.C. I covered this event last year, and it was one of the most important conferences I've ever attended.

WildSpeak will take place at Carnegie Institution for Science on November 14 and 15. Presenters include top naturalists, biologists, and nature photographers who have been immersed in their particular specialities. They share their findings in a series of presentations over the two days of the event.

Plus, you'll learn how you too can participate in the world of conservation photography. Be sure to allow enough time during your visit to explore places in D.C. such as National Geographic headquarters and the Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian.

You can learn more and register by visiting the WildSpeak site. I'll be there again this year. If you plan on attending, be sure to let me know so we can say hello.

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #603, Sept. 26, 2017. Today's theme is "Take a Hike." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the news, which is ironic for someone trained as a journalist. But there are times when I hear and see things of which I have no control, and as a result, I become disheartened. Bad news seems as intense now as ever. There are a lot of folks that I'd love to tell, "go take a hike." But maybe it's me who should hit the trail. And that's the topic for today's TDS podcast.

Go Take a Hike

One of the headlines I read today referred to The Cultural War that's going on in America. That is so deflating to me. Other troublesome words right now include North Korea, hurricanes, earthquakes, protests, acerbic tweets, healthcare, foreign intervention, and intolerance. A few of those words I can do something about. The rest of it is out of my control.

Thinking about this reminds me of something that I've learned about relationships in general. We often don't have control over the actions of others. But we do have control over our reactions to their behavior.

So, if I'm going to be useful to others, then I need to stay as balanced as possible. And the best way for me to do that is to exercise in nature. It's the perfect activity for photographers. Here are a few tips to get the most from this experience.

• Get Up Early - There are many benefits to getting out the door early. From a photography standpoint, the light is good. Beyond that, the world is quiet in the wee hours of the morning, and that soft energy is very soothing for soul. A hike a 7am is a completely different experience than at 1pm.
• Be Safe - I often travel alone. But I'm over 6'7" and weigh over 200 pounds. Not everyone has that physical advantage. So be sure to compensate accordingly. Carry a whistle. It is the most efficient communication and emergency device in nature. Dogs and friends make great trail companions. Take the necessary precautions so you can enjoy your experience outside.
• Travel Light - If I'm not just a little bit cold when I start the hike, then I know I'm going to be way too hot when I finish. Light layers, nimble camera bag, enough water to stay hydrated, are all you need for most short day hikes.
• It's Not a Race - You can go fast if you wish, but you will miss many shots, birds, flowers, and much of the joy of nature. Allow yourself to stop for pictures, admire vistas, and have a sip of water. The idea is to break the pace of our daily lives, not simply move it out to the trail.
• Keep Your Phone in Your Pocket - Unless you're using your smartphone as your camera, keep it tucked away. The Do Not Disturb feature will let calls through from your favorites, which should be friends and family. Let everything else stay on hold until you're back in civilization.

If you're lucky enough to have access to outdoor walking trails, then embrace that activity. Taking a hike won't automatically solve the world's problems. But staying healthy and balanced will put you in a better position to contribute to the solutions we need.

ILCP WildSpeak Coming in November

Conservation photographers from all over the world will gather again at WildSpeak 2017 in Washington D.C. I covered this event last year, and it was one of the most important conferences I've ever attended.

WildSpeak will once again take place at Carnegie Institution for Science on November 14 and 15. Presenters include top naturalists, biologists, and nature photographers who have been immersed in their particular specialities. They share their findings in a series of presentations over the two days of the event.

Plus, you'll learn how you too can participate in the world of conservation photography. Be sure to allow enough time during your visit to explore places in D.C. such at National Geographic headquarters and the Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian.

You can learn more and register by visiting the WildSpeak site. I'll be there again this year. If you plan on attending, be sure to let me know so we can say hello.

Cascable Transfer with Lightroom "kas-ka-ball"

Cascable Transfer will let you copy your selected images directly from your WiFi camera to Lightroom.

I have two tips for doing this. First, set up a masters folder ahead of time called Cascable Transfer. Then import some images into it, just a few to get the wiring in order. That way you can transfer your masters to that folder when you use Cascable.

Second, if you get the runaround with the Lightroom plugin not being installed, even after you've installed it via Cascable Transfer, just open Lightroom, go to the Plugin Manager, and enable it there. Everything should work fine after that.

Cascable Transfer is a $15 app that supports WiFi enabled Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Sony, and Panasonic cameras. It makes it easy to transfer RAW, Jpeg, or RAW+Jpeg to the Finder, Photos for macOS, or Lightroom (which I'll cover next week).

Each RAW+Jpeg pair took about a minute to transfer. Once the process was completed, my images were waiting for me in Photos. The procedure is easy. First, turn on WiFi in the camera, then connect to the network on your Mac, then launch Cascable Transfer and browse the images on the card.

This is a wonderful safety net for those times your card reader isn't available (or working) and you want to copy pictures from your camera to your laptop.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members!

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.

Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.

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

Cascable - Cascable is the best tool available for working with your camera in the field.

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.

Photographers who have been patiently waiting to see the final version of Photos for macOS High Sierra should get their opportunity today. We anticipate the latest OS from Apple to be available by 6PM.

Changes to the Photos app include a refreshed UI with persistent sidebar, new filtering options to find your images faster, new editing tools (curves and selective color), and a host of minor refinements.

In my testing with the beta version of the new Photos, I found it to be a good iCloud citizen with no disruption to my multi-Mac and iOS workflow. In fact, in general, High Sierra feels like an upgrade that you can embrace sooner than later. Some exceptions include those with Fusion drives and older versions of Final Cut, who should to do some research first.

I'll report more on the upgrade process as soon as Apple posts it, and I have a chance to go through the standard process.

Book or Videos: Photos for macOS

Explore the world of modern photography with my The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features insightful text and beautiful illustrations.

And if you'd like to cozy up to a video at the same time, watch my latest lynda title, Photos for macOS Essential Training

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

My client work typically requires a lot of moving around during the shoot. So I pack my gear as lightly as possible. And when I saw the new Think Tank Spectral 10 shoulder bag, I thought it might be useful on location.

I chose the Spectral 10 (the middle size of 3 models) because of its nimble dimensions (13.8" W x 10" H x 6.1" D - 35 x 25.5 x 15.5 cm) and light weight (2.2) pounds. Because the bag isn't too thick, it hugs my body nicely while working. This is important to me because I had bulky bags swinging around as I'm navigating a shoot.

Inside I have my DSLR, backup body, two zooms, two primes, flash, and accessories. All of this fits wonderfully in the Spectral 10.

Think Tank created a clever latch they call the Fidlock that enables on-handed access to your gear. And if you don't overpack the bag, it naturally locks when the flap goes down. This is very handy on location. Because then you can use the top handle as well as the shoulder strap to pickup the bag without worrying about spilling the contents. The Fidlock is also silent, so there's no embarrassing velcro noises on set.

External pockets are kept to a minimum, retaining the slim design of the bag. There are lined sleeves for a tablet (up to 10") and a smartphone. A stretchy side pocket for your water, and a back pocket for paperwork, or in my case, a Rogue FlashBender. There's also a trolly sleeve on the back for sliding the bag over the extended handle of roller luggage.

Inside is a zippered top that protects your gear during travel and inclement weather. The main compartment has plenty of dividers to organize camera bodies, lenses, and lighting. It's easy to grab my camera during the shoot, then secure it in the bag when I need my hands free.

Accessories include a set of tripod attachment straps for the bottom, which is a waterproof tarpaulin base, by the way, and a separate rain cover.

You can buy the Think Tank Spectral 10 directly from Think Tank for $119.75, a reasonable price tag for a stylish (great for client shoots), well designed, and easy to use shoulder bag. I worked a long assignment with it yesterday, and I was comfortable and organized the entire time. This one is a keeper.

I've been testing Photos for macOS High Sierra with many of my favorite editing extensions. And for the most part, things have moved along quite smoothly. Those who favor Luminar as an extension for Photos will be happy to read that there are no discernible hiccups. Standalone Luminar photographers only have one minor issue that I've discovered. I'll cover that in a minute.

The Luminar editing extension worked well in Photos for High Sierra.

Using Luminar as an editing extension, I selected it from the new popup menu, worked on the image in Luminar, then saved it back to Photos without a hitch. I was then able to open the picture (thanks to iCloud) on another Mac running Sierra, and continued working on the photograph. Everything seemed good.

My Luminar processed image was then opened on another Mac running Sierra. Looks terrific!

Working in Luminar as a standalone app seems OK as well performance wise, but I am having an issue with the interface, seeing artifacts appear in the top toolbar area. This doesn't seem to affect functionality. But it is a visual distraction.

A few artifacts in the Luminar standalone interface in High Sierra.

I contacted Macphun, and they've already tackled the issue. We'll see a fix for it soon. Since I've only tested on my machines, I don't know if the issue will appear for you or not. But all things being equal, if you use Luminar as a standalone app, you might want to hold off a few days on that High Sierra update.

Luminar Pro Techniques Nimble Classroom, Sept. 23

If you want to master Luminar, you may be interested in my Luminar Pro Techniques Nimble Class on Saturday, Sept. 23. It's online, interactive, and you'll learn new tips and techniques. Plus, I send you the videos from the class too, so you can refer to them as often as you wish. We have a couple seats open, so sign up today.

Photos for macOS as Your Digital Darkroom

You can learn more about using Luminar as an editing extension in my lynda.com training, Photos for macOS: Advanced Editing Extensions.

And if you'd prefer to cozy up with a book, check out The Apple Photos Book for Photographers that features chapters on basic editing, advanced post processing, and editing extensions.

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

This is The Digital Story Podcast #602, Sept. 19, 2017. Today's theme is "iPhone X and the Rise of Computational Photography." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

If I were to place my cameras for 2018 in a line on a table moving from left to right in terms of technical sophistication, it would go something like this: Pentax Super Program SLR, Olympus PEN-F mirrorless, and iPhone X. The Pentax can compute exposure, the PEN-F can stretch high dynamic range and add effects, and the iPhone X can build an image that is a creation of light and algorithms. The iPhone leverages software to process an image that would be otherwise difficult to capture with traditional cameras. And that's the focus of today's TDS podcast.

iPhone X and the Rise of Computational Photography

Cameras have been using computing power for quite some time. My Pentax Super Program 35mm SLR was European Camera of the Year in 1983. It uses a microprocessor to evaluate light and compute automatic exposure, setting both the shutter speed and the aperture.

The PEN-F takes exposure capability to new heights, allowing me to watch a long exposure develop on its LCD screen, then providing the option to end the exposure once the image looks the way that I want. Plus it has in-camera HDR processing, Art Filters, color adjustments, and more.

But smartphones are embracing computational photography in a very sophisticated way, using software for realtime image enhancement that goes well beyond exposure. And as I examine the iPhone X, there are some remarkable features that will literally change the face of consumer photography.

First, let's define computational photography: The theory was that software algorithms could do more than dutifully process photos, but actually make photos better in the process.

"The output of these techniques is an ordinary photograph, but one that could not have been taken by a traditional camera," is how the group described its efforts at the time. (Via CBC News.)

Now let's see how all of this plays out.

• Image Sensors and Optics - The iPhone X has two new image sensors that are 12 MP each, and both camera modules are equipped with an optical image stabilizer. The wide-angle lens offers a 28mm focal length and an aperture of f/1.8, while the telephoto lens is 56 millimeters and f/2.4. In addition, there is also a quad-LED flash. The sensor is reportedly bigger and thus, can capture 83 percent more light. Assuming a crop factor of 7 and a 1/2.9-inch sensor size on the iPhone 7, this would approximately mean a 1/2.0-inch format, which would be bigger than in other current smartphones.(via AndroidPit.)
• New Algorithms - As with previous iPhone generations, there is also a portrait mode in the new iPhones, which blurs the background, but the portrait lighting function is new. Portrait lighting works by detecting the face of the photographed person in detail and simulating several types of lighting. To process these elaborate effects, Apple has equipped its new A11 SoC with a standalone image signal processor. It will furthermore assist in focusing and noise reduction.
• Impressive Video - According to the presentation, Apple divides the captured image into a total of two million squares and analyzes their content. This compresses low-detail image areas more heavily while areas that are rich in detail are preserved as much as possible. Of course, this is nothing new--video encoders also work this way--but Apple wants to be exceptionally good at it. Apple uses HEVC for its video codec and, as usual, speaks confidently about having the best video quality of any smartphone.
  60 fps is possible at the maximum resolution, 4K. Furthermore, there are now slow-motion videos at a 1080p resolution and 240 images per second, which equals a slowdown by a factor of eight when played back at 30 fps. In comparison: The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 currently achieves only 1,280 x 720 pixels at 240 fps. (via AndroidPit.)
• Powerful Front Facing Camera - The iPhone X furthermore sports a 7 MP front camera with a 3D scanner for the new FaceID feature, allowing for portrait mode, including Bokeh effect and portrait lighting, to work with selfies as well. (via AndroidPit.)
  Hidden inside the small notch cutout at the top of the iPhone X is a significant number of new camera parts and sensors that do more than just transpose your face onto an emoji cat or scan it to unlock your phone. The front-facing camera module now contains an infrared camera, flood illuminator, proximity scanner, ambient light sensor, speaker, microphone, 7-megapixel camera, and dot projector. All of that together combines into what Apple calls its TrueDepth camera, used for Animoji, Face ID, and a number of cool camera tricks.(Via The Verge.)
• A Closer Look at Portrait Lighting Mode - Apple says it "brings dramatic studio lighting effects to iPhone." And it's all done in software, of course. Here's how an Apple press release describes it:
  "It uses the dual cameras and the Apple-designed image signal processor to recognize the scene, create a depth map and separate the subject from the background. Machine learning is then used to create facial landmarks and add lighting over contours of the face, all happening in real time."
  In other words, Apple is combining techniques used in augmented reality and facial recognition to create a photo that, to paraphrase the Stanford team, no traditional camera could take. On the iPhone X, the company is also using its facial recognition camera system, which can sense depth, to do similar tricks.
  While the underlying techniques behind many of these features aren't necessarily new, faster and more capable processors have made it feasible to do them on a phone. Apple says its new phones even have a dedicated chip for machine learning tasks. (Via CBC News.)

Take all of this and add an OLED screen: The edge-to-edge display is features Apple's proprietary advantages such as the coloration and brightness-adjusting True Tone display tech and a new Super Retina moniker that means the iPhone X sports a 2436 x 1125 resolution at 458 ppi across 5.8 inches of real estate. It's also Apple's first smartphone to come HDR-ready. All this adds up to an impressive display that is clearly the top differentiator between the iPhone X and the iPhone 8. (Via The Verge.)

Cascable Transfer with Photos for macOS "kas-ka-ball"

Here's a scenario that I faced. I had captured a handful of blue hour images of San Francisco the other evening from the top of the Metreon building. I wanted to transfer a few of them to my MacBook Air 11", but I had forgotten my card reader. (There isn't a SD card slot on the 11".) Fortunately, I had Cascable Transfer loaded, so I could send my selected images directly from the OM-D E-M10 Mark II to the laptop. And the best part is, they went directly into Photos for macOS, RAW files and Jpegs alike.

Cascable Transfer is a $15 app that supports WiFi enabled Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Sony, and Panasonic cameras. It makes it easy to transfer RAW, Jpeg, or RAW+Jpeg to the Finder, Photos for macOS, or Lightroom (which I'll cover next week).

Each RAW+Jpeg pair took about a minute to transfer. Once the process was completed, my images were waiting for me in Photos. The procedure is easy. First, turn on WiFi in the camera, then connect to the network on your Mac, then launch Cascable Transfer and browse the images on the card.

This is a wonderful safety net for those times your card reader isn't available (or working) and you want to copy pictures from your camera to your laptop.

Updates and Such

Big thanks to all of our Patreon members!

Our next Nimble Classroom focuses on Luminar Pro Techniques on Saturday Sept. 23. If you want to master this amazing image editing application, join us online for this workshop. We chat among ourselves via a Slack classroom, and I'm teaching via live video and screen sharing. It's a blast!

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.

Texas-based Red River Paper recently announced a new fine art paper, Palo Duro Etching. The new paper is a 100 percent cotton rag paper and is free of optical brightener additives. The paper is designed to offer warm white tones, deep blacks and a subtle texture to accurately recreate traditional darkroom fine art prints.

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

Cascable - Cascable is the best tool available for working with your camera in the field.

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.

Apple will release macOS High Sierra (10.13) on Sept. 25. The photography highlight is Photos 3 that continues to evolve with UI refinements, more intelligence, and a few new tools. The good news is, the transition seems very smooth. And if you're an iPhone photographer, Photos 3 is the perfect complement.

I've been running a beta version of High Sierra on a test laptop, working in Photos 3, and seeing how it interacts with my overall Apple ecosystem. Even during the betas, handoffs were smooth to my iOS devices and other Photos libraries.

The new tools, such as selective color editing and curves are quite powerful and provide more editing horsepower within the app itself.

My primary editing extensions have also been working well with the betas. And in fact, there's even easier access to them in Photos 3.

Tools to Help You Get Up to Speed

First, stay tuned to thedigitalstory.com. I'll continue with my regular posts about Apple technologies. I've also opened up a second online Nimble Classroom for Photos 3 on Saturday, November 4 (the first session sold out). It's fun and you'll learn a lot.

Later this year, my Photos 3 title will be released by lynda/LinkedIn Learning. And after that, the Second Edition to Apple Photos Book for Photographers will hit the shelves.

If you enjoy iPhone photography, Photos is the perfect companion to organize and enhance your images. And with the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X coming out, all of this is going to get even better.

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

Kingston is off to a solid start with their new flash storage for iOS devices called The Bolt. It's a thumb-sized gizmo with a Lightning connector on one end and USB 3 on the other. You can use it to offload videos and photos from your iPhone and iPad.

The Bolt has its own app to control operations. It works best if you launch the app first, then insert the Bolt into the Lightning port. You're greeted with a nicely designed display showing the open storage available on both your iPhone and the Bolt itself. You can then transfer images or videos, capture directly to the Bolt, or view the content on the device.

In theory, you should be able to share images directly from Photos and other apps to the Bolt, but my testing yielded inconsistent results. The best path at this early stage of development is to tap Transfer on the Bolt app, and choose from one of five options that include a full dump of images and videos, favorites only, or the one that I recommend, handpicking images for copying.

At this point in its life cycle (version 1.2), I wouldn't wholeheartedly trust the Bolt as my sole backup. But in conjunction with other strategies, such as iCloud, it's very handy as an additional storage device for important RAW files and videos. Certainly it provides extra peace of mind when working in the field, especially if Internet connectivity isn't available.

Plus, you can then plug it into your Mac via its USB 3 connector, and all of those images and movies can be dragged and dropped to your computer. I also set up a Transfer folder on the Bolt that allowed me to copy images and movies from the Mac that could be saved to my iOS devices. Content flows both ways with this device.

The Bottom Line

The Bolt is a handsome, compact, well-designed flash drive that provides another level of flexibility for mobile photographers. It's easy to move pictures and videos from Mac to iPhone and vice-versa, backup important movies and photos, and free up space on iOS devices in a pinch.

Overall performance was stable, but I anticipate that it will improve with upcoming software updates. The rare few times the Bolt did stall, I simply unplugged it, then reinserted it, and all worked fine. I would also like to see more flexibility in the Transfer mode. Right now, we can choose from our Camera Roll. But I'd like to be able to navigate to specific Albums as well.

The Bolt is available in with 64 GBs of storage for $89. There are also 32 GB models ($59) and 128 GBs for $119.

I'm keeping mine on my keyring when I'm out about with my iPhone and mirrorless camera. The Bolt provides me with a little extra peace of mind for my important photos and movies.

The Bolt 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.