Better Fuji Photos Episode 32: A Photo Mechanic + Capture One Workflow

Photo Mechanic is a great editor, but you can't process RAW photos. Capture One is a superior RAW processor, but its editing functionality is nowhere near what Photo Mechanic can do. How can you easily combine Photo Mechanic and Capture One in a workflow to get the best of both programs? That's what we'll discuss in this podcast episode, with these steps:

Though it may seem like a few more steps than necessary, it's actually faster and more efficient than trying to do everything in Capture One (or Lightroom Classic) alone!

Accompanying web article: ⁠⁠https://www.jmpeltier.com/photo-mechanic-capture-one-workflow/

The Photo Mechanic Guide course: ⁠https://photocourses.link/pm⁠

Fujifilm Photographer Membership: ⁠⁠⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠⁠⁠.

Use the code "POD20" for 20% off all courses.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 31: Fujifilm's Q Button in Shooting Mode

That little Q Button on the back or top of your camera - a nuisance to many, a savior to others.

This episode will discuss what the Q Button is for, how to program it, and how to use it. We'll go over why to use it, picking how many slots to use, the background mode, and examples of programming for both JPG and RAW photographers.

Accompanying web article: ⁠https://www.jmpeltier.com/fujifilm-q-button-shooting-mode/

Perfect Fujifilm In-Camera JPGs course: https://photocourses.link/jpg

Fujifilm Photographer Membership: ⁠⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠⁠.

Use the code "POD20" for 20% off all courses.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 30: Editing to Improve your Photography

When chasing the perfect photograph, we often get bogged down in gear choices and post-processing techniques.

But when was the last time you paid attention to editing - the process of selecting which photos you want to share - as a means to improve your photography? Why are you selecting those photos, and how can you improve your photography in general as a result of those selections?

That's what we'll discuss here - how editing can improve your technical, creative, and storytelling skills.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Accompanying article: https://www.jmpeltier.com/editing-improves-your-photography/

After the Capture course: https://photocourses.link/ac

Better Photography Through Visual Storytelling course: https://photocourses.link/story

Use the coupon code "POD20" for 20% off all courses.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 29: Fine-Tuning Colors with White Balance Bracket

Continuing with our one-year Fujifilm challenge outlined in Episode 1, here we're going to discuss another tool available to us to get to that goal. And that's the White Balance Bracket drive mode, useful for when you might want to see some variations in the selected white balance.

There is no correlation between actual color temperature adjustments and the selected "strength," either +/- 1, 2, or 3. It's just going to be "a little," "more," and "a lot" of white balance variation. I would encourage you to experiment with it to see for yourself what the different settings do.

The setup varies between different camera models, so here's a quick summary:

Cameras with a Drive mode button on the back:

Cameras with a mode dial that has BKT on it:

Accompanying web article: https://www.jmpeltier.com/fujifilm-white-balance-bracket/

Fujifilm Photographer Membership: ⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 28: Finding Photography Success without Instagram

Go to any "Starting your photography business" checklist and you'll see "create an Instagram page" on there, with a long list of "rules" for posting to Instagram. It works, and some people really have fun with it, and find success doing so. But it's not for everyone.

So is it possible to find photography success without Instagram, or any social media at all?

I for one wish I could enjoy the process. But I frankly don't, and that's okay. And guess what? I'm a full-time photographer without ever having a single dime come from using Instagram.

There are so many other (and arguably better) ways of finding success as a photographer without Instagram.

These are just some things that we discuss in this podcast episode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Fujifilm Photography Membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off your first three months.

Article - Do You Need Instagram to Succeed as a Photographer?: https://www.jmpeltier.com/successful-photographer-without-instagram/

After the Capture post-processing course: https://photocourses.link/ac⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 27: How to "Simplify" Your Fujifilm Camera

Do you ever get distracted by all of the fancy features in your camera that you get overwhelmed or, worse yet, miss an important moment?

Do you ever wish you could just have a "bare bones" camera at times? Set your exposure & focus, wait for the right moment, then press the shutter button?

This episode, answering a reader question, discusses why & how to disable your camera controls so that you can just get back to the basics. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focus - that's really all you need, right?

In order to do this, we will go over:

This can be a fun exercise when you just want to casually go out and photograph! It's akin to doing very basic drills that a musician or athlete might do - and a good idea for photographers also!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Fujifilm Camera Tutorial Courses: ⁠⁠https://photocourses.link/cameras⁠⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 26: Stuck In a Rut? Give Yourself an Assignment!

We all experience "photographer's block" or get in a rut where we just don't have any interest or desire to get out with our camera. And that's a shame! One way to fix this is to give ourselves photography assignments.

We look at a few ideas for photography assignments in this episode, as well as how to brainstorm your own photography assignments.

Some ideas include:

To brainstorm your own ideas, use "idea mapping" or "clustering," writing down a broad topic and below that, write down related sub-topics. Keep going until you have a robust list.

Next time you're in a rut and don't know what to photograph, go to the list and give yourself an assignment!

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 25: Dealing with High-Contrast Scenes in Fujifilm Cameras

When the scene you're photographing has a lot of contrast - the entire range of tones from really dark shadows to really bright highlights - there are two standard ways of dealing with it: 1) Accept it, or 2) create an exposure bracket and blend an HDR image.

What if you don't want that much contrast, but blending an HDR is out of the question?

This episode will cover ways of dealing with high-contrast scenes in Fujifilm cameras for both RAW and JPEG photographers.

For RAW photographers:

For JPEG photographers:

Links mentioned in this episode:

Corresponding High-Contrast Photography article: https://www.jmpeltier.com/dealing-with-high-contrast-scenes-fujifilm/

Article - Fujifilm Dynamic Range Settings: https://www.jmpeltier.com/fujifilm-dynamic-range-settings/

Fujifilm Photographer Membership: ⁠⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

Fujifilm Camera Tutorial Courses: ⁠https://photocourses.link/cameras⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

Learn Fujifilm Film Simulations Course: https://photocourses.link/filmsims.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 24: Backing Up Your Photos While Traveling

How do you ensure your photos are secure while you're on the road? You certainly don't want only to have them on one SD card - you'd lose everything should that SD card disappear or get damaged.

You can still follow the 3-2-1 backup rule while traveling, and we'll look at some strategies for this in this episode.

WITH A LAPTOP:

WITHOUT A LAPTOP:

Links mentioned in this episode:

Fujifilm Photographer Membership: ⁠⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

The Photo Mechanic Guide: https://photocourses.link/pm

The Lightroom Guide: https://photocourses.link/lr

Recommended SSDs for travel: LaCie | SanDisk

SD readers for smartphones/tablets: Apple iOS | Android uses regular USB

USB adapters for smartphones/tablets: Apple iOS | Android uses regular USB

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip

Better Fuji Photos Episode 23: Changing Aperture in Fujifilm Cameras

Nearly all Fujifilm and third-party lenses have a ring on the lens to change your aperture. However, this may not be entirely intuitive and might be completely different than what you're used to if coming from a different camera.

This episode will cover how to configure the different methods of changing aperture in Fujifilm cameras, including setting up and using the command dials, and using the aperture control ring.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Article - Changing Aperture in Fujifilm Cameras: https://www.jmpeltier.com/change-aperture-fujifilm-x-cameras/

Fujifilm Photographer Membership: ⁠https://photocourses.link/fujimembers⁠. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

Fujifilm Camera Tutorial Courses: https://photocourses.link/cameras. Use the code "POD20" for 20% off.

Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts so we can keep this show going.

If you ever have any questions that you’d like to have answered in an episode, please send me an email at [email protected].

End music: Dylan Sitts - Tahoe Trip