Inside the Lens

Don sits down with the always-tinkering genius Larry Tiefenbrunn to discuss his Platypod inventions, when they mean to photographers, the challenges faced with building photographic equipment, and so much more. The latest Platypod crowd-funding campaign has just been launched on Kickstarter – the handle!

The discussion culminates at the handle, but it’s a long and winding adventure. Anyone with an inventive spirit or a shred of entrepreneurial energy should listen to this episode! And of course, back the Kickstarter campaign. Not only are the tools incredibly helpful, but your support allows for Platypod to keep the inventions coming.

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest

Larry Tiefenbrunn: Website, Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, Handle Kickstarter

On this episode of Inside the Lens, David Fattal is here to discuss quantum computing research that eventually inspired the nanotechnology used in the “light field” displays of the RED Hydrogen and now Leia’s very own Lume Pad tablet.

We discuss not only the technology, but the ecosystem and the community being built around these products and more. Not only could this have a profound impact on everyone from drone operators to art galleries, there is momentum with this product to potentially create a new wave of content creation with immersive depth. Give it a listen to see what the technology is all about, and check out the Lume Pad here:

(Full disclosure: I paid full price for a Lume Pad out of keen interest for this technology. I was not supplied with a review sample.)

For a list of the tools currently available to content creators with this technology, also check out LeiaLoft.

Also, for fun, here are some of my own images formatted for viewing on the Lume Pad (or the Hydrogen). Just download them and view them in the appropriate app, keeping the “_2x1.jpg” as part of the filename. These were taken with stereo 3D macro lenses.

On this episode of Inside the Lens, Don Komarechka sits down with Skip Cohen to go over 50 years of lessons learned in the photographic industry. From Polaroid in 1970 to Hasselblad in 1987 and far beyond, the conversation weaves a tale of the photographic industry, customer service, evolving trends and coping with technological and societal change. You’ll want to listen to this one.

Check out Skip’s current project, helping kickstart the Platyball tripod ball head on Kickstarter. I’ve had my hands on this in person, and it’s a solid product that can’t wait to get the finished version of!

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest

Skip Cohen: Website, Facebook, Twitter, E-mail

On this episode of Inside the Lens, we get inside the mind of Rick Sammon and how he transitioned from corporate life to becoming the photographer we know today. There is a lot of wisdom to share here, and I can personally echo everything that Rick is saying.

This is a fantastic discussion, and it’s just the tip of the iceberg for what Rick discusses in his amazing new book: Photo Therapy Motivation and Wisdom: Discovering the Power of Pictures

Rick and I have a fun, meandering chat about all things photography, business, passion, how to be successful with many great anecdotes… and many more in the book!

TriggerTrap Saga – ITL 07

Engineering photographic equipment isn’t easy, especially in mass quantities. This discussion with Haje Jan Kamps of TriggerTrap details the entire saga from inception to the end of a company that had many successes and failures along the way. We chat about everything that made the company successful, how photographic engineering challenges are faced, and a behind the scenes look at what happens when those challenges cannot be overcome. It’s a great candid discussion that I’m all listeners will find insightful.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

TriggerTrap Website

Going out of Business FAQ – TriggerTrap

TriggerTrap Flickr Group

(failed) TriggerTrap Ada Modular Camera Trigger Kickstarter

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, 500px, Pinterest

Haje Jan Kamps: TriggerTrap Website, Twitter, E-Mail

Printing with Martin Bailey – ITL 06

Printing is a perceptual art based on solid science. Many photographers choose to let someone else print their work, but what are they missing out on, both in terms of challenge and reward? Martin Bailey helps navigate the environment that fine art printers find themselves in today, from calibration and paper choices to equipment failure and the newest technology.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Colorburst Overdrive (RIP – Raster Image Processor)

Canon Professional Fine Art Printers

Breathing Color Metallic Canvas

X-Rite ColorMunki Photo print and monitor calibrator

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, 500px, Pinterest

Martin Bailey: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

Gigapixel Macro – ITL 05

Shooting macro images can be difficult, but no one pushes deeper into the technical challenges than Gene Cooper at GIGAmacro. We chat about the limits of resolution, how to use microscope optics, and the reasons why creating gigapixel macro photographs is such a challenge – with all the geek chatter that goes along with it.

Links Mentioned in This Episode

GIGAmacro primer on how their images are made

photomacrography.net forums

Diffraction Limiting primer from Cambridge in Colour

Terabite – world’s first terapixel macro photograph

Beetle parts in Similac formula from recall

Zerene Stacker software

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, 500px, Pinterest

Gene Cooper: Website, E-mail, Twitter, Facebook, Google+

Infrared and Beyond – ITL 04

A engaging and geeky talk about the science behind infrared photography, and much more! Cameras are designed to mimic human vision and limit themselves to only the spectrum that we can see with our own eyes. Creative photographers can step beyond the limitations and modify their cameras to explore the magical world of infrared, ultraviolet, and full spectrum photography. This conversation with Dan Llewellyn is a mind-feast for those photographers that love to understand light. I don’t think I could have had a better guest on the podcast to have this discussion with!

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Maxmax.com – Dan Llewellyn’s commercial site for extra-spectrum gear

Video: How the Sun Sees You

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, 500px, Pinterest

Dan Llewellyn: Website, E-mail

Colour Science with Ray Maxwell – ITL 03

Colour science is difficult to wrap into an understandable conversation, and there isn’t anyone better to help us get a handle on the peculiar nature of human vision than Ray Maxwell. This conversation winds around a number of topics, from how camera sensors are designed, how printers work, and how our eyes perceive the world around us. As photographers, a greater understanding of colour science can spark creative ideas and help us overcome technical problems… but it’s also fun to simply geek out over it!

Note: There was some audio issues with the recording near the beginning of the conversation and a few sentences needed to be cut or reconstructed. Sorry about that!

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Wikipedia: CMYK Color Model

Wikipedia: Chroma subsampling

Foveon Image Sensor Technology

Bill Atkinson Nature Photography

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, 500px, Pinterest

Images From Electrons – ITL 02

Our desire to see more and more detail on a microscopic scale eventually hits limitations of light itself. Where photons fail, electrons take over and allow us to create images of unbelievably small things. Cells and viruses, even small clusters of atoms, electron microscopes reveal tiny universes for scientific value. Many of these images can be beautiful, and we talk with Ted Kinsman about how they work, why they’re needed, and how you work with such extreme imaging equipment. Ted Kinsman uses electron microscopes to create images for education, but builds beauty into his work to captivate viewers. Get ready for a very geeky conversation!

Links Mentioned in This Episode

Wikipedia: Electron Microscope

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Don Komarechka: Website, Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, 500px, Pinterest

Ted Kinsman: Website (faculty, RIT), website (sciencephotography.com), Instagram