On this week's episode of Around the Lens: In a Flash, a weekly video, photo and visual journalism news show, Travis Keyes and David J. Murphy discuss the top stories of 2020, new copyright law, our predictions for 2021, Canon rumor news, innovations in sensors, drones and Nikon.   Support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/aroundthelens. Find all our social media outlets at aroundthelens.com and share your thoughts on the show.

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0:00 - Intro

0:22 - Top Stories of 2020 according to PetaPixel - https://petapixel.com/2020/12/31/the-10-most-popular-petapixel-posts-of-2020/

4:17 - Small Claims for Copyright: The CASE Act Becomes Law - https://www.rangefinderonline.com/news-features/industry-news/small-claims-for-copyright-the-case-act-becomes-law/

7:56 - New Camera Predictions in 2021 - https://fstoppers.com/gear/what-new-camera-equipment-can-we-expect-see-2021-540924 13:20 Curved camera sensors are now commercially ready - https://www.dpreview.com/news/7542036825/french-startup-is-preparing-its-curved-cmos-image-sensor-for-mass-production

15:04 - Canon replacing the shutter button! - http s://www.slrlounge.com/canon-is-replacing-the-shutter-button-with-a-touchpad

18:23 - Chinese drone company DJI added to U.S. economic blacklist - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/18/us-adds-chinese-drone-company-dji-to-economic-blacklist-.html

21:29 - Nikon Halting its Camera Production in Japan - https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/18/us-adds-chinese-drone-company-dji-to-economic-blacklist-.html

24:20 - Outro

• Women Photograph chooses their photos of the year www.womenphotograph.com
• Dell XPS 17 Review https://petapixel.com/2020/12/12/dell-xps-17-review-a-photo-editing-powerhouse-with-a-stunning-display/
• Resolutions/52-week Photo Challenge https://www.clondon.me/blog/52weeks0
• Adobe’s Earnings Soar, It Plans to Invest Further in A.I. Editing  https://petapixel.com/2020/12/11/as-adobes-earnings-soar-it-plans-to-invest-further-in-a-i-editing/
• Adobe tries to re-earn trust  https://petapixel.com/2020/12/10/adobes-tech-eroded-the-publics-trust-in-photos-now-theyre-trying-to-fix-it/
• Google built a rig with dozens of cameras and hundreds of LED lights to make Portrait Lighting possible on Pixels  https://www.androidpolice.com/2020/12/11/google-built-a-rig-with-dozens-of-cameras-and-hundreds-of-led-lights-to-make-portrait-lighting-possible-on-pixels/

Travis Keyes and David J. Murphy discuss the photo news of the week. 

Arecibo Observatory

Verizon Positions its New Unlimited Cloud Storage as a Google Photos Replacement

Camera Battery Reinvented

AP publishes best photos of 2020

This Device Can Charge Four Different Camera Batteries at the Same Time

A computer predicts your thoughts, creating images based on them

Check out the newest show from Around the Lens called In a Flash, a news show dedicated to news about the photography, photojournalism, videography and filmmaking communities. This week's episode is hosted by David J. Murphy (www.djmphoto.com) and Travis W. Keyes (www.traviswkeyes.com) who discuss the following stories:

Photokina Shuttered Indefinitely Due to the Crashing Camera Market

Nikon to Release Two New DSLRs, Several F-Mount Lenses in 2021: Report

NPPA Requests the CDC Include Photojournalists in Early COVID-19 Vaccine Phase

Google stopping unlimited high quality photo uploads on June 1, 2021

Apple M1 Chip: Let's Talk!

Gun-Toting Couple Sues Photographer, Demands Copyright to Viral Photo

0:00 – Musical Intro

0:20 – Dave's Intro

1:06 – Talking about Zach Roberts

1:53 – Talking about Ron Hamilton

5:06 – Talking about Travis Keyes

7:17 – Talking about Evelyn Hockstein

10:55 – Evelyn chooses a mirrorless camera

14:10 – Guest 1 – Mike “Sharky” James

15:23 – Guest 2 – Jamie Rose

19:14 – Guest 3 – Bruce Byers

20:37 – Topic 1 – State of the Show

26:03 – Future of the Around the Lens

30:15 – Topic 2 – New Canon 70-200mm and 50mm lenses

1:10:47 – Topic 3 – 20 Years in the Future

1:25:18 – Outros an Guest Plugs

1:27:48 – Final Outro from Dave

Guests: Jamie Rose, Mike “Sharky” James, Bruce Byers

TOPIC 1: The future of Around the Lens.

• After five years and 250 episodes, AtL is coming to an end. But this isn’t the end of AtL as a platform, and this isn’t the end of content, podcasts or otherwise. No, this is a new beginning for the platform, and will usher in a new era of programs dedicated to discussing the news, topics and gear related to visual journalism, photo journalism, filmmaking, photography, videography, photo books and so much more in new and exciting ways.
• In the next few months you’ll begin to see a new series of shows appearing on the platform. They be specifically targeted and related to topics that hopefully interest and affect you. We’re currently working on a tight and consise, get in and get out, news show. Furthermore, we are going to be bringing new voices to AtL with a diversity focused panel discussion show. Additionally, we’ll be doing a show dedicated to photo books and their impact on society. Finally, as we always have, we’ll continue to do one-on-one interviews with interesting voices in our career field.
• It’s an amazing time to be at AtL, and we hope you’ll join us as we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new.

TOPIC 2: Canon 70-200mm f/4 and a $200 nifty 50mm f/1.8 to their line ups

• Two new lenses have been released by Canon for their RF mount cameras, the 50mm f/1.8 and the 70-200mm f/4.
• What do we think of these new lenses? How do they fit into Canon’s current lens lineup? How does this lens line up stack up against Nikon and Sony?
• What are your go to lenses? If you had to choose one lens for the rest of your life which one would it be? What kind of innovations do you want to see in the lens market going forward?

TOPIC 3: Covering the 2020 Election

• Hopefully by the time we discuss it well have an idea who our president will be, but regardless, many of us have been capturing the election, and the many, many events surrounding it. Let’s talk about our experiences.
• No matter who won, the political landscape will never be the same. How do your think things will either change or be different over the next four years?

FINAL TOPIC: The last twenty years have radically changed the world of photography and photojournalism, what do you think the next 20 years will bring?

Guests: J.M. Giordano, Daniel Dreifuss

Topics:

Following Investigation, Magnum Photos Suspends David Alan Harvey for One Year

Megadap, world’s first AF adaptor for manual lenses

Is a printed portfolio really necessary? This photographer shows his process for creating a printed portfolio, but at the end of the day, does a printed portfolio really matter? When was the last time you had a printed portfolio?

Guest: Bruce Byers

Topics:

Photoshop unveils new AI features

• Photoshops new AI portrait features allow for dynamic and dramatic manipulation of faces to include the ability to change the direction the face is looking, the direction the eyes are looking, the age of subject and their overall happiness or how angry they are among other features.
• What do we think of these new capabilities? Are we scared by how good these features are at making manipulation so easy?
• How do we think features like this will affect societies overall ability to trust and believe authentic and honest photos being created by visual journalists? Do we think this innovation will make our jobs harder, or will it just be another in the many innovations that have overall made scrutiny of images and the sources they come from that much more important.

DJI Releases the Pocket 2

• DJI has unveiled the sequel to the mini gimbal camera, the Pocket 2. This camera improves on it predecessor in many ways and make a gimbal camera easily accessible and pocketable.
• Does DJI’s new camera intrigue you at all? Would you consider adding something like this to your kit? Did you own the Pocket 1, would you consider upgrading?
• Does a device like this really have a place in a world with in body image stabilization, electronic stabilization, digital stabilization and stabilization in post?

Photographing Women in Public is “Gender-Based Violence”

• In an opinion piece for the NY Daily News, Jean Son claims that people photographing women on the street without their consent are somehow performing a form of “gender-based violence,” and she is working with councilmen in NYC to restrict such acts.
• While I think we can all agree that this kind of case will go nowhere, and that the 1st amendment will protect photographers, what does it say about our society that a case like this even exists? How do we feel about Son’s opinion on the issue? Is this even an issue?
• Additionally, in some cases Son has been able to get police to get photographers to delete their photos. How is this even ethical? What would you do if a police officer told you to delete your photos? If you were in that situation would you stand your ground or just delete on the moment knowing you’ll probably be able to recover them later if necessary?

Topics:

1. Nikon Z6 II, Z7 II
   – Worth the upgrade?
2. A Frame by Frame account –
   – It’s rare that we see another visual journalists frames from the photoshoot. What do the 71 frames from the recent Denver protest shooting tell us about the photographer, their mindset and the body of work created.
3. What can we learn from Pete Souza’s career.
   – Pete Souza was a legend in the industry, and while I’m sure many of us would love to be a White House photographer for the president, few of us ever will. That being said, what can we learn from Pete’s career and how can we apply it to what we do? Also, what would be a similar by more accessible version being the President’s photographer.

Guests: Josh Edelson - https://twitter.com/joshedelson- https://edelsonphotography.com/- https://www.instagram.com/joshedelson... Chris Stoltz - https://www.instagram.com/stoltz_photos/- https://christopherstoltz.com/

Topics:

Nikon – Let’s talk about the upcoming nikon announcements.

Snappr – Let’s talk about this new photographer on demand service.

https://www.snappr.com/

Mistakes – Check out this article and video on mistakes. Do any of the five listed resonate with you? What were some mistakes that you experienced in your career?

These Five Mistakes Can Hold Back Your Photography Career

Guests: Alex Tetreault, Seth Porges

Topics:

Engineer makes ultrarealistic recreations of real world enviromments

• An engineer made ultrarealistic setting for practicing photography in his free time.
• What do we think of these creations?
• Could this type of product be used as an effective teaching tool for either photography or filmmaking?

Facebook responds to Netflix doc “The Social Dilemma”

• In a rare move, Facebook has responded to a documentary about its platform and the tools used to keep users engaged with its content.
• What do we think of Facebook’s response?
• What do we think of the Netflix documentary?

Being stopped from taking photos with professional camera

• A photographer was stopped from using his professional DLSR camera in a public place, even though someone with smartphone would not be stopped from taking photos.
• What are our thoughts on these type of prohibitive photo policies? Is it fair to limit professional cameras and tripods from public areas?
• in the article the photographer mentions the concept of “fair social media use,” like that’s a thing that actually exists. How angry does it make you to know that there are people who think that there is some sort of fair use associated with social media?

Guest: Jenn Ackerman

Topic 1: Estee Lauder Hires ISS for Photoshoot

• The International Space Station is now open to commercialism and space tourists with the introduction of the first product ad being photographed on the space station for $128,000.
• What are our thoughts on this new venture? Does it demean space exploration? What do you think will be the next product advertised in space? Would you take a trip up to the ISS if you had the money to pay for it?

Topic 2: Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork

• Our guest this week is part of a husband and wife couple that run their business together. How did they get started working with one another and what can they say about the nature of working in a team? How does one find teammates in what is normally a pretty solitary business? What kind of both good and bad experiences have we had with teammates?

Topic 3: Sony to Release 50MP A9

• Looks like Sony is rising to the challenge presented by Canon with the R5 by potentially releasing their own 8K shooter. What does this latest A9 camera mean for Sony, the A9 series and mirrorless cameras in general?

Guest – Brad Smith

Topic – Photographing Pro Wrestling

• Pro wrestling is a interesting subject matter to cover. Part stage play, part athletic showcase, part circus show. What are some things to consider before photographing a match? What is the hardest part to capture during a performance? How much work is done before hand to sure the best shots and angles.

Topic – Consulting

• What does it take to be a photography consultant? Why would someone pay you for your skills and experience? How does one get into the profession?

Gear – GoPro Unveils the Hero9 Black with 5K Video, Hypersmooth 3.0, and More

• Why does GoPro still make cameras at this point? Most people have a GoPro from years ago that that still works just fine.

Guest: Maysun

News – Freelance Photographers Now Exempt from CA’s Controversial AB 5

• California Gov. Gavin Newsome recently signed a law to prevent freelance photographers from having to be considered employees if a company hires them too many times. Is this a good thing or a bad thing, why or why not?

Topic – Balancing Artistic Capabilities

• How does one transition from stills to documentary, or film making, cinematography and art? How does one find balance between all these different artistic endeavors.

Gear – Sony A7c Impressions

• Leaked photos and specs of Sony’s new A7c show an affordable and powerful fill frame mirrorless. How does this camera compare with similar cameras like the recently released Panasonic S5 and others.

Guests: B.A. Van Sise, Graeme Jennings, David Butow

Topic – Political Photography

Let’s talk about covering political photography in D.C. and how it has changed in the past decade. What have been the biggest changes in the past 10 years? How has the new administration affected the way politics are covered in D.C.? How do you think coverage of politics will change in the next administration? How has COVID affected how you work?

News – Whitney faces backlash over photo exhibit debacle

This article brings up a lot of good newsworthy topics. Although legal, should the Whitney have acquired images for an exhibit through a charity? Should the charity have placed a license on images it sold to prevent museums from using their images in the way they wanted to do? Should photographers even donate their work for charities?

Gear – Panasonic Unveiles the S5

The S5, their newest and cheapest full frame mirrorless was just officially announced. What are our thoughts on this new camera. What are our thoughts on the recent full frame mirrorless revolution? What camera are we using? What camera did we start our career using? How has the evolution of gear affected your career and ability to do your job? Has it helped or hindered you?

Guest: Jennifer Osborne

News: Google Images’ “Licensable” Badge Lets Photographers Sell Their Work

• Google is testing a new licensing badge in Google Images to allow people to buy a license for an image directly through the search tool. Do you think this is a good or bad idea? Would you sell your work this way? How do you sell or license your work typically?

Topic: Matt Granger Sells his Entire Nikon Line Up

• Matt Granger was a prolific Nikon shooter and supported the platform for many years, but now recently has decided to sell his whole Nikon kit. I recently did the same with my Panasonic kit for the new Canon R5. Have you ever sold you’re whole kit to switch to new system? What was the experience like? How do you sell your stuff? Do you think you have too much gear?

Gear: DJI Osmo Mobile 4

• Does this new variation on the DJI Osmo Mobile intrigue you? Would you use this gimbals? Do you use gimbals in your work? Do we even need gimbals considering how incredible our phones and the latest crop of cameras are at stabilization?

Seth Porges, co-director and producer of HBO Max-exclusive documentary Class Action Park, sat down to talk to Around the Lens host David J. Murphy about his life and career, the making of the film and making a documentary in general.