Show Notes
Greetings everybody, you’re listening to the Liam Photography Podcast, I’m your host Liam Douglas and this is Episode 432 for Thursday December 5th, 2024. We are quickly approaching Christmas now that Thanksgiving is over and here are the stores for this past week.
A NASA satellite has captured the volcanic eruption that threatened Iceland’s iconic Blue Lagoon thermal spa attraction.
A volcanic fissure burst open on November 20 and four days later NASA’s Landsat 9 flew overhead and the Operational Land Imager -2 (OLI-2) onboard the satellite captured a color image showing plumes of gas that consists primarily of sulfur dioxide streaming from the lava.
Last week, PetaPixel featured press photographer Vilhelm Gunnarsson who captured spectacular photos from the ground showing the the lava destroying parts of the Blue Lagoon.
Just a few hours after the November 20 eruption, another satellite, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite, captured a nighttime image that shows the light from the eruption outshining the light emanating from the Icelandic capital of Reykjavík.
The NASA Earth Observatory reports that lava flowed east and west from the three-kilometer (1.9 miles) long fissure. The eruption came from the Sundhnúka crater in the Reykjanes peninsula predicated by a “swarm of earthquakes.”
The Sundhnúkur crater is close to Iceland’s internationally renowned tourist attraction the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa. The Blue Lagoon was forced to close as the resort’s parking lot was engulfed in lava last week. 50 homes in the homes of Grindavík, which lies at the center of the seismic activity, were forced to evacuate.
“Lava has previously destroyed roads, homes, power lines, and water pipelines,” Gunnarsson told PetaPixel last week.
“Since December 2023, there have been seven eruptions in the area of Sundhnúksgígar. The eruptions have increasingly tested mitigation measures, such as lava cooling, employed to protect Svartsengi power facilities.”
Live Science reports that while Iceland is famous for its dramatic volcano eruption which can sometimes affect air travel, most of the eruptions are in the remote north and east regions of the island where few people live. However, the recent explosions have been in western Iceland where the capital Reykavík is.
As of November 26, the Blue Lagoon was still shut. The eruption is continuing but the lava is slowing.
Capture the Atlas‘ Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition always features spectacular aurora photos, but this year’s seventh annual edition is especially incredible thanks to exceptional solar conditions in 2024.
As Capture the Atlas explains and photographers worldwide have witnessed first-hand, the Sun is nearing the solar maximum of its roughly 11-year cycle. As the Sun nears its solar maximum, sunspot activity ramps up significantly, creating a greater likelihood of solar storms and thus, beautiful auroral displays.
Due to the spectacular solar storms that hit Earth this year, photographers were treated to beautiful auroras in locations much farther from the North and South pole than usual. While typically, northern lights don’t venture too far south in the United States, this year’s competition features award-winning aurora shots from locations like Arizona, California, and Spain, all unique places within the history of the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year competition. Despite its name, Aurora Australis is on display, too, including photos from New Zealand, Australia, and even Chile.
With so many great aurora photos captured in a slow year, let alone a very active one like 2024, picking just 25 winners is tough. Capture the Atlas editor Dan Zafra sifts through images all year and picks the best shots based on the quality of the image, the story behind the shot, and how inspirational the photo can be — does it make others grab their camera and hunt auroras?
Without further ado, here are 14 more of the 25 award-winning photos presented in no particular order.
The remaining 10 images and additional information for the 15 photos above are available on Capture the Atlas‘s Northern Lights Photographer of the Year website. Photographers hoping to crack the top 25 next year can learn all they need to know about photographing aurora in PetaPixel‘s comprehensive guide.
National Geographic‘s annual “Pictures of the Year” issue celebrates the incredible adventures that Nat Geo photographers embark on each year and the remarkable, vital photographs they bring back.
Like last year, PetaPixel chatted with National Geographic Director of Photography Sadie Sadie about “Pictures of the Year.” Additional topics discussed include the state of photography, and the vital work photographers do to tell the world’s most important stories.
Last year, Sadie and her team had the daunting task of filtering through two million photos to make its final selection. This year, the team had 2.3 million images to work through, eventually settling on 20 to highlight in the “Pictures of the Year” issue. As Sadie explains, it’s a team effort.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without the help of the talented Photo Department staff who are editing through epic numbers of images shot on various assignments that they’re responsible for. Beyond the photo editors, there were at least twenty others involved in pulling this cover story together: a photo coordinator, designers (print and digital special build), writer, text editor, copy editor, researcher, color correction experts, programming officer, project lead, Editor in Chief, and more.”
As for her essential role, Sadie says she looks beyond the expected criteria, like great light, compelling compositions, and powerful moments, and seeks out “surprising and arresting images that make me want to know more.”
“The final choices are the ones that were still resonating with me weeks later,” she says. “They sparked my curiosity, surprised, delighted, or enlightened me in some way.”
National Geographic features many beautiful photographs throughout the year. Photography is a critical part of publication, and it has always been. However, in typical situations, the images support a story or are presented as a large series. For “Pictures of the Year,” an image must stand on its own.
“For ‘Pictures of the Year,’ first and foremost, the image has to be unique, surprising, and compelling. If there’s deeper meaning and/or an interesting backstory that gives the image significance beyond the visual aesthetic, it becomes a much richer candidate,” Sadie says.
I always consider each picture on its own, removed from the context of the story it was selected from, and ask myself if it stands on its own. By contrast, when editing for our traditional stories, we need a range of images to weave a strong visual narrative, so not every picture has to be, or is deserving of, center stage.”
While “Pictures of the Year” always puts still photography on a pedestal, National Geographic‘s broader approach has become more multimedia in recent years. The company is heavily involved with television content on cable and streaming platforms, and even stories on the website have become more reliant on dynamic presentation.
Sadie believes this changing landscape is “one of the most exciting aspects of visual storytelling today.”
“I love that we can share our stories–captured in multiple mediums — on so many platforms and thus cater to a wide range of audiences. I treasure our print magazine, and this ‘Pictures of the Year’ issue will sit on my coffee table for the next year. But I also love seeing our digital version of these images come to life on the screen as you scroll through.”
Speaking of these digital versions, there is much to love this year. Beyond the images being presented in beautiful, vibrant glory, there are even opportunities for readers to go “behind the scenes” for different photos, like a look at how acclaimed photographer Babak Tafreshi captured a fantastic image of bats in Texas (seen above) and how photographer Prasenjeet Yadav used remote cameras to photograph elusive black tigers in India. These unique stories behind the featured photos, including some behind-the-scenes videos, provide valuable insight into the technical challenges and artistic decisions photographers make in the field.
“Our video and social teams combined behind-the-scenes videos of the photographers in the field with their final images to create really insightful, fun mini experiences for four of our images. This mixed media approach gives our audience deeper insights into how a photograph came together. It’s personal and works well on social platforms,” Sadie adds.
While video is, as she puts it, “very seductive,” Sadie will “always deeply value the ‘moment’ when a photographer has captured something really special, stopping time.”
“There’s a reason they call them enduring moments.”
Many ecosystems around the globe are in serious trouble, and photographers have unique skills to help tell vital stories and, hopefully, help stem the tide of destruction.
“For more than 100 years we have used strong visual storytelling to inform our audiences and bring conservation issues to the forefront. We have long banked on the fact that compelling images are an excellent way to make audiences care, open minds, and perhaps even inspire action,” Sadie says.
Many of the “Pictures of the Year” selections are related to conservation and the health of our planet and its inhabitants. For example, Ami Vitale’s image of a person holding a rhino fetus is a particularly impactful image deeply tied to conservation issues.
“I’m very moved by National Geographic Explorer Ami Vitale’s iconic image of a researcher’s blue gloves holding a 70-day-old rhino fetus, the first ever conceived through in vitro fertilization,” Sadie remarks.
I’m mesmerized by this tiny creature, and there’s an incredible backstory — only two adult northern white rhinos remain on the planet and both are females.”
An international team of researchers in Kenya is trying everything they can to save this species from extinction. While it’s a bittersweet image, I also very much see it as a future breakthrough moment for science and a hopeful image for a species and all of us! The symbolism of the weight of a species being held in a researcher’s hands is not lost.”
Sadie adds that Vitale and her work on the rhino story will be featured in an upcoming Nat Geo show, “Explorer: Rhino Resurrection”.
“I thoroughly enjoy curating a terrific set of images to make this annual package as great as it can be,” Sadie concludes. “I want people to be transported to places and situations they would never normally see. The world and our daily lives can be kind of stressful at times, and I hope these images offer a nice reprieve.”
The complete “Pictures of the Year” story is available online and in the December issue of National Geographic, available on newsstands now. Six of the images are also detailed through a special behind-the-scenes digital experience.
People’s Choice Camera of the Year
For the last several years, PetaPixel has published its awards for the best cameras, lenses, smartphones, and more. This year, we’re expanding the PetaPixel Awards with a new category: People’s Choice.
From now until next week, December 9, cast your vote for which camera you believe deserves the award of “Camera of the Year.” Voting is being hosted on SurveyMonkey and responses are randomized in the poll. Click here to cast your vote now.
If you need to do some catching up, make sure to check out our reviews for each of the nominated cameras below. Then, make sure to cast your vote.
You could argue that all flagship cameras are a niche product for a certain echelon of professional photographers– and you would be correct. However, some cameras like the Nikon Z9 and Sony Alpha 1 can handle many kinds of photography while still giving the ultimate in ruggedness and customization. Perhaps the Canon R1 is too specialized for its own good and many of the people we spoke to who tested the R1 found the R5 Mark II to be the more useful choice given its greater versatility. The R1 seems to be covering territory already trodden by the EOS R3.
That being said, the R1 is incredible at what it does. It shoots faster than almost every camera except the Sony a9 III, is rugged and reliable, and can shoot non-stop for a long time. The autofocus is reliable and good at tracking many different subjects. Canon makes excellent sports glass too, which the R1 takes full advantage of.
The R1 is ideal as a sports and journalism camera and could find some use as a wildlife camera, too. If you are interested in this kind of photography and if it makes sense to pay $6,300 to get it, the R1 could be the perfect tool for you.
It is clear that Canon has made a versatile camera that keeps the pressure on the Nikon Z8 and is also Canon’s best hybrid video and stills capture device. I still feel like the form factor and handling of the Z8 are excellent and I prefer the layout to the R5 Mark II. However, there is no denying that the Z8 still gives a similar stills shooting experience and some video improvements, all at a lower price.
What the Canon R5 Mark II represents is Canon’s most capable all-round camera to date and it is easy to see why it has overshadowed even the EOS R1. I think many Canon shooters will opt to go with the R5 Mark II as a preferred tool for shooting sports, action, and wildlife, even though the R1 and R3 are more specialized tools in this regard. The fact is, Canon has given the R5 Mark II a capable sensor with good electronic shutter characteristics and a far more versatile megapixel count, and it should do for Canon shooters what the Nikon Z8 did for Nikon. I’d simply add a battery grip if I wanted a larger form factor and better battery life for more serious applications. I’m happy to see that the R5 mkII retains everything I loved about the original R5 but also adds more versatility to a wider range of users.
The $2,500 Nikon Z6 III covers a lot of bases and is one of the nicest handling cameras on the market. Potential buyers will love the controls, improved EVF experience, and overall image quality results. The Z6 III also proves to be a camera that can handle many different kinds of photographic situations and video assignments as well and Nikon has made it to be an incredibly versatile product that should please most users.
Nikon autofocus performance still has a few quirks but the success rate for shooting sports and action will be high, especially due to the fast burst rates in both mechanical and electronic shutter mode. Video shooters also need to take a serious look at Nikon products if they haven’t already.
In meaningful ways, the Sony a9 III is a revolutionary camera. It makes possible shots that were once impossible. While the a9 III pushes photography and camera technology into uncharted waters, it is not all smooth sailing. Image quality has taken a demonstrable step bac, and as incredible as the camera’s speed, Sony’s choice of memory card tech is less forward-thinking than its image sensor.
The Sony a9 III is the first of its kind. It makes lofty promises of groundbreaking this and unprecedented that. Sony delivers on some of these promises and sets the stage for a future where there may be no compromises. We aren’t there yet and may not be for many years. But in the meantime, the Sony a9 III empowers photographers in ways no camera ever has.
While the original a1 was light-years ahead of the competition at the time of its launch which helped to justify the high price of admission, the a1 II’s advantages are relatively less substantial this time around. It is still Sony’s best all-around camera but the competition has caught up significantly in the last couple of years.
Sony users who don’t need the same action and sports capability but still want high image quality should certainly look at the a7R V instead. However, there is no denying that the Sony a1 II is the highest-tier option and stands as one of the best modern mirrorless cameras that money can buy. If you do pick one up, you won’t be disappointed by what it can do.
You can look at the GFX 100S II as a simple upgrade from the GFX 100S with better autofocus, better IBIS, and improved displays, but I think the new changes are substantial enough that the GFX 100S II becomes a more compelling product against the more expensive GFX 100 II. Unless you need the better video capabilities or the fastest possible burst rates, the GFX 100S II gives the same image quality, and stability, and still shoots quickly enough for most people. It’s also lighter and more compact with a form factor that I prefer when traveling around.
The GFX 100S II is going to make more practical sense as a medium-format camera to far more people than any other option out there.
Leica has taken a page from Ricoh’s book and made a version of the much-loved Q3 with a newly developed, longer focal length 43mm f/2 APO-Summicron lens, and it brings me right back to a nostalgic place and time when I would wander the streets with nothing but a fixed 50mm. According to Leica, nothing has changed on the body of this new Q3 at all, save for a stylish grey leather finish. I can’t find anything different in the experience of using the Q3 43 body that would disagree with that, and even the lens has a very familiar feel and design structure to the original 28mm f/1.7.
I wish the camera was updated even a little bit, but I have to admit that I had more fun with the 43mm lens than I did with the previous Q3; and I really had fun with the previous Q3. Everything that people loved about the original is intact and maybe that was the plan all along. However, everything that was annoying about the original is here, too.
I think that, at some level, the reason so many are quick to try and bring down the X100VI or diminish the joy others are getting by using one is the idea that photography should be work, or that it should be tough, or uncomfortable in some way. It’s true, the X100VI makes capturing meaningful photos so easy, so effortless, and so full of joy. If photography, to you, should be none of these things, then yes, you’re right, this camera is bad.
But that is, of course, a silly perspective. Photography is a hobby because it’s fun, and this camera really gets that. You can blame the social media hype machine for this camera’s outrageous popularity, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but just because people are excited about it doesn’t mean they aren’t right to be. If the X100VI, or any camera, gives people joy and makes them fall in love with photography for the first time or, like me, fall back in love with it again — whether that’s the process of shooting or the results or sharing what they’ve shot — then that is a huge win. Nobody has to buy it themselves, but if you’re raining on someone else’s parade, you’ll have no water left with which to tend your own garden.
The Fujifilm X-T50 is clearly aimed at the photographic community as the 40-megapixel sensor delivers excellent image quality but somewhat hampers video performance. It’s possible to shoot 4K 30p video the full width of the sensor but the pixel binning reduces image quality. Otherwise, you can shoot 4K 60p or even 6.2K 30p but with a heavy crop. It’s important to note that the read-out speed of the 40-megapixel sensor isn’t ideal either and rolling shutter will rear its head.
It’s also clear that the X-T50, while still aimed at beginner photographers, has much better overall photo capabilities thanks to the IBIS unit and enhanced autofocus performance. It would make for an excellent backup body for an X-T5 user and has a bit more room to grow as a beginner learns the craft. It would also be an ideal travel camera for the advanced photographer looking to keep things light and compact.
I wanted to love this camera so desperately. When I first looked at the X-M5, I was won over by its handsome design and compact nature. And the world needs more stylish little cameras like this, which are within the reach of most people’s budgets. However, we might lose too much to make this lower $799 price possible.
The Fujifilm X-M5 gets some stuff right but lacks the few essentials that I would want to make it an ideal entry-level camera. The Fujifilm X-T30 II is an excellent design with retro-inspired controls and has an EVF. It might not have the same video capabilities, but I would probably still choose the X-T30 II over the X-M5. If you are into the more video-side of the hybrid experience or don’t feel that an EVF is needed, the X-M5 is an excellent choice on a budget. If you are looking for a great entry-level photographic camera and want an EVF, there are better options.
Up until the release of the Panasonic G9-II, the OM-1 was the best Micro Four Thirds flagship camera around. Although the G9 II surpassed the OM-1 in terms of autofocus performance and video capabilities, I would say that the OM-1 II is once again the most compelling photographic camera in the Micro Four Thirds segment.
The improved buffer and autofocus performance are the significant changes that were most needed. Still, there is no denying that the overall tweaks we see between the original OM-1 and the OM-1 II are fairly minor. I wouldn’t drop either the original OM-1 or G9 II to get this latest model, and the reason we even have a new version might have way more to do with rebranding than with actual improvements to the camera.
Unfortunately, these changes also come with a higher price tag, which could push more users towards the G9 II or the original OM-1. None of this can take away from the fact that the OM-1 Mark II is once again the overall leader when it comes to fast action photography in the Micro Four Thirds lineup.
I am honestly struggling with answering who this camera is for because the S9 is quite enigmatic for such a simple camera design. I do at least prefer the handling and controls to similar cameras like the Sigma FP series and the LUTs are an enjoyable if somewhat limited way of avoiding the whole editing game altogether. In so many ways though, it is a very pared-down camera and yet I did have fun using it in specific situations. Perhaps it’s better to approach the question at hand by describing what potential I see in the S9 as a useful tool.
The real challenge arises when you consider that all these features and so much more can be found on the S5 II for just a little bit more investment. This will be even more true when the Lumix Lab app becomes available to other Panasonic cameras like the S5II, unlocking arguably the most fun and exciting part of this whole experience without purchasing the S9. Take the Lumix Lab app away and you are left with a very basic camera that will only appeal to those users who want either the smallest full-frame L-mount experience possible — or the most simplistic.
During my time with the GH7, it seems like a perfect camera for shooting PetaPixel’s YouTube show. It offers everything the G9 II does, with the peace of mind only a cooling fan can bring, in a body perfectly designed for capturing video. The GH7’s $300 premium over the G9 II is easily justified for those who will take advantage of even one of its video-centric features.
The $2,200 question though is why anyone would spend that much on a Micro Four Thirds camera when the full frame Panasonic S5 IIX can be had for basically the same price — or less. The full-frame sensor will give the S5 IIX an advantage in low light, dynamic range, and shallow depth of field. However the GH7’s 4K/120P, much reduced rolling shutter, internal ProRes RAW recording, and optional 32-bit float audio make a strong case for compromising on sensor size. That said, the GH7 has me thinking that we may see a lot of these features in an upcoming full-frame, L-Mount S1H replacement. That will undoubtedly be a more expensive camera though, so the GH7 will likely continue to be a great choice for video enthusiasts.
Fujifilm has a problem, albeit a good one, in that it is struggling to make enough cameras to meet demand. The excess demand has resulted in a significant issue: scalpers, people who buy a popular product to resell it at a markup. Fujifilm is doing something about it, at least in Japan.
As spotted by Fuji Rumors, the Fujifilm Mall, the company’s official online store for photography products, has changed its terms of use to crack down on resellers.
“Currently, Fujifilm Mall, the official shopping site for photography-related products, is experiencing difficulties for customers who need products to obtain them due to large-scale purchases that appear to be for the purpose of resale,” Fujifilm says in a machine-translated press release. “In order to improve this situation, Fujifilm Imaging Systems Co., Ltd. has added Article 8, ‘Prohibition of purchases for the purpose of resale,’ to the terms of use for Fujifilm Mall today.”
In addition, Fujifilm has prohibited certain acts, including accessing and ordering products through software that automates purchasing. The company has also forbidden purchasers to use different names, telephone numbers, or email addresses at the same shipping address to order products in quantities beyond limits when there are limits.
Further, taking a page out of Ricoh’s book, the Fujifilm Mall will begin using a reservation and lottery system to sell its most popular products to prevent large-scale commercial resale and scalping. The company also says it is exploring avenues for getting products de-listed from some particularly egregious resale websites.
Those who violate the new article may be suspended or banned from the Fujifilm Mall altogether, a punishment that presumably would come with a shipping ban to related addresses.
“We will continue to make efforts to deliver our products to customers who need them,” Fujifilm concludes.
The Fujifilm X100VI released earlier this year is an excellent example of a product that would benefit significantly from a lottery system. Beyond the limited edition X100VI that was limited to just 300 units in the United States and 1,934 units worldwide, which unsurprisingly ran into issues with resellers, the standard X100VI remains extremely difficult to purchase at retail.
Sure, customers can pop onto eBay and pay a premium to a reseller, but those looking to pay the $1,599 MSRP for the X100VI are nearly always out of luck, even nine months after the camera’s release.
There are a few ways to ensure that photographers are able to purchase popular cameras at suggested retail prices. The most obvious solution is for Fujifilm to make more cameras, which is not fast or easy. Besides, Fujifilm has already expanded production by a massive amount for the X100VI. The next-best option is selling cameras directly to customers with specific restrictions to prevent reselling as much as possible. There’s no way to stamp it out entirely, but there are ways — as Fujifilm Mall is trying to do — of improving the situation.
It is worth noting that Fujifilm’s online store in the U.S. employed similar restrictions for its 300-camera allotment of the limited edition X100VI, although does not use such strict systems for regular cameras, including the still-sold-out X100VI.
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