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The Photography Blog







The Photography Blog

Photographic Field Guides
Practical Philosophies
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Inspiration and information to help you make the most of your photographic journey”

raw files


The Photography Blog

Capture One Turns Five

Capture One Turns Five

It often surprises my travellers to learn that I don't use Lightroom to process my RAW files. I don't use Aperture either. My choice might seem eclectic at first but my loyalty to Capture One has rewarded me many times over. Find out how.


What An Image Should Be

What An Image Should Be

How do you know what processing an image needs? I get asked this a lot. “What should I do to make this image better”. The problem is, that depends on what constitutes your idea of better! The answer lies in you, not the pixels.


See What I See

See What I See

Introducing my new series of streaming videos you can enjoy at home, and see what I see after taking a walk in the park with camera in hand. See what I see as I walk through the images on my desktop and extract precious moments from the RAW files.


Pentax 645Z and Capture One

Pentax 645Z and Capture One

You may have heard that Capture One will open DNG files from the Pentax 645Z, which is entirely true. Just don’t expect to be able to do anything especially useful beyond that.


LUMIX S5II Custom Settings

LUMIX S5II Custom Settings

Kick start your new LUMIX S5II with my pre-built file of custom settings to help you make the most of the custom dial feature, and make the most of a really great camera.


DxO PhotoLab for RAW Workflow

DxO PhotoLab for RAW Workflow

DxO PhotoLab is a genuine alternative to Lightroom and Capture One, delivering excellent value and professional features. It's not as polished or featured as Capture One, but it's worth a look if you want something lighter for your RAW workflow, plus support for a wider range of cameras and lenses.


Learning to Love the Digital Darkroom

Learning to Love the Digital Darkroom

Not spending a little time processing your photos is the modern equivalent to collecting a bunch of prints from the chemist. If you’re not committing to process those RAW files then you’re only exploring half of their creative potential. The digital darkroom is where a world of possible interpretations can be brought to life.


Anything But Now

Anything But Now

The problem with living the life of a photographer is that you so rarely get a chance to live in the now. Everything is past or present and very little in between.


Really Photos

Really Photos

Nothing is as satisfying as seeing your photos printed on paper. They become real. Really real.


Hard Lessons with Hard Drives

Hard Lessons with Hard Drives

This is the 2020 update to my popular article on why and how to make sure your backups are sorted. Cloud storage is not always the answer when big RAW files and big photo collections are at stake. I spend more on hard drives than cameras, so read on to find out why.


The Big Setup

The Big Setup

After 12 months of trying to build a fast network of RAID disks for Capture One catalogues and 4K video editing, I’ve compiled a list of my high and lows. It’s a tale dominated by disappointment in technology. There are wins to be had, but keep your expectations low.


Custom Settings for the LUMIX G9II

Custom Settings for the LUMIX G9II

I've prepared an outline of my custom setup for the LUMIX G9II, plus a copy of my settings ready to download to your camera and customise for your own needs. A great way to get started and try some of the various features built into this amazing little MFT body.