What would it take to convince you?

That is how Marius Masalar begins his Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II review. He does not go on to spend the next 1,800+ words simply telling us what makes the camera great, or where it might have warts. He does certainly does those things (and the informative bullet points probably do in fact make of the majority of his words), but its his images that convince. Marius tells us a story with his fantastic images about the kind of tool this camera can be when put into a talented photographer's hands.

He ostensibly calls this piece a review, and it certainly has many elements of that, but ultimately it is a love letter to a camera that, for the moment at least, has become a trusted tool.

Marius ends with this:

I’m done chasing the best camera. The "best camera” only makes the best photographs in the right hands, and as long as the camera’s capabilities exceed my own, I haven’t earned the right to upgrade. For at least this year, I’m happily settling down to master the tools I already have.

I don’t want better gear, I want better photographs. And that part is on me to accomplish.

As a photographer, who has thought many times about trying to express my own choice of the E-M1 Mark II (but this could certainly apply to any other camera or system that truly works for its owner), I couldn't and won't try to say it any better.

👏🏻

Part 2 of really great series about photography and software by Sebastiaan de With.

I previously linked Part 1 in December.

This is Sean Flynn’s Leica M2, with a Steel Rim Leica 35mm Summilux and a strap that was hand fashioned from a parachute cord and a hand grenade pin.

One of the reasons that makes this camera so special is that we absolutely know where it has been, who it belonged to and what it has been doing. How do we know this? Because the camera has been doing nothing, absolutely nothing. This camera has been tucked away in a dark corner for more than 30 years. But recently the family finally decided that a new home should be found for it, which is when they found me.

What a story.

Peggy Dean at The Pigeon Letters:

As you probably know, Instagram's algorithm is a nearly unsolvable puzzle and right when we think we've solved it, it changes again. Staying in the loop is harder than ever, as many changes are no longer being regularly announced on Instagram's blog, but rather just being updated in a buried folder in their Help Center. There's some good and bad with these changes. How people interpret these changes is to each their own.

I generally tend to use Instagram as a personal tool for insipiration and fun. I have, however, casually wondered why some posts seem to reach more followers and deliver more engagement than others, this is fascinating.

The iPad is a unique workspace for editing photos. It takes the tactile immediacy of something like a Cintiq tablet and unshackles it from a desktop editing environment.

You can directly manipulate items on screen, make precise adjustments with the Apple Pencil, and do it all from the comfort of your couch, the seat of an airplane on the way to your next shoot, or wherever life takes you.

iOS 11 brought some really great improvements to iOS, and specifically to the iPad. This guide from Marius Masalar (@mostlymarius) on the Sweet Setup on what works, what doesn't, and how he does it, is a great resource.

You know the photo. We all know the photo. This is the story behind it.

I can't even imagine what the life of a field photographer must be like. Thanks to Jeff for sharing this story with the world.

Whenever I've tried to explain RAW photos to someone, I've more or less left it at: "Think of it as a digital negative". This is a much better explanation.

I'm not a wedding photographer, but this photograph encapsulates what I love about photography: finding a unique moment in someone's life journey, and freezing it forever. Life's memories or precious, and while today its easy to move on to the next moment, tomorrow's reflection will be all that more enjoyable when you can hold a bit of history in your hands.

I stumbled upon Kevin Mullins's work sometime in the last year, and make sure to check out all of his new posts. The way he takes his subject matter (weddings & families), and figures out a way to make each story unique is inspiring. In addtion to his great wedding work, his Day in the Life shoots are an inspiration, and somewhere I'd eventually like to get to with some of my clients.

This is the laptop that I use every day at work. Marco is right, it's a perfect computer.

Like many others, I was delighted to receive my iPhone X last week. Playing with it, I was amazed by the stunning screen, the sheer manufacturing precision and the smooth gestural interface.

I was also struck by how far it has come.

10 years of steady evolution equals a revolutionary change. Great job by Sebastiaan de With, detailing the journey.

I've personally gone with the 8 Plus this year, but damn if the iPhone X isn't an incredible piece of hardware.