We, also as media consumers, understand that the one-sided format of media entertainment is long gone. In the new media world real interaction with the listeners needs to happen, and we’ve been implementing some channels to allow for that:

• Comments are open on the blog;
• Contact form exists;
• You can reach us on Twitter;
• We have a listener voicemail line +1 (415) 343-5030 (how old-school is that)

But one thing that we realize is that the way we approach the conversations, and specially when we have guests, are our own and there is no way (or time) to consider all the possible questions our listeners would like to ask. And this is a flaw in the system…

The idea

We have been toying with the idea of broadcasting the show live while we record (audio and video) and complement it with a real-time chat box. This would allow the audience to participate, ask questions and share their own views during the actual recording. Please note that our main focus is the audio version and this will not change anytime soon. But this would create another layer of possible interaction with our listeners.

Of course that it would only make sense if there’s someone on the other side listening and participating. While this will not mean a significant financial investment (sorry, no HD cams yet) it will mean a significant change in how the show is prepared and produced.

It basically would come down to watching our ugly camera-friendly faces for the duration, laughing at all the stupid insightful nonsense that usually doesn’t make it to the final cut, putting up with Brian’s connection going down all the time all the interruptions, out of context conversation and a great deal of confusion (usually me). And participating, of course…

Do you think this would be an added value to the show? Vote on the poll and please drop us a comment with your thoughts on this.

2010 is here and well under way. Hopefully, you’ve invested some of your time on planning your photography projects and setting some goals for the year. If not, no worries, you’re still on time  you should really do at least some thinking.

And with planning and goals and all of this, the ubiquitous subject of budget should also be one of your considerations.

Are you planning to re-invest a percentage of your income on your hobby / business? Do you have a certain piece of gear that you’re planning to buy this year?

Let’s put in numbers. How much are you planning to spend this year on photography (gear, workshops, books, prints, etc.)?

Below are some options that I’m hoping cover the majority of our listeners. If not, feel free to use the comments and share some numbers.

Also, if there is something specific that you’re planning on getting, share with us. Hopefully, the results of this poll will provide for some good discussion on one of the following episodes of PhotoNetCast.

Here’s to a great photographic year!

n

Behind the scenes of the show we are always trying to know more about our listeners and figure out new ways for interaction. Of course that not all the listeners have the same equipments and it makes it hard for us to generalize and try to include new features that would only be available to a group of listeners and not to others.

So, help us out by dropping your vote on the poll.

Thanks for your vote.

On the last episode of PhotoNetCast we discussed the utility of photography filters in the digital age. We know that different uses and works require different filters and the style of the photographers also plays a big role in which filters to use. While shooting film probably requires a bigger and more diverse collection of filters, some filters can (should?) be used in digital work.

So, here is our next poll…

[poll id="5"]

We’ve listed the more common categories of filters but there might be more. So, choose all the filters you use and if you use any other filters that are not listed, feel free to add an answer in the comments bellow.

Thanks for your input.

The second round of invitations to Flickr users to participate in the Flickr Collection at Getty Images started earlier today. As usual with something like this, the buzz around the interwebs is immense, and heated opinions are popping out everywhere. Some Flickr users are more than excited about accepting the invitations to submit their images while others are more reluctant.

On our side here at PhotoNetCast, Jim already publically announced that he’s passing on the invite.

And what about you? Did you get an invite? If so, will you take the opportunity or not?

That’s our next poll…

n

If you want to expand your answer, feel free to use the comments section.

We understand that the length of the show is also time that you have to invest in listening to it. But it’s a very fine balance: on one hand we want to deliver the information in a clear and relaxed way without being restrained by time (something that from my experience in radio shows, for example, it’s not always possible) and on the other hand we don’t want to "steal" too much of your time.

To help us define the correct length for each show, we asked you about it.

And here are the results…

What do we conclude from these data?

Did I sound too much like the scientist in the headline?

We are currently aiming for the duration of each show to be between the 45 and the 60 minute mark. It seems that about 70% of you agree with it.

Sometimes, especially when we have guests on the show, it’s hard to cut the interviews, and this should actually be my job, but normally the conversation is flowing so well that we don’t even realize how much time we’re taking, but we’ll make an effort.

In any case, we’d like to thank everyone who participated on the poll. We hope that the show doesn’t feel much like a sluggish block of wasted time on your mp3 player and that you keep looking forward for it every two weeks. We know we do.

As always, if you have comments that could help us improve the show, use the comment section or contact us directly through the contact form. Any feedback is appreciated.

Since the first episodes of PhotoNetCast we had listeners telling us that the show is too long, and listeners telling us that we should take the time we need.

We have been quite liberal with the duration of the show and usually let the conversation flow. Having four people with different ideas to share results in shows of around one hour. We understand that not everyone has one hour to spend on a single podcast. And while this probably applies more to listeners that listen to the show directly on the web site, it’s everyone’s time.

So, it’s time for you to help us shape the show. Tell us what you think would be the perfect length for PhotoNetCast and we’ll try to adapt the show.

n

Long gone are the days when, at least for the average user, a good percentage of the photos taken would actually be printed.

The process of dropping a film to be developed and getting back prints of every exposure or at least a contact sheet and then choosing some to be printed is forgotten in the digital age.

Even for film shooters, nowadays, it’s a common procedure to get just the film developed and later digitalized for processing.

So, what we want to know is, what percentage of your photos, whether digitalized from film or taken with your digital camera actually end up in print. To make it more realistic, don’t count the duds and exposures that you immediately reject.

From the photographs that you consider picks, what is the percentage that you actually see on paper, either printed by you or in a lab?

[poll id="4"]

About one month ago we asked you what level of editing and processing was acceptable in photography.

One week after we opened the poll we talked about some preliminary results. At the time 47 of you had voted and things were looking like photography should allow for complete creativity freedom in the edition process.

After one month and 144 votes, the results changed quite a bit with "Anything needed, as long as the final result still resembles a photo" assuming clear leadership.

Here are the final results of our poll:

We want to thank all of you who participated.

As a final question, if you voted after listening to the podcast episode, did our discussion influence your vote?

Let the comments begin…

This is another of those gray areas in photography.

With the proliferation of digital cameras and better and more powerful processing software, the definition of photography is changing. Everyone has it’s own view of what is acceptable or not in digital photography processing.

Should photos be processed at all, or is it ok to process them in any way possible to better represent the view of the photographer? Can it still be called photography?

Since we are going to address this issue on the next episode of PhotoNetCast, we’d like to have your input. Please vote in the poll bellow or in our sidebar.

[poll id="3"]

If you’d like to further expand your thoughts on the subject, or none of the options really represents your opinion, please feel free to use the comments section. Your views are appreciated.

We are going to record in about one week’s time, so if you want your comment discussed in the show, you’ll have to participate as soon as possible.

And if you like the show, don’t forget to help us spread the word. Thanks.

Before going into the results, we’d like to express our thanks to all of you who voted. The participation was great…

So, from the 127 votes:

The biggest piece of the pie goes for the Serious Hobbyists (47%), followed by Enthusiasts, Semi-Pros, Beginners and Pros with 25%, 17%, 9% and 2%, respectively.

These results confirm our assumption of whom our listeners are and probably the biggest surprise was the low number of Professional photographers listening to the show… or maybe not.

In any case, thanks again for your participation.

In the next days episode #6 will be released (what a good discussion we had on this one). After that, a new poll will be open.

For now, share your thoughts about these results on the comments sections bellow. Is our content matching our audience or not really?

If you’re new around, don’t forget to point your podcatcher of choice to our feed to receive the latest episodes as soon as they come out.

See you on the other side of the microphone…

Here at PhotoNetCast we have been amazed at how good and welcome our show has been received. It’s extremely satisfying and motivating for us, and keeps us on track to bring you the show on time and with useful content.

But we would like to know a little more about the person on the other side of the line (you).

And so, we have the first PhotoNetCast listener poll up and waiting for your votes.

What is your level in Photography?

Are you a professional photographer? Maybe a serious hobbyist? Or are you just starting with photography?

The answers will provide us with some information and help us decide on what kind of discussions we’ll get you on the next episodes, as well as what kind of listener projects we can come up with for you to participate in.

So, please use the form bellow or on the sidebar to tell us a bit more about your level in photography…

We thank you for your effort.

[poll id="2"]

P.S.: PhotoNetCast #4 is in the bag and it will be released on Monday, May 26. Great show this one, so don’t forget to come back and listen to it or subscribe to our feed so you get it as soon as it is out.