In this post, I define the concept of an ecosystem and then a digital ecosystem. I then introduce the features one would want in a photography ecosystem. I discuss the major players in this space, including Apple, Google, and camera brands. I also discuss software services such as Adobe Creative Suite, including Lightroom and Lightroom Classic, Camera One Pro, Leica FOTOS, DxO PhotoLab 6, and other offerings.
I focus on the Leica Photography Ecosystem and show my own workflow within that ecosystem.
What constitutes an ecosystem?
Wikipedia defines an “ecosystem” as “all the organisms and the physical environment in which they interact.” Natural ecosystems are influenced by external factors such as climate, soil, and topography, as well as internal factors such as decomposition and the type of species present.
Ecosystems are dynamic and evolutionary and are subject to periodic disturbances. They can adapt and survive these disturbances. There are various types of ecosystems, including aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
An example of an ecosystem is the High Peaks Wilderness Area in the Adirondack Park in New York State. Other examples include the Amazon Jungle Ecosystem and the Australian Coral Reef Ecosystem.
The takeaway from this discussion is that ecosystems consist of a physical environment, organisms that interact with the environment, and the capacity to adapt and evolve as that environment changes.
What is a Digital Ecosystem?
In the same way we talk about a natural ecosystem, we can adapt the term to our digital lives. Below is a working definition of a digital ecosystem, based on the Wikipedia definition Digital ecosystem – Wikipedia.
“A digital ecosystem is a distributed, adaptive, open socio-technical system with self-organization, scalability, and sustainability inspired by natural ecosystems. Digital ecosystem models are informed by knowledge of natural ecosystems, especially concerning competition and collaboration among diverse entities.” (emphasis added)
How do we couch this in lay terms and translate this to reflect what we do in real life? We belong to one or more digital ecosystems: Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. There may be others, but I will focus on these four.
What makes these digital ecosystems? Apple and Google provide mobile devices such as the iPhone and Pixel phones, search services, desktop and mobile device operating systems, cloud services to store files and photographs, and mechanisms for sharing content with friends and family. Microsoft offers users a Windows operating system environment, search services, Office 365 apps, and cloud storage.
Amazon handles our e-commerce needs, Kindle and Audible media, Amazon Prime video, and music. Amazon Web Services offer cloud services for storage and virtual computing.
Apple is a tightly-coupled ecosystem because it has complete control of hardware and software. Google, Microsoft, and Amazon can be viewed as loosely-coupled because they do not control hardware and software. They all adapt to competition and offer products initiated by their competitors. They also evolve as new technologies are introduced, for example, AI-based large language models such as ChatGPT.
What is a Photography Ecosystem?
What would we be looking for in a Photography Ecosystem? Here are a few features worth considering:
- Support for one or more cameras and apps;
- Software to import, store and manage photos;
- Mobile apps to allow photographic workflows independent of desktops and laptops;
- Cloud-based storage for syncing photos across multiple services;
- Social support for users to share photographs, concepts, opinions, and interactions; and
- Regular online or in-person meetings that allow users to learn from experts.
Clearly, both Apple and Google support items 1-5. Apple handles Item 6 through its physical stores. Google’s YouTube app has multiple channels dedicated to photography and various cameras.
But what about camera manufacturers? Do they have their own ecosystems? I say they do! Let’s explore this point.
General Photography Ecosystems
To include camera manufacturers other than Apple and Google, we have to extend our definition to include additional cameras as well as several sophisticated software services. Here is a diagram showing the components of a general photography ecosystem.
Camera Manufacturers
Apple consistently improves its iPhone cameras with each iteration of the phone. It uses “computational photography” to process images in-camera before the user views them.
Although the photos coming out of the iPhone are phenomenal, some prefer a stand-alone camera to take pictures.
Major manufacturers that come to mind are Panasonic, Nikon, Sony, Canon, and Leica. I have owned cameras from Panasonic, Nikon, and Canon. I now use Leica gear.
Leica has a smaller market share than the others but prides itself on its brass camera bodies, its superb lenses, and the overall fit-and-finish of its products. However, this comes at a price, as its camera bodies and lenses are expensive.
Leica also has introduced a mobile app called FOTOS, which connects to a Leica camera via Wi-Fi, and allows users to download images from the camera directly to an iPhone or iPad. From there, users can edit and share their photos via social media. A future post will be dedicated solely to the FOTOS app.
Photo Editing Software
Several photo editing software programs include the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Capture One Pro, and DxO PhotoLab 6. I have first-hand experience with these three. Each supports all the major camera brands.
Adobe Systems
Adobe has created a “software suite” of apps. They include Adobe’s Creative Cloud, apps such as Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, Photoshop, and others. The same apps are also available for iOS-based iPhones and iPads. They have their counterparts for Windows desktops and Android-based phones and tablets.
In addition, Adobe Cloud is used to synchronize photos and user comments across all platforms. Adobe offers several plans for photographers The plan I subscribe to includes Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, Photoshop, and one terabyte of online storage.
Here are images of Adobe’s Lightroom Classic and Lightroom user interfaces.
Lightroom Classic is suited to users who want total control of their photos, including how they are “developed,” organized, and stored on their computer desktops or laptops. I use both versions of Lightroom.
I import photos into Lightroom Classic from my camera’s memory card. These are then organized into a collection within a folder. They synchronize to the Adobe Cloud; from there, they can be edited and posted to social media such as Facebook and Instagram.
Capture One Pro
Capture One Pro is an all-in-one photo editing program for desktops and mobile devices. It has excellent editing features comparable to those in Lightroom. The developer touts Capture One’s “Live View” in which the software is connected to the camera showing the image directly on the computer’s screen. I like the ease with which I can define projects, folders within projects, and groups of photos within folders. I also like the ease with which one can define and use masks.
Below is a screenshot of the Camera One Pro user interface, which is highly customizable. I also provide links to several YouTube videos showing the power of this software.
Here are some useful links:
Some great links:
IMPRESSIVE New Features in Capture One 2023!
Capture One on the iPad – Finally here!
DxO PhotoLab 6
DxO software is not as comprehensive as Lightroom or Capture One, but it caught my attention due to its use of artificial intelligence (AI) in some of its features. Its DeepPRIME technology is especially good at image noise reduction.
One aspect of the program I don’t care for is that the files must be in their own area on the computer disk. I like having my various programs share a standard file structure. Luckily, there is a DxO ‘plug-in’ for Adobe Lightroom, so the DxO editor is available from within Lightroom.
I refer you to the DxO website for the complete list of features.
Here are some YouTube videos that focus on DxO PhotoLab 6:
DxO PhotoLab 6 YouTube Channel
DxO Photolab 6 Photo Editing Workflow Tutorial for Beginners ep.451
Mobility
We take mobility for granted because of smartphones. However, we don’t have the same level of mobility with software residing on our desktop/laptop. Here is where Leica FOTOS and Adobe Lightroom come in.
Leica Camera has introduced an app called FOTOS. It enables downloading photos shot on Leica cameras, then sharing them to Lightroom for editing, and eventual posting to social media and websites.
I will write another post that focuses solely on FOTOS. For this post, I note that FOTOS on the iPhone or iPad can connect to a camera using a camera-generated wifi network. After establishing a connection between the camera and FOTOS, one downloads selected photos to the mobile device in preview-, JPEG- or RAW format. Once on the mobile device, the user can send the photos to Lightroom for editing and distribution to social networks.
Below is an iPad screenshot of the FOTOS app, with the left portion showing the cameras that have been connected previously and the right showing the photos in the Leica Gallery. Note the ‘LR’ enclosed in a box at the top right indicating that selected images may be sent to Lightroom for editing.
The Leica Photography Ecosystem
In this section, I discuss my continuing love affair with Leica. You can do the same for your favorite camera brand.
In addition to my trusty iPhone, which I carry everywhere, I own several Leica cameras: the Q2, the SL2, and the M10-R Black Paint. Each camera fills a specific role in its use and capabilities. The Q2 is an all-in-one camera, a point-and-shoot, or it can become a fully-manual camera if you want it to be.
The SL2 is the Swiss army knife of cameras with auto-focusing lenses, in-camera image stabilization, and waterproofing. I especially like the Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90 ASPH zoom lens, which allows me to frame shots the way I want them.
The M10-R Black Paint is a beauty to behold and gives the rich image colors that Leica is famous for.
For me, the Leica Photography Ecosystem consists of a loosely-connected federation of Leica Stores, Leica cameras, the Leica FOTOS app, photo-editing software such as Lightroom, Capture One Pro or DxO PhotoLab 6, and social media sites for sharing and learning. I examine these below.
Leica Stores
Leica-owned stores are located in major cities throughout the world. I have done business with both the Washington DC and Miami stores, and have seen videos of the Kyoto, Japan store (see below). By the way, Kyoto is one of my favorite cities, and I have fond memories of my time at Kyoto University. These videos combine the sense of beauty of Japanese society and the striving for excellence of Leica products.
Leica Store Kyoto Opening Reception
Leica Store Kyoto 5th anniversary ceremony
Leica stores have galleries and put on shows dedicated to photography; they also give seminars and courses on Leica products and software such as Lightroom.
These stores are the forward-facing contact for Leica, and I appreciate everything they do for us enthusiasts.
For example, during the pandemic, Leica Washington DC ran a weeks-long Zoom-based class on photography, in which we were given assignments, and our moderator provided critiques and encouragement. I found these encounters to be quite helpful.
I have previously discussed the FOTOS app and photo-editing software such as Lightroom. So now I will focus on ways to meet and share photos, experiences, and knowledge, both in-person and online.
Leica Society International
The Leica Society International is an independent organization the mission and vision of which is to be “The Ultimate Place for Leica Photography Enthusiasts.” I am a Sustaining Member of the society. I have attended meetings in Santa Fe, NM; Bellevue, WA and most recently at Teaneck, NJ, which is also the headquarters of Leica Camera USA.
Leica Society International Home Page
Leica pulled out the stops for the LSI meeting at the Marriot in Teaneck. They invited top-notch photographers as speakers and brought the Leitz Photographica Auction folks from Germany to show off about 40 antique Leica cameras and gear to be auctioned to enthusiasts.
LSI publishes a quarterly journal, called Viewfinder, which highlights stories of interest to photographers in general, and to Leica enthusiasts in particular.
Leica Society International’s Viewfinder Magazine
I have found being a member of LSI and attending these conferences to be very rewarding. Leica also has its “Leica-on-Loan” program, which allows attendees to check out cameras and lenses. I used the program to try out the SL2-S body and a 70mm lens for portraiture.
Social Media Outlets
We usually take photos for ourselves but also want to share them with friends and family.
The photography ecosystem supports this by posting and sharing to iCloud or other cloud services, or by posting to Facebook and Instagram.
Back in 2017, when I first started taking photos of people with my Leica cameras, I would ask for their email addresses to be able to send them their images. In return, they asked me if I had social media sites for posting my photos. Since then, I have learned the value of social media sites. I now have a printed business card, a Facebook Page (Kerschberg Photography), and a website.
Facebook is such a compelling site for photographers. There are many groups with Facebook dedicated to Leica cameras. I have found that there are great photographers on Facebook and I have “friended” many of them. We share a bond; the love of Leica cameras. When I place a new blog post on my website, it is also posted to my Facebook Page, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter).
Here are some Leica Facebook groups to which I belong:
Leica M & Leica M Lenses User Group
Leica Black & White Photography
LSI – Leica Society International Meetings Meetup
The Leica Landscape & Architecture Group
Facebook owns Instagram and provides a venue for individuals to post one or more photos. These may be “liked” by others, and comments are welcome. I have a presence on Instagram and also post simultaneously on Facebook.
YouTube
YouTube is an excellent resource for photographers. I recommend it for those who wish to learn more about their Leica gear, as well as reviews of new products. Here are a few of my favorite channels:
Conclusions
I have introduced the concept of the Photography Ecosystem and presented its desired features. I discussed Leica’s photography ecosystem and my own workflow. A photography ecosystem involves more than just hardware and software; people and their social interactions are also important. We are social creatures, so let’s take advantage of the various venues to share our love of photography and our photos!