Member Mixer – MODE!

Thanks for Joining Tonight’s Mixer!

Great conversation tonight about MODE Festival, AI’s impact on photography, and plenty of photo sharing. Here’s what we covered:

MODE Festival Discussion

September 18, 2026 • Minneapolis

The group explored what makes MODE different from traditional photography conferences. Key insight: hands-on photo walks with small groups (5-10 people) deliver more value than sitting in a 2,000-person auditorium watching stage demos. Michael shared his experience with Imaging USA photo walks—working directly with photographers like Hanson Fong in small groups beats passive learning every time.

Phil compared it to street photography workshops (like Valerie Jardin’s Oaxaca trip)—immersive, location-based learning with direct instruction creates transformation, not just information.

AI & Photography: The Automation Question

The elephant in the room: AI replacing creative work. We discussed the Block CEO laying off 40% of workforce citing AI, plus the rise of AI customer service calls that won’t admit they’re not human.

Consensus: AI as assistant (helping you work smarter) beats AI as replacement (doing your work for you). The younger generation using AI to check their work (engineers validating results) gives hope. The concern: people learning from AI instead of contributing to it—garbage in, garbage out.

Silver lining: Real, in-person events (like MODE) become more valuable as digital experiences get more artificial. Authenticity matters.

3D Printing for Photographers

Frederick demoed 3D-printed camera accessories—pegboard holders for ~2 cents vs $5 retail, custom mounts for action cams and gimbals. The group discussed practical applications: organizing gear, creating custom brackets, even printing replacement parts for broken equipment.

Cost breakdown: pennies per print, unlimited customization. Michael emphasized the time investment pays off for frequent makers.

Home Automation Evolution

The conversation drifted to home automation—from X10 systems 20 years ago to modern smart home setups. The group shared stories of legacy X10 devices still in drawers somewhere, marveling at how far the tech has come.

Photo Sharing Highlights

Michael (Lone Tree Photo Club, Colorado):

• Utah landscapes: Hanksville area (Factory Butte), Goblin Valley State Park—incredible sunrise/sunset shots with leading lines
• Drone work: DJI Mavic Pro capturing aerial views that reveal patterns invisible from ground level
• Denver urban: Light trails (15-second exposures), Capitol building views, Union Station B&W
• Infrared: Chatfield Reservoir atmospheric work
• Action: Mountain biking and horseback riding sequences
• Camera: Nikon Z8

Phil (San Francisco):

• Long exposure city work: 1/2 second handheld with 70-200mm f/2.8 + 2x doubler + ND filter (“very inconspicuous” he joked)
• Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) experiments—mysterious shapes, street crossings, abstract urban scenes
• SFMOMA visit: Jazz combo on Embarcadero, gallery scenes, Suzanne Davis sculptures, Mark Rothko exhibit
• Camera: Canon 5DSR at ISO 3200 (Adobe noise reduction holding up beautifully)
• Phil’s preparing a submission with art statement—exploring “losing inspirational net” as theme

Dennis:

• Cat show banner composite for annual client—debate between flopped-over cat (cute, unique) vs upright pose (boring but client-selected)
• Group consensus: flopped-over cat had character and beckoned viewers in. Client went with upright anyway.
• Photoshop ear replacement work—fascinating how much cat attitude reads through ear position

Tim Engle:

• Shared his Alaska cruise photography reflection
• Prepping color grading demo for Photoshop World (WPI)—20-minute presentation, last slot of the day
• Showed dramatic before/after transformation: moody color grade in 4-5 adjustment layers
• Group confirmed: “You nailed it. That’s the impact you need.”

Rick (“Killer” Kilboy):

• Infrared photography: ’39 Dodge truck, military vehicle—recurring subjects shot hundreds of times
• Converted camera: Fuji XT-10 (720nm conversion) with TT Artisan 27mm lens (sub-$200, zero hotspot issues)
• Applied Ilford film stock preset in post (Ilford 500)
• Insight: Lower-end lenses often perform better for IR than high-end glass (expensive coatings cause hotspots)
• Michael agreed—his Nikon 24-120mm f/4 (F-mount) outperforms Z-mount primes for IR work

Mixer Photos

Resources & Links

• Tim Engle: Alaska Cruise Photography Reflections
• USA Today: Block CEO Cites AI for Mass Layoffs
• Ilford Premium Imaging Products

Next Mixer

Watch for the next Member Mixer announcement. Same casual format, same great conversations, same community that’s been showing up for years.

See you there,
Frederick