This Week in Photo · Alex Lindsay, Frederick Van Johnson

458: The Ugly Truth

March 31, 2016·1 hr 3 min·5 clips

Doug Kay warns that Google's free Nik Collection might signal the software's end of life, questioning its future.

This Week in Photo episode 458, "The Ugly Truth," is hosted by Frederick Van Johnson with regulars Jeffrey Totaro and Doug Kaye, both experienced photographers and educators. The episode examines three distinct stories impacting photography: a major software price shift, ethical questions in photojournalism, and a new software feedback model. Google made its entire Nik Collection of photo editing plugins, previously priced at $150, completely free, prompting discussion about Google's long-term commitment to photography tools. The hosts reference specific software like Silver Efex Pro and Snapseed, noting the Nik suite's high quality and widespread use in professional workflows. Doug Kaye expresses concern that Google's history of discontinuing services, like Google+, may signal the Nik Collection's eventual end-of-life. Jeffrey Totaro speculates Google might be distributing the software widely to gather user data or integrate its features into web platforms like Google Photos. The conversation shifts to the risks of relying on free cloud services for photo storage, with Kaye stating he would never bet his photographic business on such platforms. The hosts then analyze a controversial Associated Press photo from the 2016 Brussels terror attacks, published by The Guardian, which shows a bloodied and disheveled flight attendant. Jeffrey Totaro argues the image is a powerful and necessary journalistic statement that conveys the horror of the event. Doug Kaye agrees but emphasizes the disappearing role of the photo editor in an era of crowd-sourced, instantly published imagery. They reference the famous "Napalm Girl" photo from the Vietnam War, taken by Nick Ut, as a historical example of impactful yet responsible photojournalism. The hosts debate whether the flood of citizen-shot content forces professional media into a "race to the bottom" for shocking imagery. Finally, they discuss Adobe's introduction of "Technology Previews" for Lightroom Mobile and Web, a beta-style program for user feedback. A surprising claim is that Google likely views the entire market for professional photo editing plugins as too small to be sustainable by its corporate standards. A memorable moment is Doug Kaye's anecdote about scanning old film photos for his son's 40th birthday book, contrasting physical archives with digital cloud storage. The hosts express concern that generations of family memories stored solely in free cloud services could evaporate if those services shut down. The tone is conversational and analytical, blending industry news discussion with thoughtful ethical debate. This episode would appeal to photographers interested in software business models, photojournalism ethics, and digital asset management. Listeners seeking only gear reviews or technical tutorials might find the broader editorial focus less engaging.

As heard by us

A sharp photojournalism debate about dignity, editorial judgment, and how much reality an image should carry.

The episode treats photography as a matter of editorial judgment. It starts with the recent attacks in Brussels and the Guardian's question of how much reality a news image should carry before dignity matters more, then moves into the older argument around the napalm photo and…

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a photojournalism ethics debate, not a classroom lecture.

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