Keith James

Keith is a photographer and writer with a background in science and technology, living in Coronado, California with his life-partner, Marianne. Originally from Wales, he retired recently after a long career in drug discovery at both major pharma and start-up biotech companies. He is a graduate of Imperial College, London, holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Cambridge University, and spent two years as a NATO postdoctoral fellow and Fulbright-Hays travel scholar at Stanford University in California and Columbia University in New York. Keith’s most recent role was as Senior Vice-President of Drug Discovery at a San Francisco Bay Area-based biotech company, insitro, applying machine learning to the challenges of discovering new medicines. He enjoys photography in both colour and black and white, and is particularly interested in architecture, travel, music and abstract photography. He shoots primarily with Leica cameras and lenses, as well as third party gear within the L-Mount ecosystem. Keith has recently begun to try his hand at rangefinder photography.

Photoshop Tricks and Tips for Beginners: Adding a border around two images

In the second article of the series, Keith explains how to customize layer size to accommodate two side-by-side images in a single composition.

Photoshop Tricks and Tips for Beginners: Adding a border around your image

In the first article of a new series, Keith provides a short 'how-to' on getting started using layers.

Studio Portrait Photography: Adding colour with a Lume Cube Tube Light

In his third article of the series, Keith unleashes some colour fills on his portraits, using the Lume Cube Tube Light Mini.

Quiz Time: Name Leica’s smallest autofocus L-Mount lens

It's small, beautifully formed, and flat as a pancake. What is it? It's the smallest autofocus L-Mount lens made by Leica.

Street Photography: Diptychs — three for the price of two

Historically, a diptych was a hinged, two-panel artwork. In modern usage, it can be a related pair of paintings or, even more relevant to us, street photographs.

Studio Portrait Photography: Perfect exposure with the Sekonic Flashmate

Keith finally takes the plunge and gets to grips with a hand-held light meter. The Sekonic Flashmate L-308X-U turns out to be easy to use, and delivers great results.
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Cropping Part 1: Seven reasons to brandish your crop tool

Cropping images can be controversial, but it is a handy way to help you get exactly the image you had in mind when you took your photo. Here are some examples where cropping improves the look of an image.

L-Mount News Update: It’s a great time to be an L-Mount shooter

New lens and camera models are adding to the appeal of the L-Mount ecosystem. This update highlights some of the most significant developments in recent months.

Street Photography: Two for the price of one

Capturing images of people going about their daily lives is the bread and butter of street photography. The author argues that photographs of two people are much more informative than shots of individuals.

Studio Portrait Photography: Starting from scratch with a one-light setup

When available light just isn't good enough, it's time to bring in the studio lights. The author tells us how he threw caution to the wind, and tried his hand at formal portrait photography.

The Macfilos Podcast: You heard it here first, thanks to NotebookLM

Using the new Google product, NotebookLM, you can convert a written article into a podcast. Imagine that, a podcast version of a Macfilos story. It's true, hearing is believing.

Street Photography: An excursion into P.U.L.P. Fiction (Parody Using Leica Photos)

Ever wondered whether your neighbour is an alien invader in human form? This secret organization uses street photography to discover the grim truth. Read all about it!