Shutter Happens – Issue #004
What's happening in cameras, lenses, software and all things photography.
Hey guys. Welcome along to the latest edition of Shutter Happens, my newsletter covering everything that’s happening in the world of photography or at least everything I think is interesting in the world of photography.
Photoshop to Get A.I. ‘Clippy’ Helper
Adobe is gearing up to unleash what appears to be Clippy’s revenge-driven cousin upon unsuspecting Photoshop users. An all-new “Actions panel” will be added to A future release of Photoshop, with ambitions to become your first “creative agent.”
Remember Microsoft’s animated paperclip that would pop up with unsolicited advice like “It looks like you’re pleading with the bank to extend your overdraft”? Well, Adobe’s taken that awful concept, filled it full of A.I goodness, and decided photographers definitely needed more opinions about their work.
The new system will analyze your images and offer what Adobe are calling “smart, context-aware edits” – because apparently, Adobe thinks photographers look at their work and think, “If only a robot could tell me what’s wrong with this picture.”
Screenshots reveal a suspiciously helpful interface suggesting options like “Auto brighten,” “Remove people,” and “Bokeh blur” – presumably for when you’ve accidentally photographed humans with a properly focused background, you monster.
Adobe enthusiastically explains this isn’t just about faster edits but represents “the foundation for how we envision an agent could support you in helping you learn and use Photoshop.” Translation: “We’ve noticed you clicking aimlessly around the interface and honestly, it’s painful to watch.”
The company promises your new digital assistant will eventually “share feedback and suggestions” while you “stay in control in the creative driver’s seat” – which sounds remarkably like having an annoying backseat driver who won’t stop telling you that you should have taken that other route.
Adobe assures us this is all part of their vision for “the most creator-friendly approach to AI in the industry.” Because nothing says “creator-friendly” quite like an AI constantly suggesting your sky could be more dramatic if you’d just click here.
Panasonic Latest Camera Manufacturer to Join the Content Authenticity Initiative
Ever since A.I. dropped out of the sky and into our lives, destroying creative industries as it went, there has been an effort to prop up the fragile faith that the public has in photography. One such effort – the Content Authenticity Initiative – was launched in 2024 by none other than Adobe.
Leica, Nikon, Fujifilm and Sony already joined the initiative and now Panasonic has jumped on board too. Of the traditional camera manufacturers, that leaves only Canon outside the tent looking in.
And what does it all mean? Not much honestly. You can include content credentials in a photograph using Photoshop right now, and in the future there will be in-camera credential features that verify an image at the moment the exposure is taken. But it’s just metadata and is very easy to remove.
Some kind of image verification is a good thing of course and we can take some solace in the fact that companies are at least thinking about the issue of fakery in generative imaging. But they’re going to have come up with something a lot more substantial than this if the old adage ‘the camera never lies’ is ever going to be true again.
The Big Pause Before Trump-Tarifs Price Hikes Hit
With Donald Trump cheerfully playing Russian Roulette with the global economy, the planets citizens are holding their breath waiting for the impact of his poorly-thought-out plan to take effect on the stability of trading nations around the globe.
The photography industry is likely to be hard hit because Asian countries have been saddled with among the highest percentage tarifs. Tim Cook saw the writing on the wall and began a massive operation to move iPhones across the US border before the tarifs took effect and caused a price hike.
Blackmagic Design’s PYXIS 12K camera has been on a pricing rollercoaster in the U.S. lately. After debuting at a modest $4,995, the price suddenly jumped to $6,595 when the new dummkopf tariffs crashed the party.
These price hikes are, of course, going to impact Americans – the rest of us will be able to buy stuff at the usual price – but the impact will be felt in every country around the world as established import/export mechanisms suddenly becomes unviable.
Fujifilm Want to Pay You $4000 to Photograph Mount Kosciuszko
Fujifilm is offering a rare opportunity for three fortunate photographers to score a paid freelance assignment—with the company’s GFX100RF medium format camera as your shooting companion.
Called ‘GFX Gigs’ there are three epic experiences on offer – fashion photography at Australian Fashion Week, landscape photography in the Australian alps and event photography at Opera Australia.
Yes, there are three very different gigs up for grabs, each tailored to a different photographic discipline. One photographer will shoot backstage and runway action at Romance Was Born during Australian Fashion Week in May. Another will head into the snow for a landscape expedition at Mount Kosciuszko in June—complete with a helicopter shoot. The third gig involves documenting Opera Australia’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Sydney Opera House in July.
Each assignment includes $4,000 payment, flights, hotel accommodation, all meals, and the use of Fujifilm’s new GFX100R camera. You’ll be expected to deliver 30 high-res images, create some behind-the-scenes content, and supply three social media pieces for Fujifilm to share.
To throw your hat in the ring, you’ll need to fill out the application form by 28 April 2025. That includes a 150-word pitch on why you’re the right fit, plus a portfolio and links to your online presence. Full details here:
👉 GFX Gigs 2025 – Fujifilm Australia
Also published in RAW & Unfiltered on Substack.
