My online journal sharing interests in photography, nature, coffee life, journaling, fountain pens, bicycling, spirituality and asking deep questions.
Took my camera for a walk yesterday. All images taken with the Fujifilm 35mm f2.0 lens and handheld. Both images are 100%, or greater, crops.
“Every human being needs a contemplative practice, perhaps gazing at nature in wonder, with a camera or paint brush, taking time.”
Thomas Moore
I was impressed with the focusing ability and speed for the Fujifilm X-T10 combined with the Fujifilm 35mm 2.0 lens. I saw this low contrast scene with the light shadows on the snow and wanted an image. I turned the camera on with my index finger and increased the exposure with my thumb while I raised the camera to my eye. In my mind I was thinking I’d have to manually focus this scene because of the lack of contrast but this pair immediately snapped on focus. Yes, I am impressed. Stay warm
This is pretty much all I carry with me in my backpack, anymore. One camera, one lens. My journal and pen. Kindle paperwhite. A light jacket. Sometimes I throw in a small “10” Chromebook. The kitchen sink. And, I don’t usually carry this much cash with me, either. 🙂
“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you, don’t go back to sleep.”
Rumi
Rumi is not talking about rolling over and going back to sleep but about falling asleep to life. We can sleep through life by spending time in front of television, time on the computer, alcohol and drugs, overeating, gambling, etc. There is no need to make a list. We all can make our own list, as we are all susceptible to falling asleep. There are many tools and practices to help us with staying awake: mindfulness, meditation, contemplation, our breathing, prayer words, yoga, tai chi, daily walks. I’ve come to experience the practice of meditation and contemplation, helps me to stay awake to life. As Christine Valters Paintner says, “Most meditation practices are, at heart, about staying awake to life, being fully present to our experiences, and becoming aware of our own preconceived ideas and expectations that obscure our vision.”
Photography is another practice that keeps me from falling asleep to life. It’s taken me a few years to understand its impact in helping me stay present. I seldom take a walk without a camera around my neck which is combining more than one practice. When taking each walk my intent is to repeat a prayer word in rhythm with my breathes and steps, while the eyes of the heart and soul stay awake to what life is presenting. No preconceptions, just looking for secrets Rumi suggests we can find.
Six years ago today I bought my first Nikon D300, an upgrade from a D100. Fell in love with it and ended up purchasing a second one as a backup for the weddings and portraits I’ve taken. In the digital age thats a long time to keep a camera. Both cameras still take awesome images as long as the photographer plays his role. I checked them out and was surprised at the shutter count were as low as they are. They show 65,564 and 42,931 counts. Happy shooting!
“You just have to live and life will give you pictures.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson
We all know a new camera or lens should improve our photography, right? Well, that did not happen after purchasing the Fujifilm X-E1. It seemed somethings were missing on some of my images. The image above is an example. I’m not sure what happened with this young (or old) ladies head. It’s gone! So, I called up Fujifilm customer service and talked to a rep. We tried reseting the camera. That didn’t help. It didn’t happen very often but as you can see it presents a problem. We both agreed the new updated software was probably not the problem. Since it was still under warranty I boxed it up and sent it to the service center in New Jersey.
I really needed to post this on April 1st but couldn’t wait. I did have to send in my X-E1 in for repairs but not because of composition. The EVF quit. Blank. Composition does become a challenge when the EVF is blank. I’ve been carrying the camera in a Fluid 18 backpack wrapped inside my rain jacket and that’s not enough protection. I’ve heard it thunk a couple of times. So, I now carry it in a Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L This camera does not feel as hefty as my D300 so I think I need to handle it more delicately. However, I was impressed with Fujifilm’s service and turn around time. Had it back for a week now and it looks like my images still need some work. Maybe it’s the lens. Battery? SD card? Photographer? 🙂
Found this on a walk along Spring Creek trail. Straight out the camera. This is not a rant about the people who leave their trash wherever they are done with it. However, I will share a bit more about the Fujifilm X-E1.
I am still finding myself accidently rotating the exposure compensation knob with my right thumb. It’s taking me longer than I expected to adjust to it’s location. I am a slow learner, ya know.
So far the 18-55mm f2.8-4.0 lens has been a surprise. Not sure what my expectations of the lens were as I bought it in the kit. It’s heavier than expected but that is more than compensated with it’s optics. I do not find it uncomfortable to hang around my neck for a 2-3 hours on a walk. It’s sharpness meets my needs and beyond. I’ve experienced some focus wandering with low light and low contrast scenes. Moving the focus point by pressing the AF button and moving the focus point with my thumb is time consuming and awkward. Right now, I prefer to keep my focus point in the middle then press the shutter to focus on my subject and reframe the scene. I will keep playing with it as there will be those times when I need to change that focus point.