As I write this, I feel re-enthused about photography! A strange statement for sure, however my passion for photography had been dented by a whole host of contributing factors.
As I have said in one of my previous pieces, we are bombarded every day by such stunning images from all genres of the discipline, all walks of life and all locations around the world.
I have been a victim of trying to buy my way to images that make me happy and make others comment. It’s difficult not to be in these times, with so many manufacturers making such great tools that allow us to follow our passions. The latest camera body with huge amounts of megapixels, complex sensors, and the latest lenses that have such superior optics, allowing us to capture pure clarity of vision with the click of the shutter release.
X100V
I am a Fujifilm fanatic now, because of their beautiful aesthetic styling, a real retro design that has laid out all the controls I need at my fingertips. Coupled with this, their years of experience in film production has allowed them to create stunning film simulations that echo the looks from the past, such as Classic Chrome, Velvia and Acros to name a few.
But, I found myself in a situation of always thinking I’d not got the right lens on the camera, or that I needed to change this lens for that lens. Really getting myself in to a state of bafflement.
And so recently, I stopped taking my camera out with me on my walks, relying solely on my iPhone. It was a revelation, as I enjoyed my time outside again and learned to use the iPhones ability to capture stunning images. The use of Snapseed and Spectre also helped to fuel this enjoyment, with editing facilities right there at my fingertips.
iPhone XS
It was just me and my iPhone. Simple!
Now don’t get me wrong, there is definitely a time and place that requires a dedicated camera and lenses, but don’t get too caught up in equipment, and as a consequence forget the joy of just being out there in the landscape, or wherever you are enjoying your photography.
In fact I have just recently bought the new Fujifilm X100V camera. This is a thing of beauty in terms of its retro design. A design classic already I would argue. It has a fixed 23mm focal length lens, which now requires me to move more to create the right composition, rather than just relying on zooming. Yes it has its limitations in terms of its focal range, it more than makes up for in its pocketable size, fantastic image quality and making photography simple again.
Fujifilm X100V
The quality of the images coming out of the X100V are simply stunning. The film simulations are fantastic, and to be honest I’m using mostly the JPGs straight out of the camera, with a little tweak here and there. The biggest attraction for me at this point is I don’t think about which lens to use, or what to pack in the bag. It’s so straight forward, I pick up the X100V and head out, not wasting time on thoughts that limit my mind.
iPhone XS
So certainly on a daily basis, it’s X100V that accompanies me, leaving the Fujifilm X-T2 and lenses for specific locations whenever they might be explored.
Simplicity often really is the key!
