Paris Light Study, Fujifilm x100f

I was fortunate enough to spend the holiday break in one of my favorite cities, Paris. I took my teenage daughter and her BFF along with me, it was their first time. We had an amazing adventure, even though it was very, very cold (consider we are from Los Angeles!). I’ve been to Paris before, and last time took a full kit with multiple lenses.

This time, I decided to try Paris with just one camera, the fixed lens Fujifilm x100f, which is an amazing, fun, powerful tool. I considered this a challenge, to see if I could capture all the usual Paris attractions, candids of my daughter, posed shots, and whatever else my eye sees. I can report that almost without exception, I never missed my full kit. I have no regrets, and would definitely travel only with this little masterpiece of a camera in the future. So nice to just slip in my pocket, hold with one hand (with the help of the must-have accessory, lensmate folding thumbrest), and grab shots nearly as quickly my eyes sees them.

During the holiday season, the “City of Lights” really comes alive, so part of my photographic challenge was to capture the light. Oddly, all of these shots are portrait, which is real a departure for me. Perhaps it was my subconscious awareness that these will be IG story ready.

Ten Shots I Like (January 2018 Edition)

It's been awhile since I've posted some favorite shots. As has been the case for the last couple of years, these shots were all captured with the Fuji X-Pro2 with a variety of lenses including the 56mm f/1.4, 23mm f/1.4 (probably my favorite), and the only zoom I use, the 50-140 f/2.8. It's been awhile since I've considered any other camera body, and frankly, I think with the three lenses, plus the 35mm, it's all I really need. All of these shots are processed in Lightroom. 

I've been spending more time lately in DTLA (Downtown, Los Angeles for those not in the know). This was an experiment in long exposure, something I rarely do. 23mm f/6.4, ISO 640, 30s

Another shot from DTLA, this time in the morning as the sun rose. Love the reflection in that one window. 61mm f/2.8, ISO 200, 1/850s

Moving decidedly away from the city, this is a very recent shot in one of my favorite spots in the world, Malibu. t23mm f/7.1, ISO 200, 1/400s

Another shot, early morning in Malibu. I love playing with negative space and only using people as compositional elements, rather than the subjects per se. 23mm f/11, ISO 200, 1/170s

Another example of the use of negative space, and color. This was basically a "grab shot" from Magic Mountain. (I strongly prefer photographing roller coasters vs. riding in them, I decided). 50mm f/4, ISO 200, 1/950s

Just playing around here, but really like how this turned out. 56mm, f/1.4, ISO 200, 1/60s

This, and the next two images, might ultimately become a series. Negative space, and the planes (on their approach to LAX) as composition elements. 140mm f/2.8, ISO 200, 1/120s

87mm f/6.4, ISO 250, 1/60s

66m f/6.4, ISO 500, 1/60s

Probably my favorite shot in the past several months. The Fuji does an excellent job here in a difficult exposure situation. 140mm f/1.2.8, ISO 6400, 1/55s

Bonus shot! Still love this camera and lens combination for candids. 23mm f/1.4, ISO 200, 1/750s

72 Hours in Tokyo with Fuji X-T1 and 23mm 1.4

Only three days in any major city is not enough - but that's especially true for Tokyo. This city has always been on my "bucket list" so I was fortunate that circumstances brought me here, if only for a short time. I limited my gear to my Fuji X-T1 and probably my favorite lens,the excellent Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R, which is perfect for travel. Tokyo is such an interesting place, it's almost overwhelming - there was always something interesting to catch my eye. The X-T1, as always, proved to be a worthy camera in some challenging conditions. I will always remember Tokyo as the city I first used my Pano mode! Lol. Here are some of my favorite shots. 

Streets of Tokyo. F/5.6, 1/60, ISO 640, +0.3 step, 23mm. (Around the Toranomon Hills area)

Streets of Tokyo. F/4.5, 1/60, ISO 800, -0.7 step, 23mm. (Around the Toranomon Hills area)

Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo. F/9, 1/2 second, ISO 200, 23mm. (No room for tripod, even if I did bring one! Did the best I could.)

Ginza Sreet, Tokyo. F/5.6, 1/125 second, ISO 200, 23mm. (Looks empty, but trust me, lots of people.)

Subway, Ginza Line, Tokyo. F/4, 1/8 second, ISO 200, 23mm. 

Subway, Ginza Line, Tokyo. F/1.4 1/180 second, ISO 200, 23mm. 

Subway, Ginza Line, Tokyo. F/1.4, 1/60 second, ISO 320, 23mm. (I've never been to such an orderly city!)

Andaz Hotel, 52nd floor lobby, Tokyo. F/5.6, 1/2400, ISO 200, +0.3 step, Spot metered. 23mm. (Around the Toranomon Hills area)

View from Mori Art Museum, Tokyo F/4.5, 1/900, ISO 200, +0.3 step, Pano Mode (first time I ever used this!). 23mm.

A month with Fujinon XF 50-140mm F2.8 zoom lens

To be honest, I'm not really qualified to give any kind of super technical review of any equipment, especially a lens. There are lots of articles online discussing the important technical aspects of this lens -- and each article that I've found has been decidedly positive. Indeed, the lens is very high quality and feels every bit worthy of its high price tag. It's heavy, in a good way, with all metal parts and an overall premium feel. It feels good and substantial in the hand. I wouldn't want to walk around with this all day, however. But the idea that it somehow doesn't "fit" the philosophy of a compact mirror-less system is silly -- the equivalent lens on DSLR is much heavier. So, it's still compact by relative standards. 

To be perfectly honest, I've never been a big fan of any kind of zoom lens, strongly preferring primes instead. But I wanted this lens for some particular purposes that could not be accomplished by my current crop of primes. I needed to get closer to my kids! I needed the extra reach when shooting my girls during their various activities including sports, musical theater, etc. I figured it would be great for candids, too. Yes, I purchased the lens primarily for documenting the most important thing in the world: my two girls. 

Literally, first image snapped with 50-140mm.  1/80s, f/2.8,  140mm, ISO 5000, 0.33 eV

After a month with the lens, it's performed beyond expectations both in terms of it's intended purpose (kids!) and also for some unexpected other uses, as described below. I thought the 56mm f1.2 was the sharpest, highest quality lens in the Fuji line-up, but this has surpassed it -- and that's especially impressive given that it's a zoom. Overall, if you are thinking about this lens my advice is "go for it." Yes, it's expensive. But, it's still a great value given the positives. Here are some examples:

The modern breakfast. I was able to sneak this from a nice distance. 1/80s, f/2.8, 140mm.  ISO 320

Quick "grab" shot. 1/500s, f/2.8, 140mm.  ISO 200

Really, the reason I bought it. My older daughter starring in Peter Pan.  1/80s, f/2.8, 140mm.  ISO 800

I was able to get nice and close to my little star. 1/80s, f/2.8, 140mm.  ISO 800

While the primary motivation for purchasing the lens was to get closer to the kiddos, I decided to challenge myself by photographing a subject that I love, The Walt Disney Concert Hall. Normally, I'd shoot this subject with a more "traditional" focal length, e.g., the very excellent 23mm f1.4. But, I thought I'd try with the 50-140mm which I knew would give me some great DOF and subject compression, which I thought could be kind of interesting. 

The zoom lens let me get up nice and close to these wonderful chairs. What looks like sun beams are really reflections in the window that I used to press up against to get the shot. 1/80s, f/7.1, 87mm.  ISO 3200. 

Below is a gallery of some of my favorite shots of the beautiful WDCH while exploring DOF and subject compression:

Finally, some images to show the bokeh of the lens. 

1/80s, f/2.8, 140mm.  

1/80s, f/2.8, 140mm.  

By the way, please be sure to check out www.tomen.de/blog or http://www.scoop.it/t/fuji-x-pro1 for more on the great line-up from Fuji. 

X-Pro1 and OVF

For those of you that know my photography, you know I don’t take a lot of pictures of people. But, I do take personal images, especially of my beautiful older daughter. Before I sold-off my Canon gear, my “go to” portrait lenses were the 85L or even the 135L. Those were amazing lenses, especially on a full frame 5D. But, shooting with them was not an intimate experience – I felt detached from my subject, not part of the action. I was far away using a big, intimidating tool.

One of the things I love about the X-Pro1 is that it’s small, unobtrusive, and non-intimidating. When used with the amazing 35 1.4, it lets me get close to my daughter and be more spontaneous with the images I make. And, that’s why I like using the Optical Viewfinder (OVF) so much. It keeps me close and lets me frame images in a more natural way. I can see not only what’s in the frame, but what’s not in the frame - I feel part of what's happening. I see my daughter with my own eyes – not through an electronic interpretation of her. It’s not artificial. It feels intimate and real. The OVF is definitely more difficult to use when it comes to nailing the focus point, particularly when I shoot wide open. But, it didn’t take long before I became comfortable with the process. For me, the OVF is the only reason for me to stick with the X-Pro1.

I always shoot in RAW. The below images are processed in Lightroom, adjusted for Exposure, then finished with Alien Skin’s Exposure or Rad’s Software’s Replichrome. 

35mm. 1/50s,  f/1.4. 

35mm. 1/4000s, f/1.4

35mm. 1/1800s, f/1.4

35mm. 1/4000s, f/1.4

35mm. 1/1500s, f/1.4

35mm. 1/640s, f/1.4

35mm. 1/50s, f/2.2 (10-stop ND)

35mm. 1/50s, f/2.2 (10-stop ND)

Maui (Long Exposures)

I recently returned from Maui where I tried to branch out a bit from my usual photography style. I brought along a great travel tripod from MeFoto, my trusty Fuji X-Pro1 with 60mm, 35mm, and 18mm lenses, and a relatively inexpensive cable release. I also brought a 10-stop ND filter. I took shots during sunset, dusk, and moonlight. 

To help with exposure,  I downloaded a great iPhone app called LongTime (just search for it) that helps calculate the proper exposure considering an ND filter - the way it works is that you (1) choose the filter being used; (2) choose the metered exposure without the attached filter; then (3) the app tells you what the exposure time will be with the filter attached. 

So, for example, if you meter a scene without the filter that shows 1/15 shutter speed, you just tell the app you are using a 10-stop ND filter, dial-in 1/15 and it tells you that the shutter speed for a proper exposure with the 10-stop filter is 1m. Pretty slick. 

For sure, the most difficult part of the photography sessions was dealing with all the sand on the beach while adjusting tripod, changing lenses (wish I had the 18-55 zoom), and taking the ND filter on and off. Add to this the fact that I really don't know much about proper landscape composition, along with vacationers walking in front of your camera without a clue...well, it was challenging.     

These images were captured RAW, then processed in Lightroom 5, adjusted for exposure and noise reduction (I don't think I did a good job with noise), then processed with Alien Skin's Exposure which simulates film - including grain, which I thought was okay given the noise of the files. 

I also lost my cable release during the trip - so most shots were ultimately 30 second exposures using the "T" mode on the X-Pro1. A few were done using "B" mode and the cable release. 

Maui Water in Moonlight 1, 60mm, 30 seconds at f/16. ISO 6400. 

Maui Water in Moonlight 2, 60mm, 30 seconds at f/14. ISO 6400. 

Maui Water in Moonlight 3, 60mm, 30 seconds at f/14. ISO 6400. 

Maui Water in Moonlight 4, 35mm, 30 seconds at f/8. ISO 6400. 

Maui Sunset 1, 35mm, 30 seconds at f/16. ISO 200.

Maui Sunset 2, 18mm, 125 seconds at f/8. ISO 1600.

Maui Sunset 3, 35mm, 30 seconds at f/10. ISO 800.

Maui Water, 35mm, 30 seconds at f/16. ISO 800.

Okay, so these last two are not long exposures...I just like them.  

Maui Water, 35mm, 1/170 seconds at f/16. ISO 200.

Maui Umbrella,  35mm, 1/300 seconds at f/13. ISO 200.

"Waiting for Take-off" at JFK

Ladies and Gentleman, we are currently #25 for takeoff, so we will be here for a while,” said the pilot. These were all “snapshots” taken while slowly making our way to #1 for takeoff. It turned out not to be too long a wait, but the pilot was nice enough to turn off the "no personal electronics" sign. So, I reached for my handy Fuji X-Pro1 with 60mm lens, and took some shots. Kind of fun. 

​Through Window of Flight 407, #1

​Through Window of Flight 407, #2

​Through Window of Flight 407, #3

​Through Window of Flight 407, #4

​Through Window of Flight 407, #5

​Through Window of Flight 407, #6

Outtakes

I'm starting a collection of "Outtakes." These are images that I like, but don't seem to fit an existing portfolio. I don't want them to go unnoticed, though. Fuji X-pro1. ​

​Bushes (they look alive!)

Downtown Los Angeles

​A fan. 

Out the window, Terminal 4, JFK.​

​Waiting for takeoff, JFK. (For complete series, click here)

​North Hollywood Power Lines. Several more on my Tumblr Blog, here.

Quiet (a new series)

Hi, All. I've been playing around with some new images (taken with Fuji X-Pro1 + 35mm, which is always on me). I think they belong together. I'm calling the series "quite." Let me know what you think...somewhat a departure from my normal stuff, but I kind of like. It's really an exploration of negative space. Stay tuned for more.  

Quite 1 (Goal Posts)​

​Quite 2 (Lamp and Tree)

Quite 3 (Crane in Sky). ​

​Quite 4 (Airport Lights)

Five Favorites (January 2012)

Time to update my on-going series...these images were all taken recently using the Fuji X-Pro 1.

Taken early morning in an empty parking lot near my home (perhaps an edition to my on-going series, "Parking")

Another image of my parking structure, this time following a rain. This is already part of the Parking series. (Incidentally, shortly after taking this photo, I was confronted by the building's security guard who told me, "NO photography allowed." I asked him, "why?" and he had no idea why. I showed him the image on the camera and just shrugged.)

Probably the image I'm most proud of in the past month or two. Why? Two reasons: it's an exploration for me into a more technical side of photography, long exposure (30") which requires (gasp!) a tri-pod. Secondly, it required me to wake-up early on a Sunday and drive down to Santa Monica...it would have been so easy to just sleep in. NOTE: this image, along with the images below, are processed to give a "faded" look including dust and scratches. Also note that the four or five large "dust" spots right below the horizon are buoys, not spots. 

I'm not sure why I like this one so much. There's just something quite and beautiful about it. It belongs with the image below. 

What's more beautiful and simple than a bench? This belongs with the image above. And, if you noticed, the three last images in this blog entry are all processed the same way, using a faded "Polaroid" look - these images ultimately might find there way into a new portfolio. Stay tuned.  

...and one extra. By special request, an example with 18mm (30" exposure).

Five Favorites from Past Month (with X-Pro1)

Below are five (5) favorites from the past month - they are personal favorites, including a couple of portraits. Each was captured with the wonderful Fujifilm X-Pro1. ​I've included a few words about each image. ​The portability of the Fuji system allows me to carry all three primes with me a lot of the time, and the below shots show images with each: 60mm, 35mm, and 18mm. Comments, discussion, questions strongly encouraged!

This is a scene I've returned to several times in the past weeks. In fact, I created a PANO of the scene here, on my Tumblr site. The image was made with the 60mm lens at 1/250s in full manual mode. I chose the 60mm lens so I didn't have to stand in traffic! 

​I've been slowly working on a project creating a "portrait" of my office parking garage. There's a bunch of antennas that present some interesting opportunities, but are just a little too "random." However, when I added the Exit sign, it created a more pleasing composition. More from my on-going study of this subject on my Tumblr blog, OnlyAPicture, (Probably now on second page).

​Another image from the Parking Structure study. Lately, I've really been fascinated by the tire marks here. There's a beauty to them. An emptiness, too. And, they are in the spirit of my of my images that are without people, but show clear evidence that someone was once here - the story is for the viewer. (See just below for perhaps my favorite of the tire mark shots...so far). 18mm, f/5.6, 1/125. Manual mode.

​Basically, the only "people" pictures I tend to take are of our beautiful daughters. This one of Gretha is a particular favorite because it does what most successful people pictures do - capture the feeling of the moment. This image was taken July 4th, and it just says "Americana" to me (she's making chalk art, by the way...I wish I captured that, too. You can see the concentration of an artist on her face). Fuji 35mm wide open.

Okay, this I think is my favorite in a while. Again, it captures the emotions at that time. A sun-drenched kitchen. Gretha in her usual morning weekend position in the kitchen: eating and watching TV. And, Cody (now 6 months), resting under the table. It captures a memory I will have for a long time. Fuji 60mm, f/2.8 at 1/250. Manual mode. ​

DUMBO (Brooklyn, NY) with Fuji X-Pro1

I recently had about 12 hours in New York City. Rather than walk around Manhattan, like I usually do, I decided to venture to an area I've never been before - just over the Manhattan Bridge to an area known as DUMBO (​Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). It's a cool "urban" area with a little more personal space than I'm used to in Manhattan. Next time, I will plan my adventure later in the day for better light, but I just didn't have that luxury this time. I was armed with my new Love, my Fuji X-Pro1 with all three lenses. No way would I have lugged my 5DII with more than one lens. But, the Fuji allowed me to carry the whole kit in relative comfort. And, I actually used all three lenses. Here are some of my favorite shots (including a couple from the airport, by the way). ​If you are interested in any technical detail on the shots, just post a comment or send me an email (sometimes, comment feature doesn't work with certain browsers...not sure why!).

Thanks for all the positive feedback on my recent photo series from Brooklyn, NY (DUMBO area). I’ve been asked about prints for sale. In response, I’m going to try something a little different: a 10-pack of of postcard-sized prints from the series, printed, trimmed, and signed by me. $25+$5 shipping. Just pay via the PayPal link here. Or, just email/message me. 

Five Photos I love (with the X-Pro1)

I'm not an "equipment" guy so much - I like to have good gear, but I'm not obsessed with always having the "latest and greatest." Usually, when I do buy a new camera or lens, the purpose is less about filling a specific need, but rather it's a way to generate some "creative inertia." Sometimes, just having a new camera or lens makes me want to do more photography. For the past several years, I've used exclusively a Canon 5DII and 3 prime lenses. But, I found myself less and less interested in shooting with it. The Canon is big, heavy, and conspicuous. It's not a "fun" camera. It's a great camera, but it doesn't make me want to pick it up. It's functional, but not emotional. 

​As such, I found myself photographing less and less. I found myself often without my camera, and my "eye" was not being exercised. So, I needed a change. Enter the Fujifilm X-Pro1. I was interested in this camera right from the first announcement. It has helped me produce some of my favorite images in the past year, and more importantly, it has re-sparked my creative side and love of photography, primarily because: it's small; fun to use; allows me to see "out of the box" (literally, via the OVF); produces amazing quality (at least on par with my 5DII); and is beautiful - a joy to look at and hold (and accessorize - case, strap, etc.). Yes, it has quirks that make it a challenge sometime (AF, parralax error), but the quirks challenge me as photographer, in a good way. It's like a fantastic sports car that's a little hard to drive - learn how to do so, and the rewards are fantastic.

Here are images I recently made with the X-Pro1, and a quick story behind them. Please let me know (comment function below and/or email) if these types of "blog" posts are of interest, and I'll do more "behind the picture" type entries. Same goes if you have any questions.):​

Circles in a Parking Structure

​This image was taken with the X-Pro1 + 35mm lens. Exposure was 1/50s at f/2.2, ISO 1000. I shot in Aperture priority mode. Processed in Lightroom. I wish I had more time to work this subject, but there were too many cars driving around! This is one of favorite images in a while - it conveys a sense of emptiness, but also the a common theme of many of my images - the effects of human beings on the environment. This parking structure, in Downtown Los Angeles, is one I visit at least once a week, and is a constant source of images. (Note to self: is there a new project here? Perhaps a "portrait" of a parking structure...why do parking structures fascinate me so much?). This image is nice complement to this image, as well. 

Bike Rack at a Mall (Redux)

​This image was taken with the X-Pro1 + 18mm lens. Exposure was 1/30s at f/6.4, ISO 1600. I shot in Aperture priority mode. Processed in Lightroom. This is not the first time I've been to this location (it's at a mall very close to me). But, the wall was recently painted white, and a phone booth was removed that used to be right next to that bike rack. So, it was time to re-visit the scene. What maks the image for me are the strong primary colors of red, yellow, and black, along with the juxstaposition of the horizontal lines and the shape of the bike rack. As with many of my images, there's no people, but sings of human presence. 

Trees in North Hollywood

​This image was taken with the X-Pro1 + 35mm lens. It was the first image I took in which I "discovered" a little trick with the X-Pro1 - quickly switching between OVF and EVF, which helps me understand and accommodate for parallax error.  I don't have exposure settings for this one. This is an image I would never have captured without my X-Pro1. Why? Because "the best camera is the one you have with you" and the X-Pro1 is a camera I take with me everyone thanks to its size. This is near the Metro stop in North Hollywood. I loved the quirky position of the tree to the right. I also was struck by the colors (green, blue, yellow). But, most of all, it was just beautiful light. This image reflects my mood at the time - happy and bright (which is most often not the case). I just like it. 

Parking Structure After Rain (Redux)

Here's another image of the parking structure I use in Downtown, Los Angeles - I really do think there's a project here with this structure, stay tuned. Another case of just always having my X-Pro1 with me. The dynamic range of the RAW files is really impressive, and the metering is outstanding. The file took less processing in Lightoom than a similar photo taken with my 5DII. Taken with 18mm, I have no other EXIF information (a result of processing in Silkypix before Lightroom support was available). This image combines, once again, strong colors with a stark composition that accurately reflects my mood at the time - lonely. I also like the texture of the pavement from the water. I could have stayed up on this roof top photographing all day. 

Gretha on Balcony

Okay, I don't *only* take pictures of urban scenes. I love photographing my family, especially my older daughter Gretha (who loves be photographed...at least now she does). This was an image taken only a few days after I had my X-Pro1, and all I wanted to do was shoot. I said, "Gretha, go out on the balcony" and just fired off a couple of shots (we were on vacation in Maui). This was with the 35mm at f/1.4. Processed in Lightroom, where I cooled down the WB just a bit. Yes, my 5DII could have probably captured this image just fine, but the only reason I have this image was because I just couldn't put down the X-Pro1 - it's a camera that just makes you want to shoot. Some of my favorite shots with the X-Pro1 are of my girls. If you ware interested in more, let me know (email or post a comment on this blog entry). Perhaps my next set of "5 I love" will be all portraits.