Braving the Winter with the Nikon DF

As I mentioned in me previous post, I recently purchased a Nikon DF. It’s been a long time coming and I’m so excite to finally own one. In the past week I have used it extensively, just for personal and fun photography. I am anxious to use it only paid sessions along side my D750 ( which is getting repaired at the moment). Until then, I’m going to continue to shoot as much as I can.

Where I live, Thunder Bay, is extremely cold nowadays, so it is hard to get out as much as I would like to, but that hasn’t stopped me. On my lunch breaks, I get out for about 40 minutes in and around the local university. As much as I would love to do some street photography with people, there just isn’t enough opportunity to do so.

So, I settle with my usual still life and landscape photography which I love doing. I shoot primes about 95% of the time. I very much enjoy taking advantage of the large apertures of primes. My 35mm 1.8 has been living on my DF almost the entire time. I love to field of view of the 35 and also the close focusing abilities. I truly believe it’s the most versatile and fun lens I own.

The good thing about winter here is that it’s usually overcast. I’m personally like overcast weather the best. With that being said, here is another set of photos from a recent walk.

First Weekend with the Nikon DF

With camera gear I’m always reading reviews and watching videos, keeping up to date with what’s new. With that being said, I almost always try to purchase used gear, especially camera bodies and lenses. There are exceptions of course, like a recent Fuji XT3 purchase.

For my professional work, my main gear centers around Nikon. Specifically the D750. It’s an absolute workhorse of a camera and has gotten me through lots of weddings, events and everything else. After selling my D810, which I owned for about 6 months, I knew I needed another Nikon. 

I was very tempted to just get another D750, but another camera has always called out to me, but my budget just could never justify it. That camera is the Nikon DF. Since it first came out, I wanted it. Problem was, it was just way to expensive. I decided to look into getting a used one and I was able to land a good deal on eBay. I have had it for about a week now and I absolutely love it.  

I know it recieved a lot of criticism when it was released, and even to this day. I did a lot of research on it and knew all the ‘short comings’, I was fine with them. Once I get out with it more I’ll do a short review, but I did want to share my first thoughts.

This past weekend was my first opportunity to get outside and explore with the DF. I pretty much hijacked my wife all day. The set below were taken during the afternoon on our walk and driving around. From that day alone, I have a couple other photo sets to l post. And ... I’m the last week I think I have taken at least 2000 photos with it. That’s all personal and family stuff too, nothing professional. You can bet my first paid gig of the year will see the DF coming out.

I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but I find the tones and colours are even better then tbe D750. I swear they just pop a bit more and have a certain 3D quality. I thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the DF over the weekend. In think at the end of the day, any camera today can take great photos. But it’s important to actually enjoy using the camera you have, otherwise you might not be as motivated to take photos in the first place. The Nikon DF is definitely one of those cameras, at least for me.

Thanks for viewing! 

Exploring the Streets of Toronto

Admittedly the title of this blog post is a bit misleading. It probably sounds like I made my way all around Toronto when in fact it was really about a 5 block radius. The reason being I was in Toronto on ‘business’ which meant I didn’t really have much time at all to actually get out and do any personal photography. When I did though, I made the most of it. All in all, I would estimate I spent about 2 hours total. In Toronto, that’s not a lot of time, but luckily my creative juices were flowing in that timeframe because and I think I came away with at least a few keepers.

I have said it in a couple previous posts but Toronto is just a completely different universe regarding photography compared to Thunder Bay. It’s night and day. Not just the amount of people either, even the buildings and architecture and of course the energy. I could have easily set up shot on one street corner and spent an entire day.

I used to live in Toronto for quite a number of years but at that time, I wasn’t really into photography as I am now. That didn’t happen until about 10 years ago when I moved back to Thunder Bay. Go figure! In any case, it’s always nice to get back to Toronto and capture a completely different city.

For these photos I used my Sony A6300 paired with the 35mm 1.8 and then eventually my Nikon D750 with a couple different primes. What I tried to do a lot with Sony was shoot from the hip and use face detection. There weren’t too many keepers but I did get a few that really turned out great. Most of them however, I took the time to set up and compose or frame properly.

I was tempted to just process all of the min black and white but I figured I would leave some in colour. There is just something about black and white that gives photos I different feel and mood. Maybe it’s just me though.

I really wish I had a full day of just walking around but time just didn’t allow it. Perhaps the next trip I will try and do so. For now, these photos will have tide me over. Thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving + Fuji X100F

This past Thanksgiving I made sure to bring one of my cameras, just in case we managed to get out for a walk or just to take photos in general. I knew there would be one if not too dogs there so, it was pretty much a no brainer. Who could resist taking photos of dogs, or any kind of animals for that matter. The animals in question my wife’s cousin’s dogs, Frank, pictured above and Yoshi who you will see below. The camera I decided to carry with me on this day was the Fuji X100F. It’s portable, discreet and super fun to use. Oh, and it produces great photos. Although, I’d like to think I have something to do with that. Then again, I guess that is all subjective.

I actually managed to get outside twice in one evening, so I was in my glory. The first was with everyone, and we walked to the park around the block. We had some fun around the playground and got some fresh air in the process. As always, I just captured whatever caught my eye. Usually it’s just still life that I find interesting, but I also got some good shots of the dogs and my family too.

The second outing was just me and Frank. I took him for a walk across the street around the train tracks. He was so good off the leash, waiting patiently here and there while I stopped to take photos. However, we did have a close call. I took my eye off him for a few seconds down a back alley. Next thing I know, he was in a backyard pinned down by another dog. Frank just went into the fetal position and gave me a look saying ‘I’m just going to play dead and wait this one out’. Luckily it worked. With a little cohering, the protective dog, released his grip and just barked at us as we walked away in shame.

After all that excitement, we headed back for some well earned turkey. Even Frank and Yoshi managed to get some as well.

Thunder Bay Marina in the Evening with the Fuji X100F

I have a few cameras, probably more then I really need but that is normal for a lot of photographers I think. It doesn't help that I constantly look at new cameras online and dream and contemplate. This means that certain cameras might not get used as much as others. Up until a few days ago, this was the case with my Fuji X100F. It kind of got pushed to the side for a while because of my Sony A6300 which I have been doing a lot of video with and also because I have been working full time which has eaten into my personal photography time. 

I had the original X100, then the X100S and now the X100F which is such an amazing little camera. Actually, looking back at some of my favourite photos over the years, and a lot of them have come from one of those cameras. So, over the past week I have been carrying it with me more and I soon remembered why I love this camera so much. It's fun to use. Oh, and it still has the best colours and tones, even on par with my pro Nikons. 

This evening, after I dropped my wife Anne off at her friends house, I decided to burn off those dinner calories with a walk around part of the marina and downtown. The sun was on it's way down so the lighting was perfect. As I do with most of my personal photography, I simply captured anything that caught my eye. There is no real theme to these photos, I save that for my professional work. Instead, these are simply little moments in time that I saw and captured during my random walk. 

They were all taken with the X100F and processed in Lightroom. The black and white images were edited further in Silver Effex Pro 2, which is my favourite program for converting black and white. It's hard not to just do every photo in black and white.... 

If anyone actually reads these posts, thanks for stopping by!

Fort William Collegiate Institute

Over the past few months I have been teaching myself video and exploring different areas with a completely different point of view, seeing as how it's different then photography. One of the areas in town I always wanted to make a short film about was FWCI. Even though it's getting pretty run down these days I still think it has so much character and potential to be beautiful again. You can view the resulting video below, but while I was there I also managed to take some photos as well. 

The camera of choice was the Sony A6300 paired with the 16-50mm lens. I have since 'upgraded' to the 35mm 1.8 which I absolutely love, but you can see from the photos below that you don't always need the most expensive lenses to get decent photos. I think if I were to buy the lens on its own, It costs about $150. 

I specifically got the A6300 for video and I think it is an amazing, versatile and extremely fun camera to learn videography on. What surprised me most from the Sony are the photos that it can take. Especially with the 35mm, the colours rival my Fuji cameras which are known for their great colour rendering. Plus, the focus on it is the fastest out of all my cameras, even my full frame Nikons. 

That's about it. I just wanted to share some of the photos from that day. If you like the video below, don't hesitate to check out my YouTube channel. I'm still learning and teaching myself the basics of video, but I'm excited to see where it takes me.

Thanks for viewing!

FWCI is an old high school that has been closed for quite some time. There are a few things inside but otherwise, not much has been done to take care of the exterior. Hopefully something is planned in the future, but time will tell.

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Mount McKay and Abandoned Cars

I have been spending a lot of time lately trying to hone my 'video skills' and my personal photo walks have taken a backseat. Well, this morning I decided to take my X100F into the rain, even though it's not waterproof, and see if I remembered how to take photos. ;)

I joke about taken photos, as I have been doing a lot of professional work, but I have missed just walking around aimlessly and capturing still images. My first destination was the Mount McKay lookout, at the base of Mountdale Road. I'm not sure if I a lot of people know about this spot, because there is rarely anyone there, but it is quite beautiful. As soon as I got out of my car, I saw a cute little chubby rabbit hopping around. I swear it looked like a household rabbit. I did manage to get fairly close before it hopped off into the gloomy forest. As I do with almost any cat, dog, horse or bird I see in my travels, I had a short conversation with it. Sometimes I worry that I'm a bit crazy. I can't be the only person that talks to random animals though right?

It was already raining lightly when I got to the lookout but I still managed to get, what I think, are some good shots. Remember, the X100F is a fixed 35mm lens so you really have to compose with your feet. I like to get in super close to things but also appreciate the landscape type photos. 

The next stop after that was the James Street Bridge. By then it was raining fairly hard but I just made sure to keep the camera somewhat covered. The crappy thing about the bridge, is that it has been closed to traffic for quite a while now. Even though you can still cross it, the usual pedestrian walkway is fenced off and you can only walk on a different walkway, which has fences on both sides, so no clear view of the river etc. 

The geese were out in full force and I got a wicked photos of one of them perched on the top of the bridge structure. He didn't quite know what to think of me but luckily I didn't get dive-bombed. Not wanting to go home just yet, I went for a quick drive to Mission Marsh and this little partially fenced off area with abandoned cars. It is by far one of my favourite spots in town. There is nothing special about it, but if you let me know loose in an actual junkyard, I would probably spend days taking photos in it. I love old vintage cars and broken down things. 

I called it a morning after that and decided to head home and do some actual work. The Fuji X100F is such a fun camera to use and it really forces you to move and compose. But then again, my whole Nikon professional kit, consists of primes so it's nothing new to me. 

Thanks for viewing!

Yonge Street with the X100F

Last week I was hired to photograph a 3 day conference in downtown Toronto and I was pretty excited to do so, for a couple reasons. The main one being that I got to be a part of an amazing conference for ONWA, which you can read about on my professional blog here. The second reason was that I could not wait to get out and do some street photography. Lastly, I was very anxious to try out my new X100F. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to do very much street photography. However, I still managed to go for a quick walk around the block one evening, and managed to get some keepers and test out the new camera. 

I little back story about my experience with Toronto. I lived all around the Toronto area off an on for about 9 years back in the day. During that time I was working as a Graphic Designer, which I still do here in Thunder Bay. But, it wasn't until I moved back to Thunder Bay about 9 years ago that I really got into photography. Being back in Toronto now so many years later and with my new 'outlook' so to speak, was almost overwhelming. It's hard to explain, but I was looking at everything through a fresh set of eyes. 

Don't get me wrong, Thunder Bay is a beautiful city, but you'd be lucky to find 10 or more people on any given block at one time, unless you it's an event of some sort. As I walked out of my hotel room onto Yonge Street, there are hundreds of people, not to mention all the architecture and history. I joked to my wife Anne that it was almost too much. I simply wasn't used to it. That did not stop me from wandering the area and looking for interesting compositions. In a perfect world though, I would have had 8 hours to just take my time and enjoy it. Alas, I only managed to get out for about 1 hour the whole trip. We are going to a concert in August, so I plan on leaving a lot more time during that trip since it's strictly a vacation and not for work.

As I mentioned above, I recently acquired an X100F. I actually traded in my XPro 2 for it, seeing as how I just wasn't using it enough. I originally owned the X100s but sold it a couple years ago to fund some of my Nikon purchases which I still have today. It was like being reunited with an old friend, I felt right home using the X100F. Boy was it fun to use as well. Don't get me wrong, I could have easily brought one of my Nikons but I wanted something indiscreet and portable. 

All the photos below were shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom. I'm always amazed at the initial colours coming out of pretty much any Fuji camera. The X100F is no exception. I can't wait to really spend some time with the camera. 

The Prince Arthur in Black and White

I was tasked to go in an capture some photos of The Prince Arthur Hotel the February Issue of The Walleye. I had been in the hotel a few times before, mainly for weddings and also a couple events. Each time I was inside, I just loved the overall feel and the history that excludes from the architecture. So, when The Walleye asked me to take some architectural photos for a spread they were doing, I jump at the chance. 

Upon arrival, I walked around the building and got some pretty good shots of the exterior. I made sure to bring my wide angle lens to really capture how big it actually is. Luckily for me, the clouds were kind of cool that day and the lighting was just about perfect. 

Once I got inside, I was given a short tour of some of the rooms and also a bit of the history of the building. That is something I have never had the opportunity to do before so that was pretty cool. After the tour, I just wandered around the floors and photographed some of the beautiful details and also the mood of this historic building. 

I'm very happy with how the photos turned out and I decided to convert them all to black and white. I find with black and white, it forces you to really pay attention to the details. Plus, I think it just looks cool.

Be sure to check out this months issue of The Walleye for a more in depth article on The Prince Arthur and it's history. It's a really great write up!

Walking around with the Nikon D850

I continue to be impressed with my Nikon D810. It's like my Nikon D750 on steroids. Don't get me wrong, my 750 is still a fantastic camera, but there is just something about the files that come out of the 850, that I just can't put my finger on. One of a recent shoots I had was downtown, so after I was done it I decided to walk around downtown for about 20 minutes. These are the resulting photos. 

The lenses I used for these photos were mostly the nifty fifty and I think the one with the flag was with my 85mm. All the processing was done in Lightroom using my usual recipe but always tweaked for each and every photo. I don't just bulk edit, I like to individually process each final photo. The black and white photos are processed in Silver Efex Pro 2, which I'm so thankful still works in Lightroom. I just love that program.

Anyways, that's all I have to say. I'm not sure if anyone even looks at these posts so I'm probably just talking to myself as usual, but if there is anyone out there, enjoy!

Silver Creek Cliff

Anne and I decided to go see Arcade Fire perform in St. Paul, Minnesota this past weekend. The concert was their best yet that I have been to, and I almost want to see them again in another city. In any case, each time we do the drive to Duluth or Minneapolis, I always want to stop along the way to take photos at various spots. The problem is that we are always pressed for time and either want to get to where we are going, or on the way home, get back before it gets dark.

Well, this time around, we had plenty of time on the way home so we decided to make at least one stop at a location I always wanted to explore. That location was Silver Creek Cliff. Anyone who has been to Duluth and back should instantly know the tunnel, and area I am talking about. Each time I have driven by in the past, I have seen the path on the side of the cliff. It was fantastic to actually finally do it. 

Another bonus was that the weather was absolutely perfect, at least in my mind. It was gloomy and grey. I guess I'm just a sucker for overcast and even lighting. I think it makes for great moody photos. I brought my Fuji XPro2 with me, paired with the original lens I bought when I first entered the Fuji system, the 35mm 1.4. I have bought and sold various Fuji lenses over the years and this one lens, I have kept throughout. There is just something about it. 

We parked the car in the lot, dressed up warm and headed off along the trail. The view even from the trail was beautiful, as you could see the wide expanse that is Lake Superior. Also, because of the weather, it had an almost painterly feeling to it. Along with some landscape shots, I got my wife Anne to pose for a few photos too. She's so photogenic that I could have easily spent an hour there photographing her. 

In the end we just did about a 10 minute walk up and down the trail. It was neat seeing the cliff up close and I always find it amazing how they were able to build right through it. 

Before we got back in to the car, I made Anne (safely) stand in the middle of the highway as I captured one final photo of the tunnel in the background. It was one of my favourites of the bunch. 

I also included a few photos at the end of the batch, one from our brief stop in Grand Marais of the lighthouse, and another of the lookout just before the border. Thanks for viewing!

A Long Time Coming

I say in the title it has been a long time coming because it feels like ages since I just got outside and walked around to take personal photos, not something I'm paid to do. Don't get me wrong, I love paid work and I hope it only gets busier, but everyone now and again I need to get out and shoot for myself. That is exactly what I did this evening. 

Originally, I wanted my wife Anne to join me but she just wasn't feel up for it. So because it was just me, I decided to make it into a photo walk. I grabbed my trusty X-Pro2 which I have been neglecting for quite some time. I usually use my Nikon gear for all my paid work. I had the X-Pro2 paired with the 35mm 1.4, which is probably my favourite lens out of any I own. I just love the character and tones it creates.

As with most of my photo walks, I don't really plan a route. I did want to end up at Calico for a cappuccino, so that was my destination. The good thing about this time of year is that the sun is low around 5:00pm which makes for soft(er) light. So I was able to play with some shadows that weren't too harsh. I didn't really focus on people like I have done in the past, but my favourite shot of the walk was actually of a person. Go figure. The header image of the man on his phone against the wall, was literally shot from the hip as I was walking. I didn't want to stop and compose because I liked how he was looking down.

The rest of the photos in this series were just things that caught my eye, whether it was based on colour, pattern or sometimes shadows. Everything here was processed in Lightroom and the black and white images were done through Silver Efex Pro which I really hope doesn't fade away anytime soon as a program.

Thanks for viewing!

To the Marina and Beyond

I managed to actually get out yesterday morning and take some photos for myself. It had been a long time since I have had the chance to do so and it felt really good. My camera of choice was actually the Nikon D700. It's a camera I purchased recently as a backup and one that I owned before. It's an 'older' camera and has long since been replaced but to be honest, it is still one of my favourite cameras to date, which is why I ended up buying it again for photography.

My first destination was the Marina. I wasn't sure how much longer all the boats would be docked down there so I wanted to make sure I got some shots while they are all still there. There was hardly anyone walking around in the morning, even though it was relatively nice out. So, there weren't too many opportunities for people shots. Instead I focused more on scenes and a bit of randomness. 

I wasn't really looking anything in specific to capture, just whatever caught me eye. Perhaps I should try choosing a theme or a subject one of these days for a further challenge, but the point of this particular walk was to just get out finally and see what I could find. 

Even though the D700 isn't the lightest camera, I still find it out comfortable to hold and I'm still amazed at the colours and tones it produces, even though it's only 12 megapixels. Thanks for viewing!

Sunday Evening Walk

It was an overcast day and somewhat warm out, so I decided to grab my Nikon D750 and 35mm lens and venture over to Hillcrest Park. Admittedly, it's hard sometimes to find new things to photograph, especially when I tend to walk in the same areas. So, what I try to do, is go down a different back alley, or walk from a different direction. Often times, just looking behind you or walking the opposite direction can give you a completely fresh perspective. 

I always like to get in really close to my subjects and focus on the colours an the detail. The 35mm 1.8, has really good minimum focusing distance, and when you are in really close, the bokeh is actually pretty good. Along with getting in close, I'm always considering the overall composition when I shoot. I tend to have at least one focal point, even if it's not readily apparent. My extensive background in graphic design has allowed me to develop this skill. 

Thanks for viewing!

Downtown Fort William

Last week I decided to wander around good old Fort William. Each time I go there, I always find new spots and different angles. This time around I brought my Nikon D750 and 35mm 1.8. I think it's the perfect walk around lens. It allows me to get in really close but it's also perfect for capturing authentic street photography, that loos natural to the eye. 

The following photos are simply a collection of things that caught me eye. Enjoy!

Looking for Deers at Mission Marsh

I decided to make a trip down to one of my favourite places to take photos, the Mission Marsh. My ultimate goal was to try and get some photos of the deers that frequent the area. I did end up getting a couple keepers but I also had the chance to explore and capture some other great images as well.

On my way to the marsh, I drove down the usual dirt road that the deers can you usually be found, but didn't really see any initially. So I headed directly to the marsh and as soon as I arrived I focused on photos of the Sleeping Giant. It was a slightly overcast day which meant for some nice even lighting. The Giant was a nice deep blue colour and Lake Superior was almost all thawed, with small sections of ice. After I got the usual shot from the parking lot, I noticed some geese more towards the Mount McKay view so I trekked through the bush and managed to get a good vantage point.

I ended up bringing along my Fuji X-Pro2 and the 90mm 2.0. Because I had a long reach with the end, I was able to capture a decently close up shot of the two geese perched on the ice. From there, walked around the marsh a bit, and eventually made my way back towards where the deer hopefully were. I made a few stops along the way and took photos of things that caught my eye. 

Once I got back to the dirt roads where the deer were, I found a bunch grazing on the side of the road. I parked slowly on the side of the road and cautiously approached a younger deer, hoping not to scare it away. I was able to get a couple really good shots of him alone before he ran back to his parents. After that, they hid back in the forest and that was that. 

I decided to walk around the area a bit and see what I could find. There are actually lots of hidden gems in the area if you are willing to look. There is a couple old cars, and a lot of great textures. Before heading back to town, I decided to park my car and explore the train bridge a bit, something I had never done before. 

I figured I should start making my way back, but as usually, I stopped a couple more times along the way. I spotted a couple vocal geese on the train tracks. I couldn't get too close but I did get one photo I liked of the two them. There were also some pretty over grown stairs that caught my eye too.

After a few more photos on the edge of east end and one of a single grain elevator, I was done. 

Algoma Street Walk

It was one of those days that I just didn't want to sit behind my computer and stare at a screen, so I figured I would get and enjoy some of the nice weather, and take some photos in the process. This time around, I took my Nikon D750 paired with the 35mm 1.8. I always go on about the tones and colours that come out of my Fuji cameras, but the Nikon is right there as well, and if anything, the colours are just as good. For the longest time I would always just carry around the 50mm lens but I think the 35mm on the Nikon is my new favourite. It's a nice balance and it has amazing close focusing abilities. I'm able to blur out the background easily and the bokeh produced is actually quite pleasing.

So, now that I chose my camera and lens I had to decide where to go. I almost convinced myself to head over to East End but I decided to just stick in the area and wander the back lanes and roads. As I have mentioned in many previous posts, I am always on the lookout for old and worn in objects. For some reason, when I walk around, I am drawn that subject matter. I am so used to photographing beautiful things, like weddings and portraits, that I need to balance that out. :)

I mainly stuck to a 10 block radius and just wandered around aimlessly. If I so something in the distance, I just walked towards it, and that led me into a different direction. I always make sure to look for different angles, or things to shoot through too. Whether it's textures, colours or just over all composition, I'm always trying to 'create' a photo each time I press the shutter. 

Thanks again for viewing!

It was an overcast kind of day

It was finally and overcast and gloomy day, and I was so thankful for it. Don't get me wrong, I like sun as next as the next person, but my absolute type of weather for walking around taking photos it definitely cloudy, overcast days. I just love the lighting and the tones. 

The next step was to decide where to take photos. My first destination was Hillcrest Park. It's usually a good starting point. After I dropped of Anne at work, I parked there and ate my breakfast sandwich and sipping on my coffee. Once I was fed, I walked around the park for about 15 minutes. Obviously, I have photographed this location many many times, so I always challenge myself to find new angles and perspectives. Even though, I got a few good shots of the view, I don't really post those any more unless it's something spectacular. 

Now that I was warmed up, and had my creative eye fully awake, I made my way down to Fishermans Wharf. Upon arriving there, I did notice a lot more spray paint and graffiti on all the boats and signs. It's always sad to see, and I'm still not sure why people feel need to vandalize like that. I know they are old boats down there, but it's still disheartening to see. In any case, I was able to come away with some really good photos of the view some of the finer details.

I also decided to walk around the general area this time, something I hadn't done in previous visits. I snuck a few shots of the grain elevators in, as well as some abandoned parking lots and of course the tunnel leading into the area. 

Before I headed home, I decided to go to the Marina to see what I could find. Well, instead of going into the actual marina, I decided to head down Marina Park Drive. I was so happy I did because, surprisingly, this was an area I hadn't yet explored. All these years, and I have never gone down that street. Let's just say, it was my favourite part of the day. If I had more time I would have spend another hour down there but I will just have to go for another walk sometime soon. 

It was just so refreshing seeing Thunder Bay an the waterfront from a different perspective. Plus, from what I could tell, most of the factories down that way are closed so it was neat seeing all that. I still wasn't sure if an angry security guard was going to berate me at some point, but it seemed as though no one really cared or was even around the entire area. 

For all the photos below I had my new Fuji X-Pro2 and 16-55mm 2.8. It allowed me to get some great wide angle shots and also in close. I still like my primes the most, but it's nice to have the zoom, and it's a great walk around lens. As for the X-Pro2, I love it. I do miss the flip screen from my old X-T1 but I've learned to adapt.

Thanks for viewing!

County Fair

The weather just keeps getting a bit warmer by the day, and since I had to work most of it, I knew I had to get out for at least a short while in the evening. That's just what I did. I grabbed my X-Pro2 and 35mm 1.4 lens and took a stroll through County Park. It only ended be being about a 30 minute walk, but I came away with some decent photos. 

I'm noticing more and more that anytime I see a playground outside I am always drawn to it. Of course, when there aren't children around. I think it's the bright contrasty colours of a lot of the outdoor playgrounds these days. I remember growing up, all we had was a tire on a chain and maybe a slide mounted on hard pavement. Kids definitely have it much better then I did. 

Once I made my way through the park I ended up in the County Fair Mall parking lot. There is still a lot of dirty melting snow everywhere so I tried to focus on the details instead, getting in nice and close. One of my favourite spots in this specific parking lot is the old Canadian Tire which has been closed for many many years. I always have fond memories of biking all the way up to County Fair when I was a kid just to buy tennis balls. I'm not sure why I remember that, but I do. Meanwhile, I can't remember what I ate for breakfast 2 days ago. Go figure. 

I didn't take as much time as I usually do during the walk to take photos. I'm still, somehow getting over a month long (and going) cold so I didn't want to spend too much time outside. The walk did allow me to get my fix of photography in for the day. Perhaps, tomorrow I'll feel better. 

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Afternoon Stroll with the X-Pro2

I recently traded in my Fuji X-T1 and a couple lenses I don't use any more for a Fuji X-Pro2. Even though it's been out for quite a awhile now, I was simply looking for it to come down in a price a bit possibly get a bit of deal. Luckily for me, Greg at the local camera store, is always willing to barter and I was able to pry his X-Pro2 from him. I have been using it non stop for about a week since I got it. Below are some of my thoughts on how it has performed so far. 

This particular post it all about my usual random photos during my walks. Even though I will be using the X-Pro2 for the upcoming wedding season and all my other paid photography, I will most definitely be using it as my walk around camera as well. Check out my main blog for my first engagement session shot with the X-Pro2 later today. I'll quickly go over how it performed and initial thoughts.

Ok, so for this photo walk I used it simply as my walk around camera. I brought Willow along with me and we headed to one of the local elementary schools. That way, Willow can roam free, even though she stays by my side anyways, and I'm then allowed to just focusing on taking photos. 

For these walks, and all the ones before it, I don't really have a goal in mind beforehand, I just typically shoot whatever captures my eye. Whether it's colours, symmetry or shadows, I try to find interesting compositions. 

The X-Pro2 performed flawlessly, although, I was essentially taking static shots of still objects, so I wasn't necessarily challenging it very much. With that being said, the colours, metering and especially autofocus really good. Because the sun was out I mainly used the OVF, since it was easier to and focus. As I mentioned above, I think I will write a more detailed 'review' in the coming week or so. For now, enjoy the images below.