Sometimes Art is About DOING

I passed this amazing barn probably dozens of times through the years. Every time I did, I thought: "I'll come back. I don't feel it right now." But one of the things I'm learning is that art and creation, sometimes, is just about DOING. Taking the photo. Putting the word on the page. Dipping the brush in the paint. Sometimes to "feel it" you have to just…

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Micro Four Thirds – STILL Awesome in 2023

In 2022, I went on more mini photo adventures through the Midwest than I ever have. This one trip to Taylor, Nebraska really stood out for me in a few ways. One, is that it was an amazing day, starting off with some fog, and I had beautiful sunlight and good clouds throughout. And the second reason was a surprising one: some of my favorites were from…

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The Storm

I’m feeling it. The weight of success. The looming specter of failure. It’s almost been two full years since I quit my job without a plan, and I’ve somehow made it. But it’s not enough. It never is, is it? Humanity is conditioned to look at the horizon and fear the storm instead of marveling at its beauty. That’s me, on a hill looking into the distance,…

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Fujifilm X-T5 Review: Beautiful but Flawed

INTRO - I first got into the Fuji system with the venerable X-T1, almost eight years ago. That camera had 16 megapixels, and I STILL love many of the photos taken with it. Here we are in 2023 with a brand new camera that has all the dials that made many of us fall in love with Fuji, and a brand new X-Trans 5 sensor with 40…

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“November Wind” Jpeg Recipe for X-Trans 5

Film Simulation: Nostalgic Neg Grain Effect - Strong/Small Color Chrome FX Blue - Strong White Balance - Daylight Tone Curve: H+2 S+2 Color: -2 I went out to take photographs with my new X-T5 I received earlier today and felt like dialing in a film recipe for the blue skies and beautiful clouds I encountered. It's one of the reasons I love Fuji cameras - you can…

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Fujifilm X-T5 and X-H2 Pixel Shift Mode: A Fancy, Frustrating Marketing Gimmick

First introduced in Fuji cameras with the GFX system, pixel shift promises unparalleled resolution. With the X-H2 and X-T5 camera bodies, Fuji has a “wow” factor by making us believe the cameras are capable of 160 megapixels. By using the IBIS system, the camera “shifts” the sensor to capture different sets of pixels and is able to take 20 images that you must then combine using Fuji’s…

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Fujifilm X-T5 and XH2 Jpeg Recipe “Memphis”

No, not THAT Memphis. This recipe is actually named after Memphis, Nebraska, a small town of 110 people. It's a charming little town with one bar, a church that may or not be in operation, and a REALLY cool old truck and an amazing blue bus in the middle of town. I love this spot, as it's fun to play with the composition between the truck and…

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Fujifilm X-H2 and X-T5 Autofocus Problems?

I’ve been shooting a ton with the Fujifilm X-H2 lately and finding major problems with the autofocus system when photographing even slowly-moving subjects. The X-T5 is weeks from release, but since Fuji has already stated that it has the same sensor and autofocus system as the X-H2, my problems with autofocus are likely to exist on that camera as well. First, I want to say that if…

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Fujifilm Jpeg Recipe: “Nostalgic Road.”

Today I'm inviting you along for a road trip to central Iowa, through a few small towns and dirt roads.  Along the way, I'm taking photos with the X100v, a camera that speaks a language I love listening to.  I often talk about the importance of pre-visualization with my students. This is a way we can set out on a photographic journey with a specific end-point in…

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