Category: Two Beat Photo

The Camera You Have With You #1 – FujiFilm X-E4

Recently, I traveled to Portugal with a medium format film camera – the classic Mamiya Six – arguably one of the best analog medium-format film cameras in existence. But because it is a fairly large, heavy camera, and it’s not weather resistant, there were times when I left it in my room and fell back to a ‘lesser’ camera – my backup on the trip – The FujiFilm X-E4.

I put the word ‘lesser’ in quotes because I don’t believe that the Fuji is lesser than the Mamiya, rather than just different – like Buddy Elf being ‘special.’ As it turns out, even if he was a lousy toymaker, Buddy was pretty awesome in his own right.

Yes, the Fuji is less expensive than the Mamiya, and it’s not up to the potential image quality of the Mamiya in optimal light, but it is still a competent and capable tool and preferable to the Mamiya in low light, for rapid shooting, in bad weather, and if you are already loaded with a lot of other heavy stuff to carry around. In this instance, I needed to pull off a quick photo before Mrs. Doubtfire, (seen in the upper right window), moved out of frame. If I was shooting the Mamiya, I wouldn’t have had enough time framing and focusing before she would be gone.

A lot of camera snobs might look down at the inexpensive and tiny-but-mighty X-E4 and the kit lens I had on it for this shot, but I couldn’t be happier with the photo, specs and price be damned. Use the right tool for the job, and remember that the right tool is the camera that you have with you, be it medium format, crop format, or even a phone camera.

About this Photo: Camera: Fujifilm X-E4, Lens: FujiFilm 18-55mm f/2.8–4.0 R LM OIS. Location: Lisbon, Portugal.

Unexpected Wildlife

Sometimes I feel like someone is watching me…

It’s kind of disturbing to look out your office window and see someone looking back at you, but it’s also OK, when you’re a nature geek. This cute fellow is a Screech Owl who spends his days sleeping in my tree, Just a few feet from my house, and on a busy suburban street. He’s a wonderful reminder that nature has been finding ways to integrate with us, and even though this is probably because the animals have no better option, it’s really nice to see them, at least until they break in and have a party in your attic.
Since moving into our home ten years ago in a very suburban neighborhood we have hosted a deer, several foxes, this owl, red-tail hawks, an opossum, and a racoon or two. I won’t mention the flying squirrels, but they are there and they keep coming back. Especially the we adopted – Squeakus. I’m a sucker for cute fuzzy tail and a long lens.

About the Photo: This one was shot with the legendary Nikon D500 camera and the under-appreciated (by the media, not by me) Nikkor 28-300 G Super Zoom lens on a frigid cold day. The owl did his best to look nonchalant as I worked in for a good shot. He was a good sport and patient model. I’d definitely work with him again.

I like to consider this one as an effective ‘two-beat photo,’ if you are going to use the terminology of Michael Rubin, the creator of the Everyday Photography, Every Day podcast and his book Photo Haiku. The first beat being an effective, high contrast photo of a tree in the suburbs, and the second beat, the punchline, if you will, being the discovery of the owl in the knot.