August 22, 2025

Accepting the mundane [musings]

Leica M4-P | Voightlander Color Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II VM | CineStill 50D
Alabama, 2024

I was working on finishing up a roll of film at the end of December. I’d put in an order for my next batch of film to be processed, and I was determined to get it sent out before the post office closed for Christmas. We’d just arrived in Alabama a couple of days prior, and despite not having visited in over a year, I was having a hard time finding compositions I liked. I kept thinking about the work that has been shared by photographers I admire. I imagine the photographs I would make in those locations: the big cities, the mountains, the small towns, the various coasts. But I don’t live in a big city, or on the coast, and my small town doesn’t seem picturesque. A part of me hoped that getting away from my everyday surroundings would mean being surrounded by interesting subjects and compositions. And yet, I found myself at a loss.

Olympus Infinity Stylus | Kodak Colorplus 200
Alabama, 2024

I frequently lament “wasting” film on the subjects of my everyday life: the trees just off my balcony, my dogs running around, the sun filtering through our bedroom curtains. Those capture my attention in the moment, sometimes even convincing me they’re worth their space on celluloid. Despite knowing the general contents of any given roll of film, I still hope that something breathtaking will reveal itself after it’s been sent away for processing— that I’ll somehow have forgotten that I did in fact take a trip to the Tetons (I’ve never been there) or visit the Cascades (I’ve never been there either). I find myself feeling down for not being able to capture the natural wonders of the world regularly.

Fujifilm XT-5 | Fuji XF 35mm f/2 R WR
Pennsylvania, 2025

Although my film doesn’t return to me with some photos from a forgotten adventure, I find myself staring at each photo with the same enthusiasm as if it did. Those photos of the trees and curtains and dogs always make me smile. There will always be photographers capturing breathtaking scenes, and sometimes it’ll be me. But there are also many, many photographers capturing their own version of trees and curtains. Their mundane walk around their neighborhood seems so foreign and exciting to me because it’s not my neighborhood. It is instead my expectations that I’m realizing I need to manage. I do travel, if only a little. We take regular enough day trips to the big cities around us. We live in the mountains, just not the picturesque mountains west of the Mississippi River. Our mountains are soft and rolling, not the jagged, snow-capped peaks that I often see photographed.

Fujifilm XT-5 | Fuji XF 35mm f/2 R WR
Pennsylvania, 2025

As mundane as my town is to me, it would be a lie if I said that there isn’t a certain happiness I feel when driving through the rivers and mountains in our part of the Appalachians. I think about the collections of photographs that others can put together, and I ask myself why I can’t do the same. I certainly have a large number of photos that I’ve yet to publish, but it’s difficult for me to group enough of them together to justify a dedicated post. But maybe I’m looking at that wrong, too? Maybe my subject is The Mundane. Now that I’m shooting film regularly, I’m a lot more conscious of my photography. I don’t have a delete button or the luxury of some inconceivable limit on a memory card— each frame costs me real time and money. Maybe this is why I take so long to finish a roll of film. I question myself frequently about whether a shot is “worth it” or if I feel I already have too many like it. I think that I can certainly afford to be more trigger-happy. I find myself missing shots from second-guessing myself on a semi-regular basis. Many of my favorite photographs are made from moments where I saw something I liked, composed, and took the shot. Not the moments that I had to mull over for several minutes before deciding to make something of it.

Fujifilm XT-5 | Fuji XF 35mm f/2 R WR
Pennsylvania, 2025

I may not be comfortable with how mundane a lot of my photographs feel, but it’s something that I’m going to work toward. My Mundane may not look like yours, but it’s not supposed to. And maybe the beauty I find in others’ work is the same beauty someone will find in mine.

Leica M4-P | Voightlander Color Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II VM | CineStill 50D
Pennsylvania, 2025

So, here they are: the places I've been, the places I frequent, and the life I live. The moments and the frames that have never felt special enough, significant enough, memorable enough. Here are my life's in-between moments that deserve their place on film or on a memory card. They're mundane to me, but maybe you'll like them. If I'm honest, I like them, too.

Olympus Infinity Stylus | Kodak Colorplus 200
Pennsylvania, 2025

Olympus Infinity Stylus | Kodak Colorplus 200
Alabama, 2024

Leica M4-P | Voightlander Color Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II VM | CineStill 50D
Pennsylvania, 2025

Nikon F3 | Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 | Kentmere Pan 400
Alabama, 2025

Nikon F3 | Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 | Kentmere Pan 400
Alabama, 2024

Nikon F3 | Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 | Kentmere Pan 400
Alabama, 2025

Nikon F3 | Nikon Series E 50mm f/1.8 | CineStill 800T
Alabama, 2024

July 16, 2025

a weekend in july [fuji xt-5]

We had a couple of outings with friends over Fourth of July weekend, and I, of course, brought along my XT-5. I haven’t had the camera for very long, but I can already say it’s such a natural fit— easily the most comfortable I’ve ever felt with a camera from the get-go. I’m not sure if it’s the physical buttons and dials or simply the feel of it in my hands, but it makes for such a seamless shooting experience. Just before that weekend, I’d received the Fuji XF 35mm f/2 lens, and I was excited to bring it along with me. I was worried that I’d feel constricted with the ~50mm focal length as I’m more comfortable with a 35-40mm lens, but it felt so natural from the moment I began shooting with it. All that to say, I’ve carried it around a lot and have taken many photos I really love. I’m excited to share some of those here.

Andrew and I hadn’t been to a fireworks show since moving here, but we both decided we wanted to do that this year. We met up with some friends and scouted the perfect spot for the big display. We were told the fireworks started at 8, but they didn’t actually begin until closer to 10pm. With the unexpected delay, we hung out and enjoyed golden hour from the hillside from which we were perched. As blue hour rolled around, some homes in nearby neighborhoods started launching their own fireworks, so we were treated to 4 or 5 extra shows before the official one started.

As we were packing up to head home, we decided to meet up again the next day for some snow cones, iced coffee, and a stroll around the park. It was a hot day— hot enough for my camera to give me an excessive heat warning. But we made it through with tired dogs and a satisfied sweet tooth. The dogs even got to enjoy their own puppy snow cones!

During the firework display the previous night, I’d set my shutter speed down to 1/30. Because of the physical dial, I forgot I had to manually change it back to auto for the walk the following day. I didn’t realize my mistake until halfway through our walk. While many of the early shots are overexposed, I actually really love these photos of the ducks. The slower shutter speed gives the photos an ethereal look that I wouldn’t have otherwise thought to try. That small mistake now has me thinking up different things I want to experiment with in-camera. I’m very hard on myself with the photos that I take, but I actually have these displayed on my wall and set as the wallpaper for my desktop, iPad, and phone. To me, these perfectly encapsulate the summer so far.

Our favorite bench in the park lol

My friends were having fun with my camera while I was fussing with the dogs, and I like this photo of myself trying to enjoy my snowcone while giving them their pup cups.

They're so well-behaved when treats are involved.

Green Grape and Dada came along, too.

Although these were taken over just two days, Andrew and I rarely go on outings like this. As tired and sweaty as we were, we had such a good time that weekend. I hope we’re able to have many more weekends like this before the season is over. I’m still adjusting to living somewhere with all four seasons, so I have to remind myself to enjoy each one while it’s here.

All photos taken with a Fuji XT-5 & Fujinon 35mm f/2 R WR lens.

June 30, 2025

A Short Hike with my Fuji XT-5

Two weeks ago, I got my dream camera. When I was first thinking about going mirrorless, the camera I was most drawn to was the just-announced Fujifilm XT-5. There was no way I could justify that purchase at the time, so I went with Micro Four Thirds via Lumix and have generally been happy. However, a few weeks ago, I got the opportunity to get my hands on the XT-5, and I jumped at it. I’ve spent the last two weeks tweaking settings (which was surprisingly daunting) and setting up some recipes. Although I shoot RAW, I was excited at the possibility of shooting only JPEGs and relying on the camera’s 40MP sensor for casual outings. Although the menus and settings had me close to tears in frustration in the first couple of days, I’ve finally gotten the hang of it, and I think I’ve landed on a pretty good starting point.

First Impressions

I've been shooting with my GX9 for the better part of a year, and its small form factor is something that I've become accustomed to. The size of the XT-5, while not huge, still took some getting used to. However, this also means the camera can house a larger battery— something that I didn’t realize I’d been missing dearly. With MFT, I always had to keep 2-3 batteries on me if I was going to spend the day (or even just the afternoon) shooting. Although I haven’t been out for a full day with my XT-5 yet, I can already tell the difference. I’ve gone days without charging it, only to find the battery level hovering around 65% after regular, daily use. I’ll eventually get some spare batteries for the summer road trip we’re planning, but it’s nice knowing that the battery life isn’t going to be an issue.

And, of course, film simulations. I love the idea of film simulations. Even if I’m still planning on editing from RAW, getting a preview of what my shot will look like is something I didn’t realize would be so useful. I’ve a keener eye now that I’m getting a real-time preview. And while we’re on the subject of presets, I’ve also been spiraling down the recipe rabbit hole. Being able to zero in on adjustments in camera has made editing so much faster. Big shoutout to Fuji X Weekly for that. I get it now.

Finally, having 40MP is awesome. This sounds so vapid because I’m the last person to care about megapixel count, but I have to admit that knowing how much more I can get away with in post is such a sigh of relief. Also, it simply feels nice having something new. I have a soft spot for older gear, but man, having the current flagship model of something is nice.

Why Fuji?

The long and short of it comes down to compatibility, lens options, and third-party support. Over the last few years, I’ve found myself disappointed with the general lack of support for MFT systems. I like trying new things, especially novelty lenses and filters. There have been many instances where I’ve felt like an outsider looking in on fresh, new things that weren't made for MFT. When I first went mirrorless, this was nothing I was concerned with, but I eventually felt like I was missing out. I think that’s part of the reason I’ve gone through bouts of acquiring different bits of gear: I was trying to find the thing that I felt I was missing. I finally feel like I have that with this camera, and that to me is worth the switch alone.

Finally, I wanted a larger sensor. There was never really a defining moment where I felt like the MFT crop factor was a detriment to my photos, but I certainly felt limited at times and I knew that I could benefit from something larger, especially when it comes to cropping photos. I don’t need (or particularly want) a full-frame sensor, so APS-C felt right.

I said he looks happy, but Andrew thinks he looks miserable lol

Speaking of having acquired quite a bit of gear, I plan on selling much of it, including my trusty G95 and some of my lesser-used lenses. With this new camera, I feel like I can offload a lot of the things that I’ve accumulated with no regrets. I'm so ready for the breathing room.

My Current Kit

I'm currently using a Viltrox 23mm f/1.4 lens, which works out to a 35mm full-frame equivalent. So far, I'm really happy with the lens, though I have already managed to scratch the front element. Luckily, I didn't spend much on it, and the scratch hasn't seemed to impact my photos. One of my favorite things about the lens isn't only the IQ, but also the cost, especially considering that it's an autofocus lens. Like I mentioned before, I'm really looking forward to exploring more third-party options.

It goes without saying, however, that I'm also really looking forward to using some Fuji glass. I have the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2 coming in, which will give me ~50mm focal length. I only really shoot at 50mm when I'm shooting film, so this will be a fun change of pace.

These are just some of my first impressions, so I know I can't sing its praises just yet, but I can say that I feel myself falling into stride much more quickly than I expected. So here's to that.