Fuji X-Pro1 Hybrid Viewfinder

A lot has been said about the new Fuji X-E1 camera since its release, in comparison to the Fuji X-Pro1. For me the most significant difference is the lack of the ability to switch between optical and electronic viewfinder with the X-E1. The X-E1 has a 'better' EVF and a built-in flash, but neither was of any interest to me. 

I come from a generation of photographers who cut their teeth shooting film, especially with the old Leica M cameras - in particular the M6. I also shot with a Nikon 8008 SLR. They were two very different cameras for very different shooting situations. At the time I was working as a documentary photographer for which the Nikon was indispensable. I learned my craft as a street shooter using the Leica. When I picked up the Nikon I knew I'd be looking through the lens and with the Leica through the rangefinder. 

Starting my digital journey with the Nikon D700 was a natural transition for me, but I found it to be cumbersome for street work. When I got my hands on the XP1, being able to frame the image with the OVF made me realize just how important having that tool enhanced my ability to shoot effective street. I try to compose my shots so that no cropping will be necessary - to get everything in the frame that I want to be there, and nothing that I don't want to be there. But given that street work requires a fast response to capture a quick moment, it's not always possible to frame exactly. Better too much information than not enough. And better to be able to see what's outside the frame lines to decided whether or not to include it in the shot. 

The only time I find myself using the EVF is when I use my m-mount adapter and my Leica lenses. Which is hardly ever. Although I must say that when I got the m-mount adapter I thought I'd be using it a lot more. The Fuji lenses are just so damned good, I'd rather have all the functionality that comes along with them. 

When I saw this shot I was very close to the subjects and I had the 18mm f2 lens on the camera. I had to act quickly or the shot would have evaporated. I wanted to get the woman's hand motion, the expression on the man's face, and the sterile look of the window dummies. Without the ability to see outside the frame in the OVF I would never have been able to get the composition correctly. 

If I ever have some disposable cash, I would seriously consider the X-E1 as a second body on which to use my Fuji glass, but seeing this shot through an EVF from my initial position would have discouraged me from taking the picture. 

Pretty Women

I received a comment a few days ago about the photos I post on this blog. That's great! I want comments, keep 'em comin'! The blog is set up so that I can moderate comments before they are posted, and this seemed to bother a certain commenter. If I were to post her comments you would understand why. She seems to have something nasty to say no matter the subjects of the blog and/or photos: antisemitic, sexist, racist, whatever .... And she feels she has a right to air her opinions on my blog. I've suggested to her that she find a different blog to read, or better yet, start her own blog. 

The last inane comment she left for me was that I post way too many photos of attractive women. I guess she would like me to balance it out with images of unattractive women, or men, or pics with no people in them, or ....   Unfortunately living close to New York I am always hearing the siren call of the Big Apple, and being a dirty old man I'm naturally drawn to pretty women. That's the nature of the beast and it's not going to change. 

On La Guardia Place

On Spring Street

Grab Health .....

I suggested it, but she wasn't interested.

Knice Knees

I was at a Washington Square reunion yesterday - a group of folkies who used to play around the fountain and under the arch way back in the 1960's get together every year around this time, mostly to see who's still around to show up. I needed to take a break (to light up a cigar) so I took a walk down through SoHo. Always beautiful people on the streets over the weekend.

I enjoyed the views, enjoyed my stogie, and grabbed this shot before I went back uptown to rejoin the festivities around the fountain.

Fuji X-Pro1: What Focus Problem Are You Talking About?

This afternoon I attended an event sponsored by Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ and by Sony. It was an opportunity to photograph bikers and their bikes, along with some models who posed provocatively for the edification and titillation of the attendees. I usually stay away from events such as this, but the opportunity to try out the new focusing flexibility available from the latest Fuji software update for the X-Pro1 was too much to resist.

I usually process my images in Lightroom and with Nik plugins, and present them as b/w images. But I was so totally blown away with the images out of the camera, that I decided to present a number of the images with just a minimum of Lightroom adjustment. The images were shot with the Fuji 35mm lens, RAW, Single focus, with the exposure set to auto ISO, aperture at f8, and shutter at 1/250th second. I did no sharpening or noise reduction processing on these images. Below each image I've noted the ISO speed that the camera selected for the exposure. It was a heavily overcast day, and I did no white balance processing in Lightroom. After framing the image I just quickly depressed the shutter in one fluid motion without waiting for the camera to 'find' the focus (which was lightning fast). Here are the images:

ISO 320

ISO 320

ISO 200

ISO 640

ISO 320

ISO 320

ISO 320

ISO 1000

ISO 640

ISO1250

ISO 2000

Gordon Parks 100th Anniversary

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Gordon Parks, the legendary black photographer who worked for, among others, Life Magazine, there are several exhibits of his photography works in New York City: Gordon Parks: 100 Years is showing at the International Center for Photography, Gordon Parks: 100 moments is being presented at the Schomburg Center, and Gordon Parks: Centennial is now showing at the Greenberg Gallery on West 57th Street.

I saw the last mentioned this afternoon and it prompted me to write this blog entry. When I was studying photography at the New School there were only two ways to see the work of well known photographers - in books about photography or monographs about the photographer, and at photography installations at museums and galleries around town. Now, modern technology being what it is, it's possible to see the works of others on a computer screen. Viewing the works on a screen via the internet is certainly the most accessible form for most of us, and it's free. But to my mind, it's also the least effective way to view photographs. The most effective way is, you guessed it, by seeing the prints in a gallery or museum. Especially if the works to be seen are silver prints made in a darkroom. There is an organic quality about the medium that cannot be duplicated by digital printing techniques. Honestly, I'd be the first to say that I can accomplish digitally what would have been almost impossible in a darkroom. And the digital prints I can reproduce on a high quality photo printer can show more detail and a better tonal range than analog prints. There is, however, something magical about a photograph composed of silver halide crystals laid down on high quality paper stock, especially when the printing is done by a master printer.

For sure, looking at a photograph on a computer screen or in a book allows us to examine the artist's ideas about composition, subject matter, and even all the technical know how brought to bear in making the image. It's just different for me when I see a real live analog print that unfolds before my eyes like a well told story.

But, life being what it is, here's a couple of digital shots, prepared digitally on my computer, and displayed digitally for your enjoyment.

Suffering from SAD?

That's Standard American Diet according to this article in the New York Times. It may be destroying your brain!

OK, that's it for my rant.

I took this shot of a mother and daughter walking on West Broadway. Once again, the light in that particular spot on the street was glorious. Bright sunlight speckled the background, and while they were in the shade of the trees, the sunlight hitting the sidewalk just ahead of them was reflected back to their faces.