Hi ,

I can’t believe that June is almost over! I’ve hardly gotten through all of my Scotland photos, let alone all of the images I’ve shot since I’ve been back. It’s been a pretty busy month so far, but I’m looking forward to less “work time” in July and more “play time;” more hiking, bike riding and of course, flying the little yellow Cessna. 

New Fujifilm X Series Guide in the Works!

I’m working on a brand new eBook right now. It will be an advanced X Series guide designed to show you how to unlock the maximum potential of the Fujifilm cameras.

Picking up where my Tips and Tricks Guide left off, I’ll go through every feature, every shortcut, every menu item and explain it all in a way that you can apply in real life shooting situations. 

I’ve resisted writing a book like this; I didn’t just want to make another camera manual, because honestly, who reads those?

However, after my Advanced X Series talk at Glazers in Seattle earthier this month, it occurred to me, why not write this book? Having used the X Series cameras for almost 6 years in just about every kind of situation, having taught Fuji specific workshops and helped many people with their cameras at trade shows and events, and having worked closely with the Fuji tech reps and product managers, and having answered emails about the cameras from many of you, I thought, who better to write this book? 

I know these cameras inside and out, and so my goal with this book is to teach you how to set up and use the Fujis for optimum performance, based on your shooting style. I’ll show what I feel are the most powerful and usable settings, how to access them quickly, and I’ll also tell you which ones you can ignore. 

As an expert user, my goal is to give you detailed insight that will help you understand how to achieve the highest level of image quality, performance, and most importantly, creative liberation and fun from the X Series cameras. 



I don’t have a release date yet. I’m about halfway through my first draft, so if there is anything you’d like me to address in the book, or if you have specific questions about the cameras or how to do certain functions, this is your chance to ask! Send me an email! Let me know what you want to know or what topics you want me to address! Many of you already have asked me for advice, and so I’ll go through my older emails and try to include some of those issues as well. 

In the end, I want you to be able to enjoy the type of user experience I get from my Fuji cameras so you can spend your time enjoying photography instead of trying to figure out how to make your cameras do this or that, or wondering if it even can.

I also have some open time this summer, so if you find yourself in Alaska and want to do a few hours of private instruction or a custom helicopter glacier excursion or brown bear photo tour, please keep me in mind and drop me a line.

And don't forget about our Fujifilm X Photographers Travel and Nature Summit this fall, September 6-10 in Portland, OR. This will be an excellent chance to learn with four Fujifilm expert shooters, and we'll even have a Fujifilm Tech Rep on hand to answer questions and loan demo gear.




I hope you’re finding time in the longer days to get outside and explore with the camera as we head into the heart of summer.  And I hope you’re spending more time in the creative space and less time at your own mental desk space. 

What do I mean by this?

In my previous email, I talked about histograms. While histograms are certainly important, they pale in comparison to how important the other aspects of photography are, like light, subject matter, background and moment. 

This idea was driving home for me earlier this week when I was surfing around on music recording forums. I see so many parallels between modern music and digital photography. Both are very gear intensive, but in the end, it isn’t really the gear that matters nearly as much as the content.

Anyway, I was reading reviews of a certain software plugin for recording and mixing music, and there were so many people on the message board who were making comments about how that particular plugin had small inconsistencies when compared to the mixing board it was designed to emulate. Page after page spent discussing things like “null tests,” “crosstalk at minus 76-110dBFS,” and “THD+N Measurements.”
 
Don’t worry if you have no idea what any of this stuff means. My point is that in the numerous pages on this forum thread, not one person said anything about how they set the EQ to bring out the best qualities in a lead vocal or a guitar track, or even how the most important aspect of music isn’t about dB or Null Tests, it’s about the performance of human beings standing in front of microphones, drum sets and guitar amps.



It’s the same with photography. No piece of gear is perfect, but almost every piece of gear made today is very good, which means that you have all the tools you need to make great photos.

Don’t be the gear geek who obsesses over things like histograms, the sweet spot on a given lens, or whether you’ll get lower noise if you shoot at native ISO as opposed to “pushing” the image in Lightroom. If you like it, it’s right. If you have fun, it’s right. If you enjoy the creative process, it’s right.

After all, it’s summertime! Get out there and find awesome subject matter and beautiful light! Look for moments and expressions and click the shutter when you think the time is right. Don’t question yourself to much, just live life and have fun capturing scenes you feel excited about and think are worth sharing. 

Austin, The Palouse and Seattle

I traveled quite a bit earlier this month, with events in Austin and Seattle, and three days crashing a Palouse workshop in Eastern Washington led by fellow Fujifilm photographers Jack Graham and Bill Fortney.

To everyone who made the time to come out to Precision Camera and Glazers, and to the people on the workshop, let me say that it was great to meet you! I always enjoy connecting with my readers, it’s one of my favorite things about doing those events. If you saw my talks, I hope you found them informative, or at least amusing. 

Also, thanks so much to everyone who bought my book or USB Educational Collection. Again, I hope you find the info helpful. If you’re one of the people who has read my Outdoor Action and Adventure Photography book, please consider leaving me a review on Amazon.

Also, be sure and check my events page to find out where I’ll be presenting later this year.

A Look at the Fujifilm GFX 50S

I got to babysit the new GFX Medium Format camera while I was in Austin. This was a real treat. Even though I’d gotten to handle the camera, I had yet to actually shoot with it. I took out for a spin on South Congress Street one evening and I have to say, I’m highly impressed with the camera, the quality, the usability; it’s pretty much set up like an X-T2, so it’s a seamless transition from using an X Series camera to the GFX.





Although it’s a little bigger than what I’m used to carrying (I’ve been spoiled by the X Series!), I was surprised at how compact it was, especially for how big the sensor is. Really- it’s enormous. At 51MP, it dwarfs a full frame sensor, but the incredible thing is that the GFX is actually smaller and lighter than most full frame Pro DSLRs. I was blown away when I compared it side by side with the Nikon D810. 



I tried it with the 32-64mm zoom lens, as well as the 63mm (50mm equivalent) and the 120mm macro. By the time I got to Seattle, Fuji had just come out with the fixed 110mm portrait lens, which is stunning. 

Obviously the GFX isn’t for everyone. It’s hardly a pocket travel camera, and it’s certainly not a budget camera, but I see it appealing to a lot of serious full frame Canon and Nikon shooters who would love the combination of Fuji colors and creative options and maximum image quality. If you’re used to carrying a 5D or a D810, a GFX will actually be a reduction in weight for you. You can see more info about the GFX here.

Actus Mini View Camera

While we’re on the subject of slightly larger cameras, I recently got a chance to try out the Actus Mini View Camera. Made by Cambo Photo, the Actus turns your DSLR or mirrorless cameras (They have mounts for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fujifilm X Series and GFX), into a full fledge view camera, with manual tilt, shift and swing controls. I had it for a week and it was really fun! Here’s a short video preview I made about the Actus Mini, look for a full review from me soon.

New Luminar Neptune Update

Earlier this month, Macphun updated Luminar, adding a number of new features and performance tweaks. Some of the new features include an AI slider which acts like an all-in-one Exposure and Color adjustment tool for making your images pop, and a Quick and Awesome Workspace that includes the AI filter, as well as Saturation, Vibrancy and Clarity. 

After all, these are often the first and main tools most photographers reach for when trying to bring out the best of an image. Even when I use Lightroom, Exposure, Vibrance and Clarity are usually the most often used tools. 

I’ve been having so much fun with Luminar during the past few months, and it’s become my go-to software when I want to process my images. What I like about it is that it’s quick when I just need to do a quick tweak to an image or two, and yet it also has a full-featured set of tools and palettes that allow me to do more thorough processing if that’s what’s needed.

I’m a huge fan of the presets. Having never been a preset guy before, I’m coming to realize how this type of workflow helps me be both efficient and creative at the same time. The presets included in Luminar are well thought out, they give a variety of different looks and you can dial them from 0-100, and you can even combine then with any of the other tools. 



Another reason this type of approach seems to work so well for many photographers, me included, is that it prevents you from having the same look all the time. Presets work because they give you a starting place, and that can spark your creativity in ways you might not have thought of before, and even though it sounds like a preset would limit you, they can really open up your options.

Imagine sitting down with an image in Lightroom. You have the entire set of tools in front of you. Where do you start? What do you want your image to look like? Do you just start sliding sliders and see what happens? Do you often end up doing the same thing?

You could, but if you have a set of unique starting points, you can eyeball a few potential looks and grab one that appeals to you, or that you think might work for that particular image. It gives you a head start, and you can either follow that road, or pick another one that might work better. 

I equate it to creative writing. If someone says, “write a story,” where would you start? You could spend most of your allotted time thinking about what kind of story to write. But what if, at the top of the page, it says, “It’s five past midnight and two men rush out of the bank. One of them is bleeding…” 

See where I’m going with this? That’s just a preset designed to spark your imagination. Once it’s fired up, you’ll be off and running. Chances are, you’ll write a better story, and you’ll do it much faster. 

So, whether you use Luminar or another program, I encourage you to try using some presets and see where they take you.

If you’re curious about Luminar, you can download the demo, or use this link and discount code DANBAILEY and save $10 on the program.


 

Gear Corner

I know what I said above, but there’s a lot of great new stuff that’s out now. If you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket, or if you’re just looking for something to make summer a little bit more fun, these things might interest you. Also, check out the complete list of of great Fourth of July deals as well.

Fujifilm

B&H Finally has the new Fuji 50mm f/2 lenses in stock. (Amazon has them as well) This is such an awesome lens, and so classic on the front of my X-T2! I’ve been using it since early March and I can’t shake it. It goes everywhere with me now. I used it extensively in Scotland, I took it to The Palouse, and it’s seeing a lot of use here in Alaska now. 









I love the 50 because it’s so small, fast and light, and it allows you to get a nice degree of telephoto compression without having to carry a bigger telephoto lens or a zoom. As I keep saying, it’s half the size, half the weight and half the price of the 56mm f/1.2, plus it focuses closer and it’s weather sealed. Pound for pound and dollar for dollar, I think it’s a much more useful and practical lens for most people than the 56. 



Fuji has one lens rebate going on right now. If you buy the XF100-400mm lens, you can get either the 1.4X or 2X TC Teleconverter for free. I love the 100-400. I joke that it’s my summer lens, and I although it’s great for shooting birds and wildlife, I love it for shooting distant landscapes. With such a long focal length and an extreme level of compression, you can get some very dramatic imagery, and it’s light enough to carry in your hiking pack. This $450 savings is also available on Amazon. 

Nikon

Nikon has a few rebates going on right now. The D810 is currently $200 off, as is the D750 body. The D750 kit with the 24-120mm lens has an $800 instant rebate. The D500 body is $100 off right now, but all of these rebates end July 1.

Canon

Canon has a few lens rebates, including a $200 savings on the workhorse 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens, the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens and the 24-70mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. The 100mm f/2.8 Macro is $150 off right now. (This is a great lens for shooting portraits and closeup!)
 

Brand New - The DJI Spark Drone: Small, Fun, and Tempting…

So, here's the deal. I’m not a drone guy, but I can see how they could come in handy for a variety of uses. Up to this point, I’ve totally resisted even looking at drones, but the brand new Spark from DJI has me very intrigued. 

At only $500, this compact unit is small enough to slip in the side pocket of most backpacks, and it has some very innovative features, like hand and gesture control, face recognition, a handful of preset flight patterns, terrain sensor, obstacle detection, “return to home,” onboard GPS, sport mode with a max speed of 31mph, subject tracking and a mobile app. It even has a quick start that allows it to launch right from your hand. 

With an onboard 12MP camera, it can shoot photos, intervals and Full HD 1080p video, with a wi-fi downlink right to your phone. It also saves to a micro SD card. For shooting things like stills and clips for social media, this is totally adequate, and having a drone that’s big enough to attach your big camera is totally overkill for most people.

In addition to manual control with either your phone or the accessory remote control, these four preprogrammed flight patterns offer a very easy way to get great stills or footage with classic motion styles.

        ROCKET: Ascend with the camera pointing downward
        DRONIE: Fly backward and upward, with the camera locked on your subject
        CIRCLE: Circle around a given target
        HELIX: Fly upward, spiraling around your subject

I know that not everyone likes drones, and I can totally understand why, but for many people, there is a certain level of fascination for what you can do with them. If you’re been curious, but deterred by the price, size, weight and complexity of most drones, you might want to take a look at the Spark. (It's also available on Amazon and on Amazon UK as well.) As I said, it even looks fun enough to temp someone like me. 

New Manfrotto Travel Tripod - The Element

I’m sure you’ve seen other photographers with those fun little MeFoto tripods with their colored, anodized trip in red, blue and orange. There’s a reason so many people love the MeFotos, especially the Road Trip. They’re lightweight, compact and affordable. They’re perfect travel tripods for people with mirrorless cameras and smaller DSLRs.

Well, Manfrotto obviously took notice, because they just released their own version of the Road Trip. It’s called The Element, and it’s pretty much a copy of the MeFoto, but for $25 less. I’ve owned numerous Manfrotto Tripods and I think they offer great value and performance. If you’re looking for a lightweight travel tripod, you should definitely check out the Element. It's also on Amazon and Amazon UK.

Photography Goodness Around The Web

We’ll start with some amazing photographs. The 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest is open for two more days. Even if you don’t get a submission in, it’s a treat to see some of the fantastic photos that have already been entered. 

One of the things I love most about photography is it’s power to preserve and communicate visual ideas. It’s such an effective medium because it taps into the way that our brains actually store and recall memories.

Memory can be tricky. It’s not always accurate, rather it’s highly representational and often impressionistic, just like great photography. Here’s a very interesting post called From Art to Photography and Why that explores inspiration with regards to art and how we see and perceive the world around us. This one is definitely worth a second coffee/tea break.

Check out this incredible collection of infrared photography of trees called Infrared Silence IV by California fine art photographer Nathan Wirth. If you’re interested in infrared photography, you can have your camera converted, or buy a converted camera at LifePixel.com.

Here’s a brief, concise post about how to fight creative blocks using a problem solving approach, complete with a quote from Albert Einstein. Who doesn’t experience creative blocks? 

We close with some solid advice from Dennis Mook, who is actually one of your fellow subscribers. His piece is called Inerta, Your Friend and Your Photographic Enemy.


 

Thanks for your support!

Some you have asked if there are additional ways you can support my site and this newsletter. Shopping through my B&H Photo and Amazon and Amazon UK links and banners helps me out, even if you’re not buying the specific item I’ve mentioned, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra.

To make it easier for you, I’ve placed small Amazon buttons on my blog home page, and also at the top of my sidebar. Feel free to use these buttons whenever you’re shopping for stuff. 

Thanks and I really appreciate your support. I want to keep helping you guys grow with your photography and that’s one way to keep the free content coming. 

That’s all for this issue, if you found it helpful, feel free to share it with your own friends and followers. 

Take care and have a great month! And remember, let me know if you have any Fuji questions.

Best,
Dan

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