December | 2017 | FUJI X WEEKLY

Fujifilm X RAW Studio

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm recently launched X RAW Studio, which is a new RAW photo editing software with a twist. What’s unique is that it uses your Fujifilm camera’s built-in RAW editor to do the actual work. The program basically allows you to view and edit pictures on your computer monitor instead of the back of the camera, but you are still using the camera to post-process.

The latest firmware updates for X-Trans III cameras (plus the GFX-50S) allow you to pair the camera to the X RAW Studio software. For the X100F this was the “big” change with the 2.0 firmware update. If you don’t have the latest firmware update, you can’t use X RAW Studio. As of December 2017, X RAW Studio is only available for Mac, but a Windows version is slated to be released sometime in January of 2018.

To use the software, you must first go into the camera’s settings menu and, under the wrench, choose Connection Setting, then PC Connection Mode, and then USB RAW Conversion. If you don’t do that it won’t work. If you select the USB RAW Conversion setting and you normally upload your pictures to your computer using a USB cable, that will no longer work, so consider how you transfer your photos from your camera to your computer.

Speaking of transferring images from the camera to the computer, I thought that you could do this using X RAW Studio, but you cannot. Even though the camera is attached to the computer via a USB cable, you cannot transfer anything or even view the pictures. You have to transfer your images to the computer before you can use the software. If your files aren’t already on the computer X RAW Studio won’t be able to find them. It would be much more convenient if you could use the software to transfer files from the camera to the computer, and I hope a future update will allow this.

Old Log In Kolob Canyon – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

If your Fujifilm camera is set to RAW or RAW+JPEG, you can use X RAW Studio to edit the RAW files and convert them to JPEGs. The software sends the RAW file through the USB cable back to the camera (where it is processed) and then sends a finished JPEG to the computer. When using the GFX-50S, there is an option to save as TIFFs instead of JPEGs, but it’s only available for that one camera. It would be appreciated if a future update allowed the TIFF option no matter the camera.

The post-processing options that X RAW Studio provides are the exact same ones found on your camera’s built-in RAW converter. Using this software is the same as doing the RAW conversions on your camera. The only benefits are that you can see it on a large screen and you can batch edit. I like that there’s a histogram, and so you get a better idea of what exactly each adjustment is doing. But beyond that, there’s nothing particularly exciting about X RAW Studio.

I was hoping it was something that would give me the flexibility of fixing the occasional exposure that I didn’t get quite right in-camera while not slowing down my process too much. What I found is that it slowed me down a whole bunch, but I was able to fix some photographs that needed work because I screwed up when I captured them. So it was helpful in one aspect and not in another.

I think, for the RAW+JPEG shooter, the best way to use the software is to set aside the RAW files for the occasional pictures that need work, and then use it for those few pictures. If you’re sorting through hundreds of exposures, it’ll take much too long using X RAW Studio. It could simply supplement your current process from time-to-time when needed.

Nagunt Mesa Monochrome – Zion NP, UT – Fujifilm X100F

If you are a RAW-only photographer, I don’t suspect you’ll find much use for this software because you probably paid money for something that’s much more capable. However, if you like the look of the different film simulations, perhaps you might find some use for it. If you are a JPEG-only shooter, this software does nothing for you.

I hope Fujifilm improves X RAW Studio in the future. Besides adding the ability to transfer photos from the camera to the computer with the software and the option to save-as TIFFs, I have a couple of other suggestions that would make it more useful. I think adding a Digital Teleconverter would be great. When you shoot RAW+JPEG you cannot use the camera’s built-in Digital Teleconverter, so having the option to use it in X RAW Studio would be very helpful. Another suggestion would be the ability to crop, even if it is the same simple crop option found in the camera.

Fujifilm’s X RAW Studio is a unique software for converting RAW files to JPEGs. I imagine that some people will find it useful and many will not. It’s brand new, and I think that some improvements are coming in the future, and if done right, it could be a nice tool. I suggest trying it and seeing what you think for yourself. Just keep your expectations low.

Old Log In Kolob Canyon was originally captured in-camera using my Velvia Film Simulation recipe, but, using X RAW Studio, I reprocessed the RAW file using my Vintage Kodachrome Film Simulation recipe. Nagunt Mesa Monochrome was originally captured using my Velvia Film Simulation recipe, but I reprocessed it using my Acros Push-Process Film Simulation recipe.

Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 24, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Roesch Family Christmas 2017 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Merry Christmas from Fuji X Weekly and the Roesch family! I hope this holiday finds you doing well and that all your wishes and dreams are realized. May your tree stay green and fresh until the new year dawns.

My gift to you is a prayer that you will be surrounded by love and peace this Christmas. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year, but when things aren’t going well it can seem especially bleak. The colorful lights, the carefully wrapped gifts under the tree, the classic carols on the radio, these things and more all point to a hope that exists. There is hope. There is always hope, and we must hold onto it tightly and never let go.

Hope brings joy, and joy comes in the morning. Each day begins anew, a clean slate, a fresh start. Make that phone call. Connect with friends and family. Don’t let this time slip away. There is indeed magic in the air. Offer your heart as a gift. Give your time. Give forgiveness. Be the blessing. Be the change. Be the joy.

Christmas is not about the gifts under the tree. It’s not about the stores filled with toys and the half-price sales. It’s never about getting things. Charlie Brown knew this, but it took Linus to explain what this season is about. An undeserved gift given in a humble fashion is what we celebrate. The message is simple: love is the greatest.

Jon, Josh, Joy Downtown – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Amanda, Johanna & I – Ogden, UT -Fujifilm X100F

Food Photography With A Fujifilm X100F

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Scone & Coffee – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

My wife, Amanda, likes to cook and bake. She’s pretty good at it. My kids and I are very fortunate, privileged really, to be able to taste her culinary creations on a regular basis. We are frequently treated to exceptionally tasty food. She’s routinely complimented by friends and family who have the opportunity to try something she’s made.

She hasn’t always been great in the kitchen. That’s not to say that she was bad, but simply that she’s made significant progress, striving for improvement, trying different ideas, and finding new techniques. She is constantly refining recipes. I guess the thing about Amanda is that she always gives 100% with whatever she does, so eventually, with practice, whatever it is will become great. Good isn’t good enough. It’s got to be great, and she will find a way to make it great.

I told her that she should publish a cookbook. She’s got a lot of simple yet great dishes and desserts that she makes that should be household staples across the country. I don’t know if that will ever happen, but it would be a great cookbook if she ever did write it.

I’m not one to snap pictures of whatever it is that I’m eating. But I have occasionally captured the food that my wife has cooked or is cooking. The Fujifilm X100F is an excellent tool for this job, always nearby ready to go and never in the way. I find that natural window light is best. As with any genre of photography, it comes down to light and storytelling. Tell an interesting story and do so in nice light and you’ll have a great picture.

Birthday Cake On A Plate – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Cilantro – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Tomatoes – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Apples – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Holiday Sugar Cookies – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Scone Dough – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Scone Cutting – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Icing On The Sweet Casserole – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Cinnamon Roll Casserole – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Fujifilm X100F Firmware Update 2.0

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Fujifilm just released a brand new firmware update for the X100F. Nothing blockbuster in it, but it’s good to keep everything up to date, so I recommend downloading it when you have a chance. The biggest change is that it will allow you to use Fujifilm’s X Raw Studio software (currently only available for Mac).

Fujifilm X100F Noise Reduction & Sharpening

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

America First Building – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

The Fujifilm X100F has noticeably improved noise reduction and sharpening over the first generation X-Trans cameras. That’s to be expected and may seem like an obvious statement, but it’s important to note because neither were particularly great on the early models. I don’t think it was necessarily a “Fujifilm issue” so much as cameras in general don’t do a great job at those functions, and so many people use software on their computers instead. However, things are better on the X100F, and I let the camera do many things that I wouldn’t have in the past.

I’m not sure if you noticed, but on my early Film Simulation recipes, such as Classic Chrome and Acros, I set Noise Reduction to -2 and Sharpening to +2, while my newer recipes, such as Astia and Acros Push-Process, I set Noise Reduction to -3 and Sharpening to +1. Why the change? What difference does it make?

Noise reduction will make an image look cleaner, but at the expense of sharpness. Digital noise is kind of the modern equivalent of film grain, except that it’s much less aesthetically pleasing, and a lot of people don’t like it. Because of the way Fujifilm programs the X-Trans sensor, digital noise on the X100F (and other Fujifilm cameras) resembles film grain more than typical noise–it just looks better, more analog–and so I don’t mind it being visible in an image.

Johanna & Santa – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Sharpening, which (I believe) on the X100F is a combination of an unsharp mask and micro contrast (clarity), makes an image look more crisp, but at the expense of artifacts and occasional weird effects. Apply too little sharpening and an image will look soft, apply too much and an image will look strange.

Noise reduction and sharpening work together to determine how clean, sharp and detailed a digital photograph is or isn’t. There are compromises that must be made, and keeping things balanced can be tricky. It’s important to not under or over do it with either.

After playing around with the settings, I initially determined that -2 Noise Reduction and +2 Sharpening was ideal. Not too soft, not too noisy, and not too many artifacts and such. I felt like it was the Goldilocks settings. But after a few months of use, I’ve refined it just a little.

One thing that I noticed with the +2 Sharpening is an occasional “Lego Brick” effect on diagonal high-contrast lines. Sometimes I’ll see it, and then zoom in and it’s not there. That’s due to the resolution of the monitor that I’m viewing it on, and that’s not an image quality issue whatsoever. Other times I’ll see it, and when I zoom in the Lego effect remains. That’s due to over-sharpening, and it drives me nuts. American First Building has the Lego effect on the walkway railing just above the glass. I dislike it when my photographs look “digital” because it seems unnatural. I’ve yet to see the Lego effect when using +1 sharpening.

Johanna Out On The Town – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Something I’ve noticed with the -2 Noise Reduction is a very slight waxy skin effect at really high ISOs. This waxy skin effect has been a Fujifilm issue for awhile, and it’s not nearly as bad as it used to be (not even close), so they’ve made significant progress. However, it still rears it’s head occasionally, and a simple fix is -3 Noise Reduction. The trade off is that high-ISO images don’t look quite as clean, and I question if ISO 12800 is actually usable or not because of the amount of noise.

I don’t think there’s a huge difference between -2 Noise Reduction and +2 Sharpening and -3 Noise Reduction and +1 Sharpening. It’s very subtle, and the end results are nearly identical. When you make changes to these setting there are some compromises. There isn’t a “perfect” setting. There are positives and negatives to consider. The photograph above, Johanna Out On The Town, has a little more noise because of the -3 Noise Reduction, but the skin doesn’t look waxy.

Playing around with the settings, I find that -2 Noise Reduction combined with +1 Sharpening leaves an image looking slightly soft. I find that -3 Noise Reduction combined with +2 Sharpening seems to be too much. In the middle photograph, Johanna & Santa, the +2 Sharpening is a little too much when combined with -3 Noise Reduction (note, this photo received some minor post processing). I’m being picky, and you may find what works for you is a little different than what works for me.

While on this topic, something to note is that you cannot turn off Noise Reduction and Sharpening. Zero is just the default standard setting. Even at -4 the camera is applying a small amount of noise reduction and sharpening to the images. That’s the lowest setting, and it’s much too low, in my opinion, unless I was planning to do those things myself in post (in which case I would shoot RAW, and none of this would matter).

Road Trip: Seattle With A Fujifilm X100F – Part 6, Goin’ Home (Day 6 & 7)

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Dock Remnants – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Before leaving town on our final day in Seattle, Washington, we visited one last beach, Picnic Point Park in Edmonds. This rocky beach had great views of Whidbey Island and the Puget Sound. It was a drizzly day, but for the most part the rain paused while we were there, and the sun briefly shined through the grey sky, exposing a beautiful but fleeting blue.

The kids combed the beach for seashells, unusual rocks and anything related to sea life. My wife and I took in the view, breathing in the moist Pacific air. This was going to be our last view of the ocean for awhile, and so we tried to make the moment last as long as we could. We had a great time at this spot.

It was bittersweet to leave, not just this beach but Seattle. The trip had been a lot of fun! It was great to relive old memories and make new ones. Washington is such a beautiful state. We wanted to stay longer, but it was time to go. We had a long day of driving ahead of us.

Umbrella Overpass – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Yellow Bush & Red Berries – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Driftwood – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Across Towards Whidbey Island – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Possession Point In The Distance – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Three Old Dock Posts – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Old Dock Post Remnants – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Kids Throwing Rocks – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Beach Combing – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seashell Hunter – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seashell Found – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Johanna’s Face – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Grey Day At The Beach – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Barnacle Heart – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

White Glove Art – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Coastal Tracks – Edmonds, WA – Fujifilm X100F

The drive across the state of Washington was long. It rained hard and then snowed crossing the mountain pass. It was mostly sunny on the west side of the state. We made good time by making minimal stops, only braking for gas, food and restrooms. The kids did surprisingly well, including the baby–they were all troopers. Our hotel was in Boise, Idaho, and we arrived very late, exhausted from the long trip.

Pumping Gas – Yakima, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Face On The Bathroom Wall – Pendleton, OR – Fujifilm X100F

We awoke the next day to wet weather in Idaho. We took our time leaving because we were no longer in a hurry. Some old friends of ours live in Boise, and we met up with them for a little while before beginning the last leg of our journey.

It was dark before we entered Utah and it was late when we got home. We appreciated that we took our time on this last day, and we didn’t feel so stressed upon arrival. It was good trip, but it was good to be home. It felt good to sleep in my own bed.

The photographs on these last two days were captured using a Fujifilm X100F, all camera-made JPEGs using my Acros Push-Process Film Simulation recipe and my Velvia Film Simulation recipe. I used my wide-angle conversion lens for some of the pictures. One fully charged battery lasted both days.

Three Leaves On Concrete – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X100F

Walk And Not Faint – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X100F

Corvair Corner – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X100F

Wet Parking Lot At Night – Twin Falls, ID – Fujifilm X100F

In the end, after seven days on the road, I captured 792 exposures, keeping 198 of them. That means I had a success rate of one in four, which is incredible! Many of those were personal family pictures, but still, I didn’t delete nearly as many pictures as with other cameras I’ve traveled with in the past. I shared 144 of those images with you in this series of posts. Perhaps I included too many photographs in each section, but I felt it was better to share too many than too few. I hope you enjoyed them!

The Fujifilm X100F proved to be a great travel camera, fitting into my pockets without a problem, never getting in the way, and always ready to capture in whatever environment I was in. The wet weather was no problem. The different light situations were no problem. I came home and had minimal post-processing–almost all of the images from this trip are straight-out-of-camera, no editing. A few needed some minor manipulation, but only a small handful of them.

Even better than the photography was the experience of the trip. People invest a lot of money in camera gear. I find it better to instead invest in experiences whenever possible. Don’t buy that new lens, but go someplace that you’ve never been and use what equipment you already have. Keep your gear simple and be content with it. You’ll be happier for it, I’m sure.

Road Trip: Seattle With Fujifilm X100F – Part 5, Bonney Lake & Tacoma (Day 5)

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Mount Rainier From Bonney Lake – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

For the third full day in the Seattle, Washington, area we planned to explore south of downtown, roughly around Tacoma. After experiencing mostly good weather on the trip, this day saw lots of rain, which is typical weather for the time of year. After breakfast and coffee we got in the car and headed south.

We drove around for awhile, seeing the different suburbs and such. It was wet outside so we didn’t stop much. We found ourselves in the town of Bonney Lake, which is a community situated in the trees with great views of Mount Rainier. The rain briefly stopped, so we got out of the car and relaxed outdoors, just taking it all in. We found a little park for the kids to play and sat by a fire to keep warm, which was very nice. We made our way down a trail through the woods. It really reminded me of the things about the Pacific Northwest that I loved as a kid.

Forest Trail – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Five Yellow Leaves – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Johanna & Mommy – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Keeping Warm By The Fire – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Kids By The Fire – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Road To Mt. Rainier – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

To Keep Us Warm – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Baby Lunchtime – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Salute Your Story – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Where The Fern Grows – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Mount Rainier Behind The Pines – Bonney Lake, WA – Fujifilm X100F

After awhile it was time to leave Bonney Lake and so we made our way to downtown Tacoma for lunch. As a kid I remember Tacoma being a bit of a rundown dump. We discovered that it’s not, but a delightful little city on the coast. I’m not sure if my memory was incorrect, or if they’ve really cleaned the place up. Whatever the case, Tacoma was a pleasant surprise.

We found a tasty restaurant in downtown Tacoma. We wanted to explore downtown, but the weather kept us from doing much. We did manage to walk around a little and see a few local stores.

We got back in the car and explored the area more. We motored across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (and back) and through the Point Defiance Park, but didn’t get out. It was just raining too much, and so we saw the sights by looking out the car’s windows.

The Harmon – Tacoma, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Bleach – Tacoma, WA – Fujifilm X100F

We hopped on a ferry boat and floated onto Vashon Island. I’d always heard great things about Vashon, that it was a beautiful place and a must-see for a visit to Seattle, and I’d never been. It was high on my agenda for this trip.

Unfortunately, the rain came down even harder and we didn’t get to see much. We found a country store and picked up some local jelly. We drove to the Point Robinson Lighthouse on Maury Island (which is connected to Vashon Island). Everyone kept dry in the car while I trudged down a muddy trail to get a picture.

It was beginning to get dark and dinnertime was approaching, so we floated on another ferry to Seattle. We had dinner at a restaurant that I ate at as a kid and remember liking. It tasted exactly as I remembered.

In retrospect, this day included too much driving and not enough fun. We should have explored less and maybe visited a museum. My wife and I agreed that this was the least enjoyable day of the three full days that we were there. Still, we did see some interesting things and there were some great moments. I came away with a few decent pictures.

All of these photographs are camera-made JPEGs from my Fujifilm X100F, using my Acros Push Process Film Simulation recipe, my Velvia Film Simulation recipe and my Classic Chrome Film Simulation recipe. One fully-charged battery lasted the whole day no problem. I left my wide-angle conversion lens at the hotel. Even though the X100F isn’t weather sealed, it got wet a number of times and survived just fine.

Point Robinson Lighthouse – Maury Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 6

Why I Dislike The PASM Dial (And Love The Fujifilm X100F)

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

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When I started out in photography there was no such thing as a mode dial, often called a PASM dial. My first camera, a 35mm Canon AE-1, was all manual. If you wanted to adjust the aperture, you did so by turning a ring on the lens. If you wanted to change the shutter speed, you did so by turning a knob on top of the camera. If you wanted to set the ISO, you did so by turning a wheel around the knob. Sound familiar?

The PASM dial became a standard feature as camera technology advanced. It’s hard to find a digital camera nowadays that doesn’t have it. Turn the dial to “P” for Program mode, turn it to “A” for Aperture-priority mode, “S” for Shutter-priority mode, and “M” for manual mode. It’s supposed to make it easy to move between the different shooting modes.

I was a digital photography holdout. I liked film photography and I thought it was better than digital. I could tell whether an image was captured with film or digitally just by looking at it. There was a quality difference. However, after a number of years had passed, things changed, digital technology made huge leaps, and I purchased my first DSLR, a Pentax camera, about 10 years ago. I’ve been shooting (mostly) digital ever since.

The digital learning curve was steeper than I ever imagined. Photography is photography, right? Wrong. I didn’t realize how much different digital capture was, how much different the cameras were and how the “darkroom” on my computer was nothing like an actual darkroom. It was as if I had to learn photography all over again.

I figured that things like the PASM dial were necessary byproducts of complicated technology. You can’t take something that’s complex and make it simple, you just have to learn how to handle all the features. It is what it is, I figured, and I better get used to it.

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Fujifilm happily proved me wrong, and demonstrated that PASM dials are completely unnecessary. They looked at old film cameras, and figured out how to make complex technology simplified for the user. It boils down to aperture, shutter and ISO. It always has. It’s always been simple, but camera makers moved away from placing it in a simple package.

With the X100F (and other Fujifilm cameras), there aren’t shooting modes. You can create whatever “modes” you want, but this isn’t a mode camera. It’s about controlling what you want to control. And the controls are right where you’d want them to be and operate as you’d expect them to operate. A ring around the lens for the aperture. A knob on top of the camera for shutter speed. A wheel around that for ISO. No PASM, simply set aperture, shutter and ISO to whatever you want them set to.

That makes perfect sense to me. It’s designed for people like me who learned on manual cameras. It’s very natural, simple and logical. But I realize that many photographers have never operated a camera that doesn’t have a PASM dial. Not having modes might be foreign to them. It might take some practice to “get” it.

To achieve Program mode, simply set the aperture and the shutter to “A” and set ISO to whatever you want. To achieve Aperture-priority mode, simply set the shutter (and, optionally, ISO) to “A” and set the aperture to whatever you want. To achieve Shutter-priority mode, simply set the aperture (and, optionally, ISO) to “A” and set the shutter to whatever you want. To achieve manual mode, simply set everything to what you want. For full auto mode, set everything to “A” and you’re there. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

I’m glad the PASM dial is nowhere to be found on my Fujifilm X100F. I don’t like it, I don’t need it and I don’t want it! I just want to control the things that I need to control without moving through unnecessary modes. One reason that I love my X100F is that it doesn’t have modes, and can be controlled simply and logically. I can change the aperture, shutter and ISO to whatever I want them set to without fuss. This is one aspect that makes the camera great.

Road Trip: Seattle With A Fujifilm X100F – Part 4, Downtown Seattle, 2nd Impression: Pike Place (Day 4b)

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Meet Farmers – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

After Seattle Center, the next stop on our agenda was Pike Place Farmers Market. This is another iconic Seattle site, best known for flying fish and the original Starbucks. It’s popular among locals and tourists alike, and so you can imagine that it’s very busy, packed with people.

Trying to find parking was a nightmare. With some patience and luck, we were fortunate to find a space that wasn’t too expensive and was within a reasonable walk. Once we were at the market, the crowds were so thick it was hard to get around, and it was a constant battle to not get separated from each other.

We had a list of places that we wanted to visit. We didn’t get to most of them because there were long lines just about everywhere. We did eat some delicious cheesecake. We saw some fish being thrown, which was a highlight (I really wanted to catch one, but I didn’t want to smell like fish the rest of the day). We bought some colorful local flowers.

Pike Place turned out to be both fun and disappointing. We had a good time at times, but it was overly crowded, and not a good place to take four young kids because of that. We didn’t get to experience everything we wanted, things that my wife and I had talked about for weeks leading up to this trip, but what we did get to experience was enjoyable.

As far as photography, this is a great place for street-type pictures. The biggest issue is that it’s been photographed so much, trying to capture something that hasn’t been done before by hundreds of other people is a near impossible task. Also, I noticed that many of the vendors have signs prohibiting photography, which brings up legal and ethical questions. Still, I enjoyed making exposures at Pike Place and the X100F was a great camera for this location.

Time For The Public Market – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Public Fish Market – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Pure Fish – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Silver Salmon – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Market Snack – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Exiting Entrance – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seattle From Inside Pike Place Market – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Public Parking – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Standin’ On A Corner – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Left Bar – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Quality Always – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Local Grown – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Fresh Crab – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Soiled Babies That Way – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seafood Stand – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Crab Toss – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Pike Place Farmers Market – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Next, we went to the Ballard Locks, which are also known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. This is where boats get lowered into the salty sea water from the fresh lake water or vice versa. The Puget Sound connects to Lake Union (which connects to Lake Washington) through Salmon Bay, which is where the Ballard Locks are located. The lake level is a little higher than the ocean, and the locks allow boats to go back and forth.

We arrived right at sunset, and the light for photography quickly disappeared. We didn’t stay very long, but we did get to see one boat go through the locks. It was the wrong time of year to watch the salmon (something this place is known for), but other sea life was active. It was an interesting stop and the kids had a good time.

Watch Your Lines – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Salmon Bay Boats – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

We ended our downtown Seattle adventure with dinner in the Ballard neighborhood. There’s a small-city-downtown area (that’s how I would describe it) with shops and restaurants. It was well after dark. Parking was terrible (had to circle the area a few times), but we found coffee and pizza that were both excellent. It was a good way to end a great day.

I exhausted the battery on the X100F for the first time, but I had a spare in my pocket. I was pretty much done taking pictures, so I only made a few exposures on the backup battery. I had my wide-angle conversion lens with me, but didn’t use it. All of these pictures are camera-made JPEGs using my Acros Push Process Film Simulation recipe, my Velvia Film Simulation recipe and my Classic Chrome Film Simulation recipe.

Upstairs Clearance – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Strong Coffee – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 5 Part 6

Road Trip: Seattle With A Fujifilm X100F – Part 3, Downtown Seattle, 1st Impression: Seattle Center (Day 4a)

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Downtown Seattle – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 1 Part 2

The fourth day of our road trip was dedicated to downtown Seattle. After finishing breakfast at the hotel, we jumped into the car and drove to Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle, which is perhaps Seattle’s most iconic landmark.

We found parking and coffee and made the short walk to the tall, pointy tower, which we discovered is currently being remodeled. A glass floor is being added to the bottom. Thankfully the Space Needle’s observation deck was still open during construction and the elevator operational. We purchased tickets and had an hour to kill before our scheduled time.

Seattle Center, as it turns out, is home to a lot more than just the Space Needle. There are museums, restaurants, a monorail, a fountain and a park. This was the site of the 1962 World’s Fair, and Seattle has made it a destination. One could spend an entire day at Seattle Center and perhaps not see and do everything. It felt like this was the Pacific Northwest’s version of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, just without the roller coaster and with some homeless loitering.

We didn’t visit any of the museums, although if I had planned the trip better I would have. Instead we walked around for awhile, just taking it all in. We found a guy making huge bubbles, and the kids (ours and stranger’s) were going nuts for this. Soon it was time to take the elevator to the top, and see Seattle from Space… er, I mean, see Seattle from the Space Needle’s observation deck.

Even though I lived a few different places in the Seattle area as a kid, I never once went to the Seattle Center. I had never been inside the Space Needle. I’m not sure why, but my parents never took me there. It was a first-time experience for me as well as my wife and kids.

My three-year-old son would later say that riding the Space Needle’s elevator was his favorite part of the trip. It was a quick and smooth trip up, and soon we were overlooking the Puget Sound area, with spectacular views of the ocean, islands, skyscrapers and even Mt. Rainier. It turned out to be a lovely day to take in the views, with partly sunny skies and tolerable temperatures.

Inside the Space Needle they had some virtual reality goggles set up where you can experience (sort of) skydiving off of the tall building. My two older kids enjoyed this, it was an extra treat for them, the icing on the cake, to this memorable experience.

The Space Needle was a highlight of our trip, and my kids talked about it for days after returning home. It’s an iconic site that’s a must-see for anyone visiting the city. It should come as no surprise that it’s a great place for capturing photographs. Some of my favorite pictures from the trip were photographed here.

I used a Fujifilm X100F to capture these images. I started out with my wide-angle conversion lens attached, then, while at the top of the Space Needle, took it off for a few exposures. These are camera-made JPEGs using my Velvia Film Simulation recipe and my Acros Push Process Film Simulation recipe.

Seattle Grind – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

POF – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seattle Center – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Up Towards Space – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Pointy – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Space Needle Remodel – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Way Up There – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seattle’s Space Needle – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

We Were Here – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Autumn At Seattle Center – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Bubbles In Seattle Center – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Bubble Play – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

The Key To Fun Is Bubbles – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Minimal Amusement – Seattle, Washington – Fujifilm X100F

Bubble Hazard – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Kids At The International Fountain – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Puget Sound Vista – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Looking Pacific Northwest – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seattle From Space – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Downtown Seattle Vista – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seattle Skyline – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Monochrome Seattle – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Questioning Face – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Virtual Boy – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Vive – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Virtual Crowd – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Space Needle Monochrome – Seattle, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Photoessay: Snow Drifts In Acros

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

The first snowfall of the season arrived a couple days ago. About two inches of the cold and fluffy white stuff accumulated on the grass. The kids loved waking up to a winter wonderland of sorts, with snow blanketing the neighborhood

For Utah this wasn’t anything significant, but the temperature remained cold and the snow didn’t melt. The wind kicked up yesterday and created some tiny snow drifts. I noticed that the low winter sun was creating some interesting shadows. It reminded me of sand dunes–miniature sand dunes, only made of snow.

I grabbed my Fujifilm X100F, attached my wide-angle conversion lens, and set the camera to my Acros Push-Process Film Simulation. I chose the wide-angle converter because I wanted to make the pictures more dramatic–I wanted to exaggerate the scene because it was such a small scale. I chose Acros because color was unimportant to the scene, and so black-and-white was the obvious decision. Besides, it would help with the abstract nature of the images.

Here are seven photographs of the tiny snow drifts that I captured yesterday:

White Hill – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Barren Landscape – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Plateau & Cliff – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Little Mound – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Hills & Valleys – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Sparse Vegetation – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Small Cliffs – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Possible New Film Simulation For Fujifilm X100F in 2018: Eterna

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

According to Fujirumors.com, Fujifilm is releasing a new camera next year called X-H1. It’s basically an X-T2, but designed with video in mind. It will be the first Fujifilm X camera made specifically for videographers. Apparently Fujifilm will include a brand new film simulation with the X-H1 called Eterna.

Eterna is the name of Fujifilm’s defunct line of 16mm and 35mm motion picture film, discontinued in 2012, although apparently it could still be found in significant quantities up until a couple years ago. Lomography (and others) have at times sold (in very limited runs) 35mm Eterna film modified for still pictures.

Some movies filmed using Fujifilm Eterna (in no particular order) are The Avengers, American Hustle, The Hunger Games, J. Edgar, Captain Phillips, 3:10 To Yuma, Inglorious Basterds, The Hurt Locker, Slumdog Millionaire, The Awakening, A Good Day To Die Hard, Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire, and many more. You might be surprised to learn that some blockbuster movies are shot on actual film, even in 2017; however, not enough (apparently) for Fujifilm to produce motion picture film anymore.

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It’s hard to say how accurate the Eterna Film Simulation will be compared to actual Eterna film. Sometimes Fujifilm’s film simulations are more about a “look” than being technically spot-on. I personally welcome any new film simulations, even if it’s intended more for video than still pictures. The last two from Fujifilm, Classic Chrome and Acros, are both excellent.

The X-H1 will have the same sensor and processor as the X-T2 and the X100F (and some other cameras), and so it’s possible that Fujifilm will offer a firmware update for the X100F in 2018 that includes the Eterna Film Simulation. I definitely won’t say that they will do this, but simply that they might. It’s not unprecedented, as Classic Chrome was introduced on the X100T, and they made that Film Simulation available for the X-T1 and X-E2 through firmware updates.

I will keep my fingers crossed that the X100F will someday have the Eterna Film Simulation, but I’m not going to hold my breath. Chances are that the X100V (or whatever Fujifilm decides to call the next X100 camera) will have it and the X100F won’t. It will be a “reason to upgrade” I suppose.

Speaking of firmware updates, according to Fujirumors, expect an update for the X100F to be released later this month. Don’t expect anything jaw-dropping to be included, but it is good to keep everything updated.

Road Trip: Seattle With A Fujifilm X100F – Part 2, Whidbey Island (Day 3)

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Deception Pass Beach – Whidbey Island, WA – Fuji X100F

Part 1

For our first full day in the Seattle area we drove to Mukilteo and floated on a ferry over to Whidbey Island. This was my family’s first ferry experience, and my eight-year-old son was especially excited. We enjoyed a smooth, quick ride across the Puget Sound. Soon we were on the island.

When I was a kid I lived in a small three-bedroom home near Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island for over five years, which is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place. I made a lot of great memories there. Right away my mind began recalling things left and right. I was able to point out different places that were significant to me and bring life to many of the stories I’ve told.

Puget Sound Ferry – Mukilteo, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Ferry Watching – Mukilteo, WA – Fujifilm X100F

On The Observation Deck – Mukilteo, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Watching The Water – Mukilteo, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Our first stop on the island was Fort Casey State Park. This was one of my absolute favorite places when I was a kid. I loved climbing all over the old military fort. The dark tunnels seemed endless, and it was always a surprise where exactly you’d pop out into the daylight. It’s a creepy and vast playground that’s seemingly made for boys. Plus it offers great ocean views.

My family loved it! My wife was a little reluctant at first, but as we explored more and more she had a change of heart, and it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for her. The kids still haven’t stopped talking about it.

It was a fun place to photograph. I used to do a lot of abandonment/urban exploration type photography, and this was similar to that (except without the trespassing and much less dangerous). I like that genre of photography (although I rarely do “urbex” pictures anymore), and Fort Casey allowed me to include my family in an abandonment adventure that even young kids could enjoy.

We stayed awhile, touring a large area of the park, yet still left plenty unseen. All too soon it was time to go. After all, it was lunchtime and we were getting hungry.

Fort Casey – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

William Worth – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

The Big Gun – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

No. 26 – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Web of Deterioration – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Wall Ring – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Girl At Fort Casey – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Ladder Climb – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Pinnacle – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Rusted Pulley – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Dark & Forgotten – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Into The Unknown – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Concrete Steps – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Fort Casey Canopy – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

On Top of Fort Casey – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Every Which Way – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Distant Ship – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Wind Swept – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Returning – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Next stop, Coupeville. This quaint island town sits right on Penn Cove. The small downtown is full of historic buildings from the 1800’s and early 1900’s. Coupeville is one of Washington’s oldest settlements (some claim it is the second oldest town in the state, although apparently it depends on how one defines “town”). It’s a quintessential Pacific Northwest coastal community, and a must-stop on the island.

We only stayed long enough to eat lunch. We noticed that the town has a lot of cats (a fact noticed by my eight-year-old son who loves cats). It seemed like a place we could have spent some time, looking through the different shops and such, but we had more on the agenda. We wanted to save some daylight for Oak Harbor, the town on Whidbey Island that I used to live near.

Downtown Coupeville – Coupeville, WA – Fujifilm X100F

White Fence – Coupeville, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Kneed & Feed Cafe – Coupeville, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Whidbey Coffee – Oak Harbor, WA – Fujifilm X100F

As we approached the town of Oak Harbor on Highway 20, many buildings and landmarks became familiar. Some things had obviously changed in the decades that had passed since I was last on the island, but plenty had not. A lot of memories flooded my mind.

After a pit stop and a quick tour of downtown, we found the little yellow house where I lived for several years as a child. We drove around the neighborhood. I pointed out where different stories took place that I’d told my family. We got out of the car and walked down a path that I used to traverse, finding some blackberries that were surprisingly still ripe.

I never had a hometown growing up because we moved all of the time. When people would ask, “Where’s home?” I never had a good answer. Oak Harbor is the closest place to that “home” that I ever experienced, but I hadn’t seen it in over 25 years. I cannot tell you how good it was to go back. My family appreciated this journey, as well.

The Motorcross – Oak Harbor, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Don’t Go Down That Road – Oak Harbor, WA – Fujifilm X100F

The final stop on our Whidbey Island tour was Deception Pass State Park. This is such a beautiful spot on the island! We walked the rocky beach. The kids looked for seashells and sea life, and found two dead crabs. They chased the waves in and out. We breathed in the salty and moist ocean air. We had a great time! We were reminded just how much we love the coast.

The sun was getting low. Soon the short November daylight would be gone. We got back in the car and crossed the well-photographed Deception Pass Bridge. I wished that we could have visited longer, but the time we did have was wonderful. I suppose it means that we’ll have to come back.

I used my Fujifilm X100F to capture all of these photographs, which are camera-made JPEGs using my Acros Push-Process Film Simulation recipe and my Velvia Film Simulation recipe. I brought two batteries but only used one. I left the wide-angle conversion lens at the hotel.