This last weekend, Nuzira, an up-and-coming camera store in Scottsdale, Arizona, that’s Fujifilm-centric, hosted two awesome events. First, on Friday, I co-lead a photowalk in downtown Arizona with Christopher Berry, Ryan Faer, Darin Watkins, and Lucas White (of Nuzira). Then, on Saturday, Christopher held a portrait lighting class at the camera store. Both were so great! Thank you, Nuzira, for making these happen, and I’m honored to have been a part of it.

The photowalk was awesome! I didn’t count, but my estimated guess is that about 35 people came out, give or take a few. It was a great group, with a lot of interesting conversations. Because of the First Friday Art Walk, it was very busy downtown, and unfortunately—due to the crowds—the group got separated at times; however, I think everyone had a good time, and I’d certainly call it a success. These type of community building events are so important, where face-to-face conversations can be had and friendships can be formed, so I hope to see more of these in the future.

My 11-year-old son, Joshua, came along. This was his first photowalk, and he seemed to enjoy the experience. I let him use my Fujifilm X70. I brought a Fujifilm X100VI, and used a TCL-X100 teleconverter lens for most of the pictures. While I like the 23mm (35mm-equivalent) focal length, I prefer the 50mm-equivalent focal-length just a little more. I want to give a special thanks to everyone who came out—it’s because of you that these events happen.

Above: Fujifilm X100VI – Kodak Portra 400 v2, Kodak Tri-X 400, and Film Dial Recipes

On Saturday morning, Christopher Berry taught a portrait lighting class at the Nuzira store. He’s a talented photographer from Tucson who is insanely skilled at studio lighting. More than 25 years ago I learned studio lighting in college, but that was ages ago, and I don’t remember much—needless to say, I was very rusty. This refresher was long overdue for me, and I’m so glad that Nuzira brought Chris up to teach it. This is something that I’d pay money for, but it was completely free!

The class was great because everyone got some one-on-one hands-on opportunities. It wasn’t just teaching theories, but putting it to practice. While I don’t have much of an interest in portrait photography personally, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of lighting, which is kind of a critical aspect of photography. Thanks, Chris, for all the great information and advice! I learned a lot.

Besides that, I got to see the new Fujifilm GFX100RF and Instax Wide Evo in-person. And there were donuts, too. It was well worth the drive across town. If Nuzira does something like this again, I certainly hope that I can make it, or be a part of it in some way.

Above: Fujifilm GFX100S II & Fujinon 80mm f/1.7 – Film Dial Recipes (the portraits were with the Reala Ace film simulation)

I’d really like to see more photography events happen—not just in Phoenix, but across the country. We can all learn from each other, and in-person connections are, unfortunately, lacking in our modern society. Camera stores, clubs, and manufacturers can help to facilitate events. This shouldn’t be a one-time thing—it would be great to see more photowalks and classes pop up all over the place. I hope they do. And if there is one in your area, definitely make an effort to attend.