Fujifilm just significantly dropped the price on the X-T2, which is an excellent camera that was their flagship model not very long ago. At the current price, it’s the best Fujifilm X bargain right now. You can get a weather-sealed body for only $100 more than the non-weather-sealed X-T20. Amazing!
I immensely enjoyed attaching a vintage Asahi-Pentax Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 lens to my Fujifilm X-T30 during this week. It’s easy to forget that it’s such a great lens, even though it’s older than I am. It pairs especially well with the two film simulation recipes that I created during these days: Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process and Expired Eterna. The combination of film simulation recipes that produce an analog aesthetic and vintage glass can be a magical experience.
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Lilac – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 50-230mm @162mm – 1/2700, f/10, ISO 640
Monday, May 27, 2019
Fresh Spring Snow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 – 1/1700, aperture unknown, ISO 640
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Grey Flowers – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 – 1/32000, aperture unknown, ISO 51200
Wednesday, May 29, 2019
Dark Cloud Over The Dark Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 – 1/32000, aperture unknown, ISO 25600
Thursday, May 30, 2019
Established 2003 – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 – 1/170, aperture unknown, ISO 25600
Friday, May 31, 2019
Boots on the Carpet – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 – 1/220, aperture unknown, ISO 25600
Saturday, June 1, 2019
Purple Bloom – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & Asahi Auto-Takumar 55mm f/2.2 – 1/220, aperture unknown, ISO 160
I’m asked fairly regularly for suggestions on what gear to buy. One common question is what’s the best camera for a beginner to get into the Fujifilm system. My top recommended camera has been for awhile and still is the Fujifilm X-T20, because right now there’s not a better bang for your buck. It’s a camera you can grow with and keep for awhile, yet not overwhelming for beginners. The X-E3 would be a close second place. If you plan on shooting a lot of video, perhaps consider the X-T30 instead. If the X-T20 is too expensive for your budget, the X-T100 is a good inexpensive alternative. If money is no object, you can get into medium-format for only $5,000, which was unfathomable until very recently.
Fujifilm X Cameras:
Fujifilm X-T3 (Body Only) $1,400
Fujifilm X-T3 w/18-55mm lens $1,700
Fujifilm X-T20 (Body Only) $700
Fujifilm X-T20 w/16-50mm lens $800
Fujifilm X-T20 w/18-55mm lens $1,000
Fujifilm X-T30 (Body Only) $900
Fujifilm X-E3 (Body Only) $700
Fujifilm X-T100 w/15-45mm lens $500
Fujifilm X-Pro2 (Body Only) $1,500
Fujifilm X-H1 (Body Only) w/power grip $1,300
Fujifilm X100F $1,200
Fujifilm XF10 $450
Fujifilm X Lenses:
Fujinon 8-16mm f/2.8 $1,900
Fujinon 10-24mm f/4 $900
Fujifilm 14mm f/2.8 $650
Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 $900
Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 $1,100
Fujinon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 $800
Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 $650
Fujinon 23mm f/2 $400
Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 $400
Fujinon 50mm f/2 $345
Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 $1,500
Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 $900
Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 $400
Fujinon 80mm f/2.8 $950
Fujinon 90mm f/2 $850
Fujinon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 $1,700
Fujifilm GFX Cameras:
Fujifilm GFX 50R (Body Only) $4,000
Fujifilm GFX 50R w/63mm lens $5,000
Fujifilm GFX 50R w/32-64mm lens $5,800
Fujifilm GFX 50S (Body Only) $5,500
Fujifilm GFX100 (Body Only) $10,000
Fujifilm GFX Lenses:
Fujinon GFX 23mm f/4 $2,100
Fujinon GFX 32-64mm f/4 $1,800
Fujinon GFX 63mm f/2.8 $1,000
Fujinon GFX 100-200mm f/5.6 $1,500
Fujinon GFX 250mm f/4 $2,800
As always, nobody pays me to write the articles that you find on Fuji X Weekly, so using my Amazon affiliate links is pretty much the only way to financially support this website. I would never ask you to buy something that you didn’t want, but if you were already planning to purchase something, it’s greatly appreciated if you did so using my links. It definitely helps! I want to give a special thank you to those who have done this already.
Red Tricycle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
I used to shoot film. I don’t much anymore, but I was one of those crazy holdouts that refused to go digital when it seemed as though everyone else had. Eventually I succumbed, and I’ve been shooting digitally for awhile now. One thing that I appreciate about Fujifilm cameras is that they produce images that are a little more film-like and a little less digital-esque than other camera brands. This shouldn’t surprise anyone as Fujifilm started out as a film company. On Fujifilm cameras one will find many great film simulation options. The most recent addition is Eterna, which is modeled after their motion picture films, but it can be made to resemble color negative film. What I appreciate about film is it has character that’s often lacking in digital cameras.
While Eterna was a motion picture film, it was also made and sold in limited quantities for still photography. A Fuji X Weekly reader recently purchased and used an expired roll of Eterna and shared one of the pictures. Using expired film is always an interesting endeavor because you don’t know exactly what you’ll get. Depending on the film, how long it has been expired and how it was stored, the results can vary significantly. The picture that the Fuji X Weekly reader shared had a purple color cast, which is a common trait of expired film.
There are many reasons why an analog picture might have a purple color cast, not just because the film expired. If the film was exposed to too much heat (such as left in a hot car) the pictures might have a purple cast. If a print or slide isn’t stored correctly it could turn purple over time. I’ve seen cross-processed film produce a purple color cast. You can even buy purple film. While I’ve called this recipe “Expired Eterna,” it’s not necessarily meant to exactly mimic expired Eterna film, but to produce an analog film look that could have turned purple for any number of reasons, including but not limited to being expired.
American Debt – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
You might notice that I didn’t include an ISO setting in this recipe, and that’s because you can use any ISO you’d like. I got interesting results all the way up to ISO 25600. In fact, you might use an ultra-high ISO on purpose to get a certain look that you can’t get at a lower ISO. Trying this recipe at different ISOs is a fun experiment. It’s also interesting to see the results you get from different exposures, whether slightly overexposed or underexposed. Expired Eterna is a fun recipe to play around with, and I enjoyed pairing it with vintage lenses.
Eterna
Dynamic Range: DR100
Highlight: +4
Shadow: +4
Color: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Weak
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & +5 Blue
Exposure Compensation: -1/3 to +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs using this recipe on my Fujifilm X-T30:
Bloom Purple – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Pink Paper Flower – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Sunlight Through The Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Backlit Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Rural Evening – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Country Trees – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Cottonwood Trunk – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Little Flowers & Stone – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Rosebud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Country Foot Bridge – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Boy Behind Chain-Link – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Orange Cones – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Reaching Rosebud – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Sycamore Leaf – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Dusk Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Mountain View Evening – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Spring Sky Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Sunset Whisper – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Dramatic Sky Behind Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Bright Storm Clouds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Grey Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Disk Girl – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Jo In A Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Wearing Grandpa’s Hat – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Lady’s Sun Hat – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Girl Climbing Bleachers – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Number of Intersecting Lines – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
One Through Six – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Parked RV – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
American Suburb – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Light Flag – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Green Spray Bottle – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Curious Kitchen Curios – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
High ISO:
Cirrus Clouds – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800
Sycamore Sky – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800
Cottonwood – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 12800
Cottonwood Cotton – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 25600
Old Wheelbarrow – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna” – ISO 25600
“Expired Eterna” for X-Trans III:
Bottle Vases – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – “Expired Eterna”
Alternate recipe using PRO Neg. Std instead of Eterna.
I know that not every Fujifilm camera has the Eterna film simulation. Right now Eterna can only be found on the X-T3, X-T30, X-H1 and the GFX line. For those who don’t have it, I’ve made an alternative recipe that produces similar results using PRO Neg. Std. I found that Shadow set to 0 isn’t quite strong enough, but +1 is too strong, so pick whichever you like better. While the results aren’t 100% identical, it’s still a pretty close match. You do have to drop the exposure by about 1/3 stop compared to using Eterna. I hope that this is useful for some of you.
PRO Neg. Std
Dynamic Range: DR200
Highlight: +1
Shadow: 0
Color: 0
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
White Balance: Auto, +5 Red & +5 Blue
Exposure Compensation: -2/3 to 0
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Do any of you ever visit Ken Rockwell’s website? If you don’t know who that is, he’s very popular, I think mainly because he was one of the very first photography bloggers and he has strong opinions. I visit his page every now and then. Anyway, he likes to say that Fujifilm cameras are great for people pictures, but not good for other types of photography because Fujifilm cameras don’t produce vivid colors. I think if he tried my X-T30 Velvia recipe, he might change his mind on that. Fujifilm cameras are very much capable of delivering vivid color photographs right out of camera. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this set of color images.
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Rainy Day Rose – Meridian, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm – 1/200, f/8, ISO 2000
Monday, May 20, 2019
Treeline Impressions – Eagle Island SP, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm – 1/900, f/8, ISO 640
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Snake River Through Twin Falls – Twin Falls, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm – 1/1100, f/9, ISO 640
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Spring Green, Winter White – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/7500, f/5.6, ISO 640
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Jo’s Breakfast – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/170, f/2.8, ISO 6400
Friday, May 24, 2019
Yellow Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/900, f/4.5, ISO 640
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Blue Sky Flag – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm – 1/1000, f/11, ISO 320
Snake River Through Twin Falls – Twin Falls, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
I’m amazed at how big the Fuji X Weekly blog has become. When I started this website I thought it was going to have a handful of subscribers and maybe a couple hundred views daily, maybe. I never imagined it becoming what it is now.
I transformed the blog from the original concept, which was initially a Fujifilm X100F journal, expanding it to all things Fujifilm, but focused on my personal experiences with the brand. Of course, the big thing is all the film simulation recipes. That’s the reason why most people found this blog and what a lot of people appreciate about it. The top 15 most viewed posts of all time are related to film simulation recipes. I’m always getting requests for different film simulations. I really wish that I had more time to focus on creating all sorts of different recipes. There are a few that I’m currently working on as time allows.
The month of May was a big one for Fuji X Weekly. It seemed as though monthly viewership had plateaued. For five straight months this blog received over 40,000 views, but never reaching the 50,000 mark. This last month, however, saw over 57,000 views from over 15,000 unique visitors. There are also over 300 subscribers now. The total views this year has already surpassed last year’s total. May was amazing! All of this is way beyond what I ever thought possible.
I appreciate all of you. I’m so happy you have chosen to be a part of this blog. I have several things that I’m hoping to implement in the coming weeks and months to make Fuji X Weekly even better. And stay tuned for more film simulation recipes, because I will continue to create them. There’s obviously a need, and I’m happy to help with that. Thank you for supporting this website. Thank you, Fuji X Weekly readers, for visiting, commenting, and sharing. I’m just an ordinary guy doing this, you all are extraordinary and make this what it is.
A side note that I’d like to pass on is a photo contest on Instagram (not by me, I’m not affiliated with it whatsoever). You can find the details on Instagram @meerophoto or by visiting fisheyemagazine.fr. The winner gets a Fujifilm X-T30. Check it out if that’s something you are interested in participating in. If one of you happens to win, be sure to let me know.
Colorful Cactus Blooms – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
When most people think of Arizona, they picture dry dusty deserts and sprawling cities. It’s hot. It’s brown. It’s inhospitable. There are endless rows of look-alike stucco homes. Many people might be unaware that the desert bursts with color in the spring. Arizona isn’t just brown, there are vibrant greens, blues, reds, yellows, purples and other colors, especially in the spring, which is my favorite season in the state.
Arizona isn’t all desert, either. While it may be best known for the Grand Canyon, you might be surprised to learn that the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world is in Arizona. There are tall mountains and even winter skiing. The state is full of surprises. It’s one reason why I love Arizona and appreciate visiting whenever I can.
Yellow Palo Verde – Black Canyon, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
I used to live in Arizona. Back when I was barely an adult, the Air Force sent me to live in Arizona. I met my wife there. My first two kids were born there. I have a deep fondness for the state. I would love to live there again someday. It’s a wonderful place for photography. I highly recommend grabbing a subscription to Arizona Highways magazine to see many wonderful pictures of the state. A fact that you might be surprised to learn is that Ansel Adams was frequently published in that magazine back in the day. Many great photographers were, and still are.
The photographs in this article were captured a few weeks ago. I used my Fujifilm X-T30 camera with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens and a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens, which are both excellent examples of Fujifilm’s great glass that they’ve become renown for. I hope that you enjoy this variety of photographs that demonstrate there’s more color in Arizona than one might initially think.
Pine In The Sky – Flagstaff, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Green Leaves – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Agave Green – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Cactus & Blue Sky – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Palo Verde In The Windy Blue – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Palm – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Vultures In A Tree – Wickenburg, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Wildflowers & Stone – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Impatient? Stop & Smell – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Yellow Rose of Arizona – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Little Bloom Design – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Yellow Blossom Flowers – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Splash of Red Among Green – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Bougainvillea Bloom – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Bloom In The Rocks – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Blooming Cactus Landscape – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Red Prickly Pears – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Beginning To Blossom Red – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Desert Landscape – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Spring Saguaro – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Yucca Bloom – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Cactus Blooming Red – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Red Ball Fruit – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Barrel Cactus – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Cactiscape – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Prickled – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Pops of Yellow – Black Canyon, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Yellow Desert – Black Canyon, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
One Barrel Cactus Bloom – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Red Spiky Blooms – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Red & Purple Desert Blossoms – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Bicycles Exempt – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
I found myself last week in Boise, Idaho. I’d passed through Boise a couple of times before, staying overnight in a hotel traveling between Salt Lake City and Seattle. I’d seen very little of the city. This visit to Boise included a little longer stay and a chance to actually see the place, at least a little.
One thing I discovered is that downtown Boise is a very nice place! I had no idea. It’s colorful, clean and lively. It’s not as large as Salt Lake City’s downtown, which is no surprise as Boise is a smaller city, yet it feels large enough. There are interesting structures, green spaces, restaurants and local stores. It has plenty of character. It feels a little like a miniature Portland, minus some of the weirdness. It’s probably safer than Portland, too. This is to say that downtown Boise is much more interesting than I expected, and it was a pleasant visit.
Principal Property Pinnacle – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Unfortunately, I only had the opportunity to walk around a few blocks. I wanted to explore more, but I just didn’t have the time. Downtown Boise seems like a place where one could come to over and over for street and urban photographs. There seems to be plenty of photographic opportunities. Who would have thought? Not me. Even though it was a short visit, I’m glad that I discovered this unexpected gem. I hope to return soon for more photography.
I used a Fujifilm X-T30 and Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens for these photographs. Some people might say that the 50mm-equivalent focal length of the 35mm lens is not good for this type of photography, that a wide-angle lens is a much better choice. While I do like wide-angle lenses for street photography, the nifty-fifty can still be used effectively. Use what you have to the best of your abilities and you’ll be surprised at what you create.
B&W:
We Recycle – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Steunenburg Statue – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
The Hart of Downtown – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Divergent Textures – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Aloft Windows – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Color:
Hidden Dome – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Capital Dome – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Colorful Alley – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Alley Trash – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Strolling Alone – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
Boise Idaho – Boise, ID – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm
It’s better to be lucky than good.
This film simulation recipe was a mistake. I discovered it when I accidentally chose ISO 51200 instead of Auto-3 ISO. In my hurry, I scrolled down one too far, which took me from the bottom to the top, and I didn’t notice that I had inadvertently selected the highest possible ISO. I wouldn’t normally, or really ever, use ISO 51200. Even on most full-frame cameras, that high of an ISO is pushing the capabilities of the camera. It’s beyond what most would ever think of using on an APS-C camera. I’ve often wondered why Fujifilm even made it an option. Yet on Memorial Day I made a few exposures with it, not even realizing it.
Memorials – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – ISO 51200
Little Flags – South Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 – ISO 51200
When I reviewed the images that I had captured, I was reminded of some photographs I made four years ago when I pushed a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film by one stop. Push-processing is a technique where you underexpose film and increase the development time to make up for it. You are essentially increasing the exposure in the lab using chemicals. The result is a higher-contrast image with more pronounced grain. Sometimes you would do this because the ISO of the film wasn’t high enough to make a good exposure, and sometimes you’d do this just for the aesthetics of it. Different films respond differently to push-processing, and different films have different tolerances to how much they can be pushed. While HP5 Plus is a good film, it’s not typically considered one of the best for push-processing, but the results can still be good, especially if you don’t push it too much.
Here are some push-processed Ilford HP5 Plus 400 pictures that I captured several years back:
Whiskey Pete’s – Primm, NV – FED 5c – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop
Grand View – Las Vegas, NV – FED 5c – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop
I-15 Travelers – Las Vegas, NV – Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Pushed 1 Stop
After seeing the ISO 51200 results from my Fujifilm X-T30, I decided to make some more ultra-high ISO black-and-white pictures. What I discovered is that for contrasty and grainy B&W pictures, ISO 51200 on the X-T30 is not only usable, but it can produce film-like results that are similar to push-processed Ilford HP5 Plus 400 film. A negative aspect of ISO 51200 is that it can sometimes produce “smudgy” results, especially in grass. It doesn’t always do that, but it sometimes does, so I would say that this maximum ISO should be used with care. Taking the ISO down one stop to 25600 seems to remedy this, and delivers similar results to the higher ISO images. ISO 12800 is almost not grainy or contrasty enough, but it’s very close and is also usable for this recipe should you need to drop the ISO.
You might notice that this recipe is quite similar to my Tri-X Push Process recipe, mostly just a higher ISO and added grain. I like that recipe a lot and I think it also delivers analog-like results. Even though it’s based on the same film, there are several differences between this recipe and my original Ilford HP5 Plus recipe. This one is much less “clean” and is fun to pair with vintage lenses. Also, this recipe can be used on X-Trans III cameras, except (obviously) you ignore Color Chrome Effect. I tried it on an X-T20 and it looked good, even at ISO 51200 (see the very top picture in this article).
Acros (Acros+Y, Acros+R, Acros+G)
Dynamic Range: N/A
Highlight: +3
Shadow: +4
Noise Reduction: -4
Sharpening: -2
Grain Effect: Strong
Color Chrome Effect: Strong
Toning: 0 (off)
ISO: 25600 or 51200
Exposure Compensation: +1/3 (typically)
Example photographs, all camera-made JPEGs captured using my Ilford HP5 Plus 400 Push-Process Film Simulation recipe:
Home Builder – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Crop from the above ISO 51200 image.
Exchanging Money – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Crop from the above ISO 51200 image.
Can Money Buy Happiness? – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Girl Playing A Game – South Weber, Utah
Chance Taker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Thinker – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Birds In The Kitchen – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
River Tree – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Riverbank – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Grey Flowers – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Hiding Grey Flowers – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
White Bloom – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Dark Cloud Over The Dark Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Bulldog – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Oil Change – Uintah, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
See also: My Film Simulation Recipes
Help Fuji X Weekly
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$5.00
Another week of pictures complete! There were a few days where I only made a couple of exposures. As summer approaches, it seems that my schedule has become more full, and squeezing in photography has become more difficult. Thankfully, the hill behind the house has given me a good show, transforming from a snow-capped winter mountain to a grand green grade, sometimes with dramatic clouds. Still, my attempt on Thursday was less than stellar, and I only captured a couple of uninspiring images. Coming down the home stretch of this project, I need to focus my energy on ensuring that I’m actually making a good picture each day, and not lazy attempts just to have something to show.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Yellow Palo Verde – Black Canyon, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm – 1/950, f/10, ISO 320
Monday, May 13, 2019
Colorful Grand Staircase – Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/2000, f/7.1, ISO 320
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Winter Gives Way To Spring – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/4700, f/6.4, ISO 320
Wednesday, May 15, 2019
Shadow of Winter, Light of Spring – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/900, f/8 ISO 320
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Overcast Spring Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/900, f/8. ISO 320
Friday, May 17, 2019
Fresh Snow On The Green Mountain – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 50-230mm @80mm – 1/1700, f/8, ISO 320
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Apple Blooms to Apple Blooms – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm – 1/950, f/7.1, ISO 320
Warm Rock & Blue Sky – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
A couple of weeks ago I passed through Sedona, which is an incredibly beautiful town in northern Arizona. Sedona is surrounded by amazing red rock formations. The place feels like it should be a national park, but it isn’t. It’s a tourist town, and people come to see the rocks. It’s the subject of many photographers’ attention. You’ve likely seen pictures of Sedona in magazines and calendars. I had the chance to stop in Sedona in the early afternoon for lunch while travelling between Phoenix and Flagstaff. I didn’t stay for nearly long enough, only to eat and capture a handful of pictures. Sedona is one of those places you want to see over and over, and I wish that I lived closer to it so that I could photograph it more often.
Some would say that the middle of the day, when the sun is high in the sky, is a terrible time for landscape photography. The golden hour is when you should be out with your camera. While it’s true that around sunrise and sunset is a great time for photography, anytime can be a good time. Just because the sun is high, drenching the scene in harsh light, doesn’t mean that one can’t capture a decent picture. Today’s cameras, such as the Fujifilm X-T30 that I used for these photographs, have a great dynamic range latitude, and can handle the bright highlights and deep shadows surprisingly well. While it’s best to attempt to capture a subject in the best light possible, if that’s not practical you do the best you can with the light you have.
Something that I did have going for me were clouds. I prefer a partly-cloudy sky over an endless blue sky for landscape photography. Even an overcast sky can sometimes be more interesting than a cloudless one. Clouds add interest to the scene and can sometimes have a positive effect on the light.
I hope that you enjoy these color photographs of Sedona, Arizona!
Dead Tree & Red Rock – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Hint of Red on a Green Hill – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Green Shadow & Highlights – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Illuminated Rock – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Red Rock Behind The Treetops – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Red Rocks of Sedona – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Red Rock Formations – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Clouds Behind Red Rocks – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Light Red & Dark Green – Sedona, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Fujifilm just officially announced the highly anticipated 100-megapixel medium-format GFX100. This camera is most certainly a beast designed for professional photographers who need a beast camera. It has it all, including ridiculous resolution that’s far beyond what the majority of people need. It’s an all-around amazing camera, as it should be for the $10,000 price tag. While that price might seem high, it’s actually not when you consider that a 100-megapixel Hasselblad costs nearly 50 thousand dollars and a 100-megapixel Phase One costs around 30 thousand. The Fujifilm GFX100 undercuts those by a significant amount, an understatement if there ever was one. Heck, I remember when the 40-megapixel Pentax 645D was introduced, and it was celebrated as the cheapest medium-format digital camera ever made, with an MSRP of “only” $10,000. While the GFX100 is by far the most expensive camera in Fujifilm’s lineup, it’s actually quite a bargain for those who can afford it.
This new camera is clearly intended for a small number of photographers. For the vast majority of people, the GFX100 is extreme overkill. There are people that do need this tool, and those people know who they are. Fujifilm hopes to entice them to buy into their system. My guess is that Fujifilm won’t make much, if any, money from this camera, but they’re hoping to sell some lenses, which is where the real profit margin is. The question is whether or not this camera is worth the extra price over the GFX50R or GFX50S, which can be had for much less and are nearly as good. I personally would love to have any one of them, but they’re well outside of my budget.
Something interesting that I wanted to share (that’s remotely relating to all this) is this last weekend I saw some beautiful large prints of amazing landscapes, such as the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier. Many of these prints were 2′ x 3′, some were a little larger. They looked great! When I stepped close to examine the pictures, say within 18″ of the prints, they were noticeably soft. From three feet away they looked amazing. Most people wouldn’t take the close look that I did and they’d never notice the softness. I have no idea what gear was used to capture those pictures. What I do know is that images captured from cameras like the Fujifilm X-T30 wouldn’t even be soft at those print sizes, unless I used a lesser lens or poor techniques. It makes me wonder how many people really need 50-megapixels of resolution, let alone 100-megapixels. Surely there are some who make wall-sized prints that will be viewed closely and they need a camera like the GFX100, but by far most do not. Most photographers would get pretty much the same exact results from the Fujifilm X-H1, since they’ll never print large enough to take advantage of the extremely high resolution sensor. Still, different people have different wants and needs, and this camera will fulfill that nicely for that small group. If you are one of those in that group, June 27th, which is when the GFX100 will be released, will be a great day for you.
I’ve searched Amazon, and the X-T20 is the current best bargain for Fujifilm X cameras. It can be had for as little as $700, which is an incredible deal for what is an excellent camera! Currently the best discounts are with Fujinon lenses and the GFX system. If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a new lens, now might be a good time. If you have a bunch of spare money sitting around, you could get started with the GFX system for only five grand, which is an incredibly low price for digital medium format photography.
Fujifilm X Cameras:
Fujifilm X-T3 (Body Only) $1,400
Fujifilm X-T3 w/18-55mm lens $1,700
Fujifilm X-T20 (Body Only) $700
Fujifilm X-T20 w/16-50mm lens $800
Fujifilm X-T20 w/18-55mm lens $1,000
Fujifilm X-T100 w/15-45mm lens $500
Fujifilm X-Pro2 (Body Only) $1,500
Fujifilm X-H1 (Body Only) w/power grip $1,300
Fujifilm X100F $1,200
Fujifilm XF10 $450
Fujifilm X Lenses:
Fujinon 8-16mm f/2.8 $1,900
Fujinon 10-24mm f/4 $900
Fujifilm 14mm f/2.8 $650
Fujinon 16mm f/1.4 $900
Fujinon 16-55mm f/2.8 $1,100
Fujinon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 $800
Fujinon 23mm f/1.4 $650
Fujinon 23mm f/2 $400
Fujinon 27mm f/2.8 $400
Fujinon 50mm f/2 $345
Fujinon 50-140mm f/2.8 $1,500
Fujinon 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 $500
Fujinon 56mm f/1.2 $900
Fujinon 60mm f/2.4 $400
Fujinon 80mm f/2.8 $950
Fujinon 90mm f/2 $850
Fujinon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 $1,700
Fujifilm GFX Cameras:
Fujifilm GFX 50R (Body Only) $4,000
Fujifilm GFX 50R w/63mm lens $5,000
Fujifilm GFX 50R w/45mm lens $5,200
Fujifilm GFX 50R w/32-64mm lens $5,800
Fujifilm GFX Lenses:
Fujinon GFX 23mm f/4 $2,100
Fujinon GFX 32-64mm f/4 $1,800
Fujinon GFX 45mm f/2.8 $1,200
Fujinon GFX 63mm f/2.8 $1,000
Fujinon GFX 100-200mm f/5.6 $1,500
Fujinon GFX 110mm f/2 $2,300
Fujinon GFX 120mm f/4 $2,200
Fujinon GFX 250mm f/4 $2,800
As always, nobody pays me to write the articles that you find on Fuji X Weekly, so using my affiliate links is pretty much the only way to financially support this website. I would never ask you to buy something that you didn’t want, but if you were already planning to purchase something, it’s greatly appreciated if you did so using my links. It definitely helps. I want to give a special thank you to those who have done this already. You have made several improvements to the Fuji X Weekly experience a reality, and more improvements are in the works. Thank you!
This week included a lot of travel. Early in the week saw a short trek to Wyoming followed by a much longer drive to Arizona. Some days were more photographically prolific than others, with Monday and Friday as the most productive. This week features all color photographs. I hope that you enjoy!
Sunday, May 5, 2019
Red Shed, Green Tree – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/2200, f/8, ISO 640
Monday, May 6, 2019
UP 4014 & UP 844 Racing West – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm f/2 – 1/950, f/10, ISO 400
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
God Knows If You’re Prepared – Las Vegas, NV – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm f/2 – 1/5000, f/4.5, ISO 320
Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Palm – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm f/2 – 1/1700, f/8, ISO 320
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Closed Umbrella – Surprise, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/2400, f/5, ISO 320
Friday, May 10, 2019
Colorful Cactus Blooms – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/450, f/10, ISO 320
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Neon Pink – Glendale, AZ – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/200, f/5, ISO 1250
Big Boy – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
After leaving Richardson Draw, we followed the line of cars to Evanston, Wyoming, to watch the big steam locomotives chug into town. This is where the Union Pacific “Big Boy” #4014 and U.P. #844 were going to park for the rest of the day. I had a couple of ideas where a good spot to watch and photograph the action might be, but ended up going with the crowd to the Walmart parking lot, which turned out to be a decent enough location. There was a large group already gathered when we arrived.
It didn’t take long for the steam train to appear and gradually crawl closer. It was moving much slower this time. The train soon came to a stop and the crew climbed down out of the locomotive cab. There were conversations among the railroad employees. Some of them began to move some large rocks out of a rock pile that was next to the tracks near the front of the Big Boy. Apparently, because the #4014 is so large and swings so wide on curves, they didn’t think it would clear the rocks. We watched a little while, then headed for some breakfast, as it was now late-morning and we had not eaten.
After breakfast, we found the train parked just a little ways down from the rock pile. This is where the railroad would park it overnight. A group of spectators were gathered around the train snapping pictures and taking in the sight. My kids enjoyed seeing the steam locomotives up close. They could feel the heat and see steam escaping from different places on the engines. There were members of the steam crew busily working, doing all sorts of different jobs. I imagine that it takes much effort to maintain a large steam engine. There’s a lot more to do than just park it and extinguish the fire. I was fascinated by this aspect of the operation and focused my photographic attention towards that. My favorite pictures are those of the crew doing their different jobs. I would love to spend more time and energy capturing those types of images. Soon it was time to drive home, and our Big Boy adventure came to a close.
I used a Fujifilm X-T20 (my wife’s, actually) with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens and a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens to capture these pictures. It was a good call to avoid changing lenses as there was a lot of dust, especially at Richardson Draw. I’m pretty happy with the photographs that I captured. I felt like I did the best that I could with what I had. If there was more time available to me, perhaps I could have found the train in better light and in a more interesting location. Still, I think I managed to create at least a few interesting pictures that are different from those captured by others. I feel like my images tell a story. That was the point: to have a story to tell about this historic event. Not only do I have that story in pictures, but my kids have it in their minds, and they will carry it with them for many years to come.
Steam Crew (Color)
Climbing Down From The Cab – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Discussing The Big Issue – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Three Railroaders & A Big Boy – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Discourse – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Moving Rocks – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Steam Maintainers – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Oil Containers – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Carrying Hoses – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Hose Work – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Tender Latch – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
It Takes Two – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Teamwork – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Greasework – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Steam Crew (B&W)
Thirsty – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Engineer Reaching – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Water Test – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
The Engineer – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Steam Conductor – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Shop Talk – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Climbing Aboard – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Evanston Steam (Color)
Safety First – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Big Boy X4014 – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
U.P. 844 Bucket – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Evanston Steam (B&W)
Union Pacific X4014 – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
844 Bell – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Steam Above Steel – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Big Boy Wheels – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Big Circles – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Steampunk – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Dripping Hot Water – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Big Steam Machine – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Onlookers
Waiting For The Steam Train – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Viewing The Giant – Evanston, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Union Pacific 4014 & 844 – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
The sun had not yet risen when we left the house in the early morning hours of May 6, 2019. My family and I were on our way to witness a bit of history: the newly restored Union Pacific “Big Boy” steam locomotive #4014 on its way from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Ogden, Utah, for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. This was a big deal because the restoration of the Big Boy, which was the largest steam locomotive ever built, had just finished a couple of days before. The locomotive had not run in 60 years! Up until five years ago it sat in a museum for decades in Los Angeles. Now it was finally operational and, along with the steam-powered Union Pacific #844, on the move westward. It had departed well before sunrise, and if we were going to witness the massive locomotive in action, we too had to depart before sunrise.
This was not going to be our first time witnessing the #4014 or the #844. My son, Jon, and I saw the Big Boy in Barstow, California, when they were moving it east for restoration. My whole family, minus the youngest who was not born yet, saw the #844 in Ogden when it was brought out for an excursion a couple of years ago. This was going to be our first time to witness both of these locomotives together, and also our first time to observe the #4014 under its own steam power. We were pretty excited for this adventure!
I did some research prior to the trip and had a good plan regarding where to catch the train in rural Wyoming. I noticed a place east of Evanston right off of I-80 where the tracks cross under the freeway, and a dirt road follows the rails for a little while. I figured this to be our best bet to set up and wait. This location, which is in the middle of nowhere, is called Richardson Draw. Despite its rural location, Richardson Draw had already drawn a large crowd when we arrived. In addition to all the cars, trucks and RVs, we spotted two buses. I picked what I felt would be the best spot at Richardson Draw to capture pictures and we waited for the train to arrive.
American Steam & Steel – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
When attempting to capture a well-photographed subject, the struggle is to make something that’s different from all of the other thousands of pictures of it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a person, place, thing or idea, if it has been heavily photographed, capturing something unique is a difficult task, yet that is exactly the task at hand. For this location, I decided find something interesting in the scene to set my pictures apart from all the other similar images. I noticed a small pond that had a tiny amount of water in it, which would reflect the train, and decided to use that element in my pictures. I also decided to begin documenting the large number of photographers and train enthusiasts who were there to see the steam locomotives.
Train watching requires patience. We waited and waited. A freight train passed by. We waited and waited more. The crowd continued to grow larger and larger. A couple of nearby people were listening to radio scanners and informed us that the train had been delayed. Finally, more than an hour after I expected it to arrive, the #4014 and #844 came quickly chugged along. First I saw the smoke in the distance. Pretty soon the Big Boy locomotive appeared. Click, click, click. I captured a bunch of frames, and, just as quickly as the commotion of the train came, it went. We waited awhile for what was a very short event. As soon as the train disappeared, we jumped into the car and began heading to the next location, along with a large group of other vehicles. The kids were particularly excited that they had just seen two big steam locomotives in action, and they hoped for a chance to see them again.
Richardson Draw Steam (Color):
UP 4014 & UP 844 Racing West – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Two Union Pacific Steam Locomotives – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Yellow Car Reflection – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Idaho – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Richardson Draw Steam (B&W):
Chugging Up The Grade – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Westbound Big Boy 4014 – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Full Steam Ahead – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Richardson Draw Freight (Color)
Three Flags Waving – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Eastbound Freight – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm
Helper Reflection – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Orange Autorack – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Richardson Draw Freight (B&W)
Eastbound Engines – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Tanks Among Hoppers – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Covered Hoppers – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Richardson Draw Onlookers (Color)
Crowd On A Hill – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T30 & 50-230mm
Waiting Ford – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Onward Chase – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Richardson Draw Onlookers (B&W)
Beginning To Gather – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Rear View Ford – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
Goodyear – Richardson Draw, WY – Fujifilm X-T20 & 35mm
I’m officially three-fourths done with this photo-a-day project. Yea! It’s very difficult to believe that in only 13 more weeks I will have completed a year of daily pictures. It’s been a good experience with ups and downs, but mostly ups. I do look forward to seeing this project’s completion, as I have some other tasks that I’m anxious to start. I’m holding off on those other personal projects until this one is complete, or else I might not make it to week 52.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Forest Sunset – Layton, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/450, f/13, ISO 640
Monday, April 29, 2019
Vibrant Flowerbed – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 35mm f/2 – 1/4000, f/9, ISO 3200
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Clearing Rainstorm – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm f/2 – 1/200, f/7.1, ISO 320
Wednesday, May 1, 2019
Clearing Storm – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 50-230mm @162mm – 1/2700, f/10, ISO 640
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Morning Rooftop – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm f/2 – 1/8000, f/3.2, ISO 640
Friday, May 3, 2019
Mountain Mornings – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm f/2 – 1/32000, f/4.5, ISO 640
Saturday, May 4, 2019
Artificial Flower Stock – South Weber, UT – Fujifilm X-T30 & 90mm f/2 – 1/550, f/6.4, ISO 640
Antithesis – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Last week I did a little photo walk in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. I’ve been itching lately to do more street and urban photography. Salt Lake City is a very nice and relatively safe downtown, making it an excellent location for this type of picture adventure. It’s not all that far from where I live, so I really need to get there with a camera more frequently.
The particular day and time of my visit turned out to be quiet. Sometimes downtown Salt Lake City is bustling and busy, and sometimes it is nearly dead. This was definitely one of those nearly dead times. On one hand it feels like you can take things at a slower pace and just absorb the atmosphere, but on the other hand there seems to be fewer photographic opportunities for street pictures. There are pluses and minuses.
Nearly Scraping – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
The number one subject that I encountered was the homeless. Like any urban area, there are homeless all over. It seems like Salt Lake City has more homeless than it should, but I think the generosity and compassion of folks in this region might make it seem favorable for those in that situation. I don’t want to dive too deeply into what could be a long rabbit hole regarding the homeless. I’ve talked with several. Had coffee with a couple. Given a car ride to one. It’s a sad problem with few, if any, good solutions. The status quo isn’t effective. There are people trying to help, and there is help for those who really want it. Some just don’t want help, even though they are clearly at rock bottom. I know that photographing the homeless is taboo for some. I would say that ignoring the plight isn’t helpful.
I used a Fujifilm X-T30 camera with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to the front for these pictures. I’ve heard many people say that the 50mm-equivalent focal length of the lens isn’t ideal for street photography, but it all depends on how you use it. I appreciate that this setup is fairly small and lightweight, which does make it useful for this genre of picture-taking.
I Suppose It All Depends – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Crossing Main – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Flowers On Main – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Dripping Fountain – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Co. – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Urban Bicycling – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Green – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Vibrant Flowerbed – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
It’s spring, and of course that means spring blossoms. Flowers are in full bloom. Vibrant colors can be found everywhere. One of the more impressive places to see the spring splendor is Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City. Temple Square is an icon of the city, and a tourist attraction, with visitors coming from across the globe. In the spring the grounds are covered with blossoming flowers.
At Temple Square you’ll find well-kept grounds and interesting architecture. It’s a religious site, and there’s a chance someone might approach you regarding that. I’ve had that happen a couple of times, but it was only slightly awkward and it only happened a small number of times compared to how often I have visited. In other words, most likely you’ll be left alone. This is the church’s property, so be respectful should someone speak with you. It’s usually somewhat crowded, so you’ll blend in with all the tourists snapping pictures.
When I captured these pictures last week, I used a Fujifilm X-T30 with a Fujinon 35mm f/2 lens attached to the front. This is a good lightweight combination that’s great for walk-around photography. I spent about forty five minutes strolling the grounds. Temple Square is a great location for flower photography in the spring. Being an urban environment, it’s a bit unexpected. If you find yourself in Salt Lake City, it’s worth visiting.
Singular Red Flower – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Bright Red Blooms – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Red & Yellow Blooms – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
The Color of Spring – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Field of Flowers – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Touch of Purple – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Church Grounds – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
Pink Bloom – SLC, UT – Fujifilm X-T30
4014 Flag – Barstow, CA – Sigma DP2 Merrill – April 2014
4014 Crowd – Barstow, CA – Sigma DP2 Merrill – April 2014
Have you heard? The Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 locomotive, along with the Union Pacific #844, are heading west out of Cheyenne, Wyoming, towards Ogden, Utah, for the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike. The Big Boy locomotives were the largest steam locomotives ever built. Their service ended 60 years ago, and a few were kept in museums. None of them were operational, until now.
Five years ago my son and I drove across the Mojave desert to the dusty town of Barstow, California, to witness the U.P. Big Boy #4014 move from Los Angeles to Cheyenne where it was to be restored. People came out in droves to see the huge locomotive, even though it was being pulled by a diesel and could not move on its own. It was a neat event from a historical perspective. My son, Jon, who was only four-years-old at the time, still remembers it.
Flare & Flag – Barstow, CA – FED 5C – Velvia X-Processed – April 2014
Three years after that, we saw the Union Pacific #844 at the Ogden Union Station. It’s not nearly as big as the Big Boy, but still large and impressive. A lot of people might be unaware that the Union Pacific still owns and operates steam locomotives. I knew this because many years ago I used to be a train dispatcher for the U.P. Railroad. They have three steam locomotives now: the Big Boy #4014, an almost-as-big Challenger #3985 (which currently doesn’t run because it is due for an overhaul), and the Northern #844, which was the very last steam locomotive delivered to the Union Pacific. The two that are currently in operation, the #4014 and the #844, left Cheyenne towards Ogden today.
Over the last five years the crew at the Cheyenne steam shops have been hard at work restoring the Big Boy to operation. And they completed it just barely in time for it to make the Golden Spike anniversary celebration, which marks 150 years since the completion of the first transcontinental railroad at Promontory, Utah. For those outside of Utah, this might not seem like a big event, but I can assure you there is a lot of buzz here! I look forward to seeing the two steam locomotives, and capturing a few pictures of the historic run. Most of all, I look forward to my kids witnessing the train, an event that will undoubtedly stick in their minds for many years to come.
Joe Cool – Barstow, CA – Sigma DP2 Merrill – April 2014
Tender Wheels – Barstow, CA – Sigma SP2 Merrill – April 2014
Alco Steam Locomotive Monochrome – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – April 2017
U.P. Steam Engine No. 844 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – April 2017
X-844 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – April 2017
Union Pacific Steam – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – April 2017
No. 844 – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – April 2017
Everybody Loves Trains – Ogden, UT – Fujifilm X-E1 – April 2017