Birds on the Lake – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm
This last Sunday evening I attended a photowalk in Tempe, Arizona, hosted by Skylum Luminar and sponsored by Fujifilm. I thought it might be an opportunity to chat with some other Fujifilm photographers, and an excuse to photograph at Tempe Town Lake, the location of the photowalk. I had hopes that a Fujifilm representative would be in attendance, but, alas, nobody from Fujifilm was there. It was more of a Luminar photowalk than Fujifilm, which I suspected would be the case, but I attended anyway. Any excuse to get out with your camera and photograph is a good one.
I arrived about ten minutes late, and noticed a large group of photographers circled together, so that’s where I walked. Just before I got there, I saw a puddle of water (it had just recently rained), which had a cool reflection of a building and bridge. I snapped a picture (Gen Reflection, below), then joined the group. I showed the picture on the camera to a couple of photographers who were nearby, pointing to them where I captured the image, but they didn’t appear especially interested. Altogether, I estimate that there were between 35 and 40 people in attendance.
Gen Reflection – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 27mm
One thing that surprised me was just how many non-Fujifilm photographers there were. I saw a lot of Nikon and Canon cameras, plus a few Sonys. Perhaps only half (or maybe even less than half) of those attending had a Fujifilm model; the X-T0 series was, by far, the most represented. It seemed that most people had a tripod. I even saw several people with two tripods, although I never noticed anyone using two at once. I brought with me a Fujifilm X-E4, and two Fujinon lenses: 27mm f/2.8 and 90mm f/2. No tripod, no problem; even without IBIS.
I’m sure that almost no one who was in attendance uses Film Simulation Recipes. After all, this was hosted by a photo-editing software company, which is probably off the radar of many SOOC photographers. I did talk with one person, Anna, who had a Fujifilm X100V, and was shooting with my Kodak Portra 400 v2 Recipe. It was super nice to meet her and talk Fujifilm, and it made the experience much more enjoyable. I struck up conversations with several other people, but, for the most part, they didn’t seem much interested in talking.
Nikon – Tempe, AZ – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm
At sunset, while capturing an image of a pedestrian bridge that crosses the lake, I noticed a couple on bicycles that seemed to be having a moment. While they are small in the frame, they play an important role in the composition, and elevate the picture significantly. Right after I made the exposure (Pedestrian Bridge, towards the bottom of this article), they got on their bikes and pedaled down the path towards me, so I ran up to meet them. I showed them the picture and asked if they wanted a copy, which they did, so I quickly uploaded it from my camera to my iPhone, then airdropped it to them right then and there. It only took a moment, and they seemed thrilled to have it. They were surprised that it was even possible to get a picture that looked “so nice” right off the camera that quickly. The advantage of using Recipes couldn’t have been more clear to me at that very moment.
I don’t know very much about Luminar software. I’m sure it’s excellent at whatever unique things that it does. The folks who hosted the event were quite nice, and I appreciated the opportunity to photograph with them at Tempe Town Lake. I used three different Film Simulation Recipes, all of which are yet-to-be-published that are coming soon. Check back in the coming weeks, because it won’t be long before they’re ready for you to try. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy these pictures from the photowalk!
I’m not a morning person. When my alarm sounded and it was still very dark outside, I didn’t want to jump out of the warm bed that I was comfortably resting in. I knew this was going to be a fun, memorable, and photographically productive day, so I wiped the sleep from my eyes and began to get ready. I was finally going to meet Ken Rockwell and Dave Wyman, and all the others who also signed up for the Central Coast of California tour, and I did not want to be late.
Everyone knows who Ken Rockwell is. His longstanding website has been one of the most popular in photography for decades. Dave Wyman is perhaps less well-known, but he has been teaching photography, leading tours, and publishing books for a long, long time—an incredible talent who deserves to be a household name in photography circles. I was very excited for the opportunity to meet them both in-person.
The tour began at a hotel in San Luis Obispo, where we all met up and decided who would be driving and who would be riding in which car. There were twelve of us total, including Ken and Dave, which means there were 10 attendees, including myself. Interestingly, I found out that seven were repeat customers, and had participated in at least one of Ken and Dave’s tours before.
After everyone had their gear loaded up, and as the sun was rising, we carpooled and caravanned to Prefumo Canyon, which is a mountainous area in-between San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach. It’s not a place anyone would likely stumble upon, unless they were purposefully exploring back roads that few ever take. But Dave knows these hidden gems very well thanks to the research he did for his first two books: Backroads of Northern California and Backroads of Southern California. While Dave does take his tours to the iconic locations that everyone photographs, he also goes to places almost nobody else does because virtually no one else knows where they are. Prefumo Canyon is one such spot.
Light in the Woods – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X100V – Kodak Ektachrome E100VS v1
Dave Wyman is the tour organizer and leader, while Ken Rockwell is brought along as a subject matter expert. They are both available during the trip for any questions or advice that anyone might have. There’s no classroom portion of the tour—it’s all “en plein air”—so any and all education is done in-the-field. One can learn as much or as little as one wants to, and it is up to the attendees to ask any questions that they might have. Both Dave and Ken make themselves available throughout the tour; however, the information and advice that they provide is limited until questions are asked. If anyone is considering joining one of their tours in the future, my advice is to think about what you want to learn, and have a list of questions written down in advance. Also, don’t be afraid to approach Dave and Ken, as they’re both eager to help.
We spent much of the morning in Prefumo Canyon, photographing in a few different locations before moving on to Avila Beach. Thankfully the sun was shining—this would be the only non-dreary day of the entire trip! I did so much photography at this spot that I decided to separate Day 4 into two parts.
The photographs below are in order of when they were captured. The picture at the top of this article, Bench with a View, fits in-between Retro Yellow and Dave with Rolleiflex. The second image, Light in the Woods, fits in-between Light in the Dark Forest and Ken & Distant Moon. Otherwise, the order is correct. I hope that you enjoy these pictures!
Morro Rock from Above – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Curvy Canyon Road – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Tall Grass & Fence Post – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
California Hills – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – The Rockwell
Post & Shrub – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 18mm – The Rockwell
Hilltop view of Morro Rock – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Dave Wyman – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Rock Vista – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Pyramid – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Poison Oak – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
Hills with Distant Clouds – Prefumo Canyon, CA – Fujifilm X-E4 & Fujinon 90mm – Pacific Blues
One of my absolute favorite lenses is the Fujinon 90mm f/2! It’s super sharp, plenty bright, great bokeh, and just lovely image quality. Technically speaking, the lens is near perfection, and practically speaking, it does nothing but produce lovely pictures. You can read my full review of the Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens here. I don’t want to rehash what I’ve already said, but instead convey why this is one of my absolute favorite lenses.
I purchased my Fujinon 90mm f/2 about three years ago. I had read that it was one of Fujifilm’s best portrait lenses, and I was going to be doing some portrait photography, so I bought it for that purpose. I had intended to sell it afterwards, but after I used it there was no way that I was going to sell it—it was love at first click! All of the great things that I read about it turned out to be completely true.
90mm is full-frame-equivalent to 135mm, which once was a very common focal-length, but it’s not really in vogue anymore. It’s not quite long enough for sports and wildlife photographers, and it’s too long for a lot of other purposes. Even portrait photographers might prefer a shorter focal-length with a larger maximum aperture. 135mm can be a bit challenging to use, but also very rewarding.
Robert Capa coined the phrase, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough.” Robert probably wasn’t advocating the use of longer lenses, but actually taking a few steps closer; however, the Fujinon 90mm lens allows you to get closer without actually getting closer. It forces you to remove unnecessary elements from the frame, because they simply won’t fit—you can’t get it all in, so you have to be more purposeful with what you do and don’t include. That’s the challenge, but better pictures are the reward.
When Fujifilm introduced the 90mm f/2 in 2015, they likely had in mind that it would be popular among portrait photographers, and for sure it is! But I’m not a portrait photographer—at least not usually. While the lens is optimized for portrait photography, it is great for still-life, nature, urban, and many other circumstances. I use it most frequently for landscape photography.
The only negative comment that I have to say against the Fujinon 90mm f/2 is that it is a little hefty. It balances better on a camera like the X-T4 than X-E4, but I still use it frequently on smaller bodies. It’s not comfortable to carry around all day long. Aside from that, the 90mm lens is the epitome of the Fujinon quality that Fujifilm is renown for. I cannot imagine anyone being disappointed with the images captured through this glass.
The Fujinon 90mm f/2 can be challenging to use because of its focal-length, but if you take on that challenge you will be rewarded with wonderful photographs. That’s why I love it! If you are not a portrait photographer, this lens might not be on your radar, but it is worth owning anyway, as it is useful in many circumstances, and not just portraits. If you are a portrait photographer, this should be one of your top considerations. It retails for $950.
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I love my Fujinon 90mm f/2 lens! It’s nothing short of incredible. From an image quality point-of-view, it’s my favorite Fujinon lens (granted, I haven’t tried them all), although the focal length can be a bit challenging. It’s also somewhat big and heavy. I love the lens nevertheless, and really appreciate the images captured with it.
I noticed that the majority of the Fujinon 90mm f/2 reviews are older. Most were published four, five or six years ago. My review is almost two years old. For this Fuji Features article I thought that I’d share some more recent reviews and videos for the lens, which I found with a simple Google search. If you are considering it, maybe this will be helpful. Also, if you know of an article or video that I should have included, feel free to share it in the comments.
This post contains affiliate links, and if you make a purchase using my links I’ll be compensated a small amount for it.
