Nuzira is hosting free photowalks with Tom Baumgaertel, better known as bewaremyfuji on Instagram, this coming Friday and Saturday in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s a two-day event that you won’t want to miss! Lucas at Nuzira pulled some strings to make this happen, and it’s a real privilege to have Tom come out and teach us his incredible multiple-exposure techniques.
Tom is a friend of mine. We first met two years ago at a Fujifilm event in New York, and we’ve met up a few times since. Last year we co-lead a photowalk together in San Diego, which was unforgettable. He’s an incredibly talented photographer who basically invented a new technique that produces striking results. He’s also just a really great person. Photographing with him will be an experience that you won’t soon forget, whether you have any interest in double-exposures or not. If you are even slightly curious about multiple-exposure photography, this is something you need to attend.
If you are in Arizona and have some time to spare on Friday, January 9th, and/or Saturday, January 10th, be sure to come. You do need to register (click here), but the event is completely free. I hope to see you there!
Above: Various photos of Tom Baumgaertel.
Above: Some of my multiple-exposure images (not nearly as good as Tom’s).
Join me on a photowalk in Sedona, Arizona! It will be on Saturday, November 8th, in Oak Creek Canyon just outside of Sedona. We’ll meet at the West Fork Oak Creek Trailhead at 3:30 PM. This is a collaborative event with Nuzira, so Lucas White will be there, too.
The walk will be about an hour-and-a-half to two hours long. We’ll stroll with our cameras at a slow pace, and not go very far. The West Fork Oak Creek Trail is about three miles long (six total out-and-back), but we’re not likely to go any further than one mile in, if even that (maybe two miles out-and-back, but probably not even that far). It’s a dirt path, but well maintained. It’s an easy hike (literally, it’s rated as Easy), but it might be difficult for those with disabilities since it is not paved. We’ll finish up by sundown, and hopefully get some good golden hour light for our pictures.
The scenery is amazing! It’s such a beautiful place, and perfect for landscape photography. While we’re likely to be beyond the peak of fall colors, there should still be autumn leaves for us to photograph. We’ll also see some abandoned buildings. This is one of my top favorite locations in Sedona. It’s not as well known as some other places, which means it’s usually a little less crowded. It is a fee area (I believe $5 daily, if I remember correctly). Parking is limited, but there has been plenty of spaces each time that I have visited.
This photowalk is free! You do need to register so that we know who’s coming—click here to sign up, and for further information (if you plan to come, click that link). I want to give a special thanks to Nuzira for putting this together and facilitating it. Bring whatever gear you want, and we’re just going to have fun taking pictures at a beautiful place. I hope you can make it!
Also, for those in Southern California, be sure to join me on September 13th at 2:00 PM for a Fujifilm X half photowalk with Samy’s Camera, as part of their 49th Anniversary three-day event. Spaces are limited and won’t likely last long, so be sure to register today! It’s $25 per-person ($27.13 after taxes), but each participant will receive a $25 Samy’s gift card, essentially making it free. Please bring an SD Card so you can take your photos home.
Photographing Phoenix – Phoenix, AZ – Fujifilm X100VI – Nostalgic Film
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.
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.
Yesterday’s Fuji X Weekly + Nuzira collaborative Fujifilm photowalk in Scottsdale, Arizona, was a huge success! Altogether, 16 people showed up, including myself and Lucas White of Nuzira. It was a great group of photographers, and I think everyone had a good time. Most were local to the Phoenix metro area, but three came from Ohio and one from South Dakota—they were in the area, and it just happened to work out that they could attend. It was such an honor to co-lead everyone through Old Town Scottsdale!
The weather cooperated wonderfully, but it didn’t initially seem like it was going to. May is typically a hot month—the average high temperature right now is 90° Fahrenheit; however, a cool-front passed through shortly before the photowalk, which kept it at a more reasonable 82° at the start, and 77° by the end. Because of the frontal system, the wind howled most of the day, and clouds covered the sky. Just as the photowalk was about to begin, the wind calmed and the clouds cleared, revealing endless blue. Really, it couldn’t have been better.
Most people had an X100-series camera, ranging from an X100T to the new X100VI. The other cameras I saw were an X-T100, X-T20, X-E4, X-S10, X-S20, X-Pro3, and X-T5. The camera I brought was my X100VI, which is perfect for walk-around photography. Lucas had a bag full of gear, which he graciously let anyone try out if they wanted. Fujifilm provided some stickers and pins to give away, and Sigma provided multi-use tools (screwdriver/wrench/bottle-opener, etc., combo) with their logo.
The Film Simulation Recipes that I used for the photowalk were Kodak Portra 400 v2, Kodachrome 64, Kodak Tri-X 400, and two upcoming Recipes that have not yet been published, one based on Nostalgic Neg. and the other on Reala Ace. As we were walking around, I was stopped by someone who recognized that I had a Fujifilm camera, but seemed only vaguely familiar. “I’ve heard about those,” he stated. “Can I see some of the pictures?” So I showed him the images I had just captured on the photowalk. “It’s just like the Reels!” He took note of the camera name, said “thanks” and walked away.
It was great to meet everyone who attended, and have some face-to-face conversations about Fujifilm gear, Film Simulation Recipes, and photography. Every time I looked around, I noticed that those in attendance were talking with each other; it was great to help facilitate community. Fujifilm cameras and Recipes seem to bring people together.
I want to give a big “thank you” to those who came out and joined us! I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to meet up, chat, and photograph. I hope to see everyone again sometime in the future!
Grab your Fujifilm camera and join myself and Lucas White of Nuzira THIS Sunday, May 5th, for a free photowalk in Scottsdale, Arizona! Meet us at the Arizona Canal South Bridge promenade near the Pinball Wizard Public Art display at 5:30 PM. Explore the blending of modern cosmopolitan with off-beat western heritage through pictures. There will be the potential for street/urban, architecture, automobile, and landscape photography. It will be an opportunity to meet fellow Fujifilm photographers, and to chat about Fujifilm gear, film simulations, and Film Simulation Recipes. We’re going to have lots of fun!
If you think you might attend, please RSVP by May 3rd (click here). If you are in the area, I really hope to meet you there!
Come join Ritchie Roesch of Fuji X Weekly and Lucas White of Nuzira on Sunday, May 5th, for an epic photowalk around Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona! Bring your Fujifilm gear to the Arizona Canal South Bridge promenade near the Pinball Wizard Public Art display at 5:30 PM. Explore the blending of modern cosmopolitan with off-beat western heritage through pictures. There will be the potential for street/urban, architecture, automobile, and landscape photography. It will be an opportunity to meet fellow Fujifilm photographers, and to chat about Fujifilm gear, film simulations, and Film Simulation Recipes. We’re going to have lots of fun!
Please RSVP by May 3rd so that we know how many are coming. Click here for more details and to RSVP. If you’re in the area, I hope to see you on May 5th from 5:30 to 7 PM for this Fujifilm-centric event! This photowalk is free, and family-friendly.
You might have noticed that I began including affiliate links for Nuzira. Most likely you’ve never heard of them, so let me introduce you—it’s actually a fascinating story.
Located at 9420 East Doubletree Ranch Road—a nondescript industrial business park in Scottsdale, Arizona—is Nuzira. Walking in the door to Suite 107, I was immediately greeted by Lollipop, a kind and gentle dog with a short tail that wags quickly. As I stepped inside, I shook hands Lucas, who has a warm smile and an affinity for fedoras. This isn’t a typical camera store.
Nuzira began in 2009 when Lucas and Jennifer White, a husband-and-wife team, began supplying materials for government contracts. When certain agencies, such as the U.S. military, need specific items that they don’t normally have on hand, Nuzira can find and supply those. They’re a purchaser, a middleman between manufacturers and organizations. One day, they were contracted to provide some videography equipment, and that was an aha moment for them. You see, Lucas and Jennifer are hobby photographers, and they thought, why don’t we sell cameras? Why not include their personal passion in their business? So they decided that their company could also be a camera store.
Lucas and Jennifer put together an e-commerce website—Nuzira.com—as their main storefront. Their driving philosophy is to empower creators to thrive, and they have some big ideas for how to achieve that. While Nuzira has been around for 15 years, they’ve been a camera store for less than one, and a lot of their plans are still developing, and will take time to become reality. After speaking with Lucas, I have no doubts that it will get there. Their mission to foster a community of visual enthusiasts is in the early stages, but expect it to grow into something substantial.
Going back to Suite 107 in Scottsdale, Nuzira doesn’t look like a camera store. The front door opens to a small waiting room that is also the receiving room, where UPS, FedEx, and other curriers are the regulars. Next to that is a shipping room, where packages are prepared for transport. In the back are a couple of storage and supply rooms—the warehouse. To the right of the front door is Lucas and Jennifer’s office, which is currently doubling as the physical Nuzira store. You can walk in and buy cameras and lenses and accessories, but it’s not necessarily a good place to browse. It is, however, a great place to discuss photography with Lucas, who loves to talk shop. And if you need something specific, he might just have it in stock. One day they will have a more proper store, Lucas told me, but they’re still working out the details.
Nuzira is an authorized Fujifilm dealer. Both Lucas and Jennifer primarily use Fujifilm gear for their own photography, so that’s mostly what they carry. They also sell products by Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Blackmagic, Manfrotto, NiSi, and more. Largely, though, it’s Fujifilm stuff. If you are anywhere in the U.S. and are buying Fujifilm gear, Nuzira.com is a great option. If you are in the Phoenix area, consider stopping in—Lollipop will give you a friendly greeting, and Lucas will be very happy to talk cameras with you.
