Travel | FUJI X WEEKLY

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

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

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.

Birds On A Rock – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Deception Pass Beach – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Deception Pass – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Big & Small Islands – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Running To The Water – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Boys At The Beach – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Kids Playing On The Shore – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Towards The Waves – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Away From The Waves – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Pacific Coast Selfie – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Mother & Daughter At The Beach – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Crabby Joy – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Deception Pass Bridge – Whidbey Island, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Road Trip: Seattle With A Fujifilm X100F – Part 1, Getting There (Day 1 & 2)

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Starbucks Coffee – Riverdale, UT – Fujifilm X100F

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday I had the opportunity to take a good ol’ American family road trip from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Seattle, Washington. The drive time to get there is 12 hours from my house, and since my wife and I have four young kids we decided to break it up into two days. We began our trip with a quick stop at Starbucks for coffee, which seemed like an appropriate thing to do considering our destination.

My dad was in the Navy, and as a kid I moved frequently. Perhaps this is why I have also moved around from place to place as an adult, living in Arizona, Texas, California and now Utah. The Puget Sound area of Washington was my home a few different times as a child, and I was 12-years-old the last time that I lived there.

I was eager to see the region again and to show my family where I spent time as a kid. The longest I ever lived in one house (as a child or adult) was there, and I wanted to see what had changed and what was still the same. I felt like it would be therapeutic in a way to return. This was going to be a good trip.

On the first day we made the long drive to Richland, Washington. This was supposed to be eight hours on the road, but it took us 11 hours to get there with the all stops we made. We saw a giant “potato” being pulled behind a big rig near Burley, Idaho, and the “Niagara of the west” in Twin Falls, Idaho (which is where my camera strap broke). We arrived at our hotel well after dark and in the pouring rain. It was good to sleep.

Oversize Potato – Burley, Idaho – Fujifilm X100F

Shoshone Falls – Twin Falls, ID – Fujifilm X100F

Roesch Family At Shoshone Falls – Twin Falls, ID – Fujifilm X100F

The next day began with beautiful sunny skies and a much shorter drive. It snowed on us a little crossing the Cascade mountain range. We made good time, only stopping for gas, and arrived in Seattle early in the afternoon. It was raining off-and-on in Seattle, which is typical weather for that area this time of year. Thankfully we came prepared with umbrellas.

After checking into our hotel and settling in, we headed out for a local beach while there was still some daylight. We combed the shore for seashells and interesting rocks. The kids walked along the driftwood that’s prevalent along the rocky Pacific Northwest beaches. I love the ocean and it felt good to breath in the salty air!

I used a Fujifilm X100F to capture our adventure. This camera is excellent for travel photography because it is small and lightweight, yet produces excellent images. I attached my wide angle conversion lens on the front of the camera for the first two days. These are all camera-made JPEGs, and I used my Acros Push-Process Film Simulation recipe for all the black-and-white exposures, and my Velvia Film Simulation recipe and my Classic Chrome Film Simulation recipe for the color images. I had a spare battery with me but didn’t use it as one fully-charged battery lasted both days.

Fall Leaves, Wet Road – Richland, WA – Fujifilm X100F

No Parking That Way – Ellensburg, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Lunchtime Rain – Lynnwood, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Sticks In The Water – Everett, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Looking Out On The Sea – Everett, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Seashell Search – Everett, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Puget Sound From Hogwarth Beach – Everett, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Driftwood In The Sound – Everett, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Walking On Driftwood – Everett, WA – Fujifilm X100F

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Fujifilm X100F @ Yellowstone National Park, Part 2 – Monochrome Photographs

Posted on September 26, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Dying Tree At Grand Canyon Rim – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Part 1 – Color Photographs

I learned plenty from this one-day trip to Yellowstone National Park. One thing is that a heck-of-a-lot of people visit this place from all over the world. The park was down right crowded from the west entrance all the way to Old Faithful. Even the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was packed with people.

Since summer break was well over and it was a Thursday, I figured we’d have the park almost to ourselves. I was way off! I talked briefly with some people while waiting for Old Faithful to erupt who have visited the park numerous times, and this was actually considered a small crowd for Yellowstone based on their experiences. I’d hate to come in the peak summer season!

You really get a sense that you’re on top of an active volcano while in Yellowstone. All of the geothermal activity is a big clue, but you can also tell that you are inside the caldera by observing the rim, which you can spot throughout the park. The place feels a bit unsettling, like it could blow at any moment. Hopefully the big eruption is many millennium away.

Old Faithful was alright, but the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was breathtaking! It was our favorite sight in the National Park. A definite must-see! The Dragon’s Mouth was my favorite geothermal spot. I would have liked to see more of the geysers and such, but the weather didn’t cooperate.

This was my first real travel adventure with the Fujifilm X100F, and it didn’t disappoint. It fit nicely into my jacket pocket, so it was always with me yet never in the way. The dark-grey sky made high-ISO a necessity, and the camera had no issues with that. When I wanted to zoom (but didn’t want to walk out in the rain), I used the Digital Teleconverter. I used the fill-flash several times. Despite no weather sealing, the camera got plenty wet several different times and it handled that like a champ, no worse for the wear.

The photographs in this post are all out-of-camera JPEGS using Acros Film Simulation. I love the Acros settings, and I feel like I get film-like results with it. It saves me tons of time not having to post-process my files. My workflow has been greatly simplified and quickened by the Fujifilm X100F, yet I’m not compromising on results. Enjoy!

Hebgen Lake – West Yellowstone, MT – Fujifilm X100F

Mountain Obscured – West Yellowstone, MT – Fujifilm X100F

Meadow & Mt Haynes – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Firehole Falls – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Lodgepole Pines – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Faithful Steam – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Old Faithful Erupting – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Old Faithful Geyser From Old Faithful Lodge – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Faithful Crowd – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Bear & Fish – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Family At Kepler Cascades – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Kepler Cascades Monochrome – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Yellowstone Lake – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Pines On The Lakeshore – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Steamy – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Hot & Muddy – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Rising Steam – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Mud Puddle – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Mud Volcano – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Dragon’s Mouth – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Photographing Lower Falls With A Phone – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Lower Yellowstone Falls Monochrome – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Grand View of Grand Canyon – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Roadside Raven – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Thin Crust – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Beryl Steam – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

Fujifilm X100F @ Yellowstone National Park, Part 1 – Color Photographs

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Ritchie Roesch

Lower Yellowstone Falls – Yellowstone NP, WY – Fujifilm X100F

I had an opportunity recently to visit Yellowstone National Park for the first time. Well, I went once when I was a young child, but I don’t really remember anything from that trip. My wife and kids had never been at all, so it was a new experience for us all.

The drive from our house (in the Salt Lake City, Utah, metro area) to our campsite near West Yellowstone, Montana, is a four-and-a-half hour trek according to Google Maps. It managed to take us nearly seven hours to get there with all of the stops we made (food, gas, restrooms and a crying baby).

Although we stayed two nights, we only had one day in the National Park. People advised me that two days is kind of a minimum for a Yellowstone visit. While that is certainly good advice, one day is all that I could dedicate, so one day is all we had.

This trip had been planned for a few months. We purposely chose to visit in September because several people noted that the crowds are smaller, the weather typically decent and the wildlife plentiful at this time of year. I don’t know if any of that proved to be true.

We arrived in Yellowstone National Park in the morning. We were greeted by a line of cars also trying to get in. We discovered that, even though this was technically the off-season and not a weekend, it can still get quite crowded inside the park.

The original plan was to stay on the west side of Yellowstone and really take our time exploring the geothermal sites. However, it was a rainy and cold-ish day, so we had to scrap our plans. Thankfully we downloaded an app called GyPSy Guide to Yellowstone National Park, which cost a few bucks but was completely worth it. It really helped us figure out where to go and what to see, and made the car ride more entertaining and educational.

We ended up driving all the way around the South Loop. It rained pretty heavy at times, and sprinkled the whole day. Due to the elements, we couldn’t spend very much time outdoors and didn’t go very far down any trail. We would have seen a lot more if the weather was better. Heck, we didn’t see hardly any wildlife at all.

This wasn’t a photography trip. This was a family getaway. The only camera gear that I brought with me was a Fujifilm X100F. The conditions weren’t great. If I had more time I would have at least carried a tripod with me. I was mostly shooting at high-ISOs. Because I didn’t venture very far down any path, I relied on the Digital Teleconverter a lot instead of zooming with my feet.

If this had been primarily a photography trip, I would have been somewhat displeased with the images captured (there are a few good ones). Since photography wasn’t the main objective–simply the icing on the cake–I’m happy with what I came away with.

These photographs are all out-of-camera JPEGs. I used Classic Chrome for most, and Velvia for a few. Check out Part 2, which features black-and-white images, plus some more details of the trip. Enjoy!