Alone at Work

July 12, 2017 by Ming Hung in Black and White

I have not been out shooting very much in recent weeks, as I am in the middle of a nine-week classroom and on-the-job-training regimen for a new position at work. However, during an earlier training session a few months ago I took a few shots inside the training facility. We are required to complete annual and quarterly recurrent lessons in a computer lab. I usually zip through them and am often left to my own devices afterward. When there are not classes of new hires for various departments in the building then there are not very many people in the building at all, especially during afternoon and evening shifts. I was able to wander the halls of the building alone for a while.

I really liked the light cast and shadows created on the concrete walls in the shots above and below. The building is relatively old so I wanted some shots before it gets torn down some time next year. I will have to shoot some more when I get the chance.

Click on images to view on black.

One Year In

April 10, 2017 by Ming Hung in Photography

I have been using the Fujifilm X-Pro2 for a little over a year now, and it has been the best shooting experience I have ever had. Many have likened it to Leica's system in looks and feel. I would not go that far, but I will agree with what has been described as an "organic" shooting experience for the Fuji X system. I look down on the camera and my exposure triangle controls (for ISO, aperture, and shutter speed) are right there. I can have all my settings down before I even turn on the camera.

I learned to shoot in the film days, and the first camera that I used that made me want to go out and shoot with it was the Nikon F2. I owned some non-memorable cameras before and after it, and that F2 was brilliant. Fast forward a decade and I made the jump to digital. Canon's 5D mark II was the camera that I have used most. It was a terrific camera. I was content. Then mirrorless cameras started coming out. A friend of mine bought Fujifilm's X-E1. I liked it, but not enough to replace the 5D. But the 5D really started weighing on me. I was getting tired of carrying the size and weight of the camera and gear, especially when shooting all weekend at conventions. Then I discovered the Sony a6000. No, it did not look professional at all, but bang-for-the-buck it was one of the best deals I have seen. It had some great features all packed into a tiny body. And Zeiss lenses! Yet it was not enough to get me to sell my Canon gear.

Then Fujifilm announced the X-Pro2. I had never even noticed the X-Pro1, but I started reading about the X-Pro2. Then I started reading and watching review articles and videos. I was sold before I even touched the camera. I ordered one. I was excited. When I got it I was in love. The rangefinder style fit my way of shooting, and brought me back to my childhood, using my father's Konica. It was not long before I sold my Canon gear and fully bought into the Fuji X system. This camera makes me want to go out and shoot. What camera(s) have made you want to go out and shoot?

I shot this image with the Sony a6000, lol.

Click image to view on black.

GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome

March 26, 2017 by Ming Hung in Photography

I have owned a fair amount of cameras and lenses over the last 15-20 years. I am not a collector of any cameras, as I do not have any vintage gear sitting on my shelves. Even my favorite cameras are gone. But no matter what brand and system I was using at any given time I had GAS. Many photographers suffer from Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Those of us who suffered had to have gear--the latest and the greatest. I could not afford the latest and the greatest, but I did buy my fair share of gear that I never needed, only wanted. Having a lot of stuff has not made me a better photographer. That was something I had to learn the hard way--too bad for my wallet.

My current kit consists of one body, the Fujifilm X-Pro2. And less than 10 lenses, lol. I mostly carry the two "Fujicron" lenses, the 23mm and the 35mm. They are both F2 and weather-sealed like the camera body. The lenses are tiny! I have pared down my day bag to just the camera and these two lenses and a few miscellaneous items. In the past I felt I needed to carry more lenses to cover a wider focal range, but my body ached. I had to learn to just "see" in one or two focal lengths, and that's how I operate now. The Fuji X system is really "knocking it out of the park" for me.

Click images to view on black.