While researching our recent photography trip to San Francisco and area, we put the Mission District high on our list of things to do. Some Internet guides characterize this area as dangerous to visit, citing frequent shootings and robberies. We’re glad we didn’t listen. Named for Mission Dolores, founded in 1776, the Mission District is [...]
Tag: Fujinon XF 14mm F2.8
Shaniko – declared the wool capital of the world in 1900, Shaniko is now nearly a ghost town
Most travellers aim for the beautiful Oregon coast. After all, what could you see in inland Oregon?We thought the same way until on one of our trips we decided to take Route 97 instead of the more efficient but utterly boring Highway 5. Driving from the south we encountered the small but fascinating town of [...]
The Oregon Coast in the Fog
We have driven along the Oregon Coast several times in the past few years. Unfortunately, each time we encountered blue skies and strong sun, which in our view didn’t do justice to the beauty of this magnificent place. Finally, this time we had one morning during which the coastal scenery presented itself at its best. [...]
Montana’s Ghost Towns with the Fuji X-series
For a long time we have been planning to visit two of Montana’s ghost towns, Garnet and Elkhorn. While access to Elkhorn was fairly good, our day trip to Garnet was much more challenging. The main road was closed and we had to take a detour. It was a logging road – narrow, bumpy and [...]
The Valley of The Ghosts – with the Fuji X-series
Hidden in the mountains of the West Kootenays in British Columbia lies the Valley of the Ghosts – a once rough but vibrant cluster of prosperous settlements – which has now mostly vanished. Kasia and I recently travelled to this forgotten area to search and photograph what is left of this magnificent piece of history. [...]
Get wide right! (shooting with the Fujinon XF 14mm F2.8)
While we continue to shoot almost daily with the X100s and gather our thoughts about this camera, we decided to take a break from the topic and present some images from our recent trip to an unknown British Columbia. Shooting with wide-angle lenses poses a challenge for many new photographers. This is not a “have [...]
Family trips – great photo opportunities?
If planned well, family trips could provide great opportunities for a dedicated photographer. While photography-centred trips are ideal, they require plenty of time and preparation. Such photo assignments also demand 100% dedication, which, at least in my case, is difficult to achieve when accompanied by family or friends. Maybe it is just me but my [...]
To colour or not to colour?
In the last few months I have noticed a flood of strongly de-saturated imagery on the Internet as if colour had suddenly fallen out of fashion. I have even heard an opinion that using strong colour is not professional. Part of the reason could be the rising popularity of HDR-like, oversaturated imagery, which indeed looks [...]
While writing with light you sometimes need the right ‘pigment’.
Without light there would be no photography. In fact, the word photography comes from two Greek words that mean “writing with light.” I am often asked how I get these colours. My short answer is: without the right light, no camera, lens or software would give me this type of strong, dramatic and powerful colours [...]
More Samples (Fujinon XF 14mm F2.8 R)
Thank you for all the kind words and comments we received following our last publication “Just Get It.” Many of you asked for more samples. All images taken with the Fuji X-Pro1 and the Fujinon XF 14mm F2.8. Processed in Capture One 7 and Lightroom 4. © Kasia & Olaf Sztaba Photography. All Rights Reserved.