Better Fuji Photos

Better Fuji Photos Episode 19: How Accurate are Fujifilm Film Simulations?

Some time ago, I went down some rabbit hole on the Internet and came across an argument about the "accuracy" of Fujifilm film simulations compared to the analog equivalents. How close are PROVIA, ASTIA, VELVIA, etc to the real deal?

But does it really matter? Film is all about which subject you're photographing, which light you're in, and how you want the photograph to look. Film simulations are a digital equivalent of the same concept - they're not meant to be a 100% replica of the chemical-based film. But with that said, they're still pretty darn close!

Objective comparisons are nearly impossible anyways, based on variations in both darkroom and RAW processing techniques.

Just get out there and photograph!

Better Fuji Photos Episode 18: Five Apps to Improve your Landscape & Travel Photography

As much as I hate to say that I love smartphone apps to help my photography, I'm going to have to get used to it. Smartphone apps can really help with photography planning, creation, and post-production. Here are five landscape & travel photography apps that you should really check out if you're not already familiar with them.

The five photography apps that I absolutely love:

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 17: Focus Tips - Zone Focus

Autofocus isn't working. You don't want to bring the camera up to your face to focus manually. You can still get sharp photos just by estimating!

That's called the "Zone Focus" technique and that's what we'll cover in this episode: using the zone focus technique in Fujifilm cameras.

We cover:

This isn't a technique that you can use all the time, but in situations where it works, it can certainly help you get great, sharp photos!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 16: A Better Way to Edit your Photos

When you're in Lightroom or Photo Mechanic or any other program that allows you to "rate" your photos, as you select which ones you want to process, are you choosing between 1-5 stars for each image, or something like that?

That's what I used to do. It's wildly inefficient and inconsistent.

I'm now on a binary system, and I would encourage you to try it out if you haven't already.

This episode will introduce you to that binary system, which has improved my portfolio and photography overall.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 15: The Benefits of Kelvin White Balance

Do your photos look "too yellow" or "too blue"? Do you want them to look yellow or blue? Is Auto White Balance not working, or giving you inconsistent colors?

Here are some reasons to explore the Kelvin White Balance feature in our Fujifilm cameras to address all of these things and more. It's another tool for your toolbox that you should be familiar with, as it can really benefit your photography. Especially if you're chasing those perfect in-camera JPEGs.

Yes, you can do all of this in your RAW processor of choice, but taking a few extra seconds to do it in the camera will help you remember what you wanted those colors to look like.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 14: Don't Get Caught Using Auto-Review!

How do you like that auto-review feature (called Image Display in Fujifilm cameras)? You know, that feature that shows you the last image you took automatically after every photo. It's nice to be able to check your last photo, right?

But how many special moments have you missed because you've been conditioned by this feature to check every photo? I know I've missed countless photos over the years because I was distracted by this feature. And I was reminded of this again during a lesson last week.

Here are my thoughts on that auto-review feature, and why we should all just turn it off.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 13: All About Fujifilm's Shutter Types

We (myself included) often leave the camera on one shutter type and never think about it again. But that's likely not the best strategy as it can have serious implications for our photography.

We'll cover the (up to six) different options in the Shutter Type menu in this episode and their advantages and disadvantages.

To summarize:

Take advantage of your shortcuts, like My Menu, the Q Menu, or custom controls to quickly access the Shutter Type menu.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 12: Not Using Photoshop Makes You A Lazy Photographer...?

A "photography professional" was quoted in 2019 stating that "not using post-processing such as Photoshop is not a high ground. It is a choice to sacrifice your quality because you are lazy." I bit the clickbait and wrote a response outlining how the opposite can be true.

This episode expands those thoughts and perfectly relates to the one-year Fujifilm Challenge outlined in Episode 1.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 11: Extending Battery Life in Fujifilm Cameras

Tired of your camera battery dying at the most inopportune times?

Here are some tips that you can use to squeeze as much juice as possible out of your batteries. I break these tips up into four categories:

This episode will outline various little things within those four categories to help you.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 10: Treating Your Memory Cards Like Film

Film photographers know that every photo is expensive - and thus (usually) need to be deliberate about every photo they capture.

Digital photography has all but eliminated that need, and it's costing us in other ways.

In this episode we'll talk about a challenge to limit the number of exposures we can capture on our memory cards, and how that can benefit our photography in the long run.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 9: Controlling Contrast with Dynamic Range

NOTE: The webinar is postponed until March 22nd due to a weather emergency.

The Dynamic Range setting is one of the most mysterious Image Quality settings found in Fujifilm cameras.

However, it's also one of the most important when you're trying to get great in-camera JPEGs.

This setting also affects the RAW file, so it's essential for RAW photographers to know how it works.

This episode covers how the Dynamic Range setting works and how to use it.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 8: Six Tips to Improve your Travel Photography

There are some straightforward, easy things that you can consider to see remarkable improvements in your travel photography. And we're not talking about which gear to use. These are some big-picture considerations to incorporate into your travel photography:

Mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 7: Consistent Colors with Auto White Balance Lock

Auto White Balance is super-convenient...when it gets it right. Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.

Variations are especially noticeable in sequential photos when changes in composition result in pictures with different color casts. How can we address this? Use Auto White Balance (AWB) Lock!

This feature is found in cameras released in 2018 (X-T3) and later. If you've never tried it, I would encourage you to do so. We'll go over it here.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 6: Getting Started in Photography

This episode comes from a listener question about pursuing a career in photography when you don't even have a camera yet. So many photography resources - mine included - assume you already have some experience. But what if you don't? Where do you start? We'll discuss a few considerations in this episode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 5: All About Fujifilm Film Simulation Bracketing

I gave you a one-year challenge in Episode 1, a challenge to pre-process your photos rather than post-processing them, which will help you become a better photographer and make the most out of your time.

One tool to help you with that is Fujifilm's Film Simulation Bracketing mode. This episode will cover what this mode does, when to use it, some gotchas, and how to set it up.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 4: Should You Specialize in a Photography Genre?

For photographers who create photos for any reason other than it's strictly a hobby, there's often the question of whether or not they should specialize in a genre.

There are many opinions on the subject, both for and against specializing in one photography genre. And many of them are valid.

In this episode, I want to offer my unconventional take and give you a little exercise at the end to help you discover new genres.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 3: AUTO ISO for Sharper Photos

I was haunted by unwanted motion blur for years when I started my digital photography journey. Keeping track of an ISO that would produce noise-free photos and a shutter speed fast enough to freeze motion seemed to be beyond my grasp.

But then I became comfortable using auto ISO. Suddenly (most of) my photos were sharp as a tack! And I've never looked back; it continues to be one of my favorite exposure features.

In this episode, we’ll discuss the argument for not caring about noise, letting the camera handle the ISO decisions, and how to set up Auto ISO in Fujifilm cameras.

All for making exposure easier and getting sharper photos!

Better Fuji Photos Episode 2: The Photography Scavenger Hunt!

Scavenger hunts aren't just games! This is something that I do with all of my photography students during photo walks. It doesn't just make it fun and give them something to do, but it challenges them and produces results.

Having something like this when you go out with your camera serves two purposes:
1) It serves as a prompt when you have the photographer's version of writer's block. When you just don't know what to capture photos of. This list will give you ideas.
2) It helps you learn how to see these compositional elements that can make your photographs more interesting. It trains your brain for the long game.

Download this list in the link below and either print it out as a 4x6 index card to carry in your camera bag, save it to your phone, or adapt your own list out of it.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 1: Your One-Year Fujifilm Challenge

Fujifilm cameras have some very specific tools - not found in other cameras - that can help you improve your photography. It doesn’t matter where you are on your photography journey, whether you’re a novice or a published photographer, whether you’re just recording the JPEGs, or you’re a RAW-only photographer. These tools can help everyone improve their photography. This one-year challenge will get you to think about using these tools, to learn what they do and how to use them, so you can see how they can improve your photography.