This portrait of Kelly was using Fujifilm GFX 50S II on the 63mm f/2.8 lens. Not every portrait session goes as planned — and that’s often when the magic happens. When Kelly walked into the studio, I’ll admit I wasn’t sure what to expect. He’s not someone who’s naturally drawn to the spotlight. No flashy …
4 Tracks and 2 Lights and 1 Nostalgic Tape Deck Dream
Let’s talk about a legend: the Tascam Portastudio 424.And how I lit it like it was about to drop the hottest lo-fi EP of 1995. A Brief Ode to the 424 If you were making music in the 80s or 90s — in your bedroom, your basement, or your bandmate’s garage — there’s a good …
Velouté with fresh pixels
I took out my Thermomix for the first time in a long while. Not to use it. But to take photos because I’m selling it. That’s when it occurred to me: A Thermomix has a lot in common with the Fujifilm GFX 50S II? Yes. That all-in-one German kitchen robot that can sauté onions, knead …
Salar de Uyuni
There’s light. And then there’s Bolivian light. I’ve had strobes accidentally popping off in my eyes, but I’ve never known light, bright light, until I was here. Photographing the salt flats of Bolivia — Salar de Uyuni — was one of the most disorienting and visually surreal experiences I’ve had behind a camera. …
The Fuji X-E3 is not a cat
Cameras are like pets — some are Labradors — loyal, helpful, but absolutely everywhere. Others are like cats — fussy, high-maintenance, and kind of judge you for existing. But the Fujifilm X-E3? It’s like a Schnoodle — small but sturdy, clever, quick and also very good looking. This little thing might just be my favorite …
Using GF50mm for Portraiture
Portrait of Mr. Phua: Making Space Where There Is None — with the GF 50mm Some portraits stay with you long after the shutter clicks. This one — of SK Phua, the master craftsman carpenter in his impossibly packed workshop — is one of them. The space was tight. Every inch of wall, floor, and …
Why GF 50mm is the Perfect GFX Lens
When people think of medium format photography, they usually imagine something big, heavy, and slow. A tripod kind of camera. A “set it up and wait” kind of experience. And sure — medium format can be all those things. (I have a Contax 645 that I love) But what if I told you there’s a …
The Quiet Romantic
Ode to the Pentax 645: The Quiet Romantic of Medium Format In the world of medium format photography, some names shout. Hasselblad — the status (or dare I say it, pretentious). Mamiya — the muscle, the dependable workhorse, all business. But then there’s Pentax. Humble, earnest, quietly brilliant. And among its creations, the Pentax 645 …
The Disappearing X-Pro 1
Portraits Through the X-Pro1: A Camera That Disappears I’ve used many cameras over the years, but few have felt as human as the Fujifilm X-Pro1. When it comes to portraiture, it’s not always about megapixels or high-speed tracking. It’s about presence — both mine and the subject’s. And in that quiet space between connection and …
Falling in Love Again
How the Fujifilm X-Pro1 Rekindled My Love for Photography There was a time when I stopped taking pictures altogether. It wasn’t that I fell out of love with photography — I fell out of love with cameras. As the industry marched forward, chasing specs, screens, and speed, something was lost. The once intimate connection between …
An Ode to the Contax 645
Why I Still Shoot with the Contax 645 — And Why You Should Too In a world dominated by the latest mirrorless marvels and AI-powered phone camera apps, my go-to camera is a relic from a bygone era — the Contax 645. Yes, that Contax 645: heavy, film-hungry, temperamental at times, and entirely devoid of …
Voigtländer Snapshot Skopar 25mm f4
Another in a series of Farewell to Gear, where I bid fond adieu to cameras and lens. Once in a while (Edit: I mean, often), there are lenses you pick up out of curiosity, fall in love with, and then never let go of (Edit: until I had to let it go). The Voigtländer …
Easy way to update firmware on Godox TT350
I thought I’d share with you my experience trying to get TT350S to work with X2T-F Couldn’t figure out buttons and menus. I never read instruction manuals but this time I had to. Manuals makes no sense. No spelling errors, but also makes no sense. Went online to watch youtube how-tos. Very little info. Got …
Go(dox)damit!
I heard that recent Godox triggers will work on all recent Godox flashes. Even across brands. For example, a X2T-F trigger (which is for Fujifilm hotshoe mount) can fire a TT685S flash which is for Sony hotshoe mount). I saw a few onsale on Carousell. Hmmm… buy and try! What can go wrong? …
The X-Pro1 in 2025 — Still My Quiet Workhorse
Self-portrait (I’m in the sliver in the centre of the revolving door, right where the arrows are pointing) shot with x-Pro1 and XF14mm f/2.8. The ISO was 200. I slowed the shutter to 1/17s so that I can get motion blur on the lady. Being set on AE priority, the computer inside X-Pro1 worked out …
Modern Mayhem
The Summarit 5cm f/1.5: Old Soul, New Body There’s something beautifully rebellious about putting a 1950s Leica lens on a digital Fuji body. It’s a quiet protest against megapixels and MTF charts. A reminder that character beats clinical every single time. The lens in question? The Ernst Leitz Wetzlar Summarit 5cm f/1.5, proudly perched here on …
GF63mm is Criminally Underrated
The GF63mm is criminally underrated, and if you shoot GFX, you probably already own it. It was the “normal” lens that was paired as the “kit” lens with the early GFX bodies. The later bodies were paired with the GF35-70mm lens instead. Actually the criminal here is me. For the longest time, this is the …