FUJILOVE

ALL THINGS FUJIFILM X AND GFX 71 / February 2022

TAKE KAYO
ABIGAIL FAHEY
NILS LEITHOLD
A Photo Exploration of KIRTH BOBB

Fatherhood PETRONELLA LUGEMWA

RAISA ZWART
Bryan Minear IBARIONEX PERELLO
 FUJILOVE
PODCAST

hosted Marc
by Sadowski

listen on:
 FUJILOVE MAGAZINE
ISSUE 71

COVER IMAGE
Bryan Minear

EDITORIAL
Tomash Editor-in-Chief
Stephanie Baxter Managing Editor
Dani Corbett Design
Alison Conklin Editorial Assistant

CONTRIBUTORS
Take Kayo
Bryan Minear
Abigail Fahey
Nils Leithold
Kirth Bobb
Petronella Lugemwa
Raisa Zwart
Ibarionex Perello

WWW.FUJILOVE.COM
Photo: Kirth Bobb

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ALL THINGS
FUJILOVE | 3 FUJIFILM X AND GFX
73 22
ISSUE 71 | FEBRUARY 2022

5 TOP 10 X MOUNT CAMERAS

2012-2021
TAKE KAYO

9 A PHOTO EXPLORATION OF
FATHERHOOD
BRYAN MINEAR

59 22 IT’S NOT A BATTLE

ABIGAIL FAHEY

9
36 THE ESSENCE OF MOMENTS
NILS LEITHOLD

49 FUJILOVE INTERVIEW:
KIRTH BOBB

59 FROM THE FEED

FUJILOVE COMMUNITY

63 FUJILOVE INTERVIEW:
PETRONELLA LUGEMWA

73 LISBON
RAISA ZWART

85 FINDING A WAY IN

49 IBARIONEX PERELLO
 TAKE’S
CORNER
What’s happening in
the Fujifilm universe

TOP 10
X Mount
CAMERAS
2012-2021

Take Kayo

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 5
 TAKE’S
CORNER
I
n last month’s Take’s Corner, I
predicted a January 2022 X Summit
event to coincide with the 10-year
anniversary of the X-mount. I think it
was a good guess but I was wrong.
Fujifilm has recently announced the
next X Summit event for May 2022. At
this event, we know with certainty that
the fifth generation sensor and
processor will be announced. However,
this year is also about looking back at
Fujifilm’s accomplishments with this
APS-C format interchangeable lens
mount system. In celebration of this
special year for the X Mount, I thought I
would go over my top 10 X Mount
cameras in chronological order.
X-PRO1
To begin, let’s go back to the original X
Mount camera, the X-Pro1. Although the
rangefinder camera is perceived as
retro-cool amongst the young hipster
crowd (especially in the film photography
world), most digital photographers don’t
see the value in this old school way of
framing and capturing images. Fujifilm
proved the rangefinder styled camera
could still be an effective photographic
tool in the digital era with the release of
the original Finepix X100 in 2011.
Fujifilm wanted to show that they could
repeat the success of the X100 but with
an interchangeable lens system. The
X-Pro1 was a huge hit and I still see
many of them out in the field. There is
no mentioning the X Mount system
without talking about the OG X-Pro1.
X-T1
The next significant X Mount camera
was the X-T1. At this time there was talk
about a new X-Pro2 but Fujifilm decided
to release a DSLR-style mirrorless
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 6
camera first. Up to this point, most of
the X Series cameras were all
rangefinder and retro-styled cameras,
so the X-T1 was a bit of a departure.
Would Fujilovers accept this new chunky
DSLR-like camera as part of the X-mount
system? Yes, we did! The X-T1 was still
retro-styled, looking like a beautifully
crafted film SLR from the 1970s and 80s
(Nikon FM, Olympus OM, etc.). However,
it didn’t only look good, it performed as
well. With a larger EVF than the X-Pro1,
the X-T1 appealed to many
photographers who wanted a bit more
substance over style.
X-PRO2
The release of the X-Pro2 in January of
2016 was a significant evolution in
technology. Fujifilm used the X-Pro2 to
showcase their big leap in image quality
and performance by releasing the new
 TAKE’S
CORNER
24MP X-Trans CMOS III sensor and the
X-Processor Pro. The previous sensor
was only 16MP, so the X-Pro2 was now
in full-frame territory when it came to
sensor resolution. This was also the first
X Mount camera to get Classic Chrome
(the X30 got Classic Chrome a few
months earlier). The X-T2 upped the
performance with all the benefits from
the new sensor and processor, but with
a larger body and more useful I/O, and it
was now capable of true 4K video.
X-H1
The next major evolution for the X
Mount was the release of the X-H1 in
early 2018. Although there are mixed
feelings about this camera, the X-H1
paved the way for IBIS (In-body Image
Stabilization) for not only the X Mount
but also the GFX system. The X-H1 had
the same sensor and processor from the
now ageing X-Pro2, so it did struggle to
keep up with all the demands of a IBIS-
equipped camera body with full video
features, but it paved the way for future
cameras.
X-T3
The release of the X-T3 in 2018 was the
next major evolution for the X Mount
system. The new 26.1 X-Trans CMOS IV body to still have most of the legacy
sensor was only a slight upgrade from
the previous sensor but the new
processor was a huge upgrade. The
X-Processor IV was now a quad-core
processor, capable of 4K 60FPS and
other advanced features. In fact, since
the release of this processor, Fujifilm
has put this processor in their GFX X-PRO3
cameras as well, showing how powerful
and capable this processor is. The X-T3
was a big success for Fujifilm and many released in the fall of 2019. Since the
non-Fujifilm photographers and
videographers decided to take Fujifilm
seriously as a hybrid camera system.
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 7
X-T30
The release of the X-T30 a few months
later was also significant since it was
the first compact prosumer body to get
the new 26.1MP sensor and X-Processor
IV. In fact, at launch, the X-T30 had better
autofocus performance than the X-T3!
This was also the last prosumer Fujifilm
dials and buttons (except for the d-pad)
before the big over-simplification of
design, such as the X-S10 and X-E4. This
is why the X-T30 II is an important
camera and will probably sell out
quickly.
For me, my current favourite X Mount
camera is the controversial X-Pro3,
X-Pro series has always been the X
Mount flagship camera, they needed to
do something different. They decided on
 TAKE’S
CORNER
using a titanium top plate with three
different finishes (Black, Dura Silver and
Dura Black). Fujifilm also announced a
brand new film simulation and my
current favourite, Classic Neg. The
controversy with this camera is the
reverse folding LCD screen on the back. the X-T4.
For me, this is the coolest feature of the
X-Pro3, although I have a feeling the
X-Pro4 will probably get the same tilt
LCD screen from the current X100V. No
matter what happens in the future, the
X-Pro3 will be known as Fujifilm’s first
luxury metal equipped X Mount camera,
and hopefully not the last.
X-T4
The X-T4 is Fujifilm’s most capable X
Mount camera to date. It is a hybrid of
the X-H1 and the X-T3, with the addition
of a fully articulating screen. For many
original Fujilovers, the X-T4 might feel a
bit stale and boring, but it is a workhorse. This makes enough room in this
I use it almost every day for work in my
studio, shooting videos, taking product
pictures, as well as testing various
lenses. For work, I highly recommend
X-S10
My final X Mount camera of significance
in chronological order is the X-S10.
Much like the X-H1, it’s sort of an ugly
shaped camera, but very functional.
Neither the X-H1 nor X-S10 has any
other finish option other than black, etc.). I am excited to see what Fujifilm
since a contrasting finish might
showcase some of its inherent aesthetic
awkwardness. However, like the X-T4
and X-H1, the X-S10’s design is
functional. The large grip is great for
holding larger and heavier lenses, as
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 8
well as housing the NP-W126S battery.
compact body to house the IBIS unit and
fully articulating screen. The X-S10 is
basically a baby X-T4 but for $700 USD
less.
This is my top 10 X Mount cameras
presented in chronological order for the
first 10 years of the Fujifilm X Mount
system. There are, of course, honourable
mentions (e.g. the X-E1 and X-E3) and
other cameras that are X Series but not
X Mount (e.g. the X100, X30, XF1, X70,
has in store for us in May as they unveil
the fifth generation of the X Series and
X Mount cameras. I’m excited for the
next ten years of the X Mount. Thanks
for reading and happy shooting!
 A PHOTO
EXPLORATION OF
Fatherhood

Bryan Minear

How I inadvertently created a personal photo series of epic landscapes featuring my son
as a traveller through existence and how that has impacted my creativity.

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 9
X-T3 + XF50-140mmF2.8 at f/16, 1/900 sec, ISO 160
M
uch has been written about
2020 – very little good,
mostly bad and ugly. But for
me, it was a year of growth as both an
artist and a father. But it was also a
melding of the two that I could never
have imagined. I ended up inadvertently
creating a personal series of work that
has become one of the most important
parts of my life. But before we dive into
‘Traveler’ and how it came to be, I feel
like I need to give you some backstory.
My name is Bryan Minear and I am a
landscape photographer based in the
Midwest, more specifically the Detroit-
metro area of Michigan, which leaves a
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 10
lot to be desired in the landscape
department. The majority of my time
over the past 8-10 years has been spent
roaming rural backgrounds and trying
to make ‘something out of nothing’ with
the scenery that I do have. I am a full-
time graphic designer, so the majority of
what I was creating happened on my
trips to and from work. Things are a
little more flexible now as my job has
shifted to full-time remote work. But the
main takeaway here is that I’m just a
normal person pursuing a passion that I
never thought would actually lead
anywhere.
X-T4 + XF10-24mmF4 at
f/9, 1/125 sec, ISO 160
 As I began to travel more for the work
I was creating (all on my personal
vacation time and weekends of course),
more and more work was coming in.
Then, right around the time that Fujifilm
decided to bring me on as an ambassador,
our son was born. We were very excited,
but I’m going to be candid and honest
(because that’s just about the only way
that I know how to express myself): I
was nervous. My photography ‘career’ feelings of sadness about my career and
was just starting to take off and this
X-T30 + XF50-140mmF2.8 at f/8, 1/320 sec, ISO 160
meant that I had to turn down a lot of
initial opportunities right out of the
gate. These opportunities (in my mind)
would be the ones that would lead me
back into being able to hustle as a full-
time photographer, but family came first
and I decided to take a step back.
Our son was then born and my life
was completely and forever changed. I
instantly forgot about all of those
was faced with a whole new world
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 12
staring me right in the face. It hit me like
a ton of bricks in those early moments; I
knew that I had to be a father first and
foremost, and nothing would stand in
the way of that. But as easy as it would
have been to just flip it into autopilot
and coast through life at that point, I
also knew that I was going to continue
to push as hard as I could to pursue my
dreams, as long as it always came
second to fatherhood. My priorities were
set and life was great.
GFX100S + GF30mmF3.5
at f/3.5, 900 sec, ISO 320

Fast forward a bit to bring us into
2020. My son was four years old and we
were staring a terrifying global
pandemic in the face. Fresh from an
amazing three-week trip to the Middle
East in 2019, it was really tough to be
locked down in the Midwest with no
hope of travel in sight. It really took a
toll on my mental health and my
creative drive. My son and I began going
out locally and driving rural backroads
and shooting together. Bonding like this
was like a whole new layer to our
relationship. He loved being able to go
out with his own camera and participate.
But, of course, for him, the main draw
wasn’t the photography; he just loved
to be ‘out with dad’. This realisation had
a profound rippling effect on me that is
really hard to articulate, but I’m going to
attempt it.
Being around my family 24/7 made
me see so many things that I think I
would have otherwise missed. Prior to
the pandemic, my son spent 40+ hours a
week in daycare while my wife and I
worked. It always bugged me how much
I missed out on seeing, so when the
pandemic stuck us all together it
certainly had its difficulties, but overall I
was very happy about it. I was getting to
watch my son truly experience things,
some things that I know I experienced
myself as a young child but had no
recollection of. Think of it this way: there
is something in your life that you would
kill to go back and experience again for
the first time, right? Well, it occurred to
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 14
X-Pro2 + XF10-24mmF4 at f/4, 1/8000 sec, ISO 200
me that I was getting to do just that,
through him. Only this time, I had weird
existential fatherhood glasses on that
allowed me to glimpse into the world of
childlike wonder.
Just like that, inspiration struck in the
strangest of ways. I woke up one
morning having seen a vision. Now, I am
someone who rarely even remembers
having a dream so waking up with a
vision burned into my brain was not a
normal occurrence. I got dressed, ran
downstairs, told my son to grab his
astronaut suit and we ran out the door.
With about 10 minutes to sunrise, we
stopped along the same rural roads that
we drove all summer and set up for this
shot.
 Now, to this day I have no idea how
the moon was at such a perfect point in
its lunar cycle that fit my vision exactly,
other than maybe because I look at
forecasts several hundred times a day
and it just got into my subconscious! At
any rate, everything from the clear sky to
the moon and its position in the sky, and
the perfectly timed rising sun for the
reflection in his helmet was perfect –
just how I had seen it in a dream. This
felt like something important. We
snagged a few more photos because the
X-T4 + XF56mmF1.2 at f/1.2, 1/7500 sec, ISO 160
light was so nice and then headed home.
The photos needed little to no editing
beyond my traditional ‘colour mix’ and
curves adjustments, but something
clicked as I was sitting there looking at
the final series of photos: I need to
explore more of this and what it all
means. And in that moment, ‘Traveler’
was born.

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 15
GFX100S + GF100-200mmF5.6
at f/5.6, 1/480 sec, ISO 200
GFX100S + GF80mmF1.7 at
f/1.7, 1/7 sec, ISO 800
X-T4 + XF56mmF1.2 at f/1.2, 1/15 sec, ISO 160
What it comes down to is that we are
all just tiny little travellers hurtling
through infinite space and existence,
who are searching for love and meaning.
Somewhere along our path to adulthood,
we lose most, if not all, of our childlike
wonder. This series is my attempt to get
some of it back. And by placing my son
into my own landscape scenes, I get to
experience the childlike wonder within
myself. Not only that, but I also get to
share in these amazing father-son
moments that we will be able to look
back on for years to come.

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 18
X-T4 + XF56mmF1.2 at
f/1.2, 1/6400 sec, ISO 160
X-T4 + XF56mmF1.2 at f/1.2, 1/6400 sec, ISO 160

Every time you glance up at the stars

or share a meaningful moment with
your partner or child, you are reminded
of why we exist and the limitless
potential that we all have inside of us.
In short, this series is an ongoing
exploration of fatherhood from a
wannabe astronaut-turned-
photographer. And I couldn’t be more
excited about the ones to come!
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 20
GFX100S + GF80mmF1.7
at f/1.7, 1/15 sec, ISO 800

BRYAN MINEAR
www.bryanminear.com

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 21
PHOTO ESSAY

IT’S NOT A
Battle

Abigail Fahey

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 22

PHOTO ESSAY
C
ancer is neither a battle nor a
fight. In fact, the constant war
metaphors are unhelpful. put yourself in harm’s way for the sake
When I was diagnosed with breast
cancer in early March 2019 I was
devastated. My life turned upside down
in a small consultation room, never to
be the same again. Friends and relatives
rallied to help and messages of love
came flooding in from people who knew
me with phrases like “you’ve got this” chemotherapy, I began losing my hair
and “you’re so brave”.
I didn’t and I wasn’t.
The messages did little to reassure
me and, although it was all said with
love, the impetus to win a fight or wage
war on something I had
understanding of added extra pressure
FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 23
to an already highly pressured situation.
To me, you’re brave if you deliberately
of others. I did not deliberately get
cancer to save someone else. I was not
brave, I was simply unlucky.
Going through all my treatment
certainly felt, at times, like I had been in
a fight but I never felt like the winner.
Following my first round of
and it became difficult to hide my illness
anymore. Using my camera to document
my recovery became a form of therapy
for me and a reminder that as I continue
to live with my cancer story I can see
little how far I have come.
PHOTO ESSAY

The wounds left by my first biopsy to remove

cancerous breast tissue..
Canon 5D Mk3 + 35mmF1.4 at f/3.6,
1/800 sec, ISO 1600

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 24

PHOTO ESSAY

After a few rounds of chemotherapy my veins

started to fail. It took several times each visit to
search for a good vein to use a cannula to
administer treatment.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/4, 1/800 sec, ISO 1600

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 25

PHOTO ESSAY

I quickly had to get used to sitting for hours in

bland hospital treatment rooms. Meeting other
patients was lovely but a constant reminder of
how sick I really was.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/4, 1/320 sec, ISO 1600

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 26

PHOTO ESSAY

After the first round of chemotherapy, despite

trying to cold-cap to reduce hair loss, I noticed
my hair falling out rapidly. I would collect it into
balls and fill the bin.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/1.8, 1/160 sec, ISO 800

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 27

PHOTO ESSAY

More and more hair left on my pillow after a

restless night’s sleep.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/1.8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 800

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 28

PHOTO ESSAY

Tallulah helping to shave my head.

X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/3.2, 1/160 sec, ISO 640

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 29

PHOTO ESSAY

The decision to shave off my hair was tough. I

decided to do it when the children were with
me so it wouldn’t be such a shock. My youngest,
Clemmie, found it difficult to watch.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/3.2, 1/320 sec, ISO 640

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 30

PHOTO ESSAY

The majority of my recovery was spent in bed

with Clemmie often sitting beside me for
company.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/4, 1/80 sec, ISO 800

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 31

PHOTO ESSAY

The brain fog from chemotherapy is significant.

I was unable to read or concentrate on tv but
found doing macrame quite therapeutic.
X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/4, 1/80 sec, ISO 800

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 32

PHOTO ESSAY

After all the major treatment finished, I was told

I would have to be given monthly injections in
my stomach for the next 5- 10 years to reduce
the possibility of the cancer returning. The
needles are big and often make me bleed.
X-T3 + XF35mmF2 at f/4, 1/320 sec, ISO 800

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 33

PHOTO ESSAY

A small amount of hair growth on my scalp

signals the end of chemotherapy treatment.
X-T2 + XF35mmF2 at f/1.6, 1/100 sec, ISO 6400

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 34

PHOTO ESSAY

Self-portrait after my penultimate

round of chemo..
X-T3 + XF35mmF2 at f/1.4, 1/1600 sec, ISO 6400

ABIGAIL FAHEY
www.instagram.com/abigailfaheyphotography

FUJILOVE PHOTO ESSAY | 35

THE ESSENCE OF
Moments

Nils Leithold

A journey through the way I came into touch with landscape photography
during my study of landscape science.

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 36
 M
CORNWALL, ENGLAND ON A ountains. Oceans. The scent
SUMMER’S AFTERNOON
X-T2 + XF14mmF2.8 at of pine trees. The salty
f/11, 1/500 sec, ISO 200
breeze. Green. Blue.
Nature has always fascinated me, be it
as a child on the North Sea or Baltic Sea, about climate change and its far-
where I built sandcastles or the family
vacations in the Alps, where I was
usually on the lookout for special stones.
A beautiful landscape and being in
nature always triggered feelings in me
that can probably best be described as
freedom and contentment.
Later, it must have been in 2006, I held
Al Gore’s book An Inconvenient Truth in
my hands. I didn’t read very much at the
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 37
time and this book wasn’t a classic read
with many long pages of text. It was
mainly the pictures and graphics that
made me think. An Inconvenient Truth is
reaching consequences for our planet. It
was my first real point of contact with
this topic. What followed was a sense
that the topics of climate change and
sustainability should accompany me
from now on and remain an integral
part of my views. That I would later
pursue something in the field of
landscape and nature was probably
already clear to me at that time.
 After graduating from school, I went environmental sciences, geobotany,
on to study physical geography for my geoinformatics, meteorology and
Bachelor’s degree and landscape science physical geography.
for my Master’s degree. Landscape During my studies, I got to know the
sciences? I had never heard of it before earth and its landscapes in a different
and I am often asked what it is. way. I learned about their genesis and
Landscape science is an their changes. I learned how the earth
interdisciplinary field of study that has been constantly changing naturally
teaches one to analyse and model for millions of years and why a certain
processes in the landscape in order to landscape looks the way it does today. I
develop solutions for current learned once again that humans are
environmental problems (e.g. climate also changing the earth and,
change) as well as concepts for future unfortunately, in many parts for the ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND
IN WINTER
approaches. The study was an interplay worse.
X-T2 + XF18-55mmF2.8-4
of many disciplines such as at f/5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 200

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 38
GERMAN ALPS IN SUMMER
X-T2 + XF18-55mmF2.8-4 at f/5.6, 1/200 sec, ISO 200

My studies were also the time when

photography became more and more
important to me. Starting with a small
compact camera and later with my very
first Fujifilm setup, the X-T1 with the
beautiful XF18-55mmF2.8-4, I tried to
capture moments on my private travels
and excursions during my studies, which
show our earth in its most beautiful
form (in my opinion).

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 39
 Fujifilm has been my photographic
home ever since. The Fujifilm X-T2 and
X-H1, in particular, have accompanied
me on numerous trips and never let me
down. At the moment I’m almost
exclusively on the road with my Fujifilm
X100V – a great little camera that is not
a classic camera in the field of landscape
photography. But I love the simplicity of
working with one camera and one focal
length. And if I need something a little
bit wider or closer, I usually have the BEACH ON SPIEKEROOG, GERMANY
X100F at f/6.4, 1/680 sec, ISO 200
two really good conversion lenses with
me.
The X100V is also by far the most
beautiful camera I have ever owned.
And I can say that it is also the camera I
enjoy using the most. It shows me once
again that photography is not about
having the biggest equipment – it’s
about the moments and feelings it
generates.
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 40
 I am particularly fascinated by the
dreamy and sometimes unreal moments
that can be found in nature. Sometimes
it is simply a certain cloud formation or
a very specific light mood that make a
scene a very special moment. But often
it’s the rough landscapes where you can
feel the energy and power of the
SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS IN WINTER
X-T2 + XF18-55mmF2.8-4 at f/10, 1/150 sec, ISO 200
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 41
elements, which fascinate me the most.
This is where you feel most vulnerable
on the one hand, but also closest to
nature on the other. For these rough
landscapes, I prefer to travel in northern
Europe, especially in Scotland and
Norway.
 Photography is a wonderful tool to
draw attention to the uniqueness and
vulnerability of our beautiful planet,
which continues to be exploited and
destroyed by selfishness, indifference
and ignorance. For me, landscape
photography is all about perceiving the
landscape in the context of its genesis
and development. Especially in times of
wasteful dealings with nature, it is
important not to forget the uniqueness
and the beauty of this earth, always with
the thought that there is only one earth
for all of us with no second chance.

LAKE IN WALES
X-T2 + XF18-55mmF2.8-4 at f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO 320

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 42
MOUNTAIN IN SCOTLAND
X-T2 + XF18-55mmF2.8-4 at f/8, 1/250 sec, ISO 320

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 43
 With my photographic work, I want to
capture moments for myself that reflect
the beauty and uniqueness of our earth.
First and foremost, these are moments
that I personally consider valuable. And
it should be said here once again:
photography is based on the moments
and not on the equipment.
Whether one of my pictures will
generate many likes on Instagram has
admittedly been driving me for a while.
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 44
Over time, however, I have realised that
this is of absolutely no importance. You
don’t have to post a new picture every
day and a picture that only has five likes
isn’t bad either. What matters is if I like
the picture and that the picture awakens
a feeling in me. And if I can show
someone else how beautiful the planet
we live on is and they pause for just a
moment, then I am satisfied.
Sailing ship along the coast of Cornwall
X-T2 + XF18-55mmF2.8-4 at f/9, 1/640 sec, ISO 200

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 45
SAILING SHIP ALONG THE COAST OF CORNWALL
X-H1 + XF16-55mmF2.8 at f/4,5, 1/125 sec, ISO 1600

My pictures will not save the planet, landscape photography, sometimes also really have to go off the hiking trails and
that’s for sure. But perhaps someone part of the problem? Does it really possibly destroy plant species worthy of
will become more sensitive to the issues always have to be a new camera with protection in order to take that one
of nature, the environment and the latest technology or is my old one or photo?
sustainability, and be more aware that a second-hand purchase also enough? Landscape photographers naturally
some beautiful landscapes may soon no Do I really need a huge selection of rely on travel. But here, too, respect for
longer be there or will change for the lenses or can I get by with just two or nature and our environment can and
worse in unnatural ways due to human maybe one? Is it really necessary to should be maintained. There are many
influence. order a nice hand strap from another areas in which photography and
Photography is an important witness continent or can’t I find similar things photographers can contribute to the
of time in that it visualises and illustrates locally in retail stores? Does it always preservation of our environment. And
change. have to be by plane or is the destination here, every individual has a duty,
But is photography, especially perhaps also easy to reach by train? Do I including me.

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 46
NORWAY IN AUTUMN
X-H1 + XF90mmF2 at f/7,
1, 1/125 sec, ISO 400

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 47
FISHER HOUSE ON THE NORWEGIAN COAST
X-H1 + XF16-55mmF2.8 at f/8, 1/125 sec, ISO 1000

NILS LEITHOLD
www.nilsleithold.com

FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 48
 Kirth
FUJILOVE
INTERVIEW
Bobb
In the first of this month’s interviews, Alison Conklin is chatting to Kirth
Bobb, an X-Photographer originally from Guyana who now divides his time
between Washington DC and the Caribbean. His photographs have been
featured in several internationally recognisable publications, including The
New York Times and The Washington Post.

FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 49
GFX100S + GF110mmF2 at f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO 1000
Kirth, welcome to FujiLove! Can you tell
us a little bit about who you are and
what you do?
Who am I and what do I do? That’s
the entire interview in one question, about humanity.
but I think I can break this down into
digestible chunks!
A bit about me… well, I was born in
South America in a country named
Guyana. I would say that I lived most
of my best and most formative years
there. It’s where I began to answer the
question, “Who am I?” It’s also where
I first experienced the big things in
life like love, sunshine, beauty, joy and
somewhere in there is culture. It’s where
I got my current name and where my
people ended up as a result of fear,
greed, ignorance and misplaced ideas
I moved to the suburbs of Maryland
around 1996 and now live between
Washington DC and the Caribbean,
mostly Jamaica these days. I’m the
father of three extraordinary children,
and I make photographs as a way of
asking big questions like, “What is love?”,
“What is sunshine?”, “What is joy?” and
somewhere in there, “What is culture?”.
My practice is genre-agnostic and I
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 50
create wherever I’m invited.
In the beginning, I worked primarily as
a wedding photographer. As my practice
evolved, I quickly found myself chasing
Bresson in the streets and telling stories
about synchronicity, the artful mundane
and moments often missed. Today,
most of my work is in the commercial,
editorial and advertising space. Same
practice, but expanded expressions and
new ways of asking more big questions
like “What is an aesthetic and where did
the predominant aesthetic come from?”
or “Why hasn’t magic mainstreamed
yet?”.
 I, you, and everything else is proof of
the existence of magic, not in the sense
of the bunny out of a hat kind of magic,
but the magic in a spontaneous splatter
of light on a wall, a flower flopping
in hapless joy to the ocean breeze, a
happening of the perfect arrangement
of gestures, form, colour and light, or the
magic in someone you just met.
Photographs have served as a steely
reinforcement for trusting myself. I
am never really interested in religion,
dogma or fixed ideas; I always have
questions, so I crafted my photography
practice around its most basic principle
to simplify this part: light. Light isn’t
dogmatic, fixed or concerned with how
you work with it. It’s always there but
comes and gos at it pleases, constantly
dancing with shadows. It’s just light and
I even think there’s a story about light
being before most things. Light is the
first likely candidate for “once you see it,
you can’t unsee it”.
So, what do I do? Other than living,
X100F at f/5.6, 1/2500
everything else is up grabs. sec, ISO 100
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 51
X100F at f/5.6, 1/400 sec, ISO 250
What was the moment you knew you
loved photography?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t
love photography. The still image has
always been a gateway to an intimate
part of my imagination, a way to move in
time, a vehicle for travel to distant places,
an excuse to meet new people, a way to
retrace and map my lineage, forwards
and backwards. I’ve never not been in
love. But if there is one photograph
that encapsulates everything I believe
photography is, it’s a photograph with
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 52
me and my granny before she figured
I had it all sorted here and that it was
time to look after me from somewhere
else. The photograph was taken by my
ex-wife while we were in Guyana to lay
her father to rest and it was the last
photograph I have of the person who
taught me how to live.
While that may not be the moment
that I fell in love with photography, it is
a moment that stands out in my journey
as an image maker because in a single
photograph, I have proof of existence.
What has your journey as a photographer
been like, from how you got started to
where you are now?
This makes me think of those “how it
started, how it’s going now” memes! The
quick answer is the same and better.
The journey has been the same but/and
has gotten better. I’m still very curious
about everything I see and photograph,
so that part is the same. The better part
is that now I’m cultivating more trust in
my creative process and embodying my
own ideas of being.
As strange as it may sound coming
from someone who currently makes
photographs for a living and is writing
in a photography magazine, I’m not at
all attached to being a photographer.
I might give it up one day and pour
myself into some other form of creative
expression. I’m just happy that I got to
make photographs that serve as proof
of existence, both my own and all I’ve
GFX 50S + GF110mmF2 at
ever seen and photographed. f/13, 1/125 sec, ISO 800
FUJILOVE INSPIRATION | 53
X100F at f/2.8, 1/400 sec, ISO 10000
One of the things that really stood out
to me from your photography is the
connection with your human subjects
that really shines through in your
images. How do you go about creating
that connection and then bringing that
out in a photograph, particularly if your
subject is someone you’ve only just
met?
For me, this question borders on
absurdity, but I’ll give it a go. One of the
things photographs helped me realise
very quickly was the universality of
humanity. When we speak of connection
to others, I really think we’re speaking
about connection to ourselves. To not
have a connection is to realise that
we may be starting from a place of
separation, difference and distance.
Therefore, we may think that we
must build some imaginary bridge of
sameness to connect because we are so
different and far apart.
Once I realised that everyone cries
salty tears, laughs a good laugh with
their eyes closed, wakes up under the
same sun, and sleeps under the same
stars and moon, the perceived need for
connection became obsolete. It was
always there. So, connecting with the
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 54
people I photograph and their humanity
is just my humanity seeing theirs, my joy
seeing and celebrating theirs, and my
ease/unease seeing and appreciating
theirs.
Whether it’s a stranger in the street
where an alchemical smile is the thing
that reminds us of our connection or
in a studio session where our shared
nervousness is the reminder, the way to
connect is always there. Everyone may
have a different practice of connecting
with subjects, but what works for me is
to be relaxed and accept that I might
mess everything up, which is also okay.
GFX100S + GF110mmF2 at f/10, 1/30 sec, ISO 400

FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 55
X100F at f/5.6, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100
What I notice and love about your work
is that you have such a strong vision and
creative portraits. Is this something that
you plan with each client in advance?
Or do you get inspired at the shoot and
just go where the creativity takes you?
Creative portraiture is somewhat new to
me, and for years I would see works from
other photographers and wonder, “How
did they come up with that idea?” That
was utterly fruitless, so I stopped and
instead focused on my client’s stories,
my own sensibilities, intuition and
storytelling abilities. I started trusting
myself and anything that threatens that
place of unshakable trust now serves as
a place to reestablish grounding in that
trust.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that
great artists create not from a place of
aesthetic or following but from life and
how we allow our imaginations to shape
ours. Luckily for me, I get to create with
lots of creative people, and I don’t mean
creative in the traditional artistic sense
– these creatives use their imaginations
to shape their lives, communities and
sometimes the world. Call it finding
your tribe or whatever fancy name
we come up with for life’s wisdom,
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 56
but I somehow always get invited to
create with vanguards, the status-quo
breakers, the founders, the teachers, the
effortful dreamers, and that is a bit of a
cheat code for creative portraiture.
As far as planning is concerned, there’s
always a bit of that involved, but that’s
mostly about getting to know a bit
about the people I work with and how
they see and imagine the world and
themselves. I build a script with the folks
I photograph, but we often go off-script
on the day of the session. That in itself
is a process, but it all feeds the practice
of trusting myself and my vision.
What Fujifilm camera and lenses are
currently in your camera bag, and how
do they serve you and the way you
shoot?
I’ve owned a lot of Fujifilm cameras
and I tend to stick with cameras for a
long time because of Kaizen and all. XF23mmF1.4 (OG version, but I wish I
My current setup is pretty updated
so my primary camera is a GFX100S
with the GF110mmF2, GF80mmF1.7,
GF50mmF3.5. There is just no beating
the GFX100S for commercial and
editorial work. I’m not a pixel peeper and
X100F at f/6.4, 1/800 sec, ISO 640
I’ve never really paid lots of attention
to specs, so I can’t say anything really
profound about how the camera
performs – it simply makes beautiful
images.
I also own a pair of X-T4s with
had the new one), XF50mmF1.0 and
XF50-140mmF2.8. I call this my run and
gun kit. Every now and then, I get called
up for a photojournalism assignment or
an assignment that requires me to be
fast and this kit that best serves.
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 57
Last but not least is my X100V, which
has become my constant companion
and has made some of my most
important photographs: photographs
of my family and loved ones. This is the
camera to go to birthday parties, the
playground, the first days of school, or
sometimes sit at the dinner table. This is
my practice camera. This is the camera
that, in between assignments, reminds
me of the quintessence and beauty of
ordinariness.
How do you stay creatively charged
when you’re regularly producing work
for clients? Do you have any personal
passion projects that you like to engage
in to keep you motivated in your
creativity?
I stay creatively charged by practising
everywhere. My life has lots of layers,
threads and textures, so there’s always
space for me to create. While the output
may not always be a photograph or
tangible art, creativity is always churning
out ideas (good and bad), fresh insights
and more life. I’m constantly questioning,
but not out of a desire to make sense of
anything or draw conclusions, but more
of a way of embracing questions that
may just never have answers.

KIRTH BOBB
www.kirthbobb.com
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 58
FUJILOVE
COMMUNITY
FROM THE FEED
Welcome to our community feature for FujiLove Magazine! Each
month, we’re taking you behind the lens of some of the most
popular photographs shared on our Instagram feed taken by
members of the FujiLove community using #myfujilove.

This image was shot just before an outdoor wedding ceremony at Buttlerstown Castle, near my home town X-T4 + XF18mmF1.4
at f/1.4, 1/900 sec,
of Wexford, Ireland. The bride (Jessica) was staying partially hidden behind the trees to allow me some time
ISO 160
to get to where the ceremony was taking place.
Ryan Devereux
As I was heading over, I quickly turned around and shot a couple of frames. I was shooting predominately
@ryandevereux.ie
on the day with the X-T4 and the new XF18mmF1.4, which I love.
I love this shot because it’s so simple, it happened completely naturally and it has a sense of mystery and
anticipation, it also reflects the unique setting and vibe of this particular wedding.

FUJILOVE | 59
 X-T4 + XF90mmF2 at
f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO 320
Vincent Bergado
@itsbergado

On this particular day, my wife and I drove a couple of hours out to the quiet town of Inverness, CA. We had planned a sunrise shoot in and
around Point Reyes Lighthouse (my wife is obsessed with lighthouses!) but by the time we got there, it wasn’t as we planned. It was muggy, rainy
at times and mostly foggy with none of the golden rays we had hoped (maybe we should check the weather next time?!).
We took a gamble and decided to spend the whole day there, kill time and wait for sunset. We’re so glad we did, as the sun came through
(ever so slightly) late in the afternoon. We rushed back to the lighthouse but the path leading down to it had closed. So, we set up shop and took
the shots from high above the hill instead.
I went with my X-T4 paired with the XF90mmF2 for this shot, and the Classic Neg. film simulation gave that vintage warm and a bit moody
feel to it. All in all, it was another great day out just having fun.

FUJILOVE | 60
When Stephanie from FujiLove reached out to ask me about contributing to the magazine I was thrilled, X-H1 + XF10-24mmF4 at
then I realised I would have to explain exactly what went into making this image, which was a mixture of f/4, 1/600 sec, ISO 200
poor preparation, panic and luck. My wife, Hannah, had booked a getaway for us as I had been working Scott Ferguson
on a film for four months and had had very little time off. I hadn’t actually seen the location; I only knew @scott_evil
it was a tiny cabin on the bank of a lake. My original goal was some astro shots with the lake – that’s
all I had in my head. But when we arrived it was an afternoon of heavy fog and astro looked out of the
question.
I saw the boat tied up next to the cabin on eerily still water and thought it looked nice so I grabbed
my gear and started trying to find a composition I liked through the viewfinder. When I saw the LOW
BATTERY icon blinking, I turned the camera off and racked my brain. I had lifted the wrong battery and
had no means of charging. Rookie mistake. I was gutted. Astro plans, gone, shots of us in the hot tub to
make friends jealous on the ‘gram, gone. What was even the point of being there?!
I decided I couldn’t leave with nothing so I set my shutter speed to auto, ISO to 200 and f/4 then
started to approximate a composition without the camera. I knew I wanted the boat head-on and dead
centre, which would give me a lovely leading line from the rope out to the right and back in again. The
two dark clumps of reeds were a nice frame on either side. I turned the camera on and spent as much time
as I dared to try to see what was in my head through the viewfinder. I pressed the shutter, I heard the click
and the camera died. I would have to wait until I got home the following evening to see if I had gotten
anything. All I could do was sit back and relax in the hot tub.
Compositionally and technically, I was very happy when I finally got to see it on my iPad Pro. If I’d had
more time, I would have framed out the gravel in the bottom left and telegraph pole middle left. Cropping
messed with the overall composition too much. Tonally the image needed a lot of work. The greens were
very saturated and were overpowering; I wanted something much softer with more yellows, browns and
blues to complement the colours of the boat. The water was a crazy shade of green/blue and I wanted it
to mirror the sky more so they felt almost connected. This is where we ended up.
Oh, and just my luck: the fog cleared and it was a stunningly clear night after all. I guess I’ll have to go
back and try again!

FUJILOVE | 61
 It was high noon when I decided to go out
for a photo walk. I parked my car in a street
within the vicinity of my photo location of
North Paramatta. I encountered this vintage
van in mint condition in a quiet alley on a
solar day. The van was parked under the
shade making the exposure just about right.
Among the built-in film simulations of
the X100V, my favourite simulation to use is
Classic Neg. The accent, crisp and colour it
exhibits in a photograph are just perfect.

X100V at f/6.4, 1/125 sec, ISO 400

Zareah Hilay
@seemefromypov_

FUJILOVE | 62
Petronella
FUJILOVE
INTERVIEW

Lugemwa
In the second of this month’s interviews, Alison Conklin is chatting to Petronella
Lugemwa, a storyteller, speaker, educator and Creative Director of Petronella
Photography, an international photography studio based in the New York area that
creates exclusive wedding and family photography experiences that celebrate love,
culture and family. She believes that what makes you different makes you beautiful and
is honored to be part of the Fujifilm Ambassadors as an X-Creator.

FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 63
Petronella, welcome to FujiLove! Can
you tell us a little bit about who you are
and what you do?
Hi! Nice to meet you, wherever you are.
My name is Petronella Lugemwa and I
am the Creative Director of Petronella
Photography, a wedding and family
photography studio that specialises in
helping multicultural couples celebrate
their love in a modern way.
I was born in Uganda, grew up
in Zimbabwe and immigrated to
Birmingham, Alabama together with GFX100S + GF80mmF1.7 at
f/3.6, 1/160 sec, ISO 160
my mother and sister when I was 10
years old to join up with my dad. When
I attended high school in Alabama,
I didn’t see or experience people of
different cultures being celebrated;
I experienced the opposite from my
neighbours and classmates. Therefore,
I believed my cultural heritage wasn’t
worthy of being celebrated and learned
to hide parts of myself.
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 64
X-S10 + XF23mmF1.4 at That habit stayed with me for many
f/4.5, 1/80 sec, ISO 1250
years through college and my first few
corporate jobs until a few inspiring
conversations and a pivotal branding
workshop helped me uncover how
much I was hiding my heritage to
make others feel comfortable. When
I started my photography business, it
was very natural for me to focus on the
multicultural wedding niche because
from conversations with others of all
backgrounds, I kept hearing the same
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 65
theme that I also felt personally: the
importance to one’s self-esteem and
sense of worthiness to see people
of all cultures and backgrounds like
themselves celebrated in mainstream
media. I believe meaningful stories
can change the world and that’s what
drives me to photograph and share
multicultural stories of love, family and
culture with others. You can’t be what
you can’t see; this is why representation
matters.
What was your very first wedding like
and how has it changed now that you
have been shooting for years? I even
heard you once say it was published!
Having your very first wedding published
is quite an accomplishment!
Yes, the first wedding I ever shot was for
a work friend who was getting married
in Riviera Maya, Mexico. She asked me
very early on to shoot her wedding in
Mexico, but I’d never shot a wedding
before so I hesitated for a long time
before agreeing. It was the best leap of
faith. To prepare, I attended a couple of
photo workshops a few months before,
studied online wedding blogs, shot
anything and everything, and learnt my
gear, which was 100% rented. It helped
that, for a long time, I’d played around
with my dad’s Mamiya camera.
Then I wrote out a detailed plan
for how to shoot the wedding solo
including how many steps it took to
get an aerial shot then to run back
down the stairs to capture the rest of
the wedding ceremony. I believe that
doing that helped me stay calm and
collected throughout the wedding. I
also discovered that weddings lit a fire
in me like nothing else I was doing and
this excited me because in general,
I’m a reserved introvert, but not on a
wedding day! I learned so much from
that wedding and got some wonderful,
valuable feedback, including why in
some shots I badly cropped people’s
heads. I think the wedding can still be
found online at Munaluchi Bride.
You are very vocal about your love of
stories and telling multicultural love
stories. I know you were born in Uganda
but then moved to Alabama, and I would
imagine this move between continents
has greatly formed who you are as a
person. I would love to know more about
what this was like for you and how you
have taken those lessons as a child and
applied it to your life’s work.
Moving from Africa to Birmingham,
Alabama at age 10 was quite a
cultural shock and transition. At the
time, Alabama wasn’t very welcoming
to people of different cultures. Most
people were informed by the limited
stories they saw on television about
FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 66
what Africa was about: safari animals
freely roaming around, poor kids with
extended bellies and poverty. This
wasn’t my experience so it was very
shocking to have people recoil when I
shared who I was and where I was from.
I quickly learned that sharing this part
of myself made others uncomfortable
and, as a blossoming teenager wanting
to fit in, I hid this part of myself to feel
accepted. I know that many immigrant
children struggle with the same cultural
challenges I faced when I immigrated
to America, in particular trying to figure
out how to assimilate to a new country
and culture, while still staying true to
and honouring your cultural heritage in
a modern way.
From my travels, I noticed that one way
to bridge that tension between what’s
familiar to one person versus foreign
is by sharing stories of love, family
and community. These are universal
concepts that connect and bring people
together, irrespective of one’s cultural
background.
GFX100S + GF80mmF1.7 at f/1.7, 1/500 sec, ISO 100
You had originally set out to be an
engineer and actually have degrees in
engineering and business. What was
it like to take the leap into full-time
photography? I have to imagine it was a
little scary but also so beautiful. I would
love to hear about the moment you
absolutely knew it was the right path
for you and how you would encourage
anyone who is dreaming of becoming a
full-time photographer.
The journey from engineering to
business to photography was not easy
and is one that I’m still processing. I just
kept putting one foot in front of the other
and pushed forward, fueled by how alive
I felt photographing people and their
stories. It wasn’t easy because I didn’t
have the support of my parents who, for GFX100S + GF80mmF1.7 at
f/2.8, 1/200 sec, ISO 1000
a long time, thought photography was a
hobby but also because I was focusing
on a niche that many viewed as foolish.
Plus, being a black woman in wedding
photography and in the New York area
wasn’t very welcoming, but I believed
in what I was doing and the impact I
had on the few clients I photographed
inspired me to keep going.
My advice to others is to trust your
gut instinct. There’s a quote from the
movie Babe: “Little ideas that tickle and
nag and refuse to go away should never
be ignored, for in them lie the seeds of
destiny.” This is so true. Make space to
listen to those little things inside.
I know it can be hard to narrow down
one favourite moment from a wedding
you have photographed but I will ask
you anyway. What has been one of your
favorite moments to be part of with
your camera?
I love photographing two parts: the
connection between the couple and
the celebration because the couple
has all their family and friends coming
together to celebrate their union and
it always looks differently depending
on the culture and the relationships
between everyone. I love every part of
capturing those moments and figuring
out how to tell those stories of the
relationships between people and how
they experienced the wedding day.

X-T4 + XF18mmF2 at f/4, 1/250 sec, ISO 800

FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 69
GFX50S II + GF35-70mmF4.5-5.6 at f/5, 1/200 sec, ISO 800
What Fujifilm camera and lenses are
currently in your camera bag, and how
do they serve you and the way you
shoot?
Because I travel a lot, I need lightweight
equipment that produces amazing
images and colours for people of all
skin tones but is easy to transport from
location to location; that’s why I love
the Fujifilm system.
My kit:
• GFX100S
This medium format camera is just
amazing. The images are crisp with
rich colour and the dynamic range is
mind-blowing.
• GF80mmF1.7
My favourite lens because of the
bokeh, compression and how well it
brings to life my client’s stories and
emotions.
• GF50mmF3.5
A great storytelling lens and it
focuses quickly.
• X-T4
It’s a great camera for fast action
sequential shots, especially during
the reception.
• XF23mmF1.4
Lovely storytelling lens.
• XF56mmF1.2
This lens doesn’t get much love
because I love the GFX system so much
that I rely on that system first before
reaching for this lens but it’s a good,
solid lens.
I’m hoping to add the GFX50S mark
II camera body, XF18mmF1.4 and
X-T4 + XF23mmF1.4 at
GF30mm lens to my collection this year. g/3.2, 1/200 sec, ISO 125
GFX100S + GF110mmF2 at f/3.6, 1/500 sec, ISO 1600

What advice would you give to anyone
who is at the beginning of their journey
into shooting weddings?
If I could go back in time and give
myself some advice as a beginner
starting out in wedding photography,
I’d tell myself to seek out communities
of people dreaming big, and to invest in
education, workshops and gear. I spent a
lot of time hesitating about the cost of
investing in myself and doubted myself
a lot. What I now know is the limit is in
your head and in your beliefs. If you can
write down specific goals and dreams,
believe in them with every ounce of
your being, work hard and consistently
seek out opportunities and people to
support and who can support you, it will
happen for you.

PETRONELLA LUGEMWA
www.byPetronella.com

FUJILOVE INTERVIEW | 72
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Lisbon

After Marrakech, which I covered in the last article, I am looking forward to inviting
you to Lisbon. Lisbon is the beautiful, vibrant capital of Portugal and in the last couple
of years, it has grown on me a lot. Today, it’s a place where I feel at home. In this
article, I’ll share some of my stories from my travels there. I’ll let you in on why it’s a
travel photographer’s dream to shoot there and explore the concept of photographing
cities in general and how to get the most out of your time photographing there.

FUJILOVE SERIES | 73
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS
Pastel colours are everywhere in this city.
GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 100
IT WAS NOT LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
When I first travelled to Lisbon eight
years ago, it didn’t live up to my
expectations. Maybe it had something
to do with my own travel and research
skills, or it could be because those were
different times and Portugal was
struggling with a recession at the time.
The city felt a bit worn down, I didn’t like
the food that much and it just didn’t
FUJILOVE SERIES | 74
make the right impression. Fast forward
a few years, though, and people would
always tell me how they loved Lisbon. I
kept wondering why.
Returning in the summer of 2020, my
experiences shifted completely and
since then I’ve visited the city and its
surroundings multiple times for holidays
and business trips. I love it and I get the
hype now.
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Welcome to the botanical garden of Palácio de Monserrate in Sintra.

GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 100
 RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS

DJI Mavic Air II

Sea views from the air.
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS
ABOUT LISBON
Lisbon is, of course, the capital of
Portugal. It’s situated on seven hills,
close to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
Many (parts of) districts
neighbourhoods have been declared
UNESCO. A few of the most picturesque
amongst them are Alfama and Bairro
Alto. Surrounding the city, there are
many coastal destinations that you can
discover like Ericeira (which is also a
The Ericeira sunset at its best.
GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/250 sec, ISO 100
surfer’s paradise) and Cascais. There’s
also Sintra, which keeps on surprising
you with beautiful nature and beautiful
luxurious palaces that you can visit as a
and tourist.
The region offers so much diversity,
that every time I visit, I am so inspired to
capture what I see. And I’ll share some
of my favourite pictures from there with
you in this article.
FUJILOVE SERIES | 77
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY IN CITIES:
WHAT TO LOOK FOR?
Let’s talk a bit about travel photography
in a city and how to make the most of it
during a city trip or dedicated
photography trip. So, since I travel for
work and leisure, my methods for
photographing differ a bit from trip to
trip. Sometimes it will just be me
bringing my camera on a travel day and
getting it out whenever I see something
that I want to capture and sometimes
I’ll schedule dedicated hours for
photography, going out during sunrise
or sunset to use the most beautiful light
of the day to my benefit.
On the coast or in other natural
surroundings, my favourite time to shoot
would be during sunset. I just like the
fact that the light keeps getting better
and better, and that it has (when you’re
lucky) that unique golden touch. But in
cities, I actually prefer sunrise a lot of
the time. In most cities, sunset is quite a
busy time on the streets, while during
sunrise, most people seem to be still
fast asleep. There’s also the factor of the
height of buildings to take into account,
The Ericeira sunset at its best
GFX 50R + GF63mm F2.8. at f/2.8, 1/160 sec, ISO 100 making it more difficult to shoot around
sunset because you’re not sure when
you will be losing the light. Therefore, I
would challenge you to set your alarm
early and start your day with a photo
walk in the city. It’s the perfect way to
start your day.

FUJILOVE SERIES | 78
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Alfama is one of the most picturesque neighbourhoods of Lisbon. It’s where I found this colourful door.
GFX50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/1250 sec, ISO 100
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS
SCOUTING LOCATIONS
Scouting locations, whether it be in the
city or outside of it, can be done in a
couple of different ways. Let me give
you some ideas and steps to go about
this:
1. Start your research online
Search on Pinterest and Google for the
places you’ll be visiting. You can search
for travel photography in particular, but
I also feel like searching for things to
see or do in a place can help you discover
some gems to photograph. Instagram is
also a great resource and you can search
both locations and hashtags to find
inspiration. There are also a lot of travel
and photography blogs that have
already done a lot of research for you.
They will show pictures of places that
might be interesting, and sometimes
they will even list things to look out for
in terms of light or transportation to a
specific place.
Palácio de Monserrate is just one
of the many beautiful palaces of
this region.
GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8,
1/1600 sec, ISO 100
FUJILOVE SERIES | 80
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Lisbon from above, shot from one of the many viewpoints in the city.
GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/1000 sec, ISO 100
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS

Pretty door in Ericeira, an 2. Read travel guides

hour from Lisbo
GFX 50R + 63mm F2.8. at f/2.8,
This might be the more old school way
1/800 sec, ISO 100 of doing this but why not, right? Run to
the library or order a Lonely Planet
guide and read up on all the ins and
outs of the place where you are going.
Be sure to write down or colour-code
any details that catch your attention
and might be useful during your trip.

FUJILOVE SERIES | 82
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS
3. Schedule a brainstorm session and
maybe even make a shot list
This is a step that I think is very
important. The upside of a global world
and all of the knowledge sharing that is
going on is that by doing your research
online, you’ll find lots of inspiration and
practical info to make your life as a
(travel) photographer a lot easier. The
downside to this, and this is true for all
fields of photography, is the overwhelm
that can happen, as well as the risk of
not creating your own work but more or
less copying the photography that you
have already seen. This could even
happen unconsciously.
The brainstorm session helps battle
this. So, get away from your computer
and phone. Get a pen and some paper. The whole town of Ericeira has a clear colour palette: white and blue.
Try thinking of images, places and GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 100

stories that you want to capture. The

research will influence you and that’s
okay because it helped you get a clearer
understanding of the options, but now
it’s time to let your creativity flow. Write
down anything you would like to
capture, even if you’re not yet sure if it
will happen or how you can make it
work. Personally, I try to walk away from
the brainstorm session with a detailed
shot list of ideas to aim for when I’m
travelling. I will not always have the list
with me; I usually don’t shoot everything
on the list, but I am convinced it helped
me get my creative juices going and
makes me more perceptive of what’s in
front of me when travelling.

FUJILOVE SERIES | 83
RAISA ZWART AROUND THE WORLD IN PHOTOGRAPHS
TO CONCLUDE
Lisbon is beautiful. Travel photography
is awesome. Photographing in cities can
best be done during sunrise. But then
again, all times of day offer something
different so if you can, just bring your
camera as often as possible and try to
find some magic. And preparations
before you go can help you get the most
of your time and photography. You got
this. And I can’t wait to see what you
make! Please, do tag or DM me on
Instagram (@raisazwartphotography) if
you want to share any of your travel
photos with me. I would love to see
them.
For the next few months, I’ll be sharing
more travel stories, insights and tips and
tricks with you through this series. Next
up is the story about my absolute
favourite country in the whole world:
Costa Rica.

If you hadn’t noticed yet, doors are my thing. I just

have to capture them every time I see a pretty one.
GFX 50R + GF63mmF2.8. at f/2.8, 1/320 sec, ISO 100

www.raisazwart.com

FUJILOVE SERIES | 84
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY

Finding
A WAY IN

While teaching an online workshop, I accidentally shared my calendar on

the screen. A woman in the class looked at it and said, “I knew you were
busy, but I didn’t think you were that busy.” It was true: there was little
white space on my calendar. Everything I had or was working on was
written down on my calendar and to-do list. To my thinking, if it’s not
written down, it’s not going to happen.

FUJILOVE SERIES | 85
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY

Left: X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/8, 1/140 sec, ISO 1600 Right: X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/7.1, 1/7000 sec, ISO 8000

O
ne of the things that I had
thought about but never
committed to paper was
culling through the entirety of my work
and making a definitive edit. Though I
had much of my best work published in
half a dozen instructional books and
countless magazine articles, I had never
sat down to cull and edit my work for an
exhibit or a monograph.
My wife has encouraged me to do it
for years but I never prioritised it. There
was always another book to be written,
a podcast to prepare for or a workshop
to lead. I just didn’t have the time.

FUJILOVE SERIES | 86
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY
That wasn’t true. I had the time. I just
didn’t make it a priority. And to be
completely honest, I procrastinated
endlessly about it because of a fear of
not being good enough. I knew I had
made many great images in my years as
a photographer. Yet, I was reticent to put
in the work and the time to create a
definitive selection and publish it as a
monograph. I would never have to face
the realisation of that fear if I didn’t put
in the work to make it happen. I could
bask in the success of another project
and justify not making an effort on this
one thing.
However, I felt the pressure of the idea
slowly building up inside me. I didn’t
Left: X100S at f/11, 1/2000 sec, ISO 800 Right: Samsung NX500 at f/6.3, 1/500 sec, ISO 125
need my wife’s repeated urgings. My
inner voice was already speaking to me,
urging me to sit down and take the time
to do this, to make something happen,
rather than finding yet another
‘reasonable’ excuse not to take the time
for it.
My case of imposter syndrome kicked
into high gear. My mind kept telling me
that if I didn’t put in the time to make it
happen, I wouldn’t produce evidence
proving that I was a fraud, a hack. I could
just keep it my own little secret and
keep everything else moving along. But
as things slowed down during the
pandemic, it made such a choice
increasingly difficult.
FUJILOVE SERIES | 87
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY
Though I kept myself busy, it was not
as easy to fill up my calendar with jobs
and projects. Instead, I had more time to
focus on myself and my work in a way
that wouldn’t have been easy just a few
years before. Conversations among
friends, both personal and professional,
focused increasingly on spending time
on things that mattered, things that
made a difference.
I felt that my work had benefitted
others, especially the podcast and the
teaching. Yet, I had not given much
thought to making choices
Left: X100S f/8, 1/400 sec, ISO 1000 Right: Samsung NX300 at f/7.1, 1/100 sec, ISO 400
FUJILOVE SERIES | 88
benefited and nurtured me.
I experienced a breakthrough while
watching a presentation by another
photographer. She was sharing a series
of her photographs showcased as
diptychs – two images displayed side by
side. In this format, she elevated the
image beyond their individual strengths
and created something that could only
happen when paired together. The
photographs delivered a visual strength
and a new meaning when brought
together.
that
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY

Left: GFX100S + GF32-64mmF4 at f/7.1, 1/100 sec, ISO 1600 Right: X100F at f/8, 1/350 sec, ISO 200

FUJILOVE SERIES | 89
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY
Left: Nikon D70 at f/2.8, 1/80 sec, ISO 140 Right: Nikon D70 at f/2.8, 1/80 sec, ISO 140
I understood this concept well, having
used it regularly when helping others
put together a portfolio or edit a photo
project. I knew the power of such a
juxtaposition for telling a story or
creating a visual flow and rhythm for a
sequence of images. I had just never
made the time to do that with my own
complete body of work as the source
material.
Seeing her presentation and her work
opened the door for me. I didn’t have to
take the complete project on today. I
could just sit down and begin with
simply making diptychs. I didn’t even
have to do anything with them. All I had
to do was schedule a little time during a
weekend and just play around making
pairings of some of my favoured images.
No one had to see them and I didn’t
even have to do anything with him. It
was the permission I needed to make
that initial but important step.
On a Sunday morning, after my first
FUJILOVE SERIES | 90
cup of coffee for the day, I launched
Adobe Lightroom Classic and began
playing. I selected an image and by
using the software’s Compare mode, I
browsed through images, hunting for a
pairing that would speak to me. The link
could be about colour, graphics, gestures
or just a gut feeling. I knew I would
recognise it as soon as I saw it.
The first juxtaposition that jumped
out at me was of a project I did years
ago in a local barbershop. One photo
was of a man’s feet wearing white
sneakers rested on the footrest of a
barber’s chair. The other was from that
same day of the barber adjusting tissue
around a customer’s neck. The splay of
the man’s feet and the similar gesture of
the white tissue around the customer’s
neck clicked for me. It was as if I had
seen those images for the very first time.
It left me incredibly excited. I stared at
the juxtaposition for the longest time.
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY

Left: X-T3 + XF35mmF1.4 at f/4, 1/200 sec, ISO 4000 Right: X100F at f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 1600

FUJILOVE SERIES | 91
IBARIONEX PERELLO REDISCOVERING PHOTOGRAPHY
It encouraged me to dig further,
looking for other visual collaborations. I
kept finding them sometimes between
images that had been taken years apart,
using different cameras, in different
parts of the world. They came together
with the ease and inevitability of puzzle
pieces.
The process of creating diptychs was
surprisingly fun. I hadn’t anticipated the
joy of rediscovering old photographs in
entirely new ways. I felt the same
satisfaction I felt when initially creating
those individual photographs.
So, my calendar now includes time
dedicated to creating more diptychs
Left: X100S at f/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO 800 Right: X100S at f/8, 1/550 sec, ISO 400
www.ibarionex.net
and correcting a collection of them in
Lightroom. Eventually, I’ll have enough
to produce a rough first draft of a
possible monograph. With that first
draft I’ll have something that will
change and evolve and become
whatever it’s meant to be.
Finding an entryway to begin this
process made all the difference. By
discovering an initial step that was
enjoyable, I eliminated the debilitating
practice of overthinking and fear. I don’t
know what the result will be or what it
will look like, but I think I’ll enjoy the
journey getting there.
FUJILOVE SERIES | 92