Joshua Tree - Fujifilm XT1

Voigtlander 35mm f1.7, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/1500

A few weeks ago I found myself in Joshua Tree. I’ve been there a few times now but this time around things were going to be different. I had some new lenses, new cameras, and a different eye.

The last few years I’ve been shooting a lot of Landscape and HDR photography and found myself getting stuck with the routine that often comes with those styles. I was just going with the trends and I needed to hit the breaks.

This year I’m trying to shoot everything I can, looking for those incidental stories and moods. It can be challenging to get great shots, but at least this way the results are your own.

Joshua Tree – XT1

In Joshua Tree I shot almost exclusively with the Fujifilm XT1. I brought my A7rII and my X100T but I really just love shooting with the XT1 more than any other camera right now. All your settings and your dials are right there, you never have to go into a menu so shooting becomes muscle memory.

I also shot with several new lenses. The Voigtlander 35mm f1.7, the Fujifilm 35mm f2, and Fujifilm 23mm f1.4. I’ve had the Voigtlander for awhile now but mostly use it for my A7rII. The Fujinon 23mm f1.4 I’m completely in love with and the Fujinon 35mm f2 I’m still warming up to. It’s a good lens, but for what it is, it either needs to be less expensive, or faster.

Voigtlander 35mm f1.7, ISO 200, f5.6, 1/1600

Fujinon 10-24mm@10mm, ISO 200, f10, 1/320

Fujinon 10-24mm@10mm, ISO 200, f8, 1/1250

Fujinon 10-24mm@10mm, ISO 200, f11, 1/640

Voigtlander 35mm f1.7, ISO 200, f1.7, 1/550

For processing these shots I used RNI film simulators. I actually use these a lot, maybe more than the VSCO presets. RNI gave me the full pack last year to try out and I’m actually really glad they did. I love them and will definitely recommend them to anyone that like the film look.

Fujinon 10-24mm@18mm, ISO 200, f4, 1/4801500

Fujinon 10-24mm@24mm, ISO 200, f9, 1/110

Fujinon 10-24mm@24mm, ISO 200, f8, 1/600

Voigtlander 15mm f4.5, ISO 200, f8, 1/1000

Fujinon 23mm f1.4, ISO 200, f8, 1/210

It was in Joshua Tree that I also finally figured out what ES+MS shutter setting does on the Fujifilm XT1. At first I was thinking maybe it was an Electronic First shutter, but what it actually does is allows you to shoot at higher shutter speeds with the electronic shutter once you pass the maximum limit of what the mechanical shutter can do. It was very useful in bright desert scenes like these.