Better Fuji Photos

Better Fuji Photos Episode 42: 2023 Wrap and 2024 Thoughts

We made it a year! I honestly didn't think this podcast would make it a year, discouraged mainly by statistics of how many of them quickly die. But I was encouraged to continue by all of you!

How did 2023 go for everyone? Were you able to pursue the year-long challenge presented in Episode 1? I hope so, and I hope it made you a better photographer.

Going into 2024, this will no longer be a weekly podcast. I need to take a few things off my plate, so I'll only be able to keep this up every two or three weeks.

And that leaves me with a final thought going into the following year: what does photography mean to you? This was posed in another podcast a few years ago; I answered it in an article linked below and now here in this episode, and I'd be curious to hear your answer in the article comments.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 41: Tips for Using Fujifilm's Color Chrome Effect

Fujifilm's camera manuals leave much to be desired when discussing Color Chrome Effect and Color Chrome FX Blue. What exactly do they do? When would you use them? And how?

Color Chrome Effect settings (which may or may not be found on certain cameras) help you avoid oversaturating specific colors by decreasing the luminance of those colors, effectively giving you a wider range of tones in colors close to oversaturation. This can really help photographers photographing for in-camera JPEGs. They will not affect the RAW file.

When using these settings:

• Remember that they will respond differently to each film simulation
• A setting that looks good for one film simulation might look like garbage in another
• The Color Chrome FX Blue setting works great as an "artificial polarizer" to get the same effect with skies
• You can preview setting effects either from the Image Quality menu or programming them to the Q Menu (ep. 31)

Better Fuji Photos Episode 39: Processing with Fujifilm's In-Camera RAW Converter

If you're striving for the perfect in-camera JPEGs but want to change something simple on a photograph you already captured, like the exposure or the white balance, no need to take that file to a computer to make the changes! Use your in-camera RAW converter.

To do this:

• You must be recording the RAW file (Image Quality setting: RAW or FINE+RAW)
• Press the Q button while reviewing an image in Playback mode

Unfortunately, you can't preview the changes as you make them. You'll need to adjust a setting, press Q to preview that change, and then press BACK to go back to the editing menu. Go through the list of image quality settings you want to change, and when you're happy with the preview, press OK to save it as a new JPEG at the end of your camera roll.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 37: Staying in Manual Focus All the Time

Are you currently using the "traditional" back-button focus (BBF) technique where you're in autofocus modes but using the back AF button?

Or have you tried BBF but didn't like how you had to permanently disable autofocus with the shutter button?

This alternative may be a better solution for you. Staying in Manual Focus mode all the time but using the back AF button to get quick autofocus when you need it can give you the best of having all of the amazing manual focus tools but also instant autofocus when you need it.

Flip the focus mode switch to S or C if you need to track something or go back to the "shutter button autofocus" mode without changing any other settings buried deep in the submenus.

A few notes:

• Set the behavior of the back AF button while in MF mode in the AF/MF Setting menu > Instant AF Setting
• If you were using the "traditional" BBF setup but want to try this, remember to re-enable the shutter autofocus function in the Button/Dial Setting menu > Shutter AF

Better Fuji Photos Episode 36: Using the Histogram for Perfect Exposures

Traditional "metering" is still available in today's digital cameras. But why not use an easier, better tool to get more accurate exposures? That's the histogram!

This graph, which you can enable in different ways in your camera (outlined in the podcast & article), is easiest to use when broken up into three "zones": the left third representing the shadows, the mid third representing the midtones, and the right third representing the highlights.

Then, you simply adjust your exposure to "place" things where they belong in the histogram, depending on how much light they should reflect - or how bright you want them to be!

Better Fuji Photos Episode 35: Fujifilm's Targeted Contrast Control

Fujifilm Film Simulations have set contrast levels, all different. But what if you want to modify that contrast even further? That's what the Tone Curve (Highlight Tone & Shadow Tone) settings are for, and the topic of this podcast episode.

Just remember:

• Shadow Tone only affects the dark tonal areas (shadows), not the highlights
• Highlight Tone only affects the bright tonal areas (highlights), not the shadows
• Positive numbers increase contrast (dark areas darker or bright areas brighter)
• Negative numbers decrease contrast (dark areas brighter or bright areas darker)

Better Fuji Photos Episode 34: Camera Bag Essentials

There are just some things that photographers should always have with them, and I like to break this up into the "must haves," "nice to haves," and "situation-dependent."

I'm also a big fan of the modular system - using organizers like those from Think Tank Photo and Shimoda to keep all related items together for quick transfer from one bag to another.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 33: ACROS Color Filters

ACROS is an awesome black & white film simulation. So why does it have color filters if there's no color?

It's all about controlling contrast. Color filters separate colors rendered in grayscale, giving you different amounts of contrast.

These color filter options are in the Film Simulation submenu for the ACROS and Monochrome film simulations. They can also be selected as different film simulations to use in the Film Simulation Bracket mode, discussed in Episode 5.

• The Red filter makes reds brighter and greens darker and is often used in landscape & street photography
• The Green filter makes greens brighter and reds darker and is somtimes used in nature & portrait photography
• The Yellow filter makes yellows brighter and purples darker and is a great choice to just add more contrast to regular ACROS

But there are so many more nuances than that simple explanation - although that simple explanation is a great place to start!

See examples in the links below:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 32: A Photo Mechanic + Capture One Workflow

Photo Mechanic is a great editor, but you can't process RAW photos. Capture One is a superior RAW processor, but its editing functionality is nowhere near what Photo Mechanic can do. How can you easily combine Photo Mechanic and Capture One in a workflow to get the best of both programs? That's what we'll discuss in this podcast episode, with these steps:

1. Set up Photo Mechanic
2. Set up Capture One
3. Edit in Photo Mechanic
4. Put the selected photos in a Selects subfolder
5. Open photos in Capture One
6. Process RAW photos in Capture One
7. Export processed photos into Processed subfolder

Though it may seem like a few more steps than necessary, it's actually faster and more efficient than trying to do everything in Capture One (or Lightroom Classic) alone!

Better Fuji Photos Episode 31: Fujifilm's Q Button in Shooting Mode

That little Q Button on the back or top of your camera - a nuisance to many, a savior to others.

This episode will discuss what the Q Button is for, how to program it, and how to use it. We'll go over why to use it, picking how many slots to use, the background mode, and examples of programming for both JPG and RAW photographers.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 30: Editing to Improve your Photography

When chasing the perfect photograph, we often get bogged down in gear choices and post-processing techniques.

But when was the last time you paid attention to editing - the process of selecting which photos you want to share - as a means to improve your photography? Why are you selecting those photos, and how can you improve your photography in general as a result of those selections?

That's what we'll discuss here - how editing can improve your technical, creative, and storytelling skills.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 29: Fine-Tuning Colors with White Balance Bracket

Continuing with our one-year Fujifilm challenge outlined in Episode 1, here we're going to discuss another tool available to us to get to that goal. And that's the White Balance Bracket drive mode, useful for when you might want to see some variations in the selected white balance.

There is no correlation between actual color temperature adjustments and the selected "strength," either +/- 1, 2, or 3. It's just going to be "a little," "more," and "a lot" of white balance variation. I would encourage you to experiment with it to see for yourself what the different settings do.

The setup varies between different camera models, so here's a quick summary:

Cameras with a Drive mode button on the back:

1. Press the Drive mode button on the back of the camera and select White Balance BKT.
2. Select the "strength" (+/- 1, 2, or 3)
3. Set the drive back to Still Image to exit the bracketing mode.

Cameras with a mode dial that has BKT on it:

1. Go to the Shooting Setting menu > Drive Setting > BKT Setting > White Balance BKT to set the "strength" (+/- 1, 2, or 3).
2. To select this as the active bracketing mode, go to the Shooting Setting menu > Drive Setting > BKT Setting > BKT Select and select White Balance BKT.
3. Set your drive dial to BKT to enter the bracketing mode. 
4. Set the drive dial back to S to exit the bracketing mode.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 28: Finding Photography Success without Instagram

Go to any "Starting your photography business" checklist and you'll see "create an Instagram page" on there, with a long list of "rules" for posting to Instagram. It works, and some people really have fun with it, and find success doing so. But it's not for everyone.

So is it possible to find photography success without Instagram, or any social media at all?

I for one wish I could enjoy the process. But I frankly don't, and that's okay. And guess what? I'm a full-time photographer without ever having a single dime come from using Instagram.

There are so many other (and arguably better) ways of finding success as a photographer without Instagram.

• Take control of your publishing with a portfolio site and email list.
• Pitch your work to editors and publishers.
• Get on "call for submissions" lists.
• Network with others.
• Encourage word-of-mouth marketing.
• Join a professional organization.

These are just some things that we discuss in this podcast episode.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 27: How to "Simplify" Your Fujifilm Camera

Do you ever get distracted by all of the fancy features in your camera that you get overwhelmed or, worse yet, miss an important moment?

Do you ever wish you could just have a "bare bones" camera at times? Set your exposure & focus, wait for the right moment, then press the shutter button?

This episode, answering a reader question, discusses why & how to disable your camera controls so that you can just get back to the basics. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and focus - that's really all you need, right?

In order to do this, we will go over:

• Reprogramming your command dials
• Disabling your touchscreen
• Reprogramming/disabling your buttons & controls
• Programming & using the Lock feature

This can be a fun exercise when you just want to casually go out and photograph! It's akin to doing very basic drills that a musician or athlete might do - and a good idea for photographers also!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 25: Dealing with High-Contrast Scenes in Fujifilm Cameras

When the scene you're photographing has a lot of contrast - the entire range of tones from really dark shadows to really bright highlights - there are two standard ways of dealing with it: 1) Accept it, or 2) create an exposure bracket and blend an HDR image.

What if you don't want that much contrast, but blending an HDR is out of the question?

This episode will cover ways of dealing with high-contrast scenes in Fujifilm cameras for both RAW and JPEG photographers.

For RAW photographers:

• Ensure you're using the "flat" display option without your image quality settings (Natural Live View On or Preview Pic Effect Off)
• Expose to the right utilizing the large histogram and Live View Highlight Alert

For JPEG photographers:

• Use a film simulation without too much contrast
• Utilize the Dynamic Range setting
• Adjust your Highlight & Shadow tone curve
• There's also an in-camera HDR option, if nothing is moving in your frame

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 24: Backing Up Your Photos While Traveling

How do you ensure your photos are secure while you're on the road? You certainly don't want only to have them on one SD card - you'd lose everything should that SD card disappear or get damaged.

You can still follow the 3-2-1 backup rule while traveling, and we'll look at some strategies for this in this episode.

• Have 3 copies of your photo files
• Store them on 2 different types of media
• 1 of those copies should be off-site (a different location)

WITH A LAPTOP:

• Copy the photos from the SD card to your laptop, then from your laptop to an SSD (three copies of at least two types)
• Back them up to the Cloud if you have WiFi (one copy off-site)
• In all cases, spread out all three storage devices throughout your luggage, so they're not in the same bag

WITHOUT A LAPTOP:

• Copy your photos to your phone or tablet using an SD reader adapter
• For added security, then copy them to an SSD using a USB adapter (three copies of at least two types)
• For extra security, back them up to the cloud if you have WiFi (one copy off-site)
• In all cases, spread out your storage devices throughout your luggage, so they're not in the same bag

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 23: Changing Aperture in Fujifilm Cameras

Nearly all Fujifilm and third-party lenses have a ring on the lens to change your aperture. However, this may not be entirely intuitive and might be completely different than what you're used to if coming from a different camera.

This episode will cover how to configure the different methods of changing aperture in Fujifilm cameras, including setting up and using the command dials, and using the aperture control ring.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Better Fuji Photos Episode 22: Choosing the Right SD Card

How do you pick the right SD card? There are so many different letters and numbers on them that understanding their capabilities - and how that relates to your photography/videography - can be incredibly confusing.

In this episode we'll cover:

• Storage capacities
• Bus speeds
• Speed classes
• Ideal cards for different photographers
• Ideal cards for different videos

*Please note that the storage requirements for HD & 4K video cited in this episode are the bare minimum, for minimum bitrates & high compression. Higher bitrates and lower compression will require significantly higher storage.

Better Fuji Photos Episode 21: Troubleshooting Fujifilm Grayed-Out Menu Settings

One of the frustrating things about Fujifilm cameras is that when you see a menu item grayed out and inaccessible, there's no indication as to why it's inaccessible. No tips on the screen, and the manual doesn't offer a lot of help in many situations. This leaves you wondering, "how do I get to this setting?"

We'll look at some examples of grayed-out settings in this episode and what the possible reasons are. But more importantly, we'll discuss a method you can use every time you see an inaccessible setting. A series of questions you can ask and how to find some clues to solve it.

Missing a shot because you can't change the appropriate menu item is maddening. Learn how to put a stop to that!

Better Fuji Photos Episode 20: Photographing People in Public (Case Study)

If any stranger has ever been in your camera viewfinder, I'm sure these thoughts have crossed your mind at some point: Can I photograph this person? What can I do with the photograph afterward? Is it legal? Is it ethical?

We will answer those questions in this episode via a case study, a photograph submitted by one of our listeners.

It's a photograph of a child crouched on a public street in France, focusing on something in the cracks of some paver stones. We're looking at the top of the child's head, with one side of the face marginally visible. Was it okay to capture this photograph, without permission from the parents? Is it alright to sell this photograph? Do they need to be compensated for sales?

Let's first get to the meat of the issue: the legality and ethics of photographing strangers in public. It's easiest if we break this into several steps:

1. Is it legal to capture a photo of someone in public?
2. What can you legally do with that photo after it's been legally captured?
3. If it's legal, is it ethical?

The legal questions will vary by country, as each country puts different weights on the right of expression (photography) versus the right to privacy in public, though in most cases, the right to expression wins.

The ethics question is best answered using the Golden Rule: would you want to be photographed in that situation?

How do these apply to the photograph in question?

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:

1. PhotoPills
2. The Photographer's Ephemeris 3D
3. Gaia GPS
4. PeakFinder AR
5. RAW Camera Phone App

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:

• What Zone Focus is
• Setting up your Fujifilm camera to use Zone Focus
• How simple Zone Focus is to use
• Setting yourself up for success to use Zone Focus
• Exercises to become proficient in Zone Focus

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:

• Mechanical Shutter (MS) is a safe bet for everything and can go up to 1/4000 or 1/8000 sec.
• Electronic Shutter (ES) is the fastest and quietest option, up to 1/180000 sec. in some cameras, but it has a lot of limitations, all outlined in an article linked below.
• Electronic Front Curtain (EF) can give you slightly sharper photos in certain scenarios but can give you exposure problems faster than 1/2000 sec. in X cameras and 1/500 sec. in GFX cameras.
• M+E utilizes MS up to the fastest mechanical speed and then automatically switches to ES.
• EF+M utilizes EF up to 1/2000 sec. (X series) or 1/500 sec. (GFX series) then switches to MS.
• EF+M+E utilizes EF up to 1/2000 sec. (X series) or 1/500 sec. (GFX series) then switches to MS. Upon reaching the mechanical limits, it will then switch to ES.

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:

1. Focus
2. Displays
3. Accessories
4. Battery conditioning

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:

1. Do your research!
2. Know your gear
3. Pack light
4. Don't try to do it all
5. Take advantage of guides & fixers
6. Find a story to tell

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.