New Workshop Dates for 2021

I am sure you are all urging to shake off the restrictions of 2020 and push your photography forward to new heights. I am delighted to announce new workshops and workshop dates for next year. Please take a look at the What’s on When Page and make a note in your diary.

What’s in My Camera Bag?

Well, about the only constant tool in my photography since moving from full-frame Canon gear to the Fujifilm X Mount system is the camera rucksack I bought in Jessops in Bath in September 2016. The reason for the move was to make the bag smaller and lighter, which it certainly did. I find the only way to buy a camera bag is to take all the gear you want to get in it to a shop and physically try out various options. This new-fangled idea of buying online (that will never catch on) when trying to get a fit that works for you.

I moved to Fujifilm very shortly after the X-T1 body arrived with a 18 – 135mm lens. I bought into the Fujifilm system because there wasn’t much competition in the range of lenses available. Sony had very few lenses at the time. I plumped for the X-T1 because of the advertised focus speed, claimed to be the quickest available. Later, this claim it turned out was true but only for the 35mm lens at one aperture and one prescribed distance. At the time I didn’t even own the 35mm f1.4 lens. However, I have no regrets moving to Fujifilm.   

The current equipment in the rucksack

2 Fujifilm X-H1 bodies with lens attached

Fujinon XF 35mm f1.4   

Fujinon XF 8-16mm f2.8 R LM WR lens                                   

Samyang 50mm f1.2 UMC                                                                                           

Viltrox PFU RBMH 85mm f1.8 STM

Spare batteries                                                                                                            

A range of Neutral Density filters to bring shutter speeds down

A magic yellow Microfibre cloth for wiping rain, fingerprints and salt off of lenses.                                            

A 11mm wide-angle pinhole lens.

A comfortable and practical Peak Designs Strap system allows me to use 2 cameras and not have to carry one of them.

A wide-brimmed hat to keep my brain cell warm and dry. Without the hat, I cannot see pictures.

Thin gloves and a woollen hat just in case it gets cold and or windy. I cannot concentrate on seeing if I am distracted by feeling cold or wet.

A New Bristol Old City Night Photo Tour 

Lightroom Classic Performance 

I know it’s not just me, who thinks every minor update of Lightroom Classic makes it perform slower and not faster? Am I the only one getting to the point where I am beginning to think surely there must be something better than this out there? I have a reasonably fast computer, with an SSD, enough RAM and Use Graphics Processor Auto enabled. When moving sliders the time lag experienced is getting to the point of being extremely tedious.

From the very brief investigation I did last year, perhaps now is the time to download a free trial version of On 1 Photo Raw 2020.

Please let me know what you’re experience is of Lightroom worsening performance.