FujiFilm Feature
Last summer, I submitted a selection of my work to an employee-only Fujifilm photo competition. The results were set to be announced in September at an annual photo conference, and I was lucky enough to already have been planning on attending for work.
Hearing the results announced live and in person made it even more memorable. Along with the announcements, Fujifilm shared that a photo book would be produced featuring all of the selected images. I’ve been wanting patiently to see it in print ever since, so finally getting a copy in hand this week felt like a full-circle moment.
I was honored to place two images in the competition, each in a different category.
Shortlisted - Straight out of Camera Category
For two years in a row, I made a trip up to Davis, California in May to visit my younger cousins. It turned into a bit of a tradition, a weekend of fun mixed with grad photos.
This image is of the younger one from the final trip. We brought the whole gang; all our favorite people in one place. Just wandering around, laughing, and taking way more photos than planned.
This one wasn’t even meant to be part of her grad set…
We were out exploring on a side trip to the state capital when I made this. I’d been itching to mess around with the X100F’s in-camera double exposure mode, where you can build the second frame over a live preview of the first. It makes it a lot easier to line things up without guessing.
It felt like a small moment at the time, but it ended up being one of those shots I kept coming back to.
Runner up - Urban Environment Category
This second image is a bit of an oldie, taken on a trip to Thailand back in 2018, but it’s still one of my favorite photos I’ve ever made. Shot at night in the rain in Soi Cowboy, surrounded by all that color and movement in the city streets.
This was one of those moments where the conditions could have easily been a reason to put the camera away, but instead made the image. I was shooting on my new to me at the time, Fujifilm X-T2, with a compact wr series lens. This perfect travels size combo gave me the freedom to keep shooting without stopping to think about the weather.
The mix of reflections, color, and motion all came together in a way that feels a surreal, even after all this time.
This image ended up placing as runner up in the Urban Environment category. It’s one I’ve entered into the San Diego County Fair and various other photo competitions.
And not to be that person… but yes, I do sell prints too, just in case you were wondering ;)
Finally seeing both of these images in print felt pretty surreal. Not bad for a couple of shots that started as just messing around and seeing what magic I could create.
I’m extremely grateful to be included alongside so many talented photographers in the industry. Getting to see everyone’s work brought together like this has made the entire experience even more meaningful. Stop by George’s Camera North Park if you’d like to view the entire collection.
Consider this your reminder…