#Instawalk

About a month ago I got invited by a close friend to join a new group of people on a photo walk. It sounded like the perfect beginning to some new adventures so I hurriedly accepted.

Walk, shoot and share on Instagram seemed to sum up the theme in a nutshell, and that’s precisely what we did. Oh wait, we did converse, have a few laughs and some coffee in between. Nevertheless, it was one heck of a day. It’s always great meeting like-minded people and it's fair to say that I can’t wait for the next time.

Coincidentally the place we choose to take pictures happened to be called ‘The Walk’ at ‘The Wave’ in Muscat. If you haven’t been there yet you most definitely should.  Here’s a few images from a swell day with some really cool folks. A big shout out to all those of you who made it happen and also to Shaina for extending me the invite.

P.S. If you're in Muscat and would like to join us on our next Instawalk feel free to drop me a line. We would love to have you!

18 seconds of calm

Calm is all I seek, and if you can deliver you will be my eternal retreat.

This is what the sea means to me. I'm constantly drawn to it. You may find me at the water’s edge, taking in the views or walking along on the warm wet sand. I long for a steady breeze and the foamy surf. While I could be here forever I intend to capture the mood, the sudden stillness and how it all could be seen as something beautiful. Back behind the camera I go.  

I was inspired to create this image from a previous image I had posted on my Instagram (naushadsaleem) a few weeks ago, which was that of a moody landscape. My intention was to better it, yet also work on my long exposure photography, so with both in mind I gave it a shot. Let me know what you think.

The 'Maru' camera strap !

In the time I've spent capturing images I've gradually developed a gripe with nearly every camera manufacturer with regard to one common thing. Their camera strap! I shot Nikon for a good many years and their straps were average. I've moved on to shooting Fujifilm and the strap that accompanies the XE-2 isn't worth writing home about either. Be it Canon or Leica, the mere fact that great names in this industry are unable to pull this off really bothers me. Let me be honest, my expectations are not very high. All I ask is for something simple yet effective.

The news however is not all that bad, as a handful of artisans out there are going the extra mile in producing some terrific hand made products, including leather straps for cameras. 

Wanting in on this ingenuity I spent countless days going back and forth between a select few products and had finally narrowed it down to a couple, only to be distracted by a random yet vital tweet hours before my purchase. A new contender had emerged, punching well above its weight limit in the process. This begged my attention to the point where I had to read on, only to yield more positives from customers about these creatives and the masterpieces they produced. From there on in giving my money to the guys at 'Maru' was a no-brainer. 

These folk based out of Canada are a real cool bunch. They are super passionate about what they do and treat their customers with nothing but importance and care. Ordering the strap via their website was a breeze, and when I did have a few questions I would be answered to very promptly. They even took the time to send me an image of the completed strap just before it was sent out to be delivered. 

The strap arrived looking cosy, accompanied by a personalised print which I thought was really cool. Breaking open the packaging and holding the strap is something I will always remember. I was blown away and to date still am. Sure it's just a strap, but this is well beyond the ordinary stuff that us photographers have been receiving for years when we buy a camera. This is thing of beauty, crafted to perfection and shown heaps of love. The feel of the leather is beyond awesome and it's super comfy to wear around. They also offer the option of customizing the strap, and to me that totally sealed the deal. Everyone loves something unique and again these guys delivered. I went with the custom latigo strap in red, and couldn't be happier. I'm shooting again in a few hours so I'll leave you with a few images of the strap so you get to see what I'm raving about. Enjoy!

The Return

Most of you now know that I've spent the last ten months shooting a completely different camera. While the experience has been pretty amazing for a number of reasons there have been times when I just couldn't find the time to do more. A while ago my wife and I welcomed our first child into our lives and and quite naturally our priorities were challenged. As a result, this blog has taken a bit of a beating.

However, with the hardest bits behind us (or so we hope) I’m now able to spend some time getting back to what it was I did.  Even though I haven’t blogged in a while I did shoot a whole bunch of images, mostly of our little one and that’s kept me going. One of the things I really missed though was shooting images outdoors.

Just before my blogging took a hiatus I had intended on exploring long exposure photography. Clearly, owning just the camera wasn't going to be enough. A few extra bits and bobs were required in order to hone this new skill. I must tell you though that sourcing those little extras turned out to be quite the rigmarole, but as always with the results I got it was well worth it.

Geared with everything I needed, shooting an image was next. Normally I tend to scout for image worthy locations whenever possible, so when the weather played nice a few weeks ago I knew exactly where to go. 
The initial idea was to shoot the bay with the sky being gradually illuminated by the rising sun, and to render a certain stillness to the moving water. A few test shots however proved barely satisfactory, so I decided to use the sun in its entirety, such that the sky and the foreground would receive its morning glow. While still waiting for the first rays to hit the tip of the mountain I upped the ante and reduced the shutter speed from its original setting to add some movement to the water in the foreground. In the space of a few minutes the entire creative process of the image had changed. The final plan was to have slight movement in the water that would lead to a stagnant pool, with the backdrop of the mountains over which the sun would rise. 
Including many scenarios increased the chances of error but I persisted, knowing that if I timed it right I could walk away with a half decent shot. Just as the first rays appeared I exposed for a full fifteen seconds and was finally rewarded. 

Have yourselves a great year ahead, and as always do drop me a line when you can. I love hearing from you all. 

Loosing my Fuji-nity

The latest image I posted on social media was titled 'well hello gorgeous' yet the image didn't really do her justice because in reality its not just her looks. Oh, there's a lot more to her than meets the eye because she's every bit as gorgeous deep within. I know its only a camera, but ask yourself this. How often have you heard someone compliment a camera so well?

After deciding to ditch the DSLR and embrace mirrorless technology (read my last post to know what's really going on) I had some more thinking to do, in order to figure out who was deserving of the little stash of money I had saved up. Now those of you who know me know that I'am traditionally a Nikon photographer, so naturally I wanted to head in their direction. However if you've been spending a good portion of your day reading as much as I have over the last five months, you will know that Nikon and Canon have pretty much missed the bus on this one. It is sad, but it also a fact.
Now the prospect of using a camera minus the Nikon badge was entirely an unattractive one. I was convinced that this decision was going to end up biting me in the rear. But then again I've been fortunate enough to have a really good support system of photographers from whom I've learnt a thing or two, so I gradually built up a sense of confidence to go looking else where.

To put it in a nut shell I found two contenders in Fuji and Olympus, who couldn't be faulted much with what they offered. I had had a brief fling with one of them but the only reason it didn't last long was because I didn't put in the time necessary. Decisions, decisions.
Now the guys at Fuji have had quite the run at producing amazing mirrorless cameras, and one of the things I keep hearing with time is how well they listen to what their customers have to say. To me, that is a huge plus, and a sure step in their direction. However Olympus didn't make it any easier. They have a consistency that's as sure footed as Shaun White on a snowboard, which really is hard to ignore.
After much deliberation the choice was narrowed down to the Fuji XE-2 and the Olympus OMD-EM1. Both amazing cameras, but obviously as I'am yet to grow money on the trees in my backyard I could only have one. What I did next was to put all the months of research, insight and feedback to the test. I stepped out to go spend some quality time with both cameras, and finally determine the mirrorless camera with the best bang for buck and more importantly, the one which suited my needs.

Right off the bat I've got to say that there is something about using a Fuji that makes you fall in love with photography all over again. I've used the x100s and I felt exactly the same way about the XE-2. Absolute joy. I love the rangefinder look and the way all the controls are laid out. What caught me off guard was the electronic view finder. Big. Bright. Brilliant in every possible way. While I initially had to come to terms with the light weight of these cameras I found the XE-2 to be just right in my hand. The image quality is stellar, as is expected from their current range of sensors, the low light performance is fantastic and finally the Auto Focus is spot on. I'm glad Fuji has sorted this out as the XE-1 did have a few issues. To be honest I couldn't find much to fault with the XE-2. Actually wait, the camera strap. I will rant about that some other time.
The EM-1 in comparison offered something of a more familiar feel after migrating from a DSLR. It is slightly bigger with a better grip. It is also blessed with wonderful ergonomics and has a host of buttons that can be customized for different functions. The image quality is as great in comparison and the 5axis image stabilization is a welcome addition which helps produce some fantastic images. The added benefit is that it's weather proof, which is a huge selling point for Olympus. (Fuji has released the XT-1 as of 28th Jan which is also weather proof)
One thing that bothered me personally about the EM-1 was the size factor. It seems a tad big and 'tad big' was never a part of my decision to make the switch to mirrorless. I'm fully aware that it still is smaller than a standard DSLR but somehow this bothered me.

Time well spent I was still in awe over what both these cameras could produce given their size. Like I said earlier the Fuji XT-1 has already been released, yet like the EM-1 it is more DSLR oriented in terms of how it is built and that is something I'm shying away from. Don't get me wrong the EM-1 is one heck of a camera, just not for me.
The Fuji XE-2 suits me really well. I can't begin to explain how much I love everything about it. It looks gorgeous, weighs close to nothing and works flawlessly. Im a sucker for attention to detail and as always Fuji delivered. When I'm out there with a camera my primary focus is on creating the image and the XE-2 lets me do just that.

Since Fuji have now released the XT-1  I was anticipating the XE-2 to drop in price. A quick phone call to my local store confirmed my thoughts. They were offering a bundle package at a very attractive price. All things considered this was looking very good for me. It got a whole lot better towards the end of the conversation as the guy I was talking to happened to mention that they had recently received a new shipment of XE-2's, all in black. The silver one was not so easy on the eyes so I was delighted the black one had finally arrived. Prolonging this purchase any more would have been really daft, and that is precisely what I didn't do. I went and bought myself a Fuji XE-2

Happy days to come.

Making the switch

Ever since I embarked on my photographic journey I've always questioned the absolute need to lug around a DSLR camera to get the job done. Sure, you would be hard pressed to find one that didn't excel at what it does, but with all the advancements in technology there had to be a way in which all this awesomeness could fit into something smaller and more importantly, lighter.

Fortunately 'mirrorless' technology has now been around long enough and has heavily influenced photographers around the world in making the switch. To be honest, while all of this was hitting the headlines of every photographic website and constantly doing the rounds on my twitter feed, I however wasn't thoroughly convinced. I had to see for myself.
I'm an avid reader (mostly web related content) so for quite a while every tab on my browser was information related to as much mirrorless tech as I could find. And what a find it has been.
To say I've been blown away would be putting it casually. This new age find is what I have always been anticipating.

The ability to couple images of DSLR quality with nearly all of it's bells and whistles from a body that could quite well fit in the palm of my hand was unreal. The icing on the cake was when I actually got to see it in the flesh. If you're like me you've been using a DSLR all along, holding a mirrorless camera in your hand for the first time can be quite the nerve racking experience. I was constantly worried that it was going to part from my hand at any given moment, crash into the lovely tiled floor below me and explode into a million pieces. It's light weight really caught me off guard, but what's even more amazing is how quickly it grew on me. I adored it. I could shoot with this all day long and not feel a thing. I walked all around the store with it, never for a moment feeling like I was carrying a camera that was a serious contender against the much bigger competition. It was such a nimble piece of work, almost like a toy but one with so much going on in its depths.

Leaving the store I realized that this was an essential tool for what I do, a tool that has been long over due. It's only fair to say, that I now count myself among those that have been influenced into making the switch. Watch this space. If you've already jumped on the mirrorless wagon or are still on the fence about it I would love to hear your thoughts or feedback.

Beauty in the water

I'm back, doing what I love best. If you haven't noticed I did take a brief hiatus to concentrate on a few things, some photography related, some not. It has paid off and instilled a fresh perspective, from which I can already see some very significant gains.

While on the note of significant gains, one thing surely didn't go amiss, and that's the weather. Lately it's been absolutely glorious. There's been a chilly breeze sweeping across the mountains right into town, which could catch you off guard and result in some mesmerizing goose flesh. It sort of reminds us, that even though the sun is shining bold and bright, the short yet most needed winter months have indeed arrived. The only thing left to be done now, is make the most of it. While contemplating where my latest journey should take me, I dug into my image collection to reminisce how beautiful the outdoors around me truly is. A stone's throw from the gorgeous northern coastline of Oman, this is a 'wadi' I visit every year. This time is no different. My first stop in my winter travels will surely be here.

My camera gear is ready and I can't wait to set out. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.
Whatever it is you do, take a camera along and keep shooting! :)