For many years, long before learning true photography, all my photos were in color, whatever camera or film I shot with, I owned whatever color came out of my naive photographic process. I'd say comments such as: “wao, that camera takes nice pictures and beautiful colors". I am sure it is a common expression for many, taking whatever colors provided by their cameras. Quite a bit different today it seems, with the use cell phone cameras and their fantastic filters, now people custom their own look, give it their own effects, apparently it has become an unconscious quest for people to express in an unique way.
Not such unconscious quest for me, not anymore. Now, with better knowledge about photography I have trained my eye to appreciate the work of many great photographers, some are my own friends, and so many more I don't personally know, but I can now see in their photos a purposed color signature, a common look that ties all of their pictures into a unique sense of personality. To those, my dear respect.
I have to admit it, I don't have it. I play with colors, test film presets, play with Fuji film simulations, or try my own mix of ideas, over and over, picture after picture, trying to see a grading of colors that could define me, but nothing as of yet. To all who read this blog, you can see the mess of color rendition in the pictures I share. Please, for those who see it, my apologies, but I am in search of color.
Some walkabouts I do in the morning, some in the evening, some with the sun high, some with overcast skies, and trying so many combinations of factors, including different cameras, different lenses, sometimes film, many more in digital, and even in post, I am just playing with the sliders in LIghtroom. It never seems to end.
Perhaps there is no end.
In my latest outing, I took the fabulous X-Pro2 with another beautiful piece of gear, the XF 23mm 1.4. In addition, I brought the 18mm f2 and the 35mm f2, just in case. I used a shot wrist wrap instead of my usual strap, I have to admit it didn't feel comfortable, the X-Pro2 coupled with the 23mm felt a bit heavy on my wrist, nevertheless, shooting with this combo felt amazing, but day became overcast very soon, and when drops of rain started falling on my camera, I swapped lenses with the weather sealed XF 35mm f2. That's something to think about. I have to admit it, in my case this lens feels very much at home.
