After the fire

The smell of smoke had long subsided, and we took a trip into the forest to see what effect the back-burning of ground litter had had.There's something beautiful about the red dust that our vehicle kicks up, as we go deeper and deeper into the forest. Nowhere in the UK has earth this vibrant colour.We pass fire trails as we reach forks in the track. "Left or right?" I ask our son. "Left, we've never been there", he says. And so, we end up at Mount Portal, looking out over the Nepean river, Sydney in the distance.We are heading into autumn, and the light is low, casting long shadows through the forest. The ground is burnt, covered in a layer of ash, and the smell of smoke is still noticeable. Here and there, green shoots are rising out of the ground. The forest is renewed, and life is taking hold again.

Enhancing the Fujifilm X-E1

I've bought a couple of accessories for my X-E1, which add to the usability, and make the tactile experience even better.Firstly, I bought a Gordy camera strap. Made by hand by Gordy Coale, the workmanship is excellent, and is comfortable around the wrist while providing reassurance that if my grip should slip, my X-E1 will be safe. When I toted a DSLR around, it would hang from my neck, but the size and weight of the X-E1 means that I prefer to hold it one-handed by the grip. Much better on my neck.Secondly, I've added a Thumbs Up "Bop" Concave soft release. This screws into the shutter release, and allows me to gently trigger the shutter, with a much more positive action than the standard button. Because it's concave, my finger rests nicely on it. One tip, though - put a dab of super glue on the thread, or you will find it has unscrewed and got lost, at some point.Do any of you have favourite accessories? Let me know!

Weekly Photo Challenge: (Color)

This Beetle owner thought big and bold! Spotted on Skiathos, Greece.

Interference

I was skimming through my early photos in Lightroom, and came across the first image I made with my first digital SLR (a Canon EOS 300D in 2004, for those who are interested).The thing I remember most was the immediacy of the experience. No waiting to finish the film, no processing in a dark room smelling of chemicals. Click - and there it was, on the back of the camera.The second thought that struck me was that the immediacy of digital can affect the experience in negative ways, as well as positive. There was a period when the ability to capture an image without consequence of cost or effort meant I didn't think through what I was trying to achieve as much as I had with film.We live and learn.While I still shoot film for enjoyment sometimes (there is definitely a different feel to film, that no amount of digital post processing can accurately emulate), I wouldn't want to go back.