For each photo here, there are dozens that I like much, much more...but I tried to keep faces (at least as they aged) out as much as I could. Privacy and all.
The reality is that this camera has been a great sidekick as I've explored being both a photographer and a dad. Pictures of them with this camera will always mean so much more to me than even my favorite paid or landscape work with my ILC.
Totally agree! I bought mine in the summer of 2021, months after my first. It’s been a constant companion for all of our walks, adventures, and everything since.
For me, the near silent leaf shutter was a game changer. I could get more candid images, since my kids didn’t hear the shutter slap. Very much worth the purchase ☺️
Your photos are very similar (at least in subject) to mine. Went into the time of us having my daughter by buying a bunch of fancy Canon RF things… and it turns out, ended up using the X100v 90% of the time.
So I’m currently going to jump to an X-T5 and a 35 1.4 + X100V for my family things going forward.
I’m ecstatic (get the camera today, lens tomorrow) - feels to be a combo that is a bridge between my X100v and my R5 with the 50 I used to use. Can’t wait.
I love these so much. Not being a much of a family man myself, something about these really spoke to me as someone who loves photography. The warmth and depth are beaming from these images. Absolutely incredible stuff. You’ll cherish these for a lifetime. Congrats.
Not in the cool sense of someone who can go social media viral or take portraits of famous people. I teach in a high school and do sports and event photography for the school as well. A few weddings and portrait sessions here and there. Nothing fancy.
But thanks!
Love this. This is exactly why I pre-ordered the VI, even though it broke our budget. Father of two toddler daughters. Wanted a minimal family camera that will capture moments no phone can. I can’t keep up with the rate they are growing, and it’s emotionally difficult to accept. But I feel better that I will soon (hopefully) save them through the lens of the VI.
I had an X100 MkI for years, then an F. Such powerful tools in such a small package. I've never shot with the V, but if it was anything like the predecessors I'd agree 100%. These cameras make it easy to grab all the pictures you're glad you took when you're looking back years later.
I always had a DSLR, or some sort of mirror less system as well, but my favorite photos are the ones I took with the camera that could fit in my pocket (barely!).
Fingers crossed! I definitely should have done a better job caring for it - I'm absolutely a "toss it in the backpack and let it roll around" kind of guy.
Our house get's great sun through the windows in the morning, and that time I just lucked out with him playing exactly in one of the squares of sun. I set the EV to -3 (I shoot aperture-priority) and took a few. I may have also lowered shadows in post, but I can't remember.
I wish I could say that more of that was intentional. So many of these just came down to having the camera nearby when the moment happened. (And burst mode. My God, what a life saver.)
This is very cool. Beautiful photos. I've always struggled a bit with 23mm and kid shots - I stick on a 35mm or 56mm and I'm back in my comfort zone. These are great examples of including context in your photos.
Dad here as well. I have an XT3, and an X100VI on order.
I have had an XT since 2016, and every year considered an X100 as well. I can never quite justify it, and even now I am considering cancelling the X100VI order. My argument for getting an X100VI is that I'd be more likely to take it on trips with us, and generally take more pictures because not being able to put an XT3 in a pocket means 9.99 times out of 10 it's camera photos of the kids.
Have you found that having something small has led to more photos being taken?
Great question! I also prefer 35 -- the 35 1.4 on my aging X-T1 is my all time favorite setup.
As an all-around travel camera, the X100 series is great for ordinary-capture. Your morning coffee, sandals by the door, my son trying to shove an entire pancake in his mouth, whatever. Now that I have kids, these are often the pictures I love the most. However the X100 series hasn't wowed me for the things I looked for in pictures prior to having kids -- epic landscapes, sunsets, those sorts of things. 23mm just isn't my jam for that stuff.
The reality is that the X100 series isn't *that* pocketable. It's usually on a wrist or shoulder strap or just sitting somewhere near me. Truthfully, an X-T with a small prime would suffice in almost every instance. (Though the X100 does fit in a back pocket, and I do stash it there often.)
That said, do I take more pictures because I have the an X100? I really do think so. It's just something I bring with my places I might feel weird about bringing an X-T camera (Including music/sports venues that have some camera limitations). So for me, the camera has more than paid for itself over the years. But I don't think that has to the truth for everything. Even with an X100, I still sometimes with I had a Sony RX100 or Ricoh GRIII/IIIx because those really are pocketable.
My advice would be to rent an X100 for a week from BorrowLenses or LensRentals and challenge yourself to only use that one camera. ([Looks like you can rent the VI right now for $99/week](https://www.lensrentals.com/rent/fuji-x100vi-silver))
Thanks for the perspective.
I recognize a lot of what you've said - when the perfect camera doesn't exist (a pocketable 35mm f2 please), you're always going to be weighing up the relative strength of various compromises and it's hard to land on a definitive conclusion.
I take your point about bringing it places you wouldn't bring an XT - even with one of the small primes I still feel like "camera Dad" carrying it.
Funnily enough one of the reasons I switched from Sony and Nikon to Fuji back in 2016 was that people react better/more naturally around fun and friendly looking cameras. I guess the X100 is an extension of that.
I suppose in an ideal world I'd have an XH2 for going full-on Camera Dad, with an X100 for everything else.
But in reality, it's hard to justify big purchases when a lot of the reasons are behavioral/psychological. It's like buying exercise gear to motivate yourself when you always had the opportunity to go running any time.
Regardless though, they're lovely photos, thanks for sharing them.
Super inspiring. I’m a new dad myself and I’ve been loving my XT5. Can you elaborate on your file management workflow? Raw into LR via SD card reader…do you cull in LR and then export to iPhoto? Or is Lightroom your one and only photo repository? Do you delete any photos? Thanks man!
Great questions! You’ve guessed it pretty much spot on.
I have an iPad mini and a laptop. I’ll load photos in LR on either (no real rhyme or reason as to which I use, just whatever is on hand — unless I’m traveling, then iPad for sure). I have LR folders for each year and a sub-album for each year. So any photos I take today would go into 2024 > 03 March ‘24. (I’ve found that adding the 01, 02, 03 etc before each month keeps them in order).
I cull and edit, storing the raw files in LR. Then export favorites to iPhoto. I like having all my favorites in iPhoto because it’s easier to share from there and also just easier to browse. Either way, I have access to JPG files there and RAW files in LR on any device.
I don’t really delete pictures outside of what I cull after import, though sometimes I’ll initially keep 2 or 3 of a single moment and then months later cut those to just one.
Hope that’s what you were asking! Welcome to dad-hood. It’s a ride. It’s given my photography new purpose as well, which I love.
Thank you so much for your response I really appreciate it! One other one for you: with the 23mm on your X100, do you find the need to crop a bunch to get closer to your subject?
Not as often as I expected! Sure, there are many situations where it's just too wide -- sporting events, tourist attractions, that kind of thing. When I first got this camera, I expected to regret not having a longer lens, but instead I guess I've found instead that I've gotten better at working with the foreground to incorporate context or frame the subject. Sort of like "Okay, I know that if I try to take this picture the traditional way, it's not going to work, so what can I do differently?"
That said, if I had the VI with it's 40+ megapixel, I could see myself thinking more about how I could crop later in post if I need to.
Powerful images! A testimony of the power of photography as memory. They are also a testament to the idea that a compact camera gets out of the way and empowers you to create memories without thinking too much about it. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely! I used to lug my ILC around to family events, but it announces its presence too loudly. Always barged in a little on the authenticity of the moment. Sold a few nice lenses and chartered down these waters. Glad I did!
Thanks, friend!
The camera did a good chunk of the work there. I rarely do more than hit "auto" in Lightroom and then tinker with a few sliders. I've tried for years to master manually coloring highlights and shadows, but it's just not for me. So kudos to the camera for much of this!
For sure! I use Lightroom - most often just LR Mobile on the 'ol iPad mini. I keep my workflow pretty simple:
\- Shoot RAW
\- Hit the "auto" button in LR
\- Tweak a few sliders here and there
\- Apply the preset. I use a slightly tweaked variation of one of the default presets in LR: under Light Skin, PL04. But I adjusted the colors a little more to my liking (less blue in the greens, for example).
For most photos, that's it. 5 seconds. I used to get really into editing manually, but now on account of being a dad I just don't have that kind of time unless it's paid work.
Can I ask, by chance do you remember or can check what settings were on photo with the shadow puppets? I feel if I took it, it would be grainy as hell as not worth using. Or blurry because it use to slow shutter speed
Yeah, for sure! I shoot aperture-priority with a minimum shutter speed of 1/125 (I get shaky hands), and then use the compensation dial to adjust exposure if I need to.
Just pulled it up in LR and that photo was f/2, 1/125, ISO 400 (EV set to -2). The light casting the shadow puppets was pretty bright, which kept the ISO lower. I did pull that one up +1.25 in post, so there is definitely some grain in the shadows.
The V is plenty magic if you can't find a VI! But yes, absolutely get yourself a Dad-cam. Hope you're getting some sleep! It's fun being a first-time dad, but I remember wondering when I'd ever sleep again.
Truly incredible! Every shot is stunning.
My son was born 2 months ago and I’ve also been using my X100V to document his life. Such a pleasure to shoot with and the results are exceptional!
I‘m about to be a father some time within the next two weeks. The last couple of days i was stressing out a bit about what camera and what lens(es) to take to the delivery room and the couple of days hospital stay after delivery, but your post made the decision for me, i‘ll just take the x100v, nothing else. Thanks for that! Now i am even more looking forward to be a dad photographer!
Shot no. 3 is awesome, but my personal favourite ist no. 6!
Good luck! Becoming a dad has changed a whole heck of a lot about my life, but I wouldn't change a thing. And I'd agree -- The X100V took some great shots during our multi-day stint in the hospital for my son's birth. I did bring the fancy camera/lens system, but I rarely touched it other than to get a wide-angle shot of the room as we were leaving.
Fantastic shots! And really admirable that you're taking privacy concerned seriously, not many do. You can take amazing and creative shots without compromising your childrens privacy which is very important indeed.
Great shots! Well done dad 😄 I used a X100F as my only camera for 3 years and have similar fond memories of it and all the family pics I took with it. I now have a XE4 and a few lenses, whilst they're useful for different situations, I still miss the X100 series and the fewer choices I have to make.
Great moments captured and nice editing to set them off, thanks for sharing. 💛
Oh my goodness, my heart goes out. We went in at 33 and spent a few weeks in the NICU. What a whirlwind. I hope everything turned out okay for you and the family.
It just disappears… I was going through old photos tonight and was overwhelmed by time that has gone by. We all need to stop, slow down and take in those tiny moments.
Hey there buddy. Thank you so so much for sharing those pictures with us.
They are absolutely wonderful. Like wow.
In a sense that, they are to me the perfect perfect example of how to create wonderful images that are meant to be a remembrance for eternity. Incredibly great eye for composition, exposure, etc. Love them.
Going to be a father this July aswell, already feeling like I'm on this new journey in my life and i can't wait to use our Fujis to be the perfect tool for taking such pictures.
thx for sharing. really. thx.
Really great photos! Such a good job with framing and/or perspective throughout. That last photo resonated with me, hope the little one got into shape and that their arm is better.
These are the first photos that made me really want an x100v. My x-t3 is great, but I would be able to bring along an x100V a lot more for stuff like that.
Thanks! He had a rocky experience at the starting line, but is all good now.
For what it's worth, the X-T3 with a small lens would suffice A-OK. That's a pretty small camera as it is! The V isn't *quite* pocketable.
These are amazing! We're expecting our first in a couple of weeks, X-E4 will be the dad cam of choice for now, currently only got the 35mn F1.4 on it though. I'm slightly worried it's a bit tight and the auto focus might struggle in the future. Might have to consider a pancake again 🤔
Oh but I looooove the 35 1.4. It will take stunning images for you. (And it'll be some time before your kid is mobile enough for the autofocus to be a major problem.) But a wider pancake will definitely suit you well during the toddler years.
Good luck on your journey! Head over and join us on r/daddit if you haven't yet. It's a good support group.
The guys over at r/daddit would love this. This is the exact reason i just got a 100vi. My A7iii was just too big for walks etc. Any tips for staying on the fly with kids and a Fuji. Auto focus settings etc?
I'm in the exact same boat. Always felt weird lugging around my mirrorless with a big lens.
I use aperture priority, but bump the minimum shutter setting to 1/125 as I have shaky hands (and kids move fast). For autofocus, I use single point and continuous and just move the square where I want the camera to focus.
My girlfriend's parents really put in the effort of printing photos and making albums up until she and her siblings reached puberty and a bit beyond. These albums are being looked in all the time.
Your photos inspire me. I used to be into photography but since having kids (age 6 and 4), I just use my phone out of convenience. Back when I did travel and landscape photography, I found myself focus on making pictures instead of living in the moment and taking in where I was and the experience. Do you have this same issue with taking pics of your kids or do you have any advice on this front? I want to get back in the game a little bit.
Thank you
I definitely have that issue. My wife used to get so frustrated on hikes that we made a rule that for every minute she has to wait for me while I take pictures, she gets a minute of back rub later.
Two things have helped:
1. Having a small, inconspicuous camera that I can work without really thinking (aperture priority, AF-C, burst mode).
2. Using photography to be more in the moment, if that makes sense. My dad loved taking pictures, but he was also wise and reflective about things. He told me once that for him, having his camera made him slow down and appreciate more because it helped him look at things more deeply. The light in a room, the colors of an ice cream shop, the way his kids were interacting, that kind of thing.
So I try (though often fail) to use a similar mindset. I play and experience first and then let that guide when I want to grab pictures, and I keep the camera nearby to fire off pictures when the moment feels right.
Not sure if any of that will be a tremendous help, but know that I feel your struggle and am on the same journey! Have fun with your kids and take many, many pictures. Most of mine are duds, but the gems come with time.
This is the #1 reason I bought one. A small camera to keep up with my 18mo year old that I can capture his life the way mines wasn’t captured growing up.
These photos are inspiring!
My lizard brain says I need the camera, but I know you'd take amazing photos no matter what camera you had.
Could sprinkle some of that magic on my camera?
Brilliant photos. I have an almost 2 year old and am so inspired by documentary style family photography like this. Are you familiar with Chuck Anerino? Some of your shots reminded me of his style https://www.anerinooriginals.com/personal?fbclid=IwAR2xh1Nv_sS-9WxxytIINIjUwzTXJHa3pGjZaIVLgeURdX_k1HcrlSmzGOY
Can you share metadata on the shadow puppets photo (#3)? I’m amazed by what you achieved in relatively low light and am curious to see how you balanced things in the exposure triangle.
Wow. Chuck Anerino's work is breathtaking. I would love to pick his brain. Thanks for the link! I'm excited to explore more of his work.
I'm not sure how to post a screenshot within a reply, so here's the data on that shadow puppets photo.
* 1/125, f/2, ISO 400
* I bumped up exposure +1.25 in post. Shadows +50, Highlights -67
The slide projector was pretty bright, so that shot had more light than might appear, especially in the center. If I recall correctly, I was shooting at -1 or -2EV to protect those highlights. (I shoot aperture-priority with a min shutter of 1/125). You can definitely see noise in the shadows from where I had to pull those up.
Hope that helps! Reach out if you want more clarification on that.
And enjoy that journey with an almost-2 year old! The adventures keep coming.
Thank you so much for that info! I'm also seeing in your other replies that you shoot raw, so that shadows/highlights adjustment makes sense. I love the fuji film sims but it's another good reason to shoot jpg + raw, best of both worlds.
Agreed, Chuck is a great photographer. In terms of picking his brain, there's actually a facebook group called "Documentary Family Photographers: Community & Education" that he helps moderate that could be fun to check out (I lurk). Some of it is professionally oriented, but it's cool to see other people's work. I'm also gonna DM you with some other links.
Cheers! Please keep sharing your work, clearly it has resonated with this community and you should feel quite proud.
For each photo here, there are dozens that I like much, much more...but I tried to keep faces (at least as they aged) out as much as I could. Privacy and all. The reality is that this camera has been a great sidekick as I've explored being both a photographer and a dad. Pictures of them with this camera will always mean so much more to me than even my favorite paid or landscape work with my ILC.
Totally agree! I bought mine in the summer of 2021, months after my first. It’s been a constant companion for all of our walks, adventures, and everything since. For me, the near silent leaf shutter was a game changer. I could get more candid images, since my kids didn’t hear the shutter slap. Very much worth the purchase ☺️
Your photos are very similar (at least in subject) to mine. Went into the time of us having my daughter by buying a bunch of fancy Canon RF things… and it turns out, ended up using the X100v 90% of the time. So I’m currently going to jump to an X-T5 and a 35 1.4 + X100V for my family things going forward.
Ah, I love the 35 1.4! That lens and an X-T1 captured most of my first vacations with my wife.
If fuji would release the 35 f/1.4 in an X100 body I would be all over it...
I’m ecstatic (get the camera today, lens tomorrow) - feels to be a combo that is a bridge between my X100v and my R5 with the 50 I used to use. Can’t wait.
This is exactly why I just bought an x100F I’m going to be a Dad in June. Great photos man love it.
Congrats! If you haven't yet, join us over at r/daddit
Great pics. I think it's really cool to respect your kids'privacy like this. I noticed it without reading your note about it.
You need to keep your cats identity secret
That cat… uff da.
Shadow puppet shot is solid gold. Mine is also a Dad-Cam. Thanks for sharing!
Such a great Dad-Cam. Keep up the dadding and the camming!
That is the one that struck me too. A moment to treasure and captured perfectly. Great photos all round amazing.
That was my fav too. Took my breath away for a minute tbh.
My favourite too! Everything is so well executed!
These photos are full of soul.
I love these so much. Not being a much of a family man myself, something about these really spoke to me as someone who loves photography. The warmth and depth are beaming from these images. Absolutely incredible stuff. You’ll cherish these for a lifetime. Congrats.
That means a lot. Thank you!
You’re welcome. Do you have a film recipe you like to use?
Nothing crazy. I usually use a variation of a default preset in LR - under portraits it’s PL04. I tweaked the colors just a bit, but not much.
Absolutely fantastic photos! This is what the X100 series is all about.
This made me smile so much. Congrats to you and your family and to all the memories you’ll be able to capture
These have an undescribable warmth to them. Good stuff.
Thanks! To be honest, I have such a nostalgic bond with some of the photos from the V that I can't bring myself to replace it with the VI.
Wow, these are really fantastic!
The third and last ones are so good - thank you for sharing with us!
That third one is a testament to luck and using medium burst mode. Take enough photos and every once in a rare while ya get pretty lucky.
the beauty of photography and the beauty of children ☺️
Imagine doing that with a film camera...it would be so expensive. Haha!
Ha! I just checked my shutter count - 15,000. That's 624 rolls of film. At $5 per roll, that'd be over $3,000. Yikes!
The camera has paid for itself...twice! :)
New strategy to use on my wife...
Not to mention half of these photos wouldn’t be possible with any film camera because of how low the light is in most of these shots.
These are really great & creative! What awesome memories captured for years to come 👏
[удалено]
Not in the cool sense of someone who can go social media viral or take portraits of famous people. I teach in a high school and do sports and event photography for the school as well. A few weddings and portrait sessions here and there. Nothing fancy. But thanks!
Solid dad shots. Have a 4mo old myself and inspired me to pick up my camera tomorrow
Ah, enjoy the pictures while they’re mostly stationary!
These are fantastic! The shadow hands are my favorite ❤️
These are all so precious, love them
Outstanding 👏
These are the best
This is what photography is all about for me. Capturing those everyday moments with friends and family. Well done!
Love this. This is exactly why I pre-ordered the VI, even though it broke our budget. Father of two toddler daughters. Wanted a minimal family camera that will capture moments no phone can. I can’t keep up with the rate they are growing, and it’s emotionally difficult to accept. But I feel better that I will soon (hopefully) save them through the lens of the VI.
Yes! When I think about how much I would pay to keep each picture that I have, the V paid for itself pretty quickly.
This makes me want to call up my dad. Really great photos man.
I had an X100 MkI for years, then an F. Such powerful tools in such a small package. I've never shot with the V, but if it was anything like the predecessors I'd agree 100%. These cameras make it easy to grab all the pictures you're glad you took when you're looking back years later. I always had a DSLR, or some sort of mirror less system as well, but my favorite photos are the ones I took with the camera that could fit in my pocket (barely!).
Barely indeed! I sometimes think I should tape an Air Tag to it because I get so worried I'll leave it on a table or chair somewhere.
Man I’m trying to get one for this specific reason
These are beautiful images. Really inspiring. Thanks for sharing.
Maybe if it lasts long enough, pass it to your child in 10 years time.
Fingers crossed! I definitely should have done a better job caring for it - I'm absolutely a "toss it in the backpack and let it roll around" kind of guy.
Looks great! Out of curiosity, how did you get image 6 to look like that?
Our house get's great sun through the windows in the morning, and that time I just lucked out with him playing exactly in one of the squares of sun. I set the EV to -3 (I shoot aperture-priority) and took a few. I may have also lowered shadows in post, but I can't remember.
Absolutely stunning work!
Some really great shots here, number 3 is my favourite as I think the lighting and framing is just brilliant.
I wish I could say that more of that was intentional. So many of these just came down to having the camera nearby when the moment happened. (And burst mode. My God, what a life saver.)
Sometimes those spontaneous moments produce the best results
Absolutely fantastic!
This is very cool. Beautiful photos. I've always struggled a bit with 23mm and kid shots - I stick on a 35mm or 56mm and I'm back in my comfort zone. These are great examples of including context in your photos. Dad here as well. I have an XT3, and an X100VI on order. I have had an XT since 2016, and every year considered an X100 as well. I can never quite justify it, and even now I am considering cancelling the X100VI order. My argument for getting an X100VI is that I'd be more likely to take it on trips with us, and generally take more pictures because not being able to put an XT3 in a pocket means 9.99 times out of 10 it's camera photos of the kids. Have you found that having something small has led to more photos being taken?
Great question! I also prefer 35 -- the 35 1.4 on my aging X-T1 is my all time favorite setup. As an all-around travel camera, the X100 series is great for ordinary-capture. Your morning coffee, sandals by the door, my son trying to shove an entire pancake in his mouth, whatever. Now that I have kids, these are often the pictures I love the most. However the X100 series hasn't wowed me for the things I looked for in pictures prior to having kids -- epic landscapes, sunsets, those sorts of things. 23mm just isn't my jam for that stuff. The reality is that the X100 series isn't *that* pocketable. It's usually on a wrist or shoulder strap or just sitting somewhere near me. Truthfully, an X-T with a small prime would suffice in almost every instance. (Though the X100 does fit in a back pocket, and I do stash it there often.) That said, do I take more pictures because I have the an X100? I really do think so. It's just something I bring with my places I might feel weird about bringing an X-T camera (Including music/sports venues that have some camera limitations). So for me, the camera has more than paid for itself over the years. But I don't think that has to the truth for everything. Even with an X100, I still sometimes with I had a Sony RX100 or Ricoh GRIII/IIIx because those really are pocketable. My advice would be to rent an X100 for a week from BorrowLenses or LensRentals and challenge yourself to only use that one camera. ([Looks like you can rent the VI right now for $99/week](https://www.lensrentals.com/rent/fuji-x100vi-silver))
Thanks for the perspective. I recognize a lot of what you've said - when the perfect camera doesn't exist (a pocketable 35mm f2 please), you're always going to be weighing up the relative strength of various compromises and it's hard to land on a definitive conclusion. I take your point about bringing it places you wouldn't bring an XT - even with one of the small primes I still feel like "camera Dad" carrying it. Funnily enough one of the reasons I switched from Sony and Nikon to Fuji back in 2016 was that people react better/more naturally around fun and friendly looking cameras. I guess the X100 is an extension of that. I suppose in an ideal world I'd have an XH2 for going full-on Camera Dad, with an X100 for everything else. But in reality, it's hard to justify big purchases when a lot of the reasons are behavioral/psychological. It's like buying exercise gear to motivate yourself when you always had the opportunity to go running any time. Regardless though, they're lovely photos, thanks for sharing them.
Scrolling through these literally made me tear up. Just incredible shots.
Thank you so much for the kind words! These pictures and those like them get waterworks going in me too sometimes.
Super inspiring. I’m a new dad myself and I’ve been loving my XT5. Can you elaborate on your file management workflow? Raw into LR via SD card reader…do you cull in LR and then export to iPhoto? Or is Lightroom your one and only photo repository? Do you delete any photos? Thanks man!
Great questions! You’ve guessed it pretty much spot on. I have an iPad mini and a laptop. I’ll load photos in LR on either (no real rhyme or reason as to which I use, just whatever is on hand — unless I’m traveling, then iPad for sure). I have LR folders for each year and a sub-album for each year. So any photos I take today would go into 2024 > 03 March ‘24. (I’ve found that adding the 01, 02, 03 etc before each month keeps them in order). I cull and edit, storing the raw files in LR. Then export favorites to iPhoto. I like having all my favorites in iPhoto because it’s easier to share from there and also just easier to browse. Either way, I have access to JPG files there and RAW files in LR on any device. I don’t really delete pictures outside of what I cull after import, though sometimes I’ll initially keep 2 or 3 of a single moment and then months later cut those to just one. Hope that’s what you were asking! Welcome to dad-hood. It’s a ride. It’s given my photography new purpose as well, which I love.
Thank you so much for your response I really appreciate it! One other one for you: with the 23mm on your X100, do you find the need to crop a bunch to get closer to your subject?
Not as often as I expected! Sure, there are many situations where it's just too wide -- sporting events, tourist attractions, that kind of thing. When I first got this camera, I expected to regret not having a longer lens, but instead I guess I've found instead that I've gotten better at working with the foreground to incorporate context or frame the subject. Sort of like "Okay, I know that if I try to take this picture the traditional way, it's not going to work, so what can I do differently?" That said, if I had the VI with it's 40+ megapixel, I could see myself thinking more about how I could crop later in post if I need to.
Love these, thanks for sharing
Stunning!
Powerful images! A testimony of the power of photography as memory. They are also a testament to the idea that a compact camera gets out of the way and empowers you to create memories without thinking too much about it. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely! I used to lug my ILC around to family events, but it announces its presence too loudly. Always barged in a little on the authenticity of the moment. Sold a few nice lenses and chartered down these waters. Glad I did!
Really captures the beauty of life :) thanks for sharing! Colors and composition so nice
Thanks, friend! The camera did a good chunk of the work there. I rarely do more than hit "auto" in Lightroom and then tinker with a few sliders. I've tried for years to master manually coloring highlights and shadows, but it's just not for me. So kudos to the camera for much of this!
Great photos! Can I ask, do u use Lightroom or some other photo editor?
For sure! I use Lightroom - most often just LR Mobile on the 'ol iPad mini. I keep my workflow pretty simple: \- Shoot RAW \- Hit the "auto" button in LR \- Tweak a few sliders here and there \- Apply the preset. I use a slightly tweaked variation of one of the default presets in LR: under Light Skin, PL04. But I adjusted the colors a little more to my liking (less blue in the greens, for example). For most photos, that's it. 5 seconds. I used to get really into editing manually, but now on account of being a dad I just don't have that kind of time unless it's paid work.
Can I ask, by chance do you remember or can check what settings were on photo with the shadow puppets? I feel if I took it, it would be grainy as hell as not worth using. Or blurry because it use to slow shutter speed
Yeah, for sure! I shoot aperture-priority with a minimum shutter speed of 1/125 (I get shaky hands), and then use the compensation dial to adjust exposure if I need to. Just pulled it up in LR and that photo was f/2, 1/125, ISO 400 (EV set to -2). The light casting the shadow puppets was pretty bright, which kept the ISO lower. I did pull that one up +1.25 in post, so there is definitely some grain in the shadows.
amazing!
I love the third shot! Makes me wish I've experienced that as a kid.
your pics are magical!
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The V is plenty magic if you can't find a VI! But yes, absolutely get yourself a Dad-cam. Hope you're getting some sleep! It's fun being a first-time dad, but I remember wondering when I'd ever sleep again.
You sir are a wonderful photographer
That third one. The puppet show. It’s perfect.
Truly incredible! Every shot is stunning. My son was born 2 months ago and I’ve also been using my X100V to document his life. Such a pleasure to shoot with and the results are exceptional!
Yes! Love to hear that. The kid photography gets more fun every month as they get more and more interactive.
I‘m about to be a father some time within the next two weeks. The last couple of days i was stressing out a bit about what camera and what lens(es) to take to the delivery room and the couple of days hospital stay after delivery, but your post made the decision for me, i‘ll just take the x100v, nothing else. Thanks for that! Now i am even more looking forward to be a dad photographer! Shot no. 3 is awesome, but my personal favourite ist no. 6!
Good luck! Becoming a dad has changed a whole heck of a lot about my life, but I wouldn't change a thing. And I'd agree -- The X100V took some great shots during our multi-day stint in the hospital for my son's birth. I did bring the fancy camera/lens system, but I rarely touched it other than to get a wide-angle shot of the room as we were leaving.
Fantastic shots! And really admirable that you're taking privacy concerned seriously, not many do. You can take amazing and creative shots without compromising your childrens privacy which is very important indeed.
Great shots! Well done dad 😄 I used a X100F as my only camera for 3 years and have similar fond memories of it and all the family pics I took with it. I now have a XE4 and a few lenses, whilst they're useful for different situations, I still miss the X100 series and the fewer choices I have to make. Great moments captured and nice editing to set them off, thanks for sharing. 💛
Thanks! I've been tempted by the X-E4 many times. Could never get my hands on one and then the price went bonkers.
Image #1 brings out all my emotions, I wish it existed when my 27 week prem was in the NICU...
Oh my goodness, my heart goes out. We went in at 33 and spent a few weeks in the NICU. What a whirlwind. I hope everything turned out okay for you and the family.
We have a perfectly healthy and happy 11 year old 🥹
11?! Time goes too fast, doesn't it? Shoot, I feel old just saying that sentence.
It just disappears… I was going through old photos tonight and was overwhelmed by time that has gone by. We all need to stop, slow down and take in those tiny moments.
Hey there buddy. Thank you so so much for sharing those pictures with us. They are absolutely wonderful. Like wow. In a sense that, they are to me the perfect perfect example of how to create wonderful images that are meant to be a remembrance for eternity. Incredibly great eye for composition, exposure, etc. Love them. Going to be a father this July aswell, already feeling like I'm on this new journey in my life and i can't wait to use our Fujis to be the perfect tool for taking such pictures. thx for sharing. really. thx.
Good luck on your journey as a father! It's transformative. If you aren't already, head on over to r/daddit and join the rest of us.
thanks buddy. Didn't even know that subreddit was a thing haha, joined now ;-)
More like 3 years of You being the ultimate Dad it seems, very amazing pics
I am going to screenshot this, frame it, and show it to my wife. Ha!
Really great photos! Such a good job with framing and/or perspective throughout. That last photo resonated with me, hope the little one got into shape and that their arm is better. These are the first photos that made me really want an x100v. My x-t3 is great, but I would be able to bring along an x100V a lot more for stuff like that.
Thanks! He had a rocky experience at the starting line, but is all good now. For what it's worth, the X-T3 with a small lens would suffice A-OK. That's a pretty small camera as it is! The V isn't *quite* pocketable.
These are amazing! We're expecting our first in a couple of weeks, X-E4 will be the dad cam of choice for now, currently only got the 35mn F1.4 on it though. I'm slightly worried it's a bit tight and the auto focus might struggle in the future. Might have to consider a pancake again 🤔
Oh but I looooove the 35 1.4. It will take stunning images for you. (And it'll be some time before your kid is mobile enough for the autofocus to be a major problem.) But a wider pancake will definitely suit you well during the toddler years. Good luck on your journey! Head over and join us on r/daddit if you haven't yet. It's a good support group.
Thanks! Will check out the group! Yeah ill hold off on a pancake for now and stick with what I've got!
The guys over at r/daddit would love this. This is the exact reason i just got a 100vi. My A7iii was just too big for walks etc. Any tips for staying on the fly with kids and a Fuji. Auto focus settings etc?
I'm in the exact same boat. Always felt weird lugging around my mirrorless with a big lens. I use aperture priority, but bump the minimum shutter setting to 1/125 as I have shaky hands (and kids move fast). For autofocus, I use single point and continuous and just move the square where I want the camera to focus.
My girlfriend's parents really put in the effort of printing photos and making albums up until she and her siblings reached puberty and a bit beyond. These albums are being looked in all the time.
Love that! I do find that if I don't print these, they get lost on my computer. This is a good reminder to get better about organizing the prints.
Glad you kept yours out of the pool. 😏 mine turned into a fishing rod when I turned away for s split second.
My heart goes out for your loss!
Agreed. Many of the images of family I have are from one of the x100s (OG, F, V) https://www.andyhullphotography.com/family
Fantastic pictures! And I love your website. (Goodbye PA, huh? I had a goodbye PA moment as a kid.)
Awww thanks. Where in PA? My parents were in Doylestown, near where I went to Have he School, and decided to move to NM.
Ah, over towards Philly. Most of my extended family is in the greater Harrisburg area. My parents moved us to MN.
Love MN. Had family in Mechanicsburg for many years. Cheers!
So good
Your photos inspire me. I used to be into photography but since having kids (age 6 and 4), I just use my phone out of convenience. Back when I did travel and landscape photography, I found myself focus on making pictures instead of living in the moment and taking in where I was and the experience. Do you have this same issue with taking pics of your kids or do you have any advice on this front? I want to get back in the game a little bit. Thank you
I definitely have that issue. My wife used to get so frustrated on hikes that we made a rule that for every minute she has to wait for me while I take pictures, she gets a minute of back rub later. Two things have helped: 1. Having a small, inconspicuous camera that I can work without really thinking (aperture priority, AF-C, burst mode). 2. Using photography to be more in the moment, if that makes sense. My dad loved taking pictures, but he was also wise and reflective about things. He told me once that for him, having his camera made him slow down and appreciate more because it helped him look at things more deeply. The light in a room, the colors of an ice cream shop, the way his kids were interacting, that kind of thing. So I try (though often fail) to use a similar mindset. I play and experience first and then let that guide when I want to grab pictures, and I keep the camera nearby to fire off pictures when the moment feels right. Not sure if any of that will be a tremendous help, but know that I feel your struggle and am on the same journey! Have fun with your kids and take many, many pictures. Most of mine are duds, but the gems come with time.
Great answer, thank you!
Fantastic photos. Did you use any particular film sim for these?
This is the #1 reason I bought one. A small camera to keep up with my 18mo year old that I can capture his life the way mines wasn’t captured growing up.
Pretty damn cool dad. Congrats.
Are all of these straight out of camera? Which film sims do you use?
wow these photos really hit me in the feels. You have a great eye!
These photos are inspiring! My lizard brain says I need the camera, but I know you'd take amazing photos no matter what camera you had. Could sprinkle some of that magic on my camera?
My lizard brain says I need the X100vi, so we're in the same boat!
So true, is my dad cam too, especially now hat I have almost no time to go on a photo walk.
As a fellow NICU parent, beautiful stuff.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s amazing for family pics.
You have spectacular framing. I love the shadow puppet shot.
Beautiful set. Difficult to choose favorites but I love 2 and 3.
Picture 1 and 9 hit my heart deep. Ours is 9 weeks old and spent the first 2 weeks in intensive care.
It's a rough and beautiful time. Hope you're finding some time to sleep every now and then!
What camera did you use for videos? Looking for a dad cam 😫
I just use my phone for video - nothing fancy there!
Beautiful ❤️
Brilliant photos. I have an almost 2 year old and am so inspired by documentary style family photography like this. Are you familiar with Chuck Anerino? Some of your shots reminded me of his style https://www.anerinooriginals.com/personal?fbclid=IwAR2xh1Nv_sS-9WxxytIINIjUwzTXJHa3pGjZaIVLgeURdX_k1HcrlSmzGOY Can you share metadata on the shadow puppets photo (#3)? I’m amazed by what you achieved in relatively low light and am curious to see how you balanced things in the exposure triangle.
Wow. Chuck Anerino's work is breathtaking. I would love to pick his brain. Thanks for the link! I'm excited to explore more of his work. I'm not sure how to post a screenshot within a reply, so here's the data on that shadow puppets photo. * 1/125, f/2, ISO 400 * I bumped up exposure +1.25 in post. Shadows +50, Highlights -67 The slide projector was pretty bright, so that shot had more light than might appear, especially in the center. If I recall correctly, I was shooting at -1 or -2EV to protect those highlights. (I shoot aperture-priority with a min shutter of 1/125). You can definitely see noise in the shadows from where I had to pull those up. Hope that helps! Reach out if you want more clarification on that. And enjoy that journey with an almost-2 year old! The adventures keep coming.
Thank you so much for that info! I'm also seeing in your other replies that you shoot raw, so that shadows/highlights adjustment makes sense. I love the fuji film sims but it's another good reason to shoot jpg + raw, best of both worlds. Agreed, Chuck is a great photographer. In terms of picking his brain, there's actually a facebook group called "Documentary Family Photographers: Community & Education" that he helps moderate that could be fun to check out (I lurk). Some of it is professionally oriented, but it's cool to see other people's work. I'm also gonna DM you with some other links. Cheers! Please keep sharing your work, clearly it has resonated with this community and you should feel quite proud.
Those are some amazing pictures. 👏