First up I want to say there is nothing wrong with my camera (none of them).
I have simply been out of practice of late and in my head, the camera (more specifically the X100V) was to blame.
On the rare occasion I used it I was not happy with the results and blamed the camera.
“It’s not the same as my Olympus Pen f”
“I knew that camera inside out”.
First up, I didn’t replace my Pen f with the X100V, I replaced it with the XT-4!
Secondly, I cannot judge the camera as I am simply not using it!
The Pen f was second nature to me as I used it continuously over several years.
I have not had the X100V that long and with the pandemic, moving house etc, I have not had anywhere near the opportunity to use it.
But that, in itself, feels like an excuse.
I don’t need to go out, I don’t need to go far, I can take photographs anywhere! I proved that to myself at the start of the pandemic when I used photography as my release during the boredom and monotony of being in lockdown. I even managed to set up a shop and sell some of the work from those shoots!
I’ve moved to a new part of the UK, one with lots of interest. The Suffolk countryside is right outside my door. I literally have no excuse!
A colleague has asked me to take some headshots of him next week and I have decided to take the X100V with me. Mainly as I have a much longer commute now and I do not want to lug lots of gear into the office.
The lens on the X100V is perfect for portrait photography and I went to YouTube to find some videos on the topic of X100V portrait photography.
Thanks to the YouTube search engine I ended up watching this video by Joey Spadoni, it was enough to make me realise I have the tools I need, I simply needed the will.
So in an effort to reconnect with my photography and in particular the X100V, I have made a conscious effort to take some shots around the house.
Yesterday was a bright crisp morning and I made a conscious effort to pick up my camera before leaving the house.
I picked a precarious day to be out shooting as the previous days’ frost made the footpaths really muddy, but the cold air and rising sunlight were too good an opportunity to miss.
I tried to look for details I may not have seen before and to zone in on those.
The result is a varied mix of photographs that capture a crisp November morning in Suffolk.
I have to remember, I know the basics (I think I know more than that but I am trying to be humble!). I simply have to continue to practice the art of photography. Whether the shots are good or not, it’s all experience and if I don’t shoot, I will never know!
Get out there and shoot!
Update – 21 December 2021
I now realise the one thing I miss is the image stabilisation. For some reason, I thought the X100V had it and it does not 😦
I have had a couple days shooting with it recently and was disappointed by the amount of shake in the shots.
Sadly this is not something I can rectify unless I were to sell the X100V and buy a second-hand Pen f 😦
Keith Tomlinson Photography 
Crisp autumnal days are my favourite. A bit of mist in the mix is even better!
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I agree. I did catch some mist on another morning out this week but was using my Google Pixel 6 on that day.
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Lovely shots and colour. I find I need to be in the right headspace to take good photographs, sometimes despite my best intentions, it just doesn’t come together, especially if I feel rushed. Maybe you’ve just been too busy lately to relax and enjoy photography. It’s certainly not the camera 🙂
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Fair point. Frame of mind and time do help. Although I notice some of my favourites were those instant spontaneous shots.
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