A Day at the (Pacific) Beach

My wife and I hauled off to the closest tourist beach earlier today; one of her favorite bead stores had advertised a sale. While she shopped, I walked down the Pacific Beach boardwalk. At 11:11 a.m. PDT, I came upon a blonde, back turned, tapping on a smartphone. Her shapely thighs, wavy hair, and posture beckoned for a spontaneous, stealth shot (no face). I grabbed the Fujifilm X100F, right-shoulder slung on the ONA Lima strap, and framed the moment—when she shifted position and turned to face me just as I clicked the shutter. Did she psychically feel the camera?

The close-cropped “Accidental Portrait” is the result. That’s the PB pier off to the right, BTW. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/11, ISO 200, +0.33 ev, 1/250 sec, 23mm. All color photos in this post were purposely shot with Classic Chrome film simulation but accidentally with the positive value exposure compensation. 

The f/2 lens captures crisp detail, while the 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor provides canvas for post-production recomposition. The second shot—a 70-percent crop—is good example. Vitals: f/6.4, ISO 200, +0.33 ev, 1/900 sec, 23mm; 11:29 a.m. PDT.

The X100F’s wide, 23mm (35mm film equivalent) lens is excellent for landscape photography, as well. The vantage point in this third pic is from the Pacific Beach pier. Vitals: f/6.4, ISO 200, +0.33 ev, 1/800 sec, 23mm; 11:28 a.m. PDT. The JPEG is straight from the camera.

This black and white of the same skyline applies Fuji’s Acros film simulation in the camera. Vitals: f/5.6, ISO 200, +0.33 ev, 1/900 sec, 23mm; 11:32 a.m. PDT. The JPEG is straight from the X100F, full resolution.