Weekly Photo Journal - Week 2025/11

Welcome to my Photo Journal for Week 11, covering March 10–16! I think this week may have more photos than last week—whether that’s good or bad, I’m not sure. I’ve already started to think about what I’ll do for weeks when I don’t get the chance to take many photos. Maybe I could share some from the past.

But enough about that—let’s get into Week 11!

Monday

I mentioned in last week’s photo journal post that I tried out my friend Tom’s Fuji 27mm f/2.8 lens. I’ve been thinking about a more everyday carry setup—something I can take with me to work or on casual outings when I don’t feel like carrying a larger kit.

Well, today I got the lens! I sold my Fuji 23mm f/2 and picked up the 27mm.

I haven’t used it yet—I’ll give it a go tomorrow when I bring it to work.

I’m curious to see how it goes. Ever since I got the Fuji 16-55mm f/2.8 II lens, I haven’t shot with a prime lens. I’ve gotten so used to the versatility of zoom lenses (I also have the 50-140mm) that I wonder how much of an adjustment it’ll be to go back to shooting with a prime.

But I have to remind myself: the main reason I bought this lens is to make it more likely I’ll bring my camera places I normally wouldn’t. So I can’t tell myself, “Oh, I wish I’d brought my zoom.”

When I go out with the specific purpose of doing photography, I’ll bring the zoom—or both! But for everyday carry, the 27mm is going to be perfect.

I’m excited for tomorrow!

But just because I didn’t use the 27mm today doesn’t mean I didn’t take any photos!

At the mall where I bought the lens, I had to wait around 30 minutes for it to be delivered to the store. I started heading toward a coffee shop but then thought—why not take some photos while I’m here? I noticed some interesting lighting when I first arrived.

I wandered around four mostly empty floors of the mall and found some interesting compositions. I only shot for maybe 20 minutes before grabbing coffee and reviewing the shots.

It was the first time I used Reggie’s Portra film recipe. I remember hearing a lot about it last summer when I was first switching to Fuji, but I hadn’t tried it until now.

I found it quite muted and true to the look of the mall’s interior—a low-key film simulation that matched the atmosphere well.

It was fun trying to catch people walking or standing in the right spot to make a pleasing composition.

But—as often happens when I use a Fuji recipe—I ended up editing the RAW files instead of using the SOOC JPGs. I can’t help myself from playing with VSCO filters. I forget which one I used in the end, and I really wish Lightroom had a way to tell you which preset was applied. If anyone knows how, please let me know!

After finishing my coffee and picking up the new lens, I headed outside to do a bit more shooting. I was tempted to start using the 27mm right away, but since I already had the 16-55mm, I kept going with that.

I stuck with Reggie’s Portra recipe. It was an overcast day, and as with the indoor shots, the sim rendered the colours very naturally—much like how I saw them with my eyes.

I didn’t end up with any standout photos, but it’s always nice to be out shooting.

At a couple of spots I waited for a while, hoping for a good subject to enter the scene, but I didn’t stick around long enough. So nothing too special.

The location below has some potential for the future. I was trying to line it up so there would be someone walking within each slat of glass, reflected from the street below.

Someday I want to do a series where I shoot people through a car window. I was trying to do one here in the photo below, but it didn't turn out very well.

Oh—and by the way! Last week I mentioned I took some Frames photos for the Hiro Photo Composition Challenge. Turns out one of mine was chosen for this week’s newsletter! Felt great to see my name and one of my photos included!

Tuesday

Today was my first time using the new 27mm, which I brought to work.

I had some time between office hours and class, so I explored campus a bit. I’ve shot there quite a few times—I might eventually share more of those photos. Tom and I were also thinking of making a zine of shots taken on campus.

For this short walk, I revisited some familiar spots, just to see how they looked at 27mm.

For these images, I used one of Eren Sarigul’s presets—Sakura, from his Cinefilim preset collection. The weather was dreary and overcast, and the preset gave the photos a kind of post-apocalyptic vibe.

There were moments when I instinctively tried to zoom in or out, only to remember I was using a prime again. It’s definitely an adjustment.

But overall, the experience felt totally different! I was more carefree—not obsessing over getting the perfect composition. When I’m in full “photography mode,” I tend to shoot a lot of frames of the same subject, adjusting the composition and reviewing each shot. But with the 27mm, I often just walked up to a scene, took one shot, and kept walking without even checking the back of the camera.

It’s also amazing how much less conspicuous I felt with this lens compared to my zooms—or even the 50mm f/2 prime. A few students glanced at my camera, but they didn’t seem to care. I felt less awkward walking around campus with it.

I’m trying to adopt the mindset that this setup is about exploration—not about chasing perfection.

Wednesday

In the afternoon, Tom and I went back to the camera shop where I bought the 27mm. This time, Tom bought the 50-140mm f/2.8 for his X-T5!

Now we’ve got a few lenses in common, which makes shooting together even more fun. It’s always interesting to see the different photos we each take using the same lens. Sometimes I can guess exactly what Tom is photographing; other times, I have no idea. I think we help each other notice things we might otherwise miss.

I wasn’t happy with too many photos, but this one’s my favourite:

We grabbed a couple of drinks afterward and talked more about the zine project. (See later down in this post for an update.)

After the drinks, I headed out to try my luck with some night shots.

Originally I shared only the one on the right, but I think it looks good with the person’s face too.

I really think Tom and I complement each other when shooting. In some ways we see the same things; in others, we see completely different things. That contrast helps both of us grow as photographers.

Thursday

I went to the theater today to watch In the Mood for Love—one of my all-time favourite movies. Originally released in 2000, it’s now been re-released for its 25th anniversary. I’ve seen it several times at home, but this was the first time seeing it on the big screen.

Everything about the film is incredible, but the cinematography is on another level. It’s the kind of movie I pause constantly while watching at home—just to appreciate the framing and lighting. Seeing it in a cinema was inspiring. I had to stop myself from booking a trip to Hong Kong to take photos!

Each viewing brings new discoveries. This time I noticed the camera movements more—maybe because of the large screen. I’m really glad I went. I might even go again!

Anyway, this is a photo blog post, not a movie review 😂

I brought the 27mm along. I arrived at the theater early and had about 15 minutes to spare, so I wandered and snapped a few shots.

And a few more after the movie ended.

Sunday

This morning, Wanyang suggested we visit a nearby area where the peach blossoms had started blooming. Yesterday felt like winter again, but today was sunny and a bit warmer.

Since I met Wanyang last year, I’ve been working on improving my portrait photography. Maybe, little by little, I’m getting better. I remember when I first started, she never liked any of the photos I took—but now, at least some of them are acceptable 😂

Zine Update

I think both Tom and I were hesitant to make a zine at first. We suffer from the classic "my photos aren’t good enough" mindset. But we’ve decided to just go for it.

We each plan to select 10 photos, all taken in Beijing with our Fujis. That limits our choices to photos taken since last summer, which keeps things manageable.

There are so many little details involved in making a zine. Every time I watch a YouTube video about it, the process seems more daunting. But I’m trying not to overthink it—especially since it’s our first one. It’s more about figuring out a workflow than about making something perfect.

Sean Gallagher Mentorship

I mentioned last week that I recently joined Sean’s community mentorship program. Our challenge for the month is to create a photo series—not just a theme like “everything red” or “all B&W contrasty shots,” but something with a consistent composition style and tied to a social or cultural issue.

I’m really struggling to come up with a theme! I have a few ideas, but none I feel great about—and the month’s already more than halfway over. I need to get on it. Hopefully by next week, I’ll have chosen a direction.

That’s it for this week! I’m not sure what the upcoming week has in store. I don’t have a specific photo theme or location planned—just going to see how it goes. But on Friday evening, I’m heading to Chengdu for a few days, so hopefully I’ll get some nice shots there.

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Have a great week—see you next week!

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