An Effort to Create and Preserve Memories
I originally got a camera in an effort to both create and preserve memories as a hobbyist photographer under the premise that I would be more inclined to seek out beauty in my current surroundings and to seek variety in further surroundings.
The camera, a Fujifilm X-T3 with a Fujifilm XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R LM OIS kit lens, creates wonderfully accurate images and is well suited to the task at hand.
But this was 3 years ago, and my usage has been in decline since. I usually only take it out when travelling and expecting picturesque landscapes; the big things. It is otherwise too cumbersome or out of place, even with just a mid-sized lens.
In doing so, I miss the small, unexpected scenes I come across every day and limit the creation and preservation of memories in this manner to events that would likely be preserved in memory regardless.
The goal, then, is to pay more attention to the small things, by way of seeking beauty for capture in an image, such that I am more attentive to my surroundings, and thus grow more appreciative of their current form and fleeting nature.
In this way, you are also given more opportunity to iterate and progress in the pursuit of mastery; through taking more photos, you have more to learn from, each slowly developing your style and expertise.
On realising this, I sought a more compact lens, one less cumbersome and more attuned to everyday environments, such that I would be more likely to carry around and use it in this way.
It could be argued that this is more suitable for that of a phone, but I think a dedicated camera is often more intentional. That, and the camera on my Nokia 2660 Flip isn't that good.
I landed on the Fujifilm XF 27mm F2.8 R WR. Coming in at just 33% of the length and 27% of the weight of the aforementioned kit lens, this is a much more discrete and portable option while still retaining capability for high quality images.
