A Fresh Start

Its been 1 year since my last birthday, and during a 1 year span of time I can say that I've gained quite an experience in photography. I do this full time, its my only bread and butter..my rice and fish (though I don't eat fish that much).
I have said this over and over again, but yes.. Photography is my life. It is God's gift to me. with the support of my family, friends, mentors and various people that must not be named, i have grown into something which i would never have perceived a year ago.
In this new year of my life, another chapter has begun.A chapter full of change. A friend asked me what was my new year's resolution. I calmly answered him:

To be DSLR free.

Back then as I was starting out, I was this Nikon guy from Cagayan de Oro who was madly in love with the brand and memorized everything about the Nikon cameras. I was obsessed and married to the brand. Nikon is great for printing, its colors were accurate, and the image quality was superb. I use a Nikon D7000 with the big ass 70-200 f2.8 lens (which was my favorite lens) and to me that was euphoria. There was this constant bickering between friends and non-friends about Canon and Nikon (and sometimes Sony). Which was the best, blah..blah..because this pro photographer uses this..blah..blah.
I was tired of those conversations.Cameras were only as good as their photographers. You can own the most expensive gear but if you ain't got it son..you really just ain't got it.
I have great respect to the people in the photographic community. From professionals to hobbyists to newbies, we all have different paths but our journey is all but one and that is to create photos that would last.At the end of my life..the only thing I can leave in this world as my foot print would be my photos. No matter how my clients/viewers see these photos..these photos are from the heart.
during that 1 year with my gear, I was contented. but something inside of me know that I was craving for more.

Everything changed when FUJI cameras came to town.

Here came this little camera with a retro feel and look. To be honest, at first i didn't even care what the camera's output would be. I first saw an X100 and an X10 from 2 photographers here in Cagayan de Oro and I said to myself that those little things must be eye candy, some fancy camera or JUST a point and shoot.(But, I was wrong. Dead wrong. ) I always wanted to own one but the feeling wasn't strong enough. But a gut feeling was telling me that I should reserch more about it.

Fuji came to Cagayan de oro to do a roadshow of their products last year. I said to the editor in chief where I was the lifestyle photographer.."let's give it a go and visit?" So we came to the roadshow and that was where things got interesting. They lined up all the X-cameras, printers and other nifty stuff.I was carrying my DSLR with the big lens and the staff were asking if i was burdened because of its weight.."Maybe you should switch to Fuji". That rang in my ears for a while before i decided and had the courage to test the cameras.I gave the X-M1, X100 and the X-E1 a try..it was fast as hell..and light too.It felt right in my hands.This was something right.

A week later, I got my X-M1. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome?) No. Personal decision.

And now a question pops into my inbox after a few days: Why the change from Nikon to Fuji? you even had a Sony.

For starters, Nikon and Sony are great brands. But the one thing that has really captured my heart, the one thing that Fuji has really got it right with me
is the way the camera and I see the light. I might be quoting Zack Arias or David Hobby but for me, its really what made me jump.
The colors, the image quality, the compactness, and the power of such a small magical box. Each time I shoot with the camera, it surprises me by giving out amazing output.

I've tested the X-10, X-100 and I own an X-M1. Each one with weaknesses but the strengths are greater than the cons.
A 10 feet print with an X-M1 Jpg file (fine) without pixelation on the image blew me away.I'm a strobist photographer and just being with the X-10 for a week, I can shoot at 1/4000 and kill off ambient light.
I see myself like the brand. I'm not perfect, i've had lapses..mistakes..misdealings in the year that I've started out as a photographer but I don't dwell on it that much and I try to learn from the experience.
No matter how big or small the shoots are, its always the experience and the lessons that I'm after. Passion for photography is really different from photography for fashion. Needless to say but output first before everything else.

And so here I am on the verge of my birthday and I am slowly selling away piece by piece the old gears that I have. I have always been emotionally connected to every piece of gear that has come through my hands, but I realize that I will be hindering my growth if those things would stay.

To conlcude it all,I bet my one year career on this statement. and Fuji did not sponsor me to say this.

I trust my Fuji Camera with my life.