Dark winter days

This one was more-or-less casual, taken while we went shopping.

I just got myself a new 18 mm for the X-Pro 1, and I wanted to familiarise myself with it as much as possible, so I selected that combination to take with me. (I just sold all Nikon DSLR and Nikon glass).

While sitting in the passenger seat of the car, I noticed the slightly fogged side window and the blurred scenery and I realised that this would be a nice photo.

I focussed on the image in the mirror, to enhance the blurred background but also because I wanted to emphasize  the reflection.

Focus and exposure are all manual.

However reliable your light meter, I think you should be in the driving seat, not your camera.

In my world, auto-focus definitely has a place, but I prefer manual focus.

Generations of excellent Photographers created terrific images without auto-focus, it is really possible, and not even difficult. You may need a little practice, that's all. And the X camera's (and most camera's with EV) make manual focusing really easy, with the option to enlarge part of the screen and evaluate your focus, or evaluate the total image and select focus, when in a little more of a hurry. I never use focus peaking, just the standard screen. no problem. If you are used to a reflex (D)SLR finder or a rangefinder, you should give this a try, it is a new world, and it works great.

Anyway, I had to react quickly, the car was starting to move, but the X-Pro 1 allows for very fast and precise focussing (yes, also on manual, don't be leave the reviews).

With the EV it is easy to get the exposure right, I don't even have to look at the exposure meter. I just get the histogram the way I like it and that's it.

I wanted to emphasise the darkness and the wintery atmosphere, so I did some post-processing on the RAW file. I processed this one in ACR because that got me the best definition in the sky, then finished in Photoshop with Silver Efex Pro (I always use plugin's from within Photoshop if possible, because it allows me to re-work the setting if I want too later) + my usual tone, color and sharpness settings.