One of the best things the camera phone has helped us do is capture ourselves in our pictures. Capturing a moment with a horse that Keziah met on her trip around The Big Island of Hawaii is something she wants to keep for herself and share with her friends.

The quality of a photograph is what drives people to buy those cameras. The other thing in many camera purchases today is the camera size.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 500, ƒ/6.4, 1/500

Some of the students I was teaching in Hawaii went on trips around The Big Island, and everyone had their DSLR cameras. They give excellent results when used correctly, and the lens choices are far superior to their smartphone cameras.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 2500, ƒ/7.1, 1/500

Tomorrow I will be lugging around my Nikons as I shoot the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Auburn and Louisville. The Nikon D4 is just the perfect sports camera and lets me continuously shoot more than 90 frames at 10 FPS in the RAW setting before the buffer slows the camera down. The XQD memory card is so fast and the buffer so good that I can get those big plays without missing moments because the camera isn’t capable of keeping up with the action.

However, the downside to the gear is its size and weight. By the end of the day, I will collapse more from carrying all this gear for more than 12 hours. I will be covering the pre-game Fan Zone till the Trophy presentation.

I cannot think of a better system for travel photography than the Fujifilm X-E2. It is small and compact. I have great lenses to use with it, and at the end of a long day, as I traveled around The Big Island of Hawaii, I wasn’t tired and worn out. On the contrary, It was an energizing experience for me.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 400, ƒ/6.4, 1/1700

I only carried the Fujinon XF 18-55mm and the 55-200mm with one body. So I stuck the 55-200mm in my vest pocket and just continued to relax and enjoy my time.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 55-200mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/110

I captured the Island Breeze Luau from the back with the 55-200mm due to the image stabilizer to keep the photos sharp.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 1250, ƒ/4, 1/500

Unless you are shooting sports for a living, I think the Fujifilm X-E2 is a great camera. The lenses they make for the system and the images are incredibly sharp.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 200, ƒ/8, 1/680

A video was helping two funerals I was attending to tell the story of the people who had passed away. The use of photos all through the pieces to help tell their stories was quite moving.

It reminded me there were some things I hadn’t known about them, and I loved them even more for learning them.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 6400, ƒ/5, 1/480

This photo is a moment I also cherish of Karen Walker having parakeets on her hand at a store we stopped by on our trip.

Fujifilm X-E2, FUJINON XF 18-55mm, ISO 200, ƒ/3.6, 1/180

Tips for Capturing the stories of your life

• Carry your camera with you–Since you cannot take photos if you don’t have your camera be sure to buy a camera you would want to lug around with you. Fuji X system cameras are my vote for just such a camera.
• Spend a lot of time just soaking in and listening to people. Of course, you don’t need to be shooting every minute, but be sure you have some photos that you can then add the text to later that you can preserve these stories for you to have for years to come.
• Archive your photos. I put captions with every shot I take. Some are just a few words to help me remember.
• Display the stories. Find a format where you can display those stories.
  • Maybe you use something like Instagram, where you post your photo and then put a caption that tells the short story.
  • Blogging about your journeys might be another way to preserve those stories. My friend Bill Bangham is doing that on his blog here.
  • Maybe create a book as I have done many times for trips, special events, and family stories. Here is a link to some of my books.
  • Create videos with your voice-over and pictures. Here are some of my packages.