by Stephanie Baxter & friends
Cover image by Andrea Livieri for Capture One
Having attended last year’s X Summit in NYC, I was very excited to be invited to travel to this year’s event in Stockholm, Sweden with the wonderful team at FUJIFILM U.K. It was wonderful to get to spend time amongst people who all have a passion for photography in general and FUJIFILM in particular, and especially to share our excitement about the camera that was announced at the X Summit on day two of our trip: the GFX100 II. Having never used the GFX system before, I was a bit daunted in the face of actually having one in my hand to test out while on the trip, but it didn’t take me long to realise how similar it is to my X Series cameras in terms of its usability, menus, etc. The ergonomics and weight, on the other hand, did take some getting used to but one thing that absolutely blew me away was the speed of the camera; I can see that aspect being a real game-changer for GFX users.
However, despite the point of the trip being to celebrate the release of the GFX100 II and the new GF lenses, that wasn’t the thing that left the most lasting impression on me. It was the people. As an introvert, I was pretty apprehensive beforehand about the sheer amount of chitchat I thought I’d have to do but I actually found that being among people who are passionate about FUJIFILM gives you a different starting point than when you usually meet people for the first time; it’s like you already have a bit of an understanding of one another before you even say anything. I met so many wonderful people and had so many fascinating conversations, and I never once felt like there was a hierarchy of importance during my interactions with anyone, whether they were X-Photographers, members of the FUJIFILM regional teams or FUJIFILM executives from Japan. The whole thing just felt like one big, friendly party.
Everything about the trip was incredible, from the kindness I was shown and the way I was made to feel so welcome by the FUJIFILM U.K. team, to the outstanding efficiency and organisation of the FUJIFILM Nordic crew who put on such a well-run programme of events with seamless transitions between each part of what I can only imagine was a very complex operation! At every point, we were made to feel valued, looked after and like we were part of one big family: the FUJIFILM family.
You will find the remaining part of this article in the newest edition of FUJILOVE MAGAZINE.
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