6 minute read

High and Wide

Adventure photographer Seth K. Hughes takes wide-angle image making to new heights by bringing FUJINON XF8mmF3.5 R WR 12,000 feet up in the Rockies

For seven years, Seth K. Hughes, his wife and their dog lived what many would describe as the American dream. The trio traveled the country, calling wherever they parked their Airstream home, moving on when they chose, their existence the very definition of idyllic. But all good things come to an end. When we speak to Seth about his experience with FUJINON XF8mmF3.5 R WR, it’s from an altogether more permanent base.

“We decided it was time for a change after years of nomadic travel,” he confesses from his Denver home. “I think we got it out of our system, or at least were ready to settle down for a bit. It’s exhausting; all that traveling can grind you down.

“It’s nice to have a home base,” he continues. “We missed the sense of community and having roots in one place. From a professional standpoint, it is challenging to keep clients or gain new ones, too.”

While his location may be more fixed, his photographic style remains rooted in adventure. When Seth picks up his FUJIFILM X Series kit to document a new location or make commercial images, he has a very specific aim: “To photograph the spirit of adventure, exploration and the concept of immersing yourself in nature,” he enthuses. “I also want to inspire others to have a greater appreciation for that adventurous spirit. Photography and adventure pair so well together.”

Astro photograph of distant snowy mountains at night below starry sky.

Photo 2023 © Seth K. Hughes | FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJINON XF8mmF3.5 R WR, 30 secs at F4, ISO 3200

Seth should know. As a boy, he would leaf through magazines full of spectacular images from far-flung locations, daydreaming of adventures to come. It was a pastime that ignited and fueled his photographic interest. So, when he was first given a camera as a seven-year-old, it was an obvious route to take – he immediately immersed himself in the world around him. “Pursuing my craft has brought so much fulfillment to my life. I just want to share that with everyone and inspire people to have some of those fulfilling experiences as well,” he smiles. “There are times when my images have spoken to someone, and they’ve reached out and told me it inspired them to go to a location. When I hear stories like that, it’s awesome.”

An experiential element to his photographic trips is as important to Seth as the image making itself – that was certainly the case when he had the opportunity to test XF8mmF3.5 R WR. He and his team made their way to Loveland Pass, 12,000 feet up in the Rockies, to record a breathtaking celestial event. “It felt like a true adventure. We all bonded together and got to know each other really well,” Seth explains. “We have that shared experience now that we’ll never forget; watching the Milky Way rise up over the Continental Divide at 5am. That’s not something you experience every day.

Seth K Hughes wearing yellow jacket and hood with head torch on holding a FUJIFILM X-T5 camera outside a tent next to a tripod in the snow at night

Photo 2023 © Matt Weintritt | FUJIFILM X-H2S and FUJINON XF18mmF1.4 R LM WR, 1/60 sec at F1.4, ISO 12,800

“Temperatures plummeted to -23°C (-10°F), so I limited how long we stayed out. A number of times, I had to take my gloves off to change camera settings. Without hand warmers, I don’t think my fingers would ever have heated back up!” he continues. “I feel like we could have gotten the same image without suffering as much, but there’s value in real immersion in that environment, to let it speak to you.”

As any photographer knows, being in the location at the right time is only part of the perfect image equation. Having the right equipment is equally important. Here, XF8mmF3.5 R WR, with its faster maximum aperture and 12mm equivalent focal length, was integral to success. By employing such a wide lens, Seth could use a longer exposure as the stars and, consequently, star trails were smaller. This meant the stars were less likely to lose sharpness while the shutter was open. “It enabled a 30-second exposure. Had it been less of a wide-angle lens, I would have been inclined to use a 15-second exposure,” he confirms.

“Optically, the lens didn’t disappoint – it is designed to take full advantage of the 40-megapixel sensor on FUJIFILM X-T5,” he continues. “For the Milky Way images, I was working at F3.5 and bracketed ISO between 3200 and 6400. X-Trans sensors are great at handling noise, and while Capture One has some denoising, it’s always a trade-off. I was impressed with the results straight from the camera.”

Astrophotography image of snowy valley at night below starry sky, with traffic trails winding along road in foreground and into the distance.

Photo 2023 © Seth K. Hughes | FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJINON XF8mmF3.5 R WR, 30 secs at F3.5, ISO 6400

Using any lens demands discipline, but those at the extreme ends of the focal spectrum perhaps deserve more veneration than most. Get it right, however, and outstanding results await. The rectilinear design of XF8mmF3.5 R WR means distortion is kept to a minimum, but composition still needs careful consideration. “With XF8mmF3.5 R WR, you quickly realize that you don’t need to be far away from your foreground,” notes Seth. “You need to be cognizant of what is within a foot of your camera, then use that as a way to frame something interesting, to lead the viewer’s eye from a foreground, through midground, to background. If you don’t take advantage of that enormous foreground area, the photo won’t have as much impact.”

Point-of-view image of someone skiing down a snowy mountainside. The valley ahead is visible and the tips of the skis and hands holding ski poles enter the image from the bottom and bottom corners.

Photo 2023 © Seth K. Hughes | FUJIFILM X-T5 and FUJINON XF8mmF3.5 R WR, 1/170 sec at F16, ISO 125

Seth’s images certainly don’t fall short on the impact scale. Once the team had maximized opportunities under the cover of darkness, he was keen to explore the lens’s capabilities during the day. “It’s my kind of form factor – comparable in size to XF14mmF2.8 R – so I started experimenting,” he explains. “I used it to create some POV images while skiing, and you could see everything in the frame – my hands, skis, and the surroundings. I had the camera on a chest harness and set up the intervalometer, making an image every few seconds. That creates a lot of possibilities.”

There is potential for filter users too. Filtration is often limited by the bulbous nature of the front element on a super wide-angle lens, but XF8mmF3.5 R WR’s compact form makes it a more practical option. “One of the biggest advantages is having the filter thread on the front. Being able to attach a polarizer or ND filter on the front is sweet,” agrees Seth. “I would recommend anyone who does that to use a step-up ring. I buy all my filters in 77mm and adapt them to the sizes below – XF8mmF3.5 R WR is 62mm.”

Ultimately, this super-wide optic gives Seth and a wealth of other creatives the opportunity to add fresh perspectives, make images that stand out and curate new experiences for both viewer and creator. It’s something he readily acknowledges becoming an ever-increasing challenge.

“Even in some of the most remote places, I’ve run into Instagram tourists; those who go to a specific place to make a very specific image. I was in that mindset at one stage in my life, but grew out of it, and looked at things from a different perspective,” he confirms. “My goals and my appreciation changed. The experiences a person has while traveling can be transformative. Whether it’s acquiring greater appreciation for the planet and conservation, or having a shared experience with a loved one. Even just that immersion in nature is scientifically proven to reduce stress and have physiological healing effects. That is where the value is.”

Shop FUJINON XF8mmF3.5 R WR today. Learn more and read the full specifications here.


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