“There are so many little moments that have such profound beauty every day. A lot of times they’re right in front of us and they sort of slip away,” says Aaron, who has been making an effort to remember these little things, right now more than ever.

“We’ve been in the middle of a crazy move, where we’re getting ready to travel full-time in an RV – it’s been really important to me to document the journey,” he explains. “Right now, we’re in a lot of transition, so we’re all over the place and I don’t want those memories to go away anytime soon!”

Aaron admits that when he had X100V in his hand, he found himself noticing scenes he otherwise may have missed. “I love making pictures of my kids, but it’s hard to find a balance between that and just enjoying the moments. It was incredibly exciting and fun to have X100V on our adventures. Not only is it small and easy to hang around my neck, but it creates such beautiful images that it feels like I’m using a giant commercial setup,” he tells us.

He continues: “My frustration with the phone cameras is they very rarely portray how beautiful a moment is – it’s more like documentation than creation. With X100V, it feels like creating: the moments are as beautiful as they should be.”   

A prime example of this was when he framed the photograph of his daughter at the pool. “I looked across and saw her playing, and there were reflections from the wet pool deck, it was a beautiful moment. I honestly don’t know if I would have seen it like that without the camera,” explains Aaron. “When you have the tools to tell your story in a way the world wants to hear it, that’s pretty cool,” he adds.

Aaron believes that photography begins with the ability to observe. “I think first you need to train yourself to see the world around you, and then you can learn to frame the world around you,” he says, adding that in order create a great image, you need to focus on embodying the feeling of that moment. “Learn to reframe the scene, either through your angle, perspective, or even talking to the subject until what you create feels more like what you experienced.”

And it wasn’t just the images Aaron created with X100V that made him feel good, but also the process of making them. “Everything from the colors to the grain has a feel unlike any camera I’ve worked with before. X100V is like an extension of you, and it’s pure fun. It’s cameras like this that have really rekindled my love for photography.”

This passion was reignited by a number of different features, including its portable size, durability, powerful autofocus, and ease of use. “I’ve never really been one to carry around a camera, but I found myself wanting this with me everywhere,” he says. “Picking up X100V was so quick, it was like I’d owned the camera before. All the adjustments are right in front of you, all you need to do is turn a few knobs and start clicking. Also, the focus is sharp, fast, and can easily be changed to fit your environment.

“When working with X100V, there were so many moments when I was excited – not only for what I was creating, but for what the world will create with a tool like this.”