Hi ,

After months of training and anticipation, I finally completed my long-awaited 24-hour mountain bike race in The Old Pueblo. Jokingly regarded by me as a single day “make up ride” for nearly an entire summer off the bike, this event represented my comeback race and the culmination of 9 months of shoulder recovery and training to get me back to strength.

Perfect weather and conditions set the tone for an incredible birthday weekend of Sonoran Singletrack, friends new and old, and a chance to test my strength, resolve and endurance. I rode all day and all night, covering 198 miles, with a moving time of 22 hours and 44 minutes across the entire 25.5 hour race.

The bike performed flawlessly, and my hard work and dedication was rewarded with surprising personal performance, placing 21st out of a field of 114 total male solo racers.

In many ways, I looked at these past 9 months as my own personal "Hero's Journey." You know the timeless trope of the "Epic" - A sudden and unexpected journey that promises adventure and peril, a test of strength, skill and character,  an ultimate battle that test's the hero's resolve and a triumphant return home. 

This narrative has inspired countless stories, from ancient myths to novels, to modern modern movies and TV shows. 

Now bear with me... I know I'm going off on a tangent here, but there are parallels that we can make with photography. We've all gone on adventures with our cameras, whether it's to an amazing location we've dreamed about, or to a distant land where we encounter new cultures, but the basic premise is the same.

We receive our call to adventure, which leads to our departure away from our comfortable and familiar homes. Along the way, we are often helped or guided by others, who are often mentors to us in some way.

During the Initiation section of our journey, we face a series of tasks that challenge us to put into practice everything we've learned along the way. We use all of the skills and advice we've acquired and solve problems that are obstacles to our success. Think composition, camera skills and exposure, etc...

Then, when we have completed our main quest and overcome the final challenge, we return home. In the process, we undergo a personal metamorphosis and a realization that the adventure has changed us in some way.

Think back to an adventure that you've taken, which greatly impacted your own life and the way you look at your own photography. This can simply mean "Life before capturing that amazing, one-of-a-kind image, and After," even if that momentous photo is right in your own backyard. 

We can't help but feel different after we've successfully created a great photograph that we love, that we feel represents our best work. We feel more confident, more alive, more skilled, more special, more fortunate, more learned, more adept more connected to the world, or to the people you met or traveled with along the way... the list goes on. 

And, depending on nature of the journey, we may also feel more introspective, possibly more jaded, and we may even have some negative feelings about what happened along the way. One good example of this might be going to a magical location, expecting a serene experience, and seeing 100 other people here all trying to take the same shot. Maybe we got a great photo, but at what cost?

I encourage you to think about one of your recent or significant photo adventures in this frame of mind. It's a fun exercise to dig down deep into our psyche and see what we learned, or what we actually got out of the experience, aside from a killer shot. (This sounds like a Photography On The Brain lesson, doesn't it?)

Will it make you a better photographer? I don't know, but it will make you think more deeply about some interesting topics, and as far as I'm concerned, anytime you put your brain to work in new ways, you'll come up with ideas that can indeed affect and influence you and your creativity the next time you head out into the world with your camera. 

The New FUJIFILM X100VI

Oh yea... While I was gone, FUJIFILM announced a brand new camera, the X100VI, (pronounced" X 100 Six") This new model brings the ultra-classic X100 line up to speed with the other 5th gen X Series models. 

It has a five-axis IBIS stabilized 40MP X-Trans 5HR sensor, like the X-H2 and X-T5, the same 5th generation image processing engine, the new Reala Ace film sim, faster, updated AF with Subject Detection Autofocus, 6.2K 4:2:2 10-bit video recording, and built-in Camera to Cloud compatability, with no accessories needed.

In addition, it's optimized to use the same NP-W126S battery as the previous X series models, so you don't have to run out and buy the new W-235 battery if you don't have an X-T4 or newer model lying around. 

I haven't had a chance to check out the new X100VI yet, but it looks pretty awesome, and it's already shipping, so if you want to grab one, you can order here.

Ok, that's all for today. As I continue with my race recovery, I'm thinking of cool new photography tips and ideas to give you in the future. Stay tuned, happy shooting and thanks so much for your support!