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I was catching up with a friend yesterday—another X-Photographer from Canada. A Mac/Apple guy too. We had a lot to talk about but at some point the conversation veered towards technology, nostalgia and renewal. Towards change, in all of its forms. We remembered the Jobs era, the promises fulfilled since those days—so much of it beyond what we’d imagined. And we also remembered the return of Fujifilm, the excitement of that first decade, upending our entire lives in so many ways. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have seen all of this, and so much of it from a front row seat as well. Inflexion points are a privilege to witness. I think we’re now living through an expansion phase, which may seem duller...but is really just of a more subdued nature. Less flamboyant. Yesterday’s announcement of the GFX 100S for instance, clearly builds on what previous models accomplished, but it’s still a mini revolution—a 100MP medium-format camera for less money than I paid for my GFX 50S (1). And I’m not a Sony shooter but there’s no question the Alpha 1 is raising the bar again, especially in terms of video. As for Apple, this may be the quietest revolution of all: the M1 transition is an earthquake… disguised as an aftershock. I went from an Intel to an Apple Silicon computer without ANY disruption, beyond the time it took me to plug everything in. Think about that for a moment—it’s insane. It’s pure mastery at work, period (2). So nostalgia, sure, but also a very real awareness of opportunities. The expansion era may not feel as hot and fiery, but it may be our chance to grow once more; in ways both new and unforeseen. Although I still prefer the design of the 50S, by far, in terms of ergonomics. If only Apple could apply this mastery to all the weird accessories it’s releasing. Feels like two different companies right now.
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