I made this portrait at the Ballroom in January 2023 — the first Drink and Click event of the year. As you may have noticed, most Drink and Click models are women. Parkash steps in as a subject from time to time, though I think he considers himself more of a photographer than a model. Either way, including a rare male presence, was an excellent opportunity.

As has been the case since last December, I’ve moved back to the Fuji X-System for portrait making at Drink and Click. Unfortunately, we shoot at night under dark conditions, and while there may be a single LCD light, it’s not the ideal lighting setup.

With its large aperture, the Fuji 50mm f1 allows for copious light gathering, creating a shallower depth of field portrait that I crave. It also allows me to use a lower ISO, which improves image quality. Coupled with the Fuji X-S10, the faster focusing and face detection make portrait-making easier, more reliable, and less of a chore.

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