For our trip to Door County, I decided to break out of my photography comfort zone and leave the Canon 6D and 50L at home. Accompanying me on this vacation is my Fuji XT1 body along with the 16mm 1.4 and 35mm 1.4 lenses. The mirrorless kit served me well in Chicago, where the weather was overcast and lighting conditions easy.

Tonight, I put my Fuji system to the ultimate test during golden hour and sunset at the Sister Bay marina. (My mom’s birthday was today and one of her favorite pastimes is watching the sun set from their favorite spot in Door County). I was impressed by the warm backlit images that the XT1 produced and the clarity of the horizon pictures during sunset.

The 16mm has been my go-to walkaround lens because it’s water-resistant and wide enough for sweeping landscape views. I’ve been surprisingly pleased with its capabilities as a portrait lens, too. The wide-angle is great for full body outfit photos, and even works for selfies! The smaller size and user-friendly design of the camera makes it less stressful to hand off to non-photographers. I was able to get everything set up and have my dad take some photos, so Holden and I could be in a few pictures together. I’m looking forward to another full day of exploring Door County tomorrow, and more chances to practice using my Fuji.