Grass Padrique | The Fabulous Scientist
Sometimes, an old hobby gently beckons you and says, “I’m here waiting for you to enjoy me again!”
For me, that hobby is photography.
Now, before anyone points out that I’ve been taking photos for years, let me clarify: I’ve mostly been a visual storyteller armed with nothing more than a smartphone and a questionable amount of confidence. Whether it was documenting travels, fountain pens, food, or random moments that made me stop and stare, my phone has been my trusty sidekick. All the photos you have seen on this blog have been taken using my trusty smartphone. Even my thesis photos applied with segmenting machine learning algorithms were taken using my reliable phone.
But lately, I found myself wondering if it was time to level up.
I didn’t change my phone because it’s not good enough; my smartphone from 2022 is great. Instead, I wanted to learn what makes a great photograph. I was curious about why some pictures grab attention while others just get a quick double-tap and are forgotten.
Fortunately, our company has a photography club led by one of my colleagues. Better yet, the club regularly hosts photography classes taught by in-house photography professionals who have spent years behind the lens. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn from people who actually know what they’re doing rather than from my usual method of aggressively watching YouTube tutorials at 1.5x speed.
There was just one small problem.
Photography, as I soon discovered, has an alarming ability to convince you that every piece of equipment is “essential.”
One moment you’re looking at cameras. The next moment you’re reading about lenses, filters, flashes, tripods, camera bags, memory cards, lens hoods, lens cleaning kits, and perhaps a second mortgage.
A few photographer friends quickly brought me back to reality.
Their advice was remarkably consistent: buy a good secondhand camera first. Learn the fundamentals. Figure out if you genuinely enjoy the hobby before investing in expensive lenses and accessories.
In other words, don’t buy a Formula 1 car before learning how to parallel park.
That advice proved timely because a colleague—who also happens to be a member of the photography club—mentioned that she was selling her camera.
Not only was she offering it for roughly half its original price, but she also gave me what may be the friendliest purchase terms I’ve ever encountered. She allowed me to test the camera for a month and even said I could return it if I decided it wasn’t for me.
At that point, refusing would’ve felt rude. Also, it’s the cheapest way to get into the hobby.
So for the past few weeks, I’ve been borrowing—and ultimately choosing to purchase—a Fujifilm X-T20. From the moment I first held it, I experienced an exhilarating sense of connection. It’s truly a beautiful camera with a satisfying weight that reflects the high-quality materials often found in Japanese brands.
Now before you raise your eyebrows and say, “But that’s an 8-year-old camera,” allow me to defend myself.
This was not an impulse purchase fueled by late-night internet browsing and poor decision-making.
I watched reviews. Lots of reviews.
I read articles.
I asked friends who shoot professionally.
I sought opinions from people who actually know the difference between aperture and armature.
The Fujifilm X-T20, despite being an older model, is an excellent choice for beginner photographers due to its user-friendly design and customizable features. Reviewers highlight its role in helping newcomers grasp essential photography concepts and build confidence, making it both a camera and a valuable learning tool in their photography journey.
For starters, it features a 24.3-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS III sensor that continues to produce beautiful, detailed images even by today’s standards. It also has Fujifilm’s highly regarded color science and film simulations, which many photographers adore because they can give photos a distinctive look straight out of the camera.
The camera includes a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, a tilting touchscreen, fast autofocus with up to 325 focus points, and even shoots 4K video. Not bad for a camera that was introduced back in 2017.
What impressed me most wasn’t the specifications, though.
It was the number of photographers who essentially said some variation of, “Yeah, it’s old, but it still takes fantastic photos.”
A camera should capture images, and I got mine for half the price. It has only 15,000 clicks and a new LCD. It’s a great deal!
Technology enthusiasts often treat cameras the way gamers treat graphics cards—if it’s more than three years old, it apparently belongs in a museum.
But photography isn’t only about megapixels, autofocus speed, or the latest processor. It’s about composition, lighting, timing, storytelling, and the person holding the camera.
At least that’s what I tell myself when I compare my camera to something that costs as much as a small motorcycle.
So here I am, learning photography one lesson at a time, armed with a secondhand Fujifilm X-T20 and a growing appreciation for just how much there is to learn.
Will I eventually buy better lenses?
Maybe.
Will I fall into the inevitable rabbit hole of camera gear?
Probably.
Will I start casually using phrases like “bokeh,” “dynamic range,” and “film simulation recipes” in everyday conversations?
The odds are disturbingly high.
For now, though, I’m simply enjoying the process of rediscovering an old hobby—one shutter click at a time.
Here’s my Canva presentation for my Photography Club assignment. It’s a baseline project to track my progress over the years:
https://canva.link/m9jby0hict8l54q
Here’s my favorite for the week:
And here’s my camera. She may be old but she’s reliable. I love her!
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