After four days in Mexico at El Dorado Maroma, I did not take a single photo; I was surprised. It’s not that I didn’t want to, but I was enjoying the company of others. I hadn’t seen anyone in a whole year, and I was meeting others for the first time. With numerous restaurants to choose from, we had a good choice of places to indulge, but on a few nights, it went a bit too late; the comfortable bed and the air-conditioned room became difficult to abandon in the early mornings.

Since it debuted in 2003, the BMW X3 has become one of the most popular models in BMW’s lineup, but it wasn’t until 2018 that BMW introduced the M40i variant of the BMW X3. The X3 M40i offered the utility of the X3 with higher performance, courtesy of a turbocharged, six-cylinder engine that delivered 355 hp and 365 lb-feet of torque.

Earlier this year, I flew to London to spend a week exploring the city and doing street photography. Since I would walk quite a bit there, I kept my gear minimal. That included the Fujifilm X-E4, my current travel and street photography camera, the 35mm f/2, which is compact but also a superb lens, and the 18-55mm f/2.8 for more range if needed while not being too big of a lens.

When you want to have a person in the frame for a photograph, it can sometimes be a challenge to take that photo without them noticing what you are doing, especially when there are not many other people in the general area around you. I’ve yet to run into any issues taking photographs of people on the street, but like anyone who does so in public, I have been noticed.

As we are getting into the warmer (and longer) days, the car season is beginning to take off, and last month, I had the opportunity to photograph this 2019 Mercedes-Benz SLC 300 for a listing on Turo, the car-sharing marketplace. The Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class debuted in 2016 to replace the SLK-Class that had existed since 2011. The name change coincided with the 20th anniversary of the original SLK.

In May last year, Lisa and I went to Mexico to stay in El Dorado Maroma, meeting up with some colleagues she has worked closely with, primarily virtually until then. We have been to numerous resorts and had great times, but resorts have never been our primary travel style choice. We enjoy exploring cities and local neighbourhoods, trying restaurants, and seeing landmarks. Still, every few years, we get the urge to get away and relax without worrying about additional planning and expenses.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the newest electric car from Hyundai, and with it arriving at Canadian dealerships now, I had the opportunity to take one off-site for an evening photo shoot. Thank you to Steele Hyundai in Halifax for allowing me to capture photos of their newest arrival.

Finding great photography locations and shooting at optimal times can be the difference between a good picture and a great one, and if you are like me, one of the most time-consuming aspects of planning a shoot is finding that great location. Although you will be limited to where you live, you want a location that works for you and the client and complements the subject you are shooting.

Light painting, in general, takes planning and visualization. Photographing a car's exterior usually requires combining multiple exposures to get a photo that illuminates all of what is intended. When light painting interiors, the same care and planning need to be considered, but usually, a car interior does not require as many exposures as an exterior shot would demand.

For my trip to New York last month, I used my Fujifilm X-E4, which has now become my only camera choice for travel. I had limited myself to only the 35mm f/2 to travel lighter and make my composition and photography choices easier. In addition, I was also able to utilize two film simulations, the same ones I had used in London the week before this.

With the Fujifilm X-E4 being discontinued on numerous sites like B&H, we will soon be introduced to the inevitable replacement, whether an X-E5 or something else. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be great. With the discontinuation, I feel it is a good time to reflect on my experience with the X-E4 and explain how using this camera has changed my photography.

Street photography can be challenging. When street photographers venture out with a camera in hand, they have to accept that they will miss some shots, and they also have to prepare to take photos even when unsure of what might happen. As photographers, we have many gear/options to choose from, and part of what makes a photographer good at what they do is the knowledge they have of the gear they use.