At Home with Tech

It’s not as complicated as it looks. Tech tips for your life.
October 18, 2026

An Outsider Comes Home to FUJIKINA NYC

It’s amazing how much a day at a photography festival can teach you about yourself and who you really are. So, I headed to Manhattan’s Lower East Side for quite the experience.

I’ve always felt a connection to professional photographers. I’ve spent time with them across the years through my career managing video production and leading creative teams. I’ve worked with numerous crews both in studio and on location. Sure, video and photography are different, but professionals often cross over as they work with the same tools today.

And though the videographers and DPs I’ve met were initially strangers, I quickly felt like I’d known them for years.

They were geeky, smart and collaborative, yet often introverted. They embodied an inclusive, fun energy that I always found appealing.

Not only did they bring my creative vision as a producer to life, they also happily brought me into their world of shiny cameras, lenses and lights. And that place always felt like home.

Yes, in another corner of the multiverse, I’m sure there’s a version of me who’s one of them.But in this universe, I’ve found myself locked in an orbit around them. And that’s a very good thing.

My Photography Hobby

Not surprisingly, on the home front, I’ve done a fair amount of dabbling in photography as a hobbyist over the years. Sure, we’re all photographers, especially with the amazing photo capture skills of smartphones.

But I’ve always felt the creative impulse to push my photos to do more. I wanted more control of what I created.

And though at the end of the day, it’s always about the skill you bring to the craft and the technical knowledge to use your equipment properly, I’ve often found myself continuing to search for the right camera for me.

I’ve recently come to the conclusion (much like so many others) that the best camera is the one you carry with you. And though smartphones win that prize, they can only take you so far.

Hello, Fujifilm

So, I started looking for an APS-C camera with a small footprint. And I came upon the Fujifilm X-mount camera line.

I had never owned a Fujifilm camera, but as I delved into my research and watched a number of YouTube videos, I liked what I saw. I liked how small the cameras were. I liked the more tactile design.

Also, this Fujifilm camera ecosystem felt… comfortable. (Maybe that’s the power of marketing, but I almost instantly felt a connection to this community of photographers.)

I looked more closely at Fujifilm’s X-T30 III. It’s a beginner-level model with a full auto mode switch to prevent early-use hyperventilation. But then, with the auto switch disengaged, you’ve got full control. It was the perfect next step for me.

So, I bought one (along with a Sigma f/2.8 18-50mm lens).

Serendipity

Then, as I registered my new Fujifilm camera online, I noticed an ad on the top of the page for FUJIFILM FUJIKINA NYC 2026.

Huh. What’s that?

It was Fujifilm’s photography festival in New York City… in just two days! Located at Manhattan’s Lower East Side, it featured photo exhibitions, workshops and a street fair filled with gear, focused for the Fujifilm community.

I looked at my calendar. Though my family life is busy, this Saturday was open. (And taking the train into Grand Central Terminal is never a big deal.)

Huh. I began to feel that this was something more than coincidence.

Still, I worried that FUJIKINA wasn’t really for me. I barely knew how to use my new X-T30 III (even in auto mode). I’m just a Fujifilm amateur.

But the other part of me intuitively knew that this community of photographers… was my community.

My professional self always knew this. But my personal brand needed a moment to catch up…

Click.

So, I bought my ticket and prepared for my day in The Big Apple… my hometown.

Finding Joy

Of course, I had a blast. I talked to a bunch of talented photographers… asked questions, listened a whole lot. And I also had a chance to do some facilitated street photography exploration and test shots.

Yes, I practiced my craft on the streets of New York, and I was exposed to creative techniques I had never considered.

Everyone was so nice and welcoming. The day simply flew by.

Yes, this was my community. I had come home.

And I wasn’t an outsider… I never was.

Shots from FUJIKINA 2026

Though my experiences and learning are certainly what mattered most, I also snapped a few decent shots along the way to document this impactful day.

Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester
Photograph by Barrett Lester

More Frames Ahead

Thank you, Fujifilm for putting together this opportunity for me to find my creative community just around the corner (courtesy of Metro North).

It was a truly meaningful experience, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

And now, as always, my creative journey continues.

Leave a comment
October 11, 2026

Remembering My Mom

It’s been 20 years since my mother passed away, and that’s brought up a whole lot of memories… and feelings. Here are a few.

I’ve spent time in my blog writing about my father since he passed. It’s coming up now on four years, and I’ve had a lot to process. I’m still doing it.

He had a big personality. He lived his life large. And he did things his way.

And as you might expect, he overshadowed my mother in a number of ways. That often seemed just fine for her while I was growing up. (But I knew it really wasn’t.)

And here I am, trying to write about my mother… commenting on my father. It reflects the imbalance.

But I recently faced the 20th anniversary of my mother’s passing. It’s a shocking number. It still feels like yesterday.

I think that’s a testament to her ongoing influence on me. And that’s a good thing.

So, it’s clearly an appropriate moment to share a bit about my mom.

Happy Memories

She never liked the spotlight, and I expect my mother wouldn’t be keen that I’m talking about her to the universe.

But I must. We all have different ways to keep memories alive. And so… I use this platform to light a digital candle for her.

And as I think back to my years as a kid and young adult, a few happy memories of my mom quickly come into focus.

Little and Big Moments

Mom took me to a “Star Trek” convention in Philadelphia when I was twelve.
(She made sure I got James Doohan’s autograph after I waited two hours in line for it.)

She sometimes adjusted family dinner time to enable me to watch “Star Trek” at 6pm on WPIX TV. 
(My father was not pleased.)

Mom stayed up with me late into the night as I sometimes struggled with my homework.

She bought me an audio cassette recorder against my father’s wishes. 
(It was the spark that led me to my career in video production.)

Mom mended my socks.

She taught me to offer up my seat on a crowded bus.

When I was older, Mom stitched together the fraying fabric on the driver’s seat of my first used car.

Long after I’d left home, she clipped out interesting articles from The New York Times and mailed them to me.

A Mother’s Love

I think about that scene from “Iron Man 2” when Tony Stark’s father talks to him in a decades-old outtake from a Stark Industries film reel. Howard Stark looks at Tony across time and says directly to him, “What is and always will be my greatest creation… is you.”

While in the movie that’s a revelation in how Tony understands his father, it was never unclear for me and my mom.

It’s a blessing to know that your mother unconditionally loves you as you grow up and into adulthood.

I remember.

Timeless Values

My mother had a sense of quiet determination.

She ultimately influenced how I now parent as a father.

She gave me my moral center.

And I try to show up every day living the values she instilled in me.

So even though it’s been twenty years since you left, Mom, I hold onto the memories.

You are not forgotten.

I miss you.

Love you, Mom.

Always.

Leave a comment
October 4, 2026

Why Fall is My Favorite Time of Year

Walking in a park on a warm, sunny fall day is the best. Here are a few photos I snapped to capture the kickoff of the fall foliage season.

I expect many people would pick summertime as their favorite season. Warmer temperatures. Vacations. Grill action. Beach time. General fun in the sun. What’s not to like? 

Well, all that is indeed great, but I’m wired a bit differently. I like 75 degrees in the sun with low humidity.

And summer is often hot and humid. I don’t dig that. (Humidity is my kryptonite.)

Don’t get wrong… I enjoy the summer months… just not all the heat and sweat.

Instead, I prefer the cooler conditions that fall weather usually brings.

New Beginnings

However, fall gets a bad rap for ending summer’s bliss. Sure, it’s back to work. Back to school. Back to being serious.

But I like morning chill in the air. The crisp edge. The resulting sharper focus when you’re out and about.

Yes, I like putting on my big boy pants.

Of course, as a kid, I dreaded the first day of school. But it was also exciting. A new beginning. A fresh start.

And I’ve carried that enthusiasm for fall throughout my life.

There are also two big reasons I enjoy fall here in Connecticut.

Fire and Ice

Fall brings us right to the intersection between hot and cold. And I love that space. There’s nothing better than that glorious feeling of the warm sun on your shoulders on a cool fall day.

That’s when you can really appreciate nature’s warm vibe. And knowing it’s among the last few opportunities to feel it for months makes it even more special.

Colorful Conditions

The many colors of fall, of course, provide a great canvas for nature photography. And the fall foliage projects the similar theme of a last hurrah before all the leaves snap away into oblivion.

Yes, winter’s coming, but it’s not here yet.

To celebrate this time of year, here are some early October photos I snapped in a park near my local beach on a sunny weekend morning. The fall colors were just starting to show on the trees.

Warm. Cool. Perfect.

Leave a comment