Reeds. Water. Clouds.

Foothill Park Scouting, Nov. 2025

Reeds. Water. Clouds.

Scouting Foothill Park for my upcoming winter Stanford Continuing Studies Beginning Landscape class, I made this image while walking the lake.

The lake had a wonderful silvery tone created by clouds reflecting off the water. I found a set of reeds fairly far from the shore, and they made a perfect contrast against the water and the reflection of the clouds. You can faintly see a leaf on the bottom, echoing the end of fall.

The simplicity of using one lens frees both the eye and the mind, encouraging you to really observe the landscape and look for the connections between elements.

I've really been enjoying the 80mm f/1.7 Fuji GF lens on my Fuji GFX 50R. Its weight and fixed focal length make me slow down and observe. I find I shoot with it more like a film cadence, trying to make every frame count.