FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO500)
I lived in Vienna for almost 20 years and now just outside of it. Why would I visit an art museum in Phoenix, AZ?
Usually a museum or gift shop comes into play if you are on vacation on a rainy day. It happened a lot when I traveled in Ireland and Scotland. But here it almost never rains. You visit a museum to get a break from the heat or simply because you want something different after all that amazing nature.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO1600)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/13 sec, ISO6400)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/3.2, 1/60 sec, ISO1000)
We love those small museums. They are beautiful and rather compact so that you don’t need to spend hours to see everything. Efficient, just like fast food. I like that. One could say I’m loving it.
Usually I focus on the architecture but here I really loved the paintings. I also love the calming quality of a museum. In cities those calm places are rare. So if you need a break from the buzzing city life it’s the place to go. But there was no need for us to flee the masses. We were practically alone when we checked out the murals in downtown earlier that day and we are almost the only visitors in the museum. I guess if we want to see people we need to go to one of the shopping malls.
But they found a way to attract new visitors. There will be a Barbie exhibition in 2024.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO1600)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO640)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO500)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO3200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO3200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO1250)
I liked the american art on display. A completely different world compared to what we find in our art museums in Europe. The history of the USA is short and because of that the art covers are more recent history. I loved the paintings of Philip Campbell Curtis and also some of the more traditional paintings. The museum was a true pleasant surprise and it is definitely worth a visit.
Regarding photography I always keep it simple. My focus is on the architecture so the lens on my camera is the Fuji XF 14/1.8 R. If I take a picture of a painting I simply move closer. Even though photography is allowed in most museums it is still nice if the shutter sound is as discreet as possible. My X-Pro2 is not a loud camera by any standards and my new Nikon Z8 is absolutely silent. Cameras have come a long way.
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO2000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/4, 1/60 sec, ISO2000)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/480 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro2 (14mm, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO200)
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (20.6mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO1250)
In the evening we visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Scotsdale but we went a little too late. We wanted to avoid the heat but underestimated how quick the sun sets end of September. I wanted to take some images of the birds and lizards but my XF 50-140/2.8 OIS WR malfunctioned. I couldn’t take a sharp image. I had to send it to Fuji for repair after we returned back home. So no bird and lizard images this time. Only one of the giant Saguaro cacti and one of the living fridge magnets that we bought in the gift shop.
Both cacti are still alive but have meanwhile grown out of their original fridge magnet flower pot.
FUJIFILM X-Pro3 (16mm, f/2.8, 1/60 sec, ISO1600)