Scenes from a Holiday Walk.

Zee and I in Manila, Getting to Know Each Other

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with a new camera.

I really need to stop acquiring gear.

I really do think there’s something wrong with me, lol.

For almost 15 years I had been shooting with Fujifilm. I shot several assignments with my X-T4 and X-T5 — for The Post, The New York Times, even The Wall Street Journal. I thought I had found my home in the Fuji ecosystem. It checked all the right boxes — the color science, the physical dials, the soul of it. It felt like home.

But somewhere in me, I think I always knew Nikon was truly where my hat laid. That was home. It’s what I used through most of my professional career. I learned on a Nikon. I worked with Nikon. I made mistakes and built confidence with Nikon.

My first was an F2. Then the F3, the FM2, and eventually the F5 — which I still have, though not my original one. (The F3 and FM2? Still with me. Always will be.)

So when Nikon released the ZR, I circled back. Quietly. Without fanfare. I picked one up a couple months ago. I didn’t know exactly what I was looking for — but I think I found it.

I’ve loved every minute of it.

In fact, I think I’ll call her Zee. Just thought of that now.

I think the deciding factor was that the RED tech was part of this new system. I was already slowly evolving into filmmaking and storytelling. This path felt like the right one.

Earlier this December, my wife Lyn and I were in Manila.

We were staying in BGC, but I wanted to check out MOA — the Mall of Asia.

That seemed the proper place to visit, and maybe the proper place to create.

I knew I wanted to capture some of why I think Christmas is better in the Philippines.

The camera came with me, as it always does now.

No agenda. Just b-roll. Motion. Light.

I filmed breakfast.

• Lyn’s hands near a vase.

• A Reuben sandwich.

• Pastries on display.

• Christmas trees with too many ornaments.

• Escalators, reflections, shoppers, joy, exhaustion.

Everything and nothing in particular.

All of it handheld. All of it soft.

I didn’t need it to be sharp.

I just needed it to be real.

I’m not shooting for tutorials.

I’m not chasing gear traffic or growth hacks.

I just want to know what this camera sees.

And so far, she sees the world like I do — a little tender, a little muted, and always searching.

I’ve minimized everything. Sold off the gear I don’t use.

The Fuji system? Mostly gone.

I kept the X-S20 for our Pilgrimage to Passport videos, but even that’s been sold off now.

I picked up a digital Leica M — I think that’ll be a good complement.

Both very intentional. Both aligned with what I wish to create.

I guess I Marie Kondo’d my kit. (Is that a verb now? Let’s go with yes.)

All I know is: Zee brings me joy.

And this Christmas walk — in between food and sunlight and fluorescent chaos — she felt right at home.