It all started with a hunch: Chasing an unseen Fuji tx 1 Photo
It began with a gut feeling—an instinct I couldn’t ignore. During my annual trip with my mom, this time to Bilbao, Spain, we had spent the day exploring, walking for hours, soaking in the city's atmosphere. As we made our way to a restaurant, I noticed the sun hanging at the perfect height, casting the last, elongated shadows of the day.
It wasn’t spring yet, and the air was crisp, but the golden light was warm, stretching across the streets, wrapping the city in a fleeting glow. Something evoked the feeling of “a great shot” within me, like a moment waiting to be discovered.
I turned to my mom and said, "Give me a moment. There's a photo somewhere here—I just need to find it."
Without hesitation, she nodded, "Go!"
I took off, weaving around, chasing that intangible feeling. Then, I found it—the stairs leading to the Guggenheim Museum. It was immediately clear: this was the shot. The pattern of the stairs, the interplay of light and shadow, the contrast—it all aligned. My Fuji tx 1, also known as the Fujifilm TX-1, was loaded with black-and-white film, not by choice but by chance. Yet, it was the perfect medium to emphasize the stark contrast of the scene. I framed, focused, and pressed the shutter.
Mastering Light & Shadows in pano photography with the Fuji tx 1
Everything needed to align perfectly to capture this image.
1. The Importance of timing in pano photography
First, the light. The positioning of the sun created only a narrow window to get the shot just right. The street leading to the stairs was flanked by tall buildings, meaning the moment of perfect illumination would be gone in minutes.
2. Balancing Composition with the Fuji tx 1
Second, the movement of people. The museum was closing, meaning the flow of visitors was unpredictable—either a surge or none at all. I had no more than more or less three minutes to hope for just the right number of people to walk into frame at precisely the right moment.
The anticipation was electrifying. I knew I had one chance. The stairs, the long shadows stretching across them—it was a pattern of light and dark, naturally drawing the eye. Then, two people left the museum and slowly stepped into the frame. Their silhouettes and shadows disrupted the symmetry in just the right way. But I had to time it precisely—wait too long, and they would walk out of frame; shoot too soon, and the composition wouldn’t be right.
The Fuji, a panoramic film camera, adds another layer of complexity—its format forces you to think differently about composition. The balance of space, light, and movement is everything. I took a breath, trusted my instinct, and pressed the shutter.
Embracing the limitations of a panoramic analogue photo camera
With the Fuji tx 1 —a slow, methodical camera—there’s no room for error. Every decision must be made in the moment, dictated by the conditions at hand.
1. No time to swap the Ilford xp2 400 film
I had no time to swap lenses, no option to change film. Ideally, I would have chosen color film to capture the warmth of golden hour, but when time is against you, you work with what you have. A photo—any photo—is better than none.
2. Understanding exposure in an analogue photo camera like the Fuji tx 1
There was no luxury of properly measuring, checking and rechecking exposure. I relied on my in-camera meter and experience. The blinking "-" indicator in the rangefinder of the Fuji warned of underexposure. Normally, I would adjust, but I knew my Fuji tx 1 tended to overexpose by a stop or two. I trusted my knowledge of the camera, ignored the warning, and took the shot, hoping I had retained detail in the stairs without crushing the mid-tones into pure white or sinking them into black.
Practice your panoramic film photography skills
1. The art of timing
As with any type of film the art of timing is crucial, there is no feedback, there is no second chance. There is no room for hesitation. You anticipate the shot, stay present, and trust yourself. The best images happen in moments of pure instinct.
Understanding spatial relationships in a panoramic frame is critical. Unlike standard formats, panoramic compositions demand a different way of seeing.
When I pressed the shutter, I knew it was something special. The moment was there—light, movement, composition—aligned for just an instant. I wouldn’t know for sure until I developed the film, but in that moment, I had faith in the shot.
2. Know your film, the Ilford xp2 400 ISO film
The Ilford xp2 400 ISO film is known for its relatively fine grain, especially for a 400 ISO film. This allows for sharp and detailed images, even in larger prints. Additionally, this film is quite forgiving when it comes to exposure. You can often overexpose or underexpose it by a few stops and still get usable results with good detail in both highlights and shadows. Ilford even states it can be shot between ISO 50 and 800 on the same roll without needing to push or pull process.
All in all I was lucky that I had loaded this film in my camera before I even knew I was going to shoot this scene. In times of needing to act fast, this film is quite forgiving.
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Final Thoughts: The Reward of Shooting Fuji tx 1 photos
With film, the truth is revealed only later. Memory is unreliable; film is not. We romanticize moments, but the negatives tell the real story. Perhaps I’ve done the same with this one, but this is how I remember it.
Film photography with a panoramic analogue photo camera teaches patience. It demands trust—in your instincts, in your process, in the unseen results. Even after a decade with the Fuji tx 1, it still surprises me, both in its limitations and in the creativity it unlocks.
And now, that image—a moment of intuition, a fleeting decision—hangs on my wall, large and bold. The perfect way to celebrate a large panoramic film print. It hasn’t lost its magic. Some photos do that—they withstand time, intrigue us again and again. Often, the best shots are the ones we never planned for, only felt.