First, if you haven’t been to the Duke Lemur Center you really should plan on getting out there.

Last June we went as part of a “Weekend in Durham” for Laura’s birthday. It’s a fantastic experience for anyone of any age. To go out and have no barriers between you and these amazing primates is extraordinary. And lets face it, going to Durham is significantly more convenient than booking a trip to Madagascar. (Although I’m sure that has it’s upsides too. Maybe for Laura’s next birthday, but don’t mention that to her.)

While I’ve not gotten to take as many pictures as I’d like to have this past year, I wasn’t going to go off the deep end and bring out the Canon kit from work. No, I showed some restraint and only brought the Fuji X100T with me. I’d borrowed one of these back at the end of 2014 and subsequently purchased one.

I keep thinking I should review the camera because I’m so happy with it. Instead, I’ll tell you: Just believe the hype. The camera was designed and built to scratch a particular itch. Pick one up, play with it and you’ll know if it’s right for you.

More than anything else what I learned on this trip—besides tons of stuff about lemurs—is that location or position trumps gear. Every time.

Thanks to my aunt, my childhood included a steady stream of National Geographic magazines. I remember seeing all these brilliant images of far away and interesting people, places and things. Eventually, the photography bug hit me and I suppose—for at least a little while—I’d thought maybe I could take those sorts of images.

I’d collected some long lenses for both work and occasional motorsports photography. I’ve dragged a full-size DSLR and handful of lenses to lots of places. But then I come away from the Duke Lemur Center with shots like this one—with a fixed, prime lens camera that doesn’t need its own bag.

It’s a reminder to get right up in their furry little faces.