Fuji X-H1 - Fuji's Enigma!
Fire Aftermath. Fuji X-H1, 90mm @ F2, ISO 400
This is a short-ish blog with some musings about my latest acquisition – the Fuji X-H1. I must have read and listened to just about every blog and VLog online, in relation to the purchase of a X-H1. I heard/read everything from rave reviews to comments like ‘…..Fuji should never have released this camera’. Many said Fuji should have waited and not released the X-T3 so close to the X-H1, or even the other way around. All I know is that sales for this camera have waned to the extent that Fuji had to drastically reduce the current price – even though in theory it is still Fuji’s top of the line camera and a current model.
I ended up buying mine from Camera Electronic in Perth, WA. They are a huge camera store and carry stock of everything – even very expensive Leica and other not so common models. However, I bought the last X-H1 in stock and I see they have not replaced it – it is only available now by special order, WTH?? Hence the title of this Blog – this seems a very funny and obscure camera that seems to not fully fit in anywhere.
Removing the 'patient' from wrecked car. Fuji X-T2, 16-55 mm, 55 @ 2.8, ISO 3200
My system needed ‘tweaking’
For those who have followed my other blogs you will remember my journey with Fuji over the years. I will not bore you by repeating it here, but suffice to say I ended up with two Fuji X-T2’s, one with a 16-55mm glued onto it and the gorgeous 90mm F2 glued onto the other. I have my old X-T1 with a 23mm F2 glued onto that – it is my fun light camera that I take out when I’m not photographing anything too serious. I have a real aversion to changing lenses, so that is why each of my cameras has a WR lens glued onto it that never comes off. This way I’ve never had to clean a sensor and my sensors are still dust free after thousands of images.
After thousands of wasted dollars and hours of trialling different camera/lens combinations over the years, I am truly delighted with the 90mm F2 and magical FX 16-55. I only got grief and crappy images from the abysmal 18-55 Fuji kit lens, and even though the 18-135 was much better, not being of fixed aperture meant that by the time I got to around 90mm focal length, it was on 5.6. At this aperture it was impossible to separate my subject from the background or get any type of nice bokeh in the distance. That is where the 90mm came in and it has transformed my images. Not only is it bitingly sharp, corner to corner and wide open, it is separating my subjects from backgrounds just like I could on my Nikon D3X system. I only ever shoot people/street/travel and have zero interest in landscape or scenery - all of my images are shot wide open on maximum aperture. That is why I am exceedingly critical of my lenses’ performance. I have copped a lot of anger for criticising Fuji’s kit lens, but for what I do and needed it for, it fell far short of my expectations.
So if I am so happy now with my current choice of equipment, where is/was the problem? I feel a bit hypocritical now because I wrote in one or two of my last posts (when the X-H1 and X-T3 were released) that people should be content with what gear they have and stop hankering over new equipment to try and improve their photography. I still basically believe this but I think there is a time when a new piece of kit can improve your photography, and most importantly, your enjoyment of the process. I also preached that IBIS was not necessary and my two lenses did not need it (oh boy).
Removing gas mask. Fuji X-T2, 16-55mm @ 30mm, F2.8, ISO 400
I spent over a month this year in Malaysia and photographed the marvellous celebrations at Batu Caves for the Thaipusam Ceremony in January. There was close to a Million people there over the 3 days - it was one of my most memorable shoots. However, because of the very low light and dark conditions (I shot through both of the nights to around 3am), many of the images on my 90mm were unusable. The shots from the 16-55 were mostly OK, because hand holding a wide angle lens to medium telephoto is much more doable that a telephoto lens. My 90mm is equal to around 135mm in 35 mm speak – so even at shutter speeds of around 250th sec, I was noticing a lot of my images were not pin sharp like they were on the 16-55.
After much reading and contemplating my alternatives, I came to the conclusion that I did need some kind of stabilisation for the 90mm. The only real fix for this on the Fuji system is the X-H1 (IBIS). Fortunately and miraculously (still not sure why), I got an excellent price for one of my X-T2’s on ‘Fleabay’. This is the ridiculous situation here in Australia. When I look on the website of my camera store in Perth a brand new (still sold as a current model) X-T2 body is $1,600 AUD, and the newer X-H1 is only $200 more expensive – WTH?. I got $1,000 for my used X-T2 (with over two years of hard work on the clock), and it was not too much more to part out to get the new X-H1.
Rolling out the hose. Fuji X-H1, 90mm @ F2.2, ISO 200
What do we have here?
It was more out of fear and trepidation than excitement, that I unboxed my new acquisition. I had read so many negative things about the X-H1, I really wasn’t sure what I had got myself into. Many people said the shutter was too quiet, the buttons were in all the wrong places, the thing hogged batteries like they were going out of fashion, and had woeful autofocus. Fortunately for me, the one thing that separated me from at least 50% of the pack, was that I have worse than zero interest in video - to the point where I literally would not even know how to turn it on with any of my cameras and could care less. I am 100% a stills photographer. This gave me some hope because many of the gripes I read were about its video performance (no mike jack – who cares).
The first thing I noticed was the wonderful grip – oh what a lovely grip. With my X-T2 and T1, I had to buy those expensive Fuji grips that screw on and give more beef to the handle and protect the bottom of the camera. The wonderful thing is because I did not have to put one on the X-H1, but the X-T2’s copped the extra weight of the grip, it ended up that the X-H1 was around the same weight as my X-T2 was with the grip on. This was a win straight up because I really didn’t want to lug any extra weight around. I think the shutter is marvellous too and now it makes my X-T1 sound very horrible. The autofocus is heaps fast enough for what I shoot and even the loss of the +_ dial that everybody complained about, has now turned out a bonus for me. I just programmed the rear wheel to push in to turn +_ on, rotate to the setting you need, and push to turn off. I can do this in a second, without ever taking my eye out of the viewfinder – not something I can do with my X-T2.
I like the way the eye piece sticks out proud from the LCD, now my greasy nose marks are not spread all over the screen as on my X-T2. I love the increased definition of the EVF – so clear and lovely to look through.
Probably the one thing I gleaned from all the threads I read about the X-H1, and something that was a common theme through all of them was that the X-H1 is a camera that is a stepping-stone to something better. In other words this is the first iteration that was disappointing in many ways, but gave hints of brilliance that the X-H2 will surely fix - then we will have a magical camera that will be a game changer. I am afraid that I don’t see it this way at all.
I believe that Fuji thought this camera through thoroughly before they released it. It was only a very few short years before this that their head executives were saying it was impossible to fit an IBIS system into their small mirrorless cameras. For the fact that they actually did this, and did it well means to me that this was a well-engineered piece of equipment. I am not hankering or waiting for the next model before I can glory in the capabilities of this camera. For me and for what I do it is absolutely fantastic. Of course if I were a videographer or a motor sport shooter, then things may be different. However, I only ever shoot people in street settings, in the studio and of course travel images of people. The autofocus system, the handling and the images are absolutely brilliant.
Dragging accident 'victim' to safety. Fuji X-H1, 90mm @ F2, ISO 400
A definite Winner
At the beginning of my post I said I had not used this camera a lot. However I was able to shoot some pictures in ‘anger’ on the weekend and truly put the X-H1 through its paces. I live and work in a gold mining town deep in the Western Australian desert. We have the biggest open-cut gold mine in the world – it is called the Super Pit (look it up). It is so big that small aircraft cannot fly low over it, because the pit creates its own weather system or vortex and can suck little planes in. Everything in this town revolves around gold mining!!
Notwithstanding the Super Pit we also have many other small and large underground gold mines in the surrounding desert. Each year my town has a large competition where people come from all over Western Australia to compete. It is called the Surface Mine Emergency Response Competition. Thousands of dollars of expensive equipment and highly trained experts converge on our town to battle it out in the rescue wars. This was a fantastic opportunity to put my gear through its paces. I was able to get access to the areas close to the dangerous action – areas where the general public were not allowed.
I am very happy to say that for me the X-H1 was a true game changer. In some of the more dangerous situations I was unable to get really close so I used the 90mm. Some of the mock accidents were held indoors, in a huge warehouse type building. This situation simulated a car crash at night, so the lighting was only a few spot lights that the rescuers set up. I was shooting with the 90mm down as low as 1/15 sec. Even the best and brightest shots were taken at only 1/100th sec or something. All of these shots would have been impossible were it not for the IBIS. I was OK with my X-T2 and the 16-55. I was able to hold that steady enough or lean it on something to get my shots. I can resoundingly say that without the X-H1 I would certainly have never got some of the brilliant images that I did. I actually found too that even out in the bright light at say around 1/200th or 1/350th that my images were sharper than they would have been on my X-T2. It was so good on the X-H1 that I just kept IBIS on all of the time.
Coming in from 'Battle'. Fuji X-H1, 90mm @ F2, ISO 400
What now for the X-T2
Does this now mean that my X-T2 is about to meet its demise on ‘Fleabay’ as did its other sibling? I’m happy to say no. To me the X-T2 is still a great camera and it performs side by side with my X-H1. As mentioned, I don’t need the IBIS with the X-T2 setup, so to have to sell another camera then part out more hard earned dollars, it’s not really necessary. Comparing the images, naturally I really can’t tell any difference in them. This is to be expected because the engine in both cameras and the sensors apparently are identical. However, the X-H1 stands alone in Fuji’s line-up as the one camera that can give you stabilised images, no matter which lens you are using.
Plan of attack. Fuji X-H1, 90mm @ F2, ISO 1,600
Things should just get better
I recently read a very interesting blog about an Australian photographer who shoots advertising and editorial stills for the film industry for over 30yrs (John Platt). I know it’s not Hollywood, but Australia does have quite an active and competitive movie and TV series industry. He has to keep up with the frantic schedule of directors, crappy changing lighting and Prima Dona actors (my words). John said in his article that he uses an X-H1 and the latest Fuji X-T3. You can read the article because I will put the link below. He makes some comparisons between the two cameras in his blog. I wrote a comment at the bottom and a few days later John got back to me. It was very interesting because he said he has now sold his X-T3 and bought another X-H1. The two X-H1’s are now his main stable of cameras. That spoke volumes, because here is somebody who would use the very best tools for this demanding job (he makes his livelihood and feeds his family by selling these images), and he has chosen the X-H1, above the newer model with supposedly better autofocus and image quality.
Why do I mention this? Perhaps to say that the X-H1 may not have received the accolades from camera-phobes and reviewers alike, and I know that the unit sales for this model have been very disappointing for Fuji. However, for those of us who need a camera that is extremely well made, weather sealed to the hilt, has a very comfortable grip and quiet shutter, produces beautiful images and all of our lenses can now be stabilised – the X-H1 is your camera. Fuji has slotted into a niche that perhaps not many other mirrorless camera manufacturers have dared to tread. I do hope that Fuji will continue with this beautiful camera and release new variants in the future.
Finding the pulse. Fuji X-T2, 90mm @ F2, ISO 400
Addendum - I just wish to say at this juncture one word about my images here. I am not totally happy with the look of any of the images on this blog. This is not because there is something lacking with the new camera or anything. It is in relation to the software used for post processing. I have spent over 12 years learning and using Lightroom. I have hundreds of my own presets that I could grab, and in a flash I would get the look that I was after in a few minutes. All I would then do is tweak. However, after many hours of pondering what to do, I recently, and sadly had to drop using Lightroom. Their prohibitive new pricing structure and the abysmal speed that CC now operates with on my Imac - it has become totally unusable. I ended up settling on and buying Capture One. My initial thoughts are that I think straight out of the gate the images are better than on L/R. However the learning curve is brutal. I have spent days and days on these images and still can't really get the look that I want. There seems to be no decent presets around for CO, or anything without having to spend hundreds of dollars. I will hang in there because I think one day it will all gel for me. I just wanted to mention this because some may wonder why the different look to my images, or even think they could perhaps be disappointing.
Hauling the hose. Fuji X-H1, 90mm @ F2, ISO 200
https://shotkit.com/fujifilm-x-h1-review/
Fuji X-T2 Explores Malaysia - a Very Reluctant Journey!
The Reviving - Pilgrim near the top of Batu Caves, Thaipusam Ceremony, Malaysia, 2019 - Fuji X-T2 & 16-55, 16mm @ 2.8, ISO 5,000
A Different Destination
I’ve just returned recently from my annual sojourn with my Fuji’s – exploring this wonderful planet. As a teacher in Australia, I get six weeks holiday at Christmas each year, so I was very excited to start another journey. However, this year it was to be a bit different. My wife only had about ten days leave, so it was decided she would come with me for those days, then she would fly back home and I would carry on alone for another month.
To make a very long story short she talked me into going to Malaysia (after our ten days together in Bali). She had been there two years ago with her sister and really liked it. However, I am very aware that my wife’s holiday ideal is different to mine – so I was very suspicious. I want to see no ‘White Man’ (even though I am one of them), no tourists and definitely no Western style countries. She wants fancy hotels, sleeping in until 10am, laying by the pool, and eating lots of food. I wanted to go to Vietnam and stay with her folks in HCMC, get my motorbike out of cobwebs (I used to live and teach in Vietnam) and head off by myself. Anyway, as usual my wife won and after ten days in Bali together, I was winging my way to Malaysia.
I had planned a few days in the big city of K/L, just to settle in, then off to Kuantan for a few nights, then up to Penang for about six nights, then down do Malacca for about a week, then back to K/L for the remainder.
My holiday had started off very well in Bali. Even though it is a party island (we don’t drink alcohol), I was able to avoid the bars and too many ‘White Men’, and keep my wife happy at the same time – some undertaking believe me. As usual I hired a motorbike there and was able to go wherever I wanted with the help of Mr Google. I stumbled upon a recycling/rubbish dump where people lived and made their homes out of scrap. I went there several times over the 10 days taking gifts back for the children. I had a wonderful time and kind of became friends with some of the folk there. They let me into their homes and I was able to capture some brilliant images. It was with this expectation and aspiration that I landed in Malaysia.
Tough Guys - Garbage Tip/Recycling Slum, Bali, Indonesia, 2019 - Fuji XT2 & 16-55mm @ 16mm, F4, ISO 400
Off to Malaysia
After the few days in K/L I headed off to Kuantan. Oh my goodness – it was here that I realised I had made a big mistake. The lady in the hotel looked at me as if I had asked for a flight to the moon - when I asked to hire a motorbike. That was impossible, so I was kind of stuck with expensive ‘Grab’ Taxis. After the first miserable day there it started to dawn on me the magnitude of my plight. Everywhere I looked there was nice homes surrounded by fences, lots of cars and highways (but mercifully, no tourists in Kuantan). When I got to Penang a few days later, it only reinforced my conclusions from Kuantan. Though I was able to hire a motorbike, I could not do my usual ‘thing’ or operate under my MO – as I do in the rest of Asia (plus there were thousands of ‘White Men’). In Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar etc, I can usually get to where the ‘normal’ people live, by just getting a few kilometres out of the city or town. I can wander in places of work, schools, brick factories etc, and with a smile and wave and pointing at my camera, I am able to stick around and get my shots.
Focus - Playing Sepak Takraw, Streets of Penang, Malaysia, 2019 - Fuji X-T2 & 16-55, @ 55mm 2.8, ISO 1600
A Big Mistake?
There was no way any of this was going to happen in Malaysia! All of the things I tried to leave behind in Australia – boom gates, guards, rules, regulations, six lane highways and even council workers writing parking tickets - were all waiting for me there. Please don’t get me wrong, the people there are amazing, I felt safer than I do in Australia and I was treated accordingly. However, I did not realise that it is just a big Western, First World country like here at home. I was unable to wander into anywhere to take my pictures. Guards and security chased me off industries, work-sites, streets, and just about everywhere. Even driving all over the place on my motorbike in Penang, and then later on in Malacca, I could not find anywhere that I could get spontaneous images like I can in Cambodia and Myanmar.
By the end of the first week I was sitting in my hotel feeling very dejected. Other than my Bali shots, I didn’t have too many nice images in the ‘bag’. Had I blown my big trip for 2018/19? Would I have to wait another twelve months to get away to somewhere decent to get the people images I so crave to create?
I decided I had to be positive and just get out each day and take what images presented themselves. Shortly after arriving in Malacca – I realised I had booked there for too long. Even on my motorbike I couldn’t find anywhere that was off the track from city traffic or fenced in houses. You can only walk around Jonker St for so many times photographing the busloads of Chinese taking ‘selfies’ at the fountain!! I tried to be creative and get up early, stay up late etc, but the images I was seeking alluded me.
Green Fingers - Peasant planting rice, Bali, Indonesia, 2019 - Fuji X-T2 & 16-55, @ 16mm F2.8, ISO 200
Thaipusam
Then I remembered that on the flight from Penang to Malacca, I had read something in the flight magazine about Thaipusam. Thaipusam is the annual Hindu Festival where they pierce their faces and body parts, prostrate themselves and carry their burdens to the place of worship. I also read that the biggest place of celebration for this festival – on the planet – was Batu Caves in K/L. I checked the dates and could not believe how lucky I was. It was starting in two days, on the 21st of January. I happily cancelled two days off my hotel in Malacca and headed off two days earlier to K/L.
I was told there would be well over 500-600 thousand people crowded into the area of Batu Caves - worshippers from all over the world. Though I was getting very excited, I had not prepared myself for the visual feast that awaited me. Really, if you have not been to one of these festivals, nothing can prepare you for the sights, sounds, smells and sheer sensory overload that beckons. The traffic and ability to get out there and back was a sheer nightmare. The day I arrived in K/L, I just unloaded my bags in my room and headed straight out to Batu Caves. That was the 20th and eve of their celebrations. Though they had started, this was a mere warm-up for the next day. I left the caves at about 9pm and got to my hotel by midnight. I had three hours sleep and got up at 3am, and went straight back out for the big day.
The Pilgrim - Climbing the steps to Batu Caves, Thaipusam Celebrations, Indonesia, 2019 - Fuji X-T2 & 16-55 @ 55mm, 2.8, ISO 400
The Gear
Were my over two year old cameras and gear able to keep up with the swift movement of people, the dim light (no OIS), and the dust and water everywhere? I was photographing like a man possessed - both of my Fuji’s were working so hard that they got quite hot. I went through five batteries and thousands of images. I had my magic - off the planet 16-55 glued onto one camera, and the beautiful 90mm F2 glued onto the other X-T2. This is my setup that I have written a lot about in my other blogs. It has taken me seven years of experimentation and lots of money and wasted purchases to arrive at this glorious equipment. Both cameras and lenses performed perfectly in the incredible heat, water and choking dust. I never ever change lenses and I am glad I did not have to there. Even in the dim light and darkness of the early morning on the second day, I did not long for any OIS or camera stabilisation – I just cranked those babies up to ISO 6,400 and kept cranking out the shots.
The worshippers start their flagellations down at the river. They work themselves into a trance, where the steel rods and hooks are pierced into their flesh. When their burden is loaded upon them, they start the long journey to the steps of Batu Caves. The highlight of my trip was being squeezed up the steps to Batu Caves, as thousands upon thousands of worshippers pressed up the stairs, to their final destination – the actual caves themselves. I was able to turn around on several occasions and shoot back down the steps, capturing the pilgrims in the foreground, and the disappearing mass of humanity in the distance.
Just as an aside, I noticed one very obvious thing now that I have started to wade through a few of my images on Lightroom. Prior to my two trips last year (Taiwan/Cambodia and then Thailand), I had always used the 18-55 lens, and then a bit later on the 18-135 zoom. I think this trip brought home to me the grave importance of getting the best glass you can carry. Yes my 16-55 is a big lens and some folk think it is a bit too heavy. So is the 90mm F2 – you certainly know at the end of the day that you have carried these two around for 8 hours. However, the difference when looking on Lightroom now is chalk and cheese - particularly this trip and these images of Thaipusam. The dim light, the fast movement, the high ISO rates – all contribute to bringing out any softness or weaknesses in your lenses. I could not help but notice just how wonderfully sharp and beautifully rendered all of my images were from this trip – using those two magical Fuji lenses. There is no way on earth I would go back to shooting crumby, second rate glass, like I did before. I encourage you to put up with the bit extra weight, pay the extra money – you will be greatly rewarded!
Cheeky Smile - Thaipsuam Celebrations, Batu Caves, Malaysia, 2019 - fuji X-T2 & 90 mm, F2 @ ISO 200
A Blessing in Disguise
It wasn’t until I finally staggered back to my hotel a day later, and was able to take a peek at a few of my images, that I realised the blessing in disguise. I have always wanted to go to India. Steve McCurry is my hero and I just love the images he has taken there. He once said he has been there over 80 times. Though I have been to Cambodia now 14 times, and all over Asia now for 15 years photographing this amazing planet – I have never been to India. I just love Indian people, their food (I’m a vegetarian), their hard working ethic and just so many things. I have a few Indian students at a couple of the schools where I teach and they are so hard working and studious – (puts the majority of the lazy Aussie kids to shame). It dawned on me then that though I had never even landed on the shores of India - I now have the most amazing images in my portfolio. Many Indians told me that even if I had been in India, there is no greater celebration for Thaipusam than what I witnessed at Batu Caves in Malaysia.
Steering the 'Cow' - Boy in Street Celebrations for Galungan, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, 2019 - Fuji X-T2 & 90mm, F2, ISO 400
Ode to my Wifie!
I am never one to admit it to my wife, but she has the uncanny and annoying knack of usually always being right. She insisted that if I went to Malaysia I would not regret it and could get some different but great shots. She actually turned out correct again. If I had my own way I would have got to Vietnam again then over the border to Cambodia. I would have got some great images for sure, but nothing like I did from this trip. Even the shots I got in Malaysia of the street art, buskers, funny stuff that tourists do etc, were all a breath of fresh-air and quite different to what I would normally have taken.
Beauty - Small Child at Garbage/Recycling Slum, Bali, Indonesia, 2019 - fuji X-T2 & 16-55 @ 50mm, F4, ISO 640
Would I Change Anything?
As mentioned above, if you have read any of my other blogs you will have followed the slow progression of experimentation and equipment changes to arrive at where I am today. Both of my Fuji X-T2’s I have had now for over two years apiece. Many of my friends and folk who know I am a very keen photographer, have asked me when I am updating. I tell them not for a very long time. I can honestly say that my two cameras with their lenses attached were absolutely marvellous. I shot in the rain, the dust and dirt and heat every day. The shots that I took of the people in the showers (Batu Caves – down by the river), I was actually half in the shower with them and my cameras got soaked. I just wiped the lens filter with my hanky, and kept cranking out the shots. My gear never missed a beat and even checked out fine when I got home. Many of the images I took in the very early hours of the second day were taken at very high ISO settings. I was surprised at just how great most of the images look.
I could easily hanker and buy two X-T3’s, but I see absolutely no need. I never shoot video (would not even know how to turn it on), and the autofocus on my two cameras never missed any shots because of hunting or being too slow. Many of the shots were taken of people spinning and dancing and moving very fast – my cameras froze the action and had an over 90% hit rate.
I am going to use the money that I would have to spend to update my gear on more travel to see this magic planet. My wife wants to go to Japan this year, so I am getting very excited now to book and plan that trip. I’m already starting to polish my gear and get it all ready for the next magic moments that my Fuji’s will enthral us with.
Oh, and by the way, next time your wife suggests a destination, you had better listen!!
Milk Girl - Pilgrims ascending the steps to Batu Caves, Malaysia, 2019 - Fuji X-T2 & 16-55 @ 40mm, F3.2, ISO 1600
PS - Be sure to check out my website. These pictures are just a tiny sample of the many wonderful images I took on this trip. I still have thousands to wade through in L/R, but check my site from time to time and more will be going up in the next few weeks.
Cheers
Philip
Fuji Xf 23mm F2 and Xf 18-55 – the Woeful and the Sublime!
The Fairy - street face painting, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 16-55, 51mm @ 2.8
Perfecting the system
Those of you who have followed my previous blogs will realise my journey with Fuji has evolved over many years. My recent blogs have reflected the fact that I have settled into a great system and have finally honed my choice of lenses and cameras. I now have two Fuji X-T2’s with a 90mm F2 permanently ‘glued’ onto one and the ‘off the scale’ 16-55 ‘glued’ onto the other. I am extremely happy with this choice and am getting fantastic images and sheer joy from using this combination. It is great to feel so settled during this time of camera madness.
Every time I switch on my YouTube, there is another video of some new ‘floozey’ - supposedly better and more fantastic than its predecessor, and we are compelled to sell all our gear and ‘update’. I will tell you now that I did look very closely at – and tried and tested the X-T3 and X-H1 – and resoundingly came to the conclusion that my X-T2’s are just as good (for the type of photography that I do). Particularly that nearly every test tells me there is really no discernible difference in image quality between any of them! Therefore, if I am so settled and everything is rosy in my little photographic world, why this latest blog?
Piano Boy - street celebrations, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 23mm F2 @ F2
As an Australian teacher, I have six weeks break coming up over this Christmas/NY. I have a couple of weeks in Bali together with my wife, then she has to return to Australia for work. I go on alone for another month, to photograph unknown non-tourist places in Indonesia and Malaysia. Here is where the perfecting of my system comes in. I usually get up each day at 5am and hit the streets running with my two X-T2’s on board. I will shoot until around 10-11am – then return to my hotel for refreshments and a rest. Then around 3-4pm, I will go out into the warming light and get some wonderful images as people on the streets and workers finish off their day. Then I go back to my hotel and shower and head back out for dinner and to wander the streets in the evening with my camera.
Here is where I want to make a change. Even though my setup is fantastic and much lighter than my Nikon ‘bricks’ that I struggled with over many years, I need a lighter kit for my evening wanders. After carrying the two cameras with rather large lenses around all day, in the evening I just want to wander lightly and feel the joy of a small prime. I would love the X100F, but it is totally useless to me, because Fuji killed that series off by not adding a flippy screen. Once you get used to the stealth of shooting street from the hip (read my blog here - https://www.philipsuttonphotography.com/blog/2018/4/street-and-travel-photography-a-new-method-to-consider) it’s like dating the Prom Queen – you can never go back.
Water Blaster girl - street celebrations, Goldfields, Western Australia - Fuji X-T2, 23mm F2 @ F2
Sir Winston Churchill
With Fuji’s current ongoing sales, I recently traded in my 35mm F2 for the 23mm F2 lens. I have had the 35mm lens for over two years now and have used it only a handful of times. It falls into a photographic ‘no-man’s-land’. Better still – as Sir Winston Churchill was quoted to have said of Sir Alfred Bossom, “Bossom, Bossom, what an extraordinary name – neither one thing nor the other”! The 35mm F2 fell into that category for me – it was neither one thing nor the other. It was far too ‘tele’ to be of any use for street photography, but of course too ‘wide’ to be used for portraiture or close-up work. I was very relieved to be able to trade it in on the smaller brother 23mm F2. This was an impulse purchase, because I really knew nothing about this diminutive little lens. I did purchase it though thinking it may fill the gap for the evening walk around lens I mentioned above.
The 'Martian' - mine rescue safety equipment, street celebrations, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 23mm F2 @ F2
Let the testing begin!
In the weeks after my impulse purchase, I furiously devoured everything I could read about the 23mm F2. I soon came to realise that this lens polarised people into two groups. People like the Angry, profane guy on Youtube (who is a Fuji fan-boy), raved about how marvellous this lens was. Others fell into the group of concluding that it was a mediocre lens at best, and others in that group said it was unusable. I photographed the proverbial brick walls and trees, but as I have found, you can never tell the quality of a lens until you start photographing people. The skin tones, the sharpness of eyebrows and eyelashes, hair, the subtle tones and falloff in background areas of the image - I was hanging out until I could fire off some shots in ‘anger’ and point it at some people.
Recently we had our annual street parade in my small gold-mining town here in Western Australia. This event is an annual big deal. The huge gold mining trucks and equipment parade down the main street with lots of colour, people in weird costumes, and everybody in a jolly mood not caring who points a camera at them. Being one of the local teachers here I know half the people in town. I was able to photograph with ease and get shots that perhaps strangers could not. I rushed off home with my images in tow to see for myself why all the divisive opinions on this little lens. I have included a few images here for you to see for yourself and make up your own conclusions. Non of these images are going to win any awards – and not up to my usual standard – but as this is the only time I have used this lens so far, they should serve the purpose seeing what kind of images one can expect.
Aboriginal Street Dancers - street celebrations, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 23mm F2 @ F2
Test for yourself!
Just before I give my thoughts on the 23mm, I want to say a little about lenses in general. You can read all the stuff you want – until your eyes go blurry (like mine did), but you really have to test these things for yourself because our opinions and expectations all vary as much as there is equipment out there. Take the Fuji kit lens for example - the XF18-55. So many people rave about this lens and say it is the best thing since sliced bread. To me this is more mysterious than the Egyptian Pyramids – how could this be so?? It was these reviews that kept me hanging in there over the years as I bought and sold off three copies of this miserable lens – each time trying to get a ‘good one’. It cost me a lot of money, hours and hours of anguish and disappointment, and many crappy images – until I reached my own conclusion that this lens is a total dud. Probably one of Fuji’s worst lenses (half a step behind the 18mm)! In Australia we don’t have a return policy like you guys do in the States, so each time I bought my ‘dud’, I would have to sell if off and buy another one – in my search for a ‘good’ copy. If I hadn’t taken so much notice of everything that had been written on this lens – and believed what my eyes were telling me – I would have saved myself a load of money, hours of grief and crumby images, and would have realised that this thing was a pile of mediocrity. Sorry folks for those who have this lens and like it – but for me I really hate this lens. I’ll say it again – test these things for yourself!!
Bubble Girl - street celebrations, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 90mm F2 @ F2
All is revealed!
When I shot the street parade I would normally have had my 16-55 and the 90mm. I replaced the 16-55 with the 23mm and took that and the 90mm lens. I did that on purpose to see if I took a lighter kit in my evening wanderings in my upcoming holiday in Asia, could the 23mm fill some of the big shoes of the 16-55? I will save you the anticipation. To say I am happy is the understatement of the year – I was totally blown away by the performance of the 23mm F2. Nearly all of the reviews I watched or read said that at wide open and close up it was so soft that it was unusable. I shot people and kids at what I would think was close – a person and their face filling the frame – and oh my goodness, this thing was tack sharp wide open. I did not want to believe this and I was expecting rather mediocre results – but I am extremely happy. I need a lens to be sharp wide open. As a street photographer/travel photographer, I only ever shoot wide open. I’m always looking to isolate my subject from the background. If a lens is not sharp wide open, or I have to stop it down to get useable results – then it’s useless to me. Not only is it sharp, but the images have a beautiful, almost 3d look to them. They are very punchy and I find I am getting that very contrasty look that I love in ‘Classic Chrome’.
Girls up to no good - street celebrations, goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 23mm F2 @ F2
I am very happy to say that I have plugged the last remaining gap in my kit line-up. This little lens is now permanently married to my old X-T1. To me changing lenses is a no no. I have one lens attached to one camera and it is never changed. That is why I have never had to clean a sensor (particularly now that all of my lenses are WR), or have gotten any crud in my camera. I shoot in too many filthy places in Asia, where changing a lens outside may well be the end of your sensor, and the total demise of your camera! I will now have my day kit (the 16-55 and 90mm) each attached to an X-T2, and my lovely little 23mm attached to an X-T1, as my evening walk-around kit.
Don’t get too perplexed if you haven’t ironed all of the wrinkles out of your photographic kit. I have been shooting now for over 35 years and it has taken me a very long time to get to where I am. I may seem very dogmatic in my opinions, (and yes, I do offend some folk), but after shooting for so many years and wasting so much money on needless crap, I am very intolerant of gear that does not do its job, or does not perform when we are told that it will. I know exactly what I want and need from my kit, and the Fuji components that I have chosen fill this niche for me in a wonderful fashion. Not only can I look at my beautiful images for hours on end, I get such joy out of using quality equipment. Like the story I told in one of my other blogs about Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits fame), kissing his guitar out of sheer love for his art. I am still known to give my X-T2 a quick kiss now and then - when my wife is not looking!! Enjoy your gear, enjoy your art and most of all enjoy your images. Life is too short to stress over pixel peeping or this lens or that. Get something that works well for you and spend your money on travel, and seeing the most of this wonderful planet.
Old Timer - divining for water, street celebrations, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018 - Fuji X-T2, 90mm F2 @ F2
Hua Lamphong (Bangkok Railway) – and who said I need a X-T3?
Station Master controlling the train, Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 (Fuji X-T2 and XF 90mm @ F2)
Where
We recently had school holidays in Western Australia so my wife and I escaped our claustrophobic, desert, gold-mining town and headed to Thailand for two weeks. My highlight was the final five or six days in Bangkok, because my wife had a business course to attend that would keep her office-bound from 8am till 5pm (he he), and I could escape and pursue my passion of photographing people totally unimpeded!
I hired a fixer for a day and got him to take me deep into Khlong Toei – Bangkok’s biggest slum. My goodness - what a marvelous experience and the images were just as striking. I will be writing a separate blog on that in the future. However, today I want to talk about my time at Bangkok’s main Railway Station. This wonderful place and its resilient people stole my heart - it was that fantastic. Over the period of that final week I went there 4 times. Hua Lamphong is well over 100 years old and its main structure is an Italian Neo-Renaissance-style building. The trains terminate and start their journeys here to go all over rural Thailand.
The part that really made it special - it was like going back in time 50yrs. In Australia, if I walk onto a railway track at the train station I will be arrested. In Hua Lamphong, I was able to amble among the trains and cross from platform to platform between the trains. As each train arrived from its long country journey, sleepy-eyed passengers disembarked and hastily made their way onto their desired destination. People were waving goodbye, hugging, weeping or just sleepily relaxing on the hard wooden benches. It is a street photographers dream. The place is covered in by this huge structure that is the Neo-Renaissance roof – this makes for perfect filtered light any time of the day.
The 'Stowaway' - Hua Lamphong , Bangkok, Thailand 2018 (Fuji X-T2 and XF16-55 mm @ F2.8)
Some will know from my other blogs that my speciality is brick factories. Whether I am in Myanmar, Vietnam, Loas or wherever, I always head for the nearest brick factory. I have been kicked out of every brick factory within hundreds of miles from where I live in Australia, but in Asia I can usually always get access. The orange light reflecting off the brick ochres, the workers covered in soot from the kiln, the shafts of light filtering through distant cracks – these places are a photographer’s dream. However, I think that Hua Lamphong has just become one of my favourite Asian destinations.
On Fridays they give free haircuts, so they bring out the plastic chairs and line them along the platform. Folk line up for their free cut and amidst much giggling and mirth, they emerge looking more trimmed and swish than when they arrived. I just loved the way that life flowed so naturally and the people were free to wander about, not shackled by all the sanctions, rules and regulations that we have in the West. I was able to wander about and photograph to my heart’s content, and all I saw were smiles and giggles and no objections. I have just about completely given up pointing my camera at anybody in my country. The first time you get a black look, the second time you get yelled at, and the third time (if there are kids about), you will get confronted by police or security (I am only talking about photographing in public places). I have had too many confrontations here at home - you can see why I travel so much to destinations where I am able to pursue my passion with relative ease and safety.
Bathed in Blue - Construction site on the way to Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand (Fuji X-T2 and XF 16-55mm @ F2.8)
Equipment
I have written at great length about my long journey with Fuji, so you can catch up with all of the details on my other blogs. Suffice to say that nothing has changed here and will not for a long time. As far as I am concerned when the Fuji X-T2 came out, I knew I had a camera that was good enough to be future-proof. All this mumbo-jumbo of late about the new cameras coming out is very distracting. I played with a X-T3 and yes it was faster, but I see no reason at all for me to waste 5K (I have two bodies and they are over $2K each in Australia) on new gear. I have already booked 5 weeks at Xmas/NewYear around Indonesia and Malaysia – a much better investment for my money and I have full confidence that my two X-T2’s will match the latest models any day, particularly for the kind of photography that I do (not sports photography where milliseconds matter). Also, the beautiful images I took on this trip with my X-T2, I seriously doubt they would have looked any better or different had they been taken on a X-T3 or the X-H1!
Track-side Barber - Free Haircut Friday, Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 (Fuji XT-2 and XF 16-55 @ F2.8)
My gear is very minimalistic and simple. I carry no tripod and never have, because I have zero interest in scenery or landscapes. I don’t even care that my lenses or cameras have no stabilisation – have never used that and have no need for it. I have two small bags attached to the Think Tank strap, they each contain one of my X-T2’s. One has the magical 16-55 glued on and the other has the beautiful 90mm permanently attached. My only small liberty is a tiny Godox flash that is HSS and TTL. I occasionally use this for daylight fill flash. The camera with the 16-55 hangs around my neck and the other over my shoulder on a Black Rapid strap. I can literally walk all day and never tire with this setup – much different to the huge Nikon ‘bricks’ that I used to lug around.
I am happy to say that the images from my Fuji FX16-55 zoom are more sharp and crisp than from my prime FX23mm F2 lens. I never thought I would ever say that a zoom was sharper and nicer than a prime, but in this case very much so!
Mr Smooth - Free Haircut Friday, Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 (Fuji X-T2 and XF 90mm @ F2)
My Modus Operandi
Just like my equipment, nothing has changed here. I wrote a very long blog this year talking about the new method I have developed for photographing people (except in my own country). I will not labour it here much more because you can read about it on my blog. However, I will touch very briefly on it again. It was the same deal as always and nothing was different for me photographing at the train station than anywhere else. I always adhered to my second most important precept – no eye contact. I never looked at anybody. I just kind of shuffled along looking like somebody who was totally disinterested in my surroundings. That way you do not draw attention to yourself or make people suspicious because you are looking at them. I wore my usual strange attire. I had my bandana around my face, my black leather gloves, my black cap on and a face with no smile on it. I am a very happy personable fellow normally, but when I am photographing I am on a serious mission. If you look too friendly people will want to interact with you – and that is the last thing you need.
It is not to be snobby or appear arrogant, it is solely for the reason that you do not want to interfere with what is going on around you and stop the ‘moment’. I only ever want to be a passer bye and not to ever get involved with what is happening. That way people will ignore you and life will carry on as usual and you will get the magical, spontaneous moments without interfering with them.
The Long Walk - Tunnel connecting Hua Lamphong to the underground train, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 (Fuji X-T2 and XF 16-55 @ F2.8)
As mentioned you can read all about this in detail on my other blogs, however, I want to touch on the most important detail of all. Never lift the camera up to your eye. I have written about this at length – people have a built-in radar, the second you lift a camera to your eye, whammo - everything changes. People stop what they are doing, they look at you, say no, any one of dozens of things. Whilst photographing Hua Lamphong nearly all of my photos were shot from the hip. I just shuffled along appearing to be totally disinterested in what was going on, and just looking like I was fiddling with my camera controls. All the while I was looking down into the flippy screen on the back of my Fuji X-T2. I viewed my whole world through my camera lens. I zoomed in and out and framed my world as I wished it to be recorded. In my peripheral vision I always looked for my subject or my next shot. Once I saw a possible image I shuffle over in that general direction – of course all along NEVER making any eye contact, never looking up and of course never smiling. As I shuffled past (with my shutter in silent mode), I rattled off as many images as I needed. Once I came out the other side, nobody was ever aware that I had taken any pictures and my special moment was usually in the bag.
This is a brilliant method of street photography that I have developed over 30 odd years of traveling and photographing this planet. No matter what anybody tells you, you will never be a success at this if you listen to what they say on many of the well-meaning YouTube channels. “Ask permission first”, they say, “smile and wave at people”, “appear friendly and interested in what they are doing”. This is very lovely if you want to make friends and get some snap-shots, but you will never make life- changing images this way. Why?? Why, because you have now become part of the scenery or the interactions and as an intruder you have changed everything. All of your images from now on will be ‘canned’ and contrived. People will be smiling or giving the happy finger up sign, or posing for you. If you are happy with that, then go for it. If you want real images that truly reflect what you witnessed, then try my method.
Z Man - Free Haircut Friday, Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 (Fuji X-T2 and XF 16-55 @ F5.6)
Fun
Oh my goodness, it is hard to say how much fun I had here - just the sheer joy of wandering around in a friendly environment, where I was not an intruder and I did not interfere with or change any of the human activities around me. The bonus of course was that I could fiddle with and use my lovely cameras. I left most days with beautiful images and I have shared just a few of them here today. Photography is a real joy to me and since I have developed my new method of street photography and honed my modus operandi down to a fine art, I no longer find it stressful like I used to. I used to wake up thinking that I had to face people, ask them for permission to photograph them and recall all of the negative experiences I had in the past. Everything changed a few years ago when I bought my first Fuji X-T1 camera and it had the flip-out screen. Out of frustration more than anything, I started experimenting with not looking at people and not lifting the camera to my eye – just shooting from waist level like many of the old-timers did with the Rolleiflex cameras (Vivian Maier etc). Hey Presto – I began to realise that my pictures had improved ten fold and my negative experiences and confrontations had totally disappeared. No wonder I eat, sleep and breath photography now because it has become such a joy.
Miss 'Fancy-pants' - passenger on the platform, Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 (Fuji X-T2 and XF 90mm @ F2)
Where to from here?
I fully believe that we must have a focus, and a planned strategy and goals of operation in order to keep our passion for photography strong and alive. I fear today that many ‘photographers’ are just gear collectors. They often bounce from one new model of camera to the next, spending a fortune along the way and wondering why their photography never improves. Get one good camera that fulfils all of your needs (or two like me if need be), learn how to use it so well that you can adjust and take photos in your sleep. Then spend your time, money and effort planning exciting places to visit and other cultures to record. If you are not in a position yet to afford overseas travel, then plan some interesting events, happenings or seasonal activities in your own area. Usually I am fortunate enough to go on two major overseas trips a year (usually at least one with my wife and one alone), however, adding these together it only amounts to a couple of months a year at best. What do I do for the rest of the time?
I live in a very isolated gold-mining town in the middle of the West Australian desert. We are more that 600km drive from a major centre (Perth). This town is very small (only 30,00 inhabitants) and everything revolves around gold mining. We have the biggest open-cut gold mine in the world. However, after you have photographed that a couple of times there is really nothing else. I had to get creative so that I did not fall into a depressed photographic hole, whilst waiting for my next trip overseas.
The 'Big Kid' - passenger on the platform, Hua Lamphong, Bangkok, Thailand, 2018 - (Fuji X-T2 and XF 16-55 @ F2.8)
I decided to document and record the local Aboriginal people. One of my photos that I took this year ended up on the front cover of an online magazine where thousands of people were able to see it. If I had sat around complaining that there was nothing to photograph here then I would have never taken that photo. I also got permission to go to the local Men’s Shed. We have these in Australia where old retired guys donate their time to teach woodwork and mechanics to unemployed people, enhancing their skills to gain employment. I also go out to the Two-Up shed where they have gambling a few times a year. I encourage all of you to set goals, ask many questions and find places where you can get in to get unique photographs. I am planning to document the sheep shearers. We have many who travel the rural and remote places of Australia sheering sheep on isolated stations. The light and action will be magic and I can only image the beautiful images awaiting me there. I encourage you all to get out, get active with what gear you have and make images that will not only fascinate people, and inspire others, but your photographic journey will start to become a real joy!
Here is a quick snap-shot of my gear. Man I love working with this equipment, so light, fast and easy to use and producing incredible images. There's my goofy gloves, bandana and hat included!!
Powerful Travel and Street Images - My Settings!
A Nation's Culture - Aboriginal Woman, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF16-55, ISO320, F2.8, 120th sec, 16mm
Kissing Grandma
Notwithstanding the wonderful memories of my childhood growing up in New Zealand, there was one annual ritual that I am sure has left me emotionally and psychologically scarred for life. Come each Christmas, all of the relatives would arrive for the family get-together. There would be wonderful gifts, cakes, sweets and of course Christmas pudding. However, I knew in my small mind that there would be none of this for me, until I was subjected to the most terrible of ordeals. As the aunties and grandmas arrived, we all had to go out and greet them. My mum would grab me and hold me up at face level, for all the grannies to kiss. I could see them coming with their whiskery chins and slobbering lips - I would cringe and shut my eyes, praying at the same time that the ordeal would not last too long. However, that was only half of it - to double the purgatory, they would then stick their chins in my face, and I had to kiss them#$%&&!!
Of course once this ritual was over all was forgotten, and I could then tuck into the presents and food with reckless abandon. However, my mum had everything covered. I once tried to hide from the ordeal and she went and found me and said it was very rude not to kiss all the grandmas. She said “no kissing the grandmas – no Christmas” – you could not have one without the other.
This post is akin to getting kissed by grandma – you have to read the parts you will not agree with, in order to get to the bits that will be very helpful. I give a few of Fuji’s most hallowed lenses a good and thorough ‘basting’ and I know most will not agree. However, from my childhood experience I urge you to push on, hold your breath, and pray it won’t last too long!!
Beauty - Young Girl, Brick factory, Rural Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF16-55, ISO 1600, F2.8, 180th sec, 55mm
A request
Since my last blog (Street and Travel Photography – A New Approach with Fujifilm), I have had several enquiries regarding my camera settings. In that blog I detailed very precisely my new style or MO for street photography - incorporating the flip screen on Fuji cameras. I now use this style with great success capturing daily life at home and in my travels throughout South East Asia. However, because that blog was rather long and detailed, I purposely did not mention any camera settings or how I actually take the picture and then post-process it. Therefore in this post I want to discuss in some detail the setup of my Fuji X-T2’s, and the actual picture taking process.
Lenses
I have written at great length about this on my other blogs – particularly my seven year journey with Fuji and what lenses were bought and sold, and what I actually shoot with today. To save you rummaging around and having to read all my old blogs, I’ll recap here. It is vitally important that you shoot with the lenses that suit your style of photography and lenses that you actually enjoy using and looking at the final images created by them. I didn’t have a very good relationship with Fuji’s kit lens, the 18-55. So many people rave on about this lens and I just don’t get it. Some things in life we will never know the answers to – like how did Malcolm Turnbull ever become Prime Minister of Australia, how people can eat trifle, why do people still believe we landed on the moon, and why do folk rave about Fuji’s kit lens?
It kind of did my head in over the years thinking it was OK one moment, but then being bitterly disappointed by images from it the next. I ended up buying and selling off 3 different copies of that lens – each time thinking I had a dud. I finally came to the conclusion that this lens was not for me. I tried the 55-200 and wrote a whole blog about that lens. Suffice to say that I recently sold that on ‘fleabay’.
I even extensively used the 18-135, which really was quite a lovely lens and much better than the kit lens. I have many wonderful images on my website taken with this lens and many happy memories using it. However, just very recently it also met its demise on ‘fleabay’. I have now finally settled on two magical lenses that are permanently glued onto my two X-T2’s. That is the marvelous, magical 90mm F2, and the even better 16-55 F2.8. These two lenses are out of this world and perfect for me! I say for me because many people say the 16-55 is too heavy, and the 90mm needs OIS, and this and that. I haven’t found that at all and to me both of these lenses are perfect. I’m glad that 90mm has no OIS, because it would be too heavy and more expensive, and probably not as sharp.
The lens I use about 80% of the time is my 16-55. What a perfect lens this is. It is razor sharp wide open, still small and light enough to take everywhere, and weather sealed as well, and certainly does not need OIS. People talk about the freedom and nostalgia of using small prime lenses. Yes they may be a bit lighter, but to me they are a real pain. I move fast and need to have all of my most used focal lengths rolled into one. That is the 16-55. I have my 24mm wide angle, I have my 80mm for portraits and close-ups and I have everything in between. Can you imagine the pain of having to change every time you wanted a different focal length? You can’t say to the people in the street parade “hey just stop and hold it there for a second – I need to make a lens change” – of course your shot is long gone. Also, you let all the crud and dust onto your sensor. I get into some very dusty and dirty places where I shoot, and because I NEVER ever change a lens, I have never had to clean a sensor and they are as clean as the day I bought my cameras.
People say the primes are sharper – for me this is not so. I sold off all of my other Fuji lenses - but besides my two main ones mentioned, I also kept the 35mm F2. This is a beautiful little lens and takes razor sharp images, it is also light and a joy to use. Guess what – my 16-55 is every bit as sharp and I cannot tell the difference in images taken from either (other than the 35mm setting on the 16-55 has slightly more depth of field being a stop slower). Consequently I never use the 35mm and it too will probably end up on ‘fleabay’.
Choose your lenses well, get something that works for you and stick with that. Use a good quality zoom and you will not have to carry a bagful of useless gear around that will probably never be used. Get a weather-sealed lens that will not let crud onto your sensor, ‘glue’ it on your camera and leave it there. You can then spend your time and energy on making better images, instead of wasting time like I did buying and testing every lens in sundry, wasting thousands of dollars to only end up back where you started!
Smoke and Ochre - Aboriginal Dancers, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF 90mm, ISO 200, F2, 1/7000th sec
Make Life Easy For Yourself
I greatly admire those who want to soak up some nostalgia and use their camera in a very basic way, in order to have total and absolute control over the final result. This usually requires shooting the camera in full manual, and often using a non-proprietary lens (which on the Fuji you end up with manual focus only). To me this seems to be counter-productive. I personally want to use every ounce of my wits and energy concentrating on finding and executing my shot. When I see my moment I only want to swing my camera into position, and hit the button. To me the camera should and will take care of everything else. If I had to fidget around manual focusing, then take a meter reading and set the aperture and then the shutter speed and ISO – my moment would be long gone. My advice here is to make life easy for yourself. I set my camera onto aperture priority. To me it is essential that I control my depth of field. That is paramount because I only ever shoot people, so I need to control how much of their face and the ensuing background are in focus. This usually always means I lock my aperture wide open (to the smallest number – which is F2 and F2.8 respectively), and then I will get the least amount of background in focus as possible. The camera then takes care of the shutter speed. As long as it is not too slow to create blur – I really don’t care what that is!
'Pyrotechnics' - Kids and candles, New Year Celebrations, Mahamuni Pagoda, Mandalay, Myanmar, 2017. Fuji X-T1, XF 35mm, ISO 1,600, F2, 1/45 sec
Protect your Highlights
This is very important and I have only recently begun to realise the significance of this. I must be a slow learner because I have been in this photography business now for over 35 years, and I am really only now making a big deal about this!! Everything I say here will relate specifically to my Fuji X-T2 cameras. If you shoot another brand it may be different. If I go back and find some old images shot with my Nikon D3X and have to post process them, the process is much different to what I do with my Fuji X files.
By protecting the highlights I mean that I meter now for the brightest part of the image (even if it is only a tiny little window in the background). I have many beautiful images in my files that I cannot use because there is some blown-out highlight somewhere in the background that is ruining my photo. I obviously just took the shot and trusted the meter reading (I always use the evaluative metering on the X-T2), but because the camera averaged things out, it has lifted up the exposure at the expense of blowing the highlights.
What I do now is always leave my X-T2 on -2/3rd of a stop. I find that my Fuji files are always slightly over exposed anyway, so by shooting everything slightly under exposed, I am leaning more toward making the whole image slightly darker instead of slightly too bright. This will automatically bring my highlights down slightly and make them a bit darker. This is for every shot and my camera is always on -2/3rd of a stop (I use the plus/minus knob). This works fine – it tends to saturate the colours nicely and makes the image a bit more punchy. Further, I now treat every image individually to make sure I am not blowing out highlights. I have the flashing highlight option set on my camera so when I half press the shutter, anything that is overexposed will flash black. This is great and it gives me a general indication of where the brightest part of the frame is. I have done this so many thousands of times now that I can usually look and just guess what amount of compensation I need to dial in without having to take a test shot. Often I need to go down as low as -2 or -3 stops or something like that.
Going Home - Aboriginal Woman, Goldfields, Western Australia, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF 16-55, ISO 200, F2.8, 1/250th sec. 16mm
What about my Shadows?
This is a very obvious question and you are probably thinking that I’m being reckless and ruining all of my pictures. Obviously if you underexpose by several stops for the highlights, of course the already dark shadows are going to get even darker. You’ll be happy to know that the Fuji X sensor has great dynamic range and I find that the highlights usually always take care of themselves. I can be several stops under and I’m always able to pull up the details in Lightroom. It is far better to have a photo that is too underexposed than too bright. If you have totally blown out highlights, there is really nothing you can do to recover those. Just concentrate on the actual highlights and get those correct and let the shadows take care of themselves.
The Vendor's Daughter - Girl on the streets of Yangon, Myanmar, 2017. Fuji X-T1, XF35mm, ISO 200, F2.8, 1/850th sec
Use Your Auto ISO
To me this is one of the greatest inventions of modern photography. Of course years ago when I shot film, we did not and could not have anything like this available. I set the minimum shutter speed that I am willing to go down to (around 250 on the 16-55 and 320 on the 90mm). I suggest not to go any lower, because even though you could certainly hand hold at a lower speed, and get a sharp image, you have to allow for the fact that shooting people they are usually moving. It is better to have faster than 250, but I find I can usually freeze normal human movement at that speed. If people are running or doing something faster, then I go up to around 500th sec. Then I set my lowest ISO, and then my highest ISO that I want to go to. That is usually always 200 and 1600 respectively. I only ever go higher than 1600 if there is no other option. To me my pictures don’t look too good after 1600, so that is why I choose that highest ISO.
Then when I am shooting, my camera does all of the magic, and I can forget about making changes. I just shoot away knowing that as the light changes, my camera will keep my shutter speed at 250/320 sec - unless of course the light drops way down, but then I am aware of that and take charge and change my settings accordingly.
Red and Blue - Chinese Street Dragons, Western Australia Day Celebrations, Fremantle, Perth, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF 16-55, ISO 200, F2.8, 1/3,500th sec, 16mm
What Format?
I am different to most photographers in that I never ever shoot in the portrait format, or vertically. This is unusual for the fact that I also never shoot landscapes, or sceneries – I only ever shoot people/portraits and environmental portraits/street photography. You would think in there somewhere I would need an image of my subject in the vertical situation. Yes I do often, but I still always shoot in landscape. I do this for several reasons. By shooting landscape I always have the biggest area of frame that my camera offers. Of course if I need my subject in the portrait format, I just crop in at 2x3/4x6 (vertical) and there it is! However, if I were to shoot that same subject/image in portrait and later decided I needed a more full image (landscape), I would not be able to do that, because I only have available the limited view of portrait.
It took me ages to figure this out, but it really works for me and has transformed the possibilities I can glean from one given shot. Sometimes people will write back and ask me if I have the same image available in landscape – of course I do because even though the client was presented with an image in portrait, I actually shot it originally in landscape. Now I just jump back into Lightroom, change the format to landscape, and whammo there is a ‘new’ image. Had that image only ever been shot in portrait format, then that is all that you would have.
I also suggest that you always shoot your subject/images with lots of space around them and do not zoom in too close. Many magazines and publishers wish to put text in the space surrounding your subject (on the actual image), if you have cropped in so close you will be unable to do so. I also tend to crop a lot when post-processing, just to get the image to look exactly how I like it. On my super sharp lenses and the 24mp of the X-T2, I can zoom in a real lot and the image holds up well.
I am finding I am using the aspect ratio of 16X9 (or Cinemascope) a lot. I always wondered why, when I watched a movie in that aspect ratio it just looked so much more powerful and dramatic. I find that 16X9 fits the slide show on my website very well, and photos in that aspect just look so much more dramatic and punchy that when I keep them in the default 4X6. Of course this does not work for every image and that is why I do not shoot them in camera on 16X9. However, when I shoot now I keep in mind my perfect aspect ratio that I am aiming for and leave lots of space, so it is possible to convert it during post-processing.
RAW/JPEG
This is an old one, but to me it is very easy to decide – I always shoot RAW. I accidentaly bumped my settings, and I shot an event last Saturday (the one above with the Aboriginal Dancer with body paint) with one of my X-T2’s (the one with the 90mm), set on JPEG. I haven’t processed a JPEG image in years – what a disaster. I couldn’t get my usual ‘look’, even with my presets – because JPEG’s don’t have all of the information that is stored in a RAW file. I really encourage you to always shoot in RAW. I actually shoot in lossless compressed and that makes my files smaller, but with almost the same information as a full size RAW file.
Moments - Brick Factory workers, mother and child, Rural Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF90mm, ISO 320, F2, 1/320th sec
Conclusion
These are all just suggestions and in photography nothing is really locked in concrete. These things that work for me, may be a disaster for you. Experiment and have fun. I read on some of the photographic forums and ‘see’ people who are bogged down arguing over this pixel and that and splitting this hair against that one. They are stressing themselves and everybody else. The main thing in photography is to have fun. I live/eat/sleep/breath photography. Other than my Faith and my lovely wife, nothing else like photography makes me get out of bed each day with a spring in my stride. It fills my every waking moment with dreams of places to visit, people to meet and impossible experiences to enjoy with my camera in hand - this is what helps to keep me sane in the madness of this crazy world. It is as if I am breathing my air from some other place, and when necessary, I can rise above the miasma of my life’s dailiness - on the thoughts and dreams of my images.
Legs - Dancing in the park, Western Australia Day Celebrations, Fremantle, Perth, 2018. Fuji X-T2, XF 16-55, ISO 200, F 2.8, 1/4000th sec. 16mm