Jazzwise Magazine Ad For Modern Jacobite

I picked up the latest Jazzwise magazine today and started flicking through the pages. I was drawn to the cover because it featured two jazz artists that I have shot before, Branford Marsalis and Kurt Elling. Then I got a nice, but unexpected surprise when I came across a full page ad for Tommy Smith's latest CD with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (which I shot all the pictures for). It's strange, but it took a moment to realise they were my pictures.

The September edition of Jazzwise will be out in a couple of weeks and will feature an interview with Tommy on the Modern Jacobite recording. Should be well worth a read!

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10 Travel Tips for Photographers

X100T with the WCL-X100

Sorry if the title for this post sounds a bit too much like click-bait, but it's exactly what it says on the tin, 10 quick tips for traveling. Some for photographers and some about travelling in general. It's not the definitive list by any means, but it's what I've found on my travels.

1. Plastic Belts designed for air travel are available from Amazon for very little money. They usually consist of a plastic buckle and a webbing material for the main part of the belt. This means you don't have to remove your belt at airport security.

2. Plastic bags are provided at airports for small bottles of liquid. Use one of these bags to place all your coins and then put it inside your camera bag.

3. Buy a camera bag with a sleeve at the rear to slide over the handle on rolling suitcases. Don't carry when you can wheel.

4. Remove everything you need from your hand luggage that you will need during the flight (book, iPad, magazine, reading glasses, sweets...etc) and stow away your bag in the overhead bins for the rest of your flight.

5. Invest in a quality pair of noise cancelling headphones, preferably over the ear ones. I use Bose, they're a bit spendy, but well worth the money.

6. Travel as light as possible, you don't need to take every lens you own. On my latest trip I packed an X100T plus the Wide conversion lens (35mm & 28mm in FF), the X-Pro2 with the 35mm f2 and the 18-55mm f3.5-f4 (27-83mm in FF). Maybe when the 50/2 comes out I take that instead of the zoom, but the 56mm is heavy and bulky (in mirrorless terms).

The Cooper 13 Slim camera bag by Tenba (back), Rob by Millican and the X100T + WCL-X100

7. Pack a smaller camera bag in your luggage just big enough for one camera and one or two lenses. I take Rob by Millican because it can be packed really flat and it doesn't look like a camera bag and if anything looks old and worn. Put all non essentials in your hotel room safe and use the smaller bag to travel light. I tend to wear one camera and have another one plus two lenses in the Millican bag.

8. Camera bags are an easy target for thieves and pick pockets. Wear your bag in front of your body if possible, or turn it so that the opening side is against your body and if possible, use a luggage strap around it to make life harder for thieves.

9. Hotel room power outlets can be a bit sparse sometimes. Take a multi socket adaptor from your home country and you will be able to charge 4 or 5 pieces of equipment from one outlet.

10. With so many devices using USB to charge these days, it's worthwhile taking a couple of of double USB chargers. I use an international version that has interchangeable adaptors for UK, US, Asia & Europe. This can charge a phone, tablet, power bank and even cameras like the X100T at the same time.

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Fujifilm X-T2, EF-X500 Flash and X-Pro2 Firmware

There's a few new releases today from Fuji. There's nothing mind blowing, like medium format, but as I shoot with a pair of X-T1's a lot, I'm obviously interested in the X-T2. Not a lot has changed on the outside (a good thing), but like the X-Pro2, the difference on the inside is huge.

A lot of people have been waiting for a decent dedicated flash too, and the EF-X500 looks like the first serious effort. What seems to be missing though, is a dedicated commander unit (transmitter) to be able to use these in a multiple flash situation. As I use six flashes, I don't think I'll be rushing out to replace my Yongnuo 560 IV's, not at 499 (UK pounds) a pop.

X-T2 coming Sept 2016 £1399

  • 30min 4K Video
  • New style Tilting Screen
  • 24.3 MP 
  • AF-C Custom Setting
  • Focus Joystick (like the X-Pro2)
  • Dual UHS-2 Card Slots
  • Acros Film Simulation

*The detail of the firmware is subject to change.

NEW Lens Roadmap

  • 23mm f2 (2016)
  • 50mm f2 (2017)
  • 80mm f2.8 OIS Macro (2017)

EF-X500 TTL Flash £449

  • TTL Flash
  • Guide Number of 50 (aprox)
  • High Speed Sync
  • Weather Resistant

X-Pro2 Firmware v2. coming October 2016

With the firmware update, the FUJIFILM X-Pro2 and the new FUJIFILM X-T2 will stand side-by-side as double flagship X Series cameras.

Detail of the update includes:

The new autofocus algorithm* that is implemented on the new FUJIFILM X-T2 to produce faster and more accurate autofocus will also be implemented on the FUJIFILM X-Pro2.
* Excludes the new AF-C Custom Settings functions.

Compatibility with the new hot-shoe mount flash EF-X500. The camera will now be enabled with high-speed flash sync and multi-flash lighting.

AUTO POWER OFF will now have 15 sec, 30 sec, and 1 min. options, allowing more customisable power management.

The parallax correction function will be improved to provide a more accurate and easier-to-use Optical Viewfinder.

Wordpress. Ashes. Phoenix. Squarespace

Today (1st July 2016) I'm launching the new improved derekclarkphotography.com. This wasn't a planned website overhaul, but my old Wordpress site got hacked and it showed me just how much damage can be inflickted on that platform and prompted my decician to move over to Squarespace.

So this is the new digs and I hope you like what I've done with the place so far. A lot has changed in the few years since my last total revamp and with that in mind, this new site should reflect those changes. The biggest of these is probably the jazz section. I've been documenting the jazz scene for three years now and I'm proud of the body of work I have so far (and it's growing all the time). If you know anything about jazz, you will see what an impressive list of well known players I have in the JAZZ section.

I have used Wordpress for many years and really like the platform, but it's time for a change and hopefully one that will make me want to blog more often as there is less back-end work to do on Squarespace. I've still got some work to do on this, so the site might change a little more in the next couple of weeks. Plus I'll be working backwards to fix all the pictures and galleries in previous blog posts.

Arild Andersen Trio

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing The Arild Andersen Trio during the Scottish leg of their current tour. The Trio consists of Norwegian bassist and composer Arild Andersen, Scottish tenor saxophonist Tommy Smith and Italian drummer Paolo Vinaccia. Although Paolo is Italian, he has actually lived in Norway for the last couple of decades. I photographed a gig at The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh and then again a few nights later when they played a private gig for a the music students at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland which is located in Glasgow, where Tommy is Head of Jazz. The picture at the top of this post was shot with my trusty Fuji X100T using the daylight balanced florescent lighting on the ceiling of the room. The picture has a slight crop to straighten it up a little, but other than that it's straight out of camera. All other pictures were taken with a couple of X-T1's.

If you haven't seen or heard this trio and you like jazz, I would highly recommend you do so as soon as possible. With beautiful compositions and double bass from Arid, not only that, his use of effects and loops help expand the normal constraints of a trio. Paolo's drumming and percussion is unique and he can take the band from a whisper to a full out onslaught and then back again. He can produce sounds from a cymbal that I have never heard from any drummer and on top of that he's a really nice guy that knows his cameras. Last, but definitely not least is Scotland's jazz legend Tommy Smith, fresh from receiving The Houses of Parliament jazz award for teaching. Tommy is a world class saxophonist and composer who has created a thriving jazz scene in Scotland and is largely responsible for the talented crop of young jazz musicians coming up today.

I've also been shooting some pictures for Tommy's next CD with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. More about that coming up in the next couple of months.

GIG AT THE QUEENS HALL IN EDINBURGH (Above)

PRIVATE GIG FOR THE MUSIC STUDENTS AT THE RCS GLASGOW (Above)

Fuji X-T1 & Bowens Streamlite 530 Portraits

I have around thirty head shots to do this week and I want to use a really simple 'one light' setup that I could see exactly what I was going to get straight off. I would normally use a multiple speedlight setup for this kind of location shoot, but space and time are tight. So I opted to use a single Bowens Streamlite 530 constant light. The Streamlite series use daylight balanced florissant bulbs, five of them in the case of the 530 or 3 in the Streamline 330. But I thought it would be a good idea to test the setup before the actual shoot as I will need to hit the ground running. would one Streamline be enough? So I enlisted my kids to model for my. That's why photographers have kids...right? I'm not sure what background I want to use, so I pulled out three of my favourites from Lastolite. I chose the Washington/Dakota, White/Grey and the Black Velvet. I shot all of the pictures below with an X-T1 and the 35mm f1.4. The Bowens Streamlite had all five bulbs switched on. I shot in JPEG with the following settings:

  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter Speed: 1/125th
  • Aperture: f2.8, f3.6 & f4
  • Film Simulation: Classic Chrome
  • Noise Reduction: -2
  • Sharpness: +2
  • Highlights: -1
  • Shadows: 0
  • Colour: +2
  • Dynamic Range: 200
  • White Ballance: Auto

All pictures received +10 Clarity and +10 Contrast in Lightroom, and a slight vignette was added to the ones shot against the plain grey background. To be honest, I could have used them straight out of camera, but it's ingrained in me that I have to do something to them. But it's great to be at a point with digital cameras like the Fuji system that we could actually use JPEG's straight out of the camera.

Kage Collective :: A New Direction

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Today, Friday 15th of January 2016, we launch a new direction for The Kage Collective website. Although there's always a lot going on in the backgroung everyday between the eight members, uploading content has been a bit sporadic and we haven't always produced as much as we hoped. So as a way change all that and to give us a kick up the backside and give our followers more quality content, more often, we have decided to take the website in a new direction. Today we launch our new monthly online magazine style format that will be updated on the 15th of each month and have a number of new essays, an interview, a review and a favourite shot of the month from each of us. This is new to us and it's possible that we may introduce more things in the coming months too. But don't hang around here, go see all that's new at Kage Collective by clicking HERE.

p.s. Don't forget that we have a free ebook called Under A Vagrant Sun that you can download from the Kage website or by clicking HERE.

Fujifilm XF 35mm F2 R WR Lens

What is the point of the 35mm f2? We already have the 35mm f1.4, one of the three original XF lenses that were released alongside the X-Pro1. Not only that, the 1.4 version is one of the best 50mm equivalent lenses produced. Ever! It's beautifully smooth but super sharp picture quality is truly stunning and even after the long list of first class lenses released over the last few years, the 35mm f1.4 is still one of my favourite Fuji lenses.

So what about the new 35mm f2 with it's tapered front end? Well it's not quite as good looking or bright as it's older brother, but this scrawny lad is quicker & less shifty. Lenses that taper in at the front end always look a little strange to me and I actually think this one looks better in silver (more like an old Leica lens). Don't get me wrong, it's a cool lens and feels a lot smaller than the f1.4 version. Where that tapper comes in handy is with the optical viewfinder of the X-Pr1 (and hopefully it's successor). If you press your eye right up to the viewfinder, you can barley see the lens just at the corner, but it's nowhere near the frame lines. The supplied plastic lens hood is very small and there's even an optional one that is more like the X100 hood.

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Performance wise this new 35/2 is way ahead of the older lens! Focusing is way quicker, smother and quieter. Focusing is also internal, so no front end popping in and out like your Granny doing the Hokey Cokie. Aperture ring is tight and is the way all Fuji lenses should be. In fact, if you shut your eyes you would swear you're cracking a safe. The focus ring is also tight and smooth and has just the right amount of travel IMO. It's a shame that the focus ring is continuous and doesn't stop at either end like the 16mm or 23mm does. It's also a real shame that it doesn't have the push/pull clutch focus ring like the 14, 16 and 23mm lenses have. Oh and as this is a great lens for street photography, a hyper focal distance guide at the front end of the lens would have been great. I would much rather the front of the lens were bigger if it meant we had those features of the wide angle lenses.

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So if I already own a 35mm f1.4, why would I buy the slightly slower f2? I have a few reasons. The first is that I think this will be a fantastic lens for street photography. The Aperture ring is tight enough that I can set it and be fairly sure it won't be knocked off. The focus ring is really smooth when using manual focus. Speed wise, I very rarely shoot street wide open, so there won't be a problem with this being an f2. The tapered front end is also even less threatening to people on the street.

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A close crop of my daughters eye from the previous image

A close crop of my daughters eye from the previous image

I tend to have one of two bags with me at all times. I have my small every day walking around and street photography bag and I have my working bag with two X-T1's and five or six lenses (I'll do a post on what's in each bag in the coming weeks). I like to have a 35mm lens in my walk around bag, but I constantly forget to put it in my working bag and only realise when I reach in there for it, and usually when I really need that focal length. No room to back up for the 56mm, so I end up shooting a portrait with the 23mm. Not ideal! But now I can keep a 35mm in each bag. Nice!

So if you don't already own the f1.4 version, which 35mm should you buy? It's quite an easy answer really. If you don't need that extra stop of the f1.4 then the f2 is the one to buy. Apart from losing that one extra stop of light, the new 35mm f2 has everything going for it and that's coming from a guy that absolutely loves the original 35mm f1.4.

Paris By iPhone and Hipstamatic

I wanted to shoot a lot of iPhone pictures on a trip to Paris earlier this year as a way of doing something different from what I normally would have. I had my Fuji's there too and I shot loads with them too, but to make sure I followed through with the iPhone plan, I set myself the goal of making a Blurb book as soon as I got back from the trip. We arrived back on the Friday and by the Saturday night, the book was put together and ordered.

Paris is a beautiful place with fantastic people and they don't deserve to be killed and maimed in the name of any god. I love to travel and if I want to complete a major project I'm working on right now, I will need to visit a number of countries. The world is a very dangerous place for everybody right now and as usual there is oil and religion involved. At least we have proof that oil exists!

Get In The Loop With A New Ebook

GetInTheLoop920

If you enjoy shooting music, or if you haven't tried it yet and don't know where to start, Flemming Bo Jensen has the answer. Flemming launches his new ebook available now called 'Get In The Loop - How To Make Great Music Images' and man is it worth the money! At 220 pages long and only $6.99 (USD) it's a no brainer. Flemming has done a first class job on the layout too, which makes it a really enjoyable read that's packed with information on how to do music photography.

KageEditions700

Get In The Loop is also under the banner of Kage Editions which is our Kage Collective publications side. I know that Flemming has slaved over this ebook for many months, with a lot of help in the editing department from Charlene Winfred (our Singaporian Kage member).

So as it's comming up for Christmas and you know you need something informative to read, why not download Get In The Loop. Then feed your brain and maybe start a personal project in 2016 on shooting music with what you learn? If you're still not convinced, try reading my post on the Kage Collective site titled The Value Of A Personal Project.