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One Frame: Sea Differently
A regular shot with the X100V and the WCLX100
This shot was taken at John O’ Groats in the far north of Scotland. It might look like two different horizontal shots, but it is one frame.
The lower half of the shot is a wall with the painting of the boat, while the van in the upper area is sitting on the pier a couple of hundred feet away. Using the Lensbaby Composer Pro with the Edge 50 optic compresses and allows both areas to be in focus, while blurring the sides, as though there were no distance at all and the scene was flat, without any depth.
This picture was made while on one of the greatest road trips in the world - Scotland’s North Coast 500!
SHOT WITH THE FUJIFILM X-PRO2 AND THE LENSBABY COMPOSER PRO & EDGE 50 OPTIC
Where Rivers Meet: The Synergy Of Art And Music
Almost two weeks ago, I photographed a very special concert by The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra at the stunning St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh (Scotland) called 'Where Rivers Meet'. The concert features artist Maria Rud painting live to the music of some great composers. The art was then projected onto the stained-glass windows of the cathedral.
The concert features four suites by the SNJO, which will go out on the internet over four consecutive nights and feature soloists Tommy Smith, Konrad Wiszniewski, Paul Towndrow and Martin Kershaw.
Go to livestream.snjo.co.uk to experience the visual and sonic world of WHERE RIVERS MEET from St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh.
12th May 7:15 PM
ORNETTE COLEMAN / MARIA RUD / PAUL TOWNDROW
music arranged by Tommy Smith
13th May 7:15 PM
DEWEY REDMAN / MARIA RUD / KONRAD WISZNIEWSKI
music arranged by Paul Towndrow
14th May 7:15 PM
ANTHONY BRAXTON / MARIA RUD / MARTIN KERSAHW
music arranged by Paul Harrison
15th May 7:15 PM
ALBERT AYLER / MARIA RUD / TOMMY SMITH
music arranged by Geoffrey Keezer
Maria Rud’s art created live and projected onto the stained-glass-windows of St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
In-camera double exposure
The Digital Contact Sheet :: Episode 8
X100F 23mm f2 - 1/150, f2, ISO 200
This Digital Contact Sheet and the next one will be from the same documentary shoot, but with very different pictures. The theme is life-changing surgery and it’s from a project back in 2019. I won’t rehash the details of the story here but you can read all about it by clicking HERE
I tend to shoot with two (sometimes three) cameras for documentary work. For this shoot, I had the Fujifilm X100F and the X-Pro2. The X100F has a fixed 23/2 lens and I was using a 35/2 and 50/2 on the X-Pro2. With the 1.5x crop of the APS-C Fuji’s, that was giving me a 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm. I also had the WCL-X100 for the X100F in my bag, which would give me a 28/2, but I didn’t use that till the next day. These f2 lenses are not the fastest, but as I would be shooting in a hospital, I knew that it wouldn’t be too dark and nothing would be moving that fast.
As you can see from the digital contact sheet, I was trying to get wide shots, mid shots and close-up shots to tell the story. At one point I was drawn to Mai’s bag. Other than a holiday, when does someone take a bag with a change of clothes etc to cover the unknown? Although she was with her husband, it was obvious that she was very alone and scared; this was a journey that only she would be making.
[My X100F file numbers might look as though it was brand new, but it had actually been round the clock.]
I shot frame 100F0016 and the frame after with lots of headroom; I wanted to have Mai small in the frame as I imagined that’s how she must have been feeling. This is my favourite shot of this sequence as I think it conveys exactly what I was trying to achieve. It also has all sorts of leading lines that pull the eye toward the subjects.
Frame XPR20937 (below) is pretty much the same shot using the X-Pro2 with the 50/2 lens for a close-up, but it’s not as visually compelling as the wide shot, although still a get storytelling shot.
X-Pro2 & 50mm f2 - 1/125, f2, ISO 250
Frame XPR20937 (above) is pretty much the same shot using the X-Pro2 with the 50/2 lens for a close-up, but it’s not as visually compelling as the wide shot, although still a good storytelling shot. The 50/2 lens is such a terrific little lens that gets very little attention in my opinion. Although not as dreamy as my 56.1.2, the 50/2 is the lens that I carry with me pretty much all the time.
X100F 23mm f2 - 1/125, f2, ISO 250
100F0020 (above) is also a favourite from this set. Again, it shows the loneliness and fear; possibly more so because Mai is sitting by herself with an empty chair on either side.
The next Digital Contact Sheet will be based on the following day, post-op, and more dramatic; where fear is swapped for pain and discomfort.
Fujifilm X80 Or X100V 28mm Edition?
X70
A lot of photographers (including me) have been patiently waiting for an update to the X70 camera. I was told by Fuji UK, back in my X-Photographer days, that because the old 18mp sensors had been discontinued in favour or the newer 24mp ones, a replacement for the discontinued X70 wasn’t so easy. The main reason being that the 24mp sensor requires the NP-W126 battery, which wouldn’t fit in the tiny X70 body.
X-E4
At first announcement of the X-E4, I thought that it could be a fantastic little street camera. But with the lack of a Focus Selector switch, View Button, and D-Pad, the X-E4 is a disappointment to me. Even the reviewers that are praising the camera (often trying a little too hard), are constantly making excuses for what this camera is lacking. For me, every time Fuji adds a new product, they are taking away my options.
X100V-28
Would it be too difficult to stick the 18.5mm (28mm FF equivalent) lens from the X 70 on to the X100V?
An updated X70 would be great for sure, but I would actually prefer an X100V with a 28mm equivalent lens. But here’s the thing; put a 28mm lens on the X100V, but DO Not change anything else. Produce identical cameras with two versions, 35mm and 28mm (FF)
Ever since the X-Pro1 was added to the X-Series, which at that point only included to X100, there has been a problem with Fujifilm constantly changing button position for no apparent reason. Just when you get a couple of models with the same layout, the next update will have a different position. Hands haven’t changed design for thousands of years, so I think ten years is more than enough time to decide on the best position for buttons. I don’t care too much where they are, I just want them to be the same place on my camera bodies. And don’t get me started on the D-Pad. I didn’t buy the X-E3 or the X-Pro3 because of the lack of the D-Pad, and only bought the X100V because, despite the lack of a D-Pad, the lens was finally improved!
A Propper Lens
So my wish would be a 28mm FF equivalent X100V with nothing changed on the camera. I would also be happy with the X70 lens on it. But if Fujifilm wanted to make a perfect street camera, they could create a new 28mm (FF equivalent) lens, hard stops at either end of the focus ring, a focus tab, and a proper depth of field scale.
Sales
I don’t see this X100V-28 making a negative effect on X100V sales; sure some might buy the 28mm version over the 35mm version, but some would also buy both (myself included). Fujifilm might even gain some of the Leica Q sales; sales that Leica might be gaining from Fuji’s X100V because of the focal length??
So obviously this post is just wishful thinking on my part, but surely the amount of R&D that would go into making this camera would be a fraction of that for new cameras like the L-shaped thing that came out recently?? Plus, the X100 series is tried, tested, and love. See, it’s a no-brainer :o)