Fujifilm Corporate Blog

On the run with the FUJIFILM X-Pro2

by Guest Blogger February 3, 2017 Comments4

By James Carnegie

“Never go into a shoot with kit you don’t know inside out: it’s a recipe for disaster”. My ancient photography tutor’s voice from way back rang clear as our flight circled Belfast, descending through the mist to land. The only two people onboard choosing to wear shorts and running gear, on an early December Irish morning (it’s not known for warm winters…) wasn’t the only questionable decision that day: the X-Pro2 and lenses, wrapped in spare running socks & thermals between my feet, that had arrived by courier the afternoon before were completely alien to me. Read More

Filed under Be Inspired Landscape / Cityscape / Seascape Photography Portrait Sport X-Photographer

Capturing Winter – a photographer’s guide

by Guest Blogger February 1, 2017 Comments27

By Chris Upton

With low raking light, crisp clear air, lingering morning mists, beautiful frosts and (hopefully!) a covering of pristine white snow it’s no wonder that winter is a photographers delight. The icing on the cake is that at this time of the year sunrise and sunset are at civilized times of the day so you can enjoy a lie in and be back for a family meal at the end of the day.

What to shoot

You will not be short of subjects to photograph in these conditions but you may have to be quick as the light or the mist may only be present for minutes or even seconds. From big sweeping landscapes, to isolated trees or barns, to detail shots of frosted grass, icicles or bubbles under the ice there are shots everywhere.

It’s the harsh weather that creates those Read More

Filed under Be Inspired Landscape / Cityscape / Seascape Photography Travel Tutorials X-Photographer

My New Year resolution: Print more photographs

by Guest Blogger January 31, 2017 Comments3

By Louise Dickens

I, like many others, saw in the new year surrounded by friends, slurring the words to Auld Lang Syne and drunkenly calling my parents to shout ‘Happy New Year’ down the phone (it’s sort of a tradition).

The next morning I woke up and scrolled through the photos of the night before. Half of my friends had already uploaded theirs on to Facebook, and I smiled (and cringed) as I Read More

Filed under Be Inspired Photography

Shoot irresistible Foodie Photos With Your X Series Camera

by Fujifilm Australia January 28, 2017 Comments3

You sit in front of a scrumptious dish and want to capture its colour and glisten. Get a picture that makes salivating viewers covet the next bite. Develop your abilities in foodie photography, whether it’s to remember your own digestive endeavours or to help restaurants and publications.

Learn the tricks to style, frame and light these shots so that you capture food at its most camera-ready moment.

“The smallest and lightest X Series model,” by @panaromico, Fujifilm X70

1. Avoid lugging a heavy camera.

As a foodie photographer, you might bounce from one dish to the next and from one restaurant to another. The nimble workflow warrants a lightweight camera body, like one of the Fujifilm X-Series, which boasts a vintage body style that doesn’t look cumbersome as you shoot amid diners.

2. Use lenses with high maximum aperture.

Your foodie photos benefit if you shoot with at least a couple of lenses.

First you want a good macro lens with a high aperture, like the Fujifilm 60mm, which shoots vibrantly at F2.4. That maximum aperture is important because you want to frame tightly yet compose with bokeh, the section that falls out of focus in your frame.

For overhead shots of your plate setting, try a wide lens, like the Fujifilm XF14mmF2.8. For mid-range shots, or if you want a single lens in all situations, the Fujifilm XF35mmF1.4 works well with its bright F1.4 maximum aperture.

3. Set the table before it’s too late!

You have a small time frame to get your shot once a dish is ready, especially if it’s hot. After a while, it slouches in stature and loses its shimmer. Plan your table setting and camera angle in advance.

Think through the entire shot, from plates to props. When plating, you might prefer large, white dishes because of the contrast they create with your meal. Find raw ingredients represented in the food, and set them with plating and cutlery. Remember that plates and props must be perfectly clean—dirt doesn’t encourage the appetite.

“Eat well and stay warm,” by @laurdora, Fujifilm X-T1

4. Think about colour and light.

Colour is important in any of your photos, but it is even more critical in your food photography. If your image is distorted with hues too warm or cool, the viewers won’t crave the next bite. Your X Series camera has white control where you can adjust the colour temperature. To ensure you obtain correct colour select the “WB custom” function, frame a white object (such as a piece of white paper), and press the shutter as your camera reconfigures its balance, alternatively, this can be done in post processing if you are photographing in a RAW file format.

Foodie pictures do not often require multiple light sources. A single light source should suffice, especially if it backlights your image because backlighting brings out the texture of your dish. When possible, use natural light, because artificial sources are more likely to distort with a blue or yellow tint.

With your expertise of foodie photography, you can use your X Series camera to take drool-inducing shots.

Filed under Be Inspired

The GFX Challenge – mini documentary series

by Fujifilm EMEA January 25, 2017 Comments2

In November 2016, we gave prototype GFX 50S cameras to 21 different X-Photographers from around the world. They were all asked to try out the cameras in their usual shooting field and we’ve made mini documentary films on each of them talking about their experience.

Now the product has been officially announced, you can watch them all below!

Filed under Be Inspired Photography X-Photographer

Extreme sports with the FUJIFILM X-T2 and X-Pro2

by Fujifilm EMEA January 23, 2017 Comments8

Daniel Tengs

I am a Norwegian extreme sports photographer and a Fujifilm X-Photographer. I was lucky to get a call from Fujifilm in the beginning of 2016 regarding switching to Fujifilm. I got to try their gear and immediately fell in love.

I was curious of how the equipment would work for my use but as it turned out it worked great.

When I started the transition to Fujifilm, I brought my full frame setup with me just in case the Fujifilm system didn’t perform the way I needed it to. Lets just say that the full frame system quickly found a shelf in my office.

Small and lightweight:

One of the first and very important things I noticed when switching from full frame to the mirrorless system was weight. That is a considerable change and a massive advantage, when hiking, not only in the back country but also in ski resorts. When I am shooting in a resort for example, I usually ride snowboard with the camera in my hand, it goes without saying that I need a camera that is durable and can withstand rough treatment, and I really feel that has been the case with both the X-Pro2 and the X-T2.

I do most of my work in harsh conditions around the world, but Norway is usually the biggest challenge, with both snow and humid weather. It really puts the equipment to the test. I was struggling a bit, with my previous setup, with moisture in my lenses, and they would fog up when I was shooting in sunlight, but I have not had any problems with that after switching, which has been great for me. That is mostly thanks to the WR lenses that Fujifilm are producing.

Electronic Viewfinder (EVF)

Together with being lightweight, the EVF is a huge change when switching from a standard full frame camera to a mirrorless camera. It took me two days to fully adjust, but once I did, I have never looked back.

On sunny days up the mountains with snow all around, using the screen to check focus, details, or just look at your picture used to be a big challenge because of all the ambient light. But now I just look though the EVF, browse my photos, check details, sharpness exposure, just to name a few, and all that without ambient light spilling on to the screen.

The EVF also gives you a live exposure, which means that you see the final result with the settings you have chosen on the camera. That has made me a better photographer. I don’t shoot over or underexposed files any more. When a cloud covers the sun for only a brief second I am adjusting to get the perfect exposure, because I can see the smallest change. That is also a serious advantage when working with snow, which can so easy be over exposed.

Sometimes I shoot sequences. I do that to show a trick, or a big jump. When you are shooting a high-speed trick you need a quick shutter. That is exactly what the X-T2 has to offer. When you use the camera without the grip it produces 8 fps, but when you put the grip on, and turn on the boost button, you get 14 fps. Which is ridiculously fast!

Favorite lenses

In my line of work I sometimes just put one or two lenses in my jacket pocket and ride with the camera in my hand. That is why I am very dependent of flexible zoom lengths. So the three mostly used camera lenses I have are the XF50-140mm, XF16-55mm and the XF10-24mm. Those three I rely on with most of my field shooting but I do love to play around with prime lenses and I do it more and more. I just love the XF35mm for portraits and lifestyle. I bring it with me everywhere I travel.

Feeling

You know, when you are holding a Fujifilm camera. You just want to go out and play with it. I could definitely recognize that when I picked up my first Fujifilm – the X-T1. I fell in love with the way Fujifilm makes their cameras. Shutter, ISO, Aperture, all on the outside. It is the feeling of crafting a picture with you own hands, and it looks beautiful.

I am really looking forward to a full season of shooting with both the X-Pro2 and the X-T2. And the old bulky and heavy full frame setup is out for sale.

I am not saying that you have to go and buy a Fujifilm camera, but I can strongly recommend everyone considering a new camera to have a serious look at the Fujifilm X-series.

To see more of Daniel’s work, please visit: www.tengsphoto.com