Sport

The new Fuji lenses put to the test at the Fuji Speedway in the foothills of Mount Fuji

by Marc Horner October 22, 2015 Comments0

I was recently in Japan to take part in a marketing meeting, which in itself was nice, but by coincidence, the weekend I was there was also the FIA WEC 6 Hours of Fuji race at the Fuji Speedway and I had tickets!

It seemed as good a place as any to try out the new XF1.4X TC Teleconverter for Fujifilm X Mount lenses, and also the cheeky little XF35mmF2 WR compact lens.

We were there on the Saturday filming some Fuji Guys content (to be released soon) but on the Sunday, the actual race day, I was given the freedom to simply enjoy the race and do some shooting for myself.

The XF1.4X TC

This obviously got the most use since I was at a motorsport event. Here’s a selection of OOC JPGs. I’ve not uploaded the full res versions because they were taken on a pre-production version of the lens and I wouldn’t want to do it an injustice, but it’s clear even from these “resized by WordPress” images that the quality is there.

I spent most of my time shooting with the “Zone Mode” Autofocus. I’ve used it before with mixed results but I found that here it was working amazingly, despite the spray from the wet roads.

Sometimes I was tempted to shoot Manual Focus and know that I’ll be getting the cars as they come through, but I stuck with Zone and the hit rate was amazing – especially since I’m not a professional myself.

Here’s a sequence of OOC JPGs that demonstrate the Zone AF working under some pretty touch conditions. This Ferrari was really moving!

The adaptor itself makes little to no difference to the size and weight of the camera, and I can’t notice any noticeable difference in image quality compared to using the lens without it.

The XF35mmF2

I took both of these shots from trackside within a hairpin. When I switched from the XF50-140mm + TC to the XF35mmF2 I felt like I was about to throw the camera because it was so light. I know the same can be said for most of our lenses compared to what I had previously, but this lens really is small and light. Both using “Zone Mode” Autofocus.

There was a bit of light rain when I took these shots so the Weather Resistance was a nice addition.

Conclusion

All in all I’m really impressed with the new additions to the lens lineup and I’m certainly glad that I got the opportunity to test them out in this amazing location.

I’ll sign off with a couple of “Lightroomed” versions of my creations, including a few from the pit walk before the race started. I hope you enjoy and you can see more on my instagram.

Click here to learn more about the XF1.4X TC WR
Click here to learn more about the XF35mmF2 R WR

Filed under Photography Sport

“Why I love the Fujinon XF50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR lens”

by Fujifilm EMEA October 12, 2015 Comments3

Welcome to the first “Why I love” XF lens series. Find out why the X-Photographers love our fast, long telephoto zoom, the FUJINON XF50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR.

Wayne Johns – Fashion & Beauty

A Beauty Photo shoot, with photographer Wayne Johns, for an advertising campaign.

When Fuji released this lens (75-210mm DSLR Equivalent), my intrigue questioned whether this would be an equal to the 70-200mm F2.8L series I had used on my DSLR; would the optics be as good? After trying it I could only describe the results in 2 words ‘Blown away’; the image quality was absolutely outstanding. I use this lens a lot in the studio for its narrower angle of view and the compression it applies to the depth of my images. The focusing & sharpness of this lens, even when hand held is amazing!… I had no need to question this lens, it more than equaled my DSLR equivalent and it’s much lighter too.
It’s obviously a little bigger than the other Fujinon lenses, but who cares when it delivers truly incredible results like it does.

Click here to see more of Wayne’s work

Kerry Hendry – Fine Art Equestrian

I’ve shot on Fuji for almost two years now, but it was the release of the 50-140mm lens that really sealed the deal for me. Shooting fast equestrian sports needs a fast, longer lens – whether you are looking to capture pin sharp action pictures, or deliberately looking to include creative movement with interesting bokeh.

Even in low light the wide aperture, teamed with the brilliant OIS means I can still hand hold at slower shutter speeds. Also, shooting horses, whether on the polo field or out in the wild, means one thing – rain and mud! The X-T1 body with the 50-140mm gives me a robust weather sealed system I can take anywhere.

Click here to see more of Kerry’s work

Derek Clark – Documentary & Music

I shoot prime lenses most of the time, but as my primes top out at 56mm (85mm in old money), I often need the reach and speed of the 50-140mm f2.8 for music photography (especially for stage work). With a full frame equivalent of 75-210mm, this is the the classic workhorse zoom that has the beautiful look of a full frame 70-200mm f2.8. Put it together with the 16-55mm f2.8 and you have the ultimate fast twin lens zoom setup that can cover just about any type of event. The OIS is essential on a lens of this size and it does an amazing job, even allowing me to shoot handheld at 1/15th sec while zoomed all the way in.

Click here to see more of Derek’s work

Ben Cherry – Environmental Photojournalism

This is strapped to the front of one of my X-T1s at all times. Sharp, fast and built to withstand some strong abuse, the XF50-140mm is designed for those who need a lens to rely on and not to let them down. With beautiful bokeh and tack sharp wide open, this F2.8 zoom has such a useful focal range that it is in the kit bag of nearly all working X-Photographers. The autofocus is able to track moving animals and it has turned out to be the game changer for many of my recent wildlife encounters.

Click here to see more of Ben’s work

Matt Hart – Events

I love to shoot prime lenses but at events and festivals you just cant get close enough to your subjects due to the crowed density, so the next best lens to a fast prime is a fast Zoom and the 50-140mm lens is just stunning. I have used top of the range glass from all the other big names when I used to use DSLR’s but nothing compares to the sharpness of this 75-210mm equivalent. What makes it even better is I can shoot with this lens all day and still not have shoulder and neck ache. It gives me beautiful out of focus areas, pin sharp subjects and the image stabilisation comes in to its own when the light drops.

Click here to see more of Matt’s work

Paul Sanders – Landscapes

The XF50-140 is a real workhorse of a lens and without doubt, a lens I am loathed to leave behind.

The incredible optics deliver superb definition and contrast throughout the entire aperture range. But for me it is not the technical specifications that make this lens worthy of the plaudits it receives across the web and throughout the photographic world.

It is the fact that in a cluttered world, I can isolate my subjects, drawing attention to them by shooting with the aperture wide open, deliver exceptional details, stunning candid portraits and most of all dramatic landscapes that have impact & power over the grace of a wide-angled image.

Shooting landscapes with a telephoto lens is a different discipline but it is one worth persevering with & utilising every mm of focal length this stunning lens offers you.

It’s ideal for shooting panoramas and the tripod mount gives it an incredibly stable base for shooting long exposures without a hint of camera shake – but for those who only shoot hand held the image stabilisation is second to none.

In short, if you want to add one zoom lens to your bag, this is the one – it is worth every penny and will never let you down.

Click here to see more of Paul’s work

Dave Kai-Piper – Portraiture

When this lens was created there was nothing else much like it in the range. And to date, it is still the finest long lens in the line up. Tack sharp from 50mm to 140mm – this constant f2.8 lens is fast enough & stabilised enough for you to think less and shoot more. Combined with the most recent updates leaves this lens as one of the most reliable lenses – regardless of genre or type of photography.

It’s packed full of all the latest and greatest Fujifilm tech, such as nano Gi coating, LMO (corrects for diffraction), HTEBC Coating (ensuring ghosting and flare are controlled), five ED lens elements, one Super ED lens, 23 glass elements in 16 groups and then seven rounded aperture blades to create a smooth, circular bokeh. It has a massive 5.0 stop stabilisation too. Internal barrel movements combined with large rubber grips give this lens a wonderful sense of balance whilst also feeling very natural to hold.

In short, this lens is one of the most vital items in my kit bag alongside the 56mm APD & 16-55mm lens. The real world interpretation of the technology being used in this lens is simply that it does what you would expect it to as a working professional photographer. Combine this with the focus tracking in the X-T1 and you can confidentially take on any genre of photography. Whether it be a fashion catwalk, motorsports or even wildlife photography knowing you can get the shots you are looking for, every time.

Click here to see more of Dave’s work

Click here to see retailers selling the XF50-140mm lens

Filed under Be Inspired Landscape / Cityscape / Seascape Photography Portrait Reportage Sport Street Travel Wildlife

Speed, smoke and adrenaline – putting the Fujifilm X-T1 to the test

by Fujifilm EMEA September 29, 2015 Comments8

By Jordan Butters

I first fell into motorsport photography almost by accident, through an interest in the competitive motorsport of ‘drifting’. Having tried my hand at driving in the sport for a brief spell, I hung up my race helmet and picked up a camera.

For the uninitiated – drifting is like all the best bits of a race rolled into one; the close calls, the smoke, the sliding, the excitement and the crashes. Competitors have to ‘drift’ powerful rear wheel drive cars around a predefined series of corners at high speed and angle according to criteria set out by three judges – this is often done in ‘tandem’ with another car for added excitement! I’ve photographed everything from historic classics to rallying and GT racing and, if anything, you have to have your wits about you more when shooting drifting than any of the above – it’s without a doubt one of the most exciting, emotional and unpredictable motorsports to spectate and photograph. There’s never a dull moment.

This year I was hired as the official photographer for the Extreme Drift Allstars series – a six-stop championship that tours across Europe showcasing the best drivers on the continent on some truly interesting and challenging circuits. The demands of the job, and shooting drifting specifically, are pretty hard on the kit that I use. My camera and lenses need to be durable, reliable, and perform without fault. Autofocus speed is critical, as is the ability to take a knock or two and stand up to the environment.

There’s rarely an event that passes when I don’t get covered in bits of rubber, dirt, dust, champagne (from the podium, of course!), pelted with debris, or find myself ducking for cover! Shooting track-side isn’t to be taken lightly, and the consequences for not being on your toes at all times are severe. My images are used for PR and marketing purposes, so I have to work fast and efficiently to capture, process and output work that represents the series and drivers in the best possible light. When Fujifilm approached me and asked me to put the X-T1 Graphite Edition, XF50-140mm F2.8R LM OIS WR and XF16-55mm F2.8R LM WR lenses through a test of speed and durability I knew exactly the circumstances to do so in!

My usual kit comprises of one or two full frame professional DSLRs, a 70-200mm f/2.8, and a selection of fast prime lenses. Straight away, my bag is noticeably lighter with the X-T1 in place of my usual DSLR setup. When using the 50-140mm and running the camera in High Performance Mode I find the VG-XT1 Vertical Battery Grip a welcome addition – not only does it increase the number of frames you can squeeze off before a recharge, it also balances the weight of the light X-T1 body with the bigger lens too. I always carry my little X100S with me when travelling too, and I’d previously tested the X-T1 with the excellent XF 23mm f/1.4 R while shooting street photography in Budapest last year and was very impressed with how it coped. The X-T1’s recent v4 firmware and autofocus upgrades intrigued me further – how would it fare when shooting fast action?

Before hitting the track I set the X-T1 up to suit my style of shooting. Most of my on-track images are taken in shutter-priority mode, which allows me to control the shutter speed to dictate the level of motion blur in the image. Setting this up on the X-T1 is easy – simply rotate the lens aperture ring to ‘A’ and then select the shutter speed using the top dial. The front control wheel by your right index finger then fine-tunes the shutter speed in ⅓ stop increments. Depending on the speed of the corner I’m shooting, around 1/250sec to 1/320sec is ideal to freeze a car approaching, whilst retaining motion in the wheels to avoid it looking parked.

I use back-button focusing with my DSLR as it allows me to switch between how I focus easily. I managed to set the X-T1 in a similar fashion, however it requires setting the camera to Manual Focus to decouple focusing from the shutter button. I then simply press the AF-L button once for single shot AF, hold it down for continuous focus or don’t press it at all if I want to manually focus – all independent of the metering and capture functions which are still taken care of by the shutter button. However, this doesn’t behave in exactly the same fashion on the X-T1 as I’m used to, as when depressing the shutter button and AF-L buttons simultaneously I found that only the first shot was in focus. I’ve found that all cameras require at least some form of adjusting to, so this wasn’t a huge deal, and is hopefully something that Fujifilm can look at in a future firmware update. Reverting back to focusing using the traditional shutter button half-press to focus, the camera acted exactly as expected.

Attaching the 50-140mm to the X-T1, the first thing that I noticed was the nice little touch of having a small window in the lens hood through which to adjust a circular polariser. I use a CPL 95% of the time and having to remove the lens hood each time to adjust it is a pain! The second thing that impressed me about this lens is the speed and accuracy at which the AF locks on. There is very little discernible difference between the X-T1 and my DSLR in this regard.

When tracking cars coming towards me at speed the X-T1 performs flawlessly, only thrown off balance when flare bounces off the car’s surface, or when presented with a low-contrast area. What really surprises me is how quickly any AF misjudgments are quickly corrected by the camera too. The X-T1 rattles off frames at an impressive 8 frames per second and the AF would only lose track for a single frame, or two at most, before locking back on. At the levels of magnification offered by this focal length any slight inaccuracy is amplified, but this lens and camera combination knocks it out of the park – the results are tack-sharp. Colour me impressed.

Tracking using the EVF was one area that concerned me before trying the X-T1. It’s obviously not quite the same as tracking through an optical viewfinder, but it’s as close as you’ll get and doesn’t cause a problem. Both traditional optical viewfinders and the X-T1’s electronic viewfinder go dark when firing the shutter, which makes tracking a car whilst shooting an acquired skill, as you lose line of sight momentarily every time an image is recorded. I don’t know if it’s possible, but if Fujifilm’s engineers could program in a way to keep the EVF always live whilst the image is being recorded then the X-T1’s viewfinder would snatch the advantage away from the traditional optical viewfinder for shooting sports!

Using AF-C + Single Point for my initial tests worked well, but relied upon my ability to track the car with a single AF point, set to the smallest possible size for accuracy. I was keen to see what the X-T1 could do in some of the more automatic AF tracking modes.

Switching to AF-C + Zone mode, I am able to select the area of the frame that I want to track the car in, perfect for compositions when the car is outside of the 3×3 central zone used in AF-C + Single mode. Panning the cars as they pass side-on, the AF system doesn’t have to work too hard as they maintain a constant speed and line and the distance between myself and the car doesn’t change much, however I can see that it’s doing its job as the AF points track the car as it shifts around the frame. Adjusting my position so that I shoot the cars approaching and passing offers more of a challenge to the AF system, and slowing down the shutter speed to capture more motion blur tests my panning technique too. By keeping your feet shoulder-width apart, locking your elbows into your hips and rotating just the top half of your body, you’ll soon start to see consistent results when panning, and you can start to have fun by playing with really slow shutter speeds.

Shooting with the 16-55mm is fast and accurate. Wider focal lengths tend to be more forgiving than telezooms when it comes to AF accuracy; as the subject is smaller in the frame any misfocusing is less easily noticed, however even zoomed right in it’s clear to see that the 16-55mm isn’t struggling.

The long end of the 16-55mm is perfect for those parts of circuit which permit me to get that bit closer, whereas the wide end is ideal for capturing the cars as part of the environment, for shooting the interiors of the cars as the driver buckles in, or when I’m lucky enough to get a passenger ride during the practice sessions!

I always look to capture more than cars sliding around the track – when I deliver a set of images I want to record the details and the emotion of racing too. Shooting on the startline is something that you can’t really do in many other motorsports, but with drifting I’m literally able to poke my lens into a driver’s window as he sits waiting for the light to turn green. It’s where I produce some of my favourite work; all the driver’s anticipation and emotion shows in their eyes, however it’s also very challenging to capture strong images here. You have just seconds with each driver before you have to be clear of the car, so being prepared with the right settings is crucial. Some cars are very dark inside whereas some are bright white and bounce the light around. Sometimes you’re shooting through the sloping windscreen glass while adjusting a polariser too – this makes judging the exposure settings beforehand tricky.

This was one area where the X-T1 delivered some really surprising results, all thanks to the EVF. Setting the 50-140mm lens to f/2.8 and selecting ISO 800 generates a fast enough shutter speed in most circumstances while retaining good image quality. I’m not bothered about blowing highlights or blocking areas of shadow for these images, and my exposure is based purely on the driver’s skin and eyes. With the EVF to my eye, I move into position as I adjust the exposure compensation dial until I see the results I want and press the shutter. The EVF helps me get it right on the first take without reviewing the LCD, adjusting and reshooting. I don’t even have to check the screen afterwards as I know what I’ve captured before I even press the shutter – perfect!

While I was already a big fan of the X-T1 as an all-round performer, I was apprehensive to shoot motorsport with it. My primary concern was autofocus performance, however the X-T1 quickly settled any reservations I had. The XF50-140mm F2.8 R LM OIS WR really impressed, and the X-T1’s EVF simply cannot be faulted for helping you get the shot right first time in tricky conditions. While the X-T1’s control layout is incredibly intuitive and ergonomically pleasing to use, it did take me some time to adjust to its traits and quirks, but this is true of any camera. After a day or two shooting with it, I got faster and better with it, and before long was getting the same results that I’m using to getting with my regular kit.

My secondary concern revolved around using such a small and light camera in an environment which I know to be tough on kit, but the X-T1 rolled with the punches and stood up to everything I threw at it just as well as any pro DSLR I’ve used.

Size definitely isn’t everything, and the X-T1 is not to be underestimated!

TO SEE MORE OF JORDAN’S WORK

Website www.jordanbutters.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jordanbuttersphoto
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jordanbutters
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jordanbutters

Click here to find retailers selling the Fujifilm X-T1

Click here to find retailers selling the Fujifilm XF16-55mm

Click here to find retailers selling the Fujifilm XF50-140mm

Filed under Be Inspired Photography Sport

Skateboarding with the X-T1 & firmware version 4.00

by Guest Blogger September 11, 2015 Comments1

By Paul Browse

So who am I? Well, I’m a bearded English gent with an unhealthy obsession with photography and camera gear, amongst other things. This obsession started, like I’m sure it did for many other parents, with the birth of my daughter. Up until then the only camera in my possession was an ancient point & shoot with a broken mode dial, which resulted in every photo coming out about 2 stops overexposed.

With the due date rapidly approaching I mentioned my predicament to my dear old dad who kindly gave me his old Canon 300D. Within a couple of days I added to that a 50mm f/1.8 and a copy of “Understanding Exposure” by Bryan Peterson, which I devoured over a weekend. Shortly afterwards I was driving at high speed to the maternity ward, ready to witness the miracle/horror of childbirth, and to put my newfound skills to the test with some photos of my new daughter. To my surprise, I did a pretty good job (my wife also deserves a mention for her part, I suppose). From that point onwards I had an incredibly photogenic, fairly static subject to practice my photography with, and it all went from there.

These days my main passion is documenting my kids growing up, but I also do wedding and portrait photography, and earlier this year I tagged along on the Gumball 3000 rally – an epic, whirlwind journey following supercars across Europe and the US, starting in Stockholm and ending 6 days later in Las Vegas. An amazing (and tiring) experience that I was incredibly lucky to be a part of, one which I’ll never forget (at least what I can remember of it).

Oxford Wheels Project:

Oxford Wheels Project is a local charity run by a bunch of skate and BMX nuts, who after years of hard work and determination have built a rather impressive park in Meadow Lane, Oxford. On the 5th July they acted as hosts for the Globe skate team when they hit Oxford as part of their Globe EU Trippin’ tour. I’d heard that one of my heroes, Rodney Mullen, would be in attendance so myself and the kids headed off for an afternoon watching some of the finest skaters in the world, and the chance to meet a true legend of skating.

The story:

As I was there as a spectator with two kids to entertain I didn’t want to be burdened with my hefty DSLR and an array of lenses, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to test out the X-T1 that Fuji UK had kindly loaned me. As chance would have it Fuji had released the version 4 firmware update for the camera a couple of days before, so I installed it, had a quick read of the new features and set off for the skate park with the X-T1, the XF35mm F1.4 R, two children and all the associated stuff that goes with them (snacks/bribes etc).

Up until that day I’d only ever used the X-T1 with a single focus point so I had no idea how well the new focus modes introduced with the firmware update would work. I set it to wide/tracking mode and set the aperture to f/1.4, to make sure I gave the camera a proper challenge. How well can a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder cope with capturing sharp images of a lunatic on a skateboard flying in and out of the frame at a bazillion miles an hour, with the lens wide open? To my surprise, incredibly well. Faultlessly, in fact.

The X-T1 just nailed the shots, every time. With it set to fast continuous shooting mode I simply aimed the camera at the skater, let the tracking mode do it’s thing, panned and held down the shutter button. The result = perfectly sharp photos, with beautiful contrast and colours and a lovely shallow depth of field from the incredible (and tiny) 35mm lens, the focus system even managing to lock on to a skater suddenly coming into a wide frame, tracking him all the way across.

After a few hours witnessing some world-class skateboarding things started winding down so we picked up our gear and headed out of the skate park, where we came face to face with my hero, Rodney Mullen, who had been signing autographs and chatting with his fans for the last couple of hours. I just about managed to blurt out “I love you Rodney” and tell him that the kids had been enthralled by his videos on YouTube, but lost the ability to speak coherently after that and I’m not entirely sure what came out of my mouth. Rodney chatted to the kids, complimented my daughter on her tiara and kindly posed for a photo with them – a photo which, despite being incredibly badly framed due to my panic, will grace the wall of my house forever.

Thanks Fuji.

Wrap up:

To say I was impressed with the performance of the X-T1 that day is a massive understatement. To come away with so many great images from the X-T1 was, frankly, unexpected given the pace of the action I was shooting. Would the 5D Mark III’s autofocus system have done as good a job, and would I have got as many keepers? From my experience I’m not sure on either counts, and that thing is no slouch when it comes to autofocus and tracking.

Perhaps more importantly though, I wondered would I have even taken my 5D with me on that day? Probably not. It’s big & heavy and I needed to be able to comfortably carry a camera for several hours whilst keeping my 6 and 4 year old companions entertained. It also screams “I’m a photographer!” when I just wanted to be a part of the crowd, not getting in anyone’s way whilst still getting great images.

It was at that moment I realised I’d fallen more than a little bit in love with the X-T1 and the whole Fuji philosophy. It’s small, unobtrusive, with great handling and a sense of quality engineering, and above all else the images it creates are simply beautiful. I’m also hugely impressed by Fuji’s habit of tweaking and improving their cameras via firmware updates (something I had experienced with my old X100).

Since then the X-T1 has accompanied me pretty much everywhere – weddings, portrait assignments and family holidays (where I made use of the WIFI image transfer feature, editing and uploading my photos to social media without going anywhere near a computer) whilst my 5D and industrial-sized bag full of lenses sits at home more often than not. I think I’ve found my perfect camera system.

What’s next:

Photography-wise I’ve got a few weddings left before the season quietens down, and then I’ll be mainly concentrating on portrait sessions throughout the autumn. For more day to day stuff my son has started skateboarding lessons at Oxford Wheels Project, so I’m there most Sunday mornings and I’m hoping to get involved with them on future events. The place has a really welcoming atmosphere and is run by a very friendly bunch of people, who clearly work very hard in keeping the park running for the local community.

Please take a moment to check out the Oxford Wheels Project website (http://www.owp.org.uk) – they are a very worthwhile charity doing amazing things for the Oxford community. If you’re local I recommend you just head down there and see what it’s all about for yourself.

And if you fancy seeing more of my work please visit me here: www.paulbrowsephotography.com

Filed under Be Inspired Photography Sport

Chasing the Wind – Les Voiles de St Tropez

by Fujifilm EMEA January 28, 2015 Comments0

by Simon Weir

At the start of a new year I often find myself looking back over the shoots from the preceding 12 months and in 2014 one in particular stands out: Les Voiles de Saint Tropez.

Les Voiles – literally “The Sails” – take place from April to October across the French riviera. Each race brings together some of the most beautiful traditional wooden yachts alongside the most extraordinary modern sailing boats for a week long regatta in beautiful ports such as Antibes and Saint-Tropez.

My good friend and fellow Fuji user Serge Krougikoff who runs Create-Away, a photography workshop company based in the south of France, has been talking about running a trip based around the regattas for some time and when he suggested we get together try it out I didn’t hesitate to say yes! We first teamed up with professional skipper Francois in Antibes in June and the trip was such a success that we agreed to do a second test-trip in Saint-Tropez in October.

Nestled between Cannes and Marseille the picturesque medieval port of Saint-Tropez would be stunning even without the boats. When you add some of the worlds finest vintage and classic yachts it becomes a feast of varnish and brass.

On shore there is a party atmosphere throughout the regatta but out on the water is where the action happens and where the photographic excitement begins. Picture this: The south of France in the autumn sunshine, racing across the bay of Saint-Tropez in the shadow of Elena under full sail – trust me – life doesn’t get much better than this!

The original Elena, built in 1910 and winner of the Trans-Atlantic Race in 1928, was one of the greatest racing yachts of her time and this stunning replica, built in 2009 is one of the largest yachts in the regatta with a length of 41.6m (136′) and a crew of 30 – some of whom clearly have nerves of steel…

Under full sail she is quite simply magnificent – a true queen of the seas.

But it is when you are close to her you really feel the power and the majesty of a great racing yacht.

These black & white images are taken with my infrared modified Fuji X-E1IR and the XF14mm lens – infrared really brings out the drama in some of these shots, especially when the clouds form interesting patterns that compliment the sails.

All the colour images are taken with Fuji’s brilliant X-T1 and their weather resistant, optically stabilised XF18-135mm lens. This was the perfect choice for shooting from a RIB where most of the time you are being bounced around and covered in sea spray – it was certainly a good test for the camera’s weather proofing and it didn’t let me down. The OIS in this lens is staggeringly good allowing sharp shots almost regardless of how fast the RIB was going, and the wide range of focal lengths is perfect for a shooting situation where changing lenses is simply not an option…

Technically, this kind of shooting is really challenging. The light changes all the time, depending on whether you are shooting towards or away from the sun, and I found the live histogram in the viewfinder of both cameras invaluable in ensuring that highlight details were properly captured – both in the sails and the sky. Some of my favourite images place the sun shining through the sails bringing out tremendous detail in the canvas and rigging.

Most of the time I was shooting in shutter priority mode, keeping the shutter speed at around 1/350sec – fast enough to allow sharp images even with the RIBs motion. Focus was left to the camera with continuous tracking AF working flawlessly on the X-T1 even at 8 frames per second – no mean feat when the acton was changing so fast.

Amidst the excitement of this shoot it is all too easy to forget composition and just hit the shutter in the heat of the moment but it is really important to take the time to plan and conceive a shot before it happens. Our skipper Francois is hugely experienced and was able to position the RIB exactly where we asked him to get a specific shot, but always with the skill and safety of a professional captain, mindful of the fact that we were shooting in the middle of a race…

In calmer moments we were able to capture details and abstract images of the yachts – shape, form, colour and line producing patterns and textures that tell a story of their own.

And occasionally when the wind just didn’t blow the crews had a chance to rest as well…

At the end of the day, exhausted and exhilarated we return back to Saint-Tropez as the light faded and the evenings celebrations began…

For details of the two “Les Voiles” workshops Serge and I are running in 2015 follow these links:

Voiles d’Antibes – 2nd to 6th June 2015

Voiles de Saint-Tropez – 29th September to 3rd October 2015

and for more about the other workshops run by Create-Away visit their website at
http://www.create-away.com

About Simon

Fujifilm X-Photographer Simon Weir specialises in photographing live performance (particularly classical music), contextual portraiture and nature. To see more of his work, check out his website http://www.simonweir.com/

Filed under Be Inspired Reportage Sport Travel

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