Explore Marvels in The Deep with Emily Endean and the FUJIFILM X-T5

Underwater photography is always a dance with the unknown. Here, where gravity seems optional and light is oddly distorted, you face a completely alien world of colour that challenges basics of conventional photography.

As you go deeper, the water filters out colours from the spectrum. Red, for instance, is among the first colours to disappear, which can result in photos dominated by blues and greens. Water’s higher density affects how light and objects are perceived, causing distortions in size, shape, and perspective. Thus, achieving sharp focus, balanced lighting, and vibrant colours here demands dedication and expertise. And this world requires a camera as adventurous as the photographer to unlock and capture what’s hidden in the deep.

For the UK based nature photographer Emily Endean, the underwater world is a bottomless well of inspiration. Following it, she grabs her FUJIFILM X-T5 and dives into the waves to document the morning beauty of the water landscape.

FUJIFILM X-T3 + FUJINON XF18-55mmF2.8-4 R LM OIS, 1/250 sec | F4 | ISO 250

“Whether it’s the Bournemouth pier or the colourful beach huts at Boscombe – many of my favourite motifs are located directly on the water. Once I’m in the water, I immediately think about how I can show these landmarks in new ways. I have photographed these subjects from land many thousands of times – from perspectives that you see every day. I gained a new perspective on them from the sea and this gave a new dimension to the composition of my images.”

FUJIFILM X-T5 + FUJINON XF30mmF2.8 R LM WR Macro , 1/1000 sec | F5.6 | ISO 500

The FUJIFILM X-T5 helps Emily realize her vision and capture unpredictable moments that she would otherwise miss. For this, the X-T5’s 40-megapixel sensor and wide dynamic serve as a great advantage. In combination with the FUJINON XF30mmF2.8 R LM WR macro Emily has found her ideal equipment. 

“The lens offers a wonderful perspective in the water and gets you so close to the details that you can perfectly capture the waves directly in front of you. There are many wonderful optics in the XF series, but when I shoot in the water I prefer to use a true macro lens .”

Dive deeper into the story as Emily Endean shares her personal PRO tips with FUJIFILM X-T5 for taking marvellous photos from under the waves!

World Wildlife Day 2023

Today is World Wildlife Day 2023, and this year’s theme is “Celebrating Diversity: Promoting Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wildlife.” As we reflect on the beauty and importance of wildlife in our world, we can’t help but admire the stunning photographs captured by Fujifilm X-Photographers.

These photographers have dedicated their lives to capturing the beauty of wildlife in its natural habitat, and their work has inspired countless individuals to become advocates for wildlife conservation. Their photographs have the power to transport us to far-off lands and introduce us to rare and endangered species that we might never have the chance to encounter in person.

The Fujifilm X-Photographers are a group of talented photographers from around the world who have been selected by Fujifilm for their exceptional skills and creative vision. They use Fujifilm’s high-quality camera equipment to capture stunning images of wildlife, landscapes, and people, showcasing the diversity and beauty of our world.

As we celebrate World Wildlife Day 2023, it’s essential to recognize the role that these photographers play in raising awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation. By sharing their work on social media, in galleries, and in publications, they inspire us to take action to protect our planet’s most vulnerable species and their habitats.

Their work reminds us of the intricate relationships that exist in our natural world and the importance of preserving biodiversity. Through their lenses, we can witness the beauty of the natural world and gain a deeper appreciation for the fragile ecosystems that support our planet’s life.

If you’re interested in wildlife photography or simply admire the work of these talented photographers, make sure to check out the virtual X-Story Showcase hosted by Fujifilm. Here, you can view the stunning work of these photographers and gain insight into their creative processes.

World Wildlife Day 2023 is an opportunity to celebrate and protect the diversity of life on our planet. By supporting the work of wildlife photographers and becoming advocates for conservation, we can ensure that future generations will be able to experience the beauty and wonder of our natural world.

The design for the header image was created by ©Xavi Reñé (@wildlife_erra).

Profumo Di Vita

The “Profumo di Vita #neldirittodelbambino” project was born in 2017 from the collaboration between the Legal@rte Association, made up of members of the State Police, and X-Photographer Elena Givone, with the support of FUJIFILM Italia.

Elena Givone makes her shots available to raise awareness on the theme of “child-assisted violence”. A hidden phenomenon, that of children forced to witness violence between adults, which can lead to physical and psychological problems in children.
Thus was born the 2022 edition of the Profumo di Vita calendar #neldirittodelbambino. Women and mothers posed at the Reggia di Venaria.

All calendar and exhibition images were shot with the FUJIFILM Large Format GFX100S. The exhibition was printed on FUJIFILM Original Photo Paper – Fujicolor Crystal Archive Professional VELVET and took place from December 16 to January 16, 2022.

Capturing the reintroduction of an extinct species through photography

The ‘Alpine Eagle Foundation’ is about reintroducing the white-tailed eagle, which was made extinct by mankind hundreds of years ago. Because of the extinction, they wanted to capture all developments of the reintroduction of this eagle back into our world through photography. 

In 1934, Fujifilm’s journey began as one of Japan’s first photographic filmmakers. Thus, we always have been and still are huge advocates of photography. Let’s have a look at those impressive animals and the work the “Alpine Eagle Foundation” is doing through the medium of photography on today’s ‘World Photography Day’.

Remi Chapeaublanc discovered his interest in photography at a really young age, but it was not until after his studies that he realised that photography was his passion. One of his first photo series was ‘Gods and Beasts’ which he shot in Mongolia. As Jaques-Olivier Travers, a French filmmaker who is passionate about hawks, saw this photo of Remi’s series, he fell in love with it.

From the photo series ‘Gods and Beasts’

Ever since, they have decided to work together and already started working on bird portraits in 2017 with a FUJIFILM GFX 50S. Nevertheless, it was not until they got their hands on the FUJIFILM GFX 100S that Remi was able to fully commit and trust this new camera of his, which finally met his technical expectations. The FUJIFILM GFX 100S has an extremely fast and flawless autofocus without losing mobility, which is important for animal photography.

Jacques-Olivier and Chopard start their work on the ‘Alpine Eagle Foundation’

Jacques-Olivier has been passionate about the Alpine Eagle since he was very young and thought that if man had been able to make it disappear, he should be able to reintroduce it. Eight years of perseverance later, with the help of the Swiss jeweller Chopard, for whom the alpine terrain around their manufacture and the local wildlife play a major role, Jacques-Oliver set up the ‘Alpine Eagle Foundation’ which has just obtained authorisation to reintroduce the first young birds into the wild.

‘The Alpine Eagle Foundation’ is a charitable foundation endeavouring to reintroduce the white-tailed fishing eagle species in France. This white-tailed eagle is a majestic sea eagle, which was made extinct by humans in Europe about 200 years ago, mainly due to hunting.

How did Remi join the Foundation?

When Jacques-Olivier asked Remi to photograph all the communication images for the foundation, Remi said it would be an honour for him and joined the project, knowing right away that the GFX 100S would be the ideal system to use.

The idea was to create a photo line which displays each stage of development.

After the first photo session which captured the eggs to the hatched eagle babies, the second photo session aimed to shoot portraits of birds between the ages of 6 months to 4 years. Even though Remi is specialised in animal photography, he had never worked with such young birds before. This made his job even harder because the birds’ behaviour became even more unexpectable than it already used to be. 

About ‘World Photography Day

Today we are celebrating the annual ‘World Photography Day’ which was initiated 11 years ago with its first global online gallery on August 19, 2010. However, it actually originates from the invention of a photographic process, the Daguerreotype, developed by Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1837 which changed the world of photography. Today, the intention is to dedicate one day completely to photography to celebrate its art, craft, history and science. 

To read more about the Alpine Eagle Foundation and the work of Remi Cheaupeblanc we encourage you to check out chapter 1 and the following chapter 2 of this story on our website fujifilm-x.com.

The Perseids are coming up

Perseids. This meteor shower is an annually recurring spectacle in which a shooting star can be seen in the firmament about every three minutes during the so-called shooting star night.

The Perseids 2021 are coming up. We gathered some important information about the nights of the meteor showers at a glance. Every year between July 17 and August 24, 2021, the Perseids light up the night sky. Whenever the earth on its orbit comes very close to the former orbit of comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, the number of shooting stars increases. In ideal conditions, you can observe and enjoy more than 100 shooting stars per hour. The maximum of the Perseids will be reached in the night from August 12 to 13, 2021. On this night, you can discover and photograph particularly many shooting stars in the night sky between 7pm and 10pm.
For the Perseids the middle northern latitudes are the best location to observe the shooting stars. The best way to see the Perseids is to look to the northeast.

So that you do not miss the natural spectacle in the sky and can observe well, we have a few tips for you:

  • Pay attention to the weather forecast
  • Choose a dark place outside the city for observation, then you can see the stars best
  • The most comfortable way to observe the stars is lying down

As settings, the photographers here at FUJIFILM recommended us the following equipment and these settings and parameters for the camera:

  • Tripod and a remote shutter release with radio
  • Wide angle lens
  • Aperture 2.8
  • Shutter speed 25 seconds
  • ISO 3200
  • White balance 2800

For all readers from Germany and Austria, we would also like to point out the courses of Eugen Kamenew who is also the photographer of the amazing picture above! He regularly offers courses on astrophotography and star photography (www.kamenew.net). It is worthwhile!
He is a freelance astrophotographer and official FUJIFILM X-Photographer. With a degree in sociology, his photographic work focuses on people in a cosmological context. He was awarded the “Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2014” by the Royal Greenwich Observatory in London and BBC Sky at Night magazine.

Additionally, we would like to encourage you to have a look at his social media Channels on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube where you can see more of his amazing work.