So long Canon, I'm seeing someone else
For the last couple of months, I've been spending a lot of time with someone new. Her name is the Fujifilm X100s and I think it might be true love.
Ever since I rented the Fujifilm X100s, my shooting habits have not been the same. It's so easy to carry, shoot with, and process from, that I find that even with a wide fixed focal length, it's my go-to camera for both personal and professional work. I've been carrying it everywhere I go, which is not something I have done with a DSLR in some time. The weight, bulk, and conspicuousness of the system is just more than I want to deal with 90% of the time.
The tech and features of the X100s and other X series Fujifilm cameras have been explained and re-hashed all over the internet, so I won't do that here. Suffice it to say that the quality I get and the control I have are more than enough to satisfy me in both personal and professional work.
What I do want to say about these cameras is this: I haven't felt this way about taking pictures in a long time. The Fuji X100s has been a pure joy to use. Maybe I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but it has been so long since I've felt this way about a piece of gear. I honestly love to take pictures with it.
This got me thinking: Should I ditch Canon and go all Fuji for my kit?
YES.
I haven't sold anything yet, don't worry. I am going to ease into it. The camera I am looking at to replace my DSLR is the Fujifilm XT1, and a handful of lenses. My plan is to rent it, shoot with it for a week or so, and then make a decision, but I think I already know what it's going to be. I am going to become one of those crazy photographers who shoots a brand other than Canon or Nikon.
Please, weigh in by commenting your thoughts. I'd like to know if I'm crazy.
Here is a sampling of some of my recent tabletop shots with the Fuji. This series is all about summer stuff.
Tis the Season - On Location Senior Portraits in So Cal
Blanca Zamora - Graduating Senior at UCR
My good friend Blanca is FINALLY graduating from UCR this year. I say "FINALLY" not because she has taken the 7 year college grad plan, but because the last 4 years have felt like an eternity. Blanca is one of my favorite models, but our planned shoots would almost inevitably be cancelled or indefinitely postponed because she would suddenly remember a final she didn't for which she forgot to study. Well, not only is that all over, but we actually got to shoot together last weekend in the form of a Senior Portrait session shot on location at the University of California, Riverside.
The UCR Clocktower provides a nice backdrop for Blanca's Senior Portraits
The set up here was pretty simple. We met at 4pm, so we timed it right to have good light. However, sometimes the good light is not coming in the right direction when you are jockeying for a spot amongst other grads with other photographers, all trying to shoot in the same spot.
No problem though! It was late afternoon, the light was cooperative and at a level that would allow us to use strobe for a really well blended natural look. This was our go-to set up:
The reflector panel here serves two purposes, to provide shade from the sun, which would be too harsh in this direction, and to grab some of the strobe and fill the face a bit.
I used my handy LumoPro LP180 with a 1/2 CTO gel from my Rogue gel set to mimic sunlight, since the sun was not coming from a direction that would work for us. I used a large reflector to put Blanca in shade, but also catch light from the LP180 and fill her face a bit. Dial my exposure in and Voila! For some added flare, I can move the speedlight more into the frame and have the light beam right over her shoulder.
Fake Sun, brought to you by the LumoPro LP180 and a 1/2 CTO gel
I love this set up so much. At this time of day it gives me so much flexibility in shooting and when paired with a Pocketwizard Plus III, I can easily subtract the flash and shoot natural only, and vice versa. Typically this set up means I can travel light, but luck favors the prepared right? So I still dragged all this stuff with me
This may become a regular thing for me, it worked really well. Locking wheels FTW!
Life The Last Few Weeks - Procrastination and
I haven't been too good about writing these weekly updates so far this month, so here is the highlight reel to cover the last couple of weeks
Adam and I went on a little lunch time adventure in the foothills surrounding the studio. Found this gem.
Jack likes to pretend to play games where you pretend to drive
Jumping Jacks has a cool room with an underwater theme and black lights that make your lipstick look cool
Saturday night fire pit in the backyard
Alesia dyed her hair purple and we took pictures in the kids bedroom. Pro tip, give your kids the room with the best light
Jack's school has their annual Fiesta last weekend
Cliff hanger
Jack got a blue snow cone
We all got together to celebrate our mothers
I took a new portrait of Hannah in the same style I have of Jack from around the same age
New Hair, New Headshot
New hair for Alesia calls for a new headshot! Shot in the backyard, one speedlight to the rear and camera left, and a reflector bouncing light back into her face.
Losing My Reflection - Shooting Sunglasses for Minimal Post Processing
Carefully setting up your set can save you a lot of time and trouble in post when shooting and editing sunglasses.
Shooting sunglasses can be tricky. You want to see a good representation of the shape and style, but most lenses on sunglasses are curved and have a tendency to reflect everything in front of them. Editing out reflections in lenses may seem pretty straight forward, but the subtle gradient of many lenses can make it tougher than you might think. This set up will give you virtually no reflections and a great looking shot of your sunglasses, right in camera.
Behold, the boat
Note the light placement. I used a beauty dish here for ease of set transition, but two softboxes would work well. You are essentially bouncing light back onto the glasses from the front and back sweep. If you are getting milky looking frames, add a flag to keep some of the softbox rom spilling directly onto the glasses.
This is the set up used by the company I shoot for full time. One of the benefits of working in a production studio is that you get to work with other photographers and share ideas on how to tackle certain issues. The sunglass boat is one such instance.
The idea here is to build yourself a "boat" out of white seamless paper, with only one hole big enough to fit the lens. This way, everything around your sunglasses is white and will reflect as seamless white in your lenses.
Carefully cut a hole in the paper to allow just the lens through. This will keep your reflections to a minimum.
This set up will eliminate reflections for quite a few styles of sunglasses. Aviators and similar styles may reflect the lens itself, but that is far more manageable in post than most other reflections.
Note the use of white gaffer tape to tape the seams. This prevents the small paper overlaps from reflecting in the lens
This set up has the added versatility of being able to shoot straight on and at an angle, or back shot in one set with out needing to move fill cards or fancy footwork.