Machine Guns At The Ready!

Before I get started I'd like to point out that I have and still do shoot sports photography, I have shot everything from Golf to Formula One and have used a variety of equipment from prosumer DSLR’s to the latest main brand monsters and all the usual lenses that go along with it.

My topic of debate for this blog is where does photography end and filming begin most top end cameras these days such as the Canon 1DX shoot 10 frames per second that's a crazy amount of frames per second, movies are shot with 24 frames a second, after a bit of a dig around on Google I found out that a lot of stop motion animation is done at 10 frames per second like a lot of the stuff you used to see on Sesame Street.

My point being (and I know I'm likely to get a bit of a kicking over this.) With such high frame rates, Autofocus, Image stabilisation is there any skill left of the photographer to display?

No I'm not some kind of all fuddy-duddy purist who requires everything to be shot on a 10 x 8 Glass plate with a gunpowder flash and a sheet over my head and I know that a lot of photographers don't even use the autofocus when shooting things such as motorsport and they instead focus on a fixed point and wait the action to come into that area of prefect focus.

After my recent switch from Canon to Fuji it has for me re-awoken the manual aspect of photography again, the thought before a shot. Don’t get me wrong the X-T1 can knock out 8FPS with tracking focus etc. but it’s unlikely your buying that particular model for that reason. I'm starting to sound like a bit of a tit but go with me on this one as I think there is a valid point in here somewhere.

From my point of view manual photography can be anything from using full manual set up where you're in control of the aperture and shutter speed and the ISO and the focus to a simple state where are you might just be in Aperture mode with a preset ISO and autofocus all variations of all of these things that we are all familiar with when using a camera.

Is there any difference between holding the shutter button down and getting 10 frames per second than there is to cranking a handle to allow 35mm film through to capture Charlie Chaplin upsetting a wedding party or running a dubious window fitting outfit?

I like it when not everything works out perfectly and i’m stuck with a blurred image of an event, especially when it’s a fast moving sport like Formula 1 as a lot of the shots are done by one guy (at least I think that’s the case.) as he seems to really love shooting the car parked up on an apex with the driver sitting in it, you know the ones that guy does - head on stuff from about a mile away on a 600 mm lens, maybe a dash of F2.8 and good for him after all he’s built a career out of it and clearly goes to all the races.

It’s so nice having someone like Darren Heath around who is a man after my own heart, he tries to inject a bit creativeness into it, to capture the atmosphere, colour and emotion into the shots and not just a technically perfect pixel peeping shot - although from watching various interviews on YouTube I have learned that Darren is a Canon 1DX user and I'm not sure why as he does state that he doesn't tend to use autofocus or use the high burst right? I’m sure he has his reasons, if it were me it would be down to peer pressure as I have myself been the subject of sneers for using a 5DMK3 and a 200mm F2.8 - not exactly consumer grade kit.

It’s pretty dismaying when you get asked to shoot an event and they specifically ask you for the shot described above ‘oh make sure they are all head on with nothing more than F5.6.’ - I mean they all look the same and might as well be a still from a video feed.

Ah I jumped the gun there, video feeds nothing against them, brilliant! means I get to watch the race at home with a Gin &Tonic and not just what happens to be going on at the wind swept corner I’m standing at. But I can see that in a couple of years time with tighter and tighter restrictions on entry to track for up and coming photographers things might take a turn for the worse.

FIA rules state that to the effect: you can not become a race photographer unless you have a proven track record and examples of work published from previous FIA events, however you are not allowed as a member of the public to take track images with a view to them being published - Chicken/Egg anyone?

So with that gem in mind and the press looking for that apex shot what’s to stop the FIA banning all track photography with some excuse such as it’s safer for all involved blah blah and just issuing a media pack with a bunch of stills taken from the live feed of the events and while they are at it charge the newspapers and other media a fee for the privilege?

Within the next few years formula One and top sporting events will all be found in HD or even 4K giving a huge advantage to the promoters in terms of stills pack sales to the press.

So does machine gun photography have a place at sports events, yes it always will from the motor drives of old to the 10FPS of today but is it as a result photography and photographers signing their own death warrant? What happens to the Canon 1DX’s and Nikon DXXX then? Will that be the end of it in terms of mass production of elitist bazookas and the apparel, who knows? I guess we will have to wait until one of the big two release a DSLR that bangs out 15 or 20 FPS in what I imagine will be their answer to continuing development.

Where else do they have to go in terms of camera development the ISO is already stupid good, focus is pretty much done but think of it two or three flagship models down the road they have little left to sell the new camera - 4K?and FPS? that’s about it.

You know in the 1960’s they used TLR’s like the Rolleiflex and it depended on you cranking a handle and you got twelve shots out of a roll of 120 film.

Is the development of cameras in purely saleable points with them creeping ever towards practically filming a flicker book of action and in doing so slowly ending traditional photography a good or a bad move, it can’t be good can it?

I'd like to hear your opinions so feel free to leave a comment below.

The Fuji X100 Long Term Review

First lets get the groundwork done: -

Here are a couple of shots of my favourite film cameras - the Olympus Trip was bought from a charity shop and the Olympus 35RC rangefinder was from a mad Russian vintage camera dealer based in my home town at the famous Jacobs market in Cardiff.

I loved them both, the cameras that is not the Russian and the 35RC was always with me wherever I went.

 The 42mm E.Zuiko F2.8 lens gave some beautiful images and the overall tiny size of the rangefinder camera with it’s simple shutter speed, and lens mounted aperture ring was a dream to use and during my Documentary Photography B.A got more than a few knowing nods from the tutors. Actually it also got a lot of sneers from my fellow Leica rich students, I however was on a budget of zero so I used what I was able to get and if it happened to be a 1970’s fixed lens rangefinder so be it - the jibes stopped once they had a look at the prints.

The 35RC is a lovely little camera that can still be had on eBay for around £20 in good condition and is well worth a look.

If I have time I’ll run a roll of 35mm through it and do a review soon.

Olympus Trip ( Who do you think you are David Bailey?)

So fast forward to 2012 and I have to be honest Photography as a job was starting to get me down, I was sick of lugging huge DSLR’s all over the place and I was longing to have a small simple walk about camera that I could have on me all the time and would blow my iPhone out of the water.

I started to search the internet for something to satisfy my requirements and then I saw it the Fuji X100.

I honestly got a tingle down my spine it looked exactly like my 70’s rangefinders, was it too good to be true?

I ran over the spec sheets, a million reviews and sample images and decided that this was the camera I wanted, desired no damn it - This was the camera I needed to be happy.

So when a bit of cash came in it went out again very quickly and in came the X100 - I know it sounds silly but this was the first time in years that I had been genuinely excited opening the packaging of a new piece of kit.

Fuji did not disappoint, the ritual of opening the outer box and then the two inner boxes one filled with all the gubbins and the other that housed the X100, it was like the best Kinder egg you’ve ever had.

I thought I’d better add this little disclaimer in here - I’m not paid by Fuji and I’m not affiliated with them in any way, I’m just a Photographer who has fallen in love with them.

Right so onto using the X100, it’s brilliant - right thanks for reading be sure to check out my next review……………..oh you want more? OK then here we go.

Looks:

Firstly the X100 looks the part, it’s very well made and feels just about perfect in the hand. If you have used rangefinder style cameras in the past then this will be like coming home.

It’s built like a brick outhouse, trust me on this one as my X100 lives on a strap slung around a shoulder it’s had it’s share of bumps and scrapes and only looks better for it.

Fuji X100

If I have to raise one point with Fuji on the camera it’s the optional accessories. To be able to use the optional lens hood you have to unscrew the front of the lens and add a supplied with the hood adapter and then the hood bayonet fits onto that - all very cool and exactly as over engineered as you could hope for but the bloody thing costs about £150, OK it’s metal but it ain’t gold.

So I took a gamble (you wont like this Fuji) and got a metal hood and adapter from eBay, it fitted perfectly and the only thing that’s wrong with it is that the silver paint is peeling away from the cast aluminium, making it look very battle hardened and cool in my opinion.

To protect the lens I forked out for a B+W UV filter and it is a very nice filter indeed, optically delightful in as much as you forget it’s even there and when you have the hood in place it’s hidden anyway.

Demon Drome Wall Of Death

Manual mode 1/15th sec at F2

A nice leather strap was added as well and for the price point of the camera really should be part of the kit, still the Fuji strap is still much nicer than the horrible sweat necks that Canon put out.

Last bit of cosmetic fettling was to add a soft release to the screw thread shutter release as it’s nicer to use it with one on and looks pretty good too. A real shame that the X-T1 does not have the same threaded shutter release as it would have looked the business with a dark green (Fuji colour) soft release.

Image quality:

OK so at this point your thinking I’m a bit of superficial hipster type, I’m not honest.

The main point of any interest of any camera I have had is the quality of the lens and subsequently the quality of the outputted image.

Comedian/Author David O'Doherty F2.8 60th Sec

The X100 sports a Fujinon aspherical Lens, Super EBC 23mm (34.5mm with 1.5X crop) F2 lens - it is simply to die for dhhhharrrlings - This lens packs a punch the colour, the contrast, the bite the back of your hand sharpness. I can’t tell you how much this lens and it’s output has changed my photography, it’s wonderful for street and reportage work and for me a killer portrait lens.

Don’t let the cameras 12.3MP pt you off, you can print large images with the files and see no discernible pixelation.

I tend to use the JPEG modes as they are superb and if you really must shoot RAW then they have as much push/pull in them as you could wish for. I have a 64GB in my camera and happily shoot RAW+Fine(Jpeg) all day with the thing.

X100 - simple, perfect

Focus: 

This camera is not a DSLR, it does not pretend to be and if your buying this with 1DX speed in mind you will be sorely disappointed.

Comedian Lee Evans F2.8 3200iso

When the X100 came out it was terrible, the firmware was not up to the job and put a lot of people off, I stuck with it and we are now on firmware version 2.10 the camera is fast to focus and the focus by wire is very fast and useable compared to when it first came out when it was so slow you could witness the birth, life and death of a person before your X100 managed to manual focus.

Fuji really seem to value the input they get from photographers and make the changes in a firmware update that the other manufacturers would save for a new model.

Functionality:

Once you have set up your menus as you like you tend to just leave them alone.

The FN button on my X100 is like most users set to ISO and then everything is operated by the shutter dial and the aperture ring, by the way the clicks on the aperture ring are perfect, Fuji please make all of your lenses from now on feel like this and put the F stops on all of them too please.

The OVF & EVF:

No not two militant groups but in fact the optical view finder and the electronic view finder

So firstly the OVF which is large, bright and clear with bright framing lines and exposure information, the OVF display can be customised and contain everything you could ask for including grid lines and horizon line but I like to keep it simple and just have my light meter, battery status and framing line.

Comedian Craig Campbell 200iso F2.8

By pulling on the front timer style switch you get the pop up EVF and yes compared to newer models etc it suffers from quite a bit of lag but it is still infinitely useable and when in EVF mode you do not have to select macro mode for close up shots.

A really cool feature of the X100 is that if you are using the OVF and take a shot the EVF pops up for about a second showing a preview of your taken shot without having to look at the rear screen on the camera - I love this feature, it just works so well.

Ok so that’s the main points of the camera out of the way it also has several film simulations available like Astia, Provia, Velvia and Standard, it has some really cool and useable Black & White presets with red, green and yellow filter (I’m a green filter kind of guy.)

Another thoughtful touch from the house of Fuji is the inclusion of a built in switchable ND filter.

Comedian Richard Herring 200iso F2.8

If I had to nit pick the camera does not make it easy to use flash as the inbuilt flash gets cut in half by the lens hood and in my opinion it is the worst visual element on a near perfect camera body - I would much prefer it if the X100? did away with it all together and either came with an external flash much like the X-T1 or nothing at all.

Oh and can Fuji please fix it so the centre pin on the flash shoe fires no matter what, it would make it much better when working.

I have never ever been stopped taking a picture with the X100, I’ve had people make fun of me for using an old camera and how the camera on their phone is better etc - then I show them the pictures and they are blown away.

I’ve had people stop me to have a look at the camera and nobody has ever come away from having a look at it without writing the model number down or cooing.

The camera is unimposing and frankly cool, people want to be seen having a picture taken with it.

I’ve had no qualms in recommending the camera to friends when they ask what to get for shooting big trips and if they want something a bit more point and shoot to the X100 I show them towards the X20.

Comedian Alistair Barrie 400iso F2.8

I know it sounds corny but this camera really has a soul and has reignited my passion for photography and for that Fuji I thank you. The colours, the lens the way it just works it is utterly delightful. It has become my go to lens.camera and when I can’t use it as the reach is not long enough and I have to resort to a 5DMK3 with a 200mm etc I wish I was using the X100, it really is that good.

I’m never going to sell it I know that there are now two revisions of the model and I have the granddad of the set but I’m happy with it.

And one day when it finally gives up the ghost and decides to become a paperweight I’ll just go and get another one.

Comedian Simon Clayton, that's Fuji colour 200iso F2.8

Formula-E Launch Camden Roundhouse London

Here is a post that got lost on my website, it's from earlier this year when I was invited along to the launch party of the all electric Formula-e championship at the Camden Roundhouse in London:

The Camden Roundhouse has played host to many greats over the years from Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Cream. Tonight sees a new rock and roll circus roll into town with the worldwide launch of Formula-e.

Inside the Roundhouse I’m circled by the various cars from the ten teams, they look fantastic and all of the VIP guests and media are eager to get a close up look.

I'm peering into the cockpit of the e.dams Renault car when I’m asked what I think, the question has come from four time Formula 1 champion Alain Prost. I ask Prost if he’s been tempted to take the car out for a spin at the test sessions but he says that he’s happy to leave that up to his son Nicholas these days who completes the e.dams Renault line up with Sebastien Buemi.

Alejandro Agag & Alain Prost

The sofas at the front of the room fill up with some big names including Formula-e CEO Alejandro Agag, Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi, Damon Hill and Sir frank Williams who’s advanced engineering department has supplied formula-e with the batteries for the cars.

Agag is brought onto the stage by the compare and we are shown a film of the teams racing across Westminster bridge , I have to admit the cars really look the part in their livery and any of them would not look out of place on the F1 grid. Agag asks for the film to be shown again as he was sitting under it and missed the best bits so it is replayed.

During Agag’s opening speech he thanked the Mayor of London Boris Johnson who has supported the new Formula from the start and Sir Edward Lister, the Deputy Mayor of London who was present confirmed that the championships tenth and final round will be decided Battersea Park. There is a genuine felling of achievement coming from Agag and it’s not hard to see why with the fast development of the series and the support of the ten cities playing host to the races.

Emerson Fittipaldi

Speaking with Alejandro Agag after the presentation he tells me that it was amazing to have new partners like BMW and a real honour to work with legends like Sir Frank Williams.

I ask Agag if he sees the relationship with formula 1 as symbiotic?

“Absolutely, we are a child of Formula 1. We looked all over the world for the best technology and where did we find it? F1 of course, that is where the pinnacle of technology is truly. If we are able to multiply the capacity of the battery in the cars we may even see Formula-e racing against Formula 1 cars, who knows but that would be a cool race.”

Asking about the expansion of the season in the coming years Agag was equally as enthusiastic.

“We plan to add two races a year to the calendar, we have many cities that are now asking for races, going to Africa is a priority then there is Australia and the Middle East so we still have lots of new areas we would like to race at.”

Sir Frank Williams

I wanted to get some of the drivers opinions on the new Formula and what impression they had from driving the cars so far. I walked over to Bruno Senna who was showing one of the guests the controls of the car.

“What happens if I pull this?” asked the guest pointing towards the red plastic loupe on the duct behind the seat.

“No, No.” replied Bruno, “That’s the fire extinguisher.”

I got a chance to speak with Bruno and asked him about the challenges of street racing and the differences between this new formula and the Formula 1 cars that he was used to.

“The hardest thing for us at the moment is the stiffness of the setup, this combined wight the high wall all weather tyres required for the street races make it quit a different sensation for us as drivers.”

“I can see a lot of rapid and impressive development with the formula-e cars as soon as we get out there and start testing and racing, as currently we need to have a broad basis on which to work on considering the different weather conditions, road surfaces and cutting edge technology that has gone into the cars.”

Interested in the safety aspects of the new formula and if any issues unique to the formula had arisen, I put the question to Nick Heidfeld.

“No not at all, it is a very technically safe formula the main issue for me as a driver is the sound or lack of it - having driven single seaters for nearly twenty years now i’m used to hearing the feedback of an engine for instance when you get wheel spin you hear the RPM going up and you can react to that. Driving the new electric car is fantastic but requires a whole new mindset to get the best feedback from the motor beyond relying on the instruments on the wheel, it’s a case of trying to feel it in your body which is great as it’s exciting - a whole new game to play.”

“One of the biggest draws to formula-e for me was the professionalism of the setup and the strong drivers who are competing as I wanted some good competition.”

“The icing on the cake is that it is all street circuit based with fantastic locations, we go to miami, monaco, london, berlin, beijing and more it’s fantastic a real world tour.”

Formula-e drivers 2014

Another strong team joining the Formula-e lineup is the only owner/driver combination on the already impressive grid - Jarno Trulli of TrulliGP

“It feels great to be heading up my own team I’m also so happy to have a co-driver like Michela Cerruti as she is a quick learner who is very, very competitive and allows me the confidence in her to allow me to go ahead and race.”

As a spectator and Photographer I am really looking forward to what the new Formula-e has to offer in terms of innovation and it’s street racing circuits, it will provide some very exciting and close quarters action and from a photographic point of view the backdrops will provide excellent opportunities to make images that loo and feel very different to what we are currently used to seeing.

For more information on all of the teams, drivers and race calendar visit 

www.fiaformulae.com

My Studio For Portraits On The Go

This is a photo of my studio where I take the vast majority of the Comedian portraits.

To be honest it's outside the acts room on a balcony at the Glee Club in Cardiff, the wall is off white (I quite like that.) and it does have a few marks on it but nothing a very quick touch up in Photoshop CC can't handle.

Be it winter or summer by the time I get to do a quick portrait shoot it's around 10:30 - 11:00PM more likely than not very dark out with minimum light interference from the few neon restaurant signs in the area.

My standard set up is to use an inexpensive radio trigger for my Yongnuo YN-560 ii on a light stand bracket shooting through a white umbrella.

The flash is set to 1/32 power and is set at between 24mm and 50mm depending on if I'm shooting with the Fuji X100 or the 35mm on the Fuji X-T1 with it's 1.5 crop factor making the focal length around 50mm - The flash has a pull out wide angle lens compensator that spreads the lights a little wider so shooting through the brolly with this in place gives it a unique softbox kind of look.

My cameras are always set to the lowest iso when shooting portraits to give me the best possible image quality and for the Fuji this means iso 200

I have my aperture set on F1.4 to around F3 depending on my distance from the subject which is never more than about 10ft

Ditching the bulky SLR and plumping for the Fuji system gives me an extremely lightweight and portable kit for impromptu portrait shoots before or after a gig.

I used to shoot RAW only but the JPEGS from the X100 and X-T1 are so good that I either shoot JPEG only or if I'm going for a belt and braces approach then I'll double up and shoot RAW+JPEG

Minimum editing is done in Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5.

I love the restrictions imposed on the shoots as the space is limited the background bland and I only have one light - I feel this setup really gives the subject a chance to sing.

WWW.RICHARDWOODPHOTOGRAPHER.COM

Fuji X-T1 Has Arrived

Fuji UK have very kindly sent me out a Fuji X-T1, 56mm 1.2, 10-24mm and a 35mm to try out.

Full review with youtube link soon.

A New Blog Home

This blog page will from now on be the new home for my blog, the content will be synced with my Squarespace website but this is where you need to go to add me to your feeds and subscriptions and to be kept up to date with current work and news.

Should be a lot easier to navigate than before and more of a magazine layout and feel to it.

Rich