I recently ran a workshop/ creative day exclusively for Fujifilm X series camera owners. We shot at the Hilton in Manchester and in the streets nearby on our way back from lunch. Here are 40 of my frames from the day. They are all taken on the X100 with or without the wide angle adapter lens.
1. Shot in the ladies loo in Cloud 23 bar on the X100 with a Nikon SB900 on camera set to 1/8th power. All flash guns with a foot work on the Fuji cameras. We synced the SB900 to 1/500th but could have gone faster if required.
2. I lit this shot with my Elinchrom Quadra triggered by a cheap Ebay trigger set costing less than £15.
3. Carla was lit with a Lupolux 1200 spotlight with one of the new Lovegrove Scattergels clipped to the barn doors.
4.
5. I showed the delegates how I look for shots and compose with the architecture.
6. This is a frame without the flash showing just how much work it was asked to do.
7. This shot was with the flash. We used 1/500th of a second flash sync speed with the X100 and X100s cameras. Lighting was provided by the Elinchrom Quadra in a Rotalux 70cm deep Octabox.
8. Lit with the Orbis ring flash and a Canon 580EX2 Speedlight. Triggered with an Ebay trigger.
9. Lit with window light. I’ve been playing with a few canned ‘film looks’ in Lightroom hence the weird colour. Normal service will be resumed when I’ve recovered from my temporary madness.
10. Lit once again with the inexpensive Orbis universal ring flash adapter for Speedlights.
11. I lit Carla here with the Lupolux DayLED 1000 spotlight.
12. I love hard light.
13. A splash of Speedlight rigged off camera was enough to balance the light on Carla with the sunlit city of Manchester beyond.
14. I used the House Of Fraser bag to add a pop of colour to this Zara dress.
15. I used a panelite reflector to punch some light back onto Carla here. The Fuji x day was all about exploring different lighting techniques while having fun making fashionable portraits.
16. I lit Carla with the Lupolux DayLED 1000 for this triptych.
17.
18.
19. Waiting for the lift to the Cloud 23 bar.
20. This was taken in Podium bar on the ground floor. I managed to negotiate ‘access all areas’ at the Hilton for this workshop.
21. We nipped out for a few moments to enjoy the sun and caught a few natural light frames in my signature lighting style.
22. Lashings of sunlight gave us interesting opportunities.
23. Even in the depths of this car park entrance the X100 was at home in Av mode at f/2 and using auto ISO 3200.
24. Simple natural light was seen and controlled to capture Carla over a barrel.
25. Back in the hotel, style was the order of the day. I used a Panelite to light Carla.
26. A simple lighting modifier and the trusty Lupolux DayLED 1000 was used for the next 9 or so shots. I showed a simple Hollywood portrait set up with just one light.
27. It’s all about cheek bones and face structure definition. Don’t try this with flash or soft light. This is the work of continuous light from luminaries with lenses.
28.
29.
30. If I knew my film stars I could add a classic quote to this shot.
31.
32.
33.
34. Remember, these are all taken with a fixed lens camera. No zoom just a 35mm field of view from the bijou Fujifilm X100
35.
36. The corridors of power in the Hilton gave us plenty of compositional elements to use.
37.
38. Lit with reflected sunlight unlike the previous 12 frames. I used the classic Hollywood cheek triangle lighting set up here, where the nose shadow meets the cheek shadow to enclose a triangle on the near side of Carla’s face.
39.
40.
Styling: Carla Monaco and Damien Lovegrove
Hair and make up: Carla Monaco
I am very pleased with sheer quantity of set ups we got through in one day and the quality of images we created with the X100 and X100s cameras. There just seems to be no faffing around changing lenses and stuff. We just made photographs. There will be no more X creative days by me as I’ve done that now and those that wanted to join me have had the chance. It’s time to move on but do expect me to be shooting with the X100 alongside my X-Pro1 in all future assignments and workshops for the near future.
Please feel free to comment on these shots.
I was watching your Shooting Couples DVD and I think I heard you saying that on the Fuji f2.8 is the same as f4 on a Canon 5D mark 2 (in terms of depth of field). I was shocked. Did I hear right and why is that so?
Hi Helen,
You heard me correctly. The Fuji sensor is exactly 1/2 the surface area of the Canon and has an apparent depth of field increase of one stop. Sensor size plays a big part in depth of field, as does focal length and aperture. They are all related.
Kind regards,
Damien.
PS: This page near the bottom will help: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-camera-sensor-size.htm
#33 NOK!
Another great set of images. I wish I could get back to the UK more often so I could get to one of your sessions.
Thanks for your advice and photos they make for very interesting analysis.
Is there any chance that you could show some lighting layout diagrams ?
Thanks,
Jonathan
Thanks Jonathan,
Your kind words are appreciated. I come to Spain 2 times a year ;) Here is my next adventure: http://www.passionphotographyexperience.com/photography_training_in_spain.aspx
Best regards,
Damien.
Hi Damien,
Do you have plans for any further Fuji X creative workshops? I have had the X-Pro 1 since it came out and just adore it, quirks and all, but like any technical machine I feel there is so much more under the hood than I am aware of. Any chance it might be in London? Here’s hoping…;-)
Love the high key shots, especially that last one.
Cheers
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
I’ve done the Fuji days now. It really doesn’t matter what camera a photographer uses but I was asked to run Fuji X workshops so I did. I doubt I’d sell out another event so I’ve moved on to Hollywood portraits and Lovegrove Nude workshops in the UK for now and many genres abroad. My new training workshops website is here :) http://www.passionphotographyexperience.com/
Thanks for your compliments,
Kindest regards,
Damien.
Super images yet again!
Hi Thorsten,
Thanks for your continued support. I keep the creative process moving on to keep ahead of the competition :) Hopefully I’ll see you at SWPP as there will not be a Focus on Imaging next year.
Cheers, Damien.
Gorgeous results as always.
Thanks Anthony of Ayrshire Weddings.
Cheers, Damien.
Great work as ever Damien, I like image 23 which looks like it was shot in New York! Well done.
Hi Valentina,
Thanks for the compliments. It was fun when a yellow car entered the frame. We all said it looked like New York right there and then :)
Cheers, Damien.
Oh Damien, these are superb! I love everything about them, the locations, the model, the styling, the angles, the lightning…. Stunning!!!
Thank you Sona.
You are so kind with your compliments. We must shoot again soon.
Best wishes, Damien :)
Hi Damien,
Glad to hear you actually do make it out here! I’m based in Sydney – so please keep me posted should you make the [long] journey to Australia.
Happy to be an assistant while you’re out here too :-)
Cheers
Simon
Thanks Simon.
I get many offers like yours to be my assistant but rarely enough photographers who are willing to put their hand in their pocket and buy workshop places. I hear the “please come to …” and then when I say “I’m coming, book your place here” there is more often than not an excuse. So for me to spend thousands of pounds to come to Australia again I’d need sponsorship. That’s the way of the world right now.
Europe is far more manageable because the costs are far lower and the delegate fees lower as a result.
I’m sure you understand.
Kindest regards,
Damien.
So my only question is: when are you coming to teach in Australia ????
Hi Simon, I went to Australia three years ago and ran workshops in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. I promised the photographers of Adelaide I’d be back as I’d missed them out.
I would love to go back for another month or two.
Where in Australia are you?
Kind regards, Damien.