Lou | My first portrait experience with the FUJIFILM GFX 50R

After I've received my Fujifilm GFX 50R medium-format camera, I had to test it with portraits. So, I've joined with the lovely model Lou and went to the small cliffs near the Mediterranean Sea just outside the city of Netanya. It was windy yes the sun was pleasing as it got decent. For portraits, I has the Fujifilm GF110mmF2 R LM WR lens. It's an awesome lens. It's sharp with beautiful bokeh and compression and I love to shoot with wide open aperture, otherwise, there's no point in getting that kind of a lens. I've spotted a nice patch of grass and some Chrysanthemum flowers. So, carefully, I've positioned Lou in a place where I could get a supporting foreground and background just as the sun is behind her because I like to have a natural rim-light or some haze above the model for a more dreamy look.

To balance the model with the strong light that’s coming from the sun, I had to lit her with an off-camera flash with a large octagon to diffuse its light.

The lovely Lou. FUJIFILM GFX 50R and the GF110mmF2 R lens

The lens is capable of delivering impressive contrast and with its 51 megapixel sensor the amount of details is just overwhelming. One of the things that pulled me towards FUJIFILM other than Sony or NIKON (which offers awesome systems themselves) is the colour rendition. I like to use the PRO Neg. Std for my portraits for the subtle tones as I prefer them over a more punchier look (like the Classic Chrome). But when it comes to black and white photos, that’s where the FUJIFILM system really shines. The Acros film simulation with the green tones does an amazing job with portraits and currently is my favourite.

The Acros+G film simulation delivers great contrasty and tones to any portrait.

Overall, I had an extremely great experience with the FUJIFILM GFX 50R and the GF110mmF2 lens and looking forward to creating some more awesome portraits.

Medium-Format

Perhaps not a lot of people familiar with the term ‘medium-format’ in the world of photography.

Historically, this term refers to the 120 film size that was used by some camera systems (e.g., Hasselblad) as opposed to traditional 35mm film cameras that we used to shoot with back in the analog era. Today, in digital photography, medium-format refers to any digital camera that has a sensor size that’s bigger than the 35mm full-frame sensor (e.g., Canon 5D Mark IV / Sony A7R III / Nikon D850).

I first heard this term about 9 years ago when I took a crash-course in photography and was awed by the system and the results (I used to shoot back then with an APS-C sensor of the Canon 7D). Because of various reasons, medium-format systems were (and still are in fact) extremely expensive and most of enthusiast, and even professional, photographers are unable to purchase them. So, for me, it was like a far dream.

And then, several months ago, I surfed the web and came across this weird item - a medium-format mirrorless system by FUJIFILM that was around 6,000$ (roughly 24,000 NIS) which was, for the first time, attainable (compared to other medium-format systems). Not long after that, FUJIFILM released another medium-format camera, only this time it was even cheaper (around 4,500$).

FUJIFILM GFX 50R. A medium-format system with the FUJINON GF110mmF2 R LM WR lens.

At that point, I knew that I can make some adjustment and sell my current photo gear and get, for the first time for me, a medium-format system. And so I did.

I got my FUJIFILM GFX 50R medium-format camera that has a 43.8mm x 32.9mm sensor (1.7 times larger than a full-frame sensor) with 51.4 megapixels.

The FUJIFILM GFX 50R is a mirrorless system, so it benefits from some technological advantages compared to DSLRs (such as active Live-View and eye-tracking auto-focus).

For me, it’s a game changer. I’m really excited with this system and can’t wait to start shooting awesome landscapes and portraits.

Don’t forget to dream big ;)

Becoming a FUJIFILM-X photographer

About two months ago I’ve made a life changing decision for a photographer - switch over to a new camera company.
After 9 years I’ve made a move and bought a Fuji camera, the Fuji new X-T3. This Camera is awesome for my needs. First, it’s light and small. Although having an APS-C sensor, it boasts a 26MP resolution with a BSI (Back-Side Illuminated) technology and without the need of a low-pass filter, making it being able to produce more sharper images. In terms of auto-focus, that’s the game-changer for me. It has phase-detect autofocus with the ability to automatically focus on the eye of you subject. If you’re a portrait, or fashion photographer, this will boost your chances to get accurate focus on the eye.

So, with after taking several fashion and portrait sessions and capturing astonishing landscapes, I've tried to contact Fujifilm and got published on their fujifilm-x.com. So, as of now I’m a FUJIFILM-X photographer.

Fujifilm X-T3. A 26MP of an amazing camera.

The wonderful way of landscape photography

Nothing is near as satisfying as shooting landscapes. The sense of a little, or big, adventure is overwhelming in a way.

I dove into this genre in photography about a year ago as a way of meditation and self-therapy. For me to do so I needed certain equipment like a wide-angle lens which can capture the wide aspect of the scene.
Over time I’ve learned the technique to capture these awesome views.
Hope you will enjoy them.

Sunset over the Sea of Galilee