I do like surprizes, the good ones, unexpected trips out can also be fun…and when there’s an opportunity for some photography, especially with people I feel in my element and I feel a certain “buzz”.
So, it was for me last week when a friend called the night before the event and asked if I’d like to accompany him to his cousin’s book launch ~ I naturally said “yes”. Here was an opportunity for me, unexpected as it was and I’m tempted to use the phrase, “like shooting fish in a barrel”, but I won’t, as that’s not respectful and one should always be respectful whilst shooting, indeed at all times. However, there were many willing subjects all in one place and I was there for a couple of hours, I did manage to capture a few people. More on this later…
I decided to use this opportunity to try something a little different…I’m used to shooting in tight spaces and usually, over the years, whether it was with my Olympus, Minolta, Nikon and Sony cameras and ultra wides like my 16mm or 17mm lenses have always been part of my main “go-to” lenses and in many ways, it’s a focal length that has defined much of my style and the resulting images. Although, I’ve had Fuji camera bodies for the past five years, it wasn’t until last summer that I managed to buy a wide-angle lens for my Fujis. As mentioned in previous posts, it was the wonderful Viltrox 13mm f1.4.
Not only had I hardly used it since last summer, having only gone out with it once in June of this year, I had never tried it on my X-T20 body, as the body is quite tiny and the lens has some bulk to it. Here was an opportunity to try the lens out in low light, as it was inside and the X-T20 is pretty good at “high” ISOs, in low light and I did the evenings event shooting at ISO 3200.
A point of interest to me was to see how the lens would handle on a smaller body, on my X-T3 with the battery grip, it was well balanced and a pleasure to use. Here on my smaller Fuji body, it was a bit like mounting the camera to the lens!
Upon arrival at the event, I did ask if it was okay for me to shoot photographs of people, saying that my purpose was purely for myself, and I was told that it was absolutely fine and no one would mind at all. This was in fact the case.
There were no restrictions on my moment and I mingled freely with people there, talking and shooting ~ mostly talking. I was conscious of the fact that most people there know each other, as the book launch seemed to be a collaboration between quite a few of the women there, there were only a few men present. Whilst readings were made and people talked about their experiences, I didn’t feel it was appropriate to move around shooting (something I like to do), so I kept my seat and shot a few photographs from there.
The camera was a familiar piece of equipment to me, but the lens, as already stated was virtually unused and unknown. However, I’ve had a fair amount of experience shooting over these many years to not feel like it was a learning experience and I knew, whilst shooting, that the lens was performing well.
It was an enjoyable one for me and I don’t think that anyone I asked refused my request to photograph them, indeed they were quite willing. This is a good environment for photographers who are a little shy or feel intimidated to shoot in a friendly and comfortable setting. The lack of tension for those people can be a great relaxer for them and help with making contact and talking with your subjects. As I have said, so many times, this can go a long way to making your images more interesting.
Whether or not this is your cup-of-tea, it is a great way to capture images of people and one that gives me a good deal of satisfaction. A comfortable setting is also a great place to try out techniques and ideas, as well as new or untried equipment, there’s plenty of scope here experimentation as well as straight forward images.
Working close in with an ultra-wide lens, is a technique that does require practice, as well as having the ability of being able to work in confined and tight spaces, there is also scope for using such a wide field of view for creative distortions and shooting angles that lenses with a more flattering perspective cannot give you.
Whilst the environment and knowing that I would be shooting people, was something I’m used to and I feel comfortable with, it may not be a good idea if you were doing this as a paid job with equipment that was relatively untried. However, if you are comfortable with people and have a good understanding of light and composition…if you have experience shooting with various pieces of gear, you’d probably do a good job. Let’s not forget that light, composition, knowledge of equipment is all well and good, but if you cannot relate to your subjects, you will never capture the images that you might have otherwise.
As I finish this post (which is not scheduled until October), it’s 4.30am in the morning, I cannot sleep, excitement perhaps, as in a few hours I’ll be flying to London. In a few of my previous posts I have mentioned a few things that are going to challenge me in the next three weeks ~ photographing my family, photographing strangers, shooting the familiar with unknown. I will be using equipment I haven’t used before, as I will be taking a camera and two lenses I have never used before, courtesy of Fuji and my friend Jerry, which I may write about later, when I return. Another challenge for me, I hope I do a good job!