X-Community – Timothy Griesel – Shooting with the XT-1
Last week during preparations for a commercial shoot with one of our clients, X-Photographer Pierre vd Walt challenged me to take the lead in the shoot and to use the FujiFilm X-T1 whilst doing so.
After packing all necessary equipment for the shoot we headed out to our client Fullertrain Automotive who deal in truck gearbox and diff parts out in Brentwood Park.
Upon arrival I immediately noticed the low-light conditions of the warehouse where we would be producing most of the images and started wondering about the Fuji’s low-light performance, which it is receiving a lot of praise for.
My other big concern was the fact that in addition to photographing truck parts, I also had to produce portrait images of all the staff at Fullertrain Automotive…these where sales persons, a warehouse manager, parts manager and so on…not professional models or typical execs in smart suits with manicured nails…these guys were rather tough and intimidating as subjects so I was worried about how they will respond to being directed in the photographs…
Once the lighting was set-up and we were in full-swing shooting all the various parts and spares they have on offer, I felt very comfortable with how the Fuji managed with the bit of ambient light I allowed into the exposures. Sure the location lights kept the set clean but the Fuji coped perfectly with the darker areas, which were easy to inspect on the iMac as I photographed with the camera tethered.
With all the products captured it was time for the company portraits and I felt a little anxious about my subjects for the day… This anxiety quickly vanished as all the staff proudly and happily participated in the shoot and turned out to be fantastically easy to work with (as the portrait of Daniel shows).
One thing I now understand a lot better is how FujiFilm X-series users often comment on the fact that the size of the camera makes it less obtrusive during a shoot, it felt like directing the subjects went smoothly as the camera formed less of a barrier between me and the subjects.
All and all a pretty good experience and I am eager to try the FujiFilm X-T1 again on the next commercial shoot.
Timothy Griesel
Instructor at The Photo Academy – www.photoacademy.co.za
Instagram – www.instagram.com/timothygriesel
Facebook – www.facebook.com/TimothyGrieselPhotography
