Large format muscle power in Africa by Jonny Cohen
Jonny Cohen is a partner in Pathfinder Africa, a production company specialising in pan-African reportage, storytelling, media strategy and content creation. He tells us more about taking the GFX100 large format camera on an assignment in Africa.
Due to an assignment deep in rural Africa, with a mission to document a particularly enchanting project called “A Beautiful Home”, I realised I needed a dedicated stills camera to partner the Fujifilm X-T3 video setup I was using.
Due to an assignment deep in rural Africa, with a mission to document a particularly enchanting project called “A Beautiful Home”, I realised I needed a dedicated stills camera to partner the Fujifilm X-T3 video setup I was using.
I travel mostly alone, writing and shooting content for a range or organisations and brands across the African continent. My work has taken me to 33 of Africa’s 54 countries, and after having travelled far and wide across the globe, there is still nowhere else on Earth I get to experience the deep warmth and hospitality and connection that I get from Mama Africa. If you have heard of ubuntu, and know that it is a verb, not a noun, you get my drift.
But let’s get back to cameras and my mission. Travelling alone means I must travel light. Years ago, I ditched my full frame DSLR system in favour of Fujifilm’s lighter mirrorless design. My gateway ‘fix’ into this dimension being the very first iteration of the X100, which I acquired early in 2011 after standing in a freezing New York queue on the first day of its release. Quirky but beautiful, it was a lifelong fascination with the art of reportage that attracted me to this rangefinder-style camera.
Cut to September 2021, and thanks to the generosity of Fujifilm South Africa and Hein Hough, a GFX100 large format camera is in my bag en route to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Somewhat of a tank, with appropriate sensor muscle and fire power, the biggest decision I faced was what lens to take, after deciding I could only take one.
Versatile but heavy zoom? Best portrait bokeh ever? In the end I opted for what could be described as the Swiss army knife of the GF primes – the 63mm F2.8. Lightweight, compact, and with stellar rendering qualities, I believe this is essential in any photographer’s quiver. I find the 50mm full frame focal length equivalent to have an innate honesty to it, probably my favourite focal length for reportage.
It’s a beautiful thing when you have no option but a single focal length prime. Choice and decisions are paired down to an elegant simplicity where things slow down, your feet are your zoom, and composition becomes more intuitive.
With the 63mm lens attached, I did not find the GFX heavy at all, and having fairly large hands, the overall feel was a pleasure. If there was one feature I struggled slightly with, it was the autofocus and hunting in low light, but a quick flip to manual focus with focus highlight assist was straightforward.
The big size of the files also makes you think twice before just pushing the shutter. Overall, I would describe working with the GFX100 large format as a more considered tactile experience.
The project I was documenting also deserves special mention. “A Beautiful Home” is a social art project that seeks to rekindle, inspire and support rural homesteads, and women in particular, to rediscover the ancient art of decorating and beautifying their homes using natural materials, colours and pigments harnessed from the earth. Prizes are practical and useful. Shovels, water tanks, three-legged iron pots, a beehive, and even a few goats for the grand winner. And perhaps the greatest joy is reserved for the sisterhood and camaraderie that is fostered. At the festive village prize giving, the singing, cheers, ululating and generosity of spirit reminded me ‘I am because we are’.
The project I was documenting also deserves special mention. “A Beautiful Home” is a social art project that seeks to rekindle, inspire and support rural homesteads, and women in particular, to rediscover the ancient art of decorating and beautifying their homes using natural materials, colours and pigments harnessed from the earth. Prizes are practical and useful. Shovels, water tanks, three-legged iron pots, a beehive, and even a few goats for the grand winner. And perhaps the greatest joy is reserved for the sisterhood and camaraderie that is fostered. At the festive village prize giving, the singing, cheers, ululating and generosity of spirit reminded me ‘I am because we are’.
