TAKE TEN: Buan Stanley
Hailing from Durban, Buan Stanley takes us through his photography journey. We asked him about the one thing that improved his photography the most, also talking about the importance of good glass and one day, perhaps, shooting Cara Delevingne.
Buan Stanley
When and how did you get into portraiture?
About two years ago, I just kind of fell into it. There was an open day hosted by one of the local modelling agencies and I thought, what the heck let me give this a try. I borrowed a 50mm lens (I was still shooting another brand at this stage) and off I went mostly with borrowed gear. As it turned out I really enjoyed it and my images were very well received so I guess I was kind of good at it.
What’s the one thing that immediately improved your photography?
Other than my Fujifilm X-T5 you mean? Learning how light works and what light does at different times of the day and of the year. Also, learning where to place your model or subject according to the look, feel and mood you want to achieve from your shoot.
Is there another avenue of photography you would like to explore more?
I have been doing quite a bit of bird and wildlife photography of late and I am loving it, the dream is to one day host photographic safaris.
If you could choose one thing/place/person to shoot, what would it be?
Wow, this is a tough question, there is so much I want to shoot still, so many places and so many people. I would love to go to New York and just roam around aimlessly shooting random people on the streets. Another dream would be to shoot a professional model like Cara Delevingne, purely to see how different the flow of posing would be.
Do you have a photography tip to share with the readers?
Gear helps for sure, but it is not the be-all and end-all. Master what you have first, see which path you want to travel down, and then invest. Finally, please, please, please always start with good glass since a good lens far outweighs a good body.
When and why did you switch to Fujifilm?
My local camera shop (Photo Freedom, Durban North) hosted a Fujifilm day where we had an ambassador join us at the skate park with some demo units for us to test out. The moment I took that first shot and I was happy with the sharpness, colours and clarity, I knew it was the camera system for me. Later I had the chance to try the X-T5 and I knew that very second that was the camera I wanted.
What camera and lens do you use most?
The Fujifilm X-T5 and the XF56mmF1.2 since it’s light enough for me to carry around daily. The 56mm is versatile and can cover all I need for my day-to-day shooting, wide enough for some street, narrow enough for portraits.
Have you had a chance to shoot with the Fujinon XF200mmF2 yet?
I thankfully have on two occasions actually, once on a model shoot and once in Kruger Park. It is an absolute beast of a lens.
What’s on your Fujifilm wish list?
Short term it’s either the XF150-600mmF5.6-8 or the XF100-400mmF4.5-5.6. Mid term would be the XF200mmF2, with the ultimate goal being the Fujifilm GFX100 II (I am open to donations).
Find more of Buan’s work here:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/buanstanleyphoto
