TAKE TEN: CJ Badenhorst
2022 sees the ten-year anniversary of the Fujifilm X Mount system. To help commemorate this milestone, we’re chatting to local Fujifilm users about their craft. 18-year-old photographer and videographer, CJ Badenhorst has been obsessed with the power of cameras from age 13. Specialising in filming adventure and sport, this young filmmaker has a bright future ahead of him. (Image credit: Vorster van Zyl)
Why do you love photography?
I got into photography because of my dad, being the classic friend/group photographer shooting on film. He used to travel a lot and one time he came back from San Francisco with a shiny little Kodak waterproof camera as a present to me. One thing led to another, and I quickly saw myself trading up cameras until I got my first Fujifilm, the Fujifilm S1, a bridge camera that could do it all.
Your journey from Fujifilm and back again is interesting. Tell us more.
I used the S1 for around two years until I switched to another brand’s DSLR, but never received the video quality I wanted. I switched again to a brand that was receiving a lot of hype at that time. That’s where I fell in love with video since I could shoot 1080p at 60fps and get good enough quality to make it look amazing in post-production.
I started craving more and was looking to get my hands on a camera that could shoot 4K, and that’s when my final transition happened. Fujifilm’s price on its 4K cameras was good, so I made the switch to the Fujifilm X-T3 and I’ve never looked back to this day. Being able to shoot 4k 60fps at half the price of the competitors meant a lot at the age of 16.
What do you love most about the camera?
How light it is and the fact that it can shoot 4k at 60 fps without any overheating or problems.
Tell us a bit more about your photography/videography and what you would like to achieve through this.
I love photography and videography because I feel like it makes you look for a different perspective, one that not a lot of people see or look for. Getting a different angle on the spot for something that’s been shot hundreds of times before, and then for people to go: “Where is that!”
I like the growth process of it all since I’m never truly happy with the videos I create and always strive to do better. And for that reason, I think I’ll never stop taking my camera wherever I go, especially when it’s as light as it is. To keep on exploring and adventuring, and making a living out of it, that’s the goal, the dream.
Find more of CJ’s work here:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/cptxcjay/
