FUJIFILM X-T4
The most powerful APS-C model yet?
Practical advice for enthusiasts and pros
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Issue 228
LEARN TO
MASTER
LENSES APERTURE FEATURES SHARPNESS FOCUS
dio Stu Photography
NEW
FREE
ssional Profe lighting made simple Incredible one-light portraits that you can shoot in your home studio
196
pages of practical tips, tricks and
Buyer’s Guide
techniques
first Edition
Digital Edition
Essential kit advice for high-end shooting
maSter SettingS, PoSing and more
Set uP your home Studio
STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
E-BOOK
Become a Studio exPert with our in-dePth guideS
Launch a photo
PODCAST TOP GARDEN BIRD LENSES
LANDSCAPE
COMPOSITION How to frame your best-ever scenes
Celebrity
PORTRAITS PODCAST Launch a photo
Rory Lewis on lighting famous faces
PAN LIKE A PRO FOR MOTORSPORTS FUJIFILM X100V SHOOT AND EDIT DOGS AT HOME
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f/9
ISO 200
1.3 secs
f/7.1
ISO 200
8 secs
4x Š Anton Alymov
f/6.3
f/9
ISO 200
ISO 2000
Left
London Skyline
I like the panoramic feel of this image, the colour contrast between the city and the sky, and the details in the trees
5 secs
Above
The Albert Pub, London
This is one of the photos that I am most proud of. I love how the old pub contrasts with the modern skyscrapers
Below
Old Royal Naval College, London Anton framed this iconic scene as sunlight bathed the tips of the buildings
Left below
Walkie Talkie, London
I took this while scouting for unique compositions. I found a street that framed the Walkie Talkie and those golden trees
8 secs
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INTERVIEW
known English actor David Warner was the first celebrity to sit for me. The last time he’d had his photo taken professionally was actually in 1965 when he was just 24. Ever since then he’d determinedly avoided getting back into the photo studio. To coax him into sitting, I wrote several letters to David’s various representing agencies in both the UK and the US. Unfortunately, I never received a reply. However, I was determined not to give up. When browsing on social media one day, I discovered that David was attending a Hammer Horror convention in London. As a lastditch attempt, I wrote another letter to be 26
delivered on the day of the event. Happily, he replied and agreed to sit for a session. I’ve been a fan of his for a number of years, so it was fantastic to get my chance to work together to create some striking portraiture. How do you work to build a rapport with famous subjects? My aim is to bring the subject into a space where they can lose themselves and completely disconnect from the moment. So much of the portraiture commissioned in the press and print industry is reluctant to take risks. I want to challenge that safety and introduce moments of spontaneity
and awkwardness. Too often portraits of people who are famous or even notorious are aggrandising and sycophantic. I want to strip back the artifice and enforce strangeness and quietness in its place. The people I work with – the most famous and most recognisable – are often guarded, very reluctant to reveal themselves. Part of the joy of portraiture is getting them to a point where they feel safe to let that guard drop. A conversation, cracking a joke, talking about a serious topic that means a great deal to them helps to relax the subject. It’s an accidental moment that I look for – that moment of accident is really important.
RORY LEWIS
ONLINE LEARNING Rory will be holding a series of workshops over the summer season, where budding portrait photographers can learn about his techniques from their own home. Visit www.rorylewis.studio for information.
It can be found during the shooting process or in the editing process. I find that it’s often something you didn’t expect to work that will yield the most evocative images, be it messing around digitally or physically editing the image. I was raised on digital, but more and more I value the presence of a tactile image, one that you can hold, bend and tear. What gear do you currently use? What’s in your kitbag? To me portability is key. I have recently moved back to Bowens, using the new XMT500 Flash Head, which is easy to use
Above left
James Purefoy & Ciaran Hinds Textured backgrounds are an important component, producing a timeless look Above
David Warner
David Warner was Rory’s first celebrity sitter, and convincing him to appear required expert interpersonal skills
Selah Rory discusses his special collection of Renaissance painting-style portraits “The Hebrew word selah appears throughout the Book of Psalms. Its precise meaning is mysterious, but it is interpreted as a pause to breathe and reflect. It has been my aim throughout the project to attempt to recreate meditative religious scenes, directing my subjects to capture the highest moment of drama. “Imagine being faced with a life-changing moment – winning the lottery, or receiving bad news that will affect your whole life. The project brings the subjects to the precipice, expressing the moment of drama through meditation, reflection, action, or serious contemplation.”
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TECHNIQUES
Internal lens anatomy ELEMENTS/ GROUPS The glass elements are arranged in clusters, the number and position of which contributes to the lens functionality and quality.
IMAGE CIRCLE The size of the projected image on the camera’s sensor. Vignetting will occur if this is smaller than the sensor area.
FOCUS MOTOR The motor drives the movement of the elements in a track in the lens barrel, once autofocus is activated.
This is the assembly of movable blades, which together construct the aperture opening, controlling light admittance and depth of field.
© Neo Phoenix
APERTURE DIAPHRAGM
© Peter Fenech
LENS COATINGS Layers of chemical compounds generally form a crystalline structure, which adds optical adjustment to the light path for corrective purposes.
Get to grips with the most common lens features
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While having multiple lenses can complicate gear selection, no single optic is ideal for every situation. Understanding which features are most useful for your regular subjects will always yield better images
External lens features
UNDERSTAND YOUR LENSES One of the most challenging aspects of professional photography is that the tools we use are incredibly complex pieces of equipment that the majority of us are unqualified to deconstruct and reassemble. In other industries, even those in the technology sector, it is quite feasible to customise tools, make repairs, perform upgrades, and even salvage parts for reuse in other items. The construction of lenses is performed to micrometre-level precision, using specialised assembly lines operated by trained professionals in sterile environments. Even the slightest misalignment can render a product unusable, as can dust and other contaminants. The terminology of lenses is often far from self-explanatory, and is made more confusing by variations between different manufacturers. Modern lenses come armed with a wealth of advanced technology – some software based, some hardware and chemistry related. Each feature is responsible for a small portion of
Right
Tool for the job
the overall design, which is tailored to produce the optimal sharpness and contrast, with minimal distortion. Understanding the technology present in a lens is essential for making informed decisions about which models you need in your kitbag. As with most photographic equipment, there are times when you will find that a feature does not offer a significant-enough advantage to justify the financial outlay, while in other circumstances it may be almost impossible to create the images you need without a certain piece of kit. With photographic lenses the presence of such features may not be indicated as obviously as by having a physical switch. Often features will be denoted by prefixes or suffixes in the lens nomenclature. This can make lenses seem like an obscure and intimidating area of the market. Here we’ll take an in-depth look at lens technology and the terms that are commonly used to indicate its inclusion.
HOOD AND FILTER THREADS Attachments for accessories. Circular filters can be adapted with stepping rings if necessary, while some wide lenses have built-in lens hoods.
ZOOM AND FOCUS RINGS The most noticeable lens controls, these are present on almost every lens, although the size and position can affect handling quality and purpose.
MASTER YOUR LENSES
MODE SWITCHES There are switches for stabilisation modes, autofocus modes, and on some lenses locks for focus and zoom settings. Older lenses may integrate these switches with on-camera controls.
LENS MOUNT (INC FILTERS) The bayonet thread enables attachment to a compatible camera model. On some lenses there is a rear filter mount here if the front element is too large.
Assess lens quality
O Understand and use MTF charts
MTF (modular transfer function) charts plot the resolution and contrast of a lens from the centre to the edges of the frame. In this example the blue lines represent performance when stopped down to f/8, while the black lines show results when shooting at maximum aperture. The thick lines show contrast, while resolution is demonstrated by the thin lines. Each of these lines has a solid and dotted version, showing sagittal (parallel to the image diagonal) and meridional (perpendicular to the image diagonal) performance respectively. A perfect lens would have all of the lines travelling horizontally across the top of the chart. EDGE PERFORMANCE Contrast remains above 0.8 so is considered good, but resolution at both apertures falls at the edges.
1
Y
WIDE-OPEN QUALITY This optic shows good uniformity, with only moderately lower performance wide open than at f/8.
0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5
CENTRE SHARPNESS Š Canon
FOCUS WINDOW A focus-distance scale is used for estimating focus position and depth of field. For the latter, double-distance focusing is arguably more effective than the hyperfocal method.
This lens demonstrates excellent centre resolution with both aperture lines >0.6.
0.4
THE MEANING OF X AND Y
0.3
The Y axis represents performance, while the X axis is distance (in mm) from the centre of the lens.
0.2 0.1 0
0
5
10
15
X 20
The closer the solid and dotted lines are to each other, the more natural out-of-focus areas appear. The straighter the lines are, the better the centre-to-edge performance. The higher the lines appear in the graph, the better the contrast or sharpness is. 33
TECHNIQUES
Classic compositional approaches Improve your landscape compositions with these tried and tested techniques Since the dawn of photography artists have been experimenting with different compositions. Over the past few centuries, however, we’ve come to accept some basic fundamental rules that you can employ if you’re struggling to get a decent composition of the scene in front of you. Many of these compositional tricks have been borrowed from other visual mediums like paintings or drawings, and are seen as easily transferable to photography. You’ll have likely heard of the rule of thirds before, and it is one of the classic compositional approaches that we’ll explore in more depth below. The reason you’ll have heard of it before, and probably even used it to frame your shots previously, is for good
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reason – it’s a tried and tested method that forces you to position and space your focal points and horizon in a way that makes use of the available space and draws the eye in. An image is typically perceived as more photogenic if the focal point is carefully positioned one third of the way in from one or two sides, giving it more room to breathe compared to if you were to butt it up against the frame edge. However, as with any rules, they’re only guidance, and if you have a creative reason
to go against the rules that helps you tell the narrative you want, then be sure to try that approach too. We’ll take a look here at some other lesser-known compositional rules that can help you to improve your framing too, such as the golden ratio, which is better suited to compositions with a central focal point. We’ll also look at how the mathematical equation of Fibonacci’s spiral crops up time and again in nature and can be used to improve your landscape compositions.
Many of these compositional tricks have been borrowed from other visual mediums
© Gettyimages
Fibonacci spiral
© Gettyimages
The golden or Fibonacci spiral is a mathematical pattern coined by Fibonacci. The amount that this spiral pattern crops up in nature is eerie, such as inside shells, fossils and many plants. Now you’re aware of it you probably won’t be able to stop seeing it in the real world. You can take advantage of this famous pattern when composing your landscapes, as you may be able to find a lead-in line in your scene that spirals towards your focal point, such as this wonderful spiralling staircase.
Consider trying a lessis-more approach It can be useful to challenge yourself by shooting with a more minimalist approach and including only one main subject in the frame. This will help you to get more creative with how you compose the active and dead space around your focal point, like the tree in this image, and also gives the viewer a single obvious focal point to make the composition work more effectively.
Rule of thirds
Golden ratio
The rule of thirds is the quintessential composition technique that you’ve no doubt heard of. This is where you divide your frame into nine equal boxes so that you have a 3x3 grid, and then line up your horizon with one of those lines, depending on whether you’re shooting in the portrait or landscape orientation. You then position your focal point on one or more of the cross sections of the grid. The reason this works so well is because it gives your image a good amount of breathing space, where your subject or focal point isn’t uncomfortably close to the edge of the frame, or right in the middle.
The golden ratio is similar to the rule of thirds technique, as the frame is divided up into nine boxes. What makes it different from the aforementioned technique is that the golden ratio uses the ratio of 1:1.618, so the boxes aren’t equal. The middle horizontal and vertical boxes that form a ‘cross’ shape are much more squat than those in the corners, and this places the intersecting lines of the grid much more centrally. The effect of this is that the action will appear to happen in the middle of the frame and will help to draw the viewer’s eye in towards the heart of your shot.
© Dan Mold
© Gettyimages
LANDSCAPES & COMPOSITION
GO PRO
Pro case study We quiz photographer and podcaster Matthew Maran on the hows and whys of setting up a podcast Hi Matthew. Could you tell us more about your podcasts? The podcasts are conversations that give an insight into the lives of creative professionals, from photographers and filmmakers to publishers and conservationists. Each interview runs for approximately one hour and focuses on the guest’s working practice, methods and thought processes. We talk about what drives them to produce compelling content that stands out from the crowd. We ask about what role conservation plays in their work and how it can catalyse awareness into action. We look back at their experience, education and journey to becoming leaders in their field. We also look at the practicalities of earning a living, discuss
Matthew’s guests
JASPER DOEST
JO-ANNE MCARTHUR
CHRIS PACKHAM
PAUL SANDERS
the pitfalls, and ask what advice they can give the younger generation looking for careers in photography or filmmaking. Why did you start them, and what have you learnt on the journey? The goal was to share and provide a new source of information for learning and understanding what goes on in the minds of leading nature photographers and other professionals in natural history storytelling. I have learnt so much on this journey: everything from interview techniques to recording and editing sound. Furthermore, I have learnt a great deal from the guests I’ve interviewed. They’ve all been so generous with their time, so while the initial motives were to share their stories to a wider audience, at times I’ve been so engrossed in what they have to say that I’ve felt like an audience member myself. Why do you think podcasts have risen in popularity so much in recent years? Nowadays, it’s more normal to want
everything on demand, so podcasts fit in well to this way of life. The ability to listen to what we want, when we want, and for how long puts us in control. We no longer need to rely on a few outlets to provide our listening entertainment, and I think there is now literally a podcast for any topic out there. How do you choose and then approach your podcast guests? I have a huge list of people I’d like to talk with, and I’m slowly chipping away at it. I look at each guest’s work, why it differs from the mainstream, what interesting stories they are telling with their photographs, and the recognition they are getting through publications and competitions. Approaching the guests is simple – I look at the practical issues, such as their availability. So far all the interviews have taken place face to face as I’m lucky that I live in London, where so many photographers pass through or are visiting events such as the Wildlife Photographer of the Year or the World Press Photo Awards. If I don’t meet them in person, I usually connect
LISTEN UP successful photographer. You look at all the great work out there, past and present, and see where you can fit in and do something new. I listen to many podcasts and really enjoy the format, so checking out what interview styles you like and don’t like and finding your own voice is a skill that will develop over time. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and do your research – you don’t want to be stuck for questions. Good networking skills are important, but most of all, have a passion and drive to succeed. Definitely don’t get into it for the money!
through social media or email them directly, asking if they’d like to take part. It makes it easier to get high-profile guests once you already have one or two under your belt. Getting started is the hard part, but going in head-first, making loads of mistakes early on and persevering worked for me. What’s your podcasting style? My style is to let the guest do the talking; after all, it is about them and not me. I like it to be as free as possible but to keep the length to approximately one hour, so it’s important to stay on topic.
What kit do you need and use to create each episode? I started with a basic Zoom H4N handy recorder, placed on a table between me and the guest. I then bought a Senheiser radio mic and borrowed another from a neighbour who is a sound engineer. I’m lucky to know him as he also checks over each podcast before publication. I recently invested in two new RØDE Podcaster mics, which give a warmer sound. It all still goes through the
Do you plan set questions before an interview with a guest? I always have a list of questions and topics I’d like to cover. I also give the guest the option of talking about a project or idea they are currently working on.
© Neo Phoenix
What skills do photographers need for a successful podcast? I think it’s the same with wanting to be a
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Podcasting power Podcasts give listeners a chance to learn about different photography approaches and insights
original Zoom recorder, which I like as I’m able to be mobile when away from my studio. Everything I need fits in a backpack. What benefits are there for photographers to record podcasts. Is it all about engaging with other practitioners in the field? I think photographers talking to photographers is a great concept. We speak the same language, but we all have a different approach to our work, and the varying styles makes for a good conversation. As the podcast has developed we have focused much more on the role that photography and filmmaking plays in conservation. Providing a platform for practitioners to talk about the meaning of their work has become more important than simply the aesthetics. Have you had any major mishaps when you’ve been recording, and how did you overcome these? When I interviewed Peter Cairns I was soundchecking with the headphones on one ear (like a DJ) and couldn’t understand why I could only hear me and not him. I thought there was a fault with the mic so we carried on without. The sound wasn’t perfect but it worked out fine, and when he left I checked the mic again, put the headphones on both ears and the penny dropped. I’ve never made that mistake again. What are your top tips for making a successful episode? Getting the flow just right is a big challenge. Find the balance between a free-flowing conversation and covering what you set out to discuss. Guide your guest gently through the questions, but don’t pounce on them. Getting good-quality audio is important, but don’t stress about the sound. I still use the basic recorder I did with my first interview and it works fine. I think there’s an appeal in the rough-and-ready nature, and being mobile helps as you won’t be able to interview all your guests under controlled conditions in a sound-perfect studio. Be quiet when your guest is talking. I’ve learnt the hard way with this and still have to work hard to not drop in too many “uh-huhs”. It’s a different style when you have an ‘off-air’ conversation when “ums” and “ahs” don’t matter, but to the listener this can get pretty annoying very quickly. Really listen to your guest. Sometimes you can be thinking too much about the next question and when to ask it. This can result in missing out on an interesting point your guest might make and exploring it further. http://matthewmaran.com/podcasts/ You can also find Matthew’s Podcast on Apple, Google, Acast and Stitcher. 79
REVIEWS
BIRDING ZOOMS 80
GROUP TEST
Our pick of budget-friendly lenses that will put your feathered friends in the frame You can soon find yourself running out of fresh photo opportunities while stuck at home for so long. The flipside is that, with the reduction in traffic and general noise, garden birds have been easier to hear and therefore easier to spot. Many people have found a new interest in bird-spotting from home, and as photographers we’ve found a new interest in capturing garden birds on camera. There’s a significant challenge in photographing birds without scaring them away before you’ve even taken aim. You’ll typically need to keep a respectful distance,
and since most garden birds are small, a powerful telephoto reach is the order of the day. However, super-telephoto lenses can be big, heavy and expensive to buy. The last of these factors is particularly problematic when we’re feeling a financial squeeze. Thankfully, good telephoto lenses can be reasonably compact and lightweight, and needn’t cost a small fortune. This is particularly true for crop-sensor cameras, thanks to the focal length multiplier that gives you greater ‘effective’ telephoto reach. For example, we’re fans of the Panasonic PZ 45175mm f/4-5.6 Power OIS lens for Micro Four
Thirds lenses, which gives an effective zoom range of 90-350mm, thanks to the 2x crop factor, and costs £330/$398. For Fujifilm and Pentax APS-C format cameras, the Fujifilm XC50-230mm f/4.5-6.7 OIS II (£319/$399) and Pentax 55-300mm f/4.5-6.3 DA PLM WR (£349/$360) are good options. For this group test, we’re focusing on the best choices for Canon and Nikon DSLRs. For APS-C format bodies, own-brand 70-300mm zooms are the best choice, whereas Sigma and Tamron 100-400mm give more suitable reach on full-frame bodies. Let’s take a closer look at how they compare. 81
REVIEWS
Price: £1,549 / $1,699
Fujifilm X-T4 Could Fujifilm’s new enthusiast mirrorless camera be the best X-series model yet? Since Fujifilm announced the X-T1 back in 2014, the X series of cameras for which it laid the foundations have been objects of desire among devotees of high-end mirrorless models. The marriage of advanced features and retro styling provides users with a unique photographic experience, coupled with a system of reliable technology and cutting-edge lenses. The X-T4 is the latest iteration of the range. Interestingly, Fujifilm seems to regard the new camera as a sister to the existing X-T3, rather than a like-for-like replacement, suggesting that the two models will sit alongside each other for the foreseeable future. This is not entirely surprising, as the trend of the industry today is one of incremental improvements, rather than astronomical leaps in specification from one generation to the next. In many ways the X-T4 is very similar to its predecessor – to a casual eye the cameras look almost identical, and a glance at the core specs reveal many shared under-the-hood features too. Both the X-T3 and X-T4 make use of a 26MP 23.5x15.6mm (APS-C) X-Trans imaging sensor, have an identical extended ISO sensitivity 88
range of 80 to 51,200, and 4K UHD video recording capability. The electronic viewfinder is also the same, measuring 0.5 inches and providing a resolution of 3.69 million dots. In terms of body design, it is largely unchanged too, which should be good for Fujifilm users, although the physical dimensions of the newer camera are slightly larger. The X-T4 measures 134.6x92.8x63.8mm compared to the X-T3’s 132.5x92.8x58.8mm. A closer look will reveal a few layout modifications, which we will explore in more detail in a moment. The most significant addition to the X-T4 is the new five-axis image stabilisation system, which combines the efforts of both lensbased stabilisation and a new in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) facility. This arrangement uses new technology based on magnetism instead of the more conventional springloaded structure to move the imaging sensor, as seen in the Fujifilm X-H1. The gyro sensor in the X-T4 reportedly offers up to eight times more accuracy in detecting motion too. Overall, the system should provide up to 6.5 stops of compensation. In use we found that
9000
Above
Touch focus
The touchscreen feature of the LCD makes focus adjustment easy and quick when shooting both stills and video. Combine this with touch shutter triggering, and instant, from-the-hip shooting is possible Opposite
HDR mode
Unlike its predecessors, the X-T4 features a built-in multi-shot HDR mode, which fires a burst of bracketed images and combines them in-camera for an extended but natural dynamic range
the camera was able to produce sharp images as low as 1/4sec at 50mm when using the XF 16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR lens. Videographers are probably going to be those to benefit most from the new system, and the footage was impressively stable when shooting video clips. While Fujifilm suggests that users can shoot free from a gimbal, we wouldn’t advise you to throw yours away just yet, as a steady hand is still required for pro-grade handheld clips. For both stills and video, a great feature of the X-T4 is the dual card slots, which should almost guarantee that the user never runs out of storage space. Handily, one slot can be used to store movies while still images are saved to the other, for a smooth backing-up workflow. Autofocus has also received an upgrade. The new algorithm incorporates distance, colour and shape data to improve accuracy, and in practice the system works very well. When shifting focus from very near to far-off subjects, the X-T4 was able to find the correct position almost instantly. When coupled with the LCD screen’s touch shutter function, the setup makes autofocus a reality for video shooting, smoothly and quietly shifting focus for seamless clips.
Opposite
Film simulation
The X-series cameras are known for their film simulation presets, and the X-T4 features all of the usual favourites, plus a new bleach bypass type
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