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Writer's pictureHaze Kware

Bts outdoor portrait session

Feat. Marina

Let’s do it differently this time, slightly… If you wish to have more info, on why and how, you know you have the blog for that. Plus exclusive Behind the scenes like this one… this one in particular should be available tomorrow night for premium members. Basically, I am tired of seeing my own face in my videos, and to be honest I believe you guys are pretty smart and capable of understanding exactly what’s going down with the BTS footage. Unless I am doing something specific, I will keep my mouth shut when further explanations are not needed.


Of course, you have the comment section here, on the blog, so really if there is something that needs to be clarified, this is what social media is made for, let’s start a conversation. I cannot promise I will answer every one, but I will do my best.


So what are you about to watch here? An outdoor portrait session with almost a new face, you’ve seen her in my review of the Dehancer plugin. So let me introduce her properly. This is the photoshoot we made at the same time. Just me, my Fujifilm GFX100s the GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR, and my Freewell K2 filter kit. The light that morning was a bit challenging, changing constantly I chose to do quite a few backlit images, so we kept it simple.



I've done multiple sessions in this part of town. I even filmed a short dance video on this small bridge. What I like about this location are the tall buildings that have mirror-like windows. The sun early in the morning bounces off of these and allows you to create simple backlit images without the need for a reflector.


Marina S. (Toulouse - France)

Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR

1/200sec f/1.7 ISO 50


After only a few images and a short video, we headed to the Japanese garden. It wasn't too crowded yet, so we were able to make a few images without being bothered by tourists.


The direction of the light guided the shoot. I was looking for semi-closed spaces and shadows. As the sun's course accelerated, we had to hurry to still be able to use the sunlight head-on for some portraits. Gradually it became too harsh for the portraits I wanted to make.


Marina S. (Toulouse - France)

Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR

1/500sec f/1.7 ISO 50



It's a small garden, so options are limited. But there's plenty to do there, especially if the trees are in bloom. Unfortunately for us, we got there a little early. A few days later, we'd have a more flowery setting.


Marina S. (Toulouse - France)

Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR

1/125sec f/1.7 ISO 400



For my backlit images, I used a Glow mist filter to slightly raise the contrast for a better, smoother roll-off in the highlights. I tried to have those flares too, but finding the right balance wasn't easy.

Marina S. (Toulouse - France)

Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR

1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50



Again this session showed how much I love using the GF80mm for portraits, especially wide open. At f1.7, I use the Variable ND filter of my Freewell K2 kit to further control my exposure.


Marina S. (Toulouse - France)

Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR

1/400sec f/1.7 ISO 50




We ended this session with these images of Marina sitting on a rock. The sun is slightly out of frame but still facing me. Some of the images I got were completely washed out and lacked contrast. The Glow mist didn't help, but I knew I could get the right balance If I could just find the right angle.


Marina S. (Toulouse - France)

Fujifilm GFX100s + GF 80 mm f/1,7 R WR

1/800sec f/1.7 ISO 50



What could have helped me during this session? A reflector for sure for those close portraits or even a small flash. But as with my last outdoor photo shoots, I try to bring the bare minimum. Just what I need for my shoot. Which one was your favorite? What is your favorite focal length for outdoor portraits? Contrary to what I may have said in my YouTube video, I appreciate your feedback. I'm just a little tired of telling you what to do, so feel free to make your own decisions. If you'd like to subscribe, become a premium member, or just like to drop by occasionally. That giveaway contest on Instagram that I talked about in my previous post, should happen in mid-June and winners should be announced a few weeks later, so join me there and look out for that.


I guess I will catch you on the blog and Instagram shortly. Until then, take care!

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